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Home/ Authentic Science Research 2013-2014/ Contents contributed and discussions participated by Melissa Menghini

Contents contributed and discussions participated by Melissa Menghini

Melissa Menghini

Finger Regeneration: Stem Cells In Fingernails May Be Key To Regrowing Limbs, Scientist... - 0 views

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    A groundbreaking discovery in the mice ability to regenerate the tips of their digits leaves scientists hopeful for human regeneration in the future. Researches have found that as long as enough of the nail remains, any amputated digit tip has the capability to regrow. This process can be performed because of the colony of stem cells present under the nail base; however, this process can only proceed if enough of the nail epithelium remains on the amputated digit. The process that occurs after amputation starts with the activation of the Wnt pathway in the epithelium located underneath the remaining nail. After the nerves are attracted to the area, FGF2 (protein) directs the nerves into growing mesenchymal cells, cells used for regrowth. However, if too much of the digit is amputated, too much epithelium is lost, the Wnt pathway is never activated, and there is no regeneration. On another note, humans and mice are somewhat related to amphibians in their regeneration abilities; this further gives scientists hope for human regeneration in the future. The opposing side argues why humans differ from salamanders, and points out the flaws in this scientific discovery. 
Melissa Menghini

Retina stem cell transplants restore sight to blind mice: study - NY Daily News - 0 views

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    British scientists have recently restored sight to blind mice by the use of stem cells from mice embryos. These stem cells were put into a lab dish; there, they separated into immature photo-receptors. These were then injected into the mice's retinas, and actually brought sight back into some of the blind. This successful experiment makes scientists hopeful that they can restore sight to blind humans in the future. Although these cells can become very beneficial, they can also turn cancerous. New scientific advancements have bettered the stem cell procedure, but problems with the process are still arising. 
Melissa Menghini

Acid Rain Facts, Acid Rain Information, Acid Rain Pictures, Acid Rain Effects - Nationa... - 0 views

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    Major environmental devastation is the direct result of human activities. Through the burning of fossil fuels, humans are unintentionally producing acid rain. The sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides released from the fossil fuels mix with water, oxygen, and other substances in the atmosphere to create consequential solutions that are spread over miles. Some negative effects of acid rain include aluminum absorption in water (making a toxic environment for aquatic animals), disruption of the food chain (aquatic deaths result in bird deaths, etc.), the robbing of essential nutrients in soil (kills trees), and the deterioration of vegetation's ability to withstand extreme conditions. In order to prevent ecological disaster, it is required that humans stop the burning of fossil fuels. Governments have attempted to use an alternative source for energy, but the harmful effects of the fossil fuel use have yet to wear off. By the conservation of energy, individuals can help stop the destruction of the planet.  
Melissa Menghini

Adding movement to 'dry run' mental imagery enhances performance - 0 views

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    Mental rehearsal and "dry run" movements greatly improve the performance of athletes and performers. An experiment was executed with high jumpers to test the influence of mental rehearsal and "dry run" on overall performance. With mental rehearsal, the performance of high jumpers improved by 35%. Even better, through mental rehearsal and "dry run" actions, the athletes' performances bettered by 45%. Mental imagery and physical practice both better one's performance because the two use overlapping neural networks in the brain. Therefore, they work together to improve performance. 
Melissa Menghini

Fact-Checking a Frozen Mammoth: Scientific American - 0 views

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    Although cloning a mammoth would be fascinating, it is not needed nor is it necessarily possible. Scientists have hopes to clone a mammoth because of the recent frozen mammoth find in Russia. This mammoth appears to have blood that does not freeze, increasing hopes to find live cells. However, some researchers argue that finding a living cell in the body of the mammoth is not possible. They say that at most, they will find a cell with DNA that is intact enough to use to clone the creature. However, ancient DNA is almost always fragmented, and would therefore, not be able to be used in the cloning process. Doubts also circulate around the idea that the mammoth's blood was able to withstand -17 degrees Celsius without freezing. The sample found may have been under special conditions to allow the blood to remain unfrozen. With the trouble it would take to clone a mammoth, it is not worth it. Scientists can learn more about mammoths through the fossil record rather than from a cloned animal. 
Melissa Menghini

