Investors are always looking for that next big thing to put their money into. The medical field is rife with such opportunities, thanks to ongoing advancements that are making it possible for us to treat all sorts of things that were previously out of reach. If you are an orthopedist, aesthetic practitioner or GP, you might want to consider your own local investment in the emerging area of stem cell therapy.
Take 'local investment' to mean investing in your own practice. Put the time and effort into PRP and stem cell training by attending courses that will teach you how PRP and stem cell therapies work and the procedures necessary to implement them. Apex Biologix, a company located in Murray, Utah, is one example of a competent trading provider you could work with. They have already assisted more than 200 clinics in establishing regenerative medicine services.
Worldwide Market Expected to Boom
There would certainly be nothing wrong with investing in a company directly involved in the manufacture and sale of regenerative medicine products. In fact, such investments would be rather wise. Recent numbers suggest the global market for regenerative medicine will reach nearly $39 billion by 2021. The expected rate of growth should be just under 24%.
Those numbers are pretty impressive by any standard. But here's what you need to know as a doctor: a significant portion of that $39 billion will not be realized through investments in the industry's corporate players. Rather, it will be spent by patients looking for regenerative medicine for wound care, orthopedic treatments, and aesthetic medicine. You can get your share of the action by undergoing training and then adding regenerative medicine to your own practice.
Investing in the Future of Medicine
An analysis of the regenerative medicine market suggests that investment is being driven by an expectation that the future of things such as PRP and stem cell therapy looks good. When investors spot something in which they see a lot of potential, they are not afraid to put their money behind it. And wherever the markets go, reality often follows.
With that said, the strong investment in regenerative medicine suggests that anticipated growth will become a reality. Institutional investors will put money into the companies producing products and therapies, companies like Apex Biologix will invest their resources in training doctors and supplying them with equipment, and patients will invest in the actual procedures that will help them live healthier lives.
How to Get Trained
Doctors looking to invest in regenerative medicine can take a series of training courses depending on the kinds of services they want to offer. Continuing with Apex Biologix as the example, they offer training courses for both PRP and stem cell therapy. Their courses cover aesthetic medicine, orthopedics, and marketing regenerative medicine services to clients.
Their longest training course is a two-day affair held at various locations around the country. That two-day course centers around stem cell therapy for orthopedic applications. Apex Biologix also offers a one-day training course in PRP therapy for aesthetic medicine. Both courses include additional training for marketing regenerative medicine procedures.
Conclusion
As much as we don't like to talk about it, medicine is a business that requires a certain level of revenue to keep the lights on and the doors open. It is clear that institutional investors are rather optimistic about the future of regenerative medicine, so much so that they are willing to put their money behind it. Doctors can invest in their own practices by receiving training and then adding regenerative medicine to what they currently offer patients.
Machine Learning can be considered as an important subfield of Artificial Intelligence. During the last decade, Machine Learning is widely used in a variety of areas, including the complex healthcare industry.
The healthcare landscape can be divided into three main categories. These include:
1. Large Institutions
These could be private hospitals and universities as well as research centers specializing in medical care.
2.Solo Physicians
Physicians who are engaged with private practice belong to this category. They are working hard to resist the trend that focuses on consolidation.
3.Healthcare Professionals
This category includes administrators, physical therapists and nurses who play a major role behind successful practice.
All these practitioners have their own goals and strategies or principles which guide their practice. These goals can further be distinguished into two main categories:
(a) To assist the patients in order to live a healthier life.
(b) To do their work in an efficient way to keep the patients satisfied with treatments.
Challenges for the Healthcare Industry
Regardless of the background and category of the healthcare industry to which someone belongs, there has been an increasing interest in taking advantage of the potential of Artificial Intelligence such as Machine Learning for medical purposes, like for example medical diagnosis.
It is not by random that scientists and researchers invest in Machine Learning in this particular area. There are variant reasons which lead to this decision. The effectiveness of this sort of technology holds a prominent place among the reasons for deciding to take advantage of this vast field for medicine.
Working in contemporary societies means healthcare professionals constantly have to deal with different challenges under stressful environments. Although there is an obvious inbalance between the number of staff available and patients waiting in line to be served, it is not possible to reduce the quality of treatment just because of the high volume of work. In other words, these professionals need to offer the optimum treatment to each and every patient, even under pressure. Physicians who belong to larger groups face perpetual pressure as well because they need to see more patients within the shortest possible time while maximizing their performance. Therefore, time is of essence, as well as accuracy in diagnosis.
