NOTICIA DE LA SETMANA 4: "Malaria case tests two thousand years ago".

-Summary

An analysis of 2,000-year-old human remains from various regions of the Italian peninsula has confirmed the presence of malaria in the Roman Empire. The finding could provide definitive arguments for the long debate about the existence of the disease in this ancient civilization. 

The key is in samples of the mitochondrial genome of malaria, extracted from the teeth of skulls buried in three Italian cemeteries, dating back to the Imperial period from the first to third centuries of our era.

   

-Glossary

Mitochondrial genome--> genoma mitocondrial--> The mitochondrial genome is the genetic material of the mitochondria, the organelles that generate energy for the cell.

-Commentary

I think is surprising that a disease stay active since third century.

OPINAR, SABER, CREER- Natalia Llabrés, Francesca Mees

NOTICIA DE LA SETMANA 1: "Subtle helium emanations as predictive signal of imminent earthquake".

-Summary

Japanese researchers have found that, as some have suspected, there is a relationship between helium levels in groundwater and the amount of stress exerted on Earth's inner rock layers. This has been seen in localities near the epicenter of the Kumamoto earthquake of 2016. Scientists hope the finding will lead to the development of a surveillance system capable of detecting changes in tension that could portend a major earthquake.

Several studies, including some on the great Kobe earthquake in Japan in 1995, have indicated that changes in the chemical composition of groundwater may occur before seismic movements. However, researchers still needed to accumulate evidence to link with sufficient certainty the occurrence of earthquakes with such chemical changes.

A team of researchers from the University of Tokyo in Japan and their collaborators found that when the stress exerted on the earth's crust was high, so were the levels of an isotope of helium, helium-4, released into groundwater Near the epicenter of the 7.3-magnitude Kumamoto earthquake in southwestern Japan, which caused 50 deaths and serious material damage.

-Link

http://noticiasdelaciencia.com/not/22265/sutiles-emanaciones-de-helio-como-senal-predictiva-de-un-terremoto-inminente/

-Glossary

No he trobat cap paraula.

-Commentary

I think that this will be very usefull to detect the possible earthquakes in the future.

Several studies, including some on the great Kobe earthquake in Japan in 1995, have indicated that changes in the chemical composition of groundwater may occur before seismic movements. However, researchers still needed to accumulate evidence to link with sufficient certainty the occurrence of earthquakes with such chemical changes.

Spanish scientists reverse aging

The team of Juan Carlos Izpisúa successfully used a cellular reprogramming technique to eliminate the damage of time in mice and human cells

A group of researchers, led by the Spanish Juan Carlos Izpisua of the Laboratory of Gene Expression of the Salk Institute of the United States, have taken a step closer to this scientific dream. It would be enough to use a cocktail of four gens to erase the signs of aging. The demostration, with mice and human cells, is presented in the magazine «Cell».
In addition to the US center, the research team has collaborated with the Catholic University of Murcia, the Center Clinic in Madrid, the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona and the University of Michigan School of Medicine.

With the treatment, the cells grown in the laboratory rejuvenated not only in appearance, but in its functioning. The effect was remarkable. The therapy was applied in two types of mice: in a model that reproduces progeria, a rare disease that in humans causes a premature and aggressive aging from birth, and in mice with a natural old age. In the former, treatment prolonged life by 30 percent. "If we transferred this figure to humans, we would be talking about 25 years in a person with a life expectancy of 80 years, although it is still very difficult to extrapolate this figure," Juan Carlos Izpisúa, lead author of the study, told ABC.

In normal mice, the strategy improved the repair capacity of the muscles and pancreas (these two organs were chosen, as others might have been chosen to see their recovery). "We believe that the rejuvenating effects will be observed in all tissues and organs because the molecular basis of aging are common. Mice are not human and we know that it will be much more complex to rejuvenate a person, "he acknowledges.



Link

Commentary:
In my opinion this type of discovery can bring a lot of positive tings to us but it's a large project that will sems results in a few years.