ANTIBIOTIC FOR PLAGUE APPROVED BY THE FDA

The plague is a disease which has never concerned me.  I have not taken the time to think twice about its effects as it was a major cause of death many years ago in unsanitary times. Yet according to the article “Antibiotic for plague approved by the FDA” posted on the CBS news website, we should still be aware of its detrimental consequences.

An outbreak of the plague could be extremely deadly as concerns have arisen that it could be used in a bioterror attack. Because of these concerns US regulators have approved a very powerful antibiotic to prevent and treat this rare bacterial infection. The plague is a deadly disease one that is mainly present in animals.  It causes swollen lymph glands, fever, headache, chills and weakness. Humans contract this infection through animal contact or bites from infected fleas with there being only about 1000 cases in humans worldwide each year.

There are three types of the plague: bubonic (most common) which occurs from a flea bite, septicemic which happens when Y pestis bacteria multiply in the blood and pneumonic.  The centers for disease control and prevention are worried about pneumonic plague being spread (the only type that is contagious) in a bioterrorism act. The plague bacteria can be used in an aerosol attack which affects individuals who inhale it directly. The worst part and biggest concern is the fact that individuals who breathe in this bacterium may not have pneumonic plague until 6 days later leading to a major spreading issue as controlling the disease would then become a lot more difficult.

The last urban plague epidemic in the US happened in 1924 in Los Angeles, California, and since then only about 10 to 15 people contract it in the US each year. It is crazy to think that the plague could be used as a bioterrorism act, yet I am glad officials have taken extreme lengths to make sure an epidemic like this does not occur.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57424217-10391704/antibiotic-for-plague-approved-by-the-fda/

Tara Reynolds (3)

Stress and Violence, Hurting Us More Than We Think

It is a known thing that stress has negative effects on the body. I have personally experienced the joy of breaking out (cough, FINALS WEEK, cough) or eating everything in sight as soon as my stress levels start raising through the roof. There are many situations that can cause stress, not just school. Family problems and violence are one of the more traumatic issues kids have to deal with first in life. Studies show that the stress actually have a very negative effect on the body; it wears down DNA.

Telomeres are found on the end of chromosomes and they act as caps that keep the DNA from unraveling. Telomeres get shorter each time the cell divides, until they get so short that the cell can no longer divide at all. Smoking, obesity, psychological disorders and stress have been found to possibly accelerate that process of telomere loss. A new study, run by Idan Shalev, a post-doctoral researcher in psychology and neuroscience at the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, followed 1,100 British families with twins since the time the twins were born. The twins are now 18, but the researchers have taken DNA samples from them at ages 5 and 10 as well. The researchers also interviewed the twins' mothers extensively, and know which ones have been subjected to the stress of physical and mental violence as a child. Studies showed that the children who experienced two or more forms of violence as a child had serve telomere loss, which in the long run can lead to poorer survival and chronic disease. It is extremely sad; a child should not have to experience violence at such a young age to begin with. Something like that can cause enough problems in life. Unfortunately, it can effect health in more ways than we thought.

Taylor Pirog (2)

Bridges Made of Water?

Water is quintessential for life on earth, and it remains one of the most puzzling substances known to man. Scientists have been working since the beginning of recorded science to comprehend this incredible substance, and new research only adds to the mystery. Scientists at Graz University of Technology have found that when under the influence of a very strong electric field, water fill form a "bridge" between two beakers. 

Elmar Fuchs and his colleagues have found that when two beakers are under the influence of high energy electric fields, water will climb out of two side by side beakers to form a bridge. The water moved from the anode or negatively charged beaker to the cathode beaker, and was able to form this "bridge" up to a distance of 25mm. Scientists found oscillations of molecules within the structure, which they believe attribute to the formation and maintained shape of the cylindrical connection of water. The electric fields are believed to form what scientists are calling "microstructures", which is an un-pioneered field as of now. 

What puzzles scientists most, is how water can be so versatile, and is unlike any other substance on earth. The fact that electricity causes it to act in this way is simply the tip of the iceberg when it comes to mysteries of water and its physical properties. The value in terms of applications for this discovery are not quite apparent yet due to the mysteries of the field, but never the less it is very intriguing.  

- Jeff Keating (2)

http://phys.org/news110191847.html 

LINK BETWEEN AIR POLLUTION AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Obesity is a complex disorder with many factors that include not just diet and exercise, but also environmental, emotional, and socioeconomic as well. In an effort to help lower rates and cure obesity, it is essential to identify the causes and work towards reversing them. A recent study by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health has found evidence that air pollution is another factor that may contribute to childhood obesity.  

The study involved 702 non-smoking African-American or Dominican women, aged 18-35, living in areas of northern Manhattan or southern Bronx and having a predominantly low income.  During the third trimester of their pregnancy, the women would wear a device that continually sampled the air surrounding them for PAHs (polycyclic aromatic compounds), common urban pollutants that are released into the air by the burning of organic substances such as coal, diesel, oil, gas, and tobacco.  