On the other hand, Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) which were gradually introduced in most modern healthcare facilities, are constantly being upgraded and changed. As a result, the physicians spend too much time to get the required training in order to effectively use the technology. It is imperative that they follow up any upgrades in order to be able to document all their encounters in electronic medical records.
Cost reduction is another challenge that physicians nowadays are faced with on a daily basis. Both solo practices and large academic institutions have to deal with this challenge. The efficiency of treatments is extremely important on a societal level as well. That’s mainly because it can lead to resource utilization and preventative care.
Investing in Machine Learning
Machine Learning has the potential to provide a convenient solution for all these challenges. Stemming from the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning has gone through a significant development throughout the last two decades. At the moment, it is powerful enough to make near perfect diagnoses. As a result, practitioners utilizing this technology will be in a position to figure out the best possible treatment for their patients. Additionally, they have the potential to figure out which patients are at a higher risk for poor outcomes and predict re-admissions.
In general, it can be claimed that Machine Learning can enhance the health and well-being of patients while keeping the costs low. The improvements in Machine Learning related to medical diagnosis are taking place at a rapid pace. However, it is still under development and a lot of resources need to be invested to enhance the efficiency of this revolutionary technology.
Machine Learning for medical diagnosis is not something new to the world. It has been there from the early stages of healthcare informatics. During this time, the term “healthcare informatics” was not even used. The Machine Learning algorithms were initially introduced at this time and they were supported by vector machines and Artificial Neural Networks. This area was highly researched at that time and that’s the main reason why you can see it in a large number of publications. Research is still being conducted in this area and it has created plenty of investment opportunities which are now renewing the interest in advancing the field.
Such an example can be found in terms of the accuracy of a diagnosis. It is true that experienced physicians can diagnose the health conditions of patients by having a look at them. However, this method is not 100% effective. That’s where Machine Learning comes into play. The chances of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence delivering incorrect results are extremely low. However, it is important to keep in mind that Machine Learning is not advanced enough yet to deliver 100% effective results to healthcare professionals and further research is needed. That’s the main reason why millions of dollars are being invested in this technology.
Research and Practice at a Global Scale
Findings from a recent empirical research paper indicate that Artificial Neural Networks can be used to detect prostate cancer among individuals in an effective manner. The study has a strong interdisciplinary interest in particular among computer scientists and physicians. This is just one study that was conducted in this specific and challenging field of interest; there are several more applications of Artificial Neural Networks which diagnose medical conditions.
Still, despite the different applications of Machine Learning for medical diagnosis, these are not as popular in every corner of the world. The technology is still improving and it appears that a lot of eastern countries invest their money in this technology. However, some of the physicians in Asian countries have not even heard about the concept of Machine Learning. Nevertheless, it is expected that once Machine Learning becomes more widely known there will be high demand because of its real-world applications and practicability.
Conclusions
It becomes obvious that the future of Machine Learning in medical diagnosis looks promising. Healthcare professionals and researchers specialized in different areas of medicine such as cardiovascular diseases and neurological symptoms look to incorporate Machine Learning in their work in order to cope with the aforementioned challenges as well as increase their performance and save more lives. However, it is not possible to advance their science without substantial funding. Therefore, it would be a wise idea for institutions and authorities at large to invest significant proportions of money in Machine Learning since there are numerous benefits as already mentioned in this article.
Overall, it is apparent that professionals and practitioners employing Machine Learning are particularly excited about the meaningful implementation of Artificial Intelligence in the healthcare industry. The most aspiring uses of the technology suggest it has the potential to transform the healthcare industry to a better one which can truly nurture for the longevity of humans.
The Machine Learning algorithms are constantly being updated in order to achieve better results. Therefore, investing in this technology for medical diagnosis can be considered as an excellent idea for governments and research institutions. This sort of investment decision is a step towards a more fruitful future in terms of healthcare.
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Have you ever pondered what lays beneath the surface of the water? The most amazing creatures are hidden in the deep blue!
Should you wish to explore some of them, the following article will provide you with an overview.
