Friday, October 15, 2010

The Shark Finning Industry- Harriette Fletcher

90357270408ebda48a5c1ac4ef29.jpeg


I. Introduction

Thesis:

Shark finning has been introduced to the public more profound now that people have taken notice to the cruelty and decline of the shark population. The finning industry has caused major problems for the survival of the shark and the ecosystem that is effect by the pressence of the sharks excistence. Sharks are amazing creatures due to their since they have been able to outlive the dinosaurs and have been able to survive most events where their existence has been threatened. The economy in most countries have been widely effect by the impact of the shark to, due to their fins which are valued so much in most countries such as China and Japan. The ones who are catching and finning the sharks are so motivated to due so is because the amount of money they are payed per fin and for their work, which causes them to be more aggressive in there finning buisness. Shark finning has affected the world through economy and the way the ocean's environment if supported and kept at a healthy balance. Activistes like the Sea Shepered and Rob Stewart are marjor contributors to helping save the sharks. People are finally taught and shown how sharks are not the enemy, and how they are an important factor to nature have actually done something to protect these creatures they once feared. Conservationist have seeked help from most governments and from some congresses to help start Acts and Movements against the industries of shark finning.

Introduction to Sharks:

Sharks have inhabited the Earth for millions of years, living in the age of the dinosaur and surving the extinction to be able to live in present day. Sharks are the top predators of the ocean, that vary in size from the cute Bamboo shark of 48 in. to the gigantic beauty of the Whale shark of 41 ft. They have been feared by humans for many years, influenced by the movie Jaws which had a major impact on the view of people and similar movies and tv shows. Sharks are one of the most misunderstood creatures in the world.
Most people believe sharks are out to kill and eat them. This thought is proven wrong by many researchers and scientists, and all lovers of sharks. Most of the time, sharks attack us because we resemble their pray if on a surfboard or splashing around in more murky places. Sharks have similar but not the same vision we do, scientist believing that they are far sighted and have trouble seeing in close ranges. When a person usually dies from a shark attack, it's not because they are eaten, it's due to the loss of blood. The bite of a shark is as though you are sticking needles into your flesh, where it is almost impossible to take junks out or to tear at the meat; that is why they have to thrash their heads so they are able to then get the meat off that they need for consumption. If they wanted to kill and eat us for their meal they would.
Most attacks that shark are known for are called the hit-and-run attack. This is were the shark bites their victim and releases, departing from the scene. The reason they do this attack is either mistaken identity or a warning, motioning that you are entering their territory and they dislike that you are invading it. Another factor is called the Bump and Bite or Sneak Attacks. These occure mostly when there is a plane wreck or ship wreck, where it is open water and this is the only source of food a shark can find. An example of this is during the USS Indianapolis.
Due to the fear from movies and attacks in real life, it's hard for people to help or save something that they fear deep in their hearts.

II. Economy & Effects

Sharks have been around for more than 400 million years, outliving the existence of humans and are thought by those, as predators. But, who really is the predator? Shark finning has become a major industry, found mostly in China, which can produce $500 million per year due to the increased demand in shark fin soup. Before, shark fin soup was for the elite of society to consume, symbolizing great wealth, health, and honor. Now it has become more relaxed to the point where almost everyone eats the soup now. Almost 100 different countries are involved with this industry, but the main consumer countries include: China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand; the US and the EU are becoming major consumers too due to their Chinese communities.
The shark fins in the shark fin soup only add a texture, since they are flavorless, and have a very little nutritional value to them; chicken or fish broth is added to the dish to give it's taste. A bowl of this stuff can cost up to $100 per bowl, as if usually served at weddings and special occasions since it shows guests great hospitality, and also showing one's wealth and status. For cheaper buffet type restaurants a bowl can sell up to $10.
Each year 73 million to 100 million sharks are killed for the soul purpose of their fins, and this increasing number of kills calls to a big decline of the shark population. Catching sharks and finning them, then throwing them back in the ocean to sink and drown is the procedure of shark finning. 70 to 80 percent of the shark population has declined, with this most sharks have been put on the Redlist of shark species; "up to 110 species of shark are either critically endangered (19), endangered (25), or vulnerable (66), while further 96 are facing some level of threat. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to list the Great White, Basking, and Whale Shark on Appendix II, which imposes restrictions on international commerce in those species."
In places like Taiwan, shark finning is not illegal, and most other places are very loose about their regulations, and only some countries regulate that you have to bring the shark back to port before you can fin them. " In recent years, Cocos Island had become another battleground in the fight to save the shark. Cocos Island, recently declared a nation park," was once a thriving place for sharks to live. Most places that illegal for shark fishing and finning, that is where you can find most activity of fishermen, since sharks are protected there , there would be a higher number of sharks living then where most finners fish. "Some countries, such as Costa Rica, have strong shark finning regulations but lack the resources to enforce them. In the United States, recent Coast Guard actions against shark finning vessels have uncovered large shipments of illegal and unreported shark fins."
Even though it is a very demanded thing, for shark fins, test from Hong Kong and Thailand have found large amounts commonly in shark fins. The mercury has exceeded recommended safe levels, which if there is a large consumption of shark fin there could be a major "widespread of public health problems resulting from mercury poisoning.

Whaleshark+finned+10.jpg



III. Conclusion

To my conclusion, the rate of the shark population is decreasing fast, and without help from laws and conservationist, in a couple decades we may no longer live with sharks, for they may be extinct. With their extinction, the ecosystem would be thrown off balance and we don't know if that could effect our life and the life of our planet. The shark finning industry would have a hard time in decreasing kills since it does bring them the profit of $500 million a year, and it would be harder to enforce laws, and to keep them enforced. The shark fin itself is completely tasteless and can cause us such high risk of mercury poisoning and health problems, so why even risk. Not even can we get hurt by the shark fin itself, but the shark suffers tremendously due to it's fins being completely cut of and left to drown in it's own home. If we don't shape up, we will lose our most valuable predator that has roamed these ocean for more then 400 million years. So now can you tell me, who is the predator here?

