the-BA : Science News Digest

Taj Mahal image copyright: istockphoto.com

The Times reports on forecasts of a rapid rise in global warming, due to the Southern Ocean losing the capacity to soak up man-made carbon emissions. Oceans act as ‘carbon sinks’ by absorbing carbon emissions.

Reduction in their capacity to do this, could increase the rate of global warming by up to 30 per cent.

Since 1981, researchers have collected atmospheric carbon dioxide data from 11 stations in the Southern Ocean and 40 other stations across the globe. This data has allowed the researchers to infer how much carbon dioxide was taken up by sinks.

The studies show a decline in the Southern Ocean sink, which is due to an increase in winds in the area. Since high winds cause churning of the oceans, which in turn brings stores of carbon dioxide in deep water to the ocean’s surface. The surface then becomes saturated with carbon dioxide and cannot take up anymore from the atmosphere.
The increase in the Southern Ocean winds is in itself the result of climate change; depletion of the ozone layer and changes in temperature have caused changes in atmospheric circulation over the ocean, resulting in stronger winds.
The magnitude of the reduced efficiency of the Southern Ocean sink is not fully understood, however Professor Chris Rapley, director of the British Antarctic Survey has stated that reduced efficiency of the ocean to act as a carbon sink would make it harder to reduce emissions to levels that were low enough to limit temperature rises to 2 degrees Celcius.

The Guardian reports on a change in the government’s stance on human-animal embryos. A white paper published last December, set-out to ban experimentation using embryos made from animal eggs and human cells. Backed by Sir David King, the government’s chief science adviser; the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust opposed the government’s position. They argued that interspecies embryos produce stem cells, which are essential for research into medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Motor Neurone disease.

“As the bill stands, our work would be banned”, said Stephen Minger, who leads the stem cell team at King’s College London.
The draft human tissue and embryo bill will be debated by parliament on 25th July and will again look at the issue of hybrid embryo research.

The phrase “hair today gone tomorrow” could soon change to “hair today and still there tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after….” thanks to new research bringing us a step closer to a cure for baldness. Studying adult mice, researchers in the United States found that when the skin of mice was wounded, their epidermal cells generated hair follicles and grew new hair. The study was conducted by Dr George Cotsarelis of University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia and has been published in the journal Nature.

The method apparently works by reactivating genes used during embryo development. Cotsarelis et al. now hope to mimic this effect for human skin which, if successful, could potentially help in cures for people with scalp and hair disorders such as scarring alopecia.

Similar research was conducted half a century ago on rabbits but findings were reported to be unconvincing. The new research has shown that the effect is real and involves a protein called wnt.

Researchers found that by introducing more wnt they could make skin regenerate after wounding, rather than just repair. The team went even further and demonstrated that turning off the wnt signal actually prevented new hair follicles from forming.

"It's all preliminary at the moment," says Cotsarelis, who has helped to set up a company, Follica, who has now licensed the technology. "If it all went perfectly then possibly in two to three years we would have a product, but that's very optimistic."

The research has led to further understanding of how skin functions and has been a huge step forward in coming closer to a cure for baldness and a potential end to toupees.

“This is an extremely exciting discovery and shows promise for treatment of follicular disorders such as hair loss and unwanted excess hair” stated Dr Vera Price, director of the University of California, San Francisco Hair Research Centre and scientific advisory board member of Follica.

Daniel Gilberts book ‘Stumbling on Happiness’ has scooped this year’s best science book award, the Guardian has reported today.

‘Stumbling on Happiness’ searches for the scientific basis of happiness, questioning whether any of us really know what happiness actually is. Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert received the prestigious Royal Society Prize and a £10,000 cheque from the Royal Society’s President, Martin Rees at a ceremony in London.

One of the judges, Space scientist Colin Pillinger described Gilberts book as “outstanding and highly readable.”

Colin Pillinger went on to explain how Gilbert “uses cognitive science and psychology to provide intriguing insights into human nature.”

Daniel Gilbert’s book was short listed amongst a variety of other books, such as Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museums epic tale of humans on the British Isles, and Henry Nicholls’ story of a 90kg, 80 year old tortoise living on the Island of Pinta in the Galapagos, thought to be the last of his kind, ‘Lonesome George’.

The Food Standards Agency has issued a judgement that folic acid should be added to flour to help reduce birth defects.

Research has shown that folic acid in bread cuts the number of neural tube defects (NTD’s), which includes conditions such as spina bifida. Currently between 700 and 900 pregnancies are affected by NTD’s each year. In countries where mandatory fortification has been introduced NTD rates have been cut by between 27% and 50%.

Currently woman are advised to take a folic acid supplement before conceiving and during the early stages of pregnancy as it is essential for the production and maintenance of new cells. However the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SCAN) reports that “although supplementation with folic acid is advised prior to conception until the 12th week of pregnancy approximately half of all pregnancies are unplanned, which limits the value of recommendations.

SCAN has advised that if mandatory fortification is introduced it should be reviewed after five years to investigate whether there are any links between fortification and changes in rates of cancer.
(The Guardian)

And finally...

Possibly the most beautiful building in the world is booked in for a facial - a mud pack to be specific!

The Taj Mahal was completed in 1654 by Mogul emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz.

Pollution from local industry has been discolouring the surface of the building and the answer appears to be to cover the surface of the building in a layer of mud. The lime-rich mud which will be used acts by drawing out the accumulated dirt.

Although the method is labour-intensive and expensive it is non-abrasive and does not use harsh chemicals.

The Times states it is estimated that the treatment will cost around £115,000 and will take two to three months to complete.

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