Introduce your children to the Wonders of Space: The Solar System Song

Introduce your children to Outer Space: "We are the Planets," The Solar System Song by StoryBots

Max Goes to Jupiter - Mike Hopkins

NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins read "Max Goes to Jupiter" for the Story Time from Space activity.

Crew members on the space station host Story Time from Space by videotaping themselves reading children’s books.

They also complete simple demonstrations that accompany the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) concepts in the books.

The videos are edited and posted to an online library with related educational materials for educators and parents to use.

The project aims to bring space station science to communities that have had no other involvement with the space program through the simple beauty of reading a book to the children of Earth from orbit.

The books are delivered to the space station and returned after the videos are completed.

The program will increase awareness of the station, and connects (STEM) concepts with literacy, providing teachers a unique and engaging way to teach.

Revolutionary New Burn dressing 'lights up' to signal an infection

Scientists have developed a medical dressing that 'lights up' when a burn is infected.

It could be lifesaving in young children with serious burns in whom infections can rapidly become fatal, the Bristol researchers said. 

A prototype is available for demonstration purposes but trials in humans are still some years away.

Fast diagnosis of infection in children with burns, such as those caused by scalds from hot drinks, is a big problem for clinicians, the researchers said.

Current tests for an infected wound can take up to a couple of days but children - especially those of pre-school age - are particularly at risk from the effects of infection due to their relatively poor immunity.

They can quickly develop a condition called toxic shock syndrome, which if left untreated can be fatal in half of cases.

Fluorescent dye 
The dressing developed by scientists at the University of Bath uses nanocapsules containing a dye that burst open in the presence of disease-causing bacteria.

Using a UV light, doctors can quickly check whether there is infection by seeing if the dressing glows.

The nanocapsules are activated when they come into contact with toxins produced by harmful bacteria, so do not release the dye in response to normal bacteria that live on the skin.

So far the dressing has been tested on skin samples in the laboratory.

Dr Toby Jenkins

Dr Toby Jenkins, reader in Biophysical Chemistry at Bath, and project lead said about 5,000 children a year in England and Wales are treated in hospital for burns.

"The big problem for clinicians is the fast diagnosis of infection. Current methods take between 24 and 48 hours to get an answer as to whether the wound is infected.

"However, our burns dressing gives a simple colour change under UV light if a pathogenic, disease-causing bacteria is present in the burn, meaning clinicians can be alerted quickly to a potential infection."


Dr Amber Young, consultant paediatric anaesthetist at the South West Paediatric Burns Centre at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol and clinical adviser to the project said when a child with a small burn develops a high temperature there is no easy way of knowing if the child has a serious bacterial infection, or simply a cough or cold.

Dr Amber Young

"We currently have to remove the dressing to test for infection, which may result in slower healing and potentially life-long scarring and is very distressing for the child.

"This new dressing will mean we will be able to detect the early signs of infection so we can diagnose and treat the child quickly."

Prof Sheila MacNeil

Prof Sheila MacNeil, from Sheffield University, said the technology was based on two clever concepts - that it only reacts in the presence of life-threatening bacteria and that the florescent dye only shows up once the nanocapsules have burst.

"It has been developed for use in paediatrics but it could also be useful in lots of other contexts, such as the management of chronic ulcers in the home," she added.

Depression: SPARX Game As Effective As Traditional Treatment

An innovative computer-based intervention for depressed young people, developed by researchers from The University of Auckland, has been shown to be at least as effective as standard treatments mainly comprising face-to-face therapy.

A research team led by Associate Professor Sally Merry developed and trialled the intervention called SPARX with the aim of giving young people easier, lower cost access to treatment.

In a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) they assessed the effectiveness of SPARX in 24 sites around New Zealand, including youth clinics, schools and general practices. Half of the young people participating used the new game and half received standard treatment through their doctor, school counsellor or other provider. SPARX was shown to be at least as good as the standard treatments.

SPARX uses CD-Rom based computer gaming to teach self-help for depression. It includes an interactive 3D fantasy game to teach young people the skills they need to cope with challenges and manage their mood. In contrast to many other e-therapies, SPARX has been designed to help young people learn through action in a virtual world. It is based on cognitive behavioural therapy, a proven therapeutic approach.