IV. Sources

http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/occoa12&div=16&id=&page

http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=10574858809426807872&q=shark+finning&hl=en&as_sdt=40002

http://www.hsus.org/hsi/oceans/sharks/shark_finning/dying_for_a_bowl_of_soup.html

http://articles.cnn.com/2008-12-10/world/pip.shark.finning_1_shark-fin-shark-populations-top-predator?_s=PM:WORLD

http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/08/05/a-world-without-sharks

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/sharks1.html





I. Introduction: Airplanes are vehicles that are used as air transportation. The airplane was invented by Wilbur and Orrville Wright. The invention happened during the early 1900’s.
II. Discovery: ever since the kite was first invented in china around 400 B.C. humans have always been thinking about flight. Leonardo da Vinci made the first real studies about human flight in the 1480’s. Da Vinci had over 100 drawing and illustrations of ideas about human flight like a bird. His drawings illustrated the wings and tail of a bird for a human carrying machine. The Ornithoper was one of Da Vinci’s best flight illustrations. The helicopter was based right off of the illustration of the Ornithoper machine. In 1783, Joseph Michael and Jacques Etienne Montgolfier were the first people to invent the hot air balloon. They used smoke from a fire to blow hot air into a silk bag. The hot air rose and then lifted the balloon and made it lighter than air. The first pass3engers were roster sand sheep’s, the balloon reached a height of 6,000 feet and traveled more than a mile. Sir George Cayley is considered the father of aero dynamics, he invented the first glider and for 50 year he kept experimenting with the design of the wing. Cayley was to first one to notice that a flight machine would need machine power if it was going to be in the air for a long period of time. German engineer Otto Lilienthal was the first person to fly a glider for a long period of time in 1981. He completed nearly 2500 flights until on flight there was a sudden gust of wind on his landing and he crashed and died. In 1891 Samuel Langley created a model of a plane called an aerodrome that he use large whirling arms and stream power. The aerodrome went 3/4s of a mile until it ran out of fuel. Orville and Wilbur Wright spent many learning about all of the earlier developments of flight. After many test of finding the right glider that would consistently fly in the wind tunnels and in the North Carolina outer banks dunes, they turned their attention to create a propulsions system that would create the lift needed to fly. The early engine they used created almost 12 horsepower. The flyer lifted from level ground to the north of big kill devil hill on December 17, 1903. Orville was the one that piloted the plane. The plane weighed 605 pounds and traveled 125 feet in 12 seconds. This flight was the first heavier than air flight ever. In 1909, the U.S government bought its first airplane. It was a Wright brother’s biplane; they bought the plane for $25000 plus a bonus $5000 because it exceeded 45 mph. in 1911, the Wright brothers Vin Fiz was the first plane to fly across the United States of America. This flight took 84 days stopping a total of 70 times; it crash landed so many times that nearly any of the parts are still remaining. In 1912, the Wright brothers created the first armed airplane. The airplane had a machine gun attached; it was flown at the airport in college park, Maryland. The airport had existed since 1909 when the Wright brothers took their government purchased airplane there to teach army officers to fly.
III. Biography of investigator: Wilbur and Orville Wright were the two sons of Milton Wright, a bishop of the united brethren in Christ. Wilbur was born on April 16, 1867 in Millville, Indiana. Orville was born august 19, 1871 in Dayton, Ohio. Orville was full of ideas and enthusiasm and Wilbur was more of mature of habits and more likely to see a project through. While in high school, Wilbur intended to go to Yale and study to be a clergy man; but he suffered a facial injury while playing hockey and that prevented him continuing his education. For the next three years Wilbur continued his education by reading in his father’s large library. In 1892 they opened a shop in Dayton called Wright cycle shop, so when the Wright brothers changed their focus to flight they already had knowledge of how to build machines. The Wright brothers decided to educate themselves in the world of light when Otto Lilienthal died in 1896 due to one his glider tests. In 1909 the Wright brothers opened up the American Wright company, and in 1912 Wilbur died. Orville turned over the firm after Wilbur’s death and turned over manufacturing to experimental work. Orville then worked for NASA until his death in 1948.
IV. Impact on the world/humanity: the invention airplanes changed many things in human life. It made very long distances of transportation very easy by flying. It made an entire new style and advantage of how to fight wars. It made easy access to use massive bombs in wars. In all was it was a very useful device both transportation and war.
V. Journal Article Review: the wirght brothere ideas in flight ffirst came to a spark when otto lienthiel died on one of his glider test. They made one aircraft annd contiuosley test and rebuilt untill it was functoining perfectly. The wright brothers made history with the flyer 1. By october 1905 they made the flyer 1 able to fly ffor 30 minutes. They brothers continued to design and sell aircraft to foriegin government untill they both died.

References
Bellis, M. (n.d.). The Wright Brothers - First Flight of an Airplane. Inventors. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from http://inventors.about.com/od/wstartinventors/a/TheWrightBrother.htm
Early History of Flight - Kites - Hot Air Balloons - Early Gliders. (n.d.). Inventors. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blearlyflight.htm
Wright Brothers Biography - life, story, death, school, young, information, born, contract, house, time. (n.d.). Encyclopedia of World Biography. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from http://www.notablebiographies.com/We-Z/Wright-Brothers.html



Shingles by: Taylor MacFarlane

I. Introduction
Shingles (Herpes Zoster) is a painful virus caused by the varicella-zoster virus which also causes chickenpox. It will appear as a rash on the skin but really is a cluster of blisters (“Shingles,” 1998). Shingles has affected the world dramatically ever since the discovery by William Herberden of how to determine the differences between shingles and smallpox in the 1700’s. The severity of this extremely painful virus wasn’t brought to anyone’s attention until the 1940’s and 1950’s (“Shingles symptoms guide,” 2009).

II. Discovery
The shingles virus has been around since the era of smallpox, but it was very difficult to determine the difference between the two. William Herberden found a way to identify the two illnesses separately in the 1700’s. Shingles was not thought of as a very serious condition until severe cases occurred in the 40’s and 50’s. It is believed that at least once in a person’s lifetime, they will contact the shingles virus and may possibly have the chance to develop it later on in their lives (“Shingles symptoms guide,” 2009).
The herpes zoster virus stems from the chickenpox virus, varicella-zoster (“Shingles,” 1998). The tricky part about this virus is the possibility of misdiagnosis because of the general symptoms like headache, fever, and body aches and pains. If you do not catch this virus early, it can get out of hand easily and quickly. The rash will start to emerge on the skin and may even become painful to the touch. Some symptoms more advanced into the illness are tingling, aching, and sharp shooting pains. This virus generally will occur around your torso and can spread to any other part of the body. It is very serious when the shingles virus appears around or on the eyes or ears. Keratitis, optic nerve palsies, ocular inflammation, pain, and loss of vision are possible results of the virus spreading to the eye. If it is spread to the ear, hearing loss and vertigo are possible symptoms. This shingles virus is contagious, but if you have contacted the virus as a child, you cannot get the shingles virus as an adult. If you are contacted by shingles and have not had the chickenpox, then you will get the chickenpox virus rather than the shingles virus (“Shingles symptoms guide,” 2009). If you have had chickenpox, have been contacted by the virus, or have had the vaccination, there is a possibility that you can have the virus is inactive in your nervous system near your spine and brain. It can be 10 years until the virus becomes active again or for the first time (“Shingles,” 1998).

