ARTICLE

REVIEWS

NAME: SAFIYA AZAM KHAN

CLASS : O3-C
SUBJECT: ENGLISH

Earthquakes Ecological Aftershock

The coastal Klallam people had to adapt to an altered ecosystem in the wake of an earthquake
and tsunami.
by Patrick Daley
Published October 6, 2016
The Pacific coast of North America is infamous for its earthquakes. Several fault lines routinely
produce minor tremors, and up and down the coast people are preparing for the next big one.
Though scientists have largely focused on the future, trying to predict and manage the risk of
the pending cataclysm, some researchers have begun to look to the past, to see how historical
people were affected by these sudden catastrophes.
In what is now Port Angeles, Washington, the village of Tse-whit-zen was founded about 2,800
years ago. The Klallam inhabitants weathered at least three major earthquakes in this village. In
the early 20th century, the village was finally buried, not by a natural disaster, but by the
construction of a lumber mill.
In 2004, an excavation recovered massive quantities of shell, fish bones, and artifacts from the
site, preserving a record of the villages ancient fishing economy.
We could tell on a fine scalemuch finer than normal with archaeologyhow things changed
over just a few years, says archaeologist Kathryn Mohlenhoff , who studied the site while she
was a graduate student at Portland State University. By comparing the archaeological finds from
immediately before and after major earthquake-generated tsunamis hit the area, Mohlenhoff
found clues as to how the quakes had affected the Klallam people and their environment.
The Klallam, like other Coast Salish peoples, relied heavily on the sea, and Mohlenhoffs analysis
showed an abrupt shift in what species of fish were available after a tsunami.
These findings align with observations made in the wake of other major tsunamis. In the
immediate aftermath of Alaskas devastating 1964 Good Friday earthquake, for instance,
tsunami waves collapsed buildings, washed away or smashed boats, and damaged the ecosystem.
Aside from the obvious human toll, the tsunami waves also pushed up streams, churning the
gravel where salmon spawn, and contaminating the fresh water with sand and salt. Uplift and
subsidence from the earthquake destroyed some salmon streams outright.
The Klallam likely experienced similar ecological upheavals, but in the end the people of Tsewhit-zen proved resilient.
The archaeological dig shows that when a tsunami hit the Washington coastline in the 15th
century, the salmon became scarce for a number of years. But an increased use of Pacific herring
seems to have made up the shortfall, says Mohlenhoff. As it turns out, the near-shore eelgrass
beds where herring spawn recover much more quickly from tsunami damage than other coastal
habitats.
By understanding how ecosystems responded to and recovered from earthquakes in the past,
Mohlenhoff says we may be able to better predict how the species we depend on today will
respond to similar catastrophes.

A SQUIRT OF STEM CELL GEL HEALS BRAIN

INJURIES
By Sandeep Ravindran

Scientists have developed a gel that helps brains recover from traumatic
injuries. It has the potential to treat head injuries suffered in combat, car
accidents, falls, or gunshot wounds. Developed by Dr. Ning Zhang at
Clemson University in South Carolina, the gel is injected in liquid form at the
site of injury and stimulates the growth of stem cells there.
Brain injuries are particularly hard to repair, since injured tissues swell up
and can cause additional damage to the cells. So far, treatments have tried
to limit this secondary damage by lowering the temperature or relieving the
pressure at the site of injury. However, these techniques are often not very
effective.
More recently, scientists have considered transplanting donor brain cells into
the wound to repair damaged tissue. This method has so far had limited
results when treating brain injuries. The donor cells often fail to grow or
stimulate repair at the injury site, possibly because of the inflammation and
scarring present there. The injury site also typically has very limited blood
supply and connective tissue, which might prevent donor cells from getting
the nutrients they require.
Dr. Zhang's gel, however, can be loaded with different chemicals to stimulate
various biological processes at the site of injury. In previous research done on
rats, she was able to use the gel to help re-establish full blood supply at the
site of brain injury. This could help create a better environment for donor
cells.
In a follow-up study, Dr. Zhang loaded the gel with immature stem cells, as
well as the chemicals they needed to develop into full-fledged adult brain

