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SCIENCE KOLKATA WEDNESDAY 22 MAY 2013 10

No clear forecast for Characteristic

features
climatic stage How global warming will affect
weather conditions is a question that
matters to everybody, says
s ananthanarayanan
tapan kumar maitra explains the
transmission routes of microbes

DURING the development of the infectious

process, microbes from the primary focus can
models. Land-based proxies used included enter the bloodstream and be carried through the
THAT the weatherman cannot be relied speliothems, which are mineral deposits in whole body. This condition is known as
upon to say if the rest of the day will be good as caves, charcoal, the abundance of plant material, bacteraemia; and during viral diseases as
the morning is a slur that the weather forecast lake levels or the nature of the beds of dried virusaemia. Bacteraemia occurs with enteric
community has become used to. But the lakes. fever, paratyphoid, brucellosis and other
weather is still vital to commerce and industry The content of radioactive oxygen in these diseases.
and it is thanks to the weatherman’s watch that snapshots of the periods when they were In a number of infectious diseases, sepsis or
international shipping, airlines, power supply formed indicate the level of the isotope in septicaemia (Greek: septikos, putrid; haima,
and food production are able to function. And, seawater and in rainwater, to show relative blood) may occur with the infestation of many
by extension, the survival of social and abundance. Salinity levels were assessed by organs and tissues of the body by microbes
ecological systems would depend on making the derivation from seawater data or from plankton (anthrax, plague, pyogenic and other septic
right moves in response to global warming. fossil data. The collection of data resulted in a diseases). Sepsis is characterised not only by the
Predicting the weather is difficult because of network of 53 land locations representing 61 presence of pathogenic microbes and bacterial
the huge number of factors. The butterfly effect, proxy records of rainfall and 54 locations of the toxins in the organs and tissues but by reactive
a concept in chaos theory, is a case of how a sea, representing 66 proxy records of sea surface phenomena accompanied by the inflammation
very slight action (a butterfly flapping its wings) salinity. Bordetella
and degene-
Bacillus
could have enormous effects on the weather at Using the pattern of changes recorded in the ration of
the other end of the world. And still, the world’s proxies, DiNezio and Tierney tried out how well cells. A
weather-watchers collect and share wind and they compared with the results of the 12 characteristic
temperature data of almost the entire globe to recognised models of the Last Glacial Maximum feature of
get the right trends and help bustling citizens climate changes. Rigorous statistical methods sepsis is that
get through the day. But doing the same thing were necessary, as also careful selection of what Clostridium Escherichia it occurs in
to predict the climate of a region a century from Pedro N DiNezio. Jessica E Tierney. simplifications to make in the comparisons. A the same
now not only has more uncertainty but would method to see how well the model and the data clinical
also have more serious consequences. Pedro conjecture as none of them has been tested covered much of the continents and there was a of the proxies compare is the Cohen kappa picture
DiNezio of the University of Hawaii and Jessica because historical records do not have the dramatic drop in sea levels. Naturally, this statistic. This method is used, for instance, to independent
Tierney of Woods Hole Oceanographic extent of data to observe and pinpoint the resulted in more land being exposed and there see how equally two examiners rate a given of the
Institution, Massachusetts, report in the journal difference in changes brought about by forcing, was a profound impact on climate. Data performance. Given sufficient data, agreement Spirulina Staptrylococcus species of
Nature Geoscience their work to verify which of such as warming or cooling. regarding water levels, salinity and temperature of the ratings in a good number of cases would causative
the current models of climate change fit the DiNezio and Tierney made use of the data of during the period is captured in geological or validate the process. This could be used, for agent, which
changes in climate during ups and downs in the Last Glacial Maximum, a period between biological records – the so-called proxy data – instance, when different examiners are needed makes it
earth’s geological past. 25,000 and 19,000 years ago, when ice sheets that allows for testing of the different climate to rate a large numbers of samples, like student difficult to
DiNezio and Tierney consider the behaviour projects. With a sample of projects that are establish a
of the body of warm water stretching along the given to two or all examiners, one could check Streptococcus Salmonella diagnosis of
equator from the Indian Ocean, through the for uniformity of the rating, or even decide on a the disease
waters off Sumatra, Java, Borneo and New factor by which to equalise their standard of according to
Guinea to the western Pacific Ocean – an area marking. its clinical