III. Treatment
As stated before, the shingles virus is a very painful virus. People are at the highest risk of this virus if they have had chickenpox, are experiencing emotional stress, have a weakened immune system, or people over the age of sixty. Just to clear things up, this is a herpes virus, but not the same as the sexually transmitted diseases. This virus is contagious to only to the people that have not had the chickenpox yet and have contacted the shingles virus. For example, when I had shingles, my friend, Katerina, touched one of my open blisters with a cut on her hand. If she has never had the chicken pox virus, then she will develop it or shingles instead (“Shingles symptoms guide,” 2009).
The treatment of this virus takes up to four weeks and may be even longer if not treated early with medications from a doctor. Antivirus medications will heal the virus and can either be applied topically or taken in pill form. In extreme cases, steroids may be suggested. Any over the counter medications are helpful in reducing pain. In rare cases, like having shingles on your face, it is needed to be taken care of as soon as possible to prevent further serious complications (“Shingles symptoms guide,” 2009).
There is a vaccine available for people that have had the virus and are over the age of sixty. This type of treatment should not be used with people that have a weakened immune system or is undergoing cancer radiation. This can be dangerous because the vaccine contains the live virus and may be harmful to the person (“Shingles symptoms guide,” 2009).

IV. Impact on the World/Humanity
Shingles have impacted our world dramatically. It wasn’t realized how serious the virus really was until the 1940’s and 1950’s. 2 Each year, roughly 1 million Americans are treated for shingles or complication of it. 2.1 million people in America go to the doctor for treatment of shingles of its complications. The average cost per year for the treatment of shingles is around $566 million and it is $525 person (“U.s. shingles statistics”, 2008).

V. Journal Article Review
The entire DNA sequence of shingles was found by using the technology of M13-dideoxynucleotide. The genome, which is the full set of chromosomes, is changing in size. The sequence was acquired comprises 124884 bp. The genome contains 70 genes which are evenly spread out through two strands of DNA. The genes are condensed, but the protein-coding regions that overlap are not thorough. The majority of the genes are sorted in 3’coterminal families (Virol, 1986).

List of References:
• Shingles. (1998). Retrieved on October 2, 2010 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shingles/DS00098
• Shingles symptoms guide. (2009). Retrieved on October 2, 2010 from http://shinglessymptomsguide.com/
• U.s. shingles statistics. (2008). Retrieved on October 11, 2010 from http://www.news-medical.net/news/2008/01/16/34393.aspx
• Virol, J. (1986). The complete dna sequence of varicella-zoster virus. Retrieved on October 9, 2010 from http://vir.sgmjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/67/9/1759

The Airpod

I. Introduction

The Airpod is an environmentally safe automobile that runs off of compressed air. Not only is it a combustion-free vehicle, but it purifies the air it takes in. It is priced in small faculties, which is easy to manage for the average person. The first Airpod was released in France, in the end of 2009. Guy Negre, the owner and creator of MDI enterprises, brought the idea of a compressed air car to life with the help of Tata Motors. The Airpod brings the concept of “environmentally safe” to an all new level.

II. Discovery:

The 6 foot long, 450 pound Airpod carries up to four people. It’s sleek and futuristic design, catches the eyes of just about anyone. It’s steered not by a steering wheel, but by joystick. Its shatter-proof air tanks hold up to 175 liters of air that can be filled in approximately 90 seconds. The tiny engine that is powered by these tanks is capable of 5.4 horse power. This car is not only an air compressor, but hybrid as well. If the car is running strictly by compressed air, then it can reach up to 40 mph, and a range of 65 miles on a one minute recharge. When using petroleum, it can reach up to 100 mph and 900 miles on one gallon! The Airpod range is almost twice as much as the leading electric car! No combustion takes place in the engine, so no pollution is present. Negre claims that the air from the exhaust pipe is cleaner than the air it takes in. In fact, there is an internal filter built in the car, so it purifies the air that it consumes. It’s almost as if it’s an air purifier, let alone a car. For now the Airpod is used for urban transportation, but in the near future it is expected to hit the streets of just about anywhere.
Figure 1 Figure 2



III. Biography:

Guy Negre is very well known in the world of mechanical engineering. He began
his career working in aeronautics. His early achievements consisted of a formula 1 race car 12 cylinder W engine, an air compressed engine, a piston stopping device, and the Active Chamber (an engine efficiency device). So far in his lifetime, he has designed over 100 different engines! Guy Negre then began aiming toward reducing the use of petroleum consumption, and began his air compressing career. In 1991, he created Motor Development International, or MDI enterprises.
MDI’s base is in the heart of Luxemburg, London. The company aims towards making non pollutant vehicles to promote and develop ecological energies. There are only 50 employees in the business, but with the help of Tata Motors, they are able to produce wonders. MDI worked on creating a working air compressed car for a mere decade, and released the first one in 1996 (of course, this was only the first generation). Now, MDI has multiple styles of air compressed cars such as the OneFlowAir, MiniFlowAir, CityFlowAir, and MultiFormAir.

Figure 3



IV. Impact on the world/humanity:
The Airpod is a very efficient way to “go green” for many reasons. First, it uses and purifies the air around us without the need of gasoline. Gasoline causes pollution, which is extremely bad for the environment. The no pollution policy at MDI motors makes sure that none of their vehicles come close to polluting our air. The generators in the vehicle actually cleanse the air that it takes in, leaving cleaner air in its tracks. Also, the cost of gasoline is expensive. The cost to fill up the Airpod is about half of what we pay for gas. Secondly, the car is much smaller than the average car you see driving around your town, unless you live in Germany or Sweden where the Airpod is already present. This means that less material is used in the making of the car. Lastly, the price of the Airpod is less than 10,000 dollars. Compared to our vehicles in the United States, that is extremely cheap. This could be the example of the perfect car for just about anyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyvJgQrVAXY&feature=related
This is a video of the Airpod driving the streets of Amsterdam.

V. Journal Article Review
This article provided me with a ton of information on how the car helps the environment. This car is expected to be an energy conservation revolution. The cars have already started hitting the street of many European countries, and are going to become more and more popular around the whole globe. MDI has spent approximately two years building this car, and they have improved it greatly. If everyone owned an Airpod, pollution would be no longer and the world would be a safer, cleaner environment.

