Super Glue Which Saved Wounded Soldiers in The Battlefield

Posted on November 10, 2018 by | 3 comments

Everyone has used for super glue at least once when fixing a broken object. This plastic glue was not only used for the quick fix but also a medical product that saved lots of patients on the battlefield. Moreover, the interesting fact that reported by The Newyork Times, is that today professional athletes also use the super glue to seal their shallow cuts.

Great accidental invention: “Super glue”

Credit: cbsnews.org

Super glue, that is a chemical compound, was accidentally invented by Dr Harry Coover in 1942. During World war 2, he was working on making clear plastic lenses to precise gun sights for soldiers. Unfortunately, cyanoacrylate(CA) was excluded as a material since it was extremely sticky. However, after 6 years, he realized that this chemical permanently glues anything. This chemical, CA, is what we know as super glue.

 

Fast way to stop bleeding: “Super glue”

Credit: Simple History

Dr Coover studied how to hold human muscle tissue together with the possibility of CA being used for medical purpose, and in 1964 he applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the CA for medical use.  While not yet approved because of potential toxicity, spray type of CA was used as a temporary treatment in the Vietnam War, to seal soldiers’ wounds to preventing bleeding, and many lives were saved.

Properties of  “Super Glue”

Credit: Wikipedia

The main ingredient in super glue is cyanoacrylate which is clear gel-like liquid. CA is acrylic resin rapidly polymerized when it reacts with hydrogen that is represented as ‘Nu+’ in the picture. When its exposure in presence of water, then it makes stronger and longer chain which is called poly-cyanoacrylate. Through this reaction, it transforms from liquid to solid, from the surface to deep inside. Due to humidity in the air, it can also explain why the glue harden when you forget to close the cap after use it.

Safe medical glue for surgery

Super glue is considered dangerous to use on serious wounds such as deep cuts to two main side effects:

  1. Curing is an exothermic reaction which releases heat; it could cause damage to surrounding tissues.
  2. This curing process creates CA and formaldehyde, which irritate eye, skin and respiratory.

The original super glue is not allowed to use to heal the cuts officially. But there is an alternative that was invented for a medical purpose. In 1998, FDA approved a 2-octyl-cyanoacrylate, an improved medical adhesive that was less irritating. As commercializing this new safer medical adhesive,  we can expect fast recovery without stitching.

 

Written by Anna Kwon

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Posted in Science Communication

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Using Your Phone Right Before Bed May Cause Cancer

Posted on November 6, 2018 by | 4 comments

Credit: Shutterstock – New York Post Article
https://nypost.com/2016/06/24/using-your-iphone-in-bed-can-make-you-go-temporarily-blind/

An easy way to wind down right before bed usually involves picking up your cell phone, which then results in being stuck in an endless loop of memes. There’s a lot of studies out there that mention how using your phone right before you sleep can disrupt regular sleeping patterns, but what if I also told you the blue light you are exposed to from the screens, especially at night, may contribute to the increased risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity?

How Does Blue Light Affect our Sleep?

In this video, Dr. Dan Siegel, a professor of psychiatry from UCLA School of Medicine, explains how harmful the effects can be when using any sort of device with a blue light screen right before sleeping.

Video Created by: Science Insider

Dr. Siegel explains that looking at a phone screen is like having a stream of light particles telling your brain to stay awake. The light tells tells your brain to inhibit melatonin secretion (a hormone that controls your daily sleep-wake cycle) which helps you fall asleep at night. It is found that sleep is important for us because it allows our active neurons (a cell that carries electric impulses in the brain) to rest and brings in supportive cells to help clean out toxins that the neurons produce. Without this process, we would have awful memory, inability to function, and low energy throughout the day.

Research Study on Effects of Blue Light

A study from Harvard explained that blue light is actually very beneficial during daylight hours as it can increase your attention span, reaction times, and state of mind. But in contrast, it can trouble your sleep at night and possibly be a factor in increasing other health risks. There isn’t enough proof that blue light exposure at night is for sure the cause of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. But, what is known is that melatonin levels, when exposed to the blue light, may affect our 24-hour cycle, called the circadian rhythm, which is important in determining 0ur sleeping and eating patterns. The Harvard study conducted an experiment comparing the difference in melatonin levels when exposed to 6.5 hours of blue light to green light. The results showed melatonin suppression was twice as long from blue light than green light exposure, including shifting the circadian rhythm by twice as much. Blue light is a suppressor of melatonin, which evidence has shown that low levels of this hormone is found to be correlated with cancer.

Credit: Skye Gould/Tech Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/how-smartphone-light-affects-your-brain-and-body-2015-9

The effects of blue light coming off our screens prior to sleeping are very serious! We’re all sometimes guilty of using our electronic devices before going to bed, but we should try to break this habit and finally listen to science!

