Exploding Arctic Seal Populations: Is Climate Change to Blame?

Posted on November 28, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Melting ice. Rising sea levels. Intense weather patterns. We know it all too well. Now, what if I told you that certain types of seals in the Arctic are increasing in numbers despite all the other negative predictions associated with climate change?

Harbour seal by Steinkobbe

Katie Florko, a Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia, observed increasing population changes of Harbour seals in the Churchill River Estuary for the last two decades. Florko’s research team believes that this increase is associated with melting ice sheets due to the recent atmospheric warming, consequently exposing the ground and water beneath. Harbour seals, unlike their Arctic neighbours such as Ringed seals, prefer laying on exposed rocks, sand, and mud banks instead of ice. The following video goes into the specifics:

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The Big Picture

       Anyone with background knowledge on ecology might question the effect of this increase on the stability and diversity of Arctic ecosystems. The answer is complicated. All plants and animals, including us, in an ecosystem are interconnected making it difficult to tell which way the populations will shift in fast-changing environments. However, the outcomes of climate change are generally negative. With alarming rates of melting ice, the Arctic region is where change is most evident. It is brought on by the continuous release of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere from increasing population energy demands, use of transportation fuel, and unsustainable resources. As a result of their warming habitats, Arctic species are forced to shift northwards, chasing their ideal conditions.

Melting Ice Cover in the Arctic by Jeremy Potter/NOAA

Drive for Deeper Understanding

     “The Arctic is one of the areas that is undergoing one of the most rapid changes related to climate change”, said Florko. Studying the Arctic and other regions of the world can provide a deeper understanding of the consequences of climate change on global ecosystems. People are also affected as melting ice brings on sea level rise, endangering coastal infrastructure world-wide

As crucial as Arctic research is, the investigation into the effects of climate change is not easy. Arctic research, specifically, requires extensive commitments, funding, and equipment. Only those brave enough to face the extremely cold conditions of the Arctic icefields go up to study its wonders. Nonetheless, modern-day technology has made it easier for scientists to travel north. The podcast below goes into more detail about the various aspects of Arctic field studies.

While Florko’s study solved a small puzzle piece of the effects of climate change in the Arctic, there is still substantial amounts of research needed to be done.

As for the non-scientists, it’s good to keep in mind that drastic changes are happening in places where most people might not see but that does not make them any less of a concern.

 

Written by: Ellena Yoon, Jocelyn Cheng, Polina Orlov, Brian Agafitei

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A New Organic Compound has Potential in Removing Nuclear Uranium Wastes

Posted on November 28, 2018 by | Leave a comment

          On September 20, 2018, Mohammad Chaudhry, a Ph. D student at the University of British Columbia and his team of researchers have produced a new chemical compound known as an expanded campestarene. This new compound is a large, cyclic molecular structure that possesses the unique property of binding strongly to uranium ions. This can have real-world applications in the future as a tool to manage nuclear waste since the uranium by-product produced by nuclear reactors is a growing concern. Expanded campestarenes’ ability to strongly bind to uranium ions can be used to specifically remove dangerous, radioactive uranium waste.

The hollow cavity of expanded campestarene in the middle will hold the uranium ion.

The Campastarene Creation:

          The process for making such a compound is not an easy process. It requires a lot of trial and error, and an extensive knowledge of macrocycle chemistry, a subsection of chemistry. Despite being an expert on this subject, it still took Chaudhry a lengthy time to obtain enough of these molecules to call it a success. According to Chaudhry, “I basically went through the periodic table, and I went through a list of which elements would make sense to work in this type of reaction, and uranium was one I thought would work.” Overall, this process took about eight months.

          After selection of uranium ion, a reflux reaction was used to produce the compounds. A reflux reaction is simply heating a bunch of chemical compounds in order to input energy and make the reaction more likely to happen. “Basically, you mix it and you heat it and then you purify it, and that’s it,” says Mohammad.

          The following video contains the journey that Chaudhry and his colleagues have taken to create this molecule.

“SO Project Group 5 Video” by Group 5 is licensed under YouTube.

The Uranium Situation and the Campastarene Solution

          The expanded campestarenes produced by Chaudhry’s team are very unique molecular compounds. The most notable property is its ability to bind strongly to uranium ions. The expanded campestarenes have an internal cavity that can specifically bind to uranium ions, forming a very stable complex. As a result, it is a useful uranium sequestering agent. Uranium sequestration describes the process of removing uranium ions from solution by strongly binding to it.

