A Cure for Epilepsy

In a recent post on Science Daily (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130503230317.htm) Scott C. Baraban, PhD states that, "Our results are an encouraging step toward using inhibitory neurons for cell transplantation in adults with severe forms of epilepsy." The procedure was conducted on mice and was effective. He also states that, "This procedure offers the possibility of controlling seizures and rescuing cognitive deficits in these patients." The procedure consisted of implanting brain cells to stop the overactive nerve endings to remain active and cause a seizure. Since epilepsy has become a growing problem, especially in adults, it is good to know scientists are close to finding a cure or a way to stop the seizures that epileptic patients suffer from.



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Earth Is Hotter Than We Think

In a recent article released on Science Daily (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130425142355.htm) states that the earth's core is said to be 6000 degrees Celcius which is 1000 degrees warmer than what was proven 20 years ago. Although science has changed from 20 years ago, Agnès Dewaele from the CEA says that "In practice, many experimental challenges have to be met,"and that the experiment could be flawed because there has yet to be an accurate way to measure the temperature of the earth's core. Even if a sample reaches the extreme temperatures and pressures at the centre of the Earth, it will only do so for a matter of seconds. In this short time frame it is extremely difficult to determine whether it has started to melt or is still solid." he states. As he continues to talk about the expierment he hopes that science will develop enough where there are little to no flaws in the expierment.

I think this article is a great example of how fast science is growing and how much we still need to learn about the planet we live on. It is also a great goal for scientists to reach to try to perfect the experiment and know more than we've ever known before.

Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Thermometer_0.svg

SAT: So Much More Than a Number

Many high schoolers are now headed off to take one of the most stressful tests that determines their future: the SAT and the ACT. Hearing my sister, a neuroscience major at Elon University, talk about a study she came across with my dad that shows the SAT and the ACT don’t particularly show how much students know and don’t know. Because I could not find the exact study, I found this article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/what-do-sat-act-scores-really-mean/2012/09/24/33e341c0-0675-11e2-afff-d6c7f20a83bf_blog.html) The US had a bad year for SAT and ACT scores in 2011 and 2012 because scores have greatly declined. Bob Schaeffer, from the  public education director of FairTest, or the National Center for Fair & Open Testing states that, “High school grades — even with all the variety between schools and courses — are better predictors of a teenager's performance in higher education, particularly the likelihood of graduation.” The stress of getting two numbers that define where you will spend the rest of your academic carrier is a scary thought, and in his opinion does not truly reflect the student. “At a minimum, we are failing to make the progress promised by high-stakes testing advocates either in terms of improving overall readiness for college/careers or in closing long-standing test score gaps between racial groups,” says Schaeffer.

I think if more studies like this were released, it would change how college admissions officers think of each student. I think it is very important that this topic is researched thoroughly because making a change to a test high schoolers think define the rest of their lives would be extremely significant and helpful. 

 

Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/SAT_logo.gif

Superstorm Sandy: Much More Than Rain

In a recent article by Science Daily (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130418213919.htm) scientists believe that the powerful waves caused by storm shook the US; literally. "We detected seismic waves created by the oceans waves both hitting the East Coast and smashing into each other," says Keith Koper, director of the University of Utah Seismograph Stations. The most intense activity being near Long Island, New York and New Jersey, where the storm hit the hardest. "They are not earthquakes; they are seismic waves," says Koper who is a seismologist and associate professor of geology and geophysics. "Seismic waves can be created by a range of causes. … We have beautiful seismic records of the meteor that hit Russia. That's not an earthquake, but it created ground motion." The waves crashing together did create ground motion according to the research which goes to show how strong super storm Sandy actually was.

I think these tests could change the way the US tracks storms. The article explains that Hurricane Katrina was tracked using only seismometers which helped scientists estimate when the worst part of the storm would hit. If scientists find a way to update seismometers and make them more exact I think it could make preparing for storms, like Sandy, a lot safer.

Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Ocean_waves.jpg

How Researching Babies Can help Us Learn About Stress

In an article published on Science daily researchers at the University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute have found that stress circuits learn during the early stages of life. The study was shown to prove the theory that the brains stress response can be detected in babies and not just adults. "These new findings demonstrate that systems thought to be 'hardwired' in the brain, are in fact flexible, particularly early in life," says Bains, a professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. Bains also says that, "Using this information, researchers can now ask questions about the precise cellular and molecular links between early life stress and stress vulnerability or resilience later in life." Stress is related to so many health problems that can have a profound effect on the future of a person and discovering this could change the way scientists think of the stress response.

I think this article could really help people in the future. Stress is linked to so many diseases and has a huge effect on the body. If doctors can use this information to find a way to help people better cope with stress it could change the lives of many.

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130407133314.htm

Image: http://access.ewu.edu/Images/CAPS/Stress1.png

Is the Treatment for Autism About to be Discovered?

In the article (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130313182019.htm) from Science Daily, researchers from University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have created a theory that has cured autism in mice. "Our (cell danger) theory suggests that autism happens because cells get stuck in a defensive metabolic mode and fail to talk to each other normally, which can interfere with brain development and function," says Robert Naviaux who is the professor of medicine and co-director of the Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center at University of California San Diego. Even though the treatment worked on mice, it is not guaranteed to work on humans  "but we are encouraged enough to test this approach in a small clinical trial of children with autism spectrum disorder in the coming year. This trial is still in the early stages of development. We think this approach -- called antipurinergic therapy or APT -- offers a fresh and exciting new path that could lead to development of a new class of drugs to treat autism."says Naviaux. Autism disorders are complicated and are difficult to understand and treat. When the treatment changes the cell, it alters the genetic makeup which is thought to cure autism.

This article is very important to life today. Autism is a big problem and affects many people worldwide. A treatment to this disorder would change many lives.


image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Autism_Awareness_Ribbon.png

More That We Knew About The Human Brain

Caroline Goldberg
Mr. Webb
Science Blog


In the article from science daily (article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307123947.htm) shows the development of the brain of a mouse with human brain cells. The study conducted by Dr. Steve Goldman. "We grafted human glial progenitor cells into the brains of newborn mice and then waited for the mice to grow to adulthood," Says Goldman. the mice that had the new cells expressed high activity and brain development. "We then assessed both neurophysiological and behavioral measures of learning and memory, finding that the engrafted mice exhibited more rapid learning of both conditioned associations and goal-directed tasks." says Dr. Miaken.

I think this article, I think, is very relevant in recent science. In the US, our students are falling behind in math and science that the fact that mice showed memory and task improvement with human braincells might give us a chance of changing our schools. If this expanding topic continues, scientists might be able to learn more about the brain and help channel it's amazing powers.


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