E2science

A recent study has shown that, in addition to the above-listed nutrients, breast milk also contains pluripotent stem cells.

All humans, whether infant or adult, have some stem cells which can be used for general tissue repair. But only infants have pluripotent stem cells, which are capable of developing into any of the 200 cells found in the human body. Adult stem cells are known as multipotent and can only be used in a limited capacity.

That a developing child's store of stem cells is fortified by additional stem cells from their mother's milk supply is exciting news for those who study early childhood development as well as those researching the use of stem cells for regenerative medicines to treat spinal cord injuries and diseases such as Parkinson's and Type 1 diabetes.

The presence of pluripotent stem cells in breast milk was first confirmed by researchers in India in 2010. Last year scientists were first able to non-invasively collect these stem cells from lactating breasts.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy and lactation in a woman's body activate these stem cells within her breasts. Different areas of the breast release different sorts of pluripotent stem cells which transcript different genes (OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, SSEA4, & three transcription factors (TFs)). 

Another reason why breast is best.

noded for  ScienceQuest 2013, from a newsletter for the international milk genomics consortium

I’m no scientist but I imagine it must be pretty hard to study something that you can’t see. After all, before the Father of the Microscope came along very little was known about such things as bacteria and other small organisms and cells within the human body. By being able to see such things scientists were able to find a cure for many diseases and it made further research possible that helps us to understand the world around us. This isn’t necessarily true when it comes to plants though.

Unless you’re living in the middle of the desert or atop one of the polar icecaps you pretty much take plants for granted. They provide us with a nice view of the world and the sustenance we need to keep on living but what you see only tells a small portion of the story. Most of the real work that occurs happens underground in the root system and since it’s pretty hard to see through the dirt, relatively little is known about what goes on down there.

This has plagued scientists for years and eventually led to the development of hydroponics but since the roots of the plants are submerged in water it didn’t represent a true picture of the ecosystem.

That might be changing sometime in the near future.

Credit for the creation of transparent soil goes to a team of scientists in Scotland’s University of Abertay Dundee. And when they say transparent, they really mean it. The transparent soil they invented is as clear as glass and maintains most of the properties associated with your garden-variety dirt. (Bad pun intended). It’s made from something called “Naflon” and mixed with a water solution. Then it’s formed into tiny pellets and guess what? The plants thrived in it.

If you want to see what this transparent soil “looks like”, click here.

Some of you might be asking of what the benefits of having transparent soil might be. Well, for starters, by seeing what the working end of the plant actually does scientists hope to improve crop genetics and find out exactly how deadly bacteria enter the food chain. They also hope to one day breed more efficient crops that would need fewer man made fertilizers.

The only problem is that the current method for producing transparent soil is that it’s not very cost effective and couldn’t be used on a large scale basis. Once they figure that out, imagine how the countryside around you would change? Instead of just seeing the surface of the dirt, you’d be able to see a whole new world growing all around you. I can't imagine what it would do to my golf game.

As Mister Spock from the early days of Star Trek would say:

”Fascinating”

Oh yeah, I’m pretty sure that if transparent soil ever becomes the rage, parents around the world would be delighted. I know mine would. When I was a kid my mother practically lived next to the washing machine to get all of the dirt out of my various clothes and baseball and football uniforms.

Submitted in conjunction with ScienceQuest 2013

Source(s) http://www.dogonews.com/2012/11/8/scientists-create-transparent-soil-to-spy-on-plants
http://www.gizmag.com/transparent-soil/24383/

SCIENCE:
The study of things, using rational thought, investigation and experiment. Amazing things.

This February, Everything2 invites you to explain all about what things are and how they work. We want to read what you have to tell us about physics, chemistry, biology, ecology - every branch of the natural sciences. Tell us, too, of the ways that science touches and is touched by mathematics, technology, computer science, social science. Bring us nuggets of scientific wisdom, tell us true science stories, show us how it all fits together. Astound us! Intrigue us.

Submissions are open throughout the month of February. Contact the quest adjudicators IWhoSawTheFace and Oolong with submissions and questions, or join the e2science group and let us all know about it. Participants will receive 50 GP for each submission, with 500 extra for the writer who has received the most C!s of approval by the end of the month.

ScienceQuest 2012 saw 50 writeups from 19 writers, and we highly commend it as a source of inspiration - see also the writing and writers collected on the e2science group page, and note that many of the soft links at the bottom of this page point to science topics crying out for better coverage. Assume that your audience is intelligent, but may not know the first thing about your chosen subject. Don't be afraid to tackle big subjects - but remember that we relish the snippets, too, and they are far easier to pin down.

All entries will be listed below and in the Science Quest 2013 category.

I am not a doctor.

In popular culture, a woman's water breaking1 is indicated by a sudden discharge of water-like fluid from the vagina, and indicates that the baby is ready to come out. This is generally correct, but is often exaggerated on TV and in movies. Only about 10% of labors start with the breaking of the water, and it is often a trickle rather than a gush.

In the womb the fetus is protected by a sac filled with amniotic fluid. When a woman enters labor this sac ruptures, releasing the fluid. In many cases this fluid is released in a rush, but in other cases, particularly if a woman is standing², it may be released more slowly. The breaking of the amniotic sac also triggers the uterus to increase production of prostaglandins that stimulate labor; because of this, breaking water is often seen as an indicator that active labor is beginning, and sometimes doctors will artificially break the sac in an attempt to speed up a slow labor³.