          This property can be extremely useful when it comes to managing uranium waste produced by nuclear reactors. With our increasing need for nuclear energy, more uranium waste is being produced. There are two types of uranium waste produced from these power plants: non-radioactive and radioactive uranium.  Radioactive uranium is dangerous to humans and the environment. It can damage one’s DNA, cells, tissues, and organs, and can also contaminate groundwater and soil, drastically impacting the environment. In addition, uranium waste is very difficult to get rid of because it takes hundreds-of-thousands of years to decompose naturally

          However, removing radioactive uranium is not as easy as it may seem. It is hard to differentiate the safe, non-radioactive uranium from the harmful, radioactive uranium. Therefore, by creating an expanded campestarene that can specifically bind to dangerous, radioactive uranium, it can be safely removed. This binding process is called chelation, where a molecule with specific structure allows it to target specific metal ions (like uranium).

         The following podcast by SCIE 300 Group talks about the daily-used chelating agents, such as chelating food additives and chelating agents in water purification. Also, the podcast contains an interview with Mohammad Chaudhry about the practical implication of expanded campestarene.

“SCIE 300 SO Project Podcast” by Group 5 is licensed under YouTube

          Although uranium sequestration has practical applications, especially when it comes to nuclear waste, modifications to Chaudhry’s expanded campestarenes still need to be made before it can be used for practical use. “This experiment was mostly an academic curiosity,” Chaudhry says. However, Chaudhry’s discovery has set the foundation for future research on the topic of expanded campestarenes. Perhaps in the future, the specific binding nature of expanded campestarenes can be put to applicable use, especially in dealing with the radioactive uranium waste problem.

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Alzheimer’s and research on a possible cure?

Posted on November 28, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Alzheimer’s is a disease that has been distraught on families for decades. It starts by damaging the brain cells, eventually killing them off, and causing dementia (memory loss) as a result. Current medical resources can slow down symptoms but no cure has been found yet.

Source: https://drjockers.com/alzheimers-disease/

Recent research that points to decreasing levels of steroids in the brain (neurosteroids) and the risk of Alzheimer’s with increasing age suggests that Alzheimer’s might be related to the decreasing neurosteroids. In response to this, Dr. Daniel Tobiansky has found that the brain likely produces its own testosterone, and testosterone has been found to decrease inflammation of cells in male rat brains.

The Research of Dr. Daniel Tobiansky:

The human brain has always been thought to be a passive recipient of steroids such as testosterone and estrogen from our body. However, researchers may have found recent evidence that suggests otherwise. In particular, Daniel Tobiansky, a postgraduate doctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia performed an experiment, with gonadectomized (removal of testes or ovaries) rodents to observe the difference in sex-steroid levels of the brain in contrast to the control animals (not gonadectomized). If the brain indeed does not produce its own steroids, then, control animals should observe regular levels of steroids in the blood while others have none due to the lack of sexual organs.

What They Found:

The results of the experiment came just as hypothesized, with no signs of testosterone in the blood. Interestingly, parts of the brain such as the mesocorticolimbic system that functions as the “reward system” of the body, were found to have the same levels testosterone as it was in the control animals. This incredible in the context that further understandings to this simple discovery that the brain produces its own steroids can suggest potential cures to diseases and disorders such as depression and Alzheimer’s.

Source: https://slideplayer.com/slide/5724554/

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Conclusion:

There is currently strong evidence suggesting that brain damage is related to the regression of neurosteroids. If Alzheimer’s is indeed associated with decreasing neurosteroid levels in the brain, then ramping up those steroid levels might help with slowing down the disease or even curing it.

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Interspecific Aggression: Why do Crows Attack Ravens?

Posted on November 27, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Interspecific Aggression

Interspecific aggression is common in animals (Peiman and Robinson 2010) and well documented between species that are ecologically similar. There are generally five reasons why heterospecific aggression occurs. The first reason may be a nonadaptive behaviour, where heterospecifics are mistakenly treated as if they belong to the same species. The rest assume that behaviour is adaptive and all differ in with benefits received is food, space, a mate or a predator-free space.

