DNA of peanut-allergic kids changes with immune therapy

For peanut allergic people

The most common type of allergies come from food allergies, and to most kids it is not fun to be allergic to foods you are supposed to enjoy in a young age. The peanut allergy is probably the most common allergy, and if allergic people come in contact with peanuts the side effects and consequences are severe. It is definitely a matter of concern due to the fact that the United States is one of the major producers of peanut products. The famous peanut butter, that is incredibly popular in America, is loved by many people and the largest age group that enjoys this product are the children. Growing up the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were the food that summarizes most people´s childhood and to the kids and people that are allergic to peanuts do not share this memory. Being deprived from this supplement because of allergic reactions was a kids worst nightmare especially if peanuts contain many nutrients and oils that the body needs. But now kids that are allergic to peanuts have the opportunity of becoming immune to it and eat this food without any risk. 

Treating a peanut allergy with oral immunotherapy changes the DNA of the patient's immune cells, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford.Scientists are conducting clinical trials of doctor-supervised immunotherapy, in which peanut-allergic patients take increasing amounts of peanut powder to try to desensitize them to the peanut allergen. "At first, eating two peanut butter cups a day might seem fun, but it gets a little boring and a lot of people might stop," said Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics at Stanford and an immunologist at Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford.The patients were asked to stop eating peanuts for three months and then were given a small amount of peanut powder to see if their allergy returned.Patients who maintained their tolerance to peanuts had low levels of DNA methylation at FOXP3, while those who regained their allergy had an intermediate level.Peanut-allergic patients who had not received oral immunotherapy (the control group) had a high level of DNA methylation at the FOXP3 gene.

Peanuts are a food that the majority of people enjoy, and the people who are banned from eating it because it can harm their health and can kill them because of an allergic reaction have now an opportunity. I believe it is innovating how now the most simple problems as being allergic to something can be reverted, especially if you are born having that allergy. Medical innovations have made the consumption of a standard food item reality for children and people that have a reaction in a small doses. This process that makes people immune to their allergies is groundbreaking and it is very impressive how now people have more access and options to things that in one point was dangerous to their bodies. I believe this is outstanding and I support the medical innovations occurring in our time that will lead us to a better future. 

Article Here

Types of Chemical Bonds

Popplet: Types of Bonds 

Ghostly shape of 'coldest place in the universe' revealed

The Boomerang Nebula, called the “coldest place in the Universe,” reveals its true shape with ALMA.

The coldest place in the universe was found 5,000 light years away from planet earth in the constellation Centaurus. It has a ghost shape for and its said to be colder than the faint afterglow of the Big Bag being it one degree Kelvin (minus 458 degrees Fahrenheit). This nebula was originally observed by ground-based telescope but it was identified as the coldest place in the universe by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) by astronomers. With ALMA they determined the true shape and the properties of the nebula and revealed the whole story other from the picture taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.

The object found, called Boomerang nebula, is actually a planetary nebulae that is actually the end-of-life-phases of the stars just like our sun. What remains in their center are white dwarf stars that emit ultraviolet radiation which causes gas and a glow that lets it bright different colors. By now the pre-planetary nebula is seen by starlight which only reflects dust grains not such a big glow. The color emitted is also a character of the coldness expanding in the nebula by a gas. This information has been seen for millions of miles away by the ALMA and the Hubble telescope and many attributes and its properties can be known by this.

It's impressive how technology has evolved to the point were we can see objects that are 5,000 light years away! Personally I think this is incredible and it's amazing how we are discovering new things in the vast universe in which we know very little about. Very similar to the sea, we don't really know what is out there and because space can be very terrifying these new inventions can help the world know a little bit more about the place we live in, the universe. The nebula has very pretty colors, one of the reasons this article was very alluring but also the fact that it's the coldest place in the universe is really interesting and I just had to click and see what the fuzz was all about. I'm glad I got to know more about nebulas and learned about planetary nebulae.

Ghostly shape of 'coldest place in the universe' revealed

Beware of the Yeti

Yeti in the Himalayas

The old legend of the yeti has been alive for many years but never confirmed. Therefore it has always been said it is a myth. Recently it is said, this past week,  that the legendary yeti has been 'discovered'. The yeti is supposedly said to be to be a giant ape-like creature that lives in the Himalayas by trekkers and mountain climbers that have "seen him". They also say it is a dark and extremely shy creature with footprints similar to human's but larger and wider. 

