Category Archives: Science in the News

Could Climate Change Be Killing Fish?

Posted on April 3, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Environmental issues are rising more than ever, it seems. From development of pipelines to salmon farming, we have to make sure that the environment is not getting pushed to the backburner.

The climate is warming, this is a fact. What we don’t know for a fact is how this warming of the climate is going to affect the earth and the organisms on it. For example, one thing people probably don’t think about is fish and how climate change could be affecting them. The climate is warming and therefore the ocean temperatures are rising. This could potentially decrease fish populations which also cause problems for fisheries around the world.

One way that fisheries can deal with this is by implementing harvest control rules, and by using flexible-date rather than fixed-date seasonal openings. Harvest control rules are a network of guidelines that protect certain species to some degree, based on their relative abundance during certain years or seasons. When these rules are adjusted to changing climates, fisheries can be more effective in protecting fish species. Flexible-date openings mean that fisheries adjust what time of the year they open and close, also based on changing climates. Therefore they can be more proactive in allowing fishing during the right water temperatures; for example, they can time fishing around spawning seasons more accurately.

In terms of fishery management B.C is doing well, but there is still room for improvement.  Michael C. Melnychuk, a visiting scientist at UBC who is a researcher in fisheries science at the University of Washington, talks to a group of UBC students about the current state of fisheries worldwide and what they can do to be improving. His research involves collecting data on fisheries around the world and comparing their management systems, and how effective they are in terms of working with climate change and unpredictabilities associated with fish stocks.

Here is what happened when a UBC student went to investigate:

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video credit to Diane Mutabaruka, Shaun Ong, Chloe Bocker, Alysha Morden

Everyone is affected by the fishing industry, directly or not. Sam, a fisherman at Steveston in Richmond, was interviewed on popular radio show “Life at Work” from the Science 300 studio. He acknowledges that fishermen are, understandably, motivated by personal interest, which is why extra precautions need to be taken by the government and fisheries alike in monitoring and protecting fish populations. After all, Sam’s just trying to make a living. Here is what Sam said:

Life at Work

So, UBC students want to save the fish population so they can continue to eat their sushi and Sam the fisherman just wants to be able to fish where he wants when he wants. Unlike Sam, we want to save the fish! Climate change is happening and we are not entirely sure how to control it. Management strategies however are something we can control. This is why we believe that management strategies are the way to go in helping to save the fish populations.

-B.C. Environmental Activists

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

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Can the North Atlantic right whales be saved?

Posted on March 29, 2013 by | 1 comment

What is 15 meters long, has no teeth, and weighs as much as ten elephants? If you guessed the North Atlantic right whale, you are correct!

North Atlantic right whale model taken from Wikimedia Creative Commons by Ryan Somma

These magnificent whales can be found swimming the waters between Newfoundland and Georgia. However, due to extensive hunting in past decades, the North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered whale species in the world, and their populations are struggling to recover.

Listen below for a peek into the whaling industry, before whale protection in 1935.

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Researchers at the University of British Columbia have recently developed a new way to model the growth of this species. This model is fundamental to understanding the nutritional needs of the North Atlantic right whale, and also enables veterinarians to apply more effective dosages of tranquilizers or antibiotics to injured and entangled whales.

Fishing gear taken from Wikimedia Creative Commons by Dedda71

Particularly, the findings of this research demonstrate that North Atlantic right whales have unique growth patterns, unlike any other whale species! As researcher Sarah Fortune explained, calves grew the fastest during their first year of life, gaining as much as 18 kg per day. This would be similar to a baby growing to 4 feet by the age of one, an incredibly fast growth rate!

How are young whales able to acquire enough food to sustain this growth? This responsibility falls on the mothers, and lactating females require massive amounts of energy to support their growing offspring. Researchers believe that the malnutrition of these females may have negative impacts on their ability to reproduce, and could be what is preventing population recovery. By understanding their unique growth patterns, Sarah and her team are hopeful that experts can better understand which areas should be protected, to ensure mothers attain sufficient nutrients to support their offspring.

