DNA Editing

A team of scientists has recently come to a deeper understanding in how enzymes edit genes. By further       studying enzymes like these, this may make us be able to correct genetic diseases. A type of CRISPR enzyme has been found to be able to edit the human genome. Enzymes like this have been able to correct errors in a 23 billion base pair fragment of DNA. When the enzyme finds an error, it literally pulls the DNA strand appart and inserts an RNA fragment as replacement for it. Scientists have been monitoring these "R-loops" and they are observing how CRISPR makes them. This allowed the scientists to see more steps of the process of correcting DNA so that they can later have the ability to do it themselves. 

NOS Themes:

Curiosity - If we further research this, we may be able to fix genetic disorders

Repeatability - you can get CRISPR and observe it's effects on other DNA strands

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/05/26/breakthrough_shows_how_dna_is_edited_to_correct_genetic_diseases.html

Lyme Disease Older Than Humans?

Older than Humans?

Lyme disease is a misdiagnosed disease that was only recognized round 40 years ago. However, new studies of ticks found in socialized amber have found that they hold a bacterial which cause this disease maybe have been around for over 1.5 million years. Researches from Oregon State University studied the 15-20 million year old amber from the Dominican Republic and found Borreila, a kind of bacteria responsible for lyme disease.

 As summer arrives we need to be aware that these diseases has been far more common and has been around for a very long time.

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140529142538.htm

NOS:

• Science is collaborative 
• Science is based on evidence 
• Science is Tentative 

Did Kiwis used to fly?

A recent study has shown that the elephant bird of Madagascar is the closest relative of New Zealand's kiwi bird. This contradicts the theory that flightless birds arose when common ancestors drifted apart on land masses. The land mass theory was also disproven when DNA was sampled from the bones of the extinct moa and found the moa and the kiwi to not be closely related when the land mass theory hypothesized that they would be. Kiwi's were also found to be closely related to cassowaries and emus. Because both of these findings disprove the land mass theory, the researchers concluded that distant ancestors must have been able to fly.

NOS Themes
Science is based on evidence
Science is subject to debate

Article: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/flightless-birds%E2%80%99-history-upset-ancient-dna?mode=topic&context=76

Structure of Circadian Rhythm Protein Discovered

Structural biologists at the Institute of Molecular Biology  have made important progress towards better understanding the functioning of the circadian clock. The circadian or inner clock coordinates the sleep-wake rhythm and many other body processes that regulate metabolism, blood pressure, and the immune system. They have discovered for the first time identified the molecular structure of a protein complex that plays an important role in regulating the circadian rhythm.
Using x-ray identification, scientists were able to observe the atomic interactions between the protein and the zinc ion that mediates it. They discovered that the zinc ion acted as a stabilizing agent for the protein. These discoveries will help to treat sleep disorders such as insomnia, or narcolepsy. It can also be used to study variations in sleep patterns among different age and gender demographics.

NOS themes- Science is collaborative- A group of researchers from many different universities discovered the structure of this protein.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140530133348.htm

Artificial Lungs?

If a person has lung cancer, the only cure that there is currently for them, is chemotherapy. With new technology, in a program called "Regenerative Technologies for Oncology," they are creating tests that simulate what goes on in the body. This will hopefully replace all animal tests in the future. Scientists have created artificial lungs that are no larger than a sugar cube. Scientists at the Department of Bioinformatics at the University of Wurzburg are doing tests and creating simulations on the computer of the human body and what happens in different "patient groups." This research enables scientists to alter therapies and create them to what the patient needs. With this new technology, scientists are creating the models out of cancer cell tissue, in order to make it like an actual lung. With this information about the lung and how it works, scientists are coming one step closer to finding cures for cancer.

Article Link: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/05/29/artificial_lung_the_size_of_a_sugar_cube.html

An Act of Transparency: Hippopodius hippopus

Is it possible to be invisible? Many have dreamed of this trait, and now an animal has been discovered that has the adaption of being transparent when disturbed. The marine jellyfish Hippopodius hippopus is glassy clear most of the time, but when disturbed, turns bright translucent white. This adaption is called blanching, and only lasts for a few minutes.

The H. hippopus is very fragile, and typically avoids coastal waters where it can be killed by the surf. The bay at Villefranche-sur-Mer (in France) is an ideal place to observe the hippopodius hippopus due to the deep waters with favorable currents. A state of the art research station is located here, where experiments are being conducted on changeable transparency. 

NOS Themes:

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

Questions to comment on: Why do you think this creatures undergo blanching? How does it tie into evolution?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/science/a-marine-magicians-vanishing-act.html?ref=science&_r=0

Mini Lungs for Cancer Research

Mini Lungs for Cancer Research

Most lung cancer research is first tested on animal lungs before humans. Unfortunately, 75% of the successful treatments for animals are not successful with humans. So, scientists have recently come up with an alternative that does not use animals. They have developed a way to test new treatments on an artificial lung, which consists of based human lung cancer cells growing on tissue that is about the size of a sugar cube. Scientists have reported that the artificial lungs give a more accurate prediction of what will be successful with humans. Researchers hope to some day have individual lung models for each patient to provide an even more accurate prediction of the outcome of treatments for each patient.

