How the Ozone Layer is in Jeapordy.

The Ozone layer is a big part of our life in this World. It helps us humans get the right amount of light and energy from the sun(Ultraviolet Rays), without getting harmed. The O3 oxygen is what blocks the Ultraviolet Rays. As well, there are always consequences to what products we make, and how we dispose of our wastes. Chloroflorocarbons (CFC) are what we use in everyday products such as, refrigerators, freezers, hairspray cans, asthma inhalers, and even car conditioners. And they are the problem that will destroy the Earths future. With the amount of these products that we use, we will destroy the ozone layer in a few hundred years. The CFC's are emited into the sky, and when they reach the Ozone Layer, they form a different chemical reaction then the one that is natural occurence in the Ozone (O3). With the normal reaction, (O3 )is split by ultraviolet rays being absorbed, and O2 + O is formed. Normally they would rejoin quickly to form Ozone, but bad part about the CFC's is when absorbed they altar this reaction because of a strong chlorine atom, and forms (CIO) in the Ozone instead of (O3). Now the ultraviolet Rays are flying through the Ozone Layer and we are absorbing harmfull rays. This is a nother demonstartion

North Pole

South Pole

As you can see the Ozone Layer is much thin and the Chlorine levels are sky high, this is going to become a huge threat to us and our wildlife. The Ozone layer is a big part of our living, and many people do not understand that. The era must be started, and there must be some way to cut back the usage of CFC's. If we don't start to help, there will be no future.

New DNA tests could detect Colon Cancer early.

According to the NY Times there are new DNA tests aimed at reducing Colon Cancer. It costs an estimated $14 billion to treat Colon Cancer and effects 150,000 people a year in the US. As of right now colonoscopies are suggested to those over 50, for the testing of Colon Cancer.

The two new tests are DNA testing from the blood then stool samples. The one test looks in to stool samples for four altered genes that are diagnostic of colon cancer. This would help detect the cancer early on. The other is a blood test for changes in a gene called Septin 9.

Both tests would be less expensive than colonoscopies. Colonoscopies can also be very uncomfortable. And the new tests would be less stressful. If its tested positive, then the go on to receiving a colonoscopy. Even if the test sets of a false alarm of Colon Cancer, the worst would be the patient receiving a colonoscopy to be told they do not have the cancer.

Both tests could be used within two years.

This is definitely a great idea. The new tests could be done younger than 50 years old and could help detect the cancer at earlier stages. As colonoscopies are not exactly something people are willing to get, these tests are more simpler and will appeal to people more. If the test comes positive for the cancer, then it proceeds to a colonoscopy. It eliminates all people getting the colonoscopy, which saves a lot of money as well.

Newly Discovered Snub-Nosed Monkey Sneezes in the Rain

According to ScienceDaily, a new species of monkey was discovered in Northern Myanmar. It was discovered during the Hoolock Gibbon Status Review in 2010. They started investigating when hunters started seeing monkeys with prominent lips and upturned nostrils.

The species, Rhinopithecus strykeri,is unlike any other snub-nosed monkey ever reported. It has a a long tail, and black fur everywhere except for around the face and ears. The species is very new to scientists, but when interviewing the locals, they knew exactly what the scientists were talking about. They could tell what kind of monkeys they were because when it rained, the water would get stuck in their noses, causing them to sneeze. It was said that they could be found sitting with their heads in-between their knees when it rained to keep the water out.

Just like the other types of snub-nosed monkeys, this species along with the rest are all endangered due to hunting and new developments.

I found this article very interesting. It is always really cool to read about new species being discovered. It just goes to show how much we do not know about our own planet! (I also thought it was sort of cute, in a weird way)

"Pill Poppers" May Face Consequences Down the Road

According to an article in U.S News and World Report magazine, 61% of adults use at least one drug to treat a health problem. One in four senior citizens take at least five medications each day. Because of this, "a spike in diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis related to obesity" has taken place. Medications have been life saving, but according to experts many people are taking drugs they don't need, which will cause major consequences later. "Usually new drugs are tested for just three or so years," "a drug's serious side effects might only show up after months or years on the market." Steven Nissen, head of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic says that "doctors shouldn't be prescribing any drug without considering whether a patients personal risks exceed his or her clear benefits." In 2009, 22% of nursing home residents in Massachusetts were taking antipsychotics without conditions calling for this medication. According to Steven Cummings, director of San Francisco Coordinating Center, "for every 1,000 patients that we treat for 10 years, we'll prevent 100 major fractures." Speaking of those taking medicine for osteoporosis. Changes are planned that by the year 2012, the FDA will install surveillance system which periodically scans medical records for adverse drug effects.

