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How could women aging slower?

It has been ages since human beings started searching a way to live longer. Scientists has found the secret about how a woman to live longer. They said the more babies a woman giving birth to, the slower she will aging.Well. . .that sounds ridiculous. But, that’s what scientists found.

The length of telomeres were believed related to aging because the length are getting shorter when people are getting old. Scientists found that more babies a women giving birth to, the longer telomeres she will have.

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Telomeres are at the endpoint of chromosomes. A chromosomes has four telomeres, and when a chromosomes was copied, the telomeres of the new chromosome will make sure the new chromosome continue doing the job that the old chromosome hasn’t finished. Every time a chromosome was copied, the shorter telomeres the new chromosome will have.  When the telomeres are disappear, the cell will not be functional and die.  As it happens to most cells, people will get old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LZm7joBjeI

People will want to have longer telomeres. And, scientists have found that giving birth to baby can make the mother’s telomeres longer. They have picked 75 women from two neighboring tribes of Guatemala. Collect the numbers of baby they have given birth to at 2000 and 2013. And collect their saliva to measure the length of their telomeres. They have found the women who have more alive offspring  have longer telomeres. And, giving birth to one more baby, the length of telomeres will increase 0.059 units.

Scientists explained that when women are pregnant, the amount of estrogen will increase a lot. Estrogen  is a strong antioxidant that can protect the cell from the effect of the shorten telomeres.

 

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Posted on November 14, 2016 by in Biological Sciences, Science in the News

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The Mystery of Ticklishness

Posted on November 14, 2016 by | Leave a comment

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Chances are, at some point in your life, you’ve been tickled on your armpits, sides, feet, and found yourself hysterically bursting into laughter and giggles. Have you ever pondered what kind of purpose ticklishness serves?

imageMichael Bretch and Shimpei Ishiyama at Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience in Berlin published a paper last week investigating a rat brain’s response to tickling and provided us with an insight as to why ticklishness evolved.

When the researchers tickled the rat, it not only responded with ultrasonic (or sound waves with a frequency too high for human ears to hear) vocalization that is equivalent to laughter, but it also chased after the researcher’s hand for more tickling! The rat also jumped in joy after getting tickled, a response known as Freudensprünge, which is a joyful leaping behaviour observed in many mammalian species. However, near the end of the following video edited by ScienceNews shows that the rat enjoys being tickled only when it is in a good mood just like humans:

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While the rat enjoyed the tickling, the researchers examined its brain. A large area of the brain called somatosensory cortex, which responds to touch sensations, was highly active when the rat was being tickled. When the researchers just electrically stimulated its somatosensory cortex, the rat responded with ultrasonic vocalizations, or the laughter, as if it had been tickled. Interestingly, this region of the brain was also responsive during a rat’s play behaviours!

What is intriguing is that response to tickling is similar between humans and rats. They even share some areas susceptible to tickling such as soles of feet! Dr. Brecht explains that such similarity takes us back through evolutionary history to the common ancestor of humans and rats that likely used tickling as a way to build social bonds.

The link between pleasure and tickling, which activates the same area playing does, taken together with the fact that you can’t tickle yourself leads Dr. Bretch to infer that perhaps “ticklishness is a trick of the brain to make animals or humans play or interact in a fun way.”

 

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Science in the News, Uncategorized

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Psychology of the Return Policy

Posted on November 7, 2016 by | 2 comments

It’s the first week of November, and you’re eager to get a head start on crossing off items on the holiday shopping list. After a productive day at Pacific Centre, you leave the mall with half a dozen bags grinning from ear to ear. However, as you sprawl your day’s haul on the mattress, thoughts of doubt begin to rise. Did I really need that second pair of leather boots? Or that tacky sweater I will wear once to a Christmas party, then never again?

Courtesy of Jason Yormark / Rock Your Ugly Christmas Sweater

Credit: Jason Yormark / Rock Your Ugly Christmas Sweater

You quickly double-check to see how long you have to decide. Printed at the bottom of the wrinkled receipt is “90-days for a full refund or exchange”. You breathe a sigh of relief and thank the store for their generous returns policy and decide to make up your mind later.

