https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gXdbY8Rh03gYdYrmzcmQ6agks5uudiPC5u4w8gWfVb4/edit?usp=sharing
Friday, December 17, 2021
Why would an increase in ocean temperatures endanger many species that depend on coral as a home and food supply
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LH36vnRyPqYkIwwGgqQranIMFPhhIk0Awy1dlRojFdM/edit?usp=sharing
Some risks and benefits of human intervention to the biodiversity of aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13Lu-1B4G2oP0dph2sUP0DfGHE6Roe0Y2rCjqqgbBViE/edit?usp=sharing
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
SNC2D Unit 1 B1 (COVID-19 Research)
COVID-19 Research by Sarangan Sothyrupan
COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory and recover fine without special treatment, but some can fall seriously ill especially those with underlying medical conditions. The scary part of the virus is anyone can get sick with the virus and become seriously ill or die at any age.
Most researchers believe the COVID-19 virus originated from bats, but how exactly it jumped to humans is unknown. Other coronaviruses have been passed on to humans from an intermediate animal host. The intermediate animal host that passed the virus from bats to humans has not yet been identified, but researchers think it could have been a wild species sold as food in ‘wet markets’, which typically sell live animals.
B1.1
Basis of Covid Vaccine research, ethical issues related to it.
Topic: COVID-19 Vaccines.
Issue: Vaccines are biological preparations to produce active acquired immunity to a specific infectious disease. As long as there have been vaccines there have been people who objected to them, the reasons range from religious to political objections.
The fastest any vaccine had been developed was four years, so it was no surprise to most when scientists began researching a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 in early 2020, they were careful not to promise quick success. But by the start of December 2020, the developers of several vaccines had announced promising results in large trials. On December 2nd, a vaccine manufactured by Pifzer with German biotech firm BioNTech became the ‘first fully tested immunization to be approved for emergency use’.
There are multitudes of reasons behind vaccine opposition. Some people forgo getting vaccines due to the high risks of allergic reactions. But most people’s reasons for opposing vaccinations are due to misconceptions. Many use religious beliefs as a reason for not getting vaccinated even though most mainstream religions do not condone the use of it. There was the belief of diseases disappearing due to better sanitation and hygiene, not vaccines, but this is proven false due to the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Parents cite medical risks, including autism as a potential consequence leading to the belief of risks outweighing the benefits. These reasons are medically unfounded and unfortunately, the decision to not vaccinate yourself or your children endangers those who come into contact with your person.
What are the arguments for and against COVID-19 Vaccines?
It shouldn’t be a surprise that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is very important. There are many reasons getting the vaccine is a positive not a negative, like it protects you from other coronavirus variants like the delta, even if you’ve had COVID-19 previously and came out fine getting the vaccine will add extra protection. Not only does it help you but also prevents those around you from getting sick. As stated previously the reasons for the opposition of vaccines mainly stem from misconceptions. Other than valid reasons like high risk of allergic reactions there shouldn’t be any reasons not to get vaccinated.
B1.2
Topic: Importance of Covid Vaccines to human health and society.
Issue: Anti Vaxxers are people who oppose or refuse to get vaccines and as vaccines are the most effective way to counter COVID-19 they pose a problem. Especially when they are parents and refuse to let their children get vaccinated due to false beliefs.
How important is the administration of COVID-19 Vaccines to people and society as a whole?
It need not be answered how many negative consequences COVID-19 has caused for society as a whole, even worse is the number of lives the virus has taken. It's an unprecedented situation. So it should be common sense how important the vaccines are. The more people vaccinated the less chance of getting COVID. Not only is it important for your health but also important for your community and loved ones as it puts them at less risk. Getting vaccinated allows you to resume most activities you were doing before the pandemic. Even if you get COVID-19, as long as you are vaccinated it helps you from getting seriously ill. Truly words couldn’t describe how important these vaccines are, every person vaccinated is a step closer to getting your life and the world back on track.
B1.3
Topic: Public health strategies relating to the prevention of COVID and their impact on society.
Issue: To prevent the spread of COVID drastic measures were taken as we’ve never faced anything to this scale in recent history. This led to dissatisfaction and outcry from many people.
What strategies has the government employed to prevent the further spread of COVID-19? What impact have these strategies had?