VI. Sources

Ev World (October 28, 2008). “Airpod: The Other Electric Car”.
Retrieved from http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=1561

Alex Benady (May 14, 2009). “On the road with the Airpod air-powered car”.
Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/14/air-powered-car-hybrid-france

Rebecca Harrison (October 27, 2002). “Compressed air car moves forward”.
Retrieved from http://www.rexresearch.com/negre/negre.htm

Sally Dominguez (April 30, 2010). “Three-wheelers burst into favour”.
Retrieved from http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/threewheelers-burst-into-favour-20100429-tu1r.html

Unknown (unknown) “The story of Negre and MDI”.
Retrieved from http://users.telenet.be/sarahgrimonprez/didier/aircars/html/Guy%20NegreENG.html

For article
Car Type review (October 10, 2009). “MDI Airpod: 2009”
Retrieved from
http://www.cartype.com/pages/3582/mdi_airpod__2009

For figures

Figure 1 is retrieved from
http://www.ideaconnection.com/new-inventions/mdi-air-powered-car-release-date-02601.html

Figure 2 is retrieved from
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.linternaute.com/auto/salons-mondial/photo/geneve-2009-les-photos-insolites-du-salon-de-geneve/image/airpod-390724.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.linternaute.com/auto/salons-mondial/photo/geneve-2009-les-photos-insolites-du-salon-de-geneve/l-airpod-la-voiture-du-futur.shtml&usg=__z_yLWam0kLgzCHFjrqO4Y_Ds1wk=&h=360&w=540&sz=118&hl=en&start=68&sig2=XUEy8Dtayl08XgDZVy8_rQ&zoom=1&tbnid=joduM_ubgVibdM:&tbnh=134&tbnw=187&ei=ysu3TLy3E4H98Abky9ToCQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dairpod%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1189%26bih%3D593%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=457&oei=tcu3TKz8MYKclgeA2JG0DA&esq=5&page=5&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:68&tx=85&ty=42

Figure 3 is retrieved from
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://users.telenet.be/sarahgrimonprez/didier/aircars/foto%27s/Guy%2520Negre%25202.jpg&imgrefurl=http://users.telenet.be/sarahgrimonprez/didier/aircars/html/Guy%2520NegreENG.html&usg=__zVeVOVBogrUsqOmdUFoSZ4PSTn0=&h=335&w=450&sz=25&hl=en&start=0&sig2=dnWJHMOPLflhfTyzpnBT4Q&zoom=1&tbnid=hM87ijGUhoMJUM:&tbnh=149&tbnw=211&ei=_su3TI3dB4G0lQfa9qS_DA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dguy%2Bnegre%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1189%26bih%3D593%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=346&oei=_su3TI3dB4G0lQfa9qS_DA&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0&tx=85&ty=120

Internal Combustion Engine

Before the invention of the internal combustion engine many people had to do the hard work that we take for granted today. Before the invention of the engine, farmers had to carry their crops by hand or by animal to the market. The invention of the internal combustion engine helped to relieve them of the backbreaking work and also helped in many other fields of work.

The first renderings of the internal combustion engine date back to 1680 in Germany. A man by the name of Christian Huygens drew the first plan of an internal combustion that ran on gunpowder. Even though he came up with this clever design he did not ever build it. There were many attempts to build the internal combustion engine that we know of today but it wasn’t until 1864 that a man designed and built the internal combustion engine that we know today. In 1864 a man by the name of Siegfried Marcus designed and built the first internal combustion engine that we know of to this date. He built a one-cylinder engine with a crude form of a carburetor. He later attached his newly found invention to a cart for a rocky 500-foot drive. A few years later Marcus designed a vehicle the could for a brief time run at 10 miles per hour. Many historians believe this to be the forerunner to the modern design of the automobile by being the first gasoline-powered automobile. Although this was the first rendering and completion of an internal combustion engine many historians disregard Marcus as the father of the gasoline engine.

Many people view the father of the gasoline engine to be Karl Benz. The reasons many people did not view Marcus as the father or inventor of the gasoline-powered car or engine is because is engines were very expensive and they were not easy to mass-produce. Karl Benz received his first patent for a gasoline powered car on January 29,1886.

Karl Benz was born in 1844 in Bagen Muehlburg, Germany. Karl Benz’s father was the operator of a train car when Karl was little. It was not until 1871 that Benz and his partner August Ritter founded their first company call the Iron Foundry and Machine Shop. He was the main supplier of building materials to the town. It was not until 1879 that Benz received his first patient for his work inventing a two-stroke engine. It was not until 1883 that he founded the second company of his career that we now recognize his work for. He founded Benz and Company to produce industrial engines in Mannheim, Germany. A few years later Benz began his work on a four-stroke engine to power a motorcar. Later he went on to patent the engine with 958cc, .75hp on the body of a three-wheeled vehicle. The vehicle was first driven in Mannheim in 1885. One year later in 1886 he received the patent for his gasoline fueled automobile and then later began selling them to the public. In 1893 the car Karl Benz had designed and built went on the market and became the world’s first inexpensive mass produced car.

The invention of the internal combustion engine has impacted the world in many ways. It has helped make a hard task easy that would result in manual labor if not for this invention. It has improved the efficiency of transportation and enabled people to travel long distances, carry heavy loads and get from place to place quickly. Without the invention of the internal combustion engine our life as we know it today would not be possible.

My journal article describes how the people of this world use different types of alcohol's for fuel. our society is now so dependent on oil the with out it we could not survive. There have been many advances in developing new fuel sources and the gasoline engine is fading out of the spot light.

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blbenz.htm

http://www.3wheelers.com/benz.html

http://www.nndb.com/people/208/000174683/

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/farmmgt/05010.html


Discoveres of HIV- By CKenol

I.                   Intro
Where it all started
HIV (cause of AIDS) started somewhere around Sub-Saharan Africa. And it actually didn't start in Humans. The 1st victims of HIV were Chimpanzees (fg. 1). But in these Chimps it was actually called SIV (Simian immunodeficiency Virus). Humans weren't even infected with HIV until the late 19th or early 20th centuries. (1)
Chimpanzee.jpg Chimpanzee image by jucochick (fg. 1)
II.                Discovery

By May of 1983 doctors from the Pasteur Institute in France had reported that
they discovered a new virus that was the cause of AIDS (. It was named
Lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV). These doctors sent a sample of the newly
discovered virus to U.S. Centers of Disease Control. The U.S. Disease Control then
passed this on to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). About a year later, an American team of scientists led by R. Gallo, confirmed this discovery by renaming it human T lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III). Another year later, the international committee on Taxonomy of Viruses decided that this virus should have a new name to be identified as: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). And the FDA approved the 1st HIV test and was also used in Japan.Then in 1987 the 1st HIV treatment drug: zidovudin and  Retrovir, is released. (1) (2)

