Category Archives: Issues in Science

Two New Blood Types Found?

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Drishya | 2 comments

Blood bath salts in Japan. Photograph: kenleewrites

Humans have various blood types, which have various classes. There are 30 known major blood group systems which help classify a person’s blood type, and each one is defined by the presence or absence of a certain glycoprotein, glycolipid, protein, carbohydrate, or other such molecules in the blood. All around the world, two of the most common blood group systems are ABO and Rhesus systems.

However, in February 2012, Ballif and his colleagues identified two more proteins on the red blood cells which are responsible for two more blood types. Although their existence was known many years ago, the genetic basis hadn’t been known until now. An international effort between Vermont, Paris and Hokkaido resulted in the identification of the two proteins: the protein ABCB6, which corresponds with the blood type Langereis, and the protein ABCG2, which corresponds with the blood type Junior.

Ballif says, “it’s pretty remarkable to have two [blood types] identified this year,” as the last one was discovered almost a decade ago.

Blood on finger. Photograph: Ollie Crafoord (flickr.com)

Very few people know if they are Langereis or Junior positive or negative, and even when it is known, obtaining blood of the same type is extremely difficult as there was a lack of reliable reagents to screen the blood. With this discovery, there would be lesser complications and rejections in blood and organ transfusions, as it would be easier to identify which specific blood type a person needs and respond accordingly. It has also been found that these proteins may be connected to treatment with anticancer drugs, which will help create more efficient treatments for certain types of cancer.

References:
1. Forbes
2. Nature Genetics – ABCB6
3. Nature Genetics – ABCG2
4. Science Daily
5. Wikipedia

2 Comments

Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Science in the News, Uncategorized

When the Movies Meet Microbiology

Posted on February 14, 2012 by nellie | 4 comments

I recently watched the movie “Contagion” that was released earlier this year. In the box-office, it topped at $22.4 million and took the number one spot on its opening weekend. I have to say, there is definitely something thrilling about movies with scenarios that could “potentially” happen, but how realistic “Contagion” is at depicting what life would be like in a disease pandemic is debatable.

If you have not seen the movie, “Contagion” begins modestly, and realistically enough, with a cough. Gwyneth Paltrow becomes sick on a business trip, and as she makes her trip home from Hong Kong, through a layover in Chicago, and on to Minneapolis, she leaves infectious droplets of the disease on everything she touches.

Now, one thing that is commendable of this film is that the creators went to unprecedented lengths to fact-check their story of the MEV-1 virus – a fictional virus which arises from zoonotic transmission, is highly contagious, and leads to a worldwide pandemic in the movie. The makers ensured as much accuracy as possible for their fictional virus, (which is modeled after the Nipah virus), and the disease spread, by contacting virologists and epidemiologists; However, Hollywood drama trumped much of the reality.

Public domain: Nipah virus, a member of the family Paramyxoviridae.

And so, my general opinion is: while it could happen, it is not going to happen quite like this. This is for a number of reasons:

The speed with which the disease spreads is highly unlikely. For example, Nipah virus has an incubation period of about four to forty-five days. This means that from the time of infection, there is a four to forty-five day interval until the onset of symptoms. On the other hand, the MEV-1 virus, as shown in the movie, has an incubation period of about four days.
The apocalyptic picture of deserted streets and mass chaos is not the reality of a pandemic. Even despite some of history’s worst, ordinary life has never come to a complete halt. Take the Spanish flu in 1918 for example: Many millions died, but many more millions were untouched. Rare is the case that every person in the population will be infected. That’s just nature.
Now, my final issue with the reality of this film is that the speed at which the virus is decoded and a vaccine is produced is, again, highly unlikely. If such were the case, we would probably be living on the moon by now… Okay, maybe not.

Public domain: Home on the Moon

But really, in a matter of months a vaccine is found, approved, and distributed. Considering that there is still no vaccine to Nipah virus, in reality, it would take much longer to find a vaccine for MEV-1, and as the general public, we would not be so hopeful for a cure.

In the end, it is a decent movie. Albeit, it is a decent movie, based on facts and previous cases, which dramatizes some unlikely future possibilities for the sake of Hollywood.