NOS themes:
-science is collaborative
-role of motivation
-importance of repeatablily

Article

Artificial Lung the size of a sugar cube

Lung Cancer has been on the rise in the last two decades. More and more smokers are developing and dying from this disease. Once diagnosed, the patient's only hope is Chemotherapy."To start with, not all patients respond to a course of chemotherapy in exactly the same way. And then there's the fact that the systems drug companies use to test new medications leave a lot to be desired"(Walles 1). Even animal testing is not a reliable source, 75% of drugs that are effective at treating lung cancer in animals don't work on humans. Scientists at the University of Wurstburg have developed another option for the survival of the diagnosed, a Artificial Lung. It was built on the concepts of the regular lungs, and is the size of a sugar cube. They use this artificial lung to test new drugs, so animals, which give skewed results, are no longer needed. Since it is similar to a Human's lung drugs can be more accurately tested to see if they will  be effective in stopping the horrible disease, Lung Cancer.

NOS Theme: Science is collaborative: Multiple scientists have been working for years to develop the Artificial Lung.

Article: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/05/29/artificial_lung_the_size_of_a_sugar_cube.html

A lung the size of a sugar cube

Lung cancer has been a serious issue for a long time, and it is becoming increasingly common. Upon diagnosis, most patient's only option is chemotherapy. Unfortunately, chemotherapy is not always successful and patients react differently. Drug testing on animals is a good idea in theory, but is also not very effective in treating the cancer. 75 percent of the drugs that are successfully tested on animals fail in humans.

Scientists at the University of Würzburg are developing a 3D test system that will simulate exactly what happens inside the body. They are hoping to replace animal testing with this method. The 3D lungs they have created are the size of sugar cubes. The scientists are also creating a computer simulation model for patients with unique genetic variations. This is important because the variations will effect how well the drug works. Scientists will combine data from the 3D lung and the computer simulation to get the most information.

3D lung the size of a sugar cube

The scientists are currently testing exactly how similar the 3D lung is to the human body, eventually the goal for this project will be to create a model lung for each patient. This will allow doctors to run tests and determine which method of treatment will be most effective.

NOS Themes:

• Science is collaborative
• Science is tentative
• Role of credibility
• Role of skepticism
• Importance of repeatability

Link:

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/05/29/artificial_lung_the_size_of_a_sugar_cube.html

Intertwined evolution of human brain and brawn

         A new study has provided evidence to support that the muscles of the human body are just as unique as the brain. It has always been quite obvious that the human brain has capabilities that are more advanced than any other species on the planet. The study found that metabolite concentrations evolved rapidly over the course of human evolution in two tissues: in the brain and, more surprisingly, in muscle. Among the genetic changes that have happened over the course of human evolution, only a few might be responsible for the rise of distinct human features. A team of scientists look at metabolites in muscle and brain tissue to find more information about what gives us our human qualities.



http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140527185347.htm

Scientific Themes:

1. Collaborative- This study is conducted be institutes from Shanghai and Germany
2. Repeatability- Anyone can look closely at human anatomy to determine the source of human traits
3. Motivation- Scientists were curious about what exactly is the source of our advanced capabilities

Brawny to Brainy

Creative Commons Photo of a Brain

Original Article: Brain vs. Bicepts?
Article Source: www.the-scientist.com
Published: May 29, 2014
Written by: Rina Shaikh-Lesko

Summary: A team of scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied the metabolomes of of five tissues in different animals. These animals included humans, chimps, rhesus, monkeys, and mice. They discovered that the metabolomes in the human prefrontal cortex were very different from those of other primates; they appear to have evolved at a much faster rate. Then, the scientists also took strength tests of the humans and primates and discovered that the chimpanzee was much stronger than the human. This led the scientists to believe that humans must have "given up" muscle strength through evolution to move more energy towards the brain. 

N.O.S. Themes:

• Science is collaborative - Many scientists worked together 
• Science is based on evidence - They conducted research and made conclusions on evidence
• Role of credibility - Research was conducted at a credible Academy
• Conflicts in science community - Other researchers commented on their conclusion claiming that they disagree with it
• Role of motivation/curiosity - The scientists researched because they were interested to see the differenced and similarities between these organism's metabolomes

Thoughts: This is an interesting conclusion to make from their research. I was also confused as to this being a new conclusion because I had heard this before, especially in history textbooks about early humans. I wonder if any further research can be done/ will be done to support or refute this conclusion. 

Post Published: May 30, 2014 (10:25 pm)
By: Julia Garbuz (hour 2)

Lyme Disease 15 Million Years Old

Five years ago a scientist, George Poinar Jr., found an ancient tick encased in amber fifteen million years old.

He bought the amber thirty years ago in the dominican Republic while searching for the ancient origins of diseases. He saw the tick five years ago and when he looked with a microscope he saw the tick was full of fossilized bacteria. The disease most likely came from its mother, and Mr. Poinar says neither the tick or the disease has changed much since then. Just as a comparison Homo sapiens have been fossil dated to two hundred thousand years old.

