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In April of 2011 a boy’s health became very poor after he had his kidney illegally removed and sold on the black market. The young boy wanted the operation so he could get an iPhone and a iPad. But when his mother then confronted him about where he received the money for these nice apple products this is what he told her. That a man named Song Zhongyu, the surgeon who preformed the operation who is from a provincial hospital in Yunnan province, received nearly $35,000 for removing his kidney, while the boy was given about only a mere $3,500. The boy’s condition is deteriorating, it said. he is suffering from renal insufficiency. One of the defendants for the ones accused, a man named He Wei, was described as “penniless and frustrated over gambling debts” and allegedly ” his plan was to make enormous earnings through illegal kidney trading business,” I think this story is outrageously ridiculous that a kid can be so naive and selfish that he would be willing to risk his own life for an iPhone and iPad, I really want an iPhone too but that is just insane, come on?
I wonder if the boy will ever get his kidney back?
I also wonder what the punishment will be for the people involved in the incident?
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/06/world/asia/china-kidney/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn
I chose to read about this article, because we are learning about it in class and it caught my eye because I absolutely LOVE ducks! 
This article is about the eighteen Madagascan pochards, which are the world’s most endangered ducks, that have hatched in a captive breeding centre. There are only 60 of the Madagascar Pochard ducks in the world today, so this helps to start the population so maybe they can flourish again one day. It makes me happy that we are helping the environment and helping to stabilize biodiversity, and that was in my top three for our project we just did. Biodiversity helps balance the world and saving animals from endangerment helps keep food cycles healthy and flowing naturally.
Do you think biodiversity is important?
Are endangered species important to the world in your opinion?
I’ll trade you my left Kindey for that new iphone of yours. »« Natural Retinol A
Ever so often you see women crowding over around Sephora in search for their perfect miracle for their skin care regime. The most popular ingredient at the moment is retinol A, which is famous for its anti-aging and antioxidant properties. We spend hundreds of dollars in creams, serums, and spot treatments that contain retinol A, when in fact, carrots contain the highest dose of retinol A. Our body transforms beta carotene into vitamin A, which is the key factor to maintaining and strengthening a healthy immune system. Beta carotene can lower the risk f heart disease by 45%. Carrots also contain alpha carotene which is more powerful than beta carotene when it comes to preventing tumor growth. Alpha carotene contains ten times more N-myc compared to beta carotene, which is a gene that codes for cell growth-stimulation proteins.
Honestly I decided to do a blog about rentinol is because I plan to do a DIY carrot juice. Learning about the benefits and substances about various fruits and vegetables that can be useful for treating the skin and hair fascinates me.
If more people were aware of how to make their own retinol A, do you still think people would spend their money on expensive creams promising the same thing?
Do you think it is safer to create your own form of retinol A using carrots regularly?
http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/nutrition.html
Sharks are amazing hunters but even they are no match for the mucus spitting hag fish. Hag fish have mucus-secreting glands all over their bodies. They use these glands to ward off enemies. The ecologist Vincent Zintzen viewed 500 hours of film watching the hag fish encounter their enemies such as seal sharks or the conger eel. Of all 14 encounters the hag fish came out victorious and the enemy fled the scene. Not only can they defend them selves thy can go on the hunt to. Vincent saw in amazement as the hag fish chased down a 6 inch long fish into a hole, the hag fish twisted itself into a not for leverage then pulled the fish out of the hole.
I wonder what they eat mostly. I wonder where you can find these fish.
http://discovermagazine.com/2012/apr/12-hagfish-special-trick-slime-mucus
A fifty-two year old man was shot in the heart with a nail gun while working on his neighbors roof. He was airlifted to a trauma center in Camden New Jersey and had immediate surgery. He lived through the surgery and was expected to return home before Easter. This article was really interesting. I am kind of amazed that he lived through being shot in the heart with a nail gun. I would think he would have bled to death. I read this article because I wanted to know how someone could survive that but they don’t really tell you.
How does someone live through that?
What kind of long lasting effects would this have?
Agricultural production has always been about how to produce more and more efficiently with less. This allows the producers to provide the most possible food for the smallest carbon foot print. Recently Burkhard Schulz made a revolutionary breakthrough in this very field that will have a huge impact on future agriculture.