The government's encouraged measures like social distancing, which includes staying six feet or two meters apart and avoiding gathering of large groups, wearing face masks in public, proper ventilation and air-filtering, frequent use of sanitary measures like disinfecting surfaces and hand washing, finally and most importantly the quarantining of people who were exposed or showing symptoms. The more severe preventive measures employed by authorities worldwide are travel restrictions like quarantine before and after travel or entry bans to the most affected areas, lockdowns, workplace hazard controls, testing protocols, etc… There were also lots of businesses being shut down causing financial issues and unemployment for a fair amount of people.
The pandemic and some of the preventative measures caused severe social and economic disruptions. Since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the pandemic has caused the largest global recession. Multitudes of educational institutions and public areas, in general, have been partially or completely closed. Many events around the world have been postponed or canceled due to government-imposed restrictions because of large gatherings. Also due to the mix of above-mentioned negatives, it is triggering mental health conditions or worsening existing ones like increased levels of alcohol and drug use, insomnia, and anxiety to name a few. Having said that the use of these strategies are valid and effective methods to stop the spread of COVID-19, although it isn’t ideal quite yet, or has the world returned to normality we are taking steps towards it.
References:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03165-9
Thursday, December 2, 2021
Friday, October 29, 2021
Are Stem cells used to treat diseases, if yes how?
Yes. In stem cell transplants, stem cells replace cells damaged by chemotherapy or disease or serve as a way for the donor's immune system to fight some types of cancer and blood-related diseases, such as leukemia, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, and multiple myeloma. These transplants use adult stem cells or umbilical cord blood. Researchers are testing adult stem cells to treat other conditions, including a number of degenerative diseases such as heart failure.
How are microbes used in the bioremediation of contaminated groundwater sites?
Bioremediation relies on the growth of certain microbes that use contaminants like oil, solvents, and pesticides for sources of food and energy. This process usually involves aerobic or anaerobic microorganisms that use this breakdown as an energy source. These microbes convert contaminants into small amounts of water, as well as harmless gases like carbon dioxide.
What role might nanotechnologies play in replacing current diagnostic and treatment technologies?
As of right now, we have no real way of treating cancer without harming the patient. These methods include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy which all risk damaging tissue or not completely eradicating cancer. Nanotechnology would be extremely beneficial for the treatment of cancer as it would help chemotherapy directly target cancerous cells, help with the removal of tumors and it would help reduce risks to patients and increase the survival rate. A more specific example of how nanotechnology could be helpful is its potential role in serving malaria patients. Conventional chemotherapy can result in resistant parasites development which results in high dose requirements. The alternative approach using nanotechnology would be to deliver antimalarials using nanocarriers which would target infected cells. It has already been proven to be effective using animal models and should continue to be researched and studied to be a potentially promising treatment method for malaria, which continues to be a serious and fatal disease worldwide which has killed approximately 409,000 people in 2019.
Enzymes role in the Production of Dairy Products
In the dairy industry, enzymes have various functions and use in the production process. They have a vital role in where they are used to enhance the aroma, color, and flavor of various products such as cheese and milk products. Milk is globally recognized as a nutritious food source, with that being said approximately 68% of the global population has lactose malabsorption, which causes lactose intolerance. It’s a condition where your small intestine cannot fully digest or break down lactose. To be able to absorb the lactose, the digestive cells need to produce lactase which catalyzes the breakdown of lactose. People who are lactose intolerant do not produce enough lactase which makes it hard for their bodies to digest the lactose. The lactose is then consumed by bacteria which leads to it sitting in the gut causing abdominal pain and bloating. Technology to supply lactose-free milk and other dairy products such as yogurt and cheese was developed by the Agricultural Analysis Service in 1985. This technology is used to add lactase to milk, thereby hydrolyzing the lactose naturally found in milk, leaving it slightly sweet but digestible by everyone. Another enzyme used in dairy production is catalase. It is used instead of pasteurization, (a process where certain foods are quickly heated for a short time to kill bacteria that can make you sick) when making certain cheeses such as Swiss, in order to preserve natural milk enzymes that are beneficial to the end product and flavor development of the cheese.
Science Related Careers Report, unit 2
Title of Job: Research scientist in the proteomic lab
Job duties:
Sample preparation
Follow strict safety procedures when handling dangerous or toxic chemicals
Study animal and human health and physiological processes
Write and publish articles in scientific journals
Skill Sets:
Knowledge of business and management principles
Knowledge of computer hardware and software
Strong in various mathematical fields
Personality/Aptitude Requirements
Reading comprehension
Active listening
Complex problem solving
Social perceptiveness
Good teamwork and communication skills
Potential employers
Labs such as CellCarta
Various colleges and universities
Several federal, provincial, and municipal departments
Education requirements
Minimum qualifications tend to include a Ph. D. in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, or another subject in the related field of study.