III.             Impact on world
Up to present day, almost 25 million people have died from AIDs which is caused by HIV. This had killed many parents causing the numbers of children orphans to increase(fg 2).
Graphs: Orphans due to AIDS
(fg. 2)
The child is also forced to grow up faster and lose their childhood to work and take care of siblings. In children alone there have been about 280,000 deaths. It has also been the case that this virus weakens your immune system and makes you more prone to other illnesses this has put a lot of people out of work thus increasing poverty percentages. But infection and death from the virus is not an equal toll everywhere. There are more cases of HIV/AIDS in undeveloped countries (fg. 3).  (3)

(fg. 3)
IV.             Journal article review
In short, this is defiantly a good example that all living beings are related somehow. HIV was transmitted from Chimps (as SIV) to humans (HIV). From 1983- 1987 HIV wasn’t called HIV. It went through years long processes before there was the official name that is presently used globally. (1)
V.                References

(3) http://www.globalhealth.org/hiv_aids/

Picture Sources

(fg. 2) http://images.ask.com/fr?q=world+hiv+statistics

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Mules: A Hybrid-Animal Wonder

                                                          By: Katerina Parent
I               Introduction
                Mules have been around for thousands of years, and have helped humans with advances in labor and transportation. But where did they come from? They are not a natural breed, but rather a manmade breed known as a hybrid animal, or an animal that is the offspring of two different  species. An animal that has been purely known as stubborn, the mule should truly be described as bold, intelligent, and even sensitive. It is because of these personality traits that have made the mule easy to work with and lead during long journeys that include harsh weather and strenuous labor.
II             Discovery
                The creation of the first mule is unknown, but it is said to be recognized as its own breed about 3,000 years ago. It has been referenced several times throughout the Holy Bible and a few times in classic pieces of literature such as Homer's Iliad. In ancient lands such as Greece, the mule was used for harness races, which were popular  in about 500 B.C. It is the progeny of a male donkey and a female horse, and has inherited many unique qualities from both of its parents. With strong legs and impressive balance, the mule has been used mainly for travel through mountains and rough terrain while carrying loads that have reached up to 350 pounds. It stands at about five feet tall and can weigh anywhere from 800- 1,000 pounds. One of the smallest mules on average was about three and a half feet tall and only 300 pounds, and was fortunately not used for hard labor due to its disadvantage in size. The mule is a very impressive breed, being able to withstand the most outrageous of temperatures, varying from extreme desert heats to the bitter colds of snowy blizzards. Word spread of the hybrid wonder, and farmers and travelers from all around the world wanted use of this breed. In 1786, the king of Spain gifted a mule to President George Washington of the United States, and he was so amazed that he decided to use its services in a Philadelphia journal, and then share his gift with Great Britain, who also put the mule to good use in the army in locations such as India. The existence of a mule was known to countries such as the United States and Great Britain, but it was not until the 18th century that it was so appreciated. People were so impressed by this breed because of all of the labor it was able to do that also allowed humans to perform the less strenuous tasks. The mule was seen as better than a horse or donkey and its popularity increased dramatically by 100 percent during the years between 1850-1860. Savory, T. (1970) The Mule. pg. 1,2
III            Anatomy and Facts
                The tallest mules recorded are about 17.5 hands high because of their "special" parents: a dray mare and a Poitou donkey. These mules are bred specifically for riding and few labors. In May of 1939, Popular Science magazine published an article about "midget mules" or "dwarf mules" which were created by Lex Watson of Tennessee. At just over three feet tall and 200 pounds, midget mules became the smallest breed of mules. Bonnier Corporation (1939) New Breeding Methods Produce Midget Mule.
               It has been said that mules are genetically unable to reproduce naturally. This is true only for male mules. Explained by H. Federley in 1913, males are unable to reproduce from a, "failure of sperm production by meiosis, the type of cell division that gives rise to germ cells. Specifically the failure occurs at the stage of synapsis, when the chromosomes of maternal and paternal origin come together." Savory, T. (1970) The Mule. p.5
                For females on the other hand, it has been reported that after mating with a male horse or donkey, the female mule was able to conceive a foal. In most cases after mating with a male horse, the female mule conceived a horse, but after mating with a male donkey, the female mule conceived a mule. This is not true for all cases; most result in miscarriages. For those that do get pregnant, a mule holds one babe at a time for a full term of 10.5 months. For example:
Key-       H represents "horse"                                                 An example of the breeding of mules:
                A represents "donkey"                        AAXYX  +  HHXX    =    AHXX (female) or AHXY (male)
                X and Y representing the sex chromosomes
Savory, T. (1970) The Mule. p.5

                   Anatomy of a Mule- Figure 1
                     
IV            Impact on the World/Humanity
                a) Transportation and Labor
                Mules' impact on farming, ranching, and transportation has been a tremendous help to people around the word. They have been used mostly with pack work, draft work and riding for centuries and have continued to impress humans with their strength and endurance through insane temperatures, terrain, and loads sometimes even, without food or water for days. The story of Robert Falcon Scott and his group of mules is one worth sharing. In 1912, Scott had seven mules sent from India to Ross Island to assist him on his journey to Cape Evans. Each mule pulled a sledge load weighing a total of 700 pounds for thirty days while they starved (refusing to eat the food they were provided). Two died from the journey, but the other five reached their destination, only to get shot a few months later in 1913 from a group of bandits. Mules have also shown their impressive tenacity during World War I, when many were used for all sorts of transportations on the battle grounds from medicine to weaponry.  Mules usually carry at least 200 pounds of cargo and can cover 20-25 miles in a single day. They are great at responding to voices and click noises by their drivers which makes them easy to control and lead. Even after a long day's work, mules can recover surprisingly quickly, sometimes overnight, and are ready to work the next morning. They require the same amount of food as a horse, which usually includes (on average): "12 pounds of oats, 16 pounds of hay, and eight pounds of straw a day." Savory, T. (1970) The Mule. p. 4,5
                Unfortunately, mules are now being replaced by machines, and humans no longer need to breed this animal. In the next hundred years, mules could become endangered or even extinct because of the advances in transportation such as trains, planes, and buses that can carry so much more than a mule can and doesn't require food or rest. In the year 1920, the population of mules was roughly 5.4 million. Eleven years later, it decreased to 5.1 million, in 1948, there were 2.54 million mules, and  by 1954, the mule population had dramatically fallen to only 1.6 million. Savory, T. (1970) The Mule. p.6
                b) Other Popular Hybrid Animals
                The "invention" of the mule has led scientists to wonder if it is possible to create other fantastic breeds from parents of two different species. Scientists hypothesized that they could, and as a result, hundreds of hybrids have surfaced and have become increasingly popular to curious and fascinated people worldwide. Some examples of popular hybrids include:
                
