Confused mosquitoes, revealing bandages, and scuba spiders.

It's Nonfiction Monday!Today I am posting about three magazine articles that were published in November.
In the November/December issue of YES MAG: The Science Magazine for Adventurous Minds (for ages 9-14) Dr. A. Ray tells us that he contracted malaria from mosquito bites and that when he became a scientist he decided to bite … or, fight back.(Check this video with Dr. Ray) He found a solution in natural scents that send these deadly creatures off track. Mosquitoes find their victims by following a scent track of carbon dioxide left when breathing out. Dr. Ray found out that two airborne chemicals released by ripening fruit, wine, and beer interfere with the CO2 tracking sensor, and mosquitoes cannot find their victims. The experiments are very intriguing and may spark ideas for science fair projects. Dr. Ray’s studies are very important because mosquitoes transmit several serious and deadly diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, West Nile virus, and more. Hopefully a new line of effective and less expensive natural repellents will be available soon.

The November/December issue of KNOW: The Science Magazine for Curious Kids (for ages 5-9) has the two other articles. “Color-changing bandages” is the result of the scientific mind of Dr. Louise van der Werff, a good example of a women in science, solving a problem we all face: how to care for a wound. Combining chemistry and engineering, she invented fibers that change color with temperature, and weaved them into bandages. As wounds heal problems may arise. This is important for all types of wounds, but especially for those that take a long time to heal. If the wound gets infected, its temperature will increase. If it does not get enough blood, it won’t heal well either and the wound’s temperature will decrease. Dr. Louise’s bandages can give an early warning about these problems. Check out what inspired this young woman to pursue this project. I hope we can find these color-changing bandages available in the near future.
And finally, the scuba spider (on page 3 of KNOW). In European rivers lives "Argyroneta aquatica," a small spider that spends most of its life underwater. To me, it is always fascinating how nature finds a way to survive. Argyroneta builds a breathing chamber underwater weaving its silvery net around air bubbles.

Physics of gases in water come handy as air in water diffuses into the bubble replacing the air the spider consumes. Argyroneta can spend a whole day inside the underwater chambers. Even more, Argyroneta eats, molts, and lays eggs in her diving bell. And when her babies emerge, they apply S.T.E.M. right away too! How did scientists discover how the underwater chamber works? Check it out!
I am delighted my articles have contributed to these great science magazines for kids. YES and KNOW provide an upbeat and fun way to enjoy science. And I love the color photos, cartoons, funny captions, hands-on activities and book reviews by kids. I have been contributing to YES since 1999 and fewer years to KNOW (released several years after YES). And YES has been awarded the title of “Periodical of the Year” by the Association of Educational Publishers!

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HOW YOU CAN BEAT PNEUMONIA: A LIFE-SAVING COLORING BOOK.

Despite of science and medicine offering the tools to solve a major health problem, pneumonia in this case, the problem prevails. Pneumonia is the number one killer of children under five worldwide. Ninety eight percent of the children who die of pneumonia live in developing countries however, we are all susceptible. In the United States and other developed countries, vaccination of children under five and adults 65 years old and older saves many lives. However, many suffer the disease and die from it every year. In 2007, 1.2 million of people in the United States were hospitalized due to pneumonia and more than 52,000 died of this infection. [3]. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria therefore it is susceptible to antibiotics. The bacteria infect the lungs. Symptoms include cough, fever, elevated heart rate, difficulty breathing and whistling sounds, loss of appetite.

I thought it might be interesting to discuss in class how different it is growing up in the USA compared to growing up in a developing country from the health perspective to help understand why despite of having solutions available pneumonia persists. Controlling the spread of infectious diseases is possible but not easy. So far, only smallpox (caused by a virus) has been eradicated. For bacteria or viruses to spread and make many people ill, many things have to happen. The germ has to find enough susceptible or non-immune people, that is people who have not been vaccinated or suffered the disease before. Children are a large proportion of the susceptible population. Combine this with poor sanitary conditions, unbalanced and/or insufficient nutrition, the presence of other diseases at the same time, and other physical and psychological burdens and you have a fertile ground for the spread of infectious diseases. Developed and developing countries have public health problems, but in many areas of developing countries sanitary conditions are poor, proper nutrition is hard to come by, and other conditions favor the spread of infectious diseases. And many children die.