Link:

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/29/6442555/bacteria-in-ancient-tick-similar.html

NOS Themes:

Science is based on evidence, 

Science is credible,

Role of chance, 

Role of motivation and curiosity.

Does Your Finger Length Impact Empathy?

People have the ability to be empathic, this ability is impacted by your testosterone level. The more testosterone you posses, the less empathic you will be. People have two different testosterone levels, one in utero and one current level. Utero testosterone level can be determined based on the lengths of your pointer and ring finger on your right hand. A longer ring finger than pointer finger means that you have more testosterone in utero. Your current level can be affected by testosterone supplements.
Researcher Jack van Honk found that when people were given more testosterone they became less empathic, also a higher utero testosterone level was correlated with a person being more impacted by testosterone pills.

To find out more check the link below.
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/02/02/1011891108.full.pdf

NOS Themes.
Science is based on evidence: The more testosterone that one has, the lower your empathy level is.
Importance of repeatability: 16 different women were used in this study and similar results were found.

New approach to HIV vaccine

Scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have recently found a new way to fight HIV. The new method involves manipulating the virus' codons to rely on an unnatural amino acid for proper protein translation. However, because this amino acid is foreign to the body is is an adaptive immunity. Adaptive immunity is when the body's immune system develops antibodies that attack the virus. The virus is then shut off from replicating by removing the amino acid. This method uses the actual virus as part of the cure. However, using an weakened form of the virus in a vaccine has not been accomplished before because even a weakened form of the HIV replicates rapidly, and allows it to evolve quickly and regain is virulence and disease-causing ability.

NOS:

Science is collaborative- There have already been many tests in other countries trying to cure HIV.

Role of skepticism- The scientists tried a new way to cure HIV and got positive results.

Science is based on evidence- There is evidence that changing the codons of the HIV helps the body fight it.

-Tyler Welder

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140529142544.htm

New approach to HIV vaccine

link to article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140529142544.htm


A team of University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientists has developed a promising new approach that could someday lead to a more effective HIV vaccine. They did this using a genetically modified form of the HIV virus. The new method involves manipulating the virus to rely on an unnatural amino acid for proper protein translation, which allows it to replicate. Because this amino acid is foreign to the human body, the virus cannot continue to reproduce. This is the first attempt to use the real HIV virus as cure because it reproduces and evolves quickly. On june 1 this team will begin its phase of development due to a 4 year, 1.9 million dollar grant. 

Nos themes: 
science is based on evidence 
importance of repeatability 

Early Learning Keeps Brain Cells Alive

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140527154750.htm

This study done by Rutgers University shows that early mastery of tasks may keep more brain cells related to that task alive.

They performed the study on young rats, associating a sound with a motor response. They found that the previously dyed hippocampus (learning center of the brain) cells were still living in the rats that had mastered the task, but had mostly died in those that failed said task.

This can also be applied to young human minds because of similar brain structure, emphasizing the importance of learning in youth.

Nature of Science Themes:
Role of Credibility: The study was done by a university

E-cigarettes: Not a healthy alternative to smoking

Link to Article

Doctors from all three Mayo Clinics are now saying that there is no evidence that e-cigarettes are an effective method to quit smoking. They also say that people are smoking e-cigs in public but regular cigarettes at home. This can cause even worse effects because the ingredients in an e-cigarette supposedly weaken the lung tissue that is then damaged by the normal cigarettes. Doctors are also skeptical of the long term effects because these are a fairly new product. They are afraid that they may also increase risk of cancer and respiratory diseases. The vapor from e-cigarettes is now show to give more asthma attack than normal cigarettes do. Many doctors and researchers are now calling for more regulation by the FDA.

NOS Themes

• Role of Skepticism- Doctors are skeptical of e-digs as a safe alternative to smoking
• Science is Collaborative - Doctors from all three Mayo Clinics are working together.

TIny mutation triggers drug resistance for patients with leukemia

1.http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/05/29/tiny_mutation_triggers_drug_resistance_for_patients_with_one_type_of_leukemia.html
2. Researchers have determined what is causing some patients with leukemia to become resistant of a life saving drug. This happens after twenty months of successful treatment but suddenly they begin to have a relapse and the drugs do not work. The researchers did a sequencing of three proteins that are likely the cause for the drugs to stop working. They found the mutation in the protein called Bruton's tyrosine kinase. This made sense because the drug binded to BTK. The more the protein became mutated the less likely that the drug would bind with it. The researchers are now looking for new ways to fix this mutation.
3.
4. NOS Themes and Concepts:
Motivation: Many of these scientists are motivated to find a cure for this kind of new drug resistant leukemia.
Collaboration: Dr. Wang had someone from Christina Leslie's Laboratory do the sequencing for the blood of one of the patients.

Where Do Baby Sea Turtles Go?

When baby sea turtles hatch, they wait until the cover of night to dash from their nests on the beach into  the ocean.  Biologists have noticed that sea turtles will return to the same beach they were born at 10 years later.  Now the puzzling question is: Where do they go during those 10 years? And why do they come back?