1. Bioluminescent Octopus
When you watch the movie Avatar, you will be surprised by the pinkish creatures which look like fancy light bulbs illuminating in the dark. In the movie they are known as Pandoran flora. However, these creatures are not from fiction. They are quite real and the movie gets the idea from actual creatures living in the oceans. These creatures have developed the ability to create their own light and this technique is known as bioluminescence.
Like the creatures in the Avatar movie, this bioluminescent octopus glows with its own lights proving that Pandoran flora are real. This glowing ability exists to attract its prey. There are only a few bioluminescent octopus found half a mile deep in the Gulf of Maine.
There are ample strange deep sea creatures, which are the subject of scientific research and documentaries, such as the one below.
2. Goblin Shark
We live in an atmosphere having temperatures below 40 °C though summers are exceptional. However, underneath the deep sea, there are hydrothermal vents that are more than 100 °C temperature. These hydrothermal vents are fissures in the planet's surface and are commonly found near volcanic areas. Surprisingly enough, there are organisms living there. There are crabs, lobsters, different types of worms and some other creatures living near the hydrothermal vents. Sometimes the liquid coming from these hydrothermal vents reaches temperatures between 100 °C to 400 °C.
Biology underneath the sea has always been an untold mystery. Part of the mystery is about to be revealed. Do you remember the scary looking fish in fresh waters in South American rivers? Maybe you are confused. But, if I say the word ‘Piranha,’ you would be like ‘oh… yes!’ Thus, there are many other strange creatures in the sea which look at least as scary as piranha.
Goblin sharks dwell in the deep sea and has scary looking sharp teeth. Though it looks scary, it does not cause any harm to humans because it feeds on bottom-feeding fish. It is known as a living fossil since the goblin shark is the only representative of its family.
3. Humpback Anglerfish
Humpback anglerfish is another scary looking fish with sharp teeth.
It is a deep water fish found in tropical and temperate oceans.
4. Fangtooth
Fangtooth fish also looks scary because of its teeth.
The fangtooths are found in tropical and cold-temperate water and they do no harm to humans.
5. Christmas Tree Worm
Apart from all the scary looking strange creatures in sea, there are also fancy and beautiful strangers found in the ocean. The Christmas Tree Worm is one such beautiful creature found at Great Barrier Reef’s Lizard Island.
These worms use spiral branches as their breathing and feeding apparatus. Amazingly enough, the worm lives in a tube kind of thing and it withdraws like a tree when it is under attack or feels threatened. 6. Marrus Orthocanna
Another weird creature is the Marrus Orthocanna which looks like a swimming rocket. This creature is microscopic and it is made up of multiple repeated units. It has multiple stomachs and tentacles.
These strange creatures are also known as physonect siphonophore and look like jellyfish. They are found in the North Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Arctic Ocean, North West Pacific Ocean, and so on.
7. Sea Pig
Sea pig is another strange creature found in the ocean. These creatures live at the bottom of deep oceans and are commonly found in the abyssal plain in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean. Typically they live at depths over 1000 meters.
They mostly find their food by digging deep-sea mud. Deep sea trawling holds a threat for sea pigs.
8. Harp Sponge
Harp sponge is also a fancy looking stranger found in sea water. This is a carnivorous deep sea sponge discovered deep down in the California coast.
Sponges eat bacteria and filter other microscopic organisms from the surrounding water.
9. Vampire Squids
Vampire squids are also found in temperate and tropical oceans.
These creatures are very small and they have retractile filaments that helps them to be given their name.
10. Red Lipped Batfish
One reason of existence for these strange sea creatures is evolution. Evolution allows diversity of creatures as they evolve with continued strength and progress. Darwin, whose name is linked with the theory of evolution, is also connected to the Galapagos Islands. Darwin wrote the book “The Origin of Species” after he visited Galapagos. One strange sea creature from the Galapagos Islands is the red lipped batfish, also known as Galapagos batfish.
Interestingly enough, the red lipped batfish actually has red lips. They are not good swimmers, so they walk on the ocean floor. These creatures feed on small fish, shrimps, and mollusks. They are found in depths of 3 to 76 meters in the oceans of the Galapagos Islands.
11. Blue Glaucus
Blue glaucus is another gorgeous creature found in the deep sea. They are sea slugs and they are found in temperate and tropical oceans throughout the world.
Usually beautiful and colorful organisms indicate that they have stored toxins inside them, for instance blue glaucus have toxins inside them which they store to use for their own protection.