WORLD PNEUMONIA DAY IS NOVEMBER 12 and to help raise awareness on how to prevent this disease Johns Hopkins University students have created a coloring book with a story that simply and clearly shows how to prevent and treat the disease. This is a new way to spread the word about this disease. After a quick search, I did not find other coloring books about pneumonia. By coloring and reading, young readers as well as parents reading to their children will learn that pneumonia is something to take seriously, yet it is nothing to be scared of because it can be prevented and cured. Now, I’d love to see this coloring book in Spanish!

Download the booklet, it’s free, and pass the word if you can. Children can send pages they have colored here and submissions will be featured in an online gallery. Pneumonia is both preventable and curable and simple habits would help save the lives of millions of children. Check the YouTube video below. I thank my colleague Mary Bowman-Kruhm for bringing attention to this book and to World Pneumonia Day.

I invite you to pass the word and help spread awareness. Here are some links with more information in English and in Spanish if you would like to forward them to people who might be interested or find them useful:

1. World Pneumonia Day YouTube video
2. Countdown to World Pneumonia Day
3. World Pneumonia Day is November 12: Center for Disease Control
4. Center for Disease Control in Spanish:La Neumonía se Puede Prevenir
5. La Voz Libre (Spain): SEGÚN UN ESTUDIO PUBLICADO EN 'INTERNATIONAL HEALTH' Las vacunas contra la neumonía en países en desarrollo pueden salvar la vida a cuatro millones de niños en diez años. [According to a study published in ‘International Health’, Pneumonia vaccines in developing countries can save the lives of four million children in ten years.]

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The Alligator's Super Sense, and More.

It's Nonfiction Monday! I have something different today. I want to share the good news that my article “The Alligator’s Super Sense” has been published on the November 2011 issue of “Highlights” magazine. (Look for the little alligator at the bottom left of the cover) The discovery of how alligators and other crocodilians ‘feel’ their prey nearby is a tribute to a scientist’s curiosity and perseverance. Dr. Daphne Soares worked with baby alligators, getting her share of bites from the tiny, but sharp, teeth, and uncovered one of the reasons alligators have survived before, during and after the dinosaurs and through major extinction events. I hope her story engages young lady budding scientists everywhere.

For educators looking to introduce or discuss more about amazing crocodilians, I suggest “Alligators and Crocodiles! Strange and Wonderful”, by Laurence Pringle and illustrated by Meryl Henderson.
And to top it off, check “Highlights’” online complementary feature for my article about the magnetic sense. This combo of three, the article, the book and the online feature, is a good start for educators and all interested in animal senses, science in action, and learning more about some of the oldest inhabitants of our planet: the outstanding crocodilians.

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Otters and Owls in Nonfiction Monday!

A sea otter is quite large; a male can be as big as a German shepherd dog. They are good parents too. Sometimes sea otter moms will wrap their pup in kelp (a large, brown seaweed) to keep it in one place while she dives for food. River otters are half or a third of the size of a sea otter, but they are equally fascinating. River otters are speedy swimmers. They swim fast enough to catch fish, their favorite food. River otters hunt in the water and rest in dens on land, while sea otters stay in the water, finding shelter and food in forests of kelp. I like “Otters” very much. Its fluid and accurate text and its colorful, lovely illustrations combine well to introduce early readers to the otter world.
Same goes for “Owls.” There are about 180 species of owls in the world living in all continents, except Antarctica, but I am thankful to scientists who have agreed that all those species can be put together in one of two groups; barn owls or typical owls. Among all birds of prey owls are quite fascinating with their ability to glide so quietly not even a mouse can hear them. The great gray owl is the largest of them all, being almost as tall as a kitchen counter. The elf owl is the smallest of the owls. It would fit in a child’s palm. And here is an owl fact that made me giggle: “A group of owls is called a parliament.” A cool link to government studies!
Otters and owls are amazing animals, with fascinating adaptations that make them favorites of children and adults. Both books have a glossary and illustrations of the various species around the world, while focusing on the North American species. I believe these books will trap you in kelp or catch you with their talons (softly) and won’t let you go until you read the last page.
“Otters” (2003) and “Owls” (2004) are both written by Adrianne Mason and illustrated by Nancy Gray Ogle, and published by Kids Can Press, Toronto, Canada.
“Otters” ISBN: 1-55337-407-X “Owls” ISBN: 978-1-55337-624-8
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