sound affecting fishes survival

firstly, general information on baby fishes. these are the fishes that are threatened. after developing for weeks at sea, baby tropical fish rely on natural noises to find the coral reefs where they can survive and thrive. However, the researchers found that short exposure to artificial noise makes fish become attracted to inappropriate sounds.In earlier research, Dr Steve Simpson, Senior Researcher in the University of Bristol's School of Biological Sciences discovered that baby reef fish use sounds made by fish, shrimps and sea urchins as a cue to find coral reefs. With human noise pollution from ships, wind farms and oil prospecting on the increase, he is now concerned that this crucial behaviour is coming under threat.

When only a few weeks old, baby reef fish face a monumental challenge in locating and choosing suitable habitat. Reef noise gives them vital information, but if they can learn, remember and become attracted towards the wrong sounds, we might be leading them in all the wrong directions with our noise pollution.

Dr Simpson tried an experiment.

he caught some damselfish. he then played pure reef music to some, and did not to others. when put in a tank with two edges. one playing reef music while the other playing artificial music. only the fish that were introduced to reef music were attracted to it. the fish that were not introduced, were repelled by it.

He said: "When only a few weeks old, baby reef fish face a monumental challenge in locating and choosing suitable habitat. Reef noise gives them vital information, but if they can learn, remember and become attracted towards the wrong sounds, we might be leading them in all the wrong directions. this result also debunks the myth of a fish only having a 3-second memory span."

he also said: "Anthropogenic noise has increased dramatically in recent years, with small boats, shipping, drilling, pile driving and seismic testing now sometimes drowning out the natural sounds of fish and snapping shrimps. If fish accidentally learn to follow the wrong sounds, they could end up stuck next to a construction site or follow a ship back out to sea."

if these fishes continue that kind of behaviour, it will be even harder to replenish future fish-stocks.

cadmium

some general information about cadmium.

In the 1950s and 1960s industrial exposure to cadmium was high, but as the toxic effects of cadmium became apparent, industrial limits on cadmium exposure have been reduced in most industrialized nations and many policy makers agree on the need to reduce exposure further. While working with cadmium it is important to do so under a fume hood to protect against dangerous fumes. Silver solder, for example, which contains cadmium, should be handled with care. Serious toxicity problems have resulted from long-term exposure to cadmium plating baths.

Buildup of cadmium levels in the water, air, and soil has been occurring particularly in industrial areas. Environmental exposure to cadmium has been particularly problematic in Japan where many people have consumed rice that was grown in cadmium contaminated irrigation water. This phenomenon is known under the name itai-itai disease.

Food is another source of cadmium. Plants may only contain small or moderate amounts in non-industrial areas, but high levels may be found in the liver and kidneys of adult animals.

Cigarettes are also a significant source of cadmium exposure. Although there is generally less cadmium in tobacco than in food, the lungs absorb cadmium more efficiently than the stomach.

Aside from tobacco smokers, people who live near hazordous waste sites or factories that release cadmium into the air have the potential for exposure to cadmium in air. However, numerous state and federal regulations in the united states control the amount of cadmium that can be released to the air from waste sites and incinerators so that properly regulated sites are not hazardous. The general population and people living near hazardous waste sites may be exposed to cadmium in contaminated food, dust, or water from unregulated releases or accidental releases. Numerous regulations and use of pollution controls are enforced to prevent such releases.

how is this chemical used now?

In taped remarks to be delivered Tuesday in Hong Kong, the chairwoman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urged other countries to ensure that manufacturers do not substitute cadmium, antimony or barium in place of lead in children's products. this is from China, but what about in the states, in WallMart?

an article quoted by salon.com. "

Wal-Mart said Wednesday it is pulling an entire line of Miley Cyrus-brand necklaces and bracelets from its shelves after tests performed for The Associated Press found the jewelry contained high levels of the toxic metal cadmium.

In a statement issued three hours after AP's initial report of its findings, Wal-Mart said it would remove the jewelry while it investigates. The statement was issued along with Cyrus and Max Azria, the designer that developed the jewelry for the 17-year-old "Hannah Montana" star.

In the statement, Wal-Mart said that while the jewelry is not intended for children, "it is possible that a few younger consumers may seek it out in stores."

"We are removing all of the jewelry from sale while we investigate its compliance with our children's jewelry standard," Wal-Mart said.

Cadmium in jewelry is not known to be dangerous if the items are simply worn. Concerns come when youngsters bite or suck on the jewelry, as many children are apt to do.

Long-term exposure to cadmium can lead to bone softening and kidney failure. It is also a known carcinogen, and research suggests that it can, like lead, hinder brain development in the very young.