References:

“Contagion” on IMDb
A movie review by New York Times’ Abigail Zuge, M.D. is here
The World Health Organization

4 Comments

Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Public Engagement, Science Communication, Uncategorized

Tagged Apocalypse, Contagion, Hollywood, Microbiology, Nipah virus, Reality

The Midway Project

Posted on February 13, 2012 by c.lee | 4 comments

: Photo by: Midway Journey @ Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/midwayjourney)

How does an albatross and a piece of plastic relate to one another? The connection isn’t obvious, but to those who are part of The Midway Journey, it is. I recently came across a haunting image of what appeared to be a bird of some type with plastic pieces inside of it. At first glance, I thought the pieces had been placed their for some unknown purpose, but after some research I realized this was not the case. The image I saw is linked here (photo cred: Chris Jordan @ Midway Project), just in case there are some who are wary with these kind of things (I know I am).

You are probably wondering what is happening. These birds live on a series of islands called the Midway Atoll. For those who are familiar with the Battle of Midway, this is the very place the naval battles occurred. Presently, these islands serve as a home for a large population of the world’s albatross. It is unfortunate to know that human habitation has altered the living conditions of these islands and parts around it. The most notable development is probably the huge amounts of garbage being dumped into the Pacific Ocean, at such a great calibre that a plastic belt extends from Hawaii to Japan. This extensive area of garbage has now been coined the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” and was brought to light by an oceanographer by the name of Charles Moore. This increase in garbage has forced the residing albatross to unknowingly feed their young pieces of plastic, mistaking them as food.

Studies have shown a negative correlation between plastic ingestion and albatross chick survival rate. It has been suggested that due to the increase in plastic digestion, the chicks are not actually consuming food and therefore die of emaciation and dehydration. The Midway Project aims to document the reality of our consumption of plastics and its detrimental effects on the environment around us. By taking pictures of the Midway Islands, they aim to share their journey and increase awareness. This is a real concern as plastics are insoluble in water and their durable properties make them very resilient to degradation. Not only is this a problem in the Midway Islands, but scientists have also discovered other areas like in the North Atlantic Ocean where our plastic debris is accumulating, similar to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. I’ve included a short video below for more information about the Midway Project. I highly recommend checking out them out!

References

4 Comments

Posted in Issues in Science, Public Engagement, Science Communication

Ancient martial arts fights Parkinson’s disease

Posted on February 12, 2012 by jckim | 6 comments

Man performing tai chi (Photo by Ponto de Cultura Vila Buarque on Flickr)

A new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that tai chi helps improve strength, balance, and physical function of those that suffer from Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease in which nerve cells in the brain that produce the chemical dopamine begin to die. The decrease in the production of dopamine results in movement impairments, loss of postural stability and many more problems that affect function and quality of life. According to Parkinson Society Canada, nearly 100, 000 Canadians have Parkinson’s disease and 1 in 300 people in Canada and the United States has Parkinson’s.

Tai chi is an ancient martial art that is characterized by slow, flowing movement and meditation that is practiced for both defense training as well as many health benefits.

The latest research recruited 195 patients who suffered movement and balance problems caused by Parkinson’s disease from four Oregon cities and randomly assigned them into three groups: tai chi, resistance training, or stretching. All patients in all three groups underwent two 60-minute sessions twice a week for 24 consecutive weeks. After 24 weeks, the patients in the tai chi group performed much better than the other two groups in many measures related to strength, balance, movement control, stride length, and functional reach.

What makes this finding more significant is that tai chi improves what current medications do not. Fuzhong Li, the study’s lead author, quoted in an interview with the New York Times, “Current medications do not work well in terms of providing impaired balance or postural instability.” Li added, “In fact, patients suffer a great deal of medication side effects which may lead to further deterioration in balance control.”

Tai chi may help your walks last longer. Photo by C. Frank Starmer

For those of you that are interested and have a few minutes of extra time, you may want to take a look at the short video of instructor Dr. Fuzhong Li, taken from “Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance”, posted below.

6 Comments

Posted in Issues in Science, Science in the News

Tagged Dr. Fuzhong Li, Parkinson's, Parkinson's disease, tai chi

Juice Contents: Natural Sugars, Fruit Concentrate, Arsenic?

Posted on February 6, 2012 by ldeluca6 | 7 comments

Image by: Pediatric Dentistry

Million’s of kids each day are fed juices, like apple and grape, in little boxes. But would parents be giving these to their young ones if they knew they were contaminated with toxic poisons? Consumer Reports recently published a headlining story on apple and grape juices containing levels of arsenic – a harmful poison and contaminant.