Corn farmers have long known that if you can stop the male part of a corn plant from its natural production of steroids, it will be much more productive. For example, corn will actually start growing where pollen is normally grown. Historically, labors have had to manually remove the male parts of the plants to keep them from pollinating themselves. Schulz recognized the inefficiency of this system and started researching a chemical solution to the problem.
What he discovered is nothing short of astounding. Apparently a common fungicide used on golf courses will do this job for 10 cents per gram (previous proposed solutions would cost as much as $25,000 per gram)! Furthermore, the plants receiving this fungicide turn out to be much smaller than a natural corn plant! Think about what this means: more productivity, less labor costs, and the smaller plants need less water, pesticides, and fertilizer, decreasing the carbon foot print of agriculture!
What are some other possible uses for this chemical besides just corn plants?
Regardless of the obvious environmental benefits, do corn plants receiving so many different chemicals produce food that may be unhealthy for human consumption?
For the longest time depression has taken over many innocent people’s lives. There are many pills, methods, and people that are supposed to treat it but nothing has ever been 100 percent reliable till now. Edi Guyton has been deppressed for over 40 years and has tried commuting suicide multiple times. Suddenly she volunteered to have electrodes implanted into her brain. This causes “deep brain stimulation” and really has helped with depression. She is now trying to get a law passed to make this legal because it has known to really help.
I originally got my information from here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17641494
but you can also learn more at: www.brainmtters.tumblr.com
What do you think about this? Do you think it would be worth having brain surgery to finally be happy?
Smaller = Better? »« Why Are Alaskan Animals Suddenly Getting Sick?
In this article, I read that polar bears in Alaska are starting to lose their hair and get lesions on their skin. Why? Tony DeGange, chief of biology at the USGS Science Center in Anchorage said that they have no idea. Scientists have been collecting blood and tissue samples from the affected bears and they still have not found what has caused the outbreak. In 1998-1999, ten of 28 bears checked by the same team had similar conditions. This has been a project going on since 1984 but now there are unexplained deaths of seals in the same area and they aren’t sure if it is coincidence or if it is related. On December 20th, 2011, the deaths of the seals were declared an “unusual mortality event”. Many of the dead and dying seals were found to have hair loss and skin sores just like the polar bears, and later, affected seals were found in Canada and Russia. After that, Pacific walruses were also found with skin lesions similar to those of the polar bears and the seals. Unlike the seals though, the walruses and bears are not getting sick from this strange skin condition.
To me, this is so strange! I think it is crazy that these Alaskan animals are getting such weird illnesses and I also find it strange that the polar bears and walruses are not dying from this like the seals are. Could it be because they have weaker immune systems, or could it be because they are just different animals? I really hope that the USGS Science Center figures this mystery out because I know that up north a lot of the native people eat these animals and there is always a possibility that it will affect humans too.
What do you think is causing these select animals to get sick?
Why do you think it is only these animals?
In New York City, a new species of leopard frog has been discovered. Researchers were studying the Southern Leopard Frog, and they discovered a new kind of frog that looked like the Southern Leopard, but had a very odd croak. “The species is so new it doesn’t even have a name yet.” Finding new species in rain forests, oceans, and other extreme areas is not uncommon, but finding a new species in suburban areas is “nothing short of amazing” says Leslie Rissler. I read this article here.
If there is one species hiding “under our noses” what else could be there if we looked?
What could this, or another yet to be discovered species be used for?
Why Are Alaskan Animals Suddenly Getting Sick? »« Invasive Flying Fish
http://discovermagazine.com/2012/mar/09-attack-of-the-flying-invasive-carp
A species of carp was imported in from China in the 1970′s. Now some have escaped there ponds that were suppose to keep them contained! But some have escaped and population has sky rocketed in the Illinois River. And these fish have the tendency to jump as high out of the water as they can for some reason. And some person from U.S. Geological Service says that the cod population has hit a exponential growth stage.
What do you think he carrying capacity is for this invasive species of cod?
Do they jump to eat, exercise, what do you think?
What do you think will happen to the balance in the food chain with this new species of flying fish introduced to this environment?
Living Under your Nose »« Video games can actually be good for you!
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