Current Event

Outbreak notice

Malaria in Greece

By: Ivan Cukanić

Author of the Article: Center for Disease Control and     Prevention

Date Published: November, 24th, 2012

Source: Center for Disease Control

URL: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/outbreak-notice/malaria-greece-sept-2012.htm

Although it is considered as an officially eradicated disease in Greece from 1974. with only  sporadic cases of malaria connected only to travelers from Africa and Asia, there are, day by day,  new cases of this mosquito spread disease. Attica, Karditsa, Laconia, Viotia, and Xanthi are regions of Greece affected by this dangerous disease. The Hellenic Center of disease control and also European CDC take part in thorough monitoring of new cases and organize better mosquito control, but also public information and education about malaria. 

Malaria is parasite disease transferred from an infected to a healthy person by mosquito bite. In the early stages of the disease, symptoms of malaria are very similar to banal viral infections with fever and chills, but if left unrecognized, it can even be fatal. With almost 500 million cases and 1 million deaths per year worldwide, it is one of the largest health problems in the world. It is very common in undeveloped and developing world regions, often in swamp areas which favor mosquito reproduction and multiplication. Malaria is a quite common disease in many parts of Africa, Central and South America, Asia, South Pacific and Eastern Europe.  It is recommended for all travelers to Greece to use insect ( mosquito ) repellent on exposed skin, to wear protective clothing and to spend time indoor in mosquito protected places. In case of travelling to an agricultural region of Eurotas, CDC recommends taking medicine prescription for disease prevention.  It is of great importance to take all fevers seriously during and up to one year after travel and to seek professional medical help as soon as possible. Malaria is a completely curable disease in case of prompt and adequate treatment.

I liked this article because it warns people about diseases they forgot that even existed in some parts of the world. If not prepared, you can get malaria and if you don’t recognize it, it can even kill you. This connects to science because it involves mosquitoes, protozoa and diseases. I think this site is reliable because it has “.gov” in the URL.

Current Event

NASA's Kepler Completes Prime Mission, Begins Extended Mission

Blog post by: Ivan Cukanić

Author of the article: Michele Johnson

Source: NASA

URL: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/news/kepler_prime_mission.html

   Kepler is a space telescope that was launched into space on the 6th of March, 2009. It is on a mission to find planets we could live on that are similar to Earth.  Kepler made many discoveries with a variety of new techniques. One of its most famous discoveries is the "Kepler 22b", a planet which is in the habitable zone in its solar system. It has completed its 3 year long mission and now it begins an extended mission which will last four more years.

   I liked this article because it talks about new discoveries in space. I think Kepler is actually going to find Earth's "twin planet" on the extended mission, and I do hope that planet will be close, so we can travel to it quickly. I have learned from this article that we need to be patient in order to find revolutionary discoveries, for this space telescope's mission will last 7 years in total. This article also taught me that Earth is not a unique planet and that maybe there is intelligent life out there. I don't mean aliens from science fiction novels and movies, but something like humans. I believe in this article because its from NASA, and NASA is the most famous space research organization in the world. NASA's articles are written by scientists and educated, trustworthy people.

Dirt

Dirt

________________________________________

(Reflection)

     I enjoy working with dirt because it relaxes me and it is fun. I especially love digging.

     If  the land of farmers was being taken here in Serbia, many families would become notably poorer and unhappier, especially if their only occupation was farming. I agree with Paul Stamets' analogy because we are ruining dirt and with dirt our whole planet including us humans, as a virus hurts its host and when the host dies the virus dies with it.
 
     We should take care about every piece of  fertile land by  preserving  it of any type of contamination and by cultivating policulture instead of monoculture on it. Wherever we can, we should  reduce areas covered by concrete and asphalt. I do think that if everyone tries their best to conserve dirt we will succeed. People usually think that its not important to try conserving dirt because nobody else is trying and its not enough for one person to try, but if everyone changes their opinion, we would have millions and millions of people trying their best to conserve dirt. Governments  should make a regulation to decrease monoculture cultivation and pesticide usage which would reduce the amount of ruined soil. They can also stimulate reforestation of some areas. Everyone should have in mind that dirt is a natural habitat for many animals. When dirt is contaminated or when it dries out, the animals will either die, or escape to another place, which isn't their natural habitat, causing the food chain to change, making some animals or plants extinct. This would destroy the balance of the whole ecosystem.
   
     After this film, I feel that I should encourage my family and other people to have their own gardens with a variety of plants and that everyone should have a place to leave organic material to become dirt. Now I know that monocultures damage dirt in many ways as well as different chemicals. If mankind continue to destroy dirt, there would be a shortage of food everywhere in the world.