There minimal sustainable proof of the existence of this creature, only footprints and a few hairs that have been found and tested it different places. The conclusion that was reached with the hair testing is that the yeti is a polar bear species that was extinct 120,000 years ago.  The hairs were brown, which shows the resemblance with polar bears and grizzly bears. The two samples that have been collected are relatively far in distance which can indicate that there are more than one of these creatures or the creature moves from place to place. This evidence required has alarmed various news stories where they confirm, "It is not a bear, not anything else that we've so far been able to identify."

Clearly the mythical creature, the famous yeti, has always been an intriguing mystery to many people. Documentaries, news articles, books, movies, and other things have been created in honor of the curiosity people have towards the yeti. Being it a non-solved mystery it is very interesting to research and speculate about, and with the evidence scientist have of this "creature" it gives some sort of hope to the yeti fans. It would be an astonishing accomplishment to once in for all know if the yeti is real, and if this creature actually exist and all of it is a myth. Likely to the mermaid myths, the yeti is a mystery soon to be discovered and we will be expectant to this story. 

Yeti Article

Earth: Wild Fires Burning Up

Scientist are noticing a trend in the wildfires that burned in the U.S.
on the average of acres burned over time

There has been a deep concern in the past year about how the weather is a hazard for hot states. In the state of Arizona there has been research since a wildfire cause by a lighting strike in Yarnell, Arizona. In was a hot, dry day when the fire vastly spread causing 19 firefighters died trying to put out the 8,400 acres of burning land. This all took place the summer of last year, which is a basis to the concern people are having of possible fires this year.

There rapid spreading fires are becoming more common in the United States as the years progress, being the climate change the worst enemy in this case. The increase of temperature in the Earth's atmosphere causes hotter temperatures that makes snow to melt faster in the year and make droughts worse. These dry seasons makes fires last longer, weaken plants and dry out vegetation that is a source that can cause fires to spread easily.

This is a situation that impacts anyone who is aware of it, specially the people who live in dry states. But due to technology advances, "... scientists are getting better at predicting where and were the fires might occur, which helps firefighters prepare to stop them before they get out of control,"says Gregg Garfin in Science Daily. This is a relief for many people and is a relief for many other countries that may be going through the same thing. Thing like this have never been a great concern in El Salvador, but there is a dry season (summer). It is of great concern that anything like this may occur in this small country, but people need to be prepared for anything disastrous that may happen.

Firefighter in California earlier this year
(another dry state to be concerned about)

MLA

Warren, StephanieRosen, RaphaelGuarino, BenHerman, DebbieRoss, Valerie. "Science News." Science World 70.2 (2013): 2. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.

LINK
Article at the bottom

Disappearing Ghost-Octopus

This video about an octopus camouflaging is very interesting. The octopus has perfectly adapted and camouflaged himself to a coral, where he is impossible to see. We are aware the octopus is there until its alarmed and is forced to scape from the unknown man with a camera. 

A marine biologist, named Roger Hanlon, was startled at the appearance of this particular marine creature. He had no idea it was there, and still does not know how this eight armed creature could do such thing. With his research group, Hanlon is investigating underwater creatures called cephalapods, which include suit, cuttlefish and octopi. The researchers are still trying to figure out how the octopus could camouflage to such an identical appearance to the natural object it was against. The biologists conclusion was that pigments of the skin called chromatophores are the cells that can create the skin to match the color and textures of its surroundings. 

Chromatophores

The natural world is so amazing. Its unbelievable that animals can become their surroundings, and adapt so well to them. For me, the idea of camouflage is so strange and uniquely amazing that makes me what to camouflage. It is so great that this tool that some animals have, help them disappear and protect themselves from bigger animals that can hurt or eat them. Its almost like being invisible, which is an awesome concept. Another thing from this article, besides the amazing ghost-octopus, was that these octopi are color blind. Just like Hanlon said,“The amazing thing is that these animals are color blind yet they are capable of creating color-match patterns,” which is insane if you ask me. I definitely learned a lot with this article about how amazing the natural world really is. 

Article Link: Discover Magazine: Disappearing Ghost-Octopus

Niels Bohr

How did he contribute in the develpement of the Atomic Theory?

Niels Bohr is a Copenhagen Physists that came up with the Electron Theory. This theory stated that electrons orbit the nucleus in different energy levels much like the planets orbit the sun.

Prezi: Niels Bohr Prezi