In my opinion, I believe that doctors will prescribe medication to any one without thinking about the side effects. People believe that a pill can solve any of their problems, medical or not. Because it is to easy for people to get a prescription, I agree there's going to be consequences for frequent pill takers. I also think that because of not knowing the side effects over a long period of time, there should be more intense testing done.

New Species Encased in Amber

In Western India scientists have made an astonishing discovery as more than 700 ancient insects, arachnids, and crustaceans, and many plant, floral and fungal remains have been found in an amber excavation. These species are said to be from 50 to 53 million years old. At that time it is believed this area in Western India was a tropical rain forest. This would explain the type of specimens found. Researchers from the US, Germany and India found that there were similarities between these specimens and those found in Mexico and Central America.

Dr. Grimaldi, an entomologist at the American Museum of Natural History said that 100 Million years ago India, Madagascar, the Seychelles and Sri Lanka broke off from Gondwana, a landmass that also encompassed the land that became Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and South Africa. After India separated from present day Africa it drifted and in about 50 million years it collided with Asia creating the Himalayas. This show how the shifting of the landmasses affected the climate and species which lived there.

There were also remains of mammals found. Among them, Primates, Bats, and primitive rabbits remains were found. Plant remains were also discovered. There needs to be further study of these to establish their precise types.

I found this article to be very intriguing. It is very interesting to discover the different species which once lived on this earth that we share with so many creatures. Finding living things from the past can give us a perspective on evolution and how species adapted to the changing climates on their time. It amazes me that after all the years of discovering different species on earth there is still so many to be revealed.

Information found:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/science/26obamber.html?ref=science

Cancer Patients May Be Making You Radioactive

According to The Press of Atlantic City, Thyroid cancer patients who swallow radioactive iodine to shrink there tumors are unwittingly exposing the public to radiation. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission eased requirements that had patients remain in the hospital for a few days after swallowing doses of the radioactive iodine.

About 40,000 people a year develop Thyroid cancer. Treatments can include by swallowing radioactive iodine, or iodine-131. It concentrates in the thyroid, but small amounts are excreted through urine, saliva, and sweat.

Patients have been known to contaminate hotel rooms and set off alarms on public transportation, a congressional investigation has found.They have also come into close contact with vulnerable people, including pregnant women and children, and the household trash from their homes has triggered radiation detectors in landfills.

Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., blames weak NRC regulations, ineffective oversight of those who administer the medical treatments, and the absence of clear guidance to patients and to the physicians. There is a meeting scheduled to examine the issue further.

Rather than putting people in harms way the patient should follow their physicians instructions on how to minimize exposure to others. Most of the radiation is gone in about a week. Staying home until the week is over would eliminate causing harm to innocent people.

Positive and Negatives of Wind Farms

An article released by Matthew L. Wald discusses the controversial issue about wind farms and whether or not putting one along the Atlantic Seaboard will be a positive thing, allowing us to produce more energy and lower coat or is it just a wast of money and time. The article talks about the positives and negatives about the wind farms, some of the positives that were discussed were that once completed it will help produce energy and electricity at a faster rate and as a whole will coast less for consumers long term. However some people believe the negative effect out way the positive, some of the negative effects are that its going to coast billions of dollars to complete, also that the market price of offshore wind energy is about 50 percent higher than that of energy generated on land. Most people believe the wind farms are a good idea in theory, however they don't believe it is worth the coast.

Children's Best Friend:Dogs Help Autistic Children Adapt, Study Shows

An article released by ScienceDaily reports of a new study done by the Universite' de Montreal, that shows that dogs may have an effect on the lives of special needs children. According to the study children with Autism Syndrome Disorders can benefit from trained service dogs; that these dogs can reduce their anxiety and improve their social skills. In the study levels of cortisol where measured in the saliva of children with autism. The levels where tested before the presence of the dog, during and after.Parents completed a questionnaire during these times about their child's behaviors. 33 problematic behaviors where present before the dog and 25 where present while living with the dog. This was the first study that measured the physiological impact, researcher Sonia Lupien said, and that the results support the benefits of service dogs with children with autism. This finding may give families with autistic children a way to cope with autism's challenges.

A Galaxy Is Found

According to the The Washington Post, there are European astronomers that have found an old galaxy. The photo of the galaxy was released earlier this year, and it was found in a Hubble Space Telescope. It appears to be just a smudge of light, but it actually is a galaxy. "European astronomers now calculate the galaxy is from 13.1 billion years ago. When the universe was very young, just shy of 600 billion years." Matthew Lambert of the Paris Observatory, believes that the galaxy is so ancient that it no longer exists in its earlier form and that it must've already merged into bigger neighbors. It had taken the astronomers 16 hours to figure out the age of this unknown galaxy. The galaxy is currently unnamed. I found this topic very interesting. It amazed me how something could be in the galaxy for such a long period of time, and the astronomers have not been able to notice it until now. It makes me wonder what else is out there that we have yet to find.

