Groups working on this task are reminded that they must first offer an abstract or summary to introduce / induct the reader to the event before offering their answers to the questions.
Questions
1. The three green pigs; half polar/grizzly; robot arm with human touch; patio cow. What are the implications behind these developments?
2. How will such developments change the way people live?
The robot arm with a human touch. It means that the robot arm is able to feel like any ordinary human being's arm. This will have many benefits. Firstly, it will enable those who had met with accidents to possess another arm. Secondly, it will also help Law Enforcement agents to counter bomb threats or anything of that kind. This is because a robot arm is a safe measure to dispose off the bomb. It will also be helpful to the Military.
There are many robots in existence today. They have many inventers and developers. However, there are only a few institutions that use the robotic arm for specific uses such as rehabilitative care and robotic experiments.
Grizzly-Polar Bear Hybrid
The discovery:
Jim Martell, a hunter from the USA, found and shot a grizzly–polar bear hybrid near Sachs Harbour in Canada, reportedly on April 16,2006. Martell had been hunting for polar bears with an official license and a guide, at a cost of $50,000, and killed the animal believing it to be a normal polar bear. Officials took interest in the creature after noticing that it had thick, creamy white fur, typical of polar bears, as well as long claws; a humped back; a shallow face; and brown patches around its eyes, nose, and back, and having patches on one foot, which are all traits of grizzly bears. If the bear had been adjudicated to be a grizzly, he would have faced a possible CAN$1,000 fine and up to a year in jail.
A DNA test conducted by Wildlife Genetics International in British Columbia confirmed that it was a hybrid, with the mother a polar bear and the father a grizzly. It is the first documented case in the wild, though it was known that this hybrid was biologically possible and other ursid hybrids have been bred in zoos in the past.
The grizzly bear and polar bear are sufficiently similar genetically that they can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. By the strict interpretation of the biological species concept, this would imply that brown bears and polar bears are variants of the same species; however, interbreeding is so rare, that only a minimal amount of genetic material is exchanged between the two species. This severe reduction in gene flow is sufficient to treat them as two different species under the normal use of the biological species concept. A similar situation occurs with the red wolfand coyotewhere hybridization occurs in the wild without evidence of hybrid breakdown.
The hybrid had been produced in zoos and was considered a "cryptid" (a hypothesized animal for which there is no proof of existence in the wild).
Other same kind of animals mules----( cross of female horse and a male donkey)., hinny (a cross between a female donkey and a male horse ),zeedonk (a zebra/donkey cross)
The hybrid had been produced in zoos and was considered a "cryptid" (a hypothesized animal for which there is no proof of existence in the wild).
Other same kind of animals mules----( cross of female horse and a male donkey)., hinny (a cross between a female donkey and a male horse ),zeedonk (a zebra/donkey cross)
Theories of the Occurence:
With one confirmed case and other suspected sightings, zoologists are theorizing how wild hybrids might come into being. Although the two species are genetically similar and often are found in the same territories, they tend to avoid each other in the wild. They also fill different ecological niches. Grizzlies (and also Kodiak bears and "Alaskan Brown Bears," which are all subspecies of the Brown bear Ursus arctos) tend to stay — and breed — on land. Polar bears prefer the water and ice, and breed on the ice. Some theories suggest that global warming has caused the ice to thin and caused the polar bears to be unable to hunt or "live" in their natural habitat. Because of this they have moved further inland, and it is believed that they began mating there in the wild, though they have never been seen doing this. Skeptics attempting to disprove the global warming theory of hybridization are quick to point to alleged sightings of this hybrid in 1864 prior to the onset of global warming.
Current State of Development :
The grizzly bear and polar bear are sufficiently similar genetically that they can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. By the strict interpretation of the biological species concept, this would imply that brown bears and polar bears are variants of the same species; however, interbreeding is so rare, that only a minimal amount of genetic material is exchanged between the two species. This severe reduction in gene flow is sufficient to treat them as two different species under the normal use of the biological species concept. A similar situation occurs with the red wolf and coyote where hybridization occurs in the wild without evidence of hybrid breakdown.
A number of polar bear hybrids are described as Ursid hybrid, a term that designates any hybrid of two species within the Ursidae family. Polar bear hybrids with Kodiak bears have been reported and shot, but DNA techniques were not available to verify the bears' ancestry.
A number of polar bear hybrids are described as Ursid hybrid, a term that designates any hybrid of two species within the Ursidae family. Polar bear hybrids with Kodiak bears have been reported and shot, but DNA techniques were not available to verify the bears' ancestry.
