Locusts In a Swarm

What do you know about locusts? Well, you say, I remember hearing there was a swarm of them in the Bible. Right! (That's in the book of Exodus.)

When Pharaoh refused to let the Israelis leave Egypt, the eighth plague the Lord brought upon Egypt was locusts. Moses warned stubborn Pharaoh that the locusts would be so thick that no one would be able to see the ground. Scripture also makes clear that there never had been, nor would there ever be again, such a great infestation.

We gain an appreciation for what the Egyptians had to endure because of the hardheartedness of their leader when we look at modern plagues of locusts. A locust weighs only two grams, but it needs to eat its own weight in food every day.

That doesn't seem like much. However, a swarm of locusts can cover an area of 400 square miles with a density of 100 million to 200 million insects per square mile! A swarm this size can eat 80,000 tons of food per day. That's enough to feed 40,000 people for a year.

Locusts can descend on an area without warning almost as fast as they did in Egypt. Desert locusts have been known to fly nonstop for up to 1,600 miles at a time. This knowledge doesn't take away from the miraculous acts of God recorded in the Bible. Knowing a little about the power of a normal locust infestation helps us appreciate the plague of locusts on Egypt. As the Bible says, this locust infestation was unlike any other in history!

So, once again, we see that an overabundance of tiny things can bring great damage - like locusts in a swarm!

"Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast." Exodus 10:4

Notes: Science Digest/Creation Moments

2012 Christian Nature 

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being. Revelation 4:11

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Fish Oil Compound Could Cure Leukemia

A compound produced from fish oil that appears to target leukemia stem cells could lead to a cure for the disease, according to Penn State researchers.

The compound - delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3 - targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia, or CML, in mice, said Sandeep Prabhu, associate professor of immunology and molecular toxicology in the Department of Veterinary and Medical Sciences.

The compound is produced from EPA - Eicosapentaenoic Acid - an Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and in fish oil, he said. (Photo: The compound shown above is D12-PGJ2, which closely resembles delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3, a compound that targeted and killed the stem cells of chronic myelogenous leukemia or CML in mice. Credit: Sandeep Prabhu)

"Research in the past on fatty acids has shown the health benefits of fatty acids on cardiovascular system and brain development, particularly in infants, but we have shown that some metabolites of Omega-3 have the ability to selectively kill the leukemia-causing stem cells in mice," said Prabhu. "The important thing is that the mice were completely cured of leukemia with no relapse."

The researchers, who released their findings in the current issue of Blood, said the compound kills cancer-causing stem cells in the mice's spleen and bone marrow. Specifically, it activates a gene - p53 - in the leukemia stem cell that programs the cell's own death.

"p53 is a tumor suppressor gene that regulates the response to DNA damage and maintains genomic stability," Prabhu said.

Killing the stem cells in leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells, is important because stem cells can divide and produce more cancer cells, as well as create more stem cells, Prabhu said.

The current therapy for CML extends the patient's life by keeping the number of leukemia cells low, but the drugs fail to completely cure the disease because they do not target leukemia stem cells, said Robert Paulson, associate professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, who co-directed this research with Prabhu.

"The patients must take the drugs continuously," said Paulson. "If they stop, the disease relapses because the leukemia stem cells are resistant to the drugs."

Current treatments are unable to kill the leukemia stem cells, Paulson said.

"These stem cells can hide from the treatment, and a small population of stem cells give rise to more leukemia cells," said Paulson. "So, targeting the stem cells is essential if you want to cure leukemia."

During the experiments, the researchers injected each mouse with about 600 nanograms of D12-PGJ3 each day for a week. Tests showed that the mice were completely cured of the disease. The blood count was normal, and the spleen returned to normal size. The disease did not relapse.

In previous experiments, the compound also killed the stem cells of Friend Virus-induced leukemia, an experimental model for human leukemia.

The researchers focused on D12-PGJ3 because it killed the leukemia stem cells, but had the least number of side effects. The researchers currently are working to determine whether the compound can be used to treat the terminal stage of CML, referred to as Blast Crisis. There are currently no drugs available that can treat the disease when it progresses to this stage.

The researchers, who applied for a patent, are also preparing to test the compound in human trials.

Read More!

2012 Christian Nature 

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Reversing Alzheimer's Disease Possible?

I think the disease most feared by humans is Alzheimer's Disease. So imagine the joy that will be experienced when folks hear there's a drug that could possibly reverse Alzheimer's! And the drug is marketed for a totally unrelated disease!

A widely available cancer drug has shown remarkable success in reversing Alzheimer's disease in mice, raising hope of a breakthrough against incurable dementia in humans, US researchers said Thursday.

Mice treated with the drug, known as bexarotene, became rapidly smarter and the plaque in their brains that was causing their Alzheimer's started to disappear within hours, said the research in the journal Science.

"We were shocked and amazed," lead author Gary Landreth of the Department of Neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Ohio told AFP.