However, you may be surprised to find out retailers are not being generous just out of the goodness of their hearts and your reaction may be exactly what they wanted.

To get a better understanding on how return policies could affect consumer behavior, researchers from the University of Texas recently conducted a study by reviewing five key elements in return policy: time, money, effort, scope and exchange. Surprisingly, the study found that businesses actually benefit from giving ample time for returns. Counter-intuitive as it may be, retailers with more lenient return policies actually result in more sales and less returns.

Why is that?

UT Dallas doctoral candidate Ryan Freling, who conducted this research, said that this is perhaps a result of what is known as the “endowment effect”. The longer a customer has a product in their hands, the more emotionally attached they are to it. If customers don’t feel pressured to make a decision for taking it right back to the store, they more likely to keep it.

Similarly, I have noticed that when I make a questionable purchase at a store with a strict returns policy, I am very likely to second-guess my purchase. However, buying a similar item from a more flexible company like Costco, which offers almost unlimited time for returns, I am more likely to never return the product at all.

Credit: GoToVan / Flickr

With the holiday shopping season fast approaching, whether it’s the tacky sweater from grandma or an impulse shoe purchase, we are all guilty of returning some unwanted merchandise. Besides being more careful with what you buy, it is a good idea to always check the retailer’s return policy and do not remove tags until you’re sure you’re going to keep it. If you decide to return your purchase, just be sure bring your receipt and don’t delay.

Justin Tao

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

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Technology Can Help Us Learn Languages Too!

Posted on November 7, 2016 by | 1 comment

When I was in the fourth grade, I transferred into French immersion and it was overwhelming. Like many other students in my class, I had no prior experience speaking any language besides English.

Although it was a challenge, one of the things that really helped us learn the language were the videos we used to watch. As silly as it may sound, a woman would sit in front of the camera, saying basic french verbs as she acted them out with her hands. These videos were simple, but they really helped me create a base-level understanding of the language, which I was later able to build on.

However, not everyone can spend full days in class learning to speak new languages, but these days, there are also many resources available, including language learning desktop and mobile applications to help people out.

Over the past few years, mobile applications such as Duolingo, aid users in practicing language basics, whenever most convenient to them. Duolingo allows users to select a language they want to learn (such as, but not limited to, Spanish, French and German) and complete activities, with audio/visual aids to help them recognize common words or objects for the specified language. According to the program’s website, there are more than 120 million users completing over 6 billion exercises each month. These numbers become even more impressive when we consider the fact that the application was only launched in 2011! Take a look at the application at use in the video below:

(Video Source: “Duolingo for Schools: A Real Teacher Testimonial” by Duolingo on Youtube)

In my opinion, these types of applications are a great technological advancement for language learning. In today’s society, many people have access to computers and cellphones, and using programs similar to Duolingo are an inexpensive way to further one’s knowledge about a language. Besides this, they provide great opportunities for both accessibility (i.e. being able to study a language when most convenient) as well as travel. Imagine taking a trip to a foreign country and feeling confident about asking basic questions, like “how much does this cost?” or “where can I find the restrooms?”. This type of knowledge would allow individuals to be at greater ease in new locations and help them connect with more people than ever before.

Having firsthand experience studying a second language, I know that learning basic words or common phrases are essential to understanding how to properly communicate. As a result, I believe that language-learning applications are a great invention that are going to continue making the learning process more obtainable and relaxed for anybody that is interested to try.

Kayleigh B.

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Posted in Science in the News

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Interesting Facts about Panda

Posted on November 7, 2016 by | 3 comments

On September 4th 2016, The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) pronounced in Hawaii that the Giant panda no longer be endangered. They place the giant panda in to the vulnerable. This is because until the end year of 2013, there are 1864 pandas in wild.