In some cases, a woman's water may break considerably before labor starts. This can result in an increased risk of infections, and if labor has not begun within 24 hours of your water breaking, or if your water breaks before the 37th week of pregnancy, you should consult with a doctor. Other signs of possible problems are if the fluid has a greenish color (indicating that there may be meconium in the womb), if it is bloody, or if it smells bad (indicating an infection). However, it is also important to remember that your uterus puts increasing pressure on your bladder as the pregnancy progresses, and Braxton Hicks contractions can cause some leakage of urine; this can sometimes be mistaken for water breaking.

It is possible for a baby to be born without the amniotic sac rupturing, but this is unusual. If the sac does not rupture on its own the doctor or midwife will often pierce it⁴. However, babies can be born fully enclosed in the amniotic sac, and are none the worse for it. This is sometimes called a cauled or veiled birth.

Footnotes:

1. A note on usage: you will almost never hear the exact phrase 'water breaking' except in articles talking about someone's water breaking. 'break' is conjugated as it would be were it not part of a phrase, resulting in either a separable phrasal verb ("my water is breaking" or "her water will break"), or an irregular past tense form ("my water broke"). Adverbs will also be placed just before the 'true' verb ("my water just broke").

2. When the mother is standing, gravity pulls the baby down so that its head blocks the flow of the amniotic fluid. When the mother is sitting or laying down, this effect is diminished.

3. While you usually hear about an 'artificial rupture of membranes' (ARM), AKA an amniotomy, there is another, simpler procedure that a doctor will often try first, called 'sweeping of the membranes' (or sometimes, 'stripping of the membranes'), in which she will simply run a finger around the inside edge of the cervix; just moving the membrane off of the cervix will sometimes stimulate enough prostaglandin to start labor; this only works in about one out of eight cases, but is very simple and carries no risk. ARM should only be done once the baby's head is descended into the pelvis; otherwise you may risk the cord slipping around the baby's neck.

4. There is some debate over whether the sac should be artificially ruptured in a healthy pregnancy and labor. If there are no signs of complications, medical professionals may prefer to leave the sac intact, and there is no harm in doing so, if labor is proceeding apace. From what I have read midwives are more likely to leave sacs intact, and doctors are more likely to pierce them; however, if you have a question you should ask your medical professional what they prefer.

References:
MayoClinic: Water Breaking
MidwifeThinking: In Defence of the Amniotic Sac
eMedicineHealth: Labor Induction and Augmentation
WebMB: Rupture of the Membranes
American Pregnancy: Inducing Labor
Home4Birth: Premature Rupture of Membranes

RUST NEVER SLEEPS

Iron poisoning refers to the tendency of iron-based fasteners to slowly destroy the materials they are fastening, as the fasteners corrode.

During the surface corrosion of some metals, such as aluminum or zinc, the oxides form a protective layer around the metal beneath the surface, preventing water penetration and delaying further corrosion.

Not so iron. The principal oxide of iron in contact with water, Fe₂O₃, forms cubic crystals that break away from the metal and allow water to penetrate. What's worse, rust crystals are less dense than the metal itself and so the rust comes to occupy more and more space.

This is less of a problem for the outer surfaces of an iron or steel object than it is for a nail or a screw. The surfaces can easily be protected by paint or electroplating, and what crystals do form expand into the coating or the open air, and the surface can be cleaned off and recoated.

Fasteners, on the other hand, are embedded in some material. The rust crystals force their way into the material, pushing it apart. Worse, a porous material such as concrete or wood constantly wicks water to any fasteners. This causes two different types of destruction.

The first one is the one you'd expect: more water gets to the corroded fastener and creates more rust. Over time, of course, the structural integrity of the fastener is compromised. That wouldn't be so bad, because you could fix the problem by replacing the fastener.

But the second type of destruction is more insidious. Water picks up acids from the material being fastened and carries it to the rust, dissolving it, forcing the substrate apart in a different place as it dries out and the rust recrystallizes. Little clumps of destruction will slowly grow away from those rusty screws, permanently compromising the integrity of the material being fastened. The only repair is to dig out all of the ruined wood or concrete and fill in the hole to get some of the strength back.

CHOOSE YOUR POISON

Iron poisoning can be combatted by using the right type of fastener during construction.

The traditional method has been to use a corrosion-resistant alloy of iron: Steel will buy you some time, but steel (even stainless steel) will eventually succumb to corrosion. Also, an alloy that is more corrosion resistant is typically harder and more brittle (and more expensive) than their weaker counterparts. Brittleness is not a desirable property of a screw.

Fasteners with no iron in them have advantages in some applications. Other metals can be more expensive, or not as strong as steel. They can also corrode, but the corrosion proceeds in a different way and at least won't destroy the material. It's a bad idea for riveting metal because dissimilar metals can corrode from electrolysis. But silicon bronze (or even plain copper) is a good compromise for a wooden boat.

Another solution is to coat the fastener itself. They can be chrome plated or galvanized with zinc. The deck outside your back door may have been put down with epoxy-coated deck screws. The rebar inside reinforced concrete has typically been coated with a variety of materials: zinc, epoxy, plastic, or even rubber.

Finally, of course, it's also possible to ignore the problem and use cheap, strong, easily corrodable plain fasteners. But don't expect what you're building to last long. Rust never sleeps.