Stem Cell Storage - An Overview By Simon Paisley

Stem cells are currently used for treating some diseases, and offer hope of a future cure for many of today's incurable diseases. Parents are now able to have blood or cells from the umbilical cord of their newborn child stored for the child's future disease treatments. This article gives an overview of the process of stem cell storage.

Stem cell storage is becoming a more and more popular choice among parents of newborn children, and is relatively common in the USA. It is now becoming increasingly common in the UK. These cells have been used for bone marrow transplants since 1988. They may, in the future, offer a cure for many diseases for which there is presently no cure. Conditions and injuries such as heart disease, brain damage, deafness, blindness and diabetes. Even hair loss and missing teeth could be treatable in the future.

The idea behind storage of your child's stem cells is that they will have a supply of compatible cell types to be used in the treatment of any disease, injury or condition that they might suffer from in the future. Obviously, this also depends on advances being made in medical procedures using these cells. If a cure for this condition has not been discovered by the time the child has developed it, then they are of no use for treatment purposes. The current range of conditions treatable with stem cells is relatively small, however, significant time and money is being put into this area of research and future cures seem to be highly likely.

The storage process begins at the birth of the child, using an umbilical cord blood collection kit supplied by the cord blood storage company. A healthcare professional (a phlebotomist, doctor, nurse etc.) collects blood from the umbilical cord using the collection kit. The process is painless for both mother and baby, and is completely harmless to both. The blood is then transported to the laboratory for processing by the technicians. In some laboratories the whole blood is frozen, but other laboratories extract the stem cells before freezing. The sample is frozen using liquid nitrogen at around minus 190 degrees Celsius, and can be stored in the storage tank at this temperature indefinitely. Some storage tanks use liquid phase nitrogen and some use vapour phase nitrogen. Vapour phase nitrogen appears to be increasingly popular as there has been some evidence of liquid phase nitrogen transferring infectious diseases from one sample to others.

Visit the author's site for more information about stem cell storage

Sky High Cloud Formations By Khaty Panambo

Cloud formations has fascinated the young and old worldwide. Being the subject of too many photographs and children's poems, it is safe to say that people spend their time staring up the sky and trying to determine cloud formations. Cloud watching is perfect for long and lazy afternoons. But its purpose does not only serve the aesthetic value but also other effects such as trying to determine the weather.

There are different types of cloud formations. Each formation of clouds lend different shapes and appear differently as well as signal different types of weather. Nimbus clouds, stratus clouds, cumulus clouds all mean different types of weather all ranging from sunny days to dark and ominous rains.

Since time in memoriam, meteorologists observe clouds and cloud formation when trying to predict the weather. True that today's weather men have sophisticated equipment but they still rely on clouds and cloud formations to tell them the indication of rain or snow or sunny days. Clouds are located in different parts of the atmosphere, their shape, appearance and position in the atmosphere could tell the meteorologist and even the laymen some weather predictions.

The next time you look up the sky, remember that clouds do more than just form shapes of bunnies and wizards, they also signal rain or a bright day ahead.

Clouds are a mass of visible water formed in the sky. Clouds form because of the expansion of rising air mass. When dust, ice, salt and water condense, they form clouds. The process is, theoretically, simple. Air contains water vapor. This vapor is cooled below the dew point. This causes moisture which condenses in the atmosphere.

Formation of Clouds
http://formationofclouds.com/

Larvivorous Fishes - A Measure For Mosquito Control! By Navodita Maurice

Nature is magnificent, full of diverse, bizarre flora as well as fauna. Some creatures are useful for us while some create hindrance for our healthy living. These disturbing elements "mosquitoes" play a very crucial role in making our life unhealthy. Mosquitoes are vectors of several diseases and carry parasites of malaria, filaria, yellow fever etc. They breed in all sorts of stagnant water and shallow weed infested ponds, swamps, pits, gutters and all other kinds of inland water bodies. Different species of mosquitoes prefer different places for breeding. During last few years DDT and other insecticides have been used for controlling mosquito menace but these chemicals caused many ill-effects on the human health.