1.            The Liger- The Liger, produced from a male lion and a female tiger, was first recognized as its own breed in the mid 19th century in Europe. It is the largest cat in the world, usually weighing about 700 pounds and having a body length of about 10 ft. Ligers exceed the average lifespan of a domestic cat by about 5-10 years (anywhere between 18-24 years old).  It has also been recorded that male ligers, like the male mule, is sterile and therefore unable to reproduce with other female ligers. They are very fun and vivacious creatures; one of their favorite hobbies include swimming. Wikipedia (2010) Liger, Hemmy Inc. (2007) Top 10 Hybrid Animals                                                                    
2.            The Zony, Zorse, and Zonkey- A Zony, the progeny of a male zebra and female pony, was created in about the 19th century, as well, by Cossar Ewart, a geneticist. His discovery led many other scientists, like Lord Morton who created the zorse (zebra and horse), to become passionate in discovering new zebra hybrids. The zonkey (a zebra and a donkey) completes the trio of zebroids and also wears the famous zebra stripes while still keeping a donkey's figure. Animal Pictures Archive (1995) Zony (zebra-pony hybrid), Hemmy Inc. (2007) Top 10 Hybrid Animals 

3.           The Cama- After breeding a camel and a llama through artificial insemination (due to the camel's large size compared to the small llama), the offspring is known as a cama. It inherits short fuzzy ears and a long tail from its camel daddy, and the legs and hooves of its mama. In few cases, a small hump on the cama's back can be seen. Hemmy Inc. (2007) Top 10 Hybrid Animals 


  V. Journal Article Review and Conclusion
Many wonderful and fantastic hybrid creatures have been created because of scientist's original fascination in the mule. The mule is such a wonderful and beneficial animal to our society in terms of the work it is able to do that exceeds humans'. My article, appropriately titled The Mule, supplied me with an overflowing amount of interesting material on this man-made animal. Mentioning the unclear discovery, remembering times in history, and expressing the relationship humans have with mules today, this article gave all the information I needed to write this paper. The author, Theodore H. Savory, included detailed pictures and explanations of how the hybrid came to be, which made the complex system of genetics and inherited traits easier to comprehend. I have concluded from this article, that the mule is a wonderful, beautiful animal that sometimes is misunderstood as stubborn and aggressive is actually sensitive, hardworking, and full of endurance, while keeping its friendly and playful side (its favorite activity includes rolling around in the dirt). For centuries, the mule has been put through strenuous, hard labor that humans couldn't endure.  It has suffered extreme climate changes and at times has survived without food and water for weeks. This incredible hybrid has been an excellent addition to our society, but with advances in technologies, its days could be numbered.                                                                       

                                                                         References
Animal Pictures Archive (1995) Zony (zebra-pony hybrid). Retreived 10-13-10 from http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/view.php?tid=2&did=27157
Bonnier Corporation (1939) New Breeding Methods Produce Midget Mule. Retrieved on 10-13-10 from http://books.google.com/books?id=jikDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA122&lpg=PA122&dq                 =midget+mules&source=bl&ots=Yr18UUAXUA&sig=B018ZqK6Pl4i8xF9PVOD9i53hTU&hl=en&ei=Kle2TKr9LoG0lQfx5L                DwBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=midget%20mules&f=false.
Hemmy Inc. (2007) Top 10 Hybrid Animals. Retrieved on 10-13-10 from http://www.hemmy.net/2006/06/19/top-10-hybrid-animals/
Savory, T. (1970) The Mule. Retrieved 10-09-10.
Wikipedia (2010) Liger. Retrieved on 10-13-10 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligers

MRI by Arni Savoretti

Arni Savoretti

MRI

Mrs. D’Arco

Many scientific advances have made the world a better place, but few advances have impacted the world of science more than Magnetic Resonance Imaging; the MRI. Magnetic Resonance Imaging was largely developed by William A. Edelstein and in 1979. Edelstein was able to use his massive invention to capture the “first recognizable whole body image.” It was Edelstein who made it possible to take intricate and detailed images of the inside of the human body. Recently awarded the Alumni Achievement Award for his work; he has surely left “Edelstein fingerprints” all over today’s MRI. Edelstein is the primary inventor of the “spin warp” whereby a magnet spins at an incredibly high speed transferring the resonance from the spinning into a 3D image.

DISCOVERY

William Edelstein is credited with many advancements in MRI technology, however without the discoveries made by Nobel Laureates Paul Lauterbur and Sir Peter Mansfield, the MRI would still just be an idea (Hecht 2003). Their work with atomic nuclei, when spun and then rest, give emit radio waves that help visualize a cross section of a subject. By manipulating the gradients in the magnets the discovery of two dimensional images occurred. By further fine tuning the gradients coupled with varying the speed of the magnets, these scientists transformed MRI by revolutionizing the quality of the image (Hecht 2003). Their work enabled Edelstein to modify the machine to gives us the modern day MRI.

INVESTIGATOR/INVENTOR BIO

Interested in pushing the use of this technology further, William A. Edelstein, the son of phsycists, joined General Electric (GE) and helped MRI to become a common practice. Even in the 1990’s GE, thanks to Edelstein, was able to open the MRI market to a billion dollars annually. It grew as fast as Steve Jobs’ Apple Computers. Edelstein accomplished this feat by advancing the technology to include “clinical imaging at high magnetic fields.” This was accomplished using a birdcage coil. Coils of various sizes could image everything from an eyeball to the whole body with stunning accuracy. As the 1.5 T system did not get early acceptance but later dominated the field. Edelstein is still working on improving the MRI by shorten exams and lessening the decibels experienced during a MRI. Armed with a Ph.D. on Physics from Harvard, his investment in this “crazy project” yielded the first recognizable whole-body scan. Still working in the field, Edelstein hopes to shorten the time of the scan and lower the decibels involved (Peterson 2009).

IMPACT

The MRI is one of the only machines that can scan the human body in a 3-dimensional, clear format assisting doctors in making more informed decisions. This non-evasive procedure has saves thousands of lives.

JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW

Title: Efficacy of MRI and Mammography for Breast-Cancer Screening in Women with a Familial or

Genetic Predisposition (The New England Journal of Medicine)

Summary: In a study of nearly 2,000 women in a high-risk group who are predisposed to breast-cancer through either family or genetics, the MRI was nearly 80% more effective than a clinical screening and 33.3% more effective than mammography. This means that it appears that MRI’s are more sensitive than the standard mammogram in detecting breast cancer tumors in women in this high-risk group. This is significant because it can help to reduce the mortality of women with breast cancer by an estimated 25%. Additionally, the use of MRI in detecting breast-cancer is “virtually uninfluenced by breast density.” The earlier the diagnosis for breast-cancer is the safer and more effective the treatment. This technology can saves lives.