No Eggs, but get ready for some GREEN Ham!
"Hi, my name is Alba!"This is one of the first few species of glowing animals.
Pigs are commonly used to study human diseases, and Wu Shinn-Chih, assistant professor of animal science at the prestigious National Taiwan University, believes his technique will be useful in helping researchers monitor tissue changes over time. He said fluorescent cells would show up during stem cell treatment of diseased organs, allowing physicians to monitor the healing progress, showing the impact of experimental drugs on cancerous tumors.
and this is a silly and terribly photo-shop-ed picture of a "green" pig, just to annoy u. XD
green pigs to help in stem cell research! :)
FAST FACTS!
Researchers say fluorescent cells (in this case, in the pigs) would show up during stem cell treatment of diseased organs, allowing physicians to monitor the healing progress.
Taiwanese researchers said they have bred the pigs, all of them males, with a fluorescent material in a move they hope will benefit the island's stem cell research effort. The fluorescent pigs are green from inside out, including their hearts and internal organs, said Wu Shinn-Chih, assistant professor of animal science at the prestigious National Taiwan University. There are partially green pigs elsewhere in the world but the Taiwanese pigs are said to be the only ones that are green from inside out.
The pigs are bred by injecting their embryos with fluorescent green protein taken from jelly fish. Pigs are commonly used to study human diseases, and Wu believes his technique will be useful in helping researchers monitor tissue changes over time.
STEM CELL RESEARCH. what is it?
Medicine today is moving rapidly toward the development of more effective cures for a host of diseases. In the past, doctors could usually only treat the symptoms of illness—treatments rarely addressed the causes of disease. Today, many of the cures being developed by scientists are based on advanced techniques that are able to target the causes of disease rather than simply treating the symptoms. One of those techniques is called stem cell therapy.
Stem cell therapy can be defined as a part of a group of new techniques, or technologies that rely on replacing diseased or dysfunctional cells with healthy, functioning ones. These new techniques are being applied experimentally to a wide range of human disorders, including many types of cancer, neurological diseases such as Parkinson's Disease and ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), spinal cord injuries, and diabetes.
Researchers say fluorescent cells (in this case, in the pigs) would show up during stem cell treatment of diseased organs, allowing physicians to monitor the healing progress.
Taiwanese researchers said they have bred the pigs, all of them males, with a fluorescent material in a move they hope will benefit the island's stem cell research effort. The fluorescent pigs are green from inside out, including their hearts and internal organs, said Wu Shinn-Chih, assistant professor of animal science at the prestigious National Taiwan University. There are partially green pigs elsewhere in the world but the Taiwanese pigs are said to be the only ones that are green from inside out.
The pigs are bred by injecting their embryos with fluorescent green protein taken from jelly fish. Pigs are commonly used to study human diseases, and Wu believes his technique will be useful in helping researchers monitor tissue changes over time.
STEM CELL RESEARCH. what is it?
Medicine today is moving rapidly toward the development of more effective cures for a host of diseases. In the past, doctors could usually only treat the symptoms of illness—treatments rarely addressed the causes of disease. Today, many of the cures being developed by scientists are based on advanced techniques that are able to target the causes of disease rather than simply treating the symptoms. One of those techniques is called stem cell therapy.
Stem cell therapy can be defined as a part of a group of new techniques, or technologies that rely on replacing diseased or dysfunctional cells with healthy, functioning ones. These new techniques are being applied experimentally to a wide range of human disorders, including many types of cancer, neurological diseases such as Parkinson's Disease and ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), spinal cord injuries, and diabetes.
Transgenic Pigs
Robotic device mimics human touch
Robot device mimics human touch
US scientists have created a sensor that can "feel" the texture of objects to the same degree of sensitivity as a human fingertip.
The team says the tactile sensor could, in the future, aid minimally invasive surgical techniques by giving surgeons a "touch-sensation".
The research is reported in the journal Science.
"If you look at the current status of these tactile sensors, the frustration has been that the resolution of all these devices is in the range of millimetres," explained Professor Ravi Saraf, an engineer from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, US, and a co-author of the paper.
"Whereas the resolution of a human fingertip is about 40 microns, about half the diameter of a human hair, and this has affected the performance of these devices."
Nano-device
But Professor Saraf and colleague Dr Vivek Maheshwari, also from the University of Nebraska, were able to attain this high level of sensitivity by creating a very thin film made up of layers of metal and semiconducting nanoparticles flanked at the top and bottom by electrodes.