Fish are a natural enemy of mosquito larvae and eggs hence, is a good ecological means of bilogical control practiced since olden times. Sveral species of fresh water fishes have been used for controlling the population of mosquitoes. These fishes are termed as "LARVIVOROUS FISHES". For a fish to be used as a larvivorous fish it must contain following characters:

1. It much be of small size so as to move freely,
2. It should be hardy fish,surviving in deep as well as in shallow water,
3. It should breed freely in confined waters,
4. It should be a surface feeder and carnivorous in habit,
5. It should have no food value.

The eggs, larvae and adults of mosquitoes form excellent food for the fishes. Some fishes feed on mosquitoes throughout their life while others prefer to feed on them for only a particular period of their life. The fishes that feed on mosquitoes throughout their life are basically used for larvicidal purposes of bilogical control. There are several exotic as well as indigenous species of fishes that are good biocontrol agents.

Exotic Species

Caraassius auratus, Lebistes sp., Gambusia offinis.

Indigenous Species

Notopterus, Oxygaster, Danio, Anabas, Mugil etc.

Biological control with the help of fishes is the most practical and cheap method. Fishes belonging to the family Cyprinodontidae are most efficient larvivorous fishes and satisfy all the characters that are needed for effective mosquito control. This practice of effective biocontrol needs much more efforts to be used on mass scale.

Navodita Maurice

Long-Necked Dinosaurs - Did Sauropods Hold Their Heads Up High? The Debate Continues By Mike Walley

The debate over the posture of the Sauropodomorphs has been opened up again with a new research paper published by a team of scientists from the University of Portsmouth, England. Sauropodomorpha is the correct taxonomic name for a Sub-Order of the Superorder Dinosauria. It contains the long-necked herbivores with lizard-like feet such as the Diplodocids and Brachiosaurs. It was one of two general clades from the Order Saurischia (lizard-hipped dinosaurs). This particular group of dinosaurs includes some very well known genera such as Diplodocus, Apatosaurus, and Barosaurus. Most young children will be familiar with these elephantine creatures, with their long necks and long tails. These animals (also termed Sauropods) are believed by scientists to be the largest land animals in the fossil record. Once again, most young children can tell you at least one or two items of information about these particular dinosaurs. For example, when we visit schools the enormous dimensions of some of these animals are frequently recited to us by enthusiastic dinosaur fans.

It is true that many of these Mesozoic monsters could have reached lengths in excess of 30 metres and weighed upwards of fifty tonnes or more, but despite their fossilised bones dominating the vestibules and grand halls of many a museum, palaeontologists know surprisingly little about their posture.

In the late 1980s and 1990s many a large Sauropod exhibit was re-mounted in a different pose as scientists concluded that in most case the tails of these animals did not drag on the ground. The accepted consensus at present is that most of the Sauropods held their tails straight out behind them, this explains why the Diplodocus (Diplodocus carnegiei) that dominates the entrance to the Natural History Museum in London had to be reassembled in 1994.

However, the debate over the posture and head position of the Sauropodomorphs has been opened up again with the new paper from the University of Portsmouth team. Just when we thought the back ends were sorted so differing opinions as to the flexibility and natural position of Sauropod necks have risen up again (no pun intended).

The University of Portsmouth team, led by Dr. Mike Taylor compared the cervical vertebrae (neck bones) of a number of Sauropods with mammals and birds that are alive today (extant species). By examining the skeletons and muscle structure of living animals which share the dinosaur's upright stance (mammals and birds), the researchers have concluded that the long-necked dinosaurs may have held their heads higher than previously thought, for much of the time.

This study is in contrast to earlier work (published this year), from the University of Adelaide, led by evolutionary biologist Dr. Roger Seymour. In this research paper, the swan-like neck pose of Sauropods was refuted. It was calculated that these reptiles were not capable of maintaining a high enough blood pressure to permit blood circulation from the heart to the brain. The pressure required to drive blood fifteen of so metres vertically upwards to reach the heads of the largest Sauropods would, it was calculated, be nearly fatal.