Marine Biologists tagged 17 turtles to track and study where they travel during this time.  During this study, they discovered a few interesting things about these sea turtles.  First, they discovered that the sea turtles do not have a certain destination in mind, but just wander through the ocean.  Another interesting thing is that these sea turtles swam into waters that had accumulated seaweed.  As the turtles swam through the seaweed, it coated their shells.  The marine biologists later realized that the coating of seaweed helps the turtles stay warm.

NOS Themes:

• Science is based on evidence
• Science is collaborative
• Science is subject to debate and is tentative

Read More:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/where-do-baby-sea-turtles-go/

Life Span Attributes

Professor Karen Healey, at the University of Queensland has shown an impressive correlation between specific traits and the life span of an animal.  The blue dots on the graph represent animals that can fly, and they have a much higher lifespan than other land-dwelling animals.  There are some exceptions to this, such as the Piec Kingfisher which has a much lower lifespan than other flying animals around its weight.

Weight of the animal in question has also been shown to have a big influence on an animals life.  Animals such as the African Elephant live for a very long time, while animals such as the forest shrew don't live for very long at all.  

Overall the graph is very interesting to look at and hypothesize on why some animals live as long as they do.

Natures of Science

Evidence

Curiosity

Repeatability

Link: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fly-more-live-longer

Obesity rates on the rise

Obesity, as we all know, has been on the rise for a long time. What you may not know is the extent of the problem. In 1980 there was around 857 million people who were considered obese. Since then the amount of people considered obese has increased to 2.1 billion, almost a third of the population. Adults have seen a 28% increase and an increase of 47% in children. These increases are not consistent around the world though. Most of problem is based in ten countries. These include USA, China, India, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, Egypt, Germany, Pakistan and Indonesia. If you base it on the percentage of the population that is affected, the results change slightly. The US would still stay at the top with 33% of the adult population affected. Australia would follow with about 29% and England with 25%. A connection can be made with the percentage of the population affected and the wealth of the country. Countries with a high income rate have a much higher obesity rate.

Nos themes
science is collaborative the study was performed by many people working for the global burden of disease study.

Fighting Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Antibiotics lose effectiveness as the bacteria that survive reproduce and are resistant and more resilient to our current antibiotics. While we have the technology to make new antibiotics, this does not happen because the companies that would make them are highly profit driven. Researchers at the University of British Columbia realized that two thirds of all infections are due to bacteria build-up forming a biofilm over human tissue. Researchers also found that the peptide 1018 is able to not only destroy these infection-causing biofilms, but prevent them from forming in the future. After further trials, it was found that 1018 works on both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, as well as against several antibiotic resistant pathogens.

NOS
Collaboration: A team of researchers at the University of British Columbia worked on this
Repeatability: They repeated the use of the peptide on gram-negative, gram-positive, and other resistant pathogens
Evidence: Their results clearly state that the peptide is effective

Promising discovery in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria

A Cure for Paralysis

Four men participated in a pilot study where an epidural stimulator would be implanted. All four men were paralyzed from the waist down and two of the four lost all sense of feeling below their waists in separate incidents. A different participant of a similar study in 2011 showed fantastic results and became the basis for this study, sponsored by the Christopher and Diana Reeve Foundation. After the epidurals were implanted, three of the four men were able to voluntarily move their legs. Researchers from UCLA and the University of Louisville concluded that nerve pathways remain even after injury, giving hope for full recovery and voluntary movement. This kind of innovation was only possible with animal research.

NOS
Collaborative: Scientists from UCLA and Louisville worked together
Repeatability: This is a repeat of another study done 3 years ago
Curiosity: This was inspired by the same study that was done 3 years ago

Paralysis breakthrough – electrical stimulation enables four paraplegic men to voluntarily move their legs

Possible Link Between Baby Swimming And Breathing Problems In Children

Possible Link Between Baby Swimming 

And Breathing Problems In Children

Infant with atopic mother have a higher risk for wheezing in the chest if the baby was exposed to swimming before six months of age. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health did a study on Pregnant ladies and kids. 30,000 moms participated and 25% of the babies swam from birth to six months of age. Baby swimmers had less LRTI, otitis media, and wheezing. Between 6-18 months, the risk of LRTI and otitis media increased to 13% to 30%, while wheezing increased to 40%. 44% of atopic moms did not let their kid to swim, where as 47% of those who swam indicate a higher chance for respiratory diseases. There is a link between baby swimming and respiratory diseases. The swimming products (chlorine and irritants) can damage the lung and cause diseases like asthma among infants. 

Baby swimmers (0-6 months of age) with mothers who have allergies or asthma have an increased risk of wheezing in the chest.

NOS:

science is collaborative : More than 30,000 Norwegians have participated in this study.  

Science is subject to debate and tentative: If someone finds a reason or evidence, the subject is matter of change. 

Importance of repeatability: If we repeat this study, we should approximately be able to get about the same result. 

Role of curiosity: the pregnant women were motivated to contribute to this study. 

