Category Archives: Issues in science

Marius the Giraffe: In Loving Memory

Posted on February 10, 2014 by | 6 comments

This past weekend, Marius, a healthy two-year old giraffe was shot, dissected, and fed to the lions at the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark. A horrendous act for what? The zoo claimed it was protecting the breeding program associated with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). The zoo stated their actions were merited as this giraffe had genes too similar of the herd. Their reasoning was that it would increase the negative effects of inbreeding. Could the zoo or EAZA have done something to prevent the slaughtering of this perfectly healthy giraffe?

Marius the Giraffe (Imgur: hdow)

Breeding programs have been implemented in zoos world wide with a common goal to preserve global biodiversity especially for endangered or rare species. An important consideration is the genetic composition of the animals that are in captivity. If the animals are too genetically similar, inbreeding can occur and negative effects can become prominent in the population. Just like with humans, inbreeding, or incest, happens when you conceive a child with a close relative such as your cousin or your sibling. The child may have an increased mortality rate and a higher rate of being disabled. Mother nature has a way of making sure this rarely happens in the wild.

This phenomenon is called “inbreeding depression”. Offspring are more susceptible to be born with diseases and mutations resulting in decreased fitness. Fitness refers to the ability of the organism to survive and successfully produce healthy offspring. The most recent research on inbreeding depression in mammals discovered that it significantly impacts birth weight, survival, and reproduction.

Giraffes in the wild (Wikipedia)

Breeding programs, such as the one implemented by EAZA, aim to retain reproductive fitness while increasing genetic diversity, and overall growing the population. This means, they must have measures that prevent animals from becoming too genetically compromised. In the case at the Copenhagen Zoo, their standard operating procedures are elimination by death.

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CNN reports on Copenhagen Zoo’s decisions 

Many other zoos were willing to pay to take the giraffe to prevent the slaughtering. Even a petition with 20,000 signatures was not enough to stop this event from happening. EAZA’s rules and regulations do not allow other zoos to take animals that aren’t a part of their breeding program. Perhaps it is time for a review of this archaic practice.

Dissection of Marius (Imgur: Snailoid)

From an ecologist’s perspective, other options should have been considered. Why not look into cross-continent breeding programs? It would increase genetic diversity with a lower chance of inbreeding while expanding the gene pool. However, shipping animals across continents is expensive and may not be a viable option. Retrieving gametes, sperm and ova, from another population would also increase genetic diversity within that population, with a potential lower cost.

The carnage of Marius the giraffe seemed rash and other options could have been considered. What was even more disturbing was how they let the children watch the so-called educational portion of their program.

Something needs to change before another Marius fiasco ensues.

Written by Danielle Marcoux

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Move over, 3D Movies. 3D Printing is the New Trend.

Posted on February 10, 2014 by | 3 comments

Do you remember the quote “You wouldn’t download a car”? It was the message that accompanied the dark, serious commercial on piracy. But with the wonders of technology, something like that is actually possible as silly as that sounds. How? 3D printing.

3D printing has been around since the 1980’s but has really started to take off more recently in the 2010’s due to a reduction in price and availability of the 3D printer. Although the 3D printer shares its name with the commonly used 2D computer printer, they are fundamentally quite different as the 3D printer prints out material in layers, one over another. Due to the versatility of the 3D printer, science has been utilizing 3D printers in a wide variety of ways, and this progressive stance has made an impact on many fields.

Regular 3D Printer (Photo by: Eva Wolf, Source: WikimediaCommons)

One example of science’s venture into 3D printer comes in the form of medical science, as 3D printer allows for the creation of things like the human liver. Obviously, the 3D printer doesn’t just magically make a kidney appear out of nowhere, so how does it do it? The San Diego Company, Organovo has been making a great deal of progress on it, and they are doing this by printing out a mass of human cells which can be thought of as the ink. These human cells cluster to form structures, before adding another layer. These layers eventually fuse to form the 3D shape of the organ.  Although that description is a bit simpler than what actually happens, it gives a brief idea of how it is done.

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Another way science has been utilizing 3D printers is in a field like marine-ecology. 3D printers are capable of recreating coral reef that can be placed into damaged marine ecosystems. These artificial coral reefs provide a source of habitat and helps improves the health of marine life there. This is exactly what is happening in the region of the Persian Gulf, an area where overfishing has been negatively impacting the ecosystem there. The use of artificial reef is bringing back balance back into the area.

