Plants as a source of light 

A new source of renewable energy was idealized by English students: plants as a source of light. The process is possible using transgenic plants.

There are 4 methods to create a transgenic plant: microinjection, gun gen or biolistic, agrobacterium and electroporation.

The microinjection is used more in animal cells, and is like a shoot, but at a microscopic level.

The gen gun is really a gun that shoots in the plant cells. It is the most used technique nowadays. The bullet is made from tungsten, an inert metal and is covered with a DNA sample that contains the gene of interest, like resistance to drought or fluorescence. The shoot is very fast because the bullet is propelled by helium gas.

The agrobacterium is a bacteria that lives in the soil discovered years ago and that is capable of introduce its DNA in plant cell through a cytoplasmic bridge.

The electroporation consists in to induce, through an electric current, the opening of cell’s pores, allowing the entrance of the vector that contains the gene of interest. This is reversible, so after some seconds an opposite current closes the pores.

So this methods allows to create much incredible things, like a group of English students had the brilliant idea to create fluorescent trees to substitute the street lighting. They created the fluorescent plants from a gene isolated from de genetic code of fireflies that produces the protein responsible for the fireflie’s light.

Thereby, we can see that the transgenesis can be used of many ways, not only to improve the global production of food, and the possibilities will arise with the time. Who knows which others incredible ideas will appear. 

   

New technologies in Agriculture

Today the Agriculture is highly technological. The advancement made alternatives arise to improve the food production. One of this alternatives is called “Precision Agriculture”, and was possible thanks the advance in the electronic devices, like the GPSs. This technology is based in the principle of the soil and climate variations. Through the GPS is possible to control the machines according to the soil fertility, dividing the farm in many squares by satellite imageries collected by satellites. Each square have a different level of fertility. The tractors can be control by Smartphones without driver. The person uses a software that activate a GPS in the tractor that allows the tractor’s control. The commands are sent through satellites to the tractor’s command. The precision agriculture, therefore, is a very expensive technique because needs high-technology, but is very useful.  

Actually not only tractors can be command by Smartphones. The irrigation system of an entire farm can be control with just a few types in the cellphone. We are in a new era of food production. Many people still look to the agriculture and livestock as this practices were the same like fifty years ago, but just the people that work in this field know how technological is this the field.

Today, the seed production uses cutting-edge technology. A seed today have a pellicle lining its surface that contain all the agrochemicals necessary against soil pests, decreasing losses.

The fertilizers, like the seeds, have special pellicles that allows the fertilizer dissolving gradually, become it more effective.

Despite all, what the people have to know is that the agriculture field uses cutting-edge technology and this will be world salvation. 

Halloween

 

The Halloween is a traditional party in the U.S. Its origin remains a mystery. What the historians know is that started with the Celts in an ancient festival called Samhain.

Originally Halloween was a festival of the end of summer, which has survived to the present day in popular culture as the name "Halloween." It is observed the night of October 31.

Celtics called the festival "Samhain" that means "end of summer." and observed it to celebrate the beginning of winter and the beginning of the Celtic New Year. In Ireland the festival also was known as "Samhain", the party of the Sun, marked by sacred fire and fire rituals during the height of the Druids, the priestly caste of the Celtics. All fires except those of the Druids were extinguished on Samhain. All fires were than relit from the town's fire. The Druid fire was kept burning in the Middle of Ireland, at Usinach. So on the night of October 31, villagers would extinguish the fires in their homes. In Ireland and Scotland, the custom of extinguishing one's home fire and relighting if from the festival bonfire has continued into modern times. They would then dress up in all manner of fancy costumes and parade around the neighborhood.

In Scotland, the celebration was known as "Halloween." Samhain marked the final of the harvest, and the storage of food for the winter. It had nothing to do with anything evil that is a modern day myth perpetuated in films.

Despite all, the Halloween is not something evil, actually, a lot of things showed in the movies is a lie, just seeking the profit. Unfortunately, like many other special dates, everything is about money, and the real meaning was extinguished.

Peoria and its important role in the II World War 

           

        

          

  

     

The World War II is a terrible chapter in the humankind history, but despite all, good things came from that period. One of them was the penicillin. It was discovered by Alexander Fleming, a Scottish doctor. This drug saved thousands of lives since its discovery. Many people believe that this drug was the secret weapon responsible for the Allies's victory in the II World War, for more technologic than were their fire weapons.

Its discovery represented a greatest step in medicine field, because previously didn't have any medicine against bacterial infections. The penicillin started the first victory in the battle against bacterial infections starting with septicemia during the war and represented a cure of ancient diseases like syphilis, gangrene and tuberculosis. The discovery of penicillin was the most important accomplishment in the medical field in the 20th century that changed the history.    
         

Inside this amazing discovery is Peoria, a near city from my home, in Illinois State. In 1944 they discovered that a moldy called cantaloupe had the best penicillin quality in the world and was the most productive. After this, laboratories were built in Peoria, and the moldy was send for many other laboratories around the world. This discovery resulted in the salvation of thousands of lives during the end of the war. There are many people that believe that the penicillin indirectly won the war.