To find more, visit http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415111646.htm

Whales Have Lost Tasting Skills

Scientist have discovered that whales, both toothed and baleen, have lost 4 of the 5 primary tastes. These five include, sweet, savory, sour, bitter, and salty. This was a surprise to the scientist working on the project because taste is important because most natural toxins have a bitter taste and if the animals can not taste that they might eat something that could make them sick or die.

Scientist made this discovery by comparing the genomes of 15 different species of whale and looking at the genes that control taste. The animals still have the genes to taste, but it has become a pseudogene, meaning its a lingering gene for a trait that has been forgotten. The proteins on the tongues of these animals all have stopped working except that of those that taste salt. However, this is ok because whales  tend to swallow their food whole with out chewing it, and chewing is what causes the taste.

Link: http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2014/05/whales-cant-taste-anything-salt

NOS Theme:
Science is based on evidence- They looked at the genomes
Role of Curiosity- The scientists wanted to know about the whales tasting 

Artificial Immune System

A new technology is being researched right now by the folks at the university of Nottingham that will potentially create an Artificial Immune System (AIS). Due to the recent development of computer controlled cells that are beginning to be tested on the human body, individuals with a weak immune system now have the opportunity to receive help from artificially intelligent immune system white blood cells. " Its an adaptive system that can be more nuanced in detecting what is dangerous", says Dr. Uwe Aickelin, professor of computer science at the university of Nottingham and leading AIS developer. With technology like this entering the world we can potentially see a massive decrease in life threatening that diseases that were previously a death sentence such as Cancer and AIDS only mime will tell where this technology will lead us in the future.

1. Role of Motivation and Curiosity- The curiosity to help people with weak immune systems has led to the development of the robotic, computer cells.
2. Science is Collaborative- The college of Nottingham is working collaboratively to get this technology running and available to the public.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/07/tech/incredible-new-tech-inspired-by-biology/

New Tanning Bed Rules Link Lamps to Cancer

Tanning beds are no longer harmless. Once considered only as dangerous as dental floss or Band-Aids has now been linked to other devices that exposes users to radiation. The FDA now treats tanning beds and sunlamps like devices that expose radiation. Data has linked sunlamps to cancer-causing radiation that is very dangerous. Indoor tanning is estimated to cause 419,000 cases of skin cancer every year which is about twice as much as the cases of lung cancer that was caused by smoking. Tanning beds are one of the key factors to Melanoma cancer. Your risk for melanoma is increased by 59% by using tanning beds. Not only do tanning beds give you the risk of cancer they also have been linked to eye damage such as catatacts. The exposure of the ultraviolet rays can damage the DNA in skin cells.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-tanning-bed-rules-link-lamps-to-cancer/

NOS Themes

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

Bats Use Tiny Muscles in Their Wings to Fly Better

A new study of bats has shown that they have tiny muscles in their wings that flex and relax during flight to tighten and loosen the skin that makes up the wing. This adjustability in wing stiffness and shape allows bats to more deftly maneuver through the air. It has been known for over a century that bats had these hair-thin muscles in their wings, but nobody figured out what exactly they were used for until now. The researchers were observing the use of these muscles during flight and noticed that they were flexed during the downstroke and relaxed on the upstroke. This led them to believe that the muscles were used to adjust the wing shape and stiffness rather than any other function, such as acting as sensors of stretch. The muscles are too weak to do much by themselves, but when they are all recruited simultaneously, they have enough strength to reshape the wing for better flight. This finding could translate over to humans and help engineers create flying devices that mimic the style of the bat, since bats are pretty effective at flying.
Read the complete article here.

Bat flying in slow motion

NOS Themes:
Role of Motivation and Curiosity - Researchers were interested in finding out the use of the tiny muscles in bats' wings.
Science is based on evidence - Scientists until now that noticed the muscles could not make any conclusions on what they were for since they did not have enough evidence to support a hypothesis.

Climate warming favors light-colored insects in Europe

Studies show that climate change butterflies and dragonflies with a lighter shade of color do better in warmer areas of Europe. It gives them an advantage over the darker insects when faced with climate change. Colleagues from the University of Copenhagen and Imperial College London, showed a clear pattern of light-colored insects dominating the warmer south of Europe and darker insects dominating the cooler north. Ultimately, they showed that for dragonflies, the insect assemblage in Europe has, on average, gotten lighter during the last decades

 Lizards and snakes absorb energy from the sun that allows them to become mobile. The darker their color, the more sunlight they can exploit. Therefore it makes sense to see darker insects in cooler climates. Researchers were surprised to find such a distinguished color pattern between the northern and southern species, since the surface colors also serve many other purposes.

LINK
http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/05/27/climate_warming_favors_lightcolored_insects_in_europe.html

NOS THEMES
Science is collaborative: Many researches worked together and pooled their data into one.
Science is based on evidence: Through observations, researches have been able to make out the certain characteristics of insects.Which ultimately became evidence to support their hypothesis.