The results of the study showed that the children of the women exposed to high levels of PAHs during pregnancy were 1.79 times as likely to  be obese by age 5, and 2.26 times more likely to be obese by age 7 than those children whose mothers were exposed to lower levels of PAH’s.  That is a twice-as-likely chance of being obese due to higher pollutant exposure! And, according to Dr. Rundle, “not only was their body mass higher, but it was higher due to body fat rather than bone or muscle mass.” 

These findings also coincide with several animal studies that have shown that exposure to PAHs causes a gain in fat mass, and prevention normal lipolysis (the process by which fat cells break down and shrink).  

This study is a breakthrough in identifying causes of childhood obesity, as it equalizes the other known factors of low-income, neighborhood poverty, cigarette smoke, and proximity to high-traffic roads. If there weren’t a million other reasons why the burning of fossil fuels needs to cease, and new energy sources need to be explored, this is one is enough in itself. Less burning of fossil fuels means less air pollution, which, according to this study, could mean less childhood obesity.  

Source Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120416130358.htm

Posted by Laura Moro (2)

can we live forever?

Have we finally found something that can make us live forever, or at least for a much longer time? Throughout history, kings, sorcerers and even ordinary people have sought to find the secret to immortality. Stories of these people going through treacherous adventures in search of such an object that will grant them eternal life have lived for centuries. Nowadays, these stories are no more than just myths, or even tales we tell to our kids before bed; suggesting that we have lost our belief that a life without death is impossible. However, a group of scientist have found a molecule might hold the key to extending our lives significantly.

Buckminsterfullerene, a molecule consisting of 60 carbon atoms, might not only give us an extended life span, but it has also been considered as a viable treatment for HIV and cancer. Recently, a trial was done to see the effects of this substance. In this trial, scientists had three groups of rats with different diets. One group was given a control, anther group consumed olive oil and a third group was fed a mixture of olive oil and Buckminsterfullerene. The results were remarkable: while the rats that were fed a control lived for 22 months and the group that ate olive oil lived for about 26 months, the rats that were fed a mixture of olive oil and Buckminsterfullerene lived an astonishing 42 months! From their findings, aging is caused by oxidative stress, and Buckminsterfullerene works by reducing this.

While these were only tested on animals, and no one knows how beneficial it will be to humans, it definitely is a step closer to finding a substance that can increase our life expectancy. Plus, it might play a huge role towards cancer treatment and neurodegenerative disorders.

http://news.discovery.com/tech/fountain-of-youth-120418.html

-Hermann Kam (1)

Oral Health and Joint Health Possibly Linked?

The bacteria that exist in gum disease are found to be the same bacteria that lubricates the knee and hip joints. In 36 of the tested patients with osteoarthritis, only five or 14% of the patients showed a direct link between the bacteria in the mouth and the bacteria in the knee joints. This is a good sign that we are going in the right direction with this theory. With a bigger study more evidence could be found to really prove the theory. This could lead to a new health awareness campaign for oral health. Showing that brushing teeth not only makes your breath nice and teeth white it can also make you healthier. And this can really hurt the tobacco industry with another health problem with long term tobacco usage.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120418112047.htm

Posted by Khoa Chu (1)

A Deadly Combination

The practice of death by lethal injection is a controversial one. But whether or not you believe in its use, the science behind the method is very interesting. The article from ScienceLine goes into the controversy and ethics of this process. This method involves a series of three shots to be administered in a particular order, all through an intravenous drip. The three shots each affect different aspects of the body and are administered in order to ensure that the individual feels no pain.

The first injection is sodium thiopental. This is an anesthetic that quickly puts the individual into a state of unconsciousness so deep that they will not be able to feel pain. This anesthetic works by suppressing the activity of the CNS (central nervous system) as opposed to just numbing pain in the nerves. The sodium thiopental also amplifies GABA which is a neurotransmitter that suppresses brain activity. This complex state of unconsciousness can be reached in as little as 30 seconds. The dose administered is theoretically large enough to keep the individual under throughout the process. Around 5,000mg are administered during executions as opposed to around 150mg for a 15 minute surgery.

A saline solution is then administered through the drip. After that, a neuromuscular blocker, pancuronium bromide is administered. This chemical prevents the nerves from communicating with the muscles. This prevents the muscles from moving and subsequently, as the diaphragm can no longer contract, causes the lungs to stop working. Another dose of saline is administered before the next step.

The last chemical administered is potassium chloride. This chemical fills the heart with charged particles that stop the heart from beating by interrupting the signals. These three chemicals together, administered in this order, effectively numb the body, inhibit the lungs, and inhibit the heart.

http://scienceline.org/2007/11/ask-sergo-deathpenalty/

Posted By Erica Bonnell(1)