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Above, Sarah Fortune gives insight into the methods, findings, and significance of her research.

Aside from nutritional stress, these whales are also suffering from ship strikes and fishing gear entanglement. Fortunately, there has been increasing awareness for their safety. For example, boats have been reducing their speeds so that collisions are not fatal for whales, and fishing lines have been re-designed to lie along the seafloor, reducing the chance of entanglement.

However, you may be wondering – what exactly can I do to help? Sarah stresses that everybody can play an active role in the recovery of these whales. As she explains, “The best thing we can do is to purchase seafood that has been collected by whale safe fishing gear.” By supporting responsible fishing initiatives in our consumer choices, the general public can help protect the future of these breathtaking animals. So, next time you are purchasing your seafood, look for the green “whale-safe” bands – the whales will thank you!

– Candy Fu, Tabish Khan, and Sydney Schnell

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Science in the News

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Trust Your Instincts? Not So Much

Posted on March 18, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Think you know your own mind inside out? Think again. A recent study done by an international collection of scientists has revealed that evolutionary survival techniques are partly responsible for the decisions that gamblers make when placing bets. The scientists, from McMaster University, the University of Lethbridge, and Liverpool John Moores University, looked at how gamblers made decisions during a series of random events. In accordance with our ancestors’ behaviours pertaining to survival, it was found that the gamblers relied on their past experiences to predict what could happen next.

Courtesy of Antoinetav via Flickr Creative Commons

The researchers conducted two experiments. In the first test, subjects observed two targets being illuminated in random sequence. The researchers then gave them money to bet on which target would become illuminated first. The subjects maintained steady bets regardless of whether they won or lost. But, for each “win”, subjects were more likely to move their bets to the other target for their next wager.

In the second experiment, the same procedure was followed as the first experiment, except that the subjects placed their bets based on a partner’s result. Once again, if the partner correctly guessed a target, the subject was more likely to move on to the next target on their next turn.

These results demonstrate a phenomenon called the Gambler’s Fallacy. Even though there were exactly equal odds between targets for each new trial, a string or pattern of “left targets” illuminating first gives people a strong feeling that a “right target” is long overdue, and is more likely to occur. Many of us have probably fallen victim to the fallacy ourselves; three coin tosses landing on heads, and we are sure that the fourth will be tails! Yet it’s always 50/50.

A coin flip begins the 113th Annual Army-Navy Game. Courtesy of the U.S Army via Wikimedia Creative Commons

This is nothing new. But, the researchers found a relation between the tendency to bet along with the Gambler’s Fallacy, and personal scores of IOR: attentional processes associated with inhibition of return. Simply put, the participants who fell subject to the Gambler’s Fallacy more often were also more quick to respond to the targets in general. This means that evolutionary human traits could be at work when people aren’t even aware of their own betting patterns. Humans have literally evolved to adjust their behavior based on what they experience in the context of their location. But, these automatic processes are still used in artificial environments in which the brain is “tricked” into reacting a certain way, even if the circumstances don’t call for it.

So, before you act, think! You can’t always trust your instincts.

-Chloe Bocker

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Does Anxiety Lead To Better Grades?

Posted on March 18, 2013 by | Leave a comment

In the faculty of science, the midterm season is never-ending. We are literally under constant stress. Don’t you often wish you were on vacation on a tropical island instead of studying in the library pulling your hair out trying to understand a concept? Well it might be interesting to find out that anxiety and stress may lead to better exam grades.

Exam Stress from sheknowsparenting [http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/808427/standardized-test-anxiety]

A study published by the British Journal of Psychology in 2012, observed ninety-six 12 and 14 year old students and their anxiety levels. It showed via computer tests that if a subject has good memory, anxiety may lead to better marks. But at the same time, the reverse is true.

