Author Archives: Arunima Sthapak

The New Era of Tackling Infertility In Women

3d-ultrasound-imageScience has made several breakthroughs to help infertile women conceive babies. Some of these methods include surgeries, donor eggs/embryos, IVF’s, fertility drugs etc. However, in the most recent discoveries and experiments, scientists are trying to incorporate a 3D printer. The functions of 3D printers have grown exponentially and have been aiding medical advances for a while, especially in areas of artificial limbs. They may now help advance areas of fertility.

A recent experiment held at Northwestern University made use of a 3D printer to build a well functioning ovary. The scientists at the university happened upon a major breakthrough when these ovaries did not only restore ovarian functions, but also enabled natural birth in mice. The procedure involved the creation of an ovary serving three main purposes. The ability to release and nurture immature egg cells, a malleable but strong structure/surface to support the growth of both the egg cells and hormone-releasing cells. The ovary was made from gelatin and was not an exact replica of ovaries found in mice. Scientists used the basic structure and modified it’s shape to serve the best results. Ovarian follicles and other cell tissues were later added to the structure. These artificially built ovaries were now implanted into mice with previously extracted ovaries. After some tries, scientists got the ovaries to function normally and found that the hormonal cycle was restored in the mice. Not expecting it at all, the scientists now discovered that the mice were able to give birth and could also provide for their newborns . The gelatin structure had allowed for3d-printed-ovaries-restore-fertility-mice-5 blood vessels to integrate within them and allowed for the eggs to grow naturally. This particular breakthrough has shown scientists new hope for infertile women. They believe that not only can this new method enable infertile women to conceive, but it can also increase the lifespan of the eggs. Meaning, that women will be able to conceive until later years of their lives.

However, the method still needs to be perfected. Reasons for infertility in women are varying, and so this one method may not be applicable to all women. It may also be hard to restore ovaries in older women since their eggs and other ovarian structures begin to decay with time. In one of my earlier blogs, I mentioned the use of stem cells. In that blog, these cells were being used to cure brain damage. In this case, scientists believe that the use of stem cells can rebuild damage in the ovaries. This would be a crucial step in the process since ovaries and eggs begin getting damaged over time, and are largely limited.

In conclusion, Dr. Monica Laronda, the head researcher in this study believes that there is bright future in the area of fertility seeing this new development. However, it is a long way out since very limited experiments have been conducted, and have only been conducted on mice.

Citations:

Image 1 (3D print of an ultrasound)

Image 2 (Egg Cell)

  1. @SingularityHub. “New 3D Printed Ovaries Allow Infertile Mice to Give Birth.”Singularity HUB. N.p., 03 June 2016. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.
  2. Ding, ByKarisa. “Fertility Treatment: Your Options at a Glance | BabyCenter.”BabyCenter. N.p., 22 Sept. 2016. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.
  3. “Ovarian Follicle.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.

Scientific Breakthrough in Treating Victims of Paralysis

Just a couple of weeks ago, we learnt that scientific breakthroughs dstem-cell-diagramon’t occur as frequently as we may perceive. However, new progress in stem cell research may just have made it to the outliers. A recent experimental research has shown hopes of mobility in people after a stroke. The experiment injected stem cells into the brain in hopes of rejuvenating blood vessels and other cells. This in some ways will repair damaged parts of the brain and enable movement in stroke victims. Stem cells are cells which can break out and grow into numerous more cells including ones that are different from the origin. Stem cell injections have been used multiple times to help joint treatments and other diseases which require rebuilding of cells, tissue etc. However, not until recent times have scientists begun using these types of treatment in brains. A recent experiment conducted by a neurosurgeon at Stanford University showed improvement in the movements stroke patients. The injections worked well in rats, the stem cell dissolved and helped join brain cells and repaired blood vessels. These injections were later given to 18 participants, each receiving up to three amounts of stem cells. Depending on their conditions, each participant got injected with 2, 5 or 10 million cells. There are numerous types of stem cells, for the purposes of this experiment, Gary Steinberg made use of mesenchymal stem cells. These cells are special because they have the ability to branch out into other types of cells like bone cells, cartilage cells, muscle cells and fat cells. These cells were taken from bone marrows of healthy humans and put into the mobility controlling part of the brain. For additional aid, these strums were modified and included a gene type present in infants. The scientists expected that this gene will help with the development of the brain and improve problems of slurred speech in the patients. The ingredients to create this gene type was taken from aborted infants and showed certain levels of improvements in the patients. Seeing the detailed and risks of this experiment, there have been several debates on it’s ethicality. Hence, research like this one are not conducted often and when they are, they are usually held under highly controlled circumstances. However, the researchers believe that this breakthrough can lead to more time being spent on the topic and will further improve the practice.