Alcoholism: More Common In Men?

According to Biology News Net, there have been further studies into the debate over whether or not men are more susceptible to alcoholism than women are. Scientists have always suspected that men were more likely to form a habit out of heavy drinking, but this new study found that there is now biological evidence to support this idea.
There were researchers from Yale and Columbia who studied college-age men and women after they had a few drinks. After one had either an alcoholic or nonalcoholic drink, they were then given a PET scan, which can measure the release of alcohol related dopamine. Dopamine has a number of functions, but the most important in this context is how it gives pleasurable feelings after rewarding experiences, such as sex, drinking, or doing drugs. After the PET scans were examined, it was clear that men had a greater dopamine release in the part of the brain that controls addiction formation. Since men had more dopamine after drinking, the study leads researchers to believe that men do in fact drink more often, and more heavily, than women do.
In my opinion, I think that both men and women in college are likely to drink a little too often, or a little too much. Although, whether or not the social drinking will turn into a kind of addiction as time goes on is hard to tell. The biological evidence behind the idea of men being more likely to develop alcoholism is very convincing, and I have heard of more older men being alcoholics then women. The article I read on this subject was very easy to understand, and really made me stop and wonder.

What is Going On?

The BP Oil disaster was the worst Oil spill in History. The aftermath and consequences of this disaster will afect our wildlife and marine life for decades. There has not been a sign of urgency shown by our leader, and there is a lot that needs to be done. Every day there are more and more animals dying, ecosystems depleting, and nothing being done. Yes, there are clean up crews cleaning the oil off the beaches, and on the water fronts, but there needs to be more help. Still to this day the aftermath of the Exelon Valdez Oil Spill off the coast of Alaska is still having effects on there marine life and ecosystemsaround the spill, and it has been over twenty years. the So, why are we not showing

the need of emediate urgency to help the Gulf before it is to late.

Space Tourism

The space tourism business gained significant momentum Wednesday, when Boeing announced that it had officially entered the race. Flights launched out of Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station could begin as early as 2015. These flights are intended to bring up NASA astronauts into orbit. Both Boeing and Bigelow Aerospace won an $18 million contract to privatise such operations. With NASA's current plans calling for four crew member missions, the proposed seven man capsule would leave three seats available for space tourists. This will be a huge step forward in getting sustained space tourism legitimized. Space Adventures, based out of Virginia, will market the seats for Boeing. This is the same company that arranged for the previous private Russian flights. Eric C. Anderson, co-founder and chairman of Space Adventures, said "We're ready now to start talking to prospective customers." Which shows intended motivation to make this happen sooner than most realize.

The biggest hurtle now seems to be the authorization bill written by the House Science and Technology Committee. This version provides only $150 million a year over the next three years for the private-sector space travel initiative (commercial crew). Chairman of the Space Frontier Foundation Bob Werb said, "I think it's awful. It's leaving NASA with way more pork than program. I see that as a disaster for the agency." His group is advocating disapproval toward Congressional representatives over this bill. However, President Obama's budget for NASA focuses on companies that will compete to drive the cost of space flight down and will provide the space tourist community with more adequate resources ( $6 billion over five years for the commercial crew program). This privatised market, where astronauts would just buy tickets like at the airport, would free up more capitol so NASA could shift gears from space shuttle flights toward deep space missions and new technologies.

I feel that commercial space flight is the next step forward for the human race. Along with a new industry and fanciful space vacations, a new era of discovery and opportunity will arise allowing for a spark of freedom, adventure, and optimism to ignite a fire of greatness within us all.

NY Times - Boeing Plans to Fly Tourists to Space

Studying Tropical Genetic Blood Diseases

A conversation with David J Weatherall, from the New York Times, was the first to use tools of molecular biology to understand thalassemia. He was drafted to serve for the military in 1956. He had no pediatric training, so he then was put in charge of the children's ward. He came across a 2 year old girl, who had anemia. No one understood this, so Weatherall researched this young girls sickness, and came across Thalassemia. Thalassemia is a blood disorder passed down through families (inherited) genes in which the body makes an abnormal form of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Thalassemia is a terrible disease where most young children do not make it to adulthood. Often, men blame women because of this disease was passed down through genes. The truth, however, is that both parents' genes are responsible for this disease. Weatherall later used newly invented biochemistry techniques to see how a gene expresses the proteins that that make the molecules of hemoglobin. He found out that hemoglobin is made up of two different strings of amino acids, alpha and beta, that should bind together. Due to the defects in the alpha or beta chains, disease can be formed. David J Weatherall was one of the first to understand thalassemia. He received the Lasker-Koshland Special Achievement Award for 50 years of international statesmanship in biomedical science.