The studies in Peoria led the researchers to reach a mass production of penicillin in time to send to Europe, before the D-day, when the Allies invaded Normandy. The penicillin mass production only was possible thanks for Peoria and its moldy. The Peorians can stay pride to had born in Peoria, and to be descendents of the men and women that were so important for our history.

Racism

The racism is a problem that the society never overcome. 

The meaning of racism in the Oxford Dictionary is “The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races”. 

Actually, the term “Racism” for the biology is completely wrong, because all humans are from the same “Race”, the race Homo s. sapiens. The variations are, actually, ethnic variations. The Africans, Asians, Americans are biologically equal, so the use of the term “Racism” is incorrect. The correct would be use the term “Ethnicism”, but the common will continue being racism.

For foreigners like me, is tangible the barrier that divide White Americans from Black Americans. They do not mix in any activity, neither to eat, play sports. Neither activity is shared among them. For someone like me, that arrived from a country like Brazil, this situation is very strange.

I always heard about the American equality, about how the people here was exactly equal before the law and everything about this. Was a big deception arrive here and find this reality.  This kind of news do not out from U.S. The media is very competent to hide these kind of information.

After all, how can be possible to exist discrimination in the land of freedom and equality?

The situation is so absurd that is perceptible do not have people as we call in Brazil “Parda”. Here the correct term probably should be “Brown”. At least in almost two months I never saw one. I suppose this occurs because there are not miscegenation here. The White American married among them, and the same occur with the African American.

This situation is proved with statistics. In the article “For African Americans, discrimination is not dead”, Carroll Doherty, demonstrates that 88% of Americans, including White and Black Americans, said there was a lot or some discrimination against blacks.  From this total, 46% saw a lot of discrimination. This statistics are very concerning, and if nothing is done, this reality will perpetuate forever. 

The Giver

(Be careful, have spoilers)

I don't know what I expected when a started to read the book "The Giver", by Lois Lowry. However, in the end I liked a lot. 

The book bring to us many problems of the history of the humankind, being the main problem the Totalitarism, the oppression over the people of the community. 

The way that the author choose to show her ideas was amazing, always culminating in an excellent explanation. 

I liked in particular from some details: the reason why Jonas saw the apple and the crowd of a different way, being actually the beginning to him to see the colors; the way like the assignments was distributed; and the most important the assignment of the Receiver of Memories. 

Was genius the idea of to share the Memories, the way like this was made, the memories itself, teaching to Jonas simple things like love and pain. The author had insightful with how Jonas was learning about his past, with all the wars and diseases. 

However, during all my reading, something bothered me: the releases!!!!!

Had something wrong with the releases, I thought. In my mind I wondered myself “If they are released and go to Everywhere, why nobody can watch the Releases Ceremonies?” My question was answered in a way macabre in the end with the poor twin. And this is something admirable in any good book: arrest the reader’s attention to him wish that don’t happening what he imagines. I’ve been in this situation, but the obvious was the true: all the people released were killed. This, however, don’t downgrades her work, unlike, makes it even better. 

I said that I don't know what I expected when a started to read the book, but during all the reading I knew what I wanted that happen in the next page. 

Excellent book. I recommend. 

Mythology

Since I was a child, actually since I read the book "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, I love Mythology. 

J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter's author) was the one who showed me this amazing world of myths through the pages of her books. 

Other thing that lead me to know about the myths, was a child TV cartoon called "Mythic Warriors", in the channel Discovery Kids. This cartoon showed me the entire Greek Mythology in form of a cartoon. I learned a lot about Greek Mythology in this program. For me, the most remarkable episode was about the myth of "Eros", the god of love, and a mortal called "Psyche" with he married. 

The Mythology is very interesting, and if we can understand it we can comprehend the origin of many things of our quotidian. The Mythology always was used for teach the younger about the past, working like a vehicle bringing wisdom and never leaving the past die.

Someone can ask "Why these unbelievable histories are important for us?" I can imagine a thousand answers.  

The name of the days of the week, can be one excellent example, because in many languages the names are tributes for Nordic gods: Wednesday is a tribute for the god “Woden or Odin”, the king of Nordic gods; Thursday is because the god “Thor”; Friday is the day of goddess “Frigga”, wife of Odin. 

The name of the planets also came from Mythology, more precisely from Roman Mythology: Mercury is the messenger of gods and the guide of the souls to the underworld; Venus is the goddess of love and Neptune the god of the sea.

Other famous mythological legacy is the Olympic Games, that according to the myth started in the Ancient Greece with the hero Heracles and remains until nowadays. Actually, many of the modern sports came from Ancient Greece, like the athletics and swimming.

As I said, there are a thousand of examples, and is impossible for us live without interact with the mytlogical history. Deny the mythology is deny our past.