Coral Reef (Photo by: Nick Hobgood Source: WikimediaCommons)

Those two examples give just a quick glimpse of what 3D printing can do and although it isn’t too widespread at the moment due to the price and the tech of the 3D printer. Over time, as price decreases and tech goes up, 3-D printing will continue to make its mark on science.

– Jeffrey Chen

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Posted in Biological sciences, Issues in science, Science in the news

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Flu Virus

Posted on February 10, 2014 by | Comments Off on Flu Virus

Flu is a common name for influenza, an infectious disease found in mammals and birds, caused by the RNA viruses. Its symptoms include sore throat, runny nose, headache, fever, coughing, and chills. The two modes of transmission for flu include the air through sneezes or coughs, and direct contact through touching contaminated surfaces or nasal secretions and bird droppings. Disinfectants, sunlight and detergents can inactivate the flu virus. Occasionally, pneumonia may develop as a result of flu, either viral pneumonia that is direct or bacterial pneumonia that is secondary. A common sign that flu is developing into pneumonia in both children and adults is when the flu patient seems to be recovering but starts having trouble in breathing or with high fever. However, sometimes flu is confused with an illness like common cold.

Flu spreads in seasonal epidemics leading to severe illnesses and deaths every year. Three flu epidemics occurred in the 20th Century, having been caused by a new virus strain in humans leading to millions of deaths. Most commonly, the strain occurs when the virus spreads form animals to humans. It occurs when new genes from pigs’ or birds’ virus are picked up by human strains. However, there are three common types of influenza that include influenzavirus A, influenzavirus B, and influenzavirus C. Each of these genus have on species, influenza A virus, influenza B virus, and influenza C virus.

Picture of ducks (Source: commons.wikimedia.org)

Influenzavirus A is naturally hosted by wild aquatic birds but the same is spread to other bird species causing a severe outbreak in domesticated poultry. This may be subdivided into serotypes depending on the response of antibodies to the virus. In humans, the confirmed serotypes that cause deaths include H1N1, H2N2, H3N2, H5N1, H7N7, H1N2, H9N2, H7N2, H7N3, H10N7, and H7N9. Influenzavirus B is not as common as influenzavirus A and it infects humans exclusively. However, the only animals known to be susceptible to this flu virus include the ferret and the seal. Influenzavirus B mutates twice to thrice slower than influenzavirus A. Also, it has less genetic diversification, with one influenza serotype. Influenzavirus C is found in pigs, humans and dogs and sometimes causes local epidemics and severe illnesses. It is not as common as other types of influenza viruses with a mild cause of the disease among children.

CDC scientist transferring H7N9 (Source: commons.wikimedia.org)

Therefore, since the modes of transmission for the flu virus include the air through sneezes or coughs, and direct contact through touching contaminated surfaces or nasal secretions and bird droppings, it is advisable that good personal hygiene should be maintained. The hygiene habits include frequent washing of hands, avoidance of touching the mouth, nose and eyes, avoiding contact with patients, avoiding spiting, the use of gloves and face masks when taking care of patients, avoiding smoking as it raises risks of infection, and surface sanitizing.

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Catch-and-Release rather than Catch-and-Kill!

The research team angles Tiger Shark up to the boat to begin samples.

It is obvious that any kind of living animal would respond to stress through catch-and-release fishing. Scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy and the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science investigated how several species of coastal sharks respond to these stresses as a result.

The five shark species being experimented on through catch-and-release fishing were the hammerhead, blacktip, bull, lemon and tiger sharks. This was taken place in South Florida and Bahamian waters. Researchers took blood samples to examine stress, including pH, carbon dioxide and lactate levels, conducted reflex tests, as well as used satellite tags to look at their post-release survival.

The blood lactate levels of sharks were hugely affected due to them resisting to be caught, which is similar to what happens to humans during intense or exhaustive physical exercise. This is linked to mortality in many species of fish. The study showed that the hammerhead exhibited the highest levels of lactic acid build out of all five species, followed by the blacktip, bull, lemon and tiger sharks. The study even showed that after release, hammerheads were prone to delayed mortality. Hence, the hammerhead sharks are more sensitive than the other sharks whereas tiger sharks can withstand or recover from even the minimal catch and release fishing a lot better.