“Using computer technology that young people are comfortable with is one way of making therapy more accessible, practical, and hopefully more fun,” says Dr Merry. It has been designed to be easily accessed by young people directly or to be delivered easily in primary care settings.

In 2011, SPARX won a UN World Summit Award recognising creativity and innovation in e-health interventions.



Depression is common among young people internationally and accessing help can be difficult. One in five New Zealanders will have experienced clinical depression by their eighteenth birthday. Three quarters of young people with depression never receive treatment. “We want to intervene earlier and more effectively,” says Dr Merry.

SPARX was initiated by researchers, clinicians, and learning technologists at the University’s Werry Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health in the Department of Psychological Medicine. It was developed with input from Māori, Pacific people, and other cultural groups in New Zealand.

The programme was created with the assistance of a local game development company, Metia Interactive. A number of actors, musicians and artists have generously donated their time and skills to the project.

The work was funded by the NZ Ministry of Health as part of the Primary Health Care Strategy to build and strengthen the capacity of the primary care sector to respond to mental health needs, and in this case adolescent depression

More information on SPARX is available on www.sparx.org.nz.

Autism: Researchers Continue to hunt for causes

For many families, the quest for the causes of autism has grown more urgent with the news that the estimated prevalence of autism grew by 23% from 2006 to 2008, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report out last week.

In most cases, however, scientists can't tell parents what caused their child's autism, says Thomas Insel, director of the National Institutes of Mental Health. In large part, the causes of autism — which is likely not one disease, but a group of conditions with related symptoms — remain a mystery.

For years, scientists had only a few clues about the condition, noticing that autism is about four times as common in boys as in girls, for example.

Recently, scientists have found a number of risk factors for autism, many of which point toward problems that develop very early in life, such as during pregnancy or delivery, or even during the process of creating eggs and sperm, says Craig Newschaffer, a professor at Philadelphia's Drexel University.

To better understand causes of autism, researchers at four major universities are following 1,200 mothers of autistic children through a project called the EARLI study, or the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation.

Because researchers know that these moms are at high risk of having a second autistic child, they closely follow the women's subsequent pregnancies, testing blood, urine, hair, even vacuuming dust from the women's homes, says Newschaffer, one of the study's lead researchers.

Researchers ask pregnant women to keep lists of any illnesses, since infections during pregnancy are suspected of playing a role in autism.

Doctors can confidently reassure parents that one thing doesn't cause autism — vaccines, says Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Nearly two dozen studies have failed to find a link between autism and vaccines, whether given alone or in combination.

Researchers have clues to other causes:

Genes. About 15% to 20% of autistic children have a genetic mutation that causes their disorder, Insel says. Certain genetic disorders, such as Fragile X syndrome and Rett syndrome, are well-known for increasing the risk of autism.

Even when genes are the main contributor to autism, however, it's possible that most children have a unique mutation or set of mutations, says David Amaral, research director of the University of California-Davis MIND Institute.

Family history. If parents have one child with autism, the risk of having a second child diagnosed with the disorder is nearly 20%, according to a landmark study from U.C.-Davis. Among those with two autistic children, the risk of having a third is 32%, study author Sally Ozonoff says.

Environmental pollution. One California study published last year found that babies whose mothers lived near a highway while pregnant were more likely to be diagnosed as autistic.

Older parents. Both older father and mothers are at higher risk of having autistic children, Newschaffer says. Research from Israel and the Harvard School of Public Health also suggests that infertility treatments, which are more often used among older patients, are linked to a higher risk of autism.

Prematurity and low birthweight. An October study in Pediatrics found that, among babies born weighing less than about 4½ pounds, 5% had been diagnosed as autistic by age 21.

Medications. Many studies now show that a seizure treatment called valproic acid can increase the risk of autism in children exposed before birth. A single study published last year found a higher risk among children exposed prenatally to antidepressants. Using prenatal vitamins is also linked to a lower risk of autism.

Closely spaced pregnancies. In a 2011 study, children who were born less than one year after an older sibling were three times as likely to be diagnosed with autism, compared with children born three years after their mom's last pregnancy.

Children have highest exposure to Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles in M&Ms, Smarties, etc.

