Eco Balance: Food chain & Food web

A food chain is a linear sequence of links in a food web starting from a species that are called producers in the web and ends at a species that is called decomposers species in the web. 

A food chain also shows how the organisms are related with each other by the food they eat. A food chain differs from a food web, because the complex polyphagous network of feeding relations are aggregated into trophic species and the chain only follows linear monophagous pathways. 

Food chains are often used in ecological modeling (such as a three species food chain). Food chains vary in length from three to six or more levels.

What is the difference between

a food web and a food chain?

A food web consists of many food chains.

A food chain only follows just one path as animals find food. 
eg: A hawk eats a snake, which has eaten a frog, which has eaten a grasshopper, which has eaten grass.

A food web shows the many different paths plants and animals are connected. 
eg: A hawk might also eat a mouse, a squirrel, a frog or some other animal. The snake may eat a beetle, a caterpillar, or some other animal. And so on for all the other animals in the food chain.

A food web is several food chains connected together.

Picture view of a simple food chain:

Picture view of a simple food web:

'Eyeronman' - The Next Smart Generation

Dr. John-Ross Rizzo and his team at tech start-up Tactile Navigation Tools (TNT) have created a series of products that include wearable devices to aid the visually impaired.

The Deyenamic is a wearable t-shirt and smart-cane combo that  uses sensors and emitters to detect and report obstacles within the user’s path. The cane is equipped with a  LiDAR laser, an ultrasound emitter, and an infrared sensor that identifies any  peripheral obstructions  and communicates these hurdles to the t-shirt. The t-shirt, using electro-active polymers, then signals the user through vibrations sent to the region of the t-shirt the obstruction is closest to.

The CumbaCane is the same smart-cane used in the Deyenamic, minus all the sensors and emitters. The reversed-umbrella design extends the reach of the traditional white cane with a fan shape of arms around the user. With a static central cane, the additional arms roll on wheels that work with a suspension system to allow the user to detect slight terrain changes like a crack in the sidewalk or the corner of a wall.

Visual impairment is not exclusive to people with medical disorders, however, TNT also offers the Eyeronman, a hands free device that holds all the technology of the Deyenamic in one wearable vest.   With the Eyeronman, a fireman in a smoke filled room can safely navigate to a victim using the vest’s 360 degree obstacle detection range and communication system.

As an active and mobile person with choroideremia, a disorder that causes progressive vision loss, Dr. Rizzo aimed to update the century old white cane with wearable devices that use modern technology.

Source:  http://www.webelowwear.com/wwblog/tag/eyeronman/

Hybrid bicycle - an Eco-friendly project

To be eco-friendly and as to provide an alternative fuel for fossil fuel, city-based polytechnic students have come up with a hybrid bicycle.

The hybrid bicycle project of seven final year automobile department students of Dharmaprakash D Banumaiah's Polytechnic College has come in second at 'do-it-yourself' project organized by Board of Technical Education at Gadag recently.

The hybrid cycle runs on solar energy, petrol and also electricity. The components in the bicycle includes two solar panels, power supply controller, lead-acid batteries, a brushless DC motor, speed controller and an internal combustion engine.

Ummer, one of the teammates, said that the solar energy captured by the panels is directed to solar power supply controller, where it is converted into electric energy and is fed to step-up battery. That will be directed to three 12W batteries which run the motor. The vehicle moves when the accelerator works.

Speaking about the concept, the students said: "Usually, BLDC motor in cars and other bicycles will be charged using electricity. But the motor here runs on solar energy, which makes it stand different."

The project, executed as part of their semester academic work, will get them marks. They took nearly one-and-a-half months to build the hybrid cycle, at a cost of Rs 35,000. The bicycle has a capacity to carry 120kg and reach 20kmph speed.

Project guide Nanada Kumar A R said: "Hybrids help reduce dependency on fossil fuels, avoid pollution and provide better mileage."

When not used as bicycle, the power generated by solar panels can be used to light bulbs and tubelights. About 200W power is produced by this, the students added.

http://m.timesofindia.com/city/mysore/This-hybrid-bicycle-runs-on-solar-power/articleshow/19517581.cms

Specific gene linked to adult growth of brain cells, learning, memory

Learning and memory are regulated by a region of the brain known as the hippocampus. New research from City of Hope has found that stimulating a specific gene could prompt growth – in adults – of new neurons in this critical region, leading to faster learning and better memories.