"Man's Best Friend"

Investigations on the evolution of dogs' attentiveness have been preformed by Scientists at the Messerli Research Institute at the Vetmeduni Vienna.  The scientists found out that dogs' attentional and sensorimotor control developmental trajectories that are very similar to humans' trajectories and how they change over time.

As everyone knows, dogs are individual personalities and possess awareness that allows them to be trained and taught. Dogs' attentive qualities used to learn different behaviors change over the span of their lives. Researchers watched 145 Boarder Collies from 6 months old to 14 years old. The first test preformed was dropping a child's toy from above and observing how the dog reacted to it and how long it had interest in it. This test showed that all age dogs reacted the same way, but the older dogs lost interest in the toy quicker. A second test: someone known to the dog entered the room and pretended to paint a wall. All the dogs watched the human for a longer duration than watching the child's toy. Scientists concluded that dogs find more interest in "social" interactions than "non-social" interactions. Also, the older dogs have a more relaxed feeling, which made them lose interest faster than the younger dogs. 

In another test, researchers studied the selective attention of the dogs. This test was a multitasking activity. Each dog had to find a treat on the ground thrown by the trainer, followed by looking at the trainer in the eyes after he/she made a sound with a clicker. The time taken to find the food and to look up at the human were both measured, and the results showed the 3 to 6 year old dogs had the fastest reaction time for both actions. The younger dogs preformed poorly based off of lack of experience, while the middle age dogs were the fastest due to their high sensorimotor abilities (unlike the older dogs whose motor abilities have begun to fade). These results show similarities between humans and dogs. Humans also show a peak in motor abilities before they begin to deteriorate, just like dogs. 

Another comparison between dogs and humans includes an adolescence, or puberty, stage that allows "immature" changes to occur, like inability to focus. This stage varies but usually occurs between ages 1 and 2 for dogs and between ages 13 and 18 for humans. Additionally, dogs can be used as models for human diseases such as ADHD and Alzheimer's. Scientists are currently researching these topics and will continue to learn and teach similarities between humans and dogs.


Nature of Science Themes:

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

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140401102245.htm

Key to Saving Certain Leukemia Patients

In new researches going on with certain leukemia treatments, doctors have been able to uncover a common trend in all patients that have developed a resistance to the normal medicine. Doctor Wang and her team of scientists were comparing all DNA blood shifts in the patients that developed the resistance to the drug. After some hurried research in attempt to save a patient, the doctors were able to determine one similarity in 90% of the cases. The change was in the BTK protein.

The BTK protein is the protein that helps in the cell's rapid proliferation. By adding a new type of medicine, it helps the BTK to not mutate into a form that rejects the initial medicine. With this advancement in research, this string of leukemia may become chronic and not deadly. Doctors still need to make more research, but hopes are high for these experiments.

Link to the article

NOS Themes:
Science is Collaborative: These doctors were able to use blood samples from many different researches on this string of leukemia.
Role of motivation and curiosity: These doctors are trying to find a cure for something new

Further Research

There's more than one way to silence a cricket

There's more than one way to silence a cricket

http://phys.org/news/2014-05-silence-cricket.html

Scientists have recently noticed that many crickets in Hawaii stopped chirping. They think this is because of evolution, and they traced it back to a single sex linked gene. The crickets stopped because they were heard by predators and eaten. This caused a problem, because the chirping is what attracts mates, so the crickets that stopped chirping would position themselves near ones that still chirp. This way they still attract the mates, but the one chirping gets eaten, leaving the silent one. The scientists have a lot more to learn from these crickets, but they are convinced they are a great example of convergent evolution.

NOS-
Science is collaborative- many scientists worked on this study.
Science is based on evidence- They watched the crickets, and tested their DNA

Information Not on the Label

The FDA currently requires food to be labeled if it contains certain ingredients such as corn syrup, preservatives, and artificial flavoring, but it does not require labeling if it is a G.M.O. product. 93% of respondents to a survey said that they wish that GMO products were identified.
Vermont was the first state to require such labels, but not many other states have followed. Research is being done to determine whether or not GMO products have negative effects on us or the environment. GMO products are classifies as any product that has any organisms that have had there genetic profile changed. It will be interesting to see what researchers determine in this study.

NOS Themes

Science is Collaborative

Science is based on facts

'Free choice' in primates altered through brain stimulation

Scientists have recently done a test to see if they could change a macaque's mind by sending electrical currents to a certain part of their brain.  The ventral tegmental area is located in the midbrain, and helps regulate and reinforcement in the brain's reward system.  It releases dopamine, which creates a positive feeling in the individual, when a reward is received or something is done correctly.  The scientists had the macaques choose which picture they liked more, a star or a ball.  After they recorded this as a control, they once again asked the macaque which picture it liked more.  After it gave its answer, the scientists provided a small electrical current to the ventral tegmental area.  Every time they did this, the macaque would change its mind.  This could be big news for those with Parkinson's or depression.  This type of therapy could be helpful.