Children may be receiving the highest exposure to nanoparticles of titanium dioxide in candy, which they eat in amounts much larger than adults, according to a new study.

Published in ACS' journal, Environmental Science and Technology, it provides the first broadly based information on amounts of the nanomaterial, a source of concern with regard to its potential health and environmental effects, in a wide range of consumer goods e.g. M&Ms and Smarties.

In the study, Paul Westerhoff, Ph.D., and colleagues point out that titanium dioxide is a common additive to many consumer products, from food to paint to cosmetics.

Westerhoff explained that the body releases the nanoparticles in feces and urine, sending them to wastewater treatment plants, which cannot prevent the smallest particles from entering lakes and rivers.

Only one previous study, done a decade ago, reported on titanium dioxide content in a few commercial products.

To fill the knowledge gap about the sources of humans' exposures, the researchers bought and tested food, personal care products, paints and adhesives and measured how much titanium dioxide they contain.

The group found that children consume more titanium dioxide than adults because sweets like candies (M&Ms, Smarties, etc.), marshmallows and icing are among the products with the highest levels.

The paper lists the names of the products tested and their titanium dioxide content.

Westerhoff recommends that regulators shift their focus from the type of titanium dioxide used in paints and industrial processes to food-grade particles, because those are much more likely to enter the environment and pose a potential risk to humans and animals.

Study finds child abuse and stunted brain development connection

A small team of researchers has found that various forms of child abuse can lead to stunted development in certain regions of the brain. The research carried out by Martin Teicher, Carl Anderson and Ann Polcari, all working in the Boston area, relied on questionnaires.

MRI brain scans were used to determine that certain parts of the hippocampus, all known to be sensitive to stress, were up to six percent smaller in adults who as children had been sexually, verbally or physically abused. The team has published their results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The three areas affected: the cornu ammonis, the dentate gyrus and the subiculum, all located in the hippocampus, are known to be vulnerable to stress which leads to less cell development than would normally occur in the absence of abuse.

To test the relationship between brain development and childhood abuse, the research team enlisted a group of otherwise healthy adult volunteers: 73 men and 120 women, all between the ages of 18 and 25.

All were given questionnaires that delved into their childhood, specifically addressing issues of verbal, mental and physical abuse and other types of stresses such as the death of someone close to them or problems between parents.

All were also given brain scans using an MRI machine. The team then compared the answers given on the questionnaires to the possibly impacted areas in the hippocampus of each volunteer. In so doing, they found that the brain regions under study were 5.8 to 6.5 percent smaller than average for those that reported such childhood stresses.

The researchers suggest that smaller brain regions due to childhood stress may help explain the abnormally high levels of mental illness (depression, bi-polarism, anxiety, etc.) seen in adults who have endured abuse as children and why so many wind up with drug dependency problems.

They also noted that one of the regions impacted, the subiculum, serves as a relay, moving information in and out of the hippocampus, which can have a direct impact on dopamine production. Those with reduced volume have been found to have problems with drug addiction and in some cases develop schizophrenia.

The researchers believe that increased stress leads to higher levels of the hormone cortisol, which in turn can slow or even stop the growth of new neurons in the brain which can result in permanently stunting certain brain regions.

The researchers are hoping their results will further highlight the damage that is done when children are subjected to adverse living conditions, leading perhaps to earlier interventions and possibly a means for developing treatments that may aid in preventing the stunting of brain regions, thus helping to pave the way for a better quality of life for those that have been abused as children.

More information: Childhood maltreatment is associated with reduced volume in the hippocampal subfields CA3, dentate gyrus, and subiculum, PNAS, Published online before print February 13, 2012, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1115396109

Abstract
Childhood maltreatment or abuse is a major risk factor for mood, anxiety, substance abuse, psychotic, and personality disorders, and it is associated with reduced adult hippocampal volume, particularly on the left side.

Translational studies show that the key consequences of stress exposure on the hippocampus are suppression of neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) and dendritic remodeling in the cornu ammonis (CA), particularly the CA3 subfield.

The hypothesis that maltreatment is associated with volume reductions in 3-T MRI subfields containing the DG and CA3 was assessed and made practical by newly released automatic segmentation routines for FreeSurfer.