Works Cited:

Hecht, Frederick. "Nobel Prize for MRI Discovery - MedicineNet - Health and Medical Information

Produced by Doctors." MedicineNet - Health and Medical Information Produced by Doctors. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. .

Kriege, Michael. "Efficacy of MRI and Mammography for Breast-Cancer Screening." The New England

Journal of Medicine 351.5 (2004): 427-437. Print.

Peterson, Doug. "William A. Edelstein: Leaving High-Tech Fingerprints." LASNews Magazine. University

of Illinois, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2010.

.

The Atomic Bomb by Spencer Bello

Atomic Bomb: The Decision Maker





INTRODUCTION:
Some inventions are designed to make life more convenient, some make life faster, however, the invention and discovery of the science that made the atomic bomb one of the “single most remarkable and significant developments in history” was significant for a number of reasons: it established America as a global powerhouse, it ended WWII, and resulted from an unprecedented collaboration of companies “willing to sacrifice profits for the common good” (Meintel 2001). The atomic bomb was the culmination of years of scientific research in the fields of chemistry and physics. Through an unusual combination of independent projects that welded together during the development of The Manhattan Project, emerged the science of atomic war machines. Central to all of this work were Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, Albert Einstein, and even Madame Marie Curie.





DISCOVERY:
The development of the atomic bomb was the result of a variety of other significant scientific achievements that culminated in the most powerful weapon in the world of the 1940’s. The efforts of scientists from both the fields of physics and chemistry make staggering contributions to science from which Einstein, Oppenheimer, and others built the atomic bomb. If Antoine Henri Becquerel (1952-1908) had not discovered the radioactive qualities of Uranium, such as radiant energy in the alpha, beta, and gamma forms, Marie Curie and Pierre Curie could not have isolated the radioactive element Radium. These discoveries and their findings were crucial to laying the foundation for the development of the atomic bomb (Meintel 2001).
One of the main necessities for the construction of an atomic bomb was to harness and separate Uranium and then to determine a way to combine Uranium with a bombing mechanism. This became the chief task of The Manhattan Project. Generally, Uranium is separated by either gaseous diffusion, thermal diffusion, or they use of an electromagnetic field or “effect” (Meintel 2001). As the project moved forward, scientists began to explore Plutonium as a source to power the bomb because it was more “fissionable”, and according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), this means it is a “ fissile material …that can be fissioned by fast neutrons, such as Uranium-238; it is a nuclear reaction and keeps it going.” Uranium and Plutonium became the cornerstone elements of The Manhattan Project.
By enriching Uranium with Fluorine creating a Hexafluoride gas (UF6). This process resulted from taking the “yellow cake” product of the mined Uranium, converting it to UF6, and then into nuclear fuel. This was no easy process since these elements are volatile and can cause a chain reaction. Oppenheimer, while working at General Electric (GE) was invaluable to this process. As all of these things came together, so did corporate America. Chrysler, GE, Kellex, Union Carbide, Houdaille-Hershey, Dupont, and Allis-Chalmers all worked together to end the war. Even Stone and Webster, general contractors for the Army, and the University of California at Berkeley got involved with the process as scientific geniuses such as Enrico Fermi diligently worked to produce the first successful Plutonium chain reaction. It was “field tested” in the state of Washington clearing out a 600 mile radius of all life before detonating. The Trinity site hosted three observation bunkers ten thousand feet out from the explosion. According to the Atomic Archive which was developed and is now maintained by the science undergraduates at the University of Chicago, the automatic firing device was triggered by Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, head of the Los Alamos operations (National Science Digital Library 2010).


INVESTIGATOR:
Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904 - 1967), a summa cum laude Harvard graduate in chemistry and physics, obtained his Ph.D. at the age of twenty-two from the University of Göttingen where he had studied under Max Born renowned for his work on quantum theory. Born and Oppenheimer collaborated on the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, which described their findings on separating nuclear motion from electronic motion in the mathematical treatment of molecules (National Science Digital Library 2010). After WWII, Oppenheimer went to work for the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) he offered a dissenting opinion about the hydrogen bomb. Perhaps because of his opposition, Oppenheimer was declared a Communist sympathizer and had his security clearance revoked. This injustice would be rectified later as President Lyndon B. Johnson would award Oppenheimer the prestigious Enrico Fermi Award. Oppenheimer continued his career by serving as Director of Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study where he entertained graduate and post graduate students in discussions of quantum and relativistic physics. He died in 1967 of throat cancer.


GLOBAL IMPACT & JOURNAL REVIEW:

Title: The Atomic Bomb and the Citizens of Nagasaki
Summary: This article chronicles the history of the Hibakusha (persons exposed to the radiation for the atomic bomb). The survivors of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki experience hope to warn the world of the consequences of such decimation. Although Hiroshima is a commonly recognized venue and event, the nuclear holocaust that ensued changed the world forever. The pathway to peace lies in the disarmament efforts as well as the mobilization of world opinion the total annihilation of nuclear weapons could be reached.


Works Cited:
McMillan, Priscilla. "J. Robert Oppenheimer Biography atomicarchive.com." atomicarchive.com:Exploring the History, Science, and Consequences of the Atomic Bomb. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. .

Norris, Robert S.. "The Manhattan Project: Making the Atomic Bomb History of the Atomic Age atomicarchive.com." atomicarchive.com: Exploring the History, Science, and Consequences of the Atomic Bomb. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2010.

Kamata, Sedao , and Stephen Salaff. "The Atomic Bomb and the Citizens of Nagasaki." The Bulletin Of Concerned Asian Scholars 14.2 (1982): 37-38. Print.

Meintel, Megan . "The Atomic Bomb." Untitled Document. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2010.
.


