ActionBioscience tag:www.actionbioscience.org,2009://1 2009-11-07T18:03:40Z Movable Type 3.36 Investigating Food-Borne Illness tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2009://1.54074 2009-11-06T16:51:53Z 2009-11-07T18:03:40Z We see more cases of illness from contaminated food occurring in a number of U.S. states at the same time. Robert Tauxe examines these questions about multistate outbreaks:

  • Why are food-borne illnesses on the rise?
  • How do the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) track these pathogens?
  • Why do outbreaks happen across state lines more often?
  • What can we do to curb the development of these diseases?
]]> Robert Tauxe We see more cases of illness from contaminated food occurring in a number of U.S. states at the same time. Robert Tauxe examines these questions about multistate outbreaks:

  • Why are food-borne illnesses on the rise?
  • How do the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) track these pathogens?
  • Why do outbreaks happen across state lines more often?
  • What can we do to curb the development of these diseases?
]]> Coral Reefs Under Stress tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2009://1.54070 2009-10-21T01:12:30Z 2009-11-09T15:13:08Z Coral reefs are more critical to an ocean’s health than you might think, and the effects of climate change and ocean acidification are effectively damaging and destroying most reefs in the world. Coral reefs provide many important ecosystem services, including:

  • providing food, shelter, and meeting places for thousands of animals
  • anchoring sand for recreational beaches
  • supplying building materials for remote peoples
]]> Peter J. Mumby Coral reefs are more critical to an ocean’s health than you might think, and the effects of climate change and ocean acidification are effectively damaging and destroying most reefs in the world. Coral reefs provide many important ecosystem services, including:

  • providing food, shelter, and meeting places for thousands of animals
  • anchoring sand for recreational beaches
  • supplying building materials for remote peoples
]]> Birds: What Can They Tell Us About Our Planet? tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2009://1.54068 2009-09-28T02:37:36Z 2009-11-01T19:24:10Z Birds help us measure our natural and cultural health as a nation—healthy birds equal a healthy planet.

  • Birds provide value to every ecosystem in the world.
  • Many bird species migrate, exploiting different habitats during a lifecycle.
  • They offer enjoyment to amateur and professional ornithologists.
]]> Paul R. Schmidt Birds help us measure our natural and cultural health as a nation—healthy birds equal a healthy planet.

  • Birds provide value to every ecosystem in the world.
  • Many bird species migrate, exploiting different habitats during a lifecycle.
  • They offer enjoyment to amateur and professional ornithologists.
]]> Climate Change Threatens Penguins tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2009://1.54058 2009-09-02T17:49:32Z 2009-11-02T00:56:26Z Climate change is affecting most penguins in different ways. Global warming:

  • jeopardizes the safety of penguin breeding areas
  • harms their food supply
  • causes increased chick and adult mortality
]]> Shaye Wolf Climate change is affecting most penguins in different ways. Global warming:

  • jeopardizes the safety of penguin breeding areas
  • harms their food supply
  • causes increased chick and adult mortality
]]> Can Agricultural Biotechnology be Green? tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2009://1.54051 2009-07-31T00:15:07Z 2009-10-22T01:36:25Z When engineering crops and designing strategies for effective use of transgenic insects for biocontrol, you should consider:

  • leaving the environment as intact as possible
  • having enough availability of food to maintain social stability
  • making products affordable and accessible to farmers
  • using patents in a way that promotes innovation
]]> Fred Gould When engineering crops and designing strategies for effective use of transgenic insects for biocontrol, you should consider:

  • leaving the environment as intact as possible
  • having enough availability of food to maintain social stability
  • making products affordable and accessible to farmers
  • using patents in a way that promotes innovation
]]> Can Science Win Over Climate Change Skeptics? tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2009://1.54049 2009-07-09T18:34:53Z 2009-07-29T05:45:38Z Explaining global warming is complex, making it harder to argue against climate change skeptics. Teaching the nature of science may be a better way to