Though competition for food resources and space is most commonly seen, interspecific aggression could be related to reproductive interactions and predation. Interspecific aggression toward a predator is called “mobbing”, which occurs when a group of individuals attack or harass a predator (Altmann 1956).

crows vs ravens

Since crows and ravens belong in the same family (Corvidae), the difference between them is hard to distinguish at first, but both inhabit distinct features.

Image result for crows vs ravens

A crow (left) and a raven (right) by Tom Grey.

The difference between the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and the Common Raven (C. corax) are listed below:

American Crow (C. brachryhynchos)
  • Straight beak
  • Generally smaller
  • Short rhythmic “caw”s
  • Consistent flapping
  • Fan-shaped tails
  • Extremely social (large flocks)
Common Raven (C. corax)
  • Slight-point on beak
  • Bigger
  • Deeper raspy “croak”
  • Soaring
  • Wedge-shaped tails
  • Not social (usually found as pairs or single birds)

Tune in on an episode of Animals and their Experts where the conflict between crows and ravens is explained.

Audio credit: https://soundcloud.com/chelseychow/animals-and-their-experts-crows-and-ravens-podcast

research

Dr. Benjamin G. Freeman, a postdoctoral fellow at the Biodiversity Research Centre in the University of British Columbia, and his friend  Dr. Eliot T. Miller worked together to gather and analyze cases of interspecific aggression between crows (American Crow [C. brachyrhynchos] and Northwestern Crow [C. caurinus]) and ravens (Common Raven [C. corax]) in North America.

Dr. Freeman and Dr. Miller observed the general and infrequent reasons as to why interspecific aggression occurs. Crows and ravens are highly intelligent species that exhibit different behaviours, it is unlikely that they misidentify their own species. Researchers found that ravens are dominant over crows at food resources and both defend year-round territories. Since crows shared a common ancestor ~7 million years ago, they are completely reproductively isolated, thus crossing off reproductive interactions. Ravens have been observed to ravage crow nests and deposit eggs into different nests.

In this video, Steve Irwin (acted by Kevin Fabian), voice narrator Lawrence Liang, and Dr. Benjamin Freeman highlight the intelligence of crows and ravens, as well as explain the impact of crows and ravens on humans.

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Video credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfpb7qAmD3Y&t=4s

Three videos used in the making of the video above:

FINDINGS

As a result, the data in the study done by Dr. Freeman and Dr. Miller is consistent with the hypotheses of interspecific aggression, in particular, the adaptive behaviours that include competition for food and space. However, nest predation is considered to be most likely since crow aggression peaked during the breeding season and before feeding nestlings in March.

Usually, in nature, bigger is better. The larger a creature is the more difficult it becomes to overpower it. Though, this study exhibits that though crows are smaller, they are able to drive ravens off in a big group. Specifically, crows attacked ravens in 97% of aggressive interactions.

 

By: Chelsey Chow, Kevin Fabian, Lawrence Liang, and Muxi Yang (Group 6)

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The Technical and Social Issues of Nuclear Waste

Posted on November 27, 2018 by | Leave a comment

As nuclear generators around the world continue to produce large volumes of nuclear waste, scientists and engineers are scrambling to find a way to deal them. Dr. Ramana explores the various issues in handling nuclear waste in his paper.

One of the most iconic and unsettling images of Chernobyl 30 years later. Photo Credit: The Atlantic

In the process of creating nuclear power, uranium is put into high energy generators where the atoms are split through a process called fission. The resulting byproduct is an extremely hot and radioactive waste called spent fuel. Currently, the only existing solution is to dig deep holes and isolate this waste in what are called geological repositories. However, we have learned that these repositories themselves present a slew of issues.

This video discusses the technical issues of nuclear waste with UBC’s nuclear energy specialist: Dr. Ramana.

The first issue is that the waste remains radioactive for up to one million years. In order for the spent fuel to remain safely isolated, engineers have to construct a canister capable of containing the waste for the entire duration. Furthermore, as most metals are susceptible to rusting, the repository site must somehow remains dry for the entirety of the decay period.

Assuming that the aforementioned complications can be dealt with, the waste must then be transported from the nuclear generators to the repository. One can expect accidents to occur during this transportation period. In 2014, a drum exploded at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plan (WIPP) location in New Mexico. This incident was caused by a seemingly minor mistake, yet was one of the costliest accidents in U.S. history.