Picture Links:
1.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.documentingreality.com/forum/attachments/f149/74311d1248366199-hiroshima-atomic-bomb-survivor-charonboat_dot_com_hiroshima_victim.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.documentingreality.com/forum/f149/hiroshima-atomic-bomb-survivor-24297/&usg=__uoNwdsCYrAkPlEyO_Wdjhcddye4=&h=890&w=1056&sz=584&hl=en&start=32&sig2=ihKpKz5A1xdkhI1crxjg9w&zoom=1&tbnid=1Myl1PlS9jx_dM:&tbnh=162&tbnw=194&ei=JqS3TOi7HpGUjAeX7pCMCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAtomic%2Bbomb%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1676%26bih%3D844%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C852&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1194&vpy=512&dur=2942&hovh=206&hovw=245&tx=79&ty=237&oei=yqG3TMHVLZL4swPvztz2CA&esq=4&page=2&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:28,s:32&biw=1676&bih=844

2. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://halfiranian.com/wp-content/uploads/atomic_bomb_explosion.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.halfiranian.com/&usg=__0ViXgGyKThayLZUC6vps-kfC3D4=&h=332&w=415&sz=138&hl=en&start=0&sig2=F2Fvyt32m9Lu4TfohyWoyw&zoom=1&tbnid=FCvpUlAQ5kJKKM:&tbnh=155&tbnw=184&ei=iaS3TMuJM9C6jAfh3rGDBg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAtomic%2Bbomb%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1676%26bih%3D844%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=134&vpy=118&dur=699&hovh=201&hovw=251&tx=169&ty=104&oei=yqG3TMHVLZL4swPvztz2CA&esq=4&page=1&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

3. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTdy1Yp1h5A

Ebola by michael murray

INTRODUCTION

The Ebola virus was first identified in 1976 after two main out breaks in southern Sudan and Northern Zaire. The virus was named after the Ebola River Valley in Zaire where the first noticed breakout was. The poor victims from this virus have symptoms such as a fever, headache, vomiting, muscle pains, malaise, inflammation of the pharynx, bloody diarrhea, and may experience a maculopapular rash. The lifespan of the virus ranges from 2 to 21 days of intense pain and fighting for your life. The infected have an 22% chance the infected will survive, the chance of survival is so low, Because their are no treatments or cure’s. Which makes it one of the most deadly virus on Earth. Ebola turns your blood into a pudding like substance because once a virus enters your body it reproduces more of the virus threw out your blood cells. This virus only spreads threw contact with the infected body from a human or animal dead or alive. Ebola cannot be transmitted trough the air, so you must touch the virus to be infected. 25% of Apes died from ebola science 1979 and even more humans have been infected from the animal.



DISCOVERY

First recorded outbreak of Ebola occurred in Sudan between June and November 1976. It was the first discovered diagnosed breakout of Ebola. Since the discovery of the Ebola virus in 1976, there has been 13 human breakouts in Africa 9 in Eastern Zaire and 4 in Eastern Sudan, and Two isolated cases in Eastern Zaire and Easter Ivory Coast. These breakouts were during 3 distinct years, between 1976 and 1979, 4 between 1994 and 1997, and 6 between 2000 and 2004. all to gather the Ebola virus infected about 1850 people and about 1300 of the infected died. Their are different Ebola virus types, and can be found in bordering countries. The spread of Ebola is from the travel of animals and people from one country to another, causing a case of human outbreaks simultaneously. Because nearby the apes have experienced massive deaths in numbers. scientist tracked the apes and their has been four populations of apes known to have been infected and killed by the Ebola virus in eastern Zaire. In the past decades it is most likely their have been more breakouts caused from animals, but it is very difficult to find breakout detection from wild animals in rainy tropical forests. It is most likely that other apes have die-off without being recorded from Ebola too. Which means that the facts of the number of infected from Ebola are most likely underrated and the real amount that has been diagnosed we will really never know the real impact from Ebola virus on wild animals. Their is a fear that the spread of the virus continues since organizations are out helping the apes survive and not become extinct, which I think is right, but it will cause most likely more breakouts from the spread of the animals. Scientists still do not know why and how Ebola has been like an earth quake in recent years and strikes without a warning. Scientist wonder how the virus disappears for 3 years making it seem like the virus is dead, but then comes back without any warning. If the scientist can find where the virus hides they can find how to kill it.


BIOGRAPHY OF INVESTIGATOR

Dr. Ngoy Musholawho was from Bumba, was the first person to record a description of the Ebola virus in Yambuku, a town on the shores of the Ebola River. But scientist have discovered that the Ebola virus is also one of the rarest viral infections to humans, and the scariest thing about Ebola virus is not what it has done but what it might do in the future. At a local hospital in Yambuku Dr. Mushola recorded the first clinical description of a new disease (Ebola) that was killing almost all of the patients who were infected with it. The illness is characterized with a mask like or ghost like face, a high temperature of about 39°C, the vomiting of blood, diarrhea with blood, retrosternal abdominal pain, and rapid evolution death after a mean of three days, he wrote in his daily log. The illness which was later named Ebola hemorrhagic fever after the nearby river. Over the course of a few months the virus disappeared but not before 318 people contracted the virus. Nearly 90% of the victims died within a few days of becoming infected. One of the main risk factors associated with Ebola virus in the Sudan outbreak was caring for the sick. The disease was spread within hospitals and many nurses and doctors were infected. Scientists working with the live virus are also at risk and a few months after the Sudan outbreak a scientist working with the virus in England became infected after he accidentally pricked himself with an infected needle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mznK_nbyRzg


IMPACT ON WORLD / HUMANITY


The impact of this virus on humanity is huge. The virus spread extremely easy and can be easily transported from Africa to lets say United states of America. The incubation time is 2 to 3 days, So if some one pick up the virus and took a plane the same day the person would feel no symptoms from the virus but would be a positive carrier of Ebola. Their was a Ebola breakout in Reston, Virginia. The infection was only effecting the monkeys and were found positive were they came from, which was Indonesia. Their has only been one Ebola transmitted disease from Congo to Canada and she was taken care of in a hospital in February 7. If this virus becomes pandemic it has potential of having more deaths than the Swine Flu.

-Journal Article Summery-

my journal article was very interesting! it showed the effects of Ebola one of the most understood disease in the world. Ebola has mysterious breakouts for three years theirs been no disease then Ebola attacks infecting African tribes with out warning and 90% of the infected die from very serious symptoms. The disease cannot be pass through the air so it gets passed by contact from humans and animals. thats why once the disease hits a family the family is going to be wiped out. Ebola is also one of the hardest diseases to get so it is extremely rare and only small tribes in africa that are dirty and no personal space have had major problems with ebola. Ebola is so unknown their is no cure and if the disease becomes pandemic the world will face a massive extermination like another ice age. Who knows maybe the dinosaurs were wiped out because of... EBOLA.


References

1990, By January. "Reston Ebolavirus." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. .
B., McCormick J. "Bulletin of the World Health Org." Infectious Diseases (1983): 246-47. Print.
"Ebola." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. .
Eisner, By Robin. "Ebola Outbreak in North America? - ABC News." ABCNews.com - Breaking News, Politics, Online News, World News, Feature Stories, Celebrity Interviews and More - ABC News. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. .
"Facts on Ebola Virus: Human and Animal Outbreaks." Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. .
Socrates, By Jason. "The Scripps Research Institute - News and Views." The Scripps Research Institute - Today's Research, Tomorrow's Cures. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. .