Conclusion
In summary, there are many different types of strange creatures under the blue blanket. Some are pretty, making their own light and illuminate. Beautiful creatures like the aforementioned in this article can attract predators easily as they are so visible. On the other hand, some sea creatures look scary but do not harm humans. Some others look so weird you think they are the result of science fiction films. We have only listed a few from the strange sea creatures found at the bottom of the sea. It is profoundly evident that there are numerous more out there worth exploring!
Cancer treatment is considered as one of the highly discussed topics in the medical industry. In light of the above, it is extremely important to figure out the treatment options available for cancer in order to provide the best possible treatment accordingly.
Finding the best possible cancer treatment is essential as it can help healthcare professionals to treat tumors while causing the least damage to the body. In other words, proper cancer treatment can minimize the changes of cancer cell redevelopment within the body as well as side-effects.
Understanding the Treatment Options Available for Cancer
The treatments available for cancerous infections are severe and need to be handled with extreme attention and with reference to the patient's medical background. As a result, they should be done in the appropriate manner according to individual needs and not be identical for all patients. Taking unreliable or unsuitable treatments for cancer can be risky and has the potential to cause irreversible damages to your body tissues and cells. Healthcare professionals have paid special attention towards this fact in the recent past.
As a result, they offer the treatments based on growth and character of malignant tumors. It has been empirically found that cancer cells can be treated effectively when they are detected at an early stage. However, it should be noted that the chances of curing cancer cells reduce with age.
The increasing intensity of cancerous infections has contributed a lot towards the aforementioned fact. Therefore, an appropriate diagnosis of cancer is extremely important to plan out the proper treatment option available. Treatment options are available for almost all types of cancers and it is possible to reverse it and recover from the illness when detected at an early stage and the person is relatively young.
Cancer treatment rotates around the efforts taken to diagnose cancers as well as the treatment method used to cure abnormal cells. One of the primary objectives of cancer treatment is to restrict the spread of cancer cells. Some harsh medical techniques are being used to restrict it, based on the condition. If the cancer cells are not treated properly, they invade the healthy body tissues and cells as well. Lack of vital resources such as blood and oxygen contribute a lot towards this abnormal behavior. This can cause a tremendous damage to the vital parts of your body in the long run.
The most convenient option available for patients to stay away from this damage is to control the growth of cancer cells in time. The latest updates on cancer treatment have given more attention towards cancer detection as a result of it. In the meantime, necessary steps are being taken in order to strengthen your immune system. This can help the victim to create a body that is more resistible to future attacks. It will also help to gain maximum benefits out of prescribed medications.
The Dimensions of Modern World Cancer Treatment
It is extremely important for the patient to take an appropriate treatment as such action can restrict the abnormal growth of cancerous cells. In this regard, more attention is paid towards the origin of cancer cells during the treatment process. Not all types of cancers metastasize at the same speed. Some forms of cancer, such as the ones that develop in your breast, lymph nodes, abdomen, lungs, bloodstream, neck, head and bones develop at a faster rate when compared to those that develop in other parts of your body. A closer look into stats, indicates that the above types of cancers have given rise to cancer deaths that are registered yearly around the world. Therefore, it is considered best that people who suffer from cancers in those areas need to get an aggressive treatment done.
The treatment options available for cancer depend a lot on the type of tumor and location and size. The tumors are either cancerous or benign. The benign tumors are defined as pre-cancerous or non-cancerous because of their harmless nature to the human body. In other words, they do not have the ability to invade or kill the ordinary cells of your body. The pre-cancerous cells can easily be controlled because they do not have the ability to metastasize. Regular medication or minor surgeries are in a position to control such tumors. They have very little chance of redeveloping as well.
On the other hand, cancerous tumors are responsible for the development of cancers within your body. They can damage the live tissues and cells in your body. Those cells would get abnormal along with time and accumulate to create a tumor or lump. They are associated with a high chance of reoccurrence as well. Therefore, you will need to opt for a drastic treatment in order to restrict their growth.
Latest Updates on Cancer Treatments
Different types of cancer can affect human beings and the type of treatment should be based upon it. Surgery can be considered as the most common treatment that is offered to the modern world for cancer patients. It has the potential to treat the cancerous tumors that belong to an initial stage in an effective manner.
The surgical methods for cancer treatments have gone through some significant developments throughout the past couple of years and they can even be used to treat tumors that are in their second or third stages. However, it would be better to accompany a surgery with other treatment methods such as radiation therapy or chemical therapy in order to receive the best possible results.