This study not only shows the different effects on catch-and-release fishing on the different types of sharks but also conveys that it is not guaranteed that all of these species would survive from the encounter even if it swims away from the area. This has serious conservation implications because those fragile species might need to be managed separately, especially if we are striving for sustainability in catch and release fishing.

Many of the shark populations worldwide are declining due to overfishing. In order to conserve this population, the process of catch and killing is now slowly being switched to catch and releasing. Therefore this study helps fisherman make informed decisions on which sharks make good candidates for catch and release fishing, and which do not, such as the hammerheads.

 

Yuri Tomura

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Posted on February 3, 2014 by in Biological sciences, Issues in science, Science in the news

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World’s Scarcity: Social Aspects of Human Cloning and A Need For a “Financially Motivated Animal Cloning”

Video: First Human Embryo Cloned

Triggered by the Scottish scientists’ successful cloning of a female sheep called Dolly – the first mammal to be cloned – human cloning has become a contemporary phenomenon drawing comparisons to natural creation of humans. Immediately, debates on the ethical issues about cloning and numerous researches on further social implications associated with human cloning rose. Nevertheless, many scientists and technologists advocated the “immorality” of human cloning and, therefore, research funding in the need for human cloning have been denied and blocked in many countries. Numerous misconceptions about cloning rose by the science fiction: cloned humans will exactly be the same as their genetic donors. This is not true, since, although cloned humans are born with the same genes inherited from their partners, their environments in living, their history and experiences will determine what they become in the future.

cloned dolly    source :animalresearch.info

 

There are both advantages and disadvantages to the practice of cloning. Jessica  in “The Advantages and Disadvantages in Cloning” argues that not only does cloning give benefits to modern medicine, but it also helps infertile couples and reverses the aging process of individuals. Moreover, cloning permits the study of genetic diseases and indeed genetic development more generally. Specifically, cloning could help “carriers” of X-linked and autosomal recessive disorders to have their own genetic children without risk of passing on the disease. On the other hand, human cloning is also considered as a threat to genetic diversity and evolution. Humans already destroyed the natural evolution process by inventing all kinds of medicine; people who were supposed to die by nature are still living because they can extend their life by using unnatural chemicals in which most of medicines are made of.

 

While most of research papers discuss the ethics and consequences of human cloning, these paper analyses how cloning can be “financially motivated” for profit. There are two types of human cloning – Therapeutic and Reproductive. Therapeutic cloning involves the production of human tissues, thus organs, while reproductive cloning produces human beings. This paper specifically focuses on reproductive cloning – cloning of humans – and how human cloning is practiced as an investment on income and technology. Two steps are discussed: cloning human beings with improved ability and using the cloned individuals for purely financial reasons.

 

There is an economic incentive to clone for financial purposes. For instance, it is profitable when economically valuable animals that may be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars are cloned. Moreover, if top performers in the labour market have valuable genes, then cloning them will generate a lot of financial value. This continuing process of cloning individuals with intelligent genes will lead to improvements in technology and, later on, living standards, as well.

 

 

 

references

Jessica. “The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cloning.” Alternative Medicine and Natural Health. Web. 10 June 2011. <http://www.methodsofhealing.com/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cloning/>

Reinhold, Sabine. “The Advantages and Disadvantages of Cloning Humans as Well as the Ethical and Social Problems Involved in It!” Research Paper (Pre-University) (2002): 1-15. Print.

Harris, John. “Goodbye Dolly?” The Ethics of Human Cloning.” Journal of Medical Ethics 23.6 (1997): 353-60. Print.

 

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Posted on February 3, 2014 by in Biological sciences, Issues in science

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Naked Mole Rats And Cancer

Posted on January 27, 2014 by | 2 comments

Cancer is the reality that haunts the forefront of society’s mind and one of the greatest killers that we fear today. It comes as no surprise that we would expect a great deal of research to be invested in its prevention. When researchers are looking into every possible opportunity that may yield a solution, it peaks our curiosity that a bizarre  animal such as the naked mole rat may hold the key.