 

 

Loretta Huang

Blog Post #2

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Posted in Science in the News

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Does Sleep Affect Your Hydration?

Posted on November 5, 2018 by | 2 comments

We have been consistently educated about drinking enough water being vital to our health. We have been told to drink about two litres of water per day to keep hydrated, but what about sleep? A new study from Pennsylvania State University examined how a good night’s sleep is associated with hydration.

Source: Flickr By: Navy_NADAP

The study looked urine samples from over 20,000 U.S. and Chinese adults, and each participant was surveyed regarding their sleeping habits. From these urine samples, researchers were able to analyze the level of hydration in each participant. It was found that across both country’s populations, participants who were sleeping six hours at night were 16-59% more likely to be dehydrated and had significantly more concentrated urine than participants who slept eight hours on a regular basis.

To understand this phenomenon, researchers linked the association to a hormone called vasopressin. Vasopressin is released in our bodies to help regulate hydration status in the body. While vasopressin is released throughout the day and night, it is released more quickly and later on in the sleep cycle. Therefore, waking up earlier can decrease the amount of this hormone being released and lead to dehydration.

Source: Youtube By: TED-ed

 

It is important to stay properly hydrated so our bodies can perform its everyday functions. The brain, heart, and muscles all require enough fluids or else it can negatively affect your mood, physical performance, and cognition. If the dehydration continues for a long period of time, it can lead to more serious consequences such as higher susceptibility to certain infections and kidney stones.

Since the study only includes observational data from a particular population, the results are an association and cannot be viewed as causal. However, it provides an interesting insight as to how sleeping patterns may affect our hydration levels.

Written by: Anna Han

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Posted in Biological Sciences

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Extraterrestrial Earthling: Life’s Cosmic Origin

Posted on November 3, 2018 by | 1 comment

Small Beginning from Outer Space

The origin of life on Earth has been pondered and debated by many throughout the ages, and remains a prominent mystery. There have been many hypotheses presented. One that is gaining attention is the panspermia hypothesis, which states that life did not begin on our planet, but rather was transported from somewhere in outer space. This may seem like a ludicrous claim, but evidence of meteorites and the conditions of ancient Earth support the theory that it is likely that life on this planet had a cosmic origin.

The panspermia hypothesis is based on a probability that meteorites and comets housing primitive cells and organic molecules, crashed into our planet and settled here. A period in Earth’s history known as the Late Heavy Bombardment period was characterized by intensive meteor bombardment. This occurred around 4.1 to 3.5 billion years ago. Coinciding with this time frame is the discovery of fossilized bacteria in Australia that has been dated back to 3.5 billion years.

Artist’s rendition of the Late Heavy Bombardment period (credit to NASA)

Can Life Even Exist in Space?

The panspermia hypothesis is challenged by the belief that space is a lifeless void. While it is true that most organisms cannot survive the vacuum of space, there are cases of bacteria surviving in extreme conditions (arctic terrain, volcanic vents, oxygen-free oceans).

To test these limits, scientists at the International Space Station performed an experiment using spore-forming bacteria. They exposed these bacteria to the harsh conditions of space for a few hours, and found that the bacteria managed to survive by encasing themselves in an impenetrable spore that protected its genetic material from the unforgiving space environment. It may be that a variation of these spore-forming bacteria were the first living colonizers of Earth.

Image of a bacterial spore (credit to nicerweb.com)

Life Inside a Meteor

Organic molecules (the building blocks behind proteins and DNA) are found everywhere in our solar system, including primitive Earth. Therefore, there must be something in meteorites that led scientists to believe it is the most likely origin of life on Earth.

In 2005, the Deep Impact Mission probed Comet Tempel 1 and discovered a mixture of organic molecules and clay particles inside. The most interesting property about clay is that it can speed up chemical reactions, such as the reaction in which amino acids (a type of organic molecules) come together to form more complex proteins. These proteins are the structural and functional building blocks behind all life. Although clay did exist on prehistoric Earth, it was far more prevalent in meteors. Therefore, it is more probable that Earth’s first proteins were formed in meteors rather than on the planet. According to researchers at Cardiff University, “The odds of life starting on Earth rather than inside a comet are one trillion trillion to one against.”

Artist’s impression of the Deep Impact comet probe (credit to NASA

The paspermia hypothesis points to meteorites, containing primitive life, crashing into many planets during the Late Heavy Bombardment period, but thriving on Earth because of its ideal atmospheric composition and becoming the planet’s first inhabitants.

 

Written By: Nathan Chua

 

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The Blunt Truth of Marijuana: Health Effects of Use

Posted on November 1, 2018 by | 6 comments

Humans have used marijuana for medical remedies, religious purposes, or simply just to get high. Currently, marijuana is the most commonly used drug in Canada and on October 17, 2018 the use of it was legalized.