Chemotherapy is another cancer invasive and toxic treatment, which has received a lot of attention in the recent past. People who suffer from cancers that have reached an advance stage are encouraged to go for this treatment. Chemotherapy is also prescribed to patients who have second and third stage cancer.
Radiotherapy is thought of as the most advanced cancer treatment method available at the moment. In fact, it is known as the last resort of treatment for malignant tumors. Radiotherapy focuses on killing the cancer cells while destroying infected areas. This can cause severe damage to the adjacent tissues however it does attack healthy body cells as well. There have been medical case reported where permanent damage can impact the overall functioning of the body.
As time passes by, the proliferation of technology leads to significant advances in research and practice around cancer treatment. In this sense, people should not hesitate to visit a healthcare professional if they suspect the existence of tumor or in order to get a treatment done once they are diagnosed. There are less invasive forms of treatment including alternative medicine which has become a growing trend. This type of approach focuses on the use of specific diet and a healthy lifestyle among others as a way to treat cancer. Nevertheless, it has not been extensively proven that such treatment can be more effective in comparison to traditional medicine.
Summary
Overall, depending on the type and stage of cancer, different treatments are available to eradicate the tumor or slow its development. This could include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or hormone therapy. It is important that above all, appropriate supportive care is available for the patient and the family as they go through this difficult stage in their lives.
Most of the planetary scientists believe that there can be at least one exoplanet in our Milky Way galaxy, which has life. They have also figured out that 20% of the sun-like stars that exist on the Milky Way are circled by planets, which has the same dimensions as Earth. These planets are located in habitable zones around the stars as well. Therefore, life on exoplanets has become a popular topic among planetary scientists in the modern world.
The habitable zone of a planet can simply be defined as the area where the temperature is not too cold or too hot. These conditions help water to exist in those planets in the form of liquid. It is vastly known that life cannot survive without water in its liquid form. Therefore, while it has been figured out that there are about 2,000 exoplanets circling beyond our own sun, the possibility to have some sort of life in these planets depends on a variety of factors. The obliquity of the planet holds a prominent place among them. Obliquity can simply be defined as the angle of axis of a planet relative to its orbital axis around the parent starts.
The planet Earth has a low obliquity when compared to other planets. It rotates around an almost perpendicular axis of its own while rotating around the sun. Planetary scientists have figured out that the obliquity can vary from one planet to another. They believe that the planets with an extreme tilt have a very low chance of having life in it.
Recently some research scientists as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology figured out that water exists on planets that have a very high obliquity as well. Therefore, we can keep some hope that life can exist in the planets with a high obliquity. They also figured out a shallow ocean with a depth of about 50m in a specific planet, which has a comfortable temperature. According to their calculations, the average temperature of that planet was about 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit per year.
However, a planet with a high obliquity usually has an extreme and inhospitable climate. The North Pole would receive sunlight for a period of 6 months continuously and it would have to go through an unending night for the other six months. As a result, they believed that such a planet has a very little chance of having life. That’s mainly because the planet would freeze and boil throughout the year, which is really tough for life to exist. Nevertheless, this can differ under some conditions. For example, the oceans can store heat during the summer period and give it out during winter. This can create a somewhat mild climate in the planet. Therefore, we cannot neglect with extremely oblique planets by saying that they are not in a position to inhibit life.
It has been assumed that the Milky Way has about 200 billion stars. In addition, it has been calculated that there are about 11 billion planets with “habitable” living conditions. All these consist of hydrogen gas and they are seething hot. The planetary systems have been established circling such stars. In fact, sticky and fine dust particles melt together to create rocky cores, which eventually turns into major planets.
The very first exoplanet was discovered by research scientists 20 years ago. It was circling a sun like star and was named as 51 Pegasi b. Since then, they have discovered a large number of exoplanets, where most of them were smaller than their very first discovery. They even discovered an exoplanet, which is 150 smaller than 51 Pegasi b.
Many different methods are being used by research scientists in order to discover new exoplanets in the Milky Way. The Doppler Shift method can be considered as the most popular one. This is an effective method, which can be used to discover giant planets that exist closer to fiery stellar planets. This is a sensitive method and is associated with a higher chance of discovering earth-like planets.