Don’t Forget! by Courtney Icenhour [http://psychology.about.com/od/memory/ss/ten-facts-about-memory_3.htm]

However, another study performed by Dénes Szûcs shows that gender plays a huge part in anxiety level. Girls generally experience higher levels of anxiety compared to boys but they still seem to perform equally well on mathematical exams. This means that if it were possible for girls and boys to experience the same stress levels, theoretically girls would perform better since they can cope under stressful situations.

Girls vs. Boys from Image Source/Getty Images [http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/assets/2008/07/24/200872411.jpg]

For those of you who are speculating whether or not anxiety really affects your performance, a test performed at the World Journalism Prep in New York shows that anxiety reduction can increase your exam score.

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So next time before you take an exam, consider your stress levels and see what works best for you. Maybe you are a person who cracks under pressure, or maybe you work best under maximum stress. Know your strong suits and play along with them.

–Bonnie Tam

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Printing–a new way to save a life.

Posted on March 18, 2013 by | 1 comment

A depiction of some of the many organs of the body from Achim Raschka via Wikimedia Commons.

The need for organs for people suffering from disease is ever-growing, and high.

This need has resulted in large scale ethical debates, some doctors opting for more radical ways to harvest organs. At the same time, patients are dying because they were not given a transplant promptly. The current situation in North America is dismal at best.

However, hope does exist! A recent innovation reported by a group of researchers at Heriot-Watt University could solve the problem. How you might wonder? By what scientists are calling “organ printing“.

Organ printing is a technology combining the concept of 3-dimensional printing and stem cells. A 3-dimensional printer is a machine that is able to make 3D objects when given some sort of electronic plan for the object to be printed. Traditionally, 3D printers have used metals or plastics as the ink for making objects. But instead of metal or plastic, an organ printer uses embryonic stem cells as ink; cells that are able to divide and change their identity into any other cells such as heart, lung, kidney or even brain cells, and carry out their function.

A printer that uses cells as ink could make organs! Pictures adapted from Seahen, Jomegat and Osnimf (left to right) via Wikimedia Commons.

You might wonder why this would be considered a huge breakthrough. The discovery of stem cells heralded a large amount of attention. We initially believed that we would be able to grow organs easily; however, over time, we learned that stem cells are more complex than we realized. Stem cell growth is difficult to control. Even though we can currently make a stem cell change its identity into a cell we want it to be, we cannot effectively mesh groups of cells into highly organized layers, like how complex organs such as the heart and kidneys are laid out. Experiments reported as late as three years ago could only make balls of different cell types from stem cells using chemicals. 3D printing using stem cells allows us to organize cells and distribute them the way we want them to be, and so, we could make complex structures with different layers in a consistent way in the near future.

Below, Dr. Anthony Atala talks about organ printing techniques he is researching in his lab.

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By CNN via Youtube.

But how near is the near future? I remain skeptical. Stem cells are complex things, and we have much to learn about them. Just because we place them in the right positions in the right type does not mean that all problems will be solved. Additionally, we have yet to research where to place cells so that they function the right way in an organ. I would think that this technology would take at least 10 years to be relevant to our everyday lives. Only time will tell.

-Shaun

 

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A Gene for Skinny Jeans!

Posted on March 11, 2013 by | 3 comments

The person sitting beside you in your morning lecture is slurping down an extra-large iced cap, with whipping cream AND chocolate drizzle. Those french fries in the cafeteria at lunchtime are looking deliciously tempting, and when you get home from your long day your roommate has a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies sitting on the counter.

Chocolate Chip Cookies! Christie @ Love From the Oven via Flickr Creative Commons.

Oh the temptations, but with “beach season” soon approaching, it makes for a hard choice between those deliciously fattening foods and a trim waistline. What if I told you that soon, you may be able to indulge in all of your favorite foods, never hit the gym, and still turn heads in your swimsuit this summer?!

Miguel Angel via Flickr Creative Commons.