The study, which used an animal model, found that over-expressing the gene – a nuclear receptor called TLX – resulted in smart, faster learners that retained information better and longer.

“In our study, we manipulated the expression of this receptor by introducing an additional copy of the gene – which obviously we cannot do outside the laboratory setting. The next step is to find the drug that can target this same gene”said Yanhong Shi, Ph.D., lead author of the study and a neurosciences professor at City of Hope.

The discovery creates a new potential strategy for improving cognitive performance in elderly patients and those who have a neurological disease or brain injury.

The new study is the first to firmly link the TLX gene to a potential for enhancing learning and memory.

Researchers found that over-expression of the gene was actually associated with a physically larger brain, as well as the ability to learn a task quickly.

Cell phone affects fertility in male - A shocking News

Men who keep a mobile phone in their trouser pocket could be inadvertently damaging their chances of becoming a father, according to a new study led by the University of Exeter.

Participants in the studies were from fertility clinics and research centres, and sperm quality was measured in three different ways: motility (the ability of sperm to move properly towards an egg), viability (the proportion of sperm that were alive) and concentration (the number of sperm per unit of semen).

In control groups, 50-85% of sperm have normal movement. The researchers found this proportion fell by an average of 8 percentage points when there was exposure to mobile phones. Similar effects were seen for sperm viability. The effects on sperm concentration were less clear.

Dr Mathews said: "This study strongly suggests that being exposed to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation from carrying mobiles in trouser pockets negatively affects sperm quality. This could be particularly important for men already on the borderline of infertility, and further research is required to determine the full clinical implications for the general population."

Obesity - A disorder or disease:

Obesity is the result of overeating, but in  small percentage of people excess weight gain is a symptom of another disease.

Medical causes of obesity can include:

• Hypothyroidism. This is a condition where the thyroid gland, located in the neck, produces too little thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone regulates our metabolism. So too little hormone slows the metabolism and often causes weight gain. If your doctor suspects thyroid disease as a cause of your obesity, he or she may perform blood tests to check your hormone levels.
• Cushing's syndrome. This condition results when the adrenal glands (located on top of each kidney) produce an excess amount of a steroid hormone called cortisol. This leads to a build-up of fat in characteristic sites such as the face, upper back, and abdomen.
• Depression. Some people with depression overeat, which can lead to obesity.

There are also certain inherited conditions and other diseases of the brain that can cause excess weight gain.

Certain medications, notably steroids, some antidepressants, high blood pressure drugs, and seizure medications can also cause increased body weight.

How to manage stress?

Tips to Manage Anxiety and Stress

When you're feeling anxious or stressed, try out the following strategies:

• Take a time-out. Practice yoga, listen to music, meditate, get a massage, or learn relaxation techniques. Stepping back from the problem helps clear your head.
• Eat well-balanced meals. Do not skip any meals. Do keep healthful, energy-boosting snacks on hand.
• Limit alcohol and caffeine, which can aggravate anxiety and trigger panic attacks.
• Get enough sleep. When stressed, your body needs additional sleep and rest.
• Exercise daily to help you feel good and maintain your health. Check out the fitness tips below.
• Take deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly.
• Count to 10 slowly. Repeat, and count to 20 if necessary.
• Do your best. Instead of aiming for perfection, which isn't possible, be proud of however close you get.
• Welcome humor. A good laugh goes a long way.
• Maintain a positive attitude. Make an effort to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
• Talk to someone. Tell friends and family you’re feeling overwhelmed, and let them know how they can help you. Talk to a physician or therapist for professional help.

Marine Pollution - A threat to Sea life

Over 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities. From plastic bags to pesticides - most of the waste we produce on land eventually reaches the oceans, either through deliberate dumping or from run-off through drains and rivers. This includes:

Oil spills:
Oil spills cause huge damage to the marine environment - but in fact are responsible for only around 12% of the oil entering the seas each year.

