Stirone S (2016) Our solar system has a ninth planet. Pop Sci 2:30
Scientists have found recent evidence of an eighth planet. A real planet has enough mass to have a nearly round shape, orbit a sun, and have clear nearby debris. This is why Pluto is categorized as a dwarf planet, it does not have enough mass to be considered a real planet. But recent mathematical data by Mike Brown and his team has lead to the strong evidence of the existence of this ninth planet. The new planet was discovered by an anomaly in the orbits of surrounding dwarf planets. This anomaly suggested a large planet was disrupting their orbits. The team ran the calculations and have submitted the data. The new planet is called Planet X and the team is now looking for it with help from a NASA telescope.
Milius S (2016) Deer have their own malaria. Sci News 189(5):13
Malaria is a disease that humans are constantly battling, but not just humans are fighting this disease. It has been found that white-tailed deer carry their own kind of malaria parasite. In 1967 there was a claim of its existence, in 1980 a paper named it, and within the last few years it has been rediscovered. Researchers looking for a bird malaria parasite in mosquitoes found a peculiar malaria-parasite from a mosquito that had bitten a white-tailed deer. They then checked smears of the blood of the deer found in the mosquito and found actual parasites in the forms they take while reproducing in mammalian hosts.
So far, this appears to be a phenomenon of white-tailed deer in the southeastern United States, with some reports as far north as Westchester County, N. Y. The parasite did not show up in species closely related to white-tailed deer, and not in all white-tailed deer. The parasite also did not show up in mosquitoes tested from San Diego County in California. The nest step in the research of this parasite in white-tailed deer is large-scale sampling. It has been suggested that the parasite could be spreading by the same species of mosquito that is spreading the human form, but the parasite is unlikely to switch to humans.
Duggleby L (2016) The future of food. Geogr 88(6):42-47
Western culture is far behind in reference to Entomophagy, the study of edible insects, while many cultures - primarily in Africa, Asia and South America - rely on creepy-crawlies as their main source of protein. Many farmers in Thailand turned to cricket farming when the prices of rice dropped so low they could no longer sustain their farms and there are currently approx. 20,000 cricket farms operating in northeast Thailand alone. The conversion to insect farming was not difficult; these farmers simply trap insects in "buckets" and sort through them at dawn, "before the chickens wake up and eat what [they] have caught."
While the local market has expanded to meet this new wave of farming industry, Thai farmers are looking to export their new form of produce. Due to this and environmental factors, many are questioning how to change western perceptions of Entomophagy. Around 70% of all agricultural land is being used to feed the livestock at the level of global demand for meat. As the global population grows, more meat will be demanded, and we will have to find ways to sustainably produce protein. Some in the UK have turned to using "fly larvae as cattle feed" because many Europeans can't tackle crunching down on an exoskeleton just yet. However, Danish producer of the Crobar (snack bar made using cricket flour), Christine Spliid, has been successful in selling such products by "disguising" the insects in the form of flour. The benefits of consuming insects include their high levels of nutrients (high in protein, iron, magnesium, and vitamin B12). As the need to export crickets increases in Thailand, Patrick Durst, Senior Forestry Officer for Asia and the Pacific at the FAO, and Dr. Hanboonsong, the Associate Professor of Entomology and one of the world's leading experts in Entomophagy, agree that western countries need to not only accept insects as the next sustainable protein source, but also facilitate trade of this produce. Many food safety laws were produced with the idea of keeping insects out of food, but it's time to accept them as a part of our diet.
Gaidos S (2016) Fat a a fixer. Sci News 189:22-26
Scientists around the world are participating in research in which body fat is used to repair body parts that have been damaged by injuries, old age, or diseases. One idea is to turn fat into shock-absorbing cartilage which could ease osteoarthritis in joints. The stem cells in fat tissue are the main reason it is believed to be so useful. These stem cells can rapidly grow and reproduce in various tissue environments, and can grow into bone, cartilage, muscles, etc. Some are calling fat tissue the ultimate body repair kit since it can act as replacement tissue in areas that can no longer regenerate themselves. Current studies are under way in human subjects to test the effectiveness of the fat stem cells in diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Fat tissue is believed to have so many stem cells because it is derived from the same embryonic tissue as bone marrow, another vast and common source of stem cells. Fat however has been found to be a vastly superior source, because it contains an exponentially greater amount of stem cells than bone marrow tissue. For this reason, as well as the comparatively easier harvesting procedure, fat tissue is rising to the forefront of stem cell usage and research. The stem cells from fat tissue can be selectively 3-D printed to fit specific functions, and fat tissue must often me manipulated to create the desired outcome. Many uses of fat tissue are already in the works such as bone repair, patching up hearts after heart attacks, etc.
Fielder E (2016) Double talk. Scientist 30(7):15-17
According to popular belief, raising children in a bilingual household was considered to trigger language confusion and language delays. Research now suggests bilingualism essentially stimulates the brain and does not cause language delays. Recent studies at the University of Washington tested babies who were unable to speak using MEG, (magnetoenecehalography). MEG measures the magnetic changes in neutral tissues using a noninvasive silent brain recording technique and maps activity in the brain. Babies were placed in a high chairs and recordings of language sounds were played. Sounds consisted of both English and Spanish. Some of the recordings were specific to Spanish while others were more specific to English. Bilingual babies showed stronger responses in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for one's executive function. This region of the brain has been implicated in shifting attention, planning, decision making and ability to multitask. Results suggest babies exposed to a second language could help improve their ability to multitask.