The sample consisted of 193 unmedicated right-handed subjects (38% male, 21.9 ± 2.1 y of age) selected from the community.

Maltreatment was quantified using the Adverse Childhood Experience study and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire scores.

The strongest associations between maltreatment and volume were observed in the left CA2-CA3 and CA4-DG subfields, and were not mediated by histories of major depression or posttraumatic stress disorder.

Comparing subjects with high vs. low scores on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Adverse Childhood Experience study showed an average volume reduction of 6.3% and 6.1% in the left CA2-CA3 and CA4-DG, respectively.

Volume reductions in the CA1 and fimbria were 44% and 60% smaller than in the CA2-CA3. Interestingly, maltreatment was associated with 4.2% and 4.3% reductions in the left presubiculum and subiculum, respectively.

These findings support the hypothesis that exposure to early stress in humans, as in other animals, affects hippocampal subfield development.

Kraft's Adult Only Dessert Vending Machine - Jell-0-Temptations

A dessert machine strictly for adults uses facial recognition to detect the age of potential customers.

If the customer is too young for the dessert the machine will alert them with a message saying they aren't old enough and will shut down immediately - asking the child to move away from the area. 

The machine has been designed by Kraft and Intel in order to launch the new Jell-o Temptations premium dessert range.

Picture: Kraft/Rex Features

Talkbox: visual language for autistic children

Talkbox Presentation

The number of children diagnosed as autistic has been growing.

The reasons as to why are unclear: is the disease simply more prevalent than it was, are newer definitions of the condition including a wider spectrum of children, or both?

As numbers rise, and technology advances, designers have been looking for ways to help autistic children communicate.

The focus has been especially on those with severe speech impairment. For instance, therapists have been experimenting with iPad applications that focus on improving communication, behaviour modeling and activity planning.

Most communication systems that have been developed in the past are text or voice based.

This is where Talkbox, a new concept that is being developed, seeks to change the current methods of communication, delivering a personalized visual language to the kids using it.

Talkbox’s aim is to facilitate an autistic child to interact and communicate with others in a language that they know and understand.

To do this, Talkbox will take the repetitive behaviors seen in autistic patients and create an organized “connection list” as well as a time or place based dictionary and vocabulary.

The concept features a speech processing engine that works with a system that finds and recognizes different objects.

It uses a multitouch screen for animation playback, and a simple button to take pictures of things and people that surround the child.

A panel displays photos of people a child may need to communicate with, and the child can communicate from Talkbox to a smartphone via the Internet, and the phones can be used to respond by accessing the vocabulary online.

The images taken by the child can be printed out to serve as what Talkbox calls “story makers,” to help the child connect the images they see.

The creators of this system see this as a way to let children interact directly with others by building stories.

Talkbox uses this “visual vocabulary” to connect the child to others, but also to help the parents of autistic children form a new sort of community.

They can upload videos and images of the new vocabulary to the Talkbox website to help connect to and learn from each other.

Read more at DesignBuzz 

Playing Outdoors Helps Children see further

A new analysis of recent eye health studies shows that more time spent outdoors is related to reduced rates of nearsightedness, also known as myopia, in children and adolescents.

Myopia is much more common today in the United States and many other countries than it was in the 1970s. In parts of Asia, more than 80 percent of the population is nearsighted.

The analysis suggests that more exposure to natural light and/or time spent looking at distant objects may be key factors.

The analysis was led by Dr. Justin Sherwin of the University of Cambridge.

The data included in the analysis was drawn from eight carefully selected studies on outdoor time and myopia in children and adolescents, representing 10,400 participants in total.

Dr. Sherwin’s team concluded that for each additional hour spent outdoors per week, the chance of myopia dropped by approximately two percent.

Nearsighted children spent on average 3.7 fewer hours per week outdoors than those who either had normal vision or were farsighted.

Though the reasons aren’t yet clear, the protective effect appears to result from simply being outdoors rather than performing a specific activity.

Two of the eight studies examined whether children who spent more time outdoors were also those who spent less time performing near work, such as playing computer games or studying, but no such relationship was found in either study.

The amount of time spent on near work is of interest to researchers as another potential cause for the recent uptick in nearsightedness.