Testing of 61 samples bought by AP reporters across the country from the Miley Cyrus line and from an unrelated line of bracelet charms showed that 59 of the pieces contained at least 5 percent cadmium by weight, with 53 of those measuring 10 percent or higher. The packaging on both lines of jewelry said they were made in China; all were bought for $6 or less.

In its statement, Wal-Mart did not say whether it would also remove the bracelet charms.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. received test results in February showing cadmium in these jewelry lines but had continued selling the items.

The chain said last month that it has begun requiring suppliers to prove their products contain little cadmium, or else Wal-Mart would not accept the items. But Wal-Mart said at the time that testing products already on its shelves would be too difficult.

Wal-Mart did not say how many of pieces of the Miley Cyrus pieces it has sold."

global warming

Global warming is when the earth heats up (the temperature rises). It happens when greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and methane) trap heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere, which increases the temperature. This hurts many people, animals, and plants. Many cannot take the change, as most animals and plants, are adept to certain temperatures. Global warming also causes hibernating animals to wake up earlier than usual, which can cause a decline in numbers. several species of marmots, chipmunks and brown bears have been noticed that they have shortened hibernation period, and in some cases, they do not hibernate at all.

'global warming' usually comes with 'greenhouse gases', but what is is, actually?The greenhouse effect is when the temperature rises because the sun’s heat and light is trapped in the earth’s atmosphere. This is like when heat is trapped in a car. On a very hot day, the car gets hotter when it is out in the parking lot. This is because the heat and light from the sun can get into the car, by going through the windows, but it can’t get back out. This is what the greenhouse effect does to the earth. The heat and light can get through the atmosphere, but it can’t get out. As a result, the temperature rises.

Global warming is affecting many parts of the world. Global warming makes the sea rise, and when the sea rises, the water covers many low land islands. This is a big problem for many of the plants, animals, and people on islands. The water covers the plants and causes some of them to die. When they die, the animals lose a source of food, along with their habitat. Although animals have a better ability to adapt to what happens than plants do, they may die also. When the plants and animals die, people lose two sources of food, plant food and animal food. They may also lose their homes. As a result, they would also have to leave the area or die. This would be called a break in the food chain, or a chain reaction, one thing happening that leads to another and so on.

The oceans are affected by global warming in other ways, as well. Many things that are happening to the ocean are linked to global warming. One thing that is happening is warm water, caused from global warming, is harming and killing algae in the ocean.

Algae is a producer that you can see floating on the top of the water. (A producer is something that makes food for other animals through photosynthesis, like grass.) This floating green algae is food to many consumers in the ocean. (A consumer is something that eats the producers.) One kind of a consumer is small fish. There are many others like crabs, some whales, and many other animals. Fewer algae is a problem because there is less food for us and many animals in the sea.

Global warming is doing many things to people as well as animals and plants. It is killing algae, but it is also destroying many huge forests. The pollution that causes global warming is linked to acid rain. Acid rain gradually destroys almost everything it touches. Global warming is also causing many more fires that wipe out whole forests. This happens because global warming can make the earth very hot. In forests, some plants and trees leaves can be so dry that they catch on fire.

static electricity

firstly, what is static electricity?Static electricity refers to the build up of electric charge on the surface of objects. The static charges remain on an object until they either bleed off to ground or are quickly neutralized by a discharge.

an example of static electricity at work would be getting zapped by your own door knob.

As you walk across a carpet, electrons move from the rug to you. Now you have extra electrons and a negative static charge. Touch a door knob and ZAP! The door knob is a conductor. The electrons jump from you to the knob, and you feel the static shock.

in temperate countries, they usually only notice static electricity in the winter when the air is very dry. During the summer, the air is more humid. The water in the air helps electrons move off you more quickly, so you can not build up as big a static charge.

For example, if you rub a glass rod with a silk cloth or if you rub a piece of amber with wool, the glass and amber will develop a static charge that can attract small bits of paper or plastic.

To understand what is happening when your body or a glass rod develops a static charge, you need to think about the atoms that make up everything we can see. All matter is made up of atoms, which are themselves made up of charged particles. Atoms have a nucleus consisting of neutrons and protons. They also have a surrounding "shell" that is made up electrons. Typically, matter is neutrally charged, meaning that the number of electrons and protons are the same. If an atom has more electrons than protons, it is negatively charged. If it has more protons than electrons, it is positively charged.