  • help students and the public understand that climate change is real
  • highlight the benefits from climate change awareness
  • provide concise, direct answers to critics of climate change theory
]]> Michael J. Dougherty Explaining global warming is complex, making it harder to argue against climate change skeptics. Teaching the nature of science may be a better way to

  • help students and the public understand that climate change is real
  • highlight the benefits from climate change awareness
  • provide concise, direct answers to critics of climate change theory
]]> The Decline of North American Freshwater Fishes tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2009://1.54047 2009-06-26T20:00:27Z 2009-07-14T02:15:06Z The fishes of North America’s inland waters, the most diverse of any temperate region, currently face an unprecedented conservation crisis.

  • About 40% are imperiled or presumed extinct, and the portion of imperiled fishes is increasing.
  • Threats to this fauna include habitat destruction, introduced species, altered hydrology, pollution, disease, over-exploitation, and other factors.
  • Extinctions and imperilment of fishes occur among diverse taxonomic groups, across regions, and in a variety of habitats.
]]> Stephen J. Walsh, Howard L. Jelks, and Noel M. Burkhead The fishes of North America’s inland waters, the most diverse of any temperate region, currently face an unprecedented conservation crisis.

  • About 40% are imperiled or presumed extinct, and the portion of imperiled fishes is increasing.
  • Threats to this fauna include habitat destruction, introduced species, altered hydrology, pollution, disease, over-exploitation, and other factors.
  • Extinctions and imperilment of fishes occur among diverse taxonomic groups, across regions, and in a variety of habitats.
]]> The Value of Healthy Estuaries tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2009://1.54040 2009-03-27T21:11:36Z 2009-09-04T01:27:32Z Healthy estuaries are critical to humans and wildlife. They:

  • provide food, supporting both commercial and recreational fisheries
  • treat waste and runoff, maintaining water quality
  • protect coastal areas from natural hazards
  • connect bodies of water for transportation and marine operations
  • nurture a balance of the food web upon which all life depends
]]> Robert R. Christian Healthy estuaries are critical to humans and wildlife. They:

  • provide food, supporting both commercial and recreational fisheries
  • treat waste and runoff, maintaining water quality
  • protect coastal areas from natural hazards
  • connect bodies of water for transportation and marine operations
  • nurture a balance of the food web upon which all life depends
]]> The Legacy of Charles Darwin tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2009://1.54023 2009-02-02T20:40:18Z 2009-10-02T04:20:33Z Darwin’s concept of evolution forever changed the way we understand how our natural world works. In this article, we learn about:

  • Darwin’s observations of nature that led to his ideas
  • Why evolution via natural selection is the basis of all of biology
  • How Darwin’s ideas affected our understanding of the sciences
  • How evolution continues to affect us today
]]> Tim M. Berra Darwin’s concept of evolution forever changed the way we understand how our natural world works. In this article, we learn about:

  • Darwin’s observations of nature that led to his ideas
  • Why evolution via natural selection is the basis of all of biology
  • How Darwin’s ideas affected our understanding of the sciences
  • How evolution continues to affect us today
]]> Airborne Disease Control tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2008://1.54016 2008-11-14T16:42:20Z 2009-10-03T00:33:22Z The air that you breathe indoors may be dangerous to your health. How can we make indoor environments safer?

  • Apply aerobiological engineering principles to buildings to control the bioaerosols in our indoor environments.
  • Retrofit old buildings or specifically design new buildings to control airborne microbes.
  • Develop regulatory standards for indoor environments.
  • Become educated about sources and transmission routes of airborne pathogens.
]]> Wladyslaw Jan Kowalski The air that you breathe indoors may be dangerous to your health. How can we make indoor environments safer?