The Naked Mole Rat (Source: Flickr.com)

Although this not very visually appealing creature doesn’t seem to stand a chance against something as notorious as cancer, scientists at the University of Haifa in Israel believe that the cells of these mole rats secrete a substance that could be linked to the prevention of cancer. In addition to this the naked mole rat lives for a much longer period than your conventional species of rats, up to around thirty years, and hasn’t yet been detected to have any form of tumours. These features of this animal allowed it to win vertebrate of the year in the science magazine.

So how does this seemingly insignificant animal keep cancer out? Scientists from the University of Rochester in New York along with scientists from The University of Haifa in Israel have suggested that the substance responsible is a super sugar called high-molecular-mass Hyaluronan (HMM-HA). The proposed mechanism is that when secreted by cells it decreases cell overcrowding and the formation of tumours. This substance is also secreted by humans into the extracellular matrix of cells, but the sugar in these rats are ‘much heavier’. The evolution of these rats deep underground may have lead to the formation of this advanced version of the sugar. Additionally, this sugar secreted by mole rats allows their skin to be very much more elastic.

Research conducted on these creatures include, inducing cancers via carcinogens on them, however, it was found that the mole rats didn’t appear to develop any tumours. This differs from an experiment in which the mole rats were exposed to these same carcinogens in the absence of the secreted sugar (Hyaluronan). In this case, tumours developed, which lead researchers in the direction that this was, in fact, the substance responsible for the mole rats cancer free record.

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The research into this substance is still progressing slowly, like all things in science and medicine. There are still several problems that researchers face, such as; how can it be harnessed and administered to humans? Will the substance cure already existing tumours and how can this be tested safely? Unfortunately several news articles that have been published are misleading to people who are looking for current cancer treatment as this research is in no way a current treatment and still needs several years of work to be of substantial use for human applications. That being said it is a significant door that has been opened in the field of cancer research and should be pursued.

~Adil Cader.

 

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Fukushima Radiation Effects Under Control

Posted on January 20, 2014 by | Comments Off on Fukushima Radiation Effects Under Control

In 2011, the tsunami that hit Japan led to discharge of radioactive isotopes from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The venting reduced gaseous pressure from the reactor containment vessels and discharge of water from the coolant into the sea. The USS Ronald Reagan undertook a rescue mission following the nuclear plant accident. However, several months later, the US sailors started experiencing severe radiation symptoms that prompted them to file suits against the Tokyo Electric Power Company with claims that the company failed to disclose radiation details from the US Navy after the nuclear power plant accident. According to the WHO report, 70% of the people exposed to radiation are likely to develop thyroid cancer, 7% are at a risk of suffering from leukemia, 6% from breast cancer, 4% from female cancers.

Image by IAEA Imagebank (Source: flickr.com)

Traces of the radioactive particles have been detected worldwide and numerous deaths of birds, animals and sea life have been linked to the radioactive plume. However, since  the accident, the Tokyo Electric Power Company has been trying to contain the radioactive leaks and nuclear radiation levels around the Fukushima power plant. Their effort has been successful because at the worst month following the disaster, Fisher’s lab tested Tuna that had been caught off the waters of California. The radioactivity dose from the tuna was much lower than what people are exposed to from eating bananas, medical X- rays, and natural occurrence. This is because disperse of contaminants through the Pacific Ocean into the West Coast dilutes the radiation concentration reducing it several times. Additionally, the federal and state agencies have boosted monitoring of radiation after the disaster and the recorded data shows a decline in the high levels in milk and air.

IAEA experts monitoring water samples (Source: flicker.com)

On the contrary, assertions are circulating in the internet that seafood and beaches are being contaminated by radiation from the Fukushima meltdown. For example, the YouTube video titled ‘28 Signs that the West is Being Absolutely Fried with Nuclear Radiation from Fukushima’ shows a man detecting radiation levels using a Geiger counter on Half Moon Bay beach. Also, an outrageous worry in Seattle was also observed that people were afraid of eating seafood and going to the beach. This prompted the California Department of Public Health to send inspectors to test radiation levels. The analysis showed that radiation at the beach resulted from natural occurrence from minerals in the sand but not as a result of the Fukushima radiation.

Since the tsunami that led to discharge of radioactive isotopes from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, there has been tremendous improvement in the control of radiation health risks. The Tokyo Electric Power Company controlled the leaks and the same has been reviewed several times by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In addition, numerous tests have been conducted and it has been established that fish are safe for human consumption. Also, it has been established that beaches are safe for use by the public.

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