As for the results of the study, the researchers noticed that the victims responded positively to the experiment. One exceptional recovery was seen in the case of an elderly woman who increased mobility from just a thumb to her legs, arm and head. Of course not everyone showed such drastic improvements, however on average most patients saw some improvement in their mobility. Seeing that the experiment involved only 18 patients, it’s hard to conclude that this new form of treatment definitely works, but it has opened up a door to a new experiment which is looking to involve 156 new patients.

The image above shows only some of the potential deficiencies that can be cured by this treatment. A scientific breakthrough in this field would change many lives and can also further deepen our understanding of the human body.  

Citations

  1. @newscientist. “Stem Cell Brain Injections Let People Walk Again after Stroke.” New Scientist. N.p., 2 June 2016. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.
  2. “Stem Cell Basics I. | Stemcells.nih.gov.” U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.
  3. “Mesenchymal Stem Cell.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.

Are Our Supplements Killing Us?

caCalcium in one of the most important minerals to the human body. We begin calcium intake from the time of our birth, and over time we have developed supplements to increase our calcium intake. Data suggests that almost half the population of the United States takes additional calcium supplements. A large portion of this population includes older women. Up until now, the intake of calcium supplements only meant aid our bones, however, recent studies have shown that the intake of these supplements may actually be harmful for our hearts. One such research experiment took place at the hands of the  National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, an organization that funded research projects at six different universities. One of the six was Josh Hopkins University andone-image-from-a-coronary-calcium-score-showing-calcifications-which-show-up-as-bright-white-like-the-bones-in-the-wall-of-the-coronary-arteries-at-a-level-just-above-the-heart it’s research team looked at data from 2,742 over a period of 10 years.

The study was observational and highly detailed. The university recorded dietary and medicinal intakes of these participants and took two CT scans to see the effects of supplements on the heart. Based on conclusions of previous researchers showed that in older people, calcium intakes don’t make it to the skeleton and often get absorbed by other soft tissue in the body. They also tend to form plaques and block arteries and blood vessels. Hence the researchers expected high supplemental intake would  show high risks of heart disease through the CT scans. The image above is an example of one such CT scan showing the amount of calcification (the deposit of calcium in the arteries) in a heart. The more amount of calcification would mean higher chances of getting heart diseases.

As mentioned earlier, the researchers took detailed information about the participant’s daily diets. They did this to measure the total amount of calcium intake and also to determine how much was being ingested through natural means or through supplements. The first CT scan was taken at the beginning of the 10 year period, and it showed that of the 2,742 participants, 1,175 already had some quantities of plaque in their arteries. In order to get definite conclusions, the researchers had to take into account third variables like age, consumption of alcohol, cigarettes, medical history etc. All of these factors can have direct impact on heart disease and can be a possible cause of damage to heart instead of the calcium supplements.

The researchers at the University also felt that it was important to note the differences in effects on hearts based on the type of calcium intake. They wanted to find out whether it was the consumption of excessive Calcium supplements or the Calcium itself that can harm the heart. The results of the second CT scan for people with high calcium intake through natural resources such as milk, veggies etc showed that they had little signs of calcification than those who had low intakes from the same products. Hence the researchers concluded that high intakes of calcium through food is in fact beneficial to us rather than being harmful. However, the same cannot be said about those who consume large amounts of calcium supplements. CT scans of such participants(46% ) showed an increased risk of heart diseases by approximately 22%. The reasons for such a big impact through supplements and the complete opposite through food seem unclear. However, a professor from the University of North Carolina suggested that it may be because of a difference in the concentration of Calcium. The calcium ingested through foods are often present in low quantities, and are accompanied with other minerals. On the other hand, calcium ingested through supplements have larger quantities of pure calcium in them. It is possible that our body finds it harder to cope with the later form of Calcium.