called the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool, the weather The result of the exercise, remarkably – or, course. The
dynamo that dominates the tropics. The surface perhaps, significantly — was that only one of the septic
temperature in this area is now at a warm 28? 12 models corresponded with the data of the process accompanied by the production of
Celsius and it sustains ocean and wind currents proxies. This model was the HadCM3, or the purulent foci in different organs and tissues is
that make for ample rainfall and low salinity, Hadley Centre Coupled Model No 3, a coupled known as septicopyaemia.
hence density. And variations, which bring about Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Model Some pathogenic (toxigenic) microbes that
effects like El Niño or the Southern Oscillation, developed at the Hadley Centre in the UK. The have become embedded in the skin integuments,
have an impact on climate worldwide. result of the HadCM3 simulation is that with the mucous membranes, tissues and organs act on
This balance, which has been established in effect of a landmass that was exposed with the organism predominantly with their exotoxins
the IPWP, is likely to change under external falling sea level, it was the sea level, and that (causative agents of tetanus, botulism,
forcing, such as global warming. What these means the ice sheet extent, which was the first diphtheria). This is known as toxaemia.
changes may be and how it would affect world driver of climate. The result has its importance Bacteraemia, septicaemia, septicopyaemia and
climate is of evident importance. There are not in this fact – for the mechanism is not toxaemia are sometimes accompanied by
many ways of considering what the changes may transferable to a global warming picture and we different changes in the tissues, particularly in
be. One of the features of the IPWP, and a do not expect that it is sea level variation that the skin (rashes of different morphology).
driving force for much of the world’s weather, is -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 will be the driver of tropical circulation change. Pathogenesis of the infectious process
that the warm surface temperature creates a But the value of the result is that it brings home (mechanism of the origin and development of the
“temperature slope” and cool water is pushed Temperature difference (o Celsius) the fact that mechanisms at work are not simple disease) depends not only on the mass of
down to “well up” at other places. This effect is and, in the words of the authors, “the fact that bacterial cells and toxins but also on the sum
likely to get stronger with global warming, or Some of the primary results of the Climate: Long range Investigation, Mapping and only one out of the 12 models simulates a total of irritations caused by them.
weaken with cooling. But studies have shown Prediction project undertaken in the 1970s and ’80s. Shown is the outline of the response in Last Glacial Maximum hydroclimate During hibernation of rodents (gophers,
that it is not that simple and there are other continents after a sea level reduction of 130 metres, the positions of continental ice in agreement with the proxies presents a clear tarbagans, susliks, hamsters, bats, etc) all the life
factors of equal importance. Different rates of sheets and winter sea ice, and the change in sea surface temperatures across the challenge for model simulations of tropical processes are slowed down, physiological depres-
change in rainfall and moisture as a result of oceans. All three of these are depicted as they are believed to have appeared roughly climates, both past and future, and also reflects sion ensues and a reactivity of all tissues and
18,000 years ago during the Last Glacial maximum of the present ice age. The
warming, for instance, would weaken the average cooling of oceanic areas not covered with sea ice is 1.75° Celsius. On the the fact that both proxies and models are highly organs occurs. This provides for the resistance of
seawater circulation, to keep the balance. On basis of this and the distribution of ice sheets, it is estimated that earth as a whole uncertain renditions of climate history. A multi- animals to infection with pathogenic causative
the other hand, rainfall may increase in areas cooled 3.0 ± 0.6° Celsius during the last glacial maximum (Hoffert and Covey 1992). proxy, multi-model approach is arguably the agents and tolerance to the action of different
that are moisture-rich, as a result of warming – a As most of the climate change in the tropics during this time is believed to have been most effective way to both understand past toxins.
case of “wet-get-wetter”. caused by natural changes in greenhouse, this estimate provides a constraint on the climates and improve future climate change
These are the geology-weather features that radiative forcing associated with those gases and helps to calibrate the amount of projections”. The writer is associate professor and head,
are all made use of in modelling the climate change that might be expected from global warming. The estimate of three degrees Department of Botany, Ananda Mohan College,
behaviour, both of past periods as well as the implies a climate sensitivity to carbon dioxide changes at the low end of the range The writer can be contacted at Kolkata
future. But they remain the subject of proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. [email protected]