Throughout the past two decades, scientists have figured out many other methods to discover exoplanets apart from the Doppler Shift method. The major drawback with the Doppler Shift method is that it cannot be used to discover smaller planets that have a wider orbit around the stars. However, the recently discovered methods are in a position to help the scientists with discovering such planets. At the end of 2015, they have been able to discover more than 1,900 exoplanets that belong to over 1,200 planetary systems.
The Kepler Space Telescope of NASA helps a lot for the scientists to discover new exoplanets. It was launched back in 2009 and has discovered few thousand candidate planets up to now. Most of these candidate planets were confirmed as exoplanets by scientists. Several statistical methods such as the verification by multiplicity were used by the scientists to figure out whether they are in a position to inhibit life or not. The Kepler Space Telescope follows a unique methodology when discovering exoplanets. It differs a lot from the Doppler Shift method. This method searches for extremely small dips in stellar brightness when a specific orbiting planet passes ahead of the glaring face of parent star.
In the meantime, the scientists at MIT spent their efforts in order to create a model of a highly oblique aqua-planet. This planet had the same dimensions of earth and it was positioned at a distance similar to the earth’s separation from sun. This 3D model simulated circulations among sea ice, atmosphere and ocean. The effects of winds and heat were also taken into consideration. They also created a motionless planet for comparison and discovered the possibility of having life in such a planet. They had the ability to control the obliquity of this planet and they discovered that the ocean absorbs heat during the summer period.
Given the scientific evidence and ongoing research therefore it appears that it is not science fiction to believe in life in other planets. While there is still a long way to go before we start packing, we can keep our fingers crossed for the prospect of habituating an exoplanet in the near future.
Mapping human genome can be considered as one of the main endeavors of modern world bio scientists. They have been pursuing this for decades and so far have achieved some measurable results. In simple terms, human genome can be defined as a map of how the cells of human beings are made up. If human genome is properly documented and researched, it could deliver answers to a myriad of mysteries.
Human genome is significant as it can provide with answers to questions like why we age, what genetic markers are, what causes and cures illnesses and many more. As a result, finding answers for this scientific puzzle has become part of an interesting competition. Entrepreneurs who start working on this field will be able to learn a lot of new things.
History of the Human Genome Project
The National Institute of Health in United States has established a partnership with the British government in order to solve the mysteries that are associated with the human genome project. They have hired the finest bio-scientists from different parts of the world and have created excellent equipment and facilities to complete their work successfully. A substantial amount of funds were approved generously to contribute to this project by both governments. According to statistical information, the government of United States has spent about $3 billion on this project. The British government has spent even more.
1998 was an important year for the human genome project. In this year, a scientist named Dr. Craig Ventner was going through some published papers of the project and figured out that a different approach can be followed in order to get quick results. This method also had the ability to deliver more accurate answers for the complex issues and therefore he decided to undertake a project on this area himself. Nevertheless, as Dr. Craig Ventner was in need of financial assistance, he sought to get help from capitalist funding sources. His efforts became successful and was able to make $300 million within a short period of time. This motivated Dr. Craig Ventner to start working on his unique approach in the human genome project. His venture was named as “Celera” and it was charged with mapping the human genome to commercialize the findings.
The Main Objective of the Human Genome Project
The primary objective of the human genome project is to figure out the consequence of chemical base pairs that are responsible for making up human DNA. It also focuses on mapping the genes of human genome through a functional and physical standpoint. As mentioned earlier, a lot of parties are involved in this project. Therefore, it can be considered as the world’s largest collaborative biological project. It was declared complete during 2003. At the early stage of this project, the main objective was to map the nucleotides in human body to reference genome. The genomes that can be found in human beings differ from one another. Hence, mapping the human genome is an extremely complex process for which scientists involved in this project hoped to succeed to eliminate that complexity.
State of Completion
The human genome project was not focused in sequencing the entire DNA that can be seen in human body cells. It only focused on the euchromatic areas of genome. In fact, euchromatic areas make up about 90 percent of human genome. The remaining area of the genome was called as heterochromatic and they were not considered in this project.
As mentioned earlier, the human genome project was completed in 2003. The initial draft of the human genome was available by 2000 and a working draft was completed one year later. The final consequence mapping took place in 2003. This project was completed with a success rate of 99.99%. However, further analysis is being carried out at the moment and researches are scheduled to be carried out on HGP.