Agriculture, Agronomy and Agronomic Engeneering

Like a student of Agriculture, I heard thousands times questions like “What means agriculture?”, “What an agronomist does?”, "Which the difference between an Agronomist and an Agronomic Engineer?” These concepts are very confused to the people can understand. This occur because aren't well explained. I will explain below. 

The definition of Agriculture in Oxford Dictionary is “The science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products”. So the Agriculture is the science or the field of expertise in which the professional called “Agronomist” or "Agronomic Engineer” works. Besides haven’t any difference between these two professionals. Actually the only difference is the title, because everyone undergraduate in Agronomic Engineer can be called “Engineer” too. The Agronomist can’t, but all the attributions and knowledge during the course are the same.

The agronomy is an amazing profession. We study all the environment conditions, like the soil, plant physiology, weather, agribusiness, genetics, always seeking the best techniques to maximize the quantity and the quality of the food production. 

Currently we can control, inside greenhouses, all the environmental conditions, even the quantity of nutrients that the plant will absorb or the luminosity. 

My field inside agronomy is Genetics. We study ways to improve the plant performance in different environmental situations to maximize the production, principally through increasing the resistance against pathogens and pests. Not necessarily using Genetically Modified Organisms. We can work only with the natural resistance of the plant lineage.

As I said in the last post, the little difference in our DNA allows extreme variations, like one live being with a genetic resistance against a terrible disease, while many die. Never a disease will kill all the living beings in the world, this is impossible. 

We can use the genetic variations to select new plant lineages and thus produce more food. 

Because this and more the Agronomy is more than a job, is a passion. 

DNA: Our Molecular Fingerprinting

                                                Font: http://www.cafepress.com/+dna_fingerprint_large_poster,696433522

We are basically the combination ''written" in our DNA molecule. 

Our DNA have billions of thousands combinations, and this combinations determine which characteristics will be expressed. Because this we are different even between us, despite we share 99% of our genetic code. This little difference, less than 1% is the reason of all of our variation, like size, eye color, weight, etc. 

What is very interesting is the fact of the scientist Alec Jeffreys, in 1984 at the University of Leicester, discovered that this little variation works like a fingerprinting. This occur because the variation, like a fingerprinting, is unique. In other words, means that the variation of you that is reading this text is different of mine. 

The theory of DNA Fingerprinting is amazing because allow us, for example, to track a person that committed a crime. 

It starts a new area of science, immediately lead to many applications, like crimes, paternity tests and DNA conservation. 

The paternity tests became common currently, and the DNA conservation proved be something very useful to maintain the DNA of stinciton species. Nevertheless, this technique used to caught criminals is considered for many people like a great modern problem, because they think this is a clear violation of Civil Liberties, once they store the profiles of millions citizens in databases.  

Before this situation we have to ask us if is right to use this technique in favor of what they called “Justice”. Obviously is an amazing way to caught criminals, but I guess that can be used with caution to respect the people. 

Avoiding the Ebola`s Pandemic

  Font: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/11/health/ebola-fast-facts/

The world should look seriously to the Ebola Outbreak in Africa and take measures immediately to stop this disease. Alexandra Sifferlin wrote in the article "Window to Stop Ebola outbreak Is 'Closing Quickly,' Official Warns," about this absurd situation.

The World Health Organization should send appropriate help to africans, because the simple isolation of the affected areas will not be enough to stop the outbreak.

“Getting supplies and people in is a big challenge,”once the areas are in isolate regions and the airlines stopped to fly there, is hard to send the volunteers and supplies to there.

The africans deserve all the help necessary, after all they are humans like us.

My name is Gabriel Molina and I am from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Although all the problems, I like my country.

I like to live in Sao Paulo, the biggest Brazilian city. Moreover I like to watch TV, to read a books, listen music and my favorite sport is soccer. I spend much time watching games by TV. This is a common habit in my country in Wednesdays and on weekends.

I watch many films per week of different genres, but my favorites is science fiction and adventure.

In the literature field I like to read medieval fantasy stories, like The Lord of the Rings and adventure books like harry Potter.

I dislike of wake up early; people typing frenetic in their cellphones talking with me without look me and, finally, to do long trips in airplanes.

About U.S. I liked a lot principally the will of the people in help each other in any place: banks, markets, and obviously in WIU. This is an American thing that is amazing. Everybody help.

Nevertheless, I dislike the American food. It’s not too bad, but to eat hamburger and French fries every day, since the breakfast is absurd.

We came from Brazil and there we eat toast, fruits and we drink coffee with milk in breakfast and this is very healthy. We eat hamburger just on weekends, when we go to the movies or other places to wander.

So the food is being a problem for me.

My goals in WIU are finished the WESL with maximum fluency and after take the courses to complete the minor in Plant Breeding. That is my field of study.

In relation of my long term goals I intend to graduate in Agriculture and became a researcher in Plant Breeding.

Everything in going right.