Genetics researchers at the University of Colorado’s School of Medicine, led by Professor James McManaman, have recently discovered a gene that appears to be directly related to obesity. This gene, called Perilipin 2 (Plin2), produces a protein that plays a key role in regulating fat storage and metabolism. When mice lacking this gene were fed an obesity-inducing diet, they were observed to be resistant to becoming obese!

In fact, not only did these mice stay lean, they appeared to be much healthier than the mice with a functional Plin2 gene. Compared to normal mice, their fat cells were 20% smaller, they showed an absence of fatty-liver disease, they had lower triglyceride levels, and they were more insulin-sensitive. When both normal mice and mice lacking the Plin2 gene were placed on an obesity-inducing diet, the Plin2-lacking mice showed surprising restraint when eating their food (normal mice will eat until all food is gone!), and were also more active.

Obese mouse and normal mouse. Bigplankton via Wikimedia Commons.

What does this mean for us?

Obesity is quickly becoming a dominant health concern throughout North America (see famous chef Jamie Oliver discussing the obesity trend here), indirectly causing a long list of medical complications such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stroke.

Obesity, an increasing trend in North America. Malingering via Flickr Creative Commons.

The interesting thing is, humans also have a Plin2 gene. If researchers can find a way to target the Plin2 gene, these findings may result in an effective treatment for obesity. This would lead to a slimmer, healthier nation, and reduce the financial strain  that obesity-related complications place on our health care systems!

However, don’t book your reservation at the neighbourhood all-you-can-eat buffet just yet. Before any human applications can be made, we must better understand what other roles the Plin2 gene may play, and how removal of this gene will influence health and behavior on a long-term scale.

– Sydney Schnell

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

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The Science Affairs of Mice and Men

Posted on March 11, 2013 by | 1 comment

You may not have worried too much about Pinky and The Brain actually taking over the world in the past, but with a new procedure that transplants human brain cells into mice, the 90s cartoon may not be too far off.

Humans have two major types of cells in their brain. Neuron cells are responsible for sending electrical and chemical signals throughout your nervous system. Until now, the other type of cell has been largely ignored in regards to communication and learning. These glial cells have been thought of as structural cells that provide protection and support for neurons. The typical jobs of glial cells (purple, green and blue cells), supporting and protecting the neurons (yellow cells), are pictured below.

Via Anmats on Wikimediacommons

Researchers from the University of Rochester performed an experiment in which they transplanted human glial cells into newborn mice. When these mice reached adulthood, human glial cells had replaced a large percentage of the mice brain cells in the front areas of their brains.

Via Rama on Wikimedia commons

Testing of these mice revealed that they had an enhanced ability to learn. Analysis of their learning abilities was done using a variety of techniques, such as the Barnes maze test (pictured below). In this test mice are placed on a circular surface with visual cues on the board and many holes around the edge. The mice must locate and remember, based on the visuals provided, the hole that it can use as an escape route from the circular platform. Mice with transplanted human cells demonstrated a shorter time in completing this task. As well, they made fewer errors (choosing the wrong hole to try and escape) when completing the task.

Example of a Barnes maze setup
Via Marcoesiste on Wikimedia commons

This experiment indicates that human glial cells enhance learning and the brains ability to make new connections (neuroplasticity) in mice. In addition to creating super smart mice, this procedure also shed some light on the potential functions of glial cells in humans.

You can go to NPR and listen to an interview about neurons, glial cells and this research by clicking here

What does this mean for the human brain? The human brain is creating new connections and pathways every time you remember something or have a new thought. How much of this is strictly because of neurons, and how much relates to glial cells?

Glial cell: superstar of the brain
Via Methoxyroxy on Wikimedia commons

The evidence from this experiment supports the idea that the evolution of the human brain may be dependent on glial cells, and not just neurons. With this new information researchers need to evaluate what they believe the functions of glial cells actually are. Are they lowly structural cells or much more than that?

– Miranda Marchand

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