Fertilizers
Fertilizer runoff from farms and lawns is a huge problem for coastal areas. The extra nutrients cause eutrophication - flourishing of algal blooms that deplete the water's dissolved oxygen and suffocate other marine life.

Eutrophication has created enormous dead zones in several parts of the world, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Baltic Sea.

Disposal of garbage

Solid garbage also makes its way to the ocean. Plastic bags, balloons, glass bottles, shoes, packaging material – if not disposed of correctly, almost everything we throw away can reach the sea.

Plastic garbage, which decomposes very slowly, is often mistaken for food by marine animals. High concentrations of plastic material, particularly plastic bags, have been found blocking the breathing passages and stomachs of many marine species, including whales, dolphins, seals, puffins, and turtles.

Sewage disposal
In many parts of the world, sewage flows untreated, or under-treated, into the ocean. For example, 80% of urban sewage discharged into the Mediterranean Sea is untreated. This sewage can also lead to eutrophication. In addition, it can cause human disease and lead to beach closures.

Toxic chemicals
Almost every marine organism, from the tiniest plankton to whales and polar bears, is contaminated with man-made chemicals, such as pesticides and chemicals used in common consumer products. Some of these chemicals enter the sea through deliberate dumping. For centuries, the oceans have been a convenient dumping ground for waste generated on land. This continued until the 1970s, with dumping at sea the accepted practise for disposal of nearly everything, including toxic material such as pesticides, chemical weapons, and radioactive waste.

Dumping of the most toxic materials was banned by the London Dumping Convention in 1972, and an amended treaty in 1996 (the London Convention) further restricted what could be dumped at sea. However, there are still the problems of already-dumped toxic material, and even the disposal of permitted substances at sea can be a substantial environmental hazard.

Affect the food chain:

Tiny animals at the bottom of the food chain, such as plankton in the oceans, absorb the chemicals as they feed. Because they do not break down easily, the chemicals accumulate in these organisms, becoming much more concentrated in their bodies than in the surrounding water or soil. These organisms are eaten by small animals, and the concentration rises again. These animals are in turn eaten by larger animals, which can travel large distances with their even further increased chemical load. Animals higher up the food chain, such as seals, can have contamination levels millions of times higher than the water in which they live. And polar bears, which feed on seals, can have contamination levels up to 3 billion times higher than their environment.

People become contaminated either directly from household products or by eating contaminated seafood and animal fats & that can cause serious health problems - including cancer, damage to the immune system, behavioural problems, and reduced fertility.

SolarWindow - Electricity thro' Glass

New Energy Technologies is developing the first-of-its kind SolarWindow™ technology, which enables see-through windows to generate electricity by ‘spraying’ their glass surfaces with New Energy’s electricity-generating coatings – the subject of forty two (42) patent filings.

Advantages:

• Do not require expensive high-temperature or high-vacuum production methods, but rather, can be sprayed on to glass at room temperature;
• Generate electricity from both natural and artificial light sources, outperforming today’s commercial solar and thin-film technologies by as much as 10-fold; and
• Measure less than 1/10th the thickness of ‘thin’ films (only 1/1000th the thickness of human hair).

The Ultimate Super computer

'Super computer' is first ever to trick humans into thinking it's a real person

via Yahoo News Digest

A "super computer" has duped humans into thinking it was a 13-year-old boy to become the first machine to pass the "iconic" Turing Test, experts have said. Five machines were tested at the Royal Society in central London to see if they could fool people into thinking they were humans during text-based conversations. The test was devised in 1950 by computer science pioneer and Second World War codebreaker Alan Turing, who said that if a machine was indistinguishable from a human, then it was "thinking".

"It's a remarkable achievement for us and we hope it boosts interest in artificial intelligence and chatbots."
— Vladimir Veselov, the Russian-born creator of the machine

No computer had ever previously passed the Turing Test, which requires 30% of human interrogators to be duped during a series of five-minute keyboard conversations, organisers from the University of Reading said. But "Eugene Goostman", a computer programme developed to simulate a 13-year-old boy, managed to convince 33% of the judges that it was human, the university said. Prof Warwick said having a computer with such artificial intelligence had "implications for society" and would serve as a "wake-up call to cybercrime".