“Increasing children’s outdoor time could be a simple and cost-effective measure with important benefits for their vision and general health” said Dr. Khawaja.

“If we want to make clear recommendations, however, we’ll need more precise data. Future, prospective studies will help us understand which factors, such as increased use of distance vision, reduced use of near vision, natural ultra violet light exposure or physical activity, are most important.”

Helicobacter pylori infection linked to decreased iron levels in healthy children

Children without previous iron deficiencies or anemia who remained infected with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) had significantly lower levels of iron compared to children who had the infection eradicated, according to researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

“Half of the world’s population is infected with H. pylori and most of the individuals are asymptomatically infected, according to several surveys,” said Victor Cardenas, M.D., Ph.D., lead investigator of the study and associate professor of epidemiology at The University of Texas School of Public Health El Paso Regional Campus, part of UTHealth. “What we learned in this study is not only does H. pylori cause iron deficiency anemia and iron-deficiency, but that even among children who do not have these conditions, their levels of iron are lower than otherwise healthy children.” The research is published in the March issue of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

Researchers investigated the link between H. pylori infection and iron levels in non-iron-deficient preschool and school age children in El Paso and found the infection causes a decrease in the levels of iron in children who do not have anemia or an iron deficiency. The bacterium H. pylori infects the lining of the stomach resulting in chronic swelling of tissue, a condition known as gastritis. H. pylori is also a major cause of peptic ulcer disease and the cause of most cancers of the stomach, according to the World Health Organization.

“Iron is an essential nutrient which supports several body functions and exists in small amounts in the body, but it is also required by bacteria such as H. pylori,” said Cardenas. “The infection decreases the body’s natural progression of making iron.” According to Cardenas, this is the first study conducted in the contiguous U.S. to examine the role of the infection on the levels of iron levels in asymptomatic children.

Over time markers of iron stored in the body increased in children no longer infected. However, children who remained infected lagged in levels of one marker, serum ferritin, at their six month follow-up. The protein serum ferritin measures the amount of iron stored in your body, according to the National Institute of Health.

“Previous research has shown that iron levels correlate with several body functions including brain activity and have well documented long-term health consequences such as increased morbidity and mortality and loss of productivity,” said Cardenas. “There is a need to research the long-term consequences of asymptomatic H. pylori infections in those without an iron deficiency because the effect we found could be present among those with normal iron levels.”

Cardenas and his team used a previously tested therapy, which consisted of one antacid plus one antibiotic for five days, followed by the antacid plus two antibiotics for another five days. While previous studies resulted in high rates of success in eradicating H. pylori, only half of the children given the active medications in Cardenas’ study had their infection eradicated, a disappointing result, he said.

Cardenas questions whether asymptomatic H. pylori infections have any significant health consequences. “We want to further investigate if there is a relation between variations of the bacteria strains and iron in adults,” said Cardenas.

Members of the research team led by Cardenas included investigators from Baylor College of Medicine, The University of North Texas, The University of Texas at El Paso and Texas Tech University Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. The research was funded by the Thrasher Research Fund.

Growing brain is particularly flexible

The brain is continuously changing. Neuronal structures are not hard-wired, but are modified with every learning step and every experience. Certain areas of the brain of a newborn baby are particularly flexible, however.

In animal experiments, the development of the visual cortex can be strongly influenced in the first months of life, for example, by different visual stimuli.

Nerve cells in the visual cortex of fully-grown animals divide up the processing of information from the eyes: Some “see” only the left eye, others only the right. Cells of right or left specialisation each lie close to one another in small groups, called columns.

The researchers showed that during growth, these structures are not simply inflated — columns do not become larger but their number increases. Neither do new columns form from new nerve cells. The number of nerve cells remains almost unchanged, a large part of the growth of the visual cortex can be attributed to an increase in the number of non-neuronal cells.

These changes can be explained by the fact that existing cells change their preference for the right or the left eye. In addition, another of the researchers’ observations also points to such a restructuring: The arrangement of the columns changes. While the pattern initially looks stripy, these stripes dissolve in time and the pattern becomes more irregular.