The conclusion of the researchers at John Hopkins and other universities however are not agreed upon by everyone. Some studies have found that the use of supplements have in fact reduced risks of heart attacks in women. Seeing such varying conclusions, the use of Calcium supplements has become quite the controversial topic amongst scientists and doctors. There are still on-going studies on the issue, however, in the meant time it may be beneficial to consult a doctor and past medical history before consuming supplements.

Citations:

(Image 1: Ca)

(Image 2: CT Scan)

  1. “Calcium Supplements May Damage the Heart.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 Oct. 2016. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.
  2. @BerkeleyWell. “Calcium in the Spotlight.” @berkeleywellness. N.p., 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.
  3. “Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium — Health Professional Fact Sheet.”U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

Do Men Tend to Interrupt More Than Women?

The upcoming elections have been under a lot of focus recently. A big part of the entire process are the presidential debates. Everyone tuned in to watch the first of the two dmaxresdefaultebates and analyzed every minute that it lasted. One of the things that came up was the high frequency of interruptions. Donald Trump appeared to be interrupting his competitor quite frequently, however, he was not interrupted as much. Different organizations tallied the interruptions between the two candidates and while they may not agree on the specific numbers, they all saw that Trump interrupted Hillary a lot more than she interrupted him. One article even analyzed the effects of these interruptions on each of the candidate’s performances. The article explained how the candidates walk a fine line between appearing to be assertive or aggressive. These interruptions, especially in debates show off the personalities of the speakers. Whether or not Trump appeared to be assertive or aggressive is for the viewers to decide, however, it is important to note that even things as simple as interruptions can affect us.

The article also referenced to several studies which have been conducted since the 1970’s to see whether men tend to interrupt more than women. Most studies related to this topic are observational experiments. There is little way of controlling conversations. Studies in 1975 saw researchers hanging around train stations, coffee shops, etc and recording conversations. Results from one such study revealed that out of the 48 noted interruptions, men were responsible for 47 of them. Seeing that there was little data collected at the time, one can doubt the findings and believe that it was just the work of chance. Hence more studies were conducted to test the hypothesis. While these other studies did not show such a big difference between the number of interruptions made by men and women, they did show that on average men did tend to interrupt more. Not only that, but a recent study even claimed that men were more likely to interrupt women than they would other men. The study’s conclusions are based on an observational experiment involving conversations for 15 hours over a period of four weeks. In approximately 900 minutes of conversation, the conductor (Kieran Snyder) noted 314 interruption-rateinterruptions. Of all the data collected, she made several observations on the frequency of interruptions and noted that third variables such as the number of people involved int he conversation and setting affect the number of interruptions. Her own study took place in a formal setting and involved 4-5 people. Based on these external factors, she concluded that men do infect interrupt more than women. Out of the 314, men were responsible for 60% of the interruptions.

All three studies, including several others, conclude that men do interrupt more than women. The reasons to explaining why would need us to explore several other studies about psychological mindsets of men and women and the nature of our male-dominant society.

Citations

Trump & Clinton Image

Interruption Rate Graph

  1. Pappas, Stephanie. “Do Interruptions Hurt Presidential Candidates? What the Science Says.” Live Science, Health. N.p., 7 Oct. 2016. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.
  2. Robb, Alice. “Why Men Are Prone to Interrupting Women.” Disrupting The Interrupting. N.p., 19 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.
  3. Snyder, Kieran. “How to Get Ahead as a Woman in Tech: Interrupt Men.” Slate Magazine. N.p., 23 July 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

No More Five-Second Rule?

