September 2007 Archives

Shin-ichi Uye Ph.D

The giant jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai is one of the largest of all jellyfish species, attaining a bell diameter of ca. 2 m and a wet weight of ca. 200 kg. This species is endemic in the East Asian Marginal Seas, residing in the Bohai, Yellow and East-China Seas and being expatriated to the Japan Sea by the Tsushima Current. The massive blooms of this species were extremely rare (e.g. in 1920, 1958 and 1995) in the Japan Sea. The last 5 years (i.e. 2002-2006), however, have seen mass occurrence that have caused severe damage to local fisheries both in Japan and Korea. During the peak period, several thousands of jellyfish are entrapped in a set-net per day, resulting in bursting nets, fin-fish catch decrease and spoiling, stung fishermen, increase in fishermen's labor to remove jellyfish, etc. Hence, it is urgent to clarify the reasons why the population outbreak of N. nomurai has continued in recent years and to find proper means to alleviate the nuisance to fisheries.

We started the investigation on N. nomurai in 2003, following the mass occurrence in 2002, when our knowledge about this jellyfish species was minimal. Our prime target was to elucidate the life cycle. We succeeded at producing polyps by artificial fertilization, reproducing them asexually to metamorphose into strobila and ephyra, and rear them to larval medusa stage under laboratory conditions. We also demonstrated the morphological and physio-ecological characteristics of each life stage.

Our field survey confirmed that the medusae are liberated from benthic popyls in late spring-early summer in Chinese coastal waters, transported by the Changjian River Low Salinity Water Mass offshore the East-China Sea, and then carried northward to the Japan Sea by the Tsushima Current. In spite of their large body biomass, N. nomurai can eat only small-sized zooplankton, primarily copepods. Their daily growth rate is as high as 15% of their own weight during larval stage, and decreases with growth to 3-1% during summer and fall. Based on the food demand to meet the metabolism and observed growth rate, a medusa weighing ca. 80 kg may clear 1440 m3 seawater, almost equivalent to the water volume of a 50-m swimming pool, per day, indicating a significant impact to the marine food chain structure. Expatriated medusae die off near Japanese waters in winter.

Aidan Laverty - Director

It's sunset in the desert outside Lima, Peru, and we're getting ready to film one of the strangest and most disturbing episodes in human history.

Our NatGeo/BBC film crew has come here to recreate a ritual of human sacrifice. The drama we're filming tonight is based on extensive archaeological research from a city of abandoned pyramids in Northern Peru called Tucume.

It all happened over five hundred years ago but we're determined to make this as factually - and as emotionally - accurate as possible.

Our cast and crew are over a hundred strong, and we're a pretty strange looking bunch.

Outside our specially built temple, five priests are having their elaborate costumes fitted. The High Priest, who would have presided over the ceremony, is wearing a stunning silver head piece, festooned with blue and yellow feathers. Nearby, other priests are having jangling metal nosepieces fitted,

Millions of women reach for one every day, but how much do they really know about their most intimate apparel? Throughout history, undergarments have shaped women's bodies to reflect the social expectations of the time. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the bra. From boiling cauldrons to silk looms to metal factories, this special traces the evolution of one of woman's most provocative pieces of clothing.

Delicate fabric, exquisite details and curve-hugging cups make the bra an ultimate symbol of femininity, but behind the fragile exterior lies tough design, grueling construction and complicated science. Some of the facts and figures revealed in the special include the following:

• Caterpillar spit, dirt, crude oil and molten metal are several of the ingredients in a bra.
• There are over 40 components of a bra.
• Over 4 million new bras are created on average every day.
• Each woman owns an average of six and a half bras.
• In the last 15 years, the average bust size has increased from 34B to 36C.
• The modern system of bra sizing was invented in 1928.
• How many ounces in a cup? An A cup -- approximately 8 fluid ounces; B cup -- 13 ounces; C cup -- 21 ounces; and D cup -- 27 ounces.
• Women's breasts can range from 10 ounces to 20 pounds, and a 1.6-ounce bra has to support all shapes and sizes in between.
• Consumers spend around $16 billion a year on bras.

With School back in session, there are a lot of opportunities to spread the word about being green. Please take the time to read the quick tip below.

Courtesy of The Green Guide: Tired of the same old school fundraising drives -- bake sales, car washes or wrapping paper offers? Ever thought there might be an effective fundraising tool that was also educational and socially responsible? Check out Global Goods Partners (GGP). More than a typical "fundraiser," this program provides schools with an innovative and accessible way to incorporate lessons about other cultures, current affairs, social responsibility and how our purchases in our local communities can impact the lives of people living in other parts of the world.

Glen Heggstad - Special Contributor

When National Geographic Channel first suggested making a docu-drama about my experience being taken prisoner in Colombia by Marxist rebels, I had mixed feelings. The book that I wrote was about a motorcycle ride from California to Argentina that included becoming an unwilling guest of a terrorist army and not a travelogue. Because these events were so deeply personal, I had already turned down several Hollywood attempts to buy the movie rights--I feared that the real story would surely become distorted.

But as I spoke with director Neil Rawles from Raw Television, my confidence grew that he was truly interested in a factual, quality film. He questioned me extensively from London for several weeks and what impressed me most was at the end of my recounting significant incidents, he probed, "What were you thinking at that moment?"

When he asked that question after describing a mock execution, I replied, "My daughter Skye, and how I was likely never to see her again." That's when Neil decided to shoot a dream sequence of our last conversations together before I left for South America--words that I played back just as a bullet was being chambered directly behind me.