Return of the mammoth? Dolly scientist says beast should be cloned | Fox News - 0 views

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    After the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep, scientists are hopeful to clone/bring back the mammoth from extinction. Notably well preserved blood in a recent finding of mammoth remains could lead to mammoth stem cells. With these stem cells and the use of elephant eggs to grow an embryo, a baby mammoth could be born. The stem cells could also form gametes, which, if from a female, could lead to both breeding and cloning mammoths. The method of cloning could be fairly similar to the process used to create Dolly the sheep. Although bringing back the mammoth would be beneficial for science, a debate exists arguing the issues. 
Melissa Menghini

The Mental Preparation of High-Level Athletes - Dana Foundation - 0 views

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    Although physical commitment is required to be successful at a given sport or activity, mental preparation is the key to victory. When individuals are competing at the Olympic level, those competitors have very small physical differences. What separates the winners from the losers is the mental preparation. Practice builds mental strength through memory and confidence; with this strong mentality, competitors are most successful when they let loose and "go with the flow." Letting oneself go in stressful situations or important competitions is crucial because thinking too much can lead to making foolish mistakes from the overwhelming stress a person can put on them self. Once a person starts to focus on one single adjustment, their performance deteriorates. Entering the "flow" state allows a person to perform easily and comfortably without stress. Practice actually betters the brain through the memorization of muscle movements. In order to achieve success, it is essential for one to maintain an alert state of mind. In this, a person is always prepared for what comes next. Keeping calm in important competitions is equally important; practice betters one's ability to do this through hormone and brain chemistry changes. Motivation also affects performance. Only those who have positive mindsets and strong minds are going to win competitions. Sports affect people for the rest of their lives through the mental changes they experience. 
Melissa Menghini

Scientists Use Stem Cells to Grow Mouse Inner Ears - 0 views

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    Recent stem cell research has enabled scientists to develop mice inner ears. This new discovery has high hopes to lead to future hearing restoration for humans, and reasoning on hear loss. This astonishing breakthrough is the result of the transformation of embryonic stem cells from mice into sensory epithelia. These epithelia contain hair cells, fragile cells that allow organisms to hear. This discovery is even more shocking through the impossibility for hair cells to grow once they have been destroyed. This exciting accomplishment allows for researchers to study hair cells, and their connection to hearing.
Melissa Menghini

Vaccination Statistics - 0 views

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    Although popularized by the media as "healthy," vaccinations bring more harm to the human body then they do health. Multiple studies have found that those children injected with vaccinations actually caught more disease than those not vaccinated. Vaccinations are not guaranteed to work, and can actually cause severe complications. Few vaccinations have been successful; these effective immunizations protect against one disease, but increase risk of other viruses. Vaccines contain harmful ingredients that can cause cancers and leukemia, and are even linked to AIDS. Vaccines are also connected to brain damage, lowered IQ, ADD, learning disabilities, and autism. Vaccinations are composed of harmful ingredients, are illogically produced, and cause more diseases than they prevent.
Melissa Menghini

Scientists grow teeth using stem cells from urine: study  - NY Daily News - 0 views

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    Chinese researches have discovered an ability to transform the cells found in urine into stem cells. Driving these scientists was the remarkable ability that stem cells possess: the ability to transform into other cells. These scientists actually transformed the cells from urine into stem cells, and used those stem cells to create human teeth in mice jawbones. This experiment did suffer several flaws, however. These teeth-like structures did contain a number of components that real teeth are composed of: enamel, dentin, and pulp. Even so, these teeth were only one-third as hard as human teeth. Additionally, this experiment resulted in 70% of the mice absent of teeth-like structures. Despite the flaws through the experiment, this discovery comes close to the regrowth of human features and gives hope to a possible future of regenerated human teeth. Better methods of obtaining cells with the ability to become stem cells exist, further giving the world of science hope in human body repair and regrowth. 
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