Putting cattle on a diet to curb climate change

Are cattle part of the problem of global warming? The problem occurs because as livestock digest their food they produce methane gas as a by-product; around 250 to 500 liters a day according to a Washington State University study. The methane gas that is being produce from the livestock will warm the Earth 20 times fast than CO2. One way to slow list process up is to stop eating meat or to eat less of it.
It is still in the early stages, but adding a dietary additive to a cow diet will reduce methane from cows. This additive has been seen to be working across the world and has a cost benefit to farmers in terms of improved nutrition and higher yields. Cutting methane gas mean more efficient and profitable farms.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/09/11/cow.methane.power/index.html

Chidhood Diet Contributes to Adult Behavior

Humans have been known to exist as creatures of habit, and many childhood events contribute to this. While every person knows that studies "prove" that violent video games produce violent teenagers and adults, it has recently become known that children who eat candy daily are much more likely to become criminals and violent adults. Studies show that during the 1970s, among children under the age of 10 that ate candy daily, 69 percent were arrested by age 34. Simon Moore, a figure at the University of Cardiff, believes that it is the fault of parents for rewarding children with candy that causes them to "learn how to defer gratification". It has been noticed through sociological studies that children with a better nutrition have a higher likelihood of turning into responsible adults.
While small tests have been done to confirm the role of candy in violence, this certainly remains only a hypothesis. A thorough chemical analysis experiment in the brain is probably necessary to completely prove the theory, but it currently exists as only that. Many of the studies may only be the result of coincidence.


Source: MSNBC Health

a pet in your life keeps the doctor away

they lower blood pressure, encourage excersise, and improve psychological health; these may sound like the effects of a miracle drug, but the are actually amoung the benifits of owning a four legged, furry pet. check out my link for more info...

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2009/09/29/a_pet_in_your_life_keeps_the_doctor_away.html

World's First AIDS Vaccine

Scientists found that an experimental AIDS vaccine reduced the rate of infection by about thirty percent. The vaccine is a combination ALVAC canary pox/HIV vaccine and the HIV vaccine AIDSVAX, both of which failed on their own. Researchers are unsure of why, when combined, these prove to be effective. The trial took place in Thailand and was sponsored by the U.S government. Among 16,402 volunteers over three years, the risk of infection was cut by 31.2%. However, the vaccine was only shown to protect against the infection, but did nothing to affect the virus once inside the body. "We see no commercial vaccine available for some time yet, but the prospect has finally been raised (after 30 years of trying) that an effective vaccine is possible," said Michael Leacock, an analyst at ABN AMRO research.

Water on the Moon!

here is an interesting article from the NYTimes, describing the discovery of water on the moon. while not directly about biology (noone has found signs of life on the moon), as we discussed in class, water is the most important molecule in the life sciences!

the article is also an interesting example of the scientific process and the culture of science. notably, there is an interview with a nasa scientist who had analyzed moon rocks brought to earth ca. 40 years ago during the Apollo missions. at that time, he dismissed the idea of water being on the moon. presented with the new data and now convinced that there is water on the moon, he said, “I’ve eaten my shorts.”

i'll post the original research paper as soon as it is published!

Healthier Pizza..

"Americans eat 350 slices of pizza every second in this country". Sometimes the choices are not the healthiest. Marla Luther (a graduate of University of Maryland) and a team of food chemists have found ways of raising the levels of antioxidants by using baking and fermentation methods. They have found if whole wheat pizza dough is baked longer than usual the levels of antioxidants will increase by 60%, by 82% when it is made in a hotter oven, and the levels doubled when the dough was left to rise for two days. Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the United States and "it's the little things you do at home that can make your diet better," says Liangli Lu, Ph.D. Chicago style and deep dish pizza's would have more antioxidants because of the crust's thickness. Researchers said there is less in pizza dough made with refined flour, because of the removal of most bran and endosperm. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which can damage the body, it's cells, protein, and DNA. It also helps prevent heart disease, Alzheimer's, stroke, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis. If more popular foods could be made healthier (and cheaper) maybe we would all give it a try..

Life After People

Has any one ever imagined what the Earth would be like if people no longer lived here? Well the History channel aries a series that explains what would happen to the Earth if humans no longer exist. Biologists, Geologists, Engineers and Archaeologists study the affects of the Earth's population becoming zero. The lastest episode examined how the environment would change over the years. Scientists estimated that electrical plants would shut down just after a couple of days. They believe the only city that would maintain electricity for about 2 to 3 years after humans disappeared would be Las Vegas because of the Hoover Dam, explaining that the Dam has a system that can still run even if there is no one operating it. Eventually, the system would need maintenance and shutdown. These experts believe that natural science would take control of the Earth and after 1000 years it would be as if humans never called Earth home. This show is very interesting and quiet believeable. Although, the scientists outcomes maybe hypothetical many of their predictions could infact be possible. I find it remarkable how they explain Earth could eventually revert back to it's natural form. Check it out....

http://www.history.com/content/life_after_people/about-the-show

can bumble-bees fly??

did you ever hear the old saying that it is aerodynamically impossible for bumble bees to fly?? supposedly, their wings are too small for their large bodies, and it is impossible to generate lift. obviously, bumble bees fly. and now we have a better understanding of the mechanism of flight!! check it out.

Welcome to the camp

This blog was created for students from OCC Biol 161/162!
The overall assignment during the semester is for each student to post seven (yes, 7) links to 'biology in the news', along with a brief (yes, brief) summary of the article and a sentence or two regarding its meaning or any opinion you might have! These assignments are worth 14 points towards the final grade... so they have meaning (and weight).
feel free to comment and join in the discussion. there might even be an extra-credit point or three for participating!!