My first question upon this realization is one, I am sure, that is shared with thousands of juice consumers worldwide. How were these arsenic levels not dealt with by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? Is there no standard level of arsenic that is deemed acceptable for consumers? The shocking truth is that the FDA does not regulate arsenic levels in fruit juices. In fact, there is no such federal arsenic threshold –not only for juices, but for most foods. The only form of limitation for this poison is enforced in bottled water –a standard of no more than 10 parts per billion (ppb).

Image by: Consumer Reports

An investigation by Consumer Reports showed that out of 88 tested samples of grape and apple juices, all contained detectable Arsenic. Roughly 10% had arsenic levels exceeding the bottle water limit of 10 ppb. These same samples were tested for lead contamination, 25% of which showing levels exceeding the FDA’s 5 ppb lead standard for water. High controversy and speculation arose about toxic arsenic levels in fruit juices when similar results created headlines from a 2011 study on “The Dr. Oz Show”.

Since then, the FDA has stated to be “seriously considering” creating a standard limit for levels of arsenic that will be allowed in juices, and is “collecting all relevant information to evaluate and determine an appropriate level”.

So, is there reason to be concerned?

The affects of long term exposure to poisons like arsenic are chronic and detrimental. A 2004 study at Columbia University showed that when exposed to drinking water with arsenic levels above 5 ppb, children showed a decreased intellectual function. A similar study conducted by Texas researchers in 2011 showed the same results, that even low-level arsenic exposure over a long period of time “significantly relates to poorer scores in language, global cognition, and immediate memory”.

Well, how is the arsenic entering these beverages in the first place? Although it is difficult to pin-point one cause, the main source is thought to be from soils tainted with arsenate pesticides, which have been banned for decades in the US, but somehow seem to reside in its soils.

So why isn’t anything being done? The fact that there currently is no set standard for arsenic levels in juice is baffling. The FDA must step up the monitoring of this poison in our juices and foods, and needs to immediately enforce limits that are appropriate and make sense.

References:

7 Comments

Posted in Issues in Science, Public Engagement, Science in the News, Uncategorized

Tagged Arsenic, Contaminants, Juice

Is Animal Research Necessary?

Posted on February 5, 2012 by aali | 4 comments

According to the Canadian Council of Animal Care, in 2010 roughly 211,604 animals were involved in scientific research at UBC. This accounts for only 6 percent of the total animals involved in animal research in Canada. Why are so many animals used in scientific research? What purposes are they used for? How relevant is research done on animals compared to us humans? Is it necessary to use animals in research?

Image by: Jane Ray

These are the questions that were circling in my mind as I pondered upon these numbers on the UBC website based on animal research. It gave me some insight as well as to other members of the community, the importance of animals in scientific research. It explains how the Canadian Council of Animal Care divides animals up into five categories based on invasiveness. For example, category D uses animals such as mice, rats, fish and toads and causes them minor to severe distress or discomfort, but does provide them with proper anesthesia. This includes sampling of blood or minor operations. Not only are they divided into categories, but also in terms of the purposes they are used for. One of the purposes that intrigued me was Purpose 3 since it involved drug testing. It stated that,

“Under Canadian Law all potential drugs, medical products…including vaccines used for both humans and animals must be [first] tested out on animals before clinical trials are allowed.”

I was quite shocked at this fact as it left me wondering about the production of potential drugs. For example, how would a potential drug, only being produced for human purposes was being tested in a study. According to the law, since testing is always done on animals first, how would this provide any insight as to how this drug would work on humans? I was left unanswered with this thought after reading many articles.

What I came across was this interview of Dr. Simon Festing discussing why animal research is necessary. Although Dr. Festing did say that “we share over 90 percent of our genes with a mouse…and many of the biological systems found in animals are found in human,” he never explained what differences we have and how those may account for the possible side effects found in humans. What I found most shocking was how he compared animal cruelty to how doctors mistreat their patients and how some older people in nursing homes are treated.

I had also come across the Stop Animal Research at UBC webpage and it stated that the UBC Animal Research webpage was created in 2011 for the first time releasing information about animal research done at UBC as well as relevant data and the types of animals they use (not specifying species type). Even though there is more data and information being put out for society to look at, there needs to be much more specific information for animal research so that people can understand its importance in scientific research.

Image by: Animal Connections 2009

4 Comments

Posted in Issues in Science, Public Engagement, Science in the News

Tagged Animal Care, animal research, animal testing, Government of Canada, UBC

Water: The Healthiest Beverage?

Posted on January 30, 2012 by tkang | 4 comments

There is no harm in drinking water, right?