The accepted doctrine is that Sauropods held their heads relatively in line with their shoulders and they were unable to maintain a head held in a more vertical position. The range of movement in the neck of a dinosaur such as an Apatosaurus was believed to be quite constrained permitting the lifting of the neck only a few tens of degrees from the horizontal.

Dr. Taylor and his team used X-rays and other sophisticated techniques to plot the movement range capabilities of the necks of several Sauropods. Based on this study, the team concluded that Sauropods could have held their heads in a more vertically inclined position, similar to the way that mammals such as ourselves do.

The problem is, with the lack of preserved soft-tissue such as tendons and muscle in the Sauropod fossil record it is difficult to interpret the articulation and movement of the fossilised bones in isolation. The public can be lulled into a sense of thinking that scientists know all there is to know about dinosaurs, this is far from the truth. Even some of the best known dinosaurs, the ones generated by CGI for the movies, still refuse to yield their secrets and the debate over the posture of these huge dinosaurs is set to continue.

One of the drawbacks of using extant species to study dinosaurs, is that no animals today are really comparable with these leviathans from the Age of Reptiles. Perhaps a more complete specimen will be found soon, one that has elements of soft tissue preservation that may shed more light on the mystery of how Sauropods held their heads.

The history of palaeontology shows that a number of contrasting theories regarding the posture of Sauropods have held sway in the past, it looks like that for the immediate future the debate over the position of the heads of long-necked dinosaurs is set to continue.

Everything Dinosaur is a company run by parents, teachers and real dinosaur experts. It specialises in developing educational dinosaur toys, models, clothing and games and strives to help young people learn more about science through their fascination with prehistoric animals. Many of the items featured on the Everything Dinosaur website http://everythingdinosaur.com/ have been designed and tested by the teachers and real dinosaur experts in the company.

To learn more about the products and services we offer at Everything Dinosaur click on our website links.

Our aim is to help young people learn more about Earth sciences through their fascination with dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. Team members are happy to provide advice and support supplying free quizzes, drawing materials, puzzles, games even recipes for dinosaur themed biscuits and birthday cakes. With something like 600 products on line including dinosaur party supplies, Everything Dinosaur http://everythingdinosaur.com/ has built up a strong reputation assisting parents, guardians and fellow teachers, helping young people to learn more about science through creative play.

Review of Procon-Collecta Sarcosuchus Model (Model of a Giant Prehistoric Crocodile) By Mike Walley

One of the great pleasures of collecting dinosaur and prehistoric animal models is being able to pick up models that represent the more unusual and spectacular creatures from the known fossil record. As a fan of crocodilians it is always exciting to hear of a new model of a prehistoric crocodile being introduced. Crocodiles are quite under represented in the world of prehistoric animal model collecting. Certainly, given the fact that the basic crocodile body plan has been in existence for at least 200 million years, only a few manufacturers have produced models of prehistoric crocodiles. Schleich introduced a Deinosuchus (means Terrible Crocodile) model a few years ago, but this was officially retired after just 24 months and so has become quite rare. Safari Carnegie introduced a model of Deinosuchus in 1996 and it is pleasing to say that this 22 cm model is still in production.

However, as far as we can recall, no manufacturer has introduced a model of Sarcosuchus (Flesh Crocodile), until now with the introduction of the Sarcosuchus model from Procon/Collecta. The Sarcosuchus represents a trend from the company to depart from the classical dinosaur models and introduce models of other prehistoric animals. We hope that this trends continues as the Superorder Dinosauria only represents part of the mega fauna of the Mesozoic.

The Sarcosuchus model is brown and mottled in appearance. Care has been taken to show the heavy armour plate on the animal's back (scutes) and the triangular armour that ran down the tail. Sarcosuchus is posed in a typical crocodilian semi-erect stance, the tail is slightly bent and the jaws open revealing nice mouth details and well-painted conical teeth. As with all Procon/Collecta models, the Sarcosuchus has been created by referring to real experts. Team members at Everything Dinosaur have provided advice on a number of models and we appreciate the trouble taken by the manufacturer to get the detailing as accurate as possible. For example, it is nice to see the correct number of digits displayed on the hind and front feet.