Proposed Benefits of the Human Genome Project
The findings of the human genome project can be used for a variety of applications. These applications in turn have the potential to deliver tons of benefits, which range from molecular medicine up to human evolution. For instance, these findings can help people gain a better understanding about diseases. In other words, people will be able to get a clear view of the genotyping process of specific viruses that can be directed to appropriate treatments. It can also be used to identify mutations that are connected to different types of cancers.
On the other hand, the human genome project is being used to design medication in an appropriate manner while ensuring their accuracy. The effects of medication on different people can also be predicted based on this theory. Commercial development of genomics is another major advantage that is associated with the human genome project. Therefore, it can be considered as a multibillion dollar industry.
The sequence of DNA figured out from this method is stored in a database. The database is then being uploaded to the Internet, so that anyone can access. This database is well known as GenBank and it is being managed by the United States National Center for Biotechnology Information. Some other organizations are contributing towards it as well.
Summary
It becomes apparent that the human genome project is one of the most important and useful projects in the biotechnology industry. It is in a position to deliver a variety of benefits for every human being that exists on the planet. From this project, it has been identified that around 20,500 genes can be found in human beings. The same range of genes can be found in mice as well.
On the other hand, the human genome consists of a large amount of segmental duplications. These duplications are nearly identical and can be defined as repeated sections of DNA. Even though the human genome project is completed at the moment, more and more studies are yet to be conducted on the same field to discover additional benefits that can be reaped out of it.
The discovery of Einstein’s gravitational waves reported during a blockbuster announcement in a news conference on February 11, 2016 at Washington DC, is making waves all over the world. What’s the big fuzz about it though and why should we care? This article explores the question by taking a more in-depth look into the phenomenon.
The scientific community are still overwhelmed by the news of the breakthrough discovery of gravitational waves in the form of faint ripples of gravity, reverberating invisibly through the fabric of space-time from the collision of two black holes.
Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), designed to open the field of gravitational-wave astrophysics supported by Caltech and MIT, captured this groundbreaking moment in history reportedly on September 14, 2015. Nevertheless, what does the phenomenon entail in reality and why is it so important to us? We will try to demystify the latter in the next few paragraphs.
What Are Gravitational Waves?
The term gravitational waves was originally introduced by Einstein back in 1915 in establishing his theory of general relativity. The latter concept suggests that mass distorts both space and time similar to how a heavy bowling ball distorts a trampoline.
When an object accelerates, it creates ripples in space-time, in the same way a boat causes ripples in a pond. These ripples that allude space-time are called gravitational waves. Due to the fact that they are extremely weak signals, it is difficult to detect them. Therefore, although there's convincing indirect evidence that gravitational waves exist, a direct detection had proven elusive, until now.
Missions like LIGO and LISA are dedicated to detect these waves by observing small changes in the distances between objects at set distances. The most optimum opportunity to detect gravitational waves comes from detecting the collision of two black holes or pulsars into each other.
The Discovery
“We have detected gravitational waves. We did it,” Prof David Reitze, executive director of LIGO, told journalists. LIGO, uses the world’s most sophisticated detector, utilizing laser interferometry, which in simple terms means firing lasers into long, L-shaped tunnels; the waves disturb the light to detect the collision of black holes when they merged. A merger occurs when two black holes start to spiral towards each other and radiate energy as gravitational waves.
Scientists listened the characteristic sound of these waves, namely a chirp, for 20 thousandths of a second as the two giant black holes, one about 36 times the mass of the Sun, the other slightly smaller at 29 solar masses, circled around each other.
The signal detected, allowed them to calculate how stars perish: the two holes had begun by circling each other 30 times a second. Before the final collision and a dark violent merger had occurred at the end of the 20 millisecond snatch of data captured, the two had accelerated to 250 times a second!
The research findings from this study, undertaken by the LIGO Collaboration, have been published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
Signals of Gravitational Waves, As Einstein Predicted detected by the twin LIGO observatories at Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington. Image Credit: Caltech/MIT/LIGO Lab
Why It Matters
The significance of detection of gravitational waves is attributed in the following key issues:
1. The discovery of gravitational waves opens a new window to research of the universe since it provides with insights on its existence and a potential paradigm shift on how we detect and study cosmic phenomena, in particular those that do not radiate in the electromagnetic spectrum.