The next concern comes with selecting the actual location for the geological repository. Seeing how there are currently zero running geological repositories, the governments have had a 100% fail rate at convincing residents why they should want to live near a nuclear waste facility.

10,000’s people protest nuclear energy in Japan. Photo Credit: CNN

Dr. Ramana stated that the only effective solution to this nuclear waste problem is to phase out the usage of nuclear energy entirely. As mentioned in his paper, Will Rogers states, “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”. Initially, nuclear energy was a means to reduce carbon emissions. However, it has become clear that this solution has created more issues than it solves.

“Electricity is but the fleeting byproduct from atomic reactors. The actual product is forever deadly radioactive waste.” – Kevin Kamps, Environmental activist

Even for the most brilliant scientists, designing an operational canister has been a fruitless endeavour. Dr. Ramana mentions during the podcast that the greatest misconception regarding nuclear waste is that people think they can just “wish away” this inherent, radioactive property of spent fuel. In B.C., more than 85% of our electricity is sourced from hydro-dams. In fact, we produce so much electricity that we export it to the states and rest of Canada.

Renewable energy trend and forecast. Photo credit: International Energy Agency

Rest assured, with hydro, solar and wind options becoming cheaper and more readily available, the global usage of renewable energy sources is on the rise. It may be possible that Dr. Ramana’s idea of a world without nuclear energy is something we may get to look forward to.

Written by: Julia Lee, Jerry Chen, Anna Han, James Wang

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A New Frontier to Our Red Neighbor

Posted on November 27, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Being one of Earth’s closest neighbors and named after a Roman God of War, Mars is the 4th planet of the solar system. It has been an object of wonder for centuries due to being visible to the naked eye. Because of this, Mars has always been a popular choice for our new home. This has been considered more seriously in the recent years due to the rapid increase of human population and the depletion of resources on Earth.

Surface of Mars and its polar ice cap. Source Nasa

Mars One

Mars One is an organization founded in 2011 whose goal is to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars. With many PhD researchers and large suppliers like Lockheed Martin on board, Mars One planned multiple manned and unmanned missions over the span on 20 years. They plan to start Astronaut training by 2018 for prolonged stay in remote locations, repairing rovers, medical treatment, and food growth. Aiming to launch the first crew in 2031 via the Mars Transit Vehicle, many unmanned missions will be launched before that to experiment with crucial tasks such as water extraction and solar panels, satellite deployment, and setting up an outpost. After the landing, astronauts will set up solar panels and prepare for a second group of astronauts launching in 2033. Mars One has addressed potential risks of this project such as the lives of astronauts and the potential of over budget, however they plan on reducing cost by using existing technologies.

Mars One’s concept of Martian base. Source Mars One

Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Another plan was drafted recently by a group of scientists and researchers in EPFL, a Switzerland University. The plan was accepted on June of 2018 to set up Martian bases on the polar ice cap regions of Mars. The poles prove to be ideal places to set up a base because it provides a source of water and various elements to create materials. Like the Mars One, EPFL plan to send multiple unmanned missions to construct a habitable base. The design of the base consists of a central core which will act as a living quarter for the astronauts, 3 surrounding capsules will have airlock functionality to minimize pressure change, and a large dome to protect the area within from radiation and the harsh dust storms of the Martian surface. They plan on sending a crew of 6 astronauts to land during the polar summer to maximize sunlight during their stay. The astronauts are planned to stay for 9 months to set up power reactors and a second mission will be initiated to bring cranes for material transportation. A potential issue with this plan is that there is currently no rocket strong enough to carry the planned heavy load.

Floor plan of the proposed base. Source EPFL

 

The Future of Mars Colonization

As human population increase, so does the rate of consumption and the need for us to find a new home becomes increasingly real. With the many advantages that Mars provide and garnering the interest of groups like Mars One and the scientists of EPFL, the Red Planet is a likely option for us to call home in the near future.