Most of us would probably not think twice about the contents of our drinking water. The water that we get out of the tap actually contains added fluoride to help prevent tooth decay by protecting tooth enamel against acids. However, we can obtain fluoride naturally through eating various foods. Many of us may also use fluoride containing products, such as toothpastes, mouth gels, dental floss, and dietary supplements.

http://youtu.be/tSKToTFitd0

The Government of Canada first introduced water fluoridation in 1968. However, since then, the government has reduced the optimum level of fluoride four times. The most recent cutback was in 2008, where the optimum level was lowered to almost half the initial recommended amount in 1968.

Larger doses of fluoride may causes serious health issues, including dental fluorosis, weakened bones, or even bone cancer. Too much fluoride causes bone structure disturbances, decreases fertility, and accumulates in certain areas of the brain, which will affect behaviour and learning.

Browning and marked wear on biting surfaces. CREDIT: FINALGAMER

There is an ongoing debate about whether or not water fluoridation is the cause of the decline in tooth decay. However, many studies have shown that tooth decay have actually started to decline before the fluoridation of water. Furthermore, tooth decay in children who have used fluoridated water all their lives continues to decline, which means that there is probably another factor involved.

The safety level of fluoride in our drinking water remains questionable, and with so many health risks associated with excess levels of fluoride, as well as the exposure of so many fluoridated products, I believe that water fluoridation is both unnecessary and risky. Although fluoride does help prevent tooth decay, the possibility of excess fluoride intake outweighs the benefit.

References:

The Changing Patterns of Systemic Fluoride Intake
Picture: Severe Fluorosis
Wikipedia
Youtube

4 Comments

Posted in Issues in Science

Tagged dental, fluoridation, water

Faster Than the Speed of Light?

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Drishya | 2 comments

The fastest known speed has always been the speed of light, ever since Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity. His famous formula E = mc² has been a familiar equation since the earliest of our physics classes. However, on September of 2011, scientists in Italy discovered that neutrinos, subatomic particles that are a fundamental part of the universe, travel sixty billionths of a second faster than the previously established c = 3.0 x 10⁸ m/s, the speed of light in a vacuum.

Neutrinos. Photograph: Cern/Science Photo Library

The experiment was conducted in the Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy, which received neutrinos sent from a CERN beam in Switzerland (720 km away). Over three months, the test was repeated 15,000 times to search for any possible error, before the positive results were finally announced.

As you can imagine, this caused quite a stir in the scientific world. The experiment was immediately under the scrutiny of a wide variety of physicists, because if proven, it would rock the core of innumerable concepts of science as we know it.

One small flaw has been discovered in the methods so far, which was immediately rectified, before the tests were replicated a further 20 times. However, the results still showed a speed faster than that of light, and comparable to the previously obtained results.

Numerous physicists have tried to explain or disprove this controversial phenomenon. Dr. Carlo Contaldi of Imperial College London says that the varied gravitational effects at the different regions might have affected the clocks that were used to measure the neutrinos’ speed. Susan Cartwright of Sheffield University suggested that as neutrino-based experiments have historically not been very reliable, it would be wise not to jump to conclusions at too early a stage.

If, however, it is concluded that the speed of the neutrinos is in fact greater than the speed of light in a vacuum, the ramifications would be massive. Einstein’s theory will be disproven, and there would be a lot of revision of many basic physics concepts. Possibly the most significant impact would be on our understanding of the fundamental idea of time – it could be concluded that we might theoretically be able to send information back in time.

References: Neutrinos still faster than light in latest version of experiment, Faster than light particles found, claim scientists, Speed of light broken again as scientists test neutrino result

2 Comments

Posted in Issues in Science, Science in the News

Tagged neutrinos, speed of light

Science Beyond Six Digits

Posted on January 23, 2012 by nellie | 1 comment

As a student in UBC’s Faculty of Science, I often hear my peers talk about how they plan to use their education to earn a six-figure income. In truth, it frustrates me to see how selfish my generation has become. We are receiving the best education in the world, and yet, it seems that the mindset of many science students and professors alike, has now become: get a lab, make a drug, set up your own company, and sell the drug for big bucks.

Yet, I recently had the pleasure of listening to a presentation given by Dr. Kishor Wasan. Dr. Wasan, director and co-founder of UBC’s Neglected Global Diseases Initiative (NGDI), renewed my hope in the type of science that goes beyond just me and my needs.