2. The findings of this research confirm Einstein’s prediction of gravitational waves as part of his Theory of General Relativity and regenerate the interest in exploring the theory in depth.
3. Re-enforces the study on the use of gravitational telescopes which allows to hear phenomena at the same time as light-based telescopes see them.
4. Since gravitational waves were detected from the energy emitted from the collision of two black holes, it is now confirmed that black holes really do exist and that mergers between two black holes proceed as predicted.
Image by THE OFFICIAL ANDREASCY: Fast Facts about Gravitational Waves
In sum, the detection of gravitational waves opens the field to completely new investigation suggesting that some exciting days lay ahead for scientists. Stephen Hawking suggests that "gravitational waves could revolutionize astronomy".
Conclusion
Through this discovery we are one step closer to solving more of the mysteries of the universe following 380,000 years after it is thought to have been generated. And possibly the biggest mystery of it all: the 'Big Bang' singularity.
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For ages mankind has dreamed of traveling the stars and visiting distant planets. Not just astronauts but civilians too. Over the years we have seen a few of these achievements come to fruition. People have been sent up to orbit the earth and collect data for scientists back on the planet. A select few have claimed the great achievement of setting foot on the moon. A rover was even sent to Mars and transmitted back pictures of the alien surface.
Even with all these advancements over the last 30 years, space exploration is still in its infancy. The recent crash of Virgin’s Space Ship Two can attest to that. Not only are the ‘kinks’ still being worked out, but what has been explored so far, is merely a drop in the ocean when compared to the billions and billions of stars that have yet to be reached. Aside from Mars and the Moon, our own solar system remains an unexplored mystery. With the future of space tourism hinging on uncertainty; what does this mean for the average citizen?
The taxpayer no longer foots the bill
When the idea of space travel was first put on the table, it was the taxpayer’s dollars that funded the missions. Politicians formed the plan, while the working class paid for it. With the introduction of private spaceflight, the politicians have no say and the American citizen isn’t left paying for everything. The only real restriction they have is how much money is available.
Failure is an option
Private companies can fail as much as they want, within reason. They aren’t tied to an ever shrinking budget like NASA was. Unfortunately, not every test is a success, just look at Virgin Galactic. The explosion of their Space Ship Two was a tragedy and devastating blow to private space flight; but this doesn’t mean they have to call it quits. And now that the politicians can’t step in and pull the funding, that’s one less hurdle they have to deal with. Virgin now has the option to try again, if the funds are there.
Engineers play a bigger part
If one were to work for NASA as an engineer, they would be part of a larger team working together. With smaller teams being employed by private companies, it allows for a more hands on experience. The engineer actually gets to go in the field and fire the rockets, rather than sit behind a desk all day. Smaller teams and limited resources actually foster more creativity, making them almost like modern day MacGyver’s.
The price of space travel will drop
The flight of a Virgin space plane costs $250,000. That’s nothing compared to the $12 million price tag of launching a satellite into orbit. On top of that, the rocket that sends it to space can only be used once. If the privately funded space planes can make it to orbit consistently, the price of space travel is going to be drastically reduced. A host of scientists are standing by waiting to run tests on these flights. Also, lower cost means more accessible tourism.
Hypersonic travel may finally happen
Circumnavigating the globe will be achievable in an afternoon. The promise of sub-orbital travel has been talked about for a while now. Until these privately funded space flights came around, it has always been just out of reach. Right now $95,000 for a ticket still may not be for everyone, but as with any new technology it’s always expensive when it first hits that market. The first microwave cost about $5,000. Now you can pick one up for less than $50. The same thing will happen with sub-orbital flights. Once they hone the production process and discover cheaper ways to build these space planes, tickets may even be as cheap as regular commercial flights.
The view will be humbling
Every astronaut has said that seeing the planet against the infinite backdrop of space was not only awe inspiring, but life changing. What’s going to happen when an artist sees this for the first time? What happens when politicians and CEOs start to take these flights regularly? Will they be moved like the astronauts; or will it be business as usual?
Even though Richard Branson suffered a major set-back, this doesn’t leave him down and out. Without politicians calling the shots, they can go back to the drawing board and try again. This doesn’t mean that failure isn’t costly; this just means that without the threat of having funding pulled, they have a better chance of learning from their mistakes. Whatever Virgin is doing in the wake of this tragedy, people need to start seriously thinking about how space tourism will affect their lives and how it’s about to change the world.