Themes of Nature of Science:
-Importance of repeatability- this could have been chance that the monkey changed its mind if they hadn't run many tests
-Role of motivation and curiosity- scientists decided to test this hoping to see results, but they found something that could actually be medically helpful for us

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140529142448.htm

Genetically Modifying Soybeans to Fight Allergies

(Yes, I am aware that this is an old article. However, it fits extremely well with our recent units so I wanted to share.)
Article: http://www.plantphysiology.org/content/132/1/36.full

In 2003, scientists working with the USDA's Plant Genetics Research Unit were researching soybean allergies when they found something. They could remove a certain protein which was responsible for 65% of said allergies, and the newly modified bean was still safe and almost identical to the original.
Below is a diagram of gel electrophoresis results. MAb represents the soybean DNA, 1 being a crossbreed, 2 being a normal bean, and 3 being the GM bean, and IgE is from allergic patients who consumed their bean (numbers matching).

The results show the successful removal of the protein from the bean and that it no longer triggers the reaction in the patients.

NoS Themes
Role of Credibility: Each scientist in the article has some sort of official group, the lead being the USDA, which can (hopefully) be assumed as credible.
Role of Observation: It can be seen that the protein's DNA is missing, thus showing that the process worked.

E-Cigarettes Not a Healthy Alternative to Smoking

E-Cigarettes Not a Healthy Alternative to Smoking

Summary

An article in the June issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), explained why "buyer beware" holds true for E-Cigarettes. They examine one of the "health benefits" of smoking e-cigarettes that claims it helps to cut back on smoking tobacco cigarettes. There is no evidence to support this claim. Another cause for concern is that people are still smoking tobacco cigarettes at home and only using e-cigarettes in public, thus still exposing their children to second-hand smoke and an increased risk of asthma. E-cigarettes could also have long-term effects that we don't know about yet because they are so new. These cigarettes have no evidence supporting that they are a healthy alternative to smoking. Summary

NOS Themes:

1. There has been no evidence, data, or results showing that e-cigarettes are a healthy alternative to smoking.
2. It is observable that people smoke e-cigarettes primarily in public because it saves them from ridicule about an unhealthy decision.
3. Like a scientific principle/law it is widely accepted and there has been no serious challenges to validity of the though that e-cigarettes are a healthy alternative to smoking.

Picture:

Link to Article: 

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/05/27/ecigarettes_not_a_healthy_alternative_to_smoking.html

Water discovered in Lunar Rocks: What else can be discovered about the Moon?

Scientists at the University of Hawaii recently did an analysis of hundreds of moon rocks, and they found out that the amount of water in the moon's interior varies.  This is an important discovery because it can help answer important questions such as how the moon was formed and it's impact history. The scientists working on this project were not looking for liquid water, but rather they were searching for water trapped in volcanic glasses or inside mineral grains.  It is agreed upon by many scientists that the moon was formed by a massive collision between a planetesimal and proto-Earth.  So, there are two main hypotheses regarding the origin of water on the moon: water came from that impact, or it came from other smaller impacts with asteroids and comets.  The study of water on the moon is quite new, and many scientists from the University of Hawaii and around the world are working together to discover more about the topic.

I am very interested in astronomy, and this article informed me on the many new discoveries that are happening involving the moon.  I was surprised to learn that scientists don't know a lot about Earth's moon because we have had astronauts and probes visit it.  How do you think this discovery will change our perspective on outer space?  How do you think scientists will use this information for more studies?

NOS themes:

Science is collaborative

Science is based on evidence

Role of motivation and curiosity 

Link to article:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140528105408.htm

Human Muscles Rebuilt with Pig Bladder Tissue

http://www.livescience.com/45247-human-muscle-rebuilt-pig-bladder.html

It is possible that human muscles can be repaired with the tissue of pig bladder.  In the first trial, five men in their 20s and 30s that had lost significant amounts of muscle from their legs got their remaining scar tissue removed.  They then got it replaced with a pig bladder scaffold.  What happened after that was amazing.  The remaining stem cells in the remaining muscle developed into muscle and rebuilt the leg's muscle.  This is truly incredible because now scientists know that muscles can be rebuilt, which could be very important in the future.

Nature of Science Themes:

• Role of motivation and curiosity
• Importance of repeatability
• Science is collaborative

E-Cigarettes: Not a Healthy Alternative to Smoking

An article in the June issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAI), examined risks of e-cigarettes, including the dependence on nicotine and the combined use of both e-cigarettes and regular ones.

The article examined the possibility that one of the "initial benefits" of e-cigarettes was that it would help those who smoked cigarettes cut back, but the theory hasn't been proven and there is no evidence to support it. Allergist Andrew Nickels, MD, lead author in AAI said, "there is just simply not enough evidence to suggest that consumers should use e-cigarettes for this purpose."

Another concern that e-cigarette users may use them in public, but almost always still smoke regular cigarettes at home. Dual use of both of the cigarettes worsens secondhand smoke exposure, causing respiratory effects on others. It also promotes a dependence on nicotine.

Since e-cigarettes are fairly new, there could be many other long-term health complications that have not yet been discovered. Most consumers don;t even know what's in the e-cigarettes they buy. The US FDA admits that the safety of e-cigarettes hasn't been fully studied.