Salary Range:
The average pay varies based on the roles in the lab, but a starting role in the lab could start at earning $50,000 a year. If you were to be a program head you could be making upwards of $140,000 a year.Journal, Unit 1
September 22nd:
New scientist weekly, “Stretching the point” July 17-23, 2021
In this article, the benefits and negatives of stretching are both looked at. Various points are backed up by countless research done by respected universities and scientists including Harvard. The effect of stretching on your everyday life is looked at and an interesting point taken away by me was even just focusing on something with your eyes will cause certain muscles in your body to tense hence limiting flexibility. As an athlete, I have some experience with stretching for sport and even I was surprised to read the effect of static stretching before partaking in an endurance sport. It's shown that performance can be decreased by approximately 5%, although stretching is still important before sports because injury to muscles is reduced by 54%. Just don’t go overboard on stretching because overstretching can lead to dislocations and joint pain. Overall, stretching is beneficial and it’s great for cardiovascular health.
I really enjoyed this article and I learned a lot about stretching and I’m excited to incorporate some newly learned facts into my pre-game warmup and share some ideas with teammates.
Science Related Careers Report, unit 1
Title of Job: Marine Biologist
Job duties:
Using instruments to track and measure marine organisms
Analyzing health components within the ocean environment
Researching organisms and their behavior
Collecting field and samples for analyzation
Working and consulting with programs that try to monitor pollution
Skill Sets:
Biostatistics
Geographic information systems
Technical writing
Risk assessment
Project management
Interest in aquatic life
Good teamwork and communication skills
Personality/Aptitude Requirements
Appreciation of marine life
Scientific ability
Observant and questioning mind and patience.
Need to like the outdoors
Performing repetitive work for scientific experiments
Strong communicators.
Potential employers
MarineLand
Aquariums
Various colleges and universities
Several federal, provincial, and municipal departments
Education requirements
Students wanting to enter post-secondary education in the field of marine biology must be fond of biology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science, and English.
The minimum education requirement is a university undergraduate degree
A graduate degree is required for independent research
Some programs recommended for post-secondary students wanting to enter the field include marine biology, zoology, ecology, oceanography, etc...
Salary Range:
The salary range for a marine biologist in Canada is between $62,533 and $108,385 while in Ontario the average pay is $87,697 a year or $42/h
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Monday, September 20, 2021
Saturday, June 26, 2021
Learning Journal SBI4U
February 1, 2021:
“The most worrying mutations in five emerging coronavirus variants”
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-most-worrying-mutations-in-five-emerging coronavirus-variants/
There are many different variants that have emerged in various countries such as England, South Africa and Brazil. This surprised scientists as other coronaviruses such as seasonal influenza does not have significant mutations. Some mutations, such as the one from the UK, is 30-70% more transmissible than the original variant. People who got the original strain of the coronavirus were infected with the South African variant due to antibodies inability to neutralize it, which may cause the vaccine for the original strain to become ineffective with preventing cases with this variant. However, at the date of writing this article summary, most vaccines are seeming to work against the new variants. Most of the mutations express themselves as changes in the spike protein which binds to cellular receptors to infect them.
February 3, 2021:
“Human activity animals to move 70% further to survive”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210201113602.htm
Activities that cause the biggest impact to whether animals have to move are military activity, building oil pipelines or hunting. These changes in migration can lead to reduced health of the animal pack, reduced reproduction rates and even extinction in the local area. It’s advised that the knowledge about animal movement be used to influence the design of structures so that it does not disrupt them.
April 1, 2021:
“Breaking with bread” New Scientist, Jan. 9-15th
Low carb diets such as keto are becoming increasingly popular due to their efficiency. People on low carb diets lose 4.4 % of their body fat after a year of following the diet compared to people on low fat diets who lose 2.5 %. People who are on low carb diets tend to eat fewer calories due to them feeling fuller than those eating carbs. Eating proteins and fat instead of carbohydrates also reduces the spike in glucose in the bloodstream which triggers fat storage.
April 6, 2021:
“‘Zombie’ genes? Research shows some genes come to life in the brain after death” Science Daily, Mar. 23
In certain cells, such as glial cells, a type of inflammatory cell in the brain, show increased expression after death. The research found 80 % of genes remained active 24 hours after the person had died. The genes that regulated neuron function and memory and thinking degraded hours after death. The ‘zombie’ genes increased activity after death, peaking at 12 hours after death.
