Scientists: Born or Made

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028114021.htm

Just one day short of Halloween, Science Daily has published an article concerning a substance that could ’scare’ away microbes found in the skin of pumpkins. A study by Kyung-Soo Hahm, Yoonkyung Park and colleagues stated that some disease causing microbes are becoming continuously resistant to antibiotics already in use. We all know that the search for newer, more innovative antibiotics arises every fall–mainly due to the Anti-bacterial craze that has grasped the USA and the many lof the worlds leading nations.

Fromer studies, as the article states, have picked up the pumpkins use for antibiotic effects. Apparently, proteins in pumpkin rind inhibit the growth of many fungal infection microbes- like Candida albicans which is responsible for diaper rash in babies every year . More importantly, however, is the fact that these proteins are also not toxic. The ability to not only develop a natural anti-microbial preventive product from pumpkin skin and also to potentially derive an agricultural product that will not be harmful to us when harvest time comes around is a necessary innovation. Though I’m not the biggest fan of Halloween, at least on a week night, this information concerning the pumpkin is refreshing. With all of our technological and medicinal advances, who would have thought to look towards the Jack-o-Lantern on the front steps as a way to overcome disease causing microbes? It seems that Mother Nature has a way of helping us when we do not always see how to help ourselves after all.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=are-jet-biofuels-ready-for-takeoff

An article from Scientific American online states that the chance to fly without worrying about an even greater tax on the world’s fuel sources may soon become a reality. A Dutch airline-KLM- has completed a biofuel test flight with passengers on board. The airline uses a 50-50 blend of normal jet fuel along with refined biofuel –made from camelina oil- in one of its fours engines.

Tests flights have been successful enough the civil aviation authorities are now comfortable to carry out actual flights -passengers and crew included. The use of biofuel will save 600 million gallons of fuel per year–as 1 percent of biofuel conserves that much petroleum alone. Although more flights and testing of biofuel will be needed it seems that a safer fuel alternative is soon to be world wide. At least this can be said for the Netherlands. Not all airlines are promising to use half and half blends to suffice for 100% traditional fuel.

With all the talk of alternative fuel sources, the need to decrease oil consumption and the recognition of the increase in green house gases contributing to global warming if more countries follow the Netherlands’ footsteps we could all be flying and breathing a bit easier sooner than later. Though the need to commercialize biofuel use may not be in complete world wide reach, the acknowledgement of the millions of gallons that will be conserved is something that we know and should all consider. To be able to completely serve ties with traditional oils will not only end dependencies but it will allow this finite resource to still be around. It take a matter of hours, maybe even days to derive, refine and prepare biofuel made from camelina oil, it took millions of years to make the oil that we already use.

A post on Science Daily from last week, November 9th, states that as archaeologists excavated a former Radcliffe Infirmary site they discovered evidence of a prehistoric monumental landscape. A 6th century Saxon settlement was uncovered as well as a hut -called a Grubenhauser. The site is 3.7 hectares in size and radio carbon dating has been run on finds from it. This find comes as a delight to the University says Head of Capital Projects , Mike Wigg and is an “Opportunity for an investigation of Oxford heritage”.

Historically speaking, with Oxford University’s location near the River Thames, an important focus for building in Neolithic and Bronze ages for various purposes, such a find ties the University into an everlasting part of Anglo-Saxon history. It also gives proof of 12th century documents regarding a ‘croft of three barrows’ in the area. However, as much of a discovery as this may be for Oxford University, the rich history of University, who knows how many universities there are in the world that are only even older sites. For now, it’s a great find for Oxford, but soon there will be another site of comparable value, maybe even Wake.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122639.htm

Last Monday, October 19th, Science Daily online posted an article concerning the development of an ‘efficient and intelligent facial experession recognition system’. Apparently, computer scientists from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have been working to develop the system with hopes of a portable device-capable of locating regions on the face and using a boosting classifier to recognize facial expressions- to someday help autistic children understand emotions of those around them. “Emotion”, as quoted from Teik-Toe Teoh, Yok-Yen Nguwi and Siu-Yeng Cho of the Center for Computational Intelligence at the University, “is a state of feeling…and an outward expression”.