The following table shows you the triboelectric series for many materials you find around the house. Positive items in the series are at the top, and negative items are at the bottom:

Human hands (usually too moist, though) Very positive

Rabbit Fur

Glass

Human hair

Nylon

Wool

Fur

Lead

Silk

Aluminum

Paper

Cotton

Steel Neutral

Wood

Amber

Hard rubber

Nickel, Copper

Brass, Silver

Gold, Platinum

Polyester

Styrene (Styrofoam)

Saran Wrap

Polyurethane

Polyethylene (like Scotch Tape)

Polypropylene

Vinyl (PVC)

Silicon

Teflon Very negative

video

anal fissure

what is 'anal fissure'? it is a small tear of the anal lining. this is caused by the movement of hard bowels, which tears this lining. there are also other causes, such as diarrhoea and inflammation in the anorectal area. anal fissure can cause symptoms like pain, bleeding, and sometimes itching as well.

luckily, 50% of people with anal fissure do not need to go for an operation to cure anal fissure. they just have to apply medicated cream, use stool softeners, and use sitz baths( soaking of the anal area in plain, warm, water). by doing this, they relieve the symptoms, allowing healing to occur. as for those who require surgery, they cut a small portion of the anal muscle to prevent pain and spasms, which interfere with healing. this rarely interferes with the ability to control bowel movement.

anal fissures are more common among infants, but may still occur at any age. studies have shown that 80% of infants, would have had an anal fissure by the end of their first year. anal fissure rates decrease rapidly with age.

One new non-surgical method being researched for use in healing fissures is Botox (botulism toxin) injections. The injections work by weakening the anal muscles and thereby allow them to heal. This method is considered more invasive than other non-surgical options, but it has a higher success rate than treatment with nitroglycerin.

sonicboom

(it is the white thingy, that is the sonic boom!)

upon hearing the word 'sonicboom', the first word that comes to me is a Pokemon attack that is very lousy. but what exactly is a sonic boom?

a sonic boom is an impulsive noise similar to thunder. it is caused by an object moving faster than sound, about 750 miles per hour at sea level. an aircraft traveling through the atmosphere continuously produces air-pressure waves similar to the water waves caused by a ship's bow. when the aircraft exceeds the speed of sound, these pressure waves combine and form shock waves which travel forward from the generation or "release" point.

As an aircraft flies at supersonic speeds it is continually generating shock waves, dropping sonic boom along its flight path, similar to someone dropping objects from a moving vehicle. From the perspective of the aircraft, the boom appears to be swept backwards as it travels away from the aircraft. If the plane makes a sharp turn or pulls up, the boom will hit the ground in front of the aircraft.

the sonic boom happens when the build-up of pressure is released, this makes an extremely loud sound, this is the sonic boom.

(There are not one, but two types of booms: N-waves and U-waves. The N-wave is generated from steady flight conditions, and its pressure wave is shaped like the letter "N." N-waves have a front shock to a positive peak overpressure which is followed by a linear decrease in the pressure until the rear shock returns to ambient pressure. The U-wave, or focused boom, is generated from maneuvering flights, and its pressure wave is shaped like the letter "U." U-waves have positive shocks at the front and rear of the boom in which the peak overpressures are increased compared to the N-wave.)

sonic boom clip _here_

centroiles

These are part of a cell, only present in the animal cell, are paired organelles located together near the nucleus in the centrosome, which organises these centroiles. each centroile consists of 3x9 microtubules, arranged in a ring.

these play a notable role in cell division.During interphase of an animal cell, the centrioles and other components of the centrosome are duplicated, though scientists are not yet sure how this duplication takes place. At first the two pairs of centrioles remain in close proximity to each other, but as mitosis initiates, the original centrosome divides and the pairs are split up so that one set of centrioles is located in each of the new microtubule-organizing centers. These new centers radiate microtubules in star-shaped clusters known as asters. As the asters move to opposing poles of the cells, the microtubules, with the help of the centrioles, become organized into a spindle-shaped formation that spans the cell.these fibres act as guides for the alignment of the chromosone that seperate later during cell division.

Though centrioles play a role in the mitosis of animal cells, plant cells are able to reproduce without them. Researchers have, therefore, been very interested in determining exactly how important the organelles really are. Studies have shown that certain animal cells, particularly female gametes (oocytes), can successfully divide even when their centrioles are destroyed. Some investigators have also found, however, that the absence of centrioles in animal cells is associated with an increased number of divisional errors and substantial delays in the mitotic process, especially before chromosome segregation. Consequently, it has been suggested that centrioles evolved as a refinement of the cell, making mitosis a much more efficient and less error-prone process.

This is a picture of centroiles in animal cell mitosisat the top/\