April 7, 2021:
“Structural biology opens new perspectives for treating psychiatric disorders” https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-04/embl-sbo040621.php , Apr. 6
The amino acid glycine is known for being a neurotransmitter in the brain. Researchers know the structure of glycine and have now determined the structure of the Glycine Transporter 1 Inhibitor that could increase the concentration of Glycine in the neuronal cell membrane. Researchers want to investigate the effect of whether increased Glycine in the neuronal synapses can be an effective treatment for schizophrenia however this is not currently in use for patients.
April 8, 2021:
“Neanderthal ancestry identifies oldest modern human genome” https://phys.org/news/2021- 04-neanderthal-ancestry-oldest-modern-human.html , Apr. 7
After humans left Africa 50 000 years ago, neanderthals and humans interbred in the Near East (a region comprising of Western Asia, Turkey and Egypt). Humans who left Africa have between 2-3% neanderthal genes. Scientists found the oldest human genome in Zlatý kůň originally found in Czechia had long strands of neanderthal in the genome. It is said that her DNA is around 45 000 years old and that she was part of the population before it split between Asia and Europe.
April 20, 2021:
“Unusual fossil reveals last meal of prehistoric pollinator”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210412142738.htm , Apr. 12
The pollinator fossil was a Cretaceous beetle meaning it was from the Cretaceous geological period 145-66 million years ago. The scientist discovered that the fossil is 98 million years old and lived in the Burmese rainforest and is part of the flower beetle family. Its ancestors now live in parts of Australia as short winged flower beetles.
April 22, 2021:
“expert reaction to cases of variant B.1.617 (the ‘Indian Variant’) being investigated in the UK” https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-cases-of-variant-b-1-617-the-indian variant-being-investigated-in-the-uk/?cli_action=1619123120.67 , Apr. 19
The first case of the B.1.617 variant was detected on October 5, 2020. Although this variant is being called the Indian variant, scientists do not know where it first originated. The new variant contains some of the same mutations (like P681R) with other variants of concern such as the UK variant. This new variant is currently under investigation and will be identified as a variant of concern if either the transmissibility or severity has increased, there is a decrease in efficiency of public health measures like vaccinations for people, or no immunity from the natural infection.
April 28, 2021:
“How rich countries are making the pandemic last longer”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ty2J0s2W0c , Apr. 28
In January 2021, 16 % of the world’s population (richer countries) had half of the world’s vaccine doses. Before vaccines against the Covid-19 virus were developed, rich countries like the US and Canada invested large amounts of money in vaccine companies like Moderna with a deal that they would get a certain amount of vaccines delivered to their country if they were successful. As of March 2021 Canada had secured 316 million doses, enough to give each citizen 8.7 doses. Poorer nations like Peru could not afford to take a risk in investing in a vaccine company if there was no guarantee that the company would be able to develop vaccines. Poorer nations ended up buying vaccines once they had already been developed meaning they are at the end of the line for when they will receive their vaccines. This inequality means that in countries where very few people have been vaccinated, Covid-19 can continue to spread and new variants that are more transmissible and that may be more resistant to the vaccine.
May 25, 2021:
“Gypsy moth caterpillars ‘virtually everywhere’ in SW Ontario, expert says” https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/windsor-sarnia-lambton-shores-gypsy-moths 1.6037086#:~:text=Science-
,Gypsy%20moth%20caterpillars%20'virtually%20everywhere'%20in%20SW%20Ontario%2C%20 expert,to%20regions%20across%20Southern%20Ontario. , May 22
Gypsy moths are an invasive species found in Canada mainly in Ontario and Quebec that were brought here from Europe in the 1860s. They are problematic as one caterpillar in the larvae stage eats around one square meter of foliage, which can damage or kill the tree. They can be dealt with by spraying them with a biological. People can also put burlap underneath the tree as they hang out there during the day and can be picked up and put in soapy water to kill them. Another method to decrease their harm is to put duck tap around the trunk of the tree.
June 15, 2021:
“Frozen Microscopic Animals brought back to life after 24 000 Years” http://www.sci news.com/biology/frozen-bdelloid-rotifers-siberian-permafrost-09745.html , June 9th
Organisms are able to survive many thousands of years in subzero temperatures. The researchers in this report were able to recover small animals called rotifers from 24 000 years ago. They can stay alive after they are frozen. The researchers stated that this was a big step forward as a discovery, as we now know that complex organisms with a gut and brain and not just single celled organisms can survive long periods of being frozen.
“Anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids could help reduce depression”
Researchers tested the effects of high doses of three different kinds of omega-3 fatty acids on people with depression. The researchers found that the omega-3’s ability to be anti-inflammatory helped reduce depression in the patients who took it as depression has been shown to cause higher levels of inflammation in the body. The patients that took them experienced a drop in depressive symptoms by 64-71%. The omega-3’s ability to reduce symptoms is thought to be because their lipid mediators are used to protect the brain from inflammation.
“Why so many Covid-19 variants are showing up now”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha6yUxze1vk&t=320s , June 16
When a mutation occurs in the virus’ RNA it becomes a variant. This occurs for example in seasonal influenza where every year the virus mutates and creates a new form and new flu shots have to be developed. The mutations that happened/ are happening with Covid-19 happen all the time and often have a neutral or negative effect on transmission and severity, however some mutations like B117 from England had an increased ability to infect people than the previous strain and began to take over causing us to notice it. The longer a virus is around and the more it infects people the more chance it has to cause random mutations. These variants are a cause for concern as the immunity from the vaccines are not as effective against them.
June 18, 2021:
“Dogs’ Skills for Cooperating with Humans are Biologically Prepared, Study Says” http://www.sci-news.com/biology/dogs-biologically-prepared-social-skills-09729.html , June 4
Adult dogs are more likely to look for humans for help when there’s danger as opposed to wolves who do things independently. Although puppies don’t seem to engage as much in social behavior they still understand what it means when humans are social towards them.
“UO biologists are using zebrafish to study COVID-19 effects”
https://around.uoregon.edu/content/uo-biologists-are-using-zebrafish-study-covid-19-effects , June 14
Biologists are using zebrafish to study how underlying health conditions make the short and long term effects of COVID-19 worse because the fish have the same cellular components that viruses use to infect humans, as well as the same biological mechanisms that cause these underlying health conditions and, in addition, share 80% of disease genes with humans. The study should help us understand why and how this coronavirus disproportionately affects people with diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
“Excess nitrogen puts butterflies at risk”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210617133804.htm , June 17
Researchers in Switzerland wanted to understand the effects nitrogen from agriculture and air pollution has on the diversity of butterflies. Previous research had been done related to the nitrogen in the soil and plant diversity and had shown the more nitrogen in the soil the less plant diversity – the researchers concluded this to be true for butterflies as well. The diversity
of the plants and amount of nitrogen have a direct effect on the diversity of the butterfly population as some species of butterflies require certain types of plants in order to survive.
“Seabird eggs contaminated with cocktail of plastic additives”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210616191528.htm , June 16
The study was conducted in England on herring gull eggs and showed that phthalates, an additive in most plastics, was found in the egg. This is problematic as these plastic additives are oxidative and cause oxidative stress, potentially damage the cells in the eggs, cause lipid damage as well as less vitamin E in the eggs. The presence of these chemicals means that they will unfortunately most likely bio accumulate up the food chain.
“Bats in Switzerland harbor diverse viruses, some potentially zoonotic”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210616154252.htm , June 16
This study was completed to better understand what viruses bats carry in order to better prevent outbreaks from new viruses occurring, as happened with COVID-19. They tested the stool and took samples from organs to search the DNA and RNA. They found viruses from 39 different families with 16 of them being known to infest vertebrates. The researchers also found that most of the viruses that infect humans do not jump directly from the bat to the human but often infect another animal before later infecting the human.
“African great apes to suffer massive range loss in next 30 years”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210607161000.htm , June 7
A new study was published that states that the impacts of the climate crisis, increased human population and land-use changes will cause a massive decrease in Africa’s great apes which include gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos. The paper indicates in a best case scenario, apes would lose 85% of their range by 2050, while in a worst case scenario they would lose 94%.
“Blue-eyed humans have one common ancestor”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130170343.htm , Jan. 31 2008
Originally all humans had brown eyes, however a mutation in the genome occurred 6-10 000 years ago turned off the gene that produces large amounts of melanin in the eyes, causing it to cause less. There are variations in melanin in individuals with green and brown eyes, however individuals with blue eyes have a very narrow range suggesting that all people with blue eyes have the same common ancestor.
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