Organizations all over are trying to higher scrutiny on e-cigarettes, a
nd hopefully in time, people all over will finally get the answers that could save their lives from the harmful (or not harmful) effects of e-cigarettes.

Article URL: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/05/27/ecigarettes_not_a_healthy_alternative_
to_smoking.html

Themes of Nature of Science: 

• Science is subject to debate and tentative
• Role of skepticism
• Importance of repeatability
• Role of motivation and curiosity

Misconception of Science vs. Religion Found in New Study

     A recent study done by Rice University has shown that science and religion are not as hostile towards one another as society would have you to believe. The study has opened the eyes of several institutions who recently believed that one either had to be a staunch candidate for science or religion. The study done shows that 50% percent of evangelicals  believe that science and religion can work together, and 18% of scientists attend religious services regularly compared with 20% of the general population. The information presented by the people at Rice University is the first of many studies coming out that hopes to help ease the tensions between two "opposing viewpoints", and  also hopes to show that these groups don't have to approach religion or science with an attitude of combat.

1. Scientist Working Together- the Rice University scientist worked together with the religious community during this study.

2. Scientist of Opposing Viewpoints/Ideas- The viewpoints of religion and science have always been in opposition, and this experiment bases its procedures on the opposite of this tension.

http://news.rice.edu/2014/02/16/misconceptions-of-science-and-religion-found-in-new-study-2/

Bacteria Everywhere!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140520100420.htm

At the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, researchers reported their findings on harmful bacteria discovered in airplane cabins. Different types of bacteria were found lingering for days and even weeks in planes. Six materials were tested in a typical airplane setting to study bacterial survival: the armrest, plastic tray table, metal toilet button, seat pocket cloth, window shade, and leather. MRSA remained for 168 hours on the seat-back pocket, and a type of E. coli lasted for 96 hours on the armrest. This information will hopefully assist with better ways to clean and disinfect these surfaces. More research will also be conducted to find out if the materials tested in this experiment contain any natural antibacterial characteristics.

*MRSA: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (a bacterium with antibiotic resistance)




NOS Themes:

Science is collaborative; Kiril Vaglenov presented these findings at the American Society for Microbiology meeting.
Science is based on evidence; the experiment provided solid, quantitative data.
Role of motivation and curiosity; this report may lead to other studies based on finding methods to prevent harmful bacteria from lingering in airplanes or other commonly used public places.

Company Makes Water Purifying Billboard. Go Science!

       A new billboard has been developed by the scientist at the University of Engineering and Technology of Peru, with the help of the Mayo DraftFCB company, that has the ability to make drinking water out of thin air. The billboard works by means of a "reverse osmosis system" which captures the humidity of the air, and then subsequently condenses and purifies the water, at which point the water is stored in 20 liter tanks. Since its inception three months ago the billboard has produced an astounding 9450 liters of fresh, drinkable water, and has improved the lives of many families and citizens of the nearby Peruvian towns.

1. Science is collaborative- the scientist worked together in order to help the citizens of Peru 

2. Role of motivation and curiosity- the curiosity to make clean air led to this new purifying billboard.

http://bigthink.com/design-for-good/the-first-billboard-in-the-world-to-make-drinking-water-out-of-thin-ai

Ohmmm...Ohmmm....

Summary

Statue of a Tibetan Buddha deity

Meditation has been practiced by humans for thousands of years. Recently, a team of Norwegian researchers, lead by Jian Xu and neuroscientist Svend Davanger, have discovered how the brain behaves when undergoing different types of meditation. The types of meditation studied were concentrative meditation—which entails the meditator focuses on specific thoughts—and nondirective meditation—in which the meditator lets his or her mind wander. For this study, Xu and Davanger chose fourteen subjects that regularly practiced meditation to limit the chance of lurking variables such as unfamiliarity with the task. The brain activity of each subject was measured by an MRI.

The results of this study were surprising. The researchers observed that the meditators that practiced the nondirective meditation exhibited more brain activity than the meditators that practiced concentrative meditation. Davanger comments on this finding, saying "that nondirective meditation allows for more room to process memories and emotions." Essentially, since the mind is unrestrained, there is more wiggle room for the brain to think.

Reflection

A woman meditating

Well, the school year is winding down, which means extracurricular activities are ending as well. This means I'm finally finding some free time! (I'm sure many of you can relate.) So, this article caught my attention because I was thinking "Heck yes, some time to relax!" So, although I've never regularly meditated before, I'm considering picking this up as a new way to unwind; and, now I know that nondirective meditation might be the best way to chill!

Have any of you guys meditated before? If not, would you ever want to? Here are some links to the benefits of meditation as well as some more types of meditation. Enjoy!

NOS Themes

Science is based on evidence: The evidence collected by the MRI proved that more brain activity occurs during nondirective meditation than concentrative meditation.

Role of motivation and curiosity: Since Jian Xu and Svend Davanger were interested in the brain activity levels of different types of meditation, they discovered that there is a difference in brain activity during nondirective meditation and concentrative meditation.

Article

"This is your brain on meditation"