The snout even has a reasonable interpretation of the strange depression at the tip (the bulla). Sarcosuchus is one of the very few large fossil crocodile genera with almost complete skull material known. Scientists are unsure as to the function of the bulla. It could have helped the animal's sense of smell or perhaps to vocalise calls.

Fossils of this prehistoric crocodile have been found in Niger (Africa), they date from approximately 112-110 million years ago (Cretaceous). Although it is difficult to accurately assess the maximum size of this animal, palaeontologists have estimated that it could have reached lengths of 12 metres or more and weighed as much as 8,000 kilogrammes.

Although this model is not to scale, it does measure more than 20 cm long and is nicely detailed and a fair representation of the latest thinking regarding this ancient, prehistoric animal. The Sarcosuchus model makes a great addition to a model fan's collection and is priced very reasonably making it very affordable and suitable for school and home projects.

In order to protect the jaws, the model is supplied by Everything Dinosaur with padding wrapped around the mouth, it looks like Sarcosuchus is chomping on a giant marshmallow. Add him to your collection and depict him attacking Iguanodontids as they come down to the river to drink.

Everything Dinosaur is a company run by parents, teachers and real dinosaur experts. It specialises in developing educational dinosaur toys, models, clothing and games and strives to help young people learn more about science through their fascination with prehistoric animals. Many of the items featured on the Everything Dinosaur website http://everythingdinosaur.com/ have been designed and tested by the teachers and real dinosaur experts in the company.

To learn more about the products and services we offer at Everything Dinosaur click on our website links.

Our aim is to help young people learn more about Earth sciences through their fascination with dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. Team members are happy to provide advice and support supplying free quizzes, drawing materials, puzzles, games even recipes for dinosaur themed biscuits and birthday cakes. With something like 600 products on line including dinosaur party supplies, Everything Dinosaur http://everythingdinosaur.com/ has built up a strong reputation assisting parents, guardians and fellow teachers, helping young people to learn more about science through creative play.

Sailors and Their Big Time Balls By Kris Jackson

On the last day of 1907, a crowd gathered in New York City's Times Square. They were there to witness a special event which continues to this day. For this was the first time the New Year's Eve Ball on the flagpole atop One Times Square was dropped to bring in the new year. But long before this became an annual event, other "time balls" around the world were in use daily to announce the local time.

The idea for dropping a ball to signal an exact time was first suggested by Royal Navy Captain Robert Wauchope in 1818. Like all sailors he relied on the accuracy of his ship's chronograph to keep time for navigation purposes. So naturally it was helpful to have an accurate reference to occasionally check the chronograph.

Captain Wauchope's suggestion was to have a ball dropped down a pole at a certain time every day. The pole would be mounted high enough for the ball drop to be seen by ships in the harbor. Like most large organizations, the British Admiralty moved slowly and it wasn't until 1829, that the first time ball was installed at Portsmouth England. And despite its success, it was another four years before the second time ball was installed atop England's Royal Observatory at Greenwich.

Although the original wooden ball used at Greenwich was replaced by an aluminum version in 1919, the tradition was left unchanged. So every day (barring high winds) at precisely one o'clock the bright red Greenwich Time Ball drops. And unlike the Times Square Ball, but like other true time balls, the time is signaled when the ball is released, not when it reaches the bottom of the pole.

The British Navy wasn't the only military force which liked Captain Wauchope's idea. In 1830, Wauchope wrote the United States Government and suggested they too could benefit from the use of time balls. But much like the Royal Navy, the U.S. Navy was slow to act on the idea.

The U.S. Naval Observatory, which was built in 1844, had the responsibility for maintaining the accuracy of the Navy's chronometers. At the instruction of the Secretary of the Navy, the first American time ball was installed atop the Observatory in 1845. The time ball was dropped daily at Noon for the benefit of the ships in the Potomac River as well as Washington's citizens.

Later, with the spread of the telegraph, the Observatory was able to transmit the accurate time across the country. It also connected to other observatories to help refine the measurement of longitude.