  • Apply aerobiological engineering principles to buildings to control the bioaerosols in our indoor environments.
  • Retrofit old buildings or specifically design new buildings to control airborne microbes.
  • Develop regulatory standards for indoor environments.
  • Become educated about sources and transmission routes of airborne pathogens.
]]> Rethinking Fossil Fuels tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2008://1.54010 2008-09-05T02:59:27Z 2009-07-29T05:48:46Z Climate change and fossil fuel use are connected. It would serve the world well to:

  • Begin a moratorium on coal-fired power plants.
  • Explore and use renewable energy.
  • Insist on immediate action from world governments.
  • Penalize industries putting excess CO2 into the atmosphere.
]]> James Hansen Climate change and fossil fuel use are connected. It would serve the world well to:

  • Begin a moratorium on coal-fired power plants.
  • Explore and use renewable energy.
  • Insist on immediate action from world governments.
  • Penalize industries putting excess CO2 into the atmosphere.
]]> The Spread of Dengue Fever tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2008://1.54007 2008-08-08T20:35:20Z 2009-08-28T15:23:01Z Dengue fever is a serious disease, which is transmitted from a certain type of mosquito.

  • Dengue fever has reached pandemic status in most of the tropical countries.
  • Urbanization, lack of mosquito control, and modern transportation accelerate the spread of the virus.
  • Stored-water systems versus piped-water systems encourage mosquito breeding.
  • More air travel to tropical areas increases the potential for the spread of the disease.
]]> Duane J. Gubler Dengue fever is a serious disease, which is transmitted from a certain type of mosquito.

  • Dengue fever has reached pandemic status in most of the tropical countries.
  • Urbanization, lack of mosquito control, and modern transportation accelerate the spread of the virus.
  • Stored-water systems versus piped-water systems encourage mosquito breeding.
  • More air travel to tropical areas increases the potential for the spread of the disease.
]]> Teaching Anatomy & Physiology on the Virtual Highway tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2008://1.54004 2008-06-18T03:44:22Z 2009-11-06T01:20:56Z Virtual schools offer multiple advantages, including:

  • accessibility—you can literally “go to school” anywhere and retrieve information from almost limitless resources
  • flexible course offerings—virtual schools can offer a variety of courses that benefit the gifted and talented, as well as those that are educationally challenged
  • enhanced learning—students are introduced to new technology, which will enhance future endeavors
]]> Karen Smith Virtual schools offer multiple advantages, including:

  • accessibility—you can literally “go to school” anywhere and retrieve information from almost limitless resources
  • flexible course offerings—virtual schools can offer a variety of courses that benefit the gifted and talented, as well as those that are educationally challenged
  • enhanced learning—students are introduced to new technology, which will enhance future endeavors
]]> Polar Bears and Climate Change tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2008://1.54003 2008-05-07T20:33:27Z 2009-10-29T03:02:46Z A warming climate is altering sea ice conditions, which affects polar bears in many ways, including:

  • more difficulty in getting to and hunting prey
  • fewer den areas and lower cub survival
  • increased interactions between bears and humans
  • lower survival rate of the species in general
]]> Andrew E. Derocher A warming climate is altering sea ice conditions, which affects polar bears in many ways, including:

  • more difficulty in getting to and hunting prey
  • fewer den areas and lower cub survival
  • increased interactions between bears and humans
  • lower survival rate of the species in general
]]> The Global Decline of Mollusks tag:staging.actionbioscience.org,2008://1.54002 2008-04-27T19:32:57Z 2009-11-02T02:42:02Z Mollusk species, such as snails and clams, are disappearing, but you may not know it since they do not typically stir up strong feelings. However, certain species

  • have commercial value as food and medical research
  • provide important nourishment and shelter (discarded shells) for other animal life
  • keep the water clean by recycling nutrients through their systems
]]> Christine E. Parent Mollusk species, such as snails and clams, are disappearing, but you may not know it since they do not typically stir up strong feelings. However, certain species

  • have commercial value as food and medical research
  • provide important nourishment and shelter (discarded shells) for other animal life
  • keep the water clean by recycling nutrients through their systems
]]>