“This is an enormous achievement by the brain — undertaking such a restructuring while continuing to function,” says Wolfgang Keil, scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization Göttingen and first author of the study.

“There is no engineer behind this conducting the planning, the process must generate itself.” The researchers used mathematical models and computer simulations to investigate how the brain could proceed to achieve this restructuring.

On the one hand, the brain tries to keep the neighbourhood relations in the visual cortex as uniform as possible. On the other, the development of the visual cortex is determined by the visual process itself — cells which have once been stimulated more strongly by the left or right eye try to maintain this particular calling.

The researchers’ model explains the formation of columns by taking both these tendencies into account. The scientists showed that when the tissue grows and the size of the columns is kept constant, the columns in the computer model change exactly as they had observed in their experimental studies on the visual cortex of the cat: The stripes dissolve into a zigzag pattern and thus become more irregular. In this way, the researchers provide a mathematical basis which realistically describes how the visual cortex could restructure during the growth phase.

Baby vaccine contaminated with pig virus - health - 12 May 2010 - New Scientist

Baby vaccine contaminated with pig virus

SWINE viruses are back - but this time they don't seem to be making anyone sick.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported that stocks of Merck's Rotateq vaccine against rotavirus are contaminated with the pig viruses PCV1 and PCV2, but the agency has not advised doctors to stop using it as the pig viruses aren't known to cause disease in humans, and rotavirus kills roughly half a million infants worldwide each year. An FDA advisory panel said the vaccine's benefits still outweigh its risks.

The FDA plans to monitor recipients for pig virus-related illness. "There will be quite careful monitoring of the people that have received the vaccine and I think that's entirely appropriate," says virologist Stephen Hughes, who advised the FDA on the issue.

Rotavirus vaccines are mainly given to infants in the developing world, where the virus is most likely to kill. In March, a separate rotavirus vaccine, Rotarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline was found to contain PCV1. In that case, the FDA recommended that doctors avoid using Rotarix while it gathers evidence, but the FDA now says it will issue new recommendations on both affected vaccines soon.

Bipolar Disorder, Depression and Circadian Clock

An off-kilter body clock can throw off our sleep-wake cycle, eating habits, body temperature and hormones—and mounting evidence suggests a malfunctioning clock may also underlie the mood cycles in bipolar disorder.

In a new study led by psychiatrist Alexander Niculescu of Indiana University, researchers found that children with bipolar disorder were likely to have a mutated RORB gene, which codes for a protein crucial to circadian clock function.

The team’s previous work identified alterations to this gene and other clock genes in animal models of the disorder. In the new study, the scientists compared the genomes of 152 bipolar kids with those of 140 typical kids. (Children were studied because their moods cycle more rapidly than the moods of bipolar adults, and a quicker cycle suggests a stronger connection to the circadian clock.)

The team found that the bipolar children were more likely to have one of four alterations to RORB, and the investigators suspect the mu­tations prevent the body from producing the correct amount of the pro­tein to support normal clock function.

Previous studies had shown that strictly regulating a bi­polar patient’s sleep schedule could improve extreme mood cycles, but experts weren’t sure why—until animal studies started showing a connection to circadian clock genes.

“Every time we investigate some [abnormality] of molec­ular machinery linked to the clock genes, we find an associ­ation with bipolar disorder,” says Francesco Benedetti, a neuroscientist at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy, who was not involved in the Indiana research.

The ultimate goal, he adds, is to pinpoint the precise mech­anism that links clock function with mood swings, in the hope of designing new drugs and treatments that will restore the clock to working order.

Dr Sally Ride - America's first woman in space

Dr Sally Ride - America's first woman in space has set her sights on a new frontier - making science cool for kids. Dr Sally Ride's particular focus is to get more girls to stick with science and pursue it as a career.

The National Science Foundation said women represent 46% of the workforce but only hold 25% of the jobs in science, engineering and technology.

"I want to right this wrong and have made this the focus of my life at this stage," Dr Ride said.
"Females are 50% of the population and we cannot afford not to tap into that group of people to the fullest extent possible.

"In this country we don't put the priority on math and science education and it's incredible because our society depends on it so much. We are not raising the next generation of scientists and engineers," said Dr Ride.