Your familly is growing. Work is stressful. And it gets harder and harder to hit the gym. Its when we hit the age of forty is when we really begin to see our bodies begin to change, again. Above the surface it may seem that there is no significant change, but underneath there are some dramatic changes. Below are some facts from Inside the Living Body explaining some of the changes.

• By our mid- to late 40s, our skin begins to lose elasticity, becoming saggy and wrinkled. Years of exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun have worn down the collagen that binds our skin cells together. We do not regenerate the cells as quickly anymore.

• Our eyesight is also not the same. The inner lens cells -- the same ones we were born with -- stiffen and don't focus light as well. The lens cells, heart cells and some brain cells are the only ones our body never replaces.

• Even though we may exercise, our body shape changes. We lose around 6½ lbs. of muscle each decade of our adult life -- and put on more fat. Women tend to put fat on their hips, men around their waist.

From the age of five to the age of thirty, humans go through some amazing changes. We learn to speak fluently, we pump countless facts and figures in to our brains and we push and pull our muscles so that they will grow. We put our body's through a lot and we are able to continue, for the most part, to function as if nothing is going on inside our bodies. Below are some more facts for you to learn about these great years and are also covered in the premiere of Inside The Living Body.

• By the time we are 5, we form memories that can last a lifetime.

• To make a new memory, our brain cells extend tentacles called axons and form new connections with other brain cells. We learn new information by making these connections over and over again. In childhood, our brain grows quickly so we learn fast.

• As young children, our immune system is exposed to new germs because of constant interaction with other children. Luckily, we are armed with front-line defenses such as eyebrows, eyelashes, ear hair, nose hair, mucus, sweat and tears. Plus, our skin is constantly shedding its top layer, taking bacteria with it.

Having a newborn can be one of the most memorable experiences for someone in their lives. It comes with joy and sometimes anxiety, rightfully so. Newborns are changing everyday. One day they could only be laying on their back and the next they could be rolling over on their own. As science has shown, newborns grow at an exponential rate between when they are born and the age of two. Below are some facts addressed in the premiere of Inside The Living Body that may help to answer some questions for the new parents out there.

• Our heart is the size of a walnut when we are born, but it is still powerful enough to pump blood through tens of thousands of miles of blood vessels.

• At birth, the heart has already been pumping in the womb for eight months. But now two potentially fatal flaws are apparent: a hole in the aorta and another in the heart. In the womb, they diverted blood away from our inactive lungs. Now that the lungs are needed, the holes seal shut.

• When we are born and for the rest of our lives, there are more bacterial cells in and on us than human cells.

Its Inside The Living Body week here on the NGC Blog. Today's feature is an interview with the show's producer Stephen Marsh. He gives his take on what it was like filming this special and what challenges he and his crew encountered.

Check in tomorrow for facts about the innner workings of your body that you might have not known.

NGC: Exactly how did you insert endoscopic cameras into a person's body?

Stephen Marsh: We did not insert endoscope cameras ourselves for the show. Endoscopy is an invasive procedure and therefore should only be done by a certified physician and only for clinical reasons such as health issues or special research.

The endoscopic footage we used was provided by specialist doctors and had been previously shot during standard medical procedures.

The footage of the stomach and esophagus was taken as I said above by trained physicians using an endoscope passed into the mouth and then down into the stomach. For the images of internal fat and an ovary the camera was inserted through the umbilicus.

A Black Hawk helicopter, along with a Homeland Security patrol boat, roam the waters of Miami for any suspicous activity.

Chuck Brown's version of "Cesar's Way" is available for all you Dog Whisperer fans to download for free to your mobile phone. All you have to do is text CESAR to 64288 and it will be sent right to your phone. Click here for more details.

Tune in this Friday for a behind the scenes look at how Chuck Brown and Cesar Milan made this tune for you.

Want more tips on how to be a pack leader? Text the word DOG to 64288 to subscribe to weekly tips straight from your favorite Dog Behavior Expert.

Cesar and the rest of his pack return with brand new episodes this Friday at 8:00pm et/pt!

If you are in the Los Angeles area, why not come meet Cesar Milan in person.
When: This Friday, from 4pm - 7pm
Where: Los Angeles

Petco
6615 Fallbrook Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 91307

Kathryn Wallace - Associate Producer

The words "Maximum-security prison" and "Utah" aren't exactly a natural fit. Before my visit to Utah State Prison, I wondered if the state - whose most famous exports included the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Donny and Marie Osmond - had enough criminals to fill their sprawling 700-acre facility. It turns out yes - Utah has law-breakers of all stripes - more than 4,000 men and women - locked up at Utah State Prison. And a bigger surprise: almost half of these inmates have gang ties.

From my vantage point, Utah didn't look urban to me. So where are gangs springing up without the urban feeding grounds for gangs and crime? Officers and inmates told me that the most violent gangs on the street and in the prison are actually imports from California or Mexico - dangerous crime syndicates like the "Surenos" and "Nortenos." The bloodiest feuds are turf battles between the newcomers and the older gangs in the handful of larger cities like Salt Lake City and Ogden.

But then a good portion of the prison's gang inmates are from the almost mythically small Utah desert or mountain towns with names like Kanab and Bountiful - cities with little to offer and lots of wide-open space to get in trouble. You get the feeling from talking to inmates from these small towns that they are getting their script on how to act straight from the movies. At first, I had a hard time taking these gangs seriously. But as small-timing as I thought some of the desert gangsters are, officers warn me that these inmates are actually some of the most volatile and dangerous behind bars; to them, prison is the "Big Dance" - an audition in front of real gangsters for a bigger part.