Picture from Flickr Commons

Picture from Flickr Commons

Almost very one loves panda. Panda had been connected to World Wild life Fund for Nature (WWF) since the day the organization founded as they are  the symbol of WWF since 1961. And they helped a lot with panda protection in China. And now I will show some interesting facts about panda.

First, lets talk about eating. Pandas eat half of the day, which is 12 hours per day. And usually, people always link pandas with bamboos. However, pandas are actually omnivores, they which means they can eat both plant and meat.  But still, they prefer bamboo leaves.

Sometimes panda will do some thing just like other animals in the bear family. They will hunt pikas and other small rodents.These bears are excellent tree climbers despite their bulk.

Second, almost everyone knows that pandas are from China. But in fact, they are not all over China. They can be found in only mountain ranges in central China, which is near the Yangtze river.

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Picture from Flickr Commons

Third, the newborn panda is pink and actually just like the newborn mice  and have similar size of a stick of butter. Their mothers are 900 times bigger than the new borns. When they grow up, they can be 150kg, and males are larger and heavier than the females.

And Here is a video talking about other interesting facts about pandas.

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Carry on Cycling

Posted on November 7, 2016 by | 2 comments

Living on the temperate west coast, many of us choose to bike or walk to work. However, since bikers and walkers often have to share the road with other vehicles, they are often exposed to air pollution. Many bikers wonder if they should replace their bike with a car or bus pass.

Air pollution can cause major health problems. Source: “Health Effects of Ozone and Particle Pollution” by American Lung Association. Used under Section 29 of the Copyright Act (Revised 2016)

Air pollution can cause major health problems. Source: “Health Effects of Ozone and Particle Pollution” by American Lung Association. Used under Section 29 of the Copyright Act (Revised 2016)

A new UBC study released two weeks ago measured the optimal speed to minimize the inhalation of air pollutants at the same time maximizing the activity’s health benefits. It found that cyclists riding from 12 to 20 kilometers per hour and pedestrians moving from two to six kilometers per hour minimize their exposure to air pollutants while gaining the most health benefits from their exercise. The study measured the “sweet spot” between riding quickly to lessen exposure to pollutants and riding slowly to lessen inhalation.

Although this speed will minimize the inhalation of air pollutants, it is also clear that road users should stay away from more heavily polluted roadways in industrial areas. Industrial areas often burn diesel, which produces the highest amount of air pollutants and soot. Once exposed to humans, soot irritates the eyes, nose, throat and lungs which are a root factor for many respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. In the UK, premature death due to air pollution amounts to 40,000 people per year[1].

Cities' pollution by Particulate matter. Graph made using Excel 2016. Data collected by World Bank (http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/table3_13.pdf).

Cities’ pollution by Particulate matter. Graph made using Excel 2016. Data collected by World Bank (http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/table3_13.pdf).

However, cycling and walking in polluted areas may not be as bad as you might think. The benefits of cycling and walking, even in a heavily polluted city like Delhi, outweigh the disadvantages caused by breathing in the polluted air because physical inactivity itself is such a health hazard. Physical inactivity increases the risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, asthma, stroke and some types of cancers.

A real-life story of the benefits of commuting by cycling. Source: “Cycling to Work Scheme Saved My Life” by Toby Field– Youtube. Used under Section 29 of the Copyright Act (Revised 2016).

So keep on cycling and walking to work everyone! Personally, I was pleasantly surprised on the health benefits of cycling. Even though you may be exposing yourself to air pollutants, the benefits of exercise outweigh physical inactivity caused by sitting in traffic jams.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/22/indoor-and-outdoor-air-pollution-claiming-at-least-40000-uk-lives-a-year

Kelvin Au

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Science in the News

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Small Life with Big DATA

Posted on November 1, 2016 by | Leave a comment

The concept of big data has been around for years; most companies now are taking it more seriously than before. During company interviews, more and more questions related to big data appear. However, people realized that big data is important somehow, yet what actually it is and why it matters are the questions most people don’t know.