As technology created the means to provide instant communication over a wide area, time balls lost their value. From the first radio time signal generated in 1904 to the satellite signals provided by the Naval Observatory today, access to accurate time is everywhere. And with the Observatory's system of atomic clocks, the most demanding needs for accuracy can be met. Its current generation of clocks will lose or gain no more than one second in 30 million years.

Time balls signal the hour only once a day. But if you want to find out what time it is more often, check out an elegant woman's watch at http://www.MovadoAmorosa.com

Educating Ourselves With the Significant Properties of Sodium Hydroxide By Jo Alelsto

Sodium hydroxide is an important industrial chemical. It is used in manufacturing soaps and detergents, household cleaning agents, paper, and textiles. Pure form of this inorganic base occurs as a white solid commonly available in form of granules, flakes or pellets. It may also be present in varying concentrations in aqueous solutions.

It has a chemical formula of NaOH and is a commonly used base in chemistry laboratories. The pure compound is water-loving and chemists call it a hygroscopic substance. It also readily reacts with carbon dioxide, which is an acidic anhydride, forming a basic salt called sodium carbonate. Because of its reactivity, the compound is often sealed in an airtight container. It dissolves in water forming heat-evolving solutions. This liberation of heat may be enough to ignite flammable or combustible matter nearby. The compound is known to be ionic, dissociating completely into sodium cations and hydroxide anions in aqueous solutions. However, these ions are also present when salt (NaCl), which is also an ionic substance, is dissolved in water.

It is known popularly in basic chemistry that this compound reacts with hydrochloric acid to form sodium chloride or table salt. This popular neutralization reaction can be written as

NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) ’ NaCl(aq) + H2O(l).

It is a wonder all these compounds are present in household substances; sodium hydroxide being found in cleaning agents, hydrochloric acid in bleaching and toilet cleaning liquids, and sodium chloride commonly found as table salt. This neutralization reaction is exothermic or heat-releasing. This reaction with acids has an important role in chemical analysis known as titration, which measures the amount of acid present in a specific solution.

As earlier mentioned the compound reacts with carbon dioxide which is an acidic oxide. It is also known to react with other acidic oxides like sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which are particularly harmful and toxic gases. Their reaction with sodium hydroxide prevents them from being released into the atmosphere and becoming air pollutants.

The compound is known to undergo slow reaction with glass, forming a compound known as sodium silicate. Hence, glass joints and valves in pipes exposed to the chemical may tend to freeze as a result of the reaction. Glass wares containing hot NaOH can become damaged after long periods. Frosted glass is a feature of damage due to the alkaline.

The base undergoes violent reactions with other transition metals, with a particular exception on iron, which is not an amphoteric metal. An amphoteric substance acts either as a base or an acid, and therefore has the property to react with both acids and bases. A number of transition metals like aluminum have this property.

A mistake was made in United Kingdom where an aluminum road tanker was used to transport a solution containing 25% NaOH in its compartment. That tanker was damaged due to direct reaction of aluminum with the alkaline and liberation of hydrogen gas causing pressure to build inside the tanker. The reaction yields sodium aluminate and hydrogen gas. Like the acid-base neutralization reaction, this one is also exothermic. This particular reaction with aluminum has been proposed to be a prospective source of fuel for hydrogen-powered cars.

Most hydroxides of metals, except NaOH are insoluble in water. That is why this substance is used to precipitate insoluble hydroxide. For instance, when aluminum sulfate reacts with sodium hydroxide, the resulting compound is aluminum hydroxide, which is used in water treatment process called flocculation.

The alkaline reacts with carboxylic acids. An important reaction is between NaOH and stearic acid (a saturated fatty acid), which yields sodium stearate through a process called saponification. Sodium stearate is a major constituent of soaps. This is how important lye or caustic soda is in soap manufacturing.

Jo is a content writer for 'ReAgent Chemical Services Ltd' (http://www.reagent.co.uk), a reputable UK based chemical producer that makes, carries and supplies a wide range of premium chemical. If your firm is seeking premium chemical product for example Sodium Hydroxide or has other industrial chemical needs for purposes similar to chemical syntheses, analytical uses and cleaning then check out ReAgent Chemical Services Ltd.