The five-second rule has become quite popular as well as an accepted norm in our daily lives. But is it actually true? Do bacteria really take blog-1more than five seconds to be transferred onto our dropped food? Surprisingly, there have been quite a few studies on this phenomena, and they have all mostly come to the conclusion that the five-second rule is not applicable in every scenario.

There is no debate on the fact that the longer the food is left on the ground, the more bacteria is transferred onto it. However, research shows that the rate at which bacteria is transferred is not uniform. The texture of both the foods and the surface that it has fallen on has an important role in determining the amount of bacteria that is being transferred.

A recent study conducted in 2016 itself took samples of different types of foods and surfaces and measured the amount of bacteria transferred over different time intervals. The study was conducted at Rutgers University and involved a data set of 2,560 measurements showing that the study’s conclusion can be trustworthy assuming that the experiment was carried out fairly. Unlike other studies, there were several X-Variables in the experiment. The researchers were manipulating the surface by interchanging between stainless steel, ceramic tile, wood and carpet, the food by interchanging between watermelon, bread, bread and butter, and gummy candy and the time by interchanging contact time from less than a second, five seconds, 30 seconds and 300 seconds. The bacteria used in the experiment were ones that occurred naturally in the human digestive system. The mixture of the variety of the types of surface, food and contact time lead to 128 possibilities. Each one was carried out 20 times. To minimize the effect of third confounding variables, the surfaces were allowed to dry completely before coming in contact with the food. All in all, the well-controlled environment and frequency of the number of times the experiment was conducted show that the researchers conducted a fair study.

The head researcher, Donald Schaffner explained the results of the study and identified a possible mechanism. He concluded that the food was contaminated at different rates and that all the causative variables along with factors like moisture were the reasons behind it. For example, the study showed that wetter foods experienced more contamination in comparison to dryer foods. The study also showed that the foods began being contaminated as soon as the food got in contact with the surface.

In conclusion, while the five-second rule may seem plausible in showing that the longer the food stays in contact with the surface the more contaminated it gets, it tends to ignore the fact that contamination starts as soon as contact is made. So the next time you hear the five-second rule being used make sure to look at the texture of the food and the surface it touches. You may just be satisfying your hunger with bacteria rather than food.

Bibliography:

Cartoon Photo

Bread Photo

Rutgers University. “Researchers debunk ‘five-second rule’: Eating food off the floor isn’t safe: Sometimes bacteria transfer in less than a second.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 September 2016.

Aston University. “Dropped your toast? Five-second food rule exists, new research suggests.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 March 2014.

Why, Where and How?

Hello SC 200, I am Arunima Sthapak, a freshman studying in the Smeal College of Business, working towards a finance major. I was born and brought up in India, however, I have been living in Hong Kong for the past four years.
Up until the time of applications in my senior year of high school, I was debating between choosing Engineering or Finance as my major in university. I have always had an inclination towards science, as a result of which I pursued AP Physics in my junior year. Unfortunately, I came to know that I wasn’t very good at it. I did great on the Math portions but had a hard time with the concepts. So I decided to give up on the idea of engineering and moved towards a major in the field of economics. It was a subject that I both liked and was good at (seemed like the most practical option).
As for this course, I chose it because one, I needed the credit and two because it gave me a way to stay connected with my interest in science without having to deal with the very technical stuff. I am particularly fascinated with the science behind outer space. What it’s like outside of our galaxy, is it possible to have a parallel universe?dc-multiverse-earths

One of the most interesting things that I just saw has to do with the facial expressions of the sun. From the looks of it, it seems as though the sun has an anxious looking expression, but as we dig deeper, it can all be explained by the sun’s magnetic field and solar activity. Is the sun really nervous?

Other than outer space I also have quite an interest in answering questions about the origins of things. I took a world history course in high school and simply loved knowing the history of mankind, from Lucy to Donald Trump. How did we get here? With the same fascination, I love learning about the origins of other things in our world. Earth, plants, technology, I’d like to know the history and science behind them all. So that’s why I chose this course. Seeing that we don’t have a fixed syllabus I’m hoping that we will get to touch on some of the topics that fascinate me.