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What is Big Data?

http://acodez.in/bigdata-analytics-scope/

Picture from http://acodez.in/bigdata-analytics-scope/

The word “Big Data” has more meanings than actual big data, it does not only refer to a huge amount of data but it also refers to related technology. It is important to realize that big data comes in many shapes and from people’s daily lives. For example, the social media that men watched are different from what women watched. Everyday people upload thousands of hundreds of photos to Facebook or Instagram. Also, people share their lives with twitter and other social apps. Data is collected from our devices such as computers and smartphones, and it transmits information on what we do. Soon, however, that is just the beginning, 90% of the data in the world today was created in the last two years, and data will keep increasing exponentially.

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Above is the rate of growth of data since 2005 to 2015(forecast) – IDC research

Why is big data important?

Big data could be invaluable for business. It could provide a window into the lives of customers that people never previously imagined. To illustrate, based on the example above, when companies, such as Google or Youtube, collected what people were actually watching every day, they may be able to predict what people are like according to their special algorithms. One simple example is that Youtube put different advisements according to what media people are watching. In this case, people are more likely to click the link of advisements instead of just skipping it.

Another importance that came from big data is big data analytics. In the Youtube example, if they wrongly analytics the data, they might put wrong advisements that have nothing related to the audiences, in this case, no one would care about the advisements and they would just ignore it. By correctly using big data analysis, people are able to pick out the relevant parts from data and find the hidden patterns, correlations, and other insights. Based on what people found in dig data analysis, people are able to make faster, better decisions.

 

 

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Stem cells: bone marrow vs. peripheral blood

Posted on October 31, 2016 by | Leave a comment

Stem cell transplants have the ability to treat approximately 80 different types of diseases and disorders. These include certain types of cancers such as leukemia, bone marrow deficiency diseases, aplastic anemia (the lack of normal blood cell production), and inherited immune system and metabolic disorders. Doctors have the tough decision of figuring out what the most appropriate course of treatment is for patients who are suffering from these diseases and disorders. Specifically, for those who require a stem cell transplant, doctors must decide whether to use stem cells that are transplanted from a donor’s bone marrow or from their peripheral/circulating blood stream. New research has revealed that patients who have received a bone marrow transplant report an overall better quality of life compared to those who received a peripheral blood transplant. The patients who are receiving these potentially life-saving transplants are already very sick and therefore would want to maximize the chance that their transplant procedure will not only increase their life expectancy, but also their overall quality of life.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Stem_cell_treatments.png

Potential Uses for Stem Cells. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Stem_cell_treatments.png

A specific type of complication that arises and that is common side effect of post-transplantation is called graft versus host disease (GvHD). GvHD occurs when newly transplanted donor immune cells attack the recipient’s body. The results from the new research conducted finds that patients who received a bone marrow transplant overall experience fewer symptoms of GvHD and self reported better psychological well-being post transplant. These findings are quite important as the doctor’s main objective post transplant is for the patient to be healthier than they were before they received it. Therefore, I think it would be beneficial for follow up research to be done so it is certain that all stem cell transplants are being done with the patient’s best interests in mind, including their long-term health.

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A video of patients and transplant experts that explain the basics of a blood or marrow transplant.

 Currently, donor stem cells are extracted from the peripheral or circulating blood stream about 80% of the time, while the other 20% time it is collected from the bone marrow. This is because peripheral blood stem cell donation is a much less invasive procedure and is similar in risk compared to a regular blood donation. However, donors who are providing stem cells from their bone marrow are often put under a general anaesthetic and feel a small amount of discomfort or pain in the hip region, which can be compared to the sensation of falling on ice. It is important to keep in mind that patients who are desperate for these stem cells are in a great amount of pain and therefore put it into perspective, the small amount of discomfort felt from bone marrow donation is nothing compared to the amount that the patient who needs them feels.

Regardless of whichever method of transplantation scientists agree to be the best, both are providing life saving assistance to those with life threatening diseases and disorders. I hope that everyone reading this will consider signing up on the National Stem Cell registry and becoming someone’s second chance at life.

 

Rashmeen Kambo

 

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