Making science fun
The root of the problem is seen as centring around a number of prevailing stereotypes that seem to sway females when they are in the 5th and 6th grades, around 10 to 12 years old.

The industry does not have the right image, the subject is seen as too hard and young girls cannot relate to it in terms of their future.

Some of these issues were aired this week in Silicon Valley at the first of a series of round table discussions organised by Dr Ride that included female entrepreneurs, high tech companies and organisations promoting female education.

Campaigners say youngsters need visible role models to emulate
"We are failing in the way we educate. We don't teach in a way that engages students," said Judy Estrin who is chief executive officer of tech consultancy Jlabs and a former chief technology officer for Cisco.

"Parents also need to step up and think about encouraging their children to pursue the subject, not through threat or force but by exposing them to fun experiences like museums and field trips," said Ms Estrin.

A study by the silicon chip giant Intel showed that parents are more willing to talk to their children about drugs than math and science.

Others in the education system believe making the subject relevant to students is key.

"As a scientist and an educator we really do have to step up our game," said Shelley Cargill, assistant professor of biological science at San Jose State University.

If you are a parent, you know that at a certain age the favourite question of every child is 'Why?'

"We need to make science relevant to every day life and make it exciting. It's not just about the geeky nerd, its about chemical engineers discovering compounds to make new and safe cosmetics or the newest synthetic materials for the catwalk."

'there was a growing need for more positive role models for children'

"Kids don't see this subject as cool because unlike music or movies there is no one out there selling it to them. We need people to stand up and say I am a scientist and this is what I do," said Dr Cargill.

'Life blood'
The issue of engaging students in science, technology, engineering and math has been a long standing one that has had a particular resonance in Silicon Valley, which complains constantly about the lack of graduates with relevant degrees to fuel its workforce.

"Math and science is what Exxon Mobil is all about. We use it every day, 365 days a year among our 14,000 engineers and scientists," said Truman Bell, Exxon's senior programme officer for education and diversity.

Dr Ride made history in 1983 on the Space Shuttle Challenger

Dr Ride said she is equally worried about how young people will function in the world without good maths and science skills. "The world has become a different place and science and technology are becoming basic to our everyday living.

"Kids need these skills if they are going to get a good living wage and become scientifically responsible citizens," said Dr Ride.

China: High Levels of Lead Pollution in Children's Blood

Chinese Children hold up laboratory test results showing high levels of lead in their blood at a village in Jiyuan, Henan province.

China is accused of widespread violations of human rights and environmental pollution, because of its expansionist plans to forceably, industrialise the predominantly argricultural country.

Picture: REUTERS

When a Parent's Love Comes With Conditions - NYTimes.com

Mind - When a Parent's Love Comes With Conditions - NYTimes.com

Jo Frost of 'Supernanny,' in her book of the same name (Hyperion, 2005), says, 'The best rewards are attention, praise and love,' and these should be held back 'when the child behaves badly until she says she is sorry,' at which point the love is turned back on.

Conditional parenting isn't limited to old-school authoritarians. Some people who wouldn't dream of spanking choose instead to discipline their young children by forcibly isolating them, a tactic we prefer to call 'time out.' Conversely,' positive reinforcement' teaches children that they are loved, and lovable, only when they do whatever we decide is a 'good job.'

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Genetic Disorders: Europe demands early testing of Children

CHILDREN should be tested for genetic disorders if their family history puts them at high risk, even if they don't show any symptoms, according to new Europe-wide guidelines.

Some European countries already have guidelines on testing children at risk of genetic disorders, but they disagree on when to carry out the tests. There is also the thorny issue of whether to test for disorders that can't be treated or prevented, says Pascal Borry of the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) in Belgium, who helped write the new guidelines.

Now the European Society of Human Genetics is recommending immediate testing of children at increased risk of treatable conditions that appear in childhood, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and retinitis pigmentosa. Even if treatment is not an option, testing can be worthwhile as it may forewarn or reassure the family, but the child's interests must come first, says the society (European Journal of Genetics, DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2009.26).

It also states that minors should be able to choose in the case of conditions that only occur later in life, such as inherited breast cancer, provided they understand the implications of the test. Such tests are particularly valuable if modifying lifestyle can lower the chance of getting the disease.