When the film touches a surface any pressure or stress squeezes the layers of particles together. This causes the current in the film to change and light is emitted from the particles, an effect known as "electroluminescence". The visible light is then detected by a camera.
The device image (right) clearly shows the number 5 on this coin
"The beautiful thing is that we have managed to make the device in such a way that the amount of current change, or light, that you get out is exactly proportional to the stress that you apply," added Professor Saraf.
To demonstrate the high sensitivity of the device, the scientists pressed a US one cent coin against it. The sensor revealed the wrinkles in President Lincoln's clothing and the letters TY in liberty.
Detecting cancers
Professor Saraf said the film, as well as matching the sensitivity of a human fingertip, was also flexible and robust enough to be used repeatedly.
He also said the device could have medical applications.
"The hope is that if you have the resolution close to a human finger in applications like minimal invasive surgery, where the surgeon could actually "touch" while he or she doing the procedure and tell if the tissue is cancerous or abnormal etc, that would increase the success of these surgeries."
Dr Richard Crowder, a robotics expert from Southampton University, commented in an accompanying article in the journal: "The development of tactile sensors is one of the key technical challenges in advanced robotics and minimal access surgery.
"The unique sensor developed by Maheshwari and Saraf could prove to be a key advance in technology, for reasons including relatively simple construction, apparent robustness, and high resolution."
Professor Saraf added that now he would like to see if he could create a device that can detect temperature changes as well as texture, enabling it to closer mimic the sensations humans can feel.
US scientists have created a sensor that can "feel" the texture of objects to the same degree of sensitivity as a human fingertip.
The team says the tactile sensor could, in the future, aid minimally invasive surgical techniques by giving surgeons a "touch-sensation".
The research is reported in the journal Science.
"If you look at the current status of these tactile sensors, the frustration has been that the resolution of all these devices is in the range of millimetres," explained Professor Ravi Saraf, an engineer from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, US, and a co-author of the paper.
"Whereas the resolution of a human fingertip is about 40 microns, about half the diameter of a human hair, and this has affected the performance of these devices."
Nano-device
But Professor Saraf and colleague Dr Vivek Maheshwari, also from the University of Nebraska, were able to attain this high level of sensitivity by creating a very thin film made up of layers of metal and semiconducting nanoparticles flanked at the top and bottom by electrodes.
When the film touches a surface any pressure or stress squeezes the layers of particles together. This causes the current in the film to change and light is emitted from the particles, an effect known as "electroluminescence". The visible light is then detected by a camera.
The device image (right) clearly shows the number 5 on this coin
"The beautiful thing is that we have managed to make the device in such a way that the amount of current change, or light, that you get out is exactly proportional to the stress that you apply," added Professor Saraf.
To demonstrate the high sensitivity of the device, the scientists pressed a US one cent coin against it. The sensor revealed the wrinkles in President Lincoln's clothing and the letters TY in liberty.
Detecting cancers
Professor Saraf said the film, as well as matching the sensitivity of a human fingertip, was also flexible and robust enough to be used repeatedly.
He also said the device could have medical applications.
"The hope is that if you have the resolution close to a human finger in applications like minimal invasive surgery, where the surgeon could actually "touch" while he or she doing the procedure and tell if the tissue is cancerous or abnormal etc, that would increase the success of these surgeries."
Dr Richard Crowder, a robotics expert from Southampton University, commented in an accompanying article in the journal: "The development of tactile sensors is one of the key technical challenges in advanced robotics and minimal access surgery.
"The unique sensor developed by Maheshwari and Saraf could prove to be a key advance in technology, for reasons including relatively simple construction, apparent robustness, and high resolution."
Professor Saraf added that now he would like to see if he could create a device that can detect temperature changes as well as texture, enabling it to closer mimic the sensations humans can feel.
PATIO COWS
Raul Hernandez, a Cuban rancher, simply began with a tiny bull, which neighbours had ridiculed because of its size, and mated it with the smallest cows he could find. The patio cows is nearly twice as short and up to four times as light but yet produces more milk than a normal cow. To breed more of such cows, one such operation is Pillard’s miniature cattle ranch in Iowa, which is trying to breed cattle less than 36 inches tall weighing less than 500lb. However, the limitations are inevitable. They have to train local teenagers to take care of the small animals. Moreover, the genetic make-up of the cows will be different, thus it may cause an outbreak of new diseases. In addition, genetic breeding experiments may fail and cause a dire of consequences.
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