This article is interesting because of one person, it changed David J Weatherall's life and career. He found out what thalassemia is and because of that one girl, it motivated him to look into and try to find a cure. This topic drew my attention because it gave me a better understand of hemoglobin and amino acids. This can be a very confusing topic, but with little research, i understood the points and what he was working towards finding out.

Battle of the Genes

It was once thought that genes from your mother and father are found equally in your body, however, Nicholas Wade of the New York Times has found new research that might suggest a new way of thinking.

New research on imprinting suggests that it could account for some of the differences between male and female brains and for differences in mother's and father's contributions to social behavior. Wade goes on to say how until last month, only one hundred imprinted genes were known. However, research has shown that imprinting is much more common than previously thought.

Dr. Dulac stated, "In your brain, your mom and dad keep telling you what to do -- I keep laughing when I think about it."

According to Dr. David Haig, and evolutionary biologist at Harvard, imprinting may play a key role in sexual differences and in psychiatric diseases.

This article drew me in due to the sheer fact that I believed that everyone receives an equal amount of genes from their mother and father. The article is somewhat complicated to read if you do not know the scientific background of it, but with little research it was easy to understand. I feel like this article changed my entire perspective on genetics and how the human body is formed.

New species of carnivore discovered in Madagascar

An Article on Science Daily tells of a new species of a small carnivore was discovered in Madagascar. It was named Durrell's vontsira, which is named in the honour of Gerald Durrell, a conservationist and write who died 15 years ago.

It lives in the marshes of Lac Alotra wetlands in central eastern Madagascar. The Durrell's vontsira was first seen in 2004 swimming in a lake. It was recently identified as a new species by researchers from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, The Natural History Museum, London, Nature Heritage, Jersey, and Conservation International (CI). It was captured by Fidimalala Bruno Ralainasolo, a conservation biologist working for the Durrell Wildlife Consersavtion Trust.

It was first assumed to be the brown-tailed vontsira until it was captured and they noticed the skull, teeth and paws confirmed it was a competely different species and is adapted to the wetlands. There is not much known about this species since it there is not many and is rarely seen. It is the first new carnivorous species discovered in 24 years.

I chose this article because I find the animals of Madagascar to be very interesting. And also its interesting in itself since it is the discovery of a new species.

Fossils of Dinosaur Footprints Show Ancestory

Published on Wednesday, the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B say the first dinosaurs appeared about 250 million years ago. This is a big deal because bone fossils that had the full "criteria" to be a dinosaur were only dated to 230 million years ago. The earliest known relative of dinosaurs walked on four legs and left footprints in Poland. Stephen Brusatte, a graduate student at Columbia University said these new findings are, "the oldest fossils of the dinosaur lineage of any type anywhere in the world." The new findings show that dinosaurs arose to fill ecological niches from an earlier and greater mass extinction. They have not found any bones in the rocks, but say the possibilities are "really exciting." http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/science/07dinosaurs.html?ref=science&pagewanted=print

I think that this article is interesting because there are possibilities of something before dinosaurs. It is interesting that they can figure out these fossils are from about 230-250 million years ago. I'm not sure if I believe everything they say because Dr. Nesbitt, a researcher at the Burke Museum at the University of Washington says it's hard to draw conclusions just from footprints, but they "put the best argument that anyone has ever put forth about early dinosaur tracks, and I think they're right." So saying that dinosaurs have an earlier ancestor isn't definite, it might just be an idea.

Island For Sale

According to The Press Of Atlantic City, New York's Plum Island is being sold but environmentalist are questioning whether this is a good idea. The Island has been used as an animal disease research facility for the last 50 years. The laboratory is being moved to Kansas. Agricultural Department scientists perform the lab studies, but the Department of Homeland Security oversees the island and it's security. The island is a potential target for those who might want to steal dangerous pathogens or wreak havoc.
Questions about sewage treatment, groundwater testing, and whether surveys have been conducted on the impact a sale might have on wildlife and concerns about contamination have been asked. Due to the lack of detailed environmental a follow-up meeting is planned. Most of the environmentalists said they support a research and development facility to replace the laboratory but were adamant that most of the island should remain in its natural state. The island has been identified as an exemplary site for fish and wildlife, and also a home to many endangered species.
I agree with the environmentalists. I think the island should be kept in its natural state. There is a large amount of wildlife and endangered species that call the island home. I feel it's more important to save the environment than to build more homes or large factory type buildings on the island. Plum Island is a safe-haven for many animals and should be kept that way.