Dr. Wasan’s accomplishments are incredible, to say the least. In the seventeen years that Dr. Wasan has been an independent researcher at UBC, he has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles and 240 abstracts. He has won numerous awards, including the Canadian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences Leadership award for outstanding contributions to Pharmaceutical Sciences. However, upon meeting Dr. Wasan, you will realize that despite all of his articles and awards, he is most proud of his work through NGDI.

Truth be told, Dr. Wasan was inspired by a medical student to co-found NGDI. When the president of the UBC Chapter of the Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) club approached Dr. Wasan one day in June 2009 and proceeded to tell Dr. Wasan how he should use his research and development of oral lipid-based Amphotericin B formulations (PubMed) to treat a neglected disease called leishmaniasis, which is a prominent cause of death in third world countries, Dr. Wasan did not even know what leishmaniasis was. Dr. Wasan says that at the time when the UAEM president challenged him to take action, he was more ready to start his own business and make millions of dollars, than to help others. Yet, the hope, determination, and inspiration he saw in his students moved him from greed to greater good; Thus, NGDI was created.

Image: Skin ulcer due to leishmaniasis

NGDI-UBC serves to unite research and initiatives for neglected global diseases and to ensure the delivery of essential medicines, vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, micronutrients, and prophylactic measures to those in need. For Dr. Wasan, this means that his development of oral lipid-based Amphotericin B can be delivered to countries where patients are suffering from leishmaniasis. Although it is a grass roots initiative, the essence of NGDI is to take UBC research on neglected global diseases from conception of the interventions to the final use in afflicted individuals.

All this being said, I hope that more and more scientists will also choose the path of helping others over the path of making money, much like Dr. Wasan did. After all, it is incredible to realize and necessary to understand that what we gain from our education can truly be used to save a life.

References:

1 Comment

Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Public Engagement, Science Communication, Uncategorized

Tagged Dr. Kishor Wasan, Leishmaniasis, The Greater Good, UBC Science, UBC-NGDI

Levitation… a possibility?

Posted on January 22, 2012 by c.lee | 4 comments

Photo by: Natsumi Hayashi, a resident of Tokyo who makes it a hobby to take levitation photos. (source: yowayowacamera.com)

I’m sure we are all somewhat familiar with the concept of levitation. For those who are not, levitation is basically the ability to remain suspended in the air against the force of gravity. I don’t know about you, but whenever I watch those cool sci-fi movies or even Harry Potter and see people floating in air like it’s no big deal, I do catch myself wishing I could do that. I always thought levitation would remain as a fancy magic trick or movie effect, but could it actually be a possibility? Research regarding the properties of levitation have been underway, bringing this seemingly impossible phenomenon closer to reality.

A more scientific approach to the magic of levitation, is something called diamagnetic levitation. This is not a new process, as it has been around, in theory, since the 19th century. The concept that an object can create a magnetic field to counter an externally applied magnetic field to cause a repulsion was first observed by a scientist by the name of Anton Brugmans in 1778. This property was later coined diamagnetism by the British scientist Michael Faraday in 1845.

So, how does this theory reflect in the real world? Diamagnetic levitation was first demonstrated in 1932 by a German physicist named Werner Braunbek. He was able to levitate small objects such as tiny pieces of bismuth or graphite. The largest object he could levitate was a piece of coal that weighed about 75mg. A simple search of other examples of diamagnetic levitation shows a multitude of similar practices on inaminate objects, but what of the animate?

Diamagnetic levitation on live subjects was actually first achieved by Andre Geim and Michael Berry in 1997. The procedure involved a live frog being placed inside a solenoid with a magnetic field resonating through it. Amazingly, the frog was observed to essentially be suspended or levitating within the tube.

A short clip of the levitating frog:

Most recently, Douglas G.J.M, Marshall D.A., Griffiths I. and Hands T.O. were able to calculate that a 70.6T magnet would be required if one was to levitate an average human via diamagnetic levitation. Although at this point in time, there are magnetic fields that are this strong it is currently not feasible to pack into a levitation device. However, with the extraordinary advancements in technology, perhaps it is only a matter of time before humans can experience levitation.

References

4 Comments

Posted in Issues in Science

Tagged diamagnetic levitation, physics

Category Archives: Issues in Science

Two New Blood Types Found?

When the Movies Meet Microbiology

The Midway Project

Ancient martial arts fights Parkinson’s disease

Juice Contents: Natural Sugars, Fruit Concentrate, Arsenic?

Is Animal Research Necessary?

Water: The Healthiest Beverage?

Faster Than the Speed of Light?

Science Beyond Six Digits

Levitation… a possibility?

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