"Oh, you shouldn't have!"
Chuckle Varmint Snapshots
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Accurate Data on Autism is Required
The number of autism cases is increasing. It is largely due to new diagnostic processes. This masks the real situation, so it is not knows what the actual increase is. It appears that many people who are now teenagers were overlooked and do have autism.
Very old data are the basis of case numbers. One in 5,000 of United States citizens suffered from the ailment in 1975. These data are far too old to be meaningful. A survey in 2002 showed one in 500 were autistic. Such a disparity means an accurate investigation must be done. It jumped to one in 68 in 2012. This is absurd!
Sure, reclassification has affected the results but knowing what is really happening is paramount. Because nearly all of those with autism are supported by welfare, government needs to know actual numbers. Oddly, Penn State University in the US found no increase in attendance at special schools. Where are these people going? Are they living a life of isolation?
On closer examination is seems that they are at special schools, being moved from one mental incapacity classification to autism. Just stating that autism is not increasing is not good enough. New diagnostic methods notwithstanding, the real numbers must be identified.
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Australian Blog
◆ Chemistry by Ty Buchanan ◆
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Organoid "Making" a Waste of Resources!
Scientists are creating tiny human organs from stem cells just for the sake of it. They hope that it will make for beneficial discoveries and applications in the future. Is it a waste of public and private money? It could be. There is an opportunity cost in using resources for wasteful projects.
These tiny but useless mini-organs are called organoids. Indeed, Madeline Lancaster was messing-around" when she realized that she had grown a brain. Attempting to form embryonic stem cells from neural rosettes she accidentally succeeded. The floating milky substance floating in the culture was an embryonic brain - retina cells. A mass of different cells were found when the contents of the culture dish were closely analysed.
Organoids seem to mimic the operation of full-sized natural organs. Eye, stomach, gut, kidney, liver, pancreas, lung, prostate and breast mini-organs have been made. They do mimic some of the functions of the real thing. Unfortunately, they remain embryonic and do not keep growing to become actual copies human organs.
It seems organoids form on their own with no structural scaffolding required for them to make operational structures. Cell division simply follows the instruction written in the DNA. Their only use so far has been for testing of drugs and procedures to treat medical conditions. It is a developing science - early days.
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Australian Blog
Australian Blog
◆ Chemistry by Ty Buchanan ◆
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Meerkat Fenced in
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