cells. When rats with severe brain injuries were treated with this mixture for
eight weeks, they showed signs of significant recovery.
The new gel could treat patients at varying stages following injury, and is
expected to be ready for testing in humans in about three years.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE
We are all gifted with a unique set of skills and abilities. With those abilities we can make extra-ordinary
things happen in the world around us, or not. It is completely up to you whether you want your life to
make a difference and what difference you want your life to make.
Many people set lofty goals for their lives and want to be remembered as visionaries, they want to change
and save the world. Others want to be remembered as the kind man or women down the street who
always helped and always listened if you needed help. Who do you think is the better person?
The one who changes the world or the one who saves the individual?
Do what not have to do incredible things; just being there for the people around you can save someone
from a meaningless life and help them lead the life they were meant to live.
Changing the life of another person is an incredible feeling and it is completely within your grasp. You can
do this by deciding to become a mentor for a young ambitious person. You can help them avoid the
mistakes you have made and help them learn from the ones they will inevitably make themselves.
You will often see someone get treated unfairly. It happens both professionally and socially, individuals
who deserve recognition do not get it. By taking up the fight and making sure others get what they deserve
and earned you will be a true hero. You will make a lasting impact on their lives and you will be rewarded
with love and help in the future when you are in need. The law of karma says that whatever you do you
will get back three fold, helping others is therefore a selfish act, but still a good act, one that you should do
without fear, with love and with the knowledge that you will one day be rewarded.
Compromise is the enemy of long term commitment, if you have committed to helping someone by being
their mentor or by fighting for their rights, doesn't stop half way. Go the distance and see it through. Make
sure something happens so all your work doesn't end up as only talk.
In truth we might all be here to help each other, we might all be a part of a machine that fosters
cooperation, or were not. We might just be here to make the best of the situation for ourselves.
In any case, helping others brings happiness and prosperity into your own life, so for whatever reason you
chose to help others, it will always help you in return. The difference between stopping half way and
finishing isn't much in terms of the work you put in, but worlds apart in the difference for the individual
you are helping.

SWINE FLU NEWS UPDATE

WHILE THE VIRUS APPEARS LESS DEADLY THAN
ORIGINALLY THOUGHT, SWINE FLU CONTINUES
TO SPREAD
By Stuart Fox
So, despite some media hysteria last week, it looks like the swine flu won't be the
death of us all. However, that does not mean the virus has stopped spreading, or
that it won't reach pandemic levels and possibly cause significant economic
damage.
The Wall Street Journal took a look at some those possible economic consequences,
in particular the effect the outbreak might have on vaccine manufacturers. The
article notes: "The Obama administration is weeks away from a critical decision on
whether to trigger mass production of swine-flu vaccine, which could affect the
bottom lines of big vaccine makers as well as public health."
In this case, overreaction could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, while
underreaction could cost the vaccine companies dearly and negatively impact
public health. As Ross Hammond, a flu researcher at the Brookings Institute
told PopSci, "Underreaction is dangerous because it interferes with the timing of
deploying sufficient measures to prevent the pandemic from getting out of control.
Overreaction is bad because it can lead to gridlock, unnecessary confusion, and
unnecessary economic consequences." With under- and overreaction so bad, let's
hope the government manages to hit the sweet spot of "reaction."
The Associated Press has two slightly dire stores. The first shows that the swine flu
has moved to the next level in the U.S., with 90 percent of flu victims receiving the
infection in the U.S. rather than during time spent in Mexico. The second AP
story quotes a World Health Organization official as saying this virus may infect as
many as two billion people.
However, that official does say, "I don't think the two billion figure should scare
people because it's not as though two billion people are going to die. The prediction
from WHO is that two billion people might catch it. Half of those people won't show
any symptoms. Or if they show any symptoms, they will be so mild they will hardly
know they've had it." Meaning there is really no reason to start stocking canned
goods.
But if you were going to stock canned goods, Serious Eats wants to know what
would be on your list of foods to horde during the viral meltdown. Personally, I
would save up on bacon, brisket, sourdough bread, Three Floyds brewery beer and

DVDs of the The Wire. Yeah, I know that last one isn't food, but man cannot live on
bread alone.
And lastly, from Reuters reports that the U.S. Navy has had to cancel operations as
a result of the flu. The USS Dubuque had to forgo a humanitarian mission when 403
of its 420 sailors and 900 marines came down with H1N1 swine flu infections.
That's all the flu news for today; see you tomorrow, and please, feel free to pose
any questions you have about the flu in the comments section. I will try to answer
them in later blog posts. Cheers!