The ability of a device to recognize the edge of a persons face using Gaussian derivatives is amazing. Many autistic children world wide will be able to benefit from this software. Sometimes divided into ‘highly functioning’ and simply autistic many children are highly intelligent, however, the ability to distinguish between emotions of those around them is a skill that must be learned over a course of years, whether in familial or academic situations. However, there are also many children, that are able to discern certain emotions just not all of them. This technology is a breakthrough, for many, it will be a blessing. To equip others with the ability to go into the world without fear of not being able to tell good or bad from those around them. With the development and distribution of this device, everyone will be able to sleep a bit easier.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091202121624.htm

Science Daily recently posted an article pertaining to the lives of proteins on the atomic level. The article, posted on the second on December and appearing in the December 3 issue of Nature, was on a study which stated through the use of x-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques researchers had been able to visualize the structures of protein needed for catalysis. By doing this, the study suggests that there may be new molecular sites for potential drug targets–the drugs would bind to the infrequent high-energy states of the target enzymes hidden due to traditional structural methods.

The study-in wake of an earlier Brandeis study as the article states-takes the research of Brandeis biophysicist Dorothee Kern to a higher level.(Kern’s work was aimed at using NMR linked to protein function on higher, rarer energy states in the absence of catalysis). X-ray crystallography was used to analyze electron density data which had been previous ignored as assumed to be ‘noise’. With the ability to view these protein structures a human protein, called cyclophilin A-hijacked by HIV to replicate itself.

Personally, such a study as this-highly scientific and- shows just how important technology is in scientific investigation. So often we hear of how biochemist have discovered new bonds for the body or how astronomers have discovered a new star or earthlike planet. It’s refreshing to hear how biophysicists and protein dynamics-not often discussed-are truly making breakthroughs, even for examining energy states that can improve life for many of us.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5AA2S220091111

A huge dinosaur discovered in South Africa is a previously unknown species that sheds light on the evolution of the largest creatures ever to walk the earth. This discovery i helping to scientists to revise there picture how big dinosaurs can be. According to scientist Aardonyx probably walked on its hind legs but could drop to all fours as well. It had flattened feet with large claws that supported its body weight on the inside of the foot and a robust thigh for supporting weight

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5AB49Y20091112

A new surgical technique using glue to repair breastbones intentionally broken during open-heart surgery speeds up recovery time and is “substantially less painful” for patients.The standard practice in operating rooms is to sew the breastbone back together with wire after open-heart surgery. That procedure takes weeks to heal and often requires strong pain medication to withstand.The study found that pain and discomfort were substantially reduced by using the new procedure and that the use of pain-killers was reduced if not completely eliminated. It also recovers fast instead of taking weeks.

After reading this i was totally shocked. One day will come we wont even feel pain through medical surgeries and it take months to recover and we will be healthy in a day

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5AI3MV20091119

Sahara dessert was once a swampy land with full of crocodiles. Researchers found fossils half-dozen species of unusual and perhaps intelligent crocodiles in sahara desert.They lived during the Cretaceous period 145 million to 65 million years ago, when the continents were closer together and the world warmer and wetter than it is now. Scientists were surprised to find out that so many species lived together at same time. According to them-each of the crocs apparently had different diets, different behaviors. It appears they had divided up the ecosystem, each species taking advantage of it in its own way. There two species of crocodiles which looked reallly different from modern species . According to scientist they had more brain and intelligence so they can hunt easily.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5AH09K20091118

NASA plans next month to launch a space telescope that will scan the heavens for the infrared glow of celestial objects never seen because they are too dim, dusty or distant. This six-month mission is to survey the entire sky for infrared radiation, a form of light invisible to the human eye but emitted from the coldest of objects, including those overlooked by telescopes sensitive only to visible light. It will reveal hundreds of thousands of dark asteroids lurking undetected in the solar system, and millions of elusive stars and galaxies farther out in space.

When i read this article i couldn’t believe that we developed so much in space technology. I cannot wait for future to come.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5AL12I20091122

The permanent darkness of the ocean depths is home to a far greater range of animals, from luminous jellyfish to tubeworms that live off oil seeping from the seabed. A total of 17,650 species of animals, also including shrimps, corals, starfish or crabs, have been identified in the frigid, sunless waters down to about 5 km (3 miles) deep. According to research as humans are dumping acids and oil in water bodies, they are becoming hot. Another reason is globl warming. Both these factors are resulting in sea animals to go in more depths under ocean.

I really liked this article and also we can see that now how water animals are also suffering from human mistakes. The whole world is being effected by our mistakes.