"Things like this had never, ever been seen before," he said.

The drug works by boosting levels of a protein, Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), that helps clear amyloid plaque buildup in the brain, a key hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

"Think of this as a garbage disposal," Landreth said.

"When we are young and healthy, all of us can basically get rid of this (amyloid) and degrade it and grind it into small bits and it gets cleared.

"Many of us will be unable to do this as efficiently as we age. And this is associated with mental decline or cognitive impairment."

Six hours after mice got the drug, soluble amyloid levels fell by 25 percent, ultimately reaching 75 percent reductions. The effect lasted up to three days, said the study.

Soon after taking the drug, mice performed better on tests of mental ability and showed improved responses to odors.

Unlike normal mice, Alzheimer's mice will not usually build nests if given tissue paper in their cage, as if they have forgotten to associate paper with the opportunity to nest.

But 72 hours after treatment, the Alzheimer's mice began to build nests again.

"They are not great nests but they are nests nonetheless," added Landreth, suggesting that if the drug can be shown to work in humans it might be best targeted to people in the early stages of the disease.

Clinical trials in people should begin soon and produce early results in the next year, researchers said.

Bexarotene was initially made by US-based Ligand Pharmaceuticals under the brand name Targretin.

It gained orphan drug status in the United States -- approval by the US Food and Drug Administration -- in 1999 as a treatment for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, a rare cancer.

The Japanese pharmaceutical giant Eisai bought the worldwide rights for it in 2006.

Thanks be to God for the curious nature of man!

2012 Christian Nature

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Top Dog 'Malachy' Video

Malachy the Pekingese is winner of "Best in Show" at the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Some are thrilled about Malachy being 'top dog', and some are horrified! (Just read the Tweets and Blogs and you'll see what I mean.)

Malachy has 114 Best in Show ribbons but has never won at Westminster until this year. His hair has never been cut, and never will be. This is only the 4th time a Pekingese has won "Best in Show" since 1990.


Other group winners include the German shepherd Captain Crunch in the Herding group; Cinders, a Wire-Haired Dachshund, in the Hound group; and Spotlights Ruffian, a lovely Dalmatian, in Non-Sporting. And for those who like rooting underdogs, no Dachshund or Dalmatian has ever been named Best in Show at Westminster. That record still stands.

What are Pekingese? The Pekingese, or "Peke" (also commonly referred to as "Lion Dog", or "Pelchie Dog" due to its resemblance to Chinese guardian lions) is an ancient breed of toy dog, originating in China. The breed was favored by the Chinese Imperial court, and its name refers to the city of Beijing where the Forbidden City resides. The breed has several characteristics and health issues related to its unique appearance. They are prone to heart murmurs and heart attacks.

Actually, the "Pekes" have much in common with the Shih Tzus, also called "Lion Dogs" and who also are prone to heart disease. But boy, are they ever lovable!

To sneak a peek at Malachy performing, CLICK HERE.

Congratulations, Malachy!

2012 Christian Nature

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The Give and Take of Mushrooms

More and more each day, I'm impressed with the fine balance of give-and-take God has put into His creation. Take mushrooms, for example.

If it weren't for mushrooms, there would be so many un-decayed dead trees that there would be no room on Earth for anything else to grow. But mushrooms don't just recycle dead trees. They help make the trees grow in the first place.

The mushrooms that we see are merely the part of the fungus that produces the fruit. Most of the mushroom is unseen. If you were to peel back the bark of a decaying tree, you'll see white tissue called mycelia. That is the main part of the mushroom plant.

Many species of mushrooms combine efforts to help trees grow. Their mycelium forms a sheath around tree roots that help to deliver water and nutrients. In return, they get excess sugar produced by the tree. This relationship is so close that both the fungi and the tree depend upon each other.

For example, researchers estimate that the Douglas Fir has about 1,000 species of fungus working together for its support. The fungi will even form underground mycelial networks to move nutrients between different kinds of tree. Wow! So even mushrooms 'network'!

Clearly, God has designed a finely balanced partnership between trees and fungi for their mutual survival. In the Old Testament, God disciplined His people through the loss of their planted crops. Is it just possible He tipped the fine balance of other such partnerships to do His bidding?

The more I study God's creation, the more I trust The Creator with my piddly problems! The more I know of Him, the more I want to know. His amazing Creation does that for me. How about you?

2012 Christian Nature

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Birds Got It Right! - Videos

For centuries human females have done their best to 'show off' for the males. Supposedly, it's because human males are visually attracted. But in the bird kingdom, it's just the opposite! The males make utter fools out of themselves to attract the females.

I'm thinking the bird got it right. Let's watch some males do their thing!





Ha! Ha! Don't you just love the look of "OK, and...?" on the female's face? I'm still laughing at that one!

Let's look at some more showy males dancing for attention.




Truly enjoyable! Oh, that we females could find males who were so eager to please!

2012 Christian Nature

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