– Jerry Chen

 

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Insecticides are threatening the survival of bees

Posted on November 20, 2018 by | Leave a comment

The most commonly used insecticide in the world, neonicotinoid insecticides, can effectively thresh many crop pests, but at the same time have a potential impact on key pollinators, bees. High doses of neurotoxin can damage the memory of bees and the ability to collect food. Now, using an innovative tracking technology, the researchers have confirmed that neonicotinoid insecticides can significantly reduce the activity of the hornet bee colony, making them less likely to take care of the young bees, and the colony regulates the temperature of the nest. more difficult. This discovery or help clarifies a long-standing puzzle: how insecticides harm bee colonies.

The bee lost its directionality （source: http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/12/7/12/n3634183.htm）

James Crall, an animal behavior biologist at Harvard University, wants to analyze the collective behavior of bees exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides. However, this is not an easy task. Past efforts to track bees involve applying pigments to bees, recording short videos, and then carefully analyzing and annotating these behaviors. “It’s difficult to shoot a 5-minute tracking video,” says Crall. “It’s hard to imagine tracking multiple bee colonies for several days in a row.”

Crall and the team found a solution with the tracking software they wrote at Harvard University. He and his colleagues glued a 3 x 4 mm label with a unique pattern to the back of hundreds of bumblebees. Finally, using a robotic device from the Drosophila Lab, they assembled a mobile platform with two high-resolution cameras. These cameras can “peep” a dozen bumblebee colonies on a regular basis, pick out the movements of labeled bees, and then transfer them to a computer for analysis.

Subsequently, the team provided syrup to nine bee colonies, which were spiked with imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide at a concentration of six parts per billion. These bees can “enjoy” the syrup whenever they want to eat. In the 12-day trial, the overall activity of bees and their social interactions decreased. For example, bees that control bee colonies spend about 25% of their time on caring for young bees, while bees that eat insecticides spend 20% less time on this.

Rescue bees, French banned nicotine-based insecticides （source: http://cn.rfi.fr)

The team also found that the ability of bees to fall asleep became inexplicable at night. In further experiments, Crall and colleagues confirmed that imidacloprid hindered the ability of colonies to regulate nest temperature.

Insecticides affect the normal life of bees in all aspects, so governments and regulators should control the use of pesticides.

 

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Discovery of New Microbe Redraws Tree of Life

Posted on November 19, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Imagine going on a walk in the woods and stumbling on a new microbe so different from all other life on earth that it would baffle taxonomists. That’s what happened to Yana Eglit, a graduate student at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia.

Eglit collected some seemingly ordinary dirt on her hike and discovered a microbe that could redefine all that we know about evolution of life! It’s a newly discovered species that fits under the Hemimastigotes, first documented in the 19th century. Ever since then, this group of organisms did not have a spot on the tree of life but now, with the newly found species, that can change.

The Hairy Ogre

The new microbe was named after a mythological hairy ogre, Hemimastix kukwesjijk, and it sure looks like one! Made up of only a single cell, its body is only about two-hundredth of a millimeter, making it too small to see with the naked eye. Below is an image of it taken with an electron microscope. On the right is its mouth and all around the sides it has multiple tentacle-like projections, called flagella.

It feeds by reaching and capturing its prey (other microbes) with its flagella, bringing it to its mouth and sucking the insides out. That sure sounds like a creation from an alien movie!

Though possible benefits of this new species has yet to be studied, microbes are used in food, medicine, and water treatment so the Hemimastix could prove to be useful to us too.

Retracing the Tree of Life

Almost immediately after the discovery, scientists analyzed the microbe’s genetic makeup and found it to be so unique that it can form its own “supra-kingdom”. Animals and fungi fit into the same supra-kingdom, meaning that people and mushrooms are more similar to each other than they are to this organism.

The Hemimastix has a complex cell structure making it a eukaryote, just like humans! However, they don’t quite fit into any of the existing Eukaryotic domains. “This discovery literally redraws our branch of the ‘Tree of Life’ at one of its deepest points” said Alastair Simpson, professor and lead author of the study.

Further studies on this microbe can shed light on the evolutionary history of all life on earth. Looking at organisms present here today, especially simple microbes like this, can aid in understanding how life was shaped over billions of year. And this is just one piece of a puzzle!

Diversity of Life by Highland Lakes School

“That such a distinct form of life could be hiding literally under our feet is a sharp reminder about how little we still know about the diversity of life on Earth.” says Dr. Simpson.

So next time you’re feeling lonely, just think about all the life that surrounds you, microbes and other. A lot of it yet to be discovered!

-Polina Orlov

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