The popular belief seems to be that marijuana is a harmless pleasure, access to which should not be considered illegal or regulated.

Types of Marijuana

There are three different types of marijuana; Sativa, Indica and Hybrid. Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica were introduced in the 18th century.  Hybrids have been introduced only recently due to the breeding of the two plants.

This complex plant contains many different chemical compounds. The four major compounds are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (d-9-THC), Cannabidiol (CBD), delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (d-8-THC) and Cannabinol (CBN). Sativa has a higher THC content while Indica has a higher CBD content.

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Chemical structures of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol by Zerrin Atakan.

Sativa

The Sativa strain has energizing effects which is why they are often used during the daytime. The effects of Sativa are said to be uplifting and can make a person creative. Medically speaking, this strain is used to treat depression.

Indica

The Indica strain has a relaxing effect which can make you want to hang out on the couch and do nothing which is why they are often used during night time. The effects of Indica are said provide a sense of deep body relaxation which can help with pain relief.

Types of Cannabis by thcdoctor

Positive Health Effects

In a study done by Volkow, Baler, Compton, & Weiss (2014), clinical conditions with symptoms that were relieved by treatment of marijuana include:

  • Nausea
  • AIDS – associated anorexia
  • Chronic pain
  • Inflammation
  • Epilepsy

The chemical components of this plant reacts to different receptors in the body in order to treat for these specific conditions.

There’s Always a Downside

Though marijuana can be used for medical use, there are always side-effects to any medication. In the same study done above, they list the negative effects:

  • Risk of addiction
  • Cognitive impairment, with lower IQ among those who were frequent users during adolescence

The effects mainly come from the regular use of marijuana during adolescence which is of particular concern. Use by this age group is associated with an increased likelihood of harmful consequences.

Is it Good or Bad?

Although multiple studies have reported dangerous effects of the use of marijuana, other studies have not. The question of whether marijuana is harmful remains the subject of heated debate.

What do you think?

Written by: Chelsey Chow

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Posted in Issues in Science

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Sun Sneezing: “Cross Wiring” in Our Nerves?

Posted on October 8, 2018 by | 3 comments

Your nose starts to twitch just as you step out of a dark room and into the sun. The mild tingle inside the nasal cavity soon turns into an uncomfortable itch.

“ACHOO!”

What you just experienced is the Photic Sneeze Reflex, otherwise known as ACHOO (Autosomal Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst) syndrome or “sun sneezing”. It is estimated to occur in 18 to 35 percent of the population. The condition tends to be most intense after one has spent a considerable length of time in a dark environment. Yet, due to its seemingly harmless nature, there has been surprisingly scarce study on the subject.

In his Book of Problems, Aristotle was one of the first to ponder about this curious phenomenon in 350 BCE.  He speculated it may have been due to the heat of the sun on the nose, which led to sweating inside the nose, prompting a sneeze to remove the moisture. Nearly 2000 years later, English philosopher Francis Bacon tested Aristotle’s idea by walking into the sun with his eyes closed. The sneeze was no longer there, despite the presence of the heat. He then hypothesized that the heat causes the eyes to water, which then seeps down to the nose, triggering a sneeze. Amusing as his idea may seem, it was considered plausible until our modern understanding of physiology made it clear that the rate of which our eyes water,and the speed of fluid travelling through tear ducts is much, much slower compared to how quickly the sneeze occurs.

Nowadays, most scientists agree that “cross wiring” in the brain are most likely behind the Photic Sneeze Reflex. It was first hypothesized in 1964 that the reflex was a cause by the nervous system, perhaps a confusion of nerve signals. The theory states that the trigeminal nerve, which triggers sneezes and is responsible for facial sensation and motor control, lies closely to the optic nerve, which would sense a sudden flood of light entering the retina. Some of the signal within the optic nerve is picked up by the trigeminal nerve, mistaken by the brain as irritation in the nose, leading to a sneeze. Further studies suggested a genetic basis for the symptoms, revealing that the trait is autosomal-dominant, meaning if one parent exhibits the trait, about half of his or her children will too. But as of now the genetic culprit has yet to be identified.

YouTube Preview Image

The Sun Sneeze Gene by Veritasium (Youtube)

Are there any risks? Although sneezing itself is merely an annoyance and usually does not present any risk of injury, concerns have been raised regarding the combined threat of sudden increase in light intensity, an induced sneeze, and subsequent eyelid closure, which could be dangerous for some occupations, such as vehicle operation at high speeds.

Despite the phenomenon still being poorly understood, scientists are taking an increasing interest in trying to solve the mystery. Nonetheless, if you are one of the many of us affected, perhaps consider shielding your eyes with hats or sunglasses more often.

James Wang

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Science Communication

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