Breakthrough in human cloning

forward in developing cells that could be used in
regenerative medicine.”
The research was directly aimed at generating
embryonic stem cells for treating serious
disorders from a patient’s skin cells, and not at
improving the chances of producing cloned
babies, he said. “This is not our focus, nor do we
This raises hopes for approach practical for widespread therapeutic ability to convert just like normal embryonic stem believe our findings might be used by others to
use.” cells, into several different cell types, including advance the possibility of human reproductive
treatment of Parkinson’s, “Our finding offers new ways of generating nerve cells, liver cells and heart cells,” Dr cloning.”
heart disease and a range of stem cells for patients with dysfunctional or Mitalipov said. However, David King, director of the pressure
damaged tissues or organs. Such stem cells can “Furthermore, because these reprogrammed group, Human Genetics Alert, said, “Scientists
other debilitating disorders, regenerate and replace those damaged cells and cells can be generated with nuclear genetic have finally delivered the baby that would-be
writes steve connor tissues and alleviate diseases that affect millions material from a patient, there is no concern of human cloners have been waiting for: a method
of people,” Dr Mitalipov said. transplant rejection. While there is much work to for reliably creating cloned human embryos. This
In 2004, scientists led by the disgraced Woo Suk be done in developing safe and effective stem-cell makes it imperative that we create an
Hwang of Seoul National University claimed to treatments, we believe this is a significant step international legal ban on human cloning before
have produced the first cloned any more research like this takes
SCIENTISTS have finally made the long- human embryos, and later said CLONING HOW IT WORKS place. It is irresponsible in the
awaited breakthrough in human cloning by they had extracted embryonic 1 extreme to have published this
turning skin cells into early-stage embryos that stem cells, but they were forced to Nucleus is extracted from SKIN CELL research.”
were then used to create specialised tissue cells retract the research after a scandal egg cell and skin cell nucleus Paul De Sousa of Edinburgh
for transplant operations, it has been revealed. over fraudulent results and inserted into empty egg cell University said the breakthrough
For the first time, researchers have unequivocally unethical practices. meant that a technique that was once
created human embryonic stem cells using the Shoukhrat Mitalipov. Other researchers also claimed Nucleus considered impractical could now be
2
cloning technique that led to the birth of Dolly operations from a patient’s own skin cells, rather to have produced cloned human Electric shock fuses skin used to generate plentiful supplies of
the sheep. However, unlike Dolly, the human than to improve the chances of so-called embryos but none had been able cell nucleus inside the 1 human embryonic stem cells for
embryos were destroyed when their stem cells “reproductive cloning”. However, other scientists to show definitively that they egg and cell division future transplant operations. “They
were extracted. said the achievement would inevitably bring the could generate plentiful supplies begins. The embryo have shown it to be a very efficient
This scientific milestone, which comes 17 years prospect of cloned babies a step nearer. of embryonic stem cells that could develops into a blasto- EGG CELL procedure based on a relatively small
after the birth of Dolly, represents a major Generating a plentiful supply of embryonic be converted in the laboratory cyst with stem cells number of eggs. It indicates that the
turning point in human cloning research which stem cells from a patient’s own skin cells has into fully specialised tissue cells, procedure is clinically transferable.
could now lead to new tissue-transplant been one of the holy grails of medical science. such as beating heart muscle. It’s an important step,” he said.
operations for a range of debilitating disorders Although the procedure has been achieved in Dr Mitalipov made important Professor Mary Herbert of
such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, laboratory animals — such as mice and monkeys technical advances that enabled Nucleus Newcastle University, said, “Provided
heart disease and spinal cord injuries. — it has until now alluded several attempts on the cloned human embryos to that the experiments are
However, the breakthrough will also raise human material. survive to the 150-cell stage, reproducible in the hands of others,
serious ethical concerns about the creation of Shoukhrat Mitalipov, who led the research team known as a blastocyst, when the findings offer the potential to
human embryos for medical purposes and the at the Oregon Health and Science University in embryonic stem cells can be accelerate progress towards the
possible use of the same technique to produce Portland, said that he added caffeine to his cell extracted for growing in the 2 development of patient-specific
IVF embryos for couples wanting their own cultures to create viable embryonic stem cells laboratory into specialised tissue embryonic stem cells to treat a range
cloned babies — which is currently illegal in the from just a small number of human eggs. “It was cells, such as nerve cells or cardiac 3 of degenerative diseases.”
UK. thought that to make (it) work many thousands of muscle. Stem cells cultured into The study is published in the
The scientists who made the advance human eggs would be needed. We were able to “A thorough examination of the specialised cells, such as journal Cell.
emphasised that the work was designed to produce one embryonic stem cell line using just stem cells derived through this these beating heart muscles
produce replacement tissue for transplant two human eggs which would make this technique demonstrated their the independent

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