Will Scotland Leave The UK?
by Praveena Nages
On the 18th of September, Scotland will be hosting a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the United Kingdom. If the majority of the vote is indeed a “yes” for independence, then all reserved matters held by the United Kingdom’s Parliament in regards to Scotland will be handed over to the Scottish Parliament and effectively put an end to devolution in Scotland. Devolution is the transfer of powers from a central authority (in this case, the UK) to a regional authority (Scotland) and any powers held by the central authority are called reserved matters. If Scotland does declare its independence, according to international law, it will not retain any of the prestige, honors or rights that it had when it was still associated with the United Kingdom. However, according to Scotland’s deputy first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, it is “staggeringly arrogant” to assume that just because Scotland is no longer under the jurisdiction of the UK that it is completely powerless. Ever since The Scotland Acts of 1998 and 2012, which devolved the Scottish Parliament, it has proven its competency by gaining the support and trust of the people and it continues to promise a strong and independent Scottish government, if it chooses to become one.
(Update on the above story) According to the BBC, in a 55% - 45% outcome, with nearly 85% of voters turning out, Scotland voted “No” on the referendum to gain independence. David Cameron and the majority party of England promised a great deal of additional powers and tax cuts to Scotland and her citizens, should they remain a part of the UK, which he assures the Scottish voters will be honored.
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Ebola: Our Newest Foe
by Kat Bui
On September 5th, 2014, the Sierra Leone government reported a lock-down on all households to contain the Ebola virus for three days starting September 19th. The Ebola virus was first identified in Guinea and soon spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone after the outbreak occurred in March 2014. Other countries it's spread to include Nigeria and Senegal. The Ebola lockdown is beneficial because it will help scientists track down the Ebola victims and focus on Ebola patients. Currently, there are two potential vaccines for the virus, and each will be initially tested on volunteers from Britain, The United States, and Mali. Hopefully, after the tests show positive results the vaccine can be offered immediately to the patients who need it first-hand, including many of the health workers (a reported 20 health workers have died). So far, 491 deaths were reported in Sierra Leone, over 2,100 deaths in Africa total, and around 500 cases of Ebola last week; some hospitals have been shut down because of the spread. The WHO (World Health Organization) says that the death toll will continue to rise and the estimate for the future is unprecedented if the epidemic does not cease.
Teeth Contain Stem Cells
by Robert Alday
Biologist Igor Adameyko at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm (rated 36th best university in the world according to Times Higher Education) led the team whose research indicated the formation of stem cells in teeth from glial cells (cells that surround neurons and signal pain). According to Adameyko “these stem cells could be used for regenerating cartilage and bone,” which could be used to treat numerous diseases. The cells were first discovered using fluorescent labels to monitor glial cells. The glial cells would turn into mesenchymal stem cells, to support tooth growth. The discovery is important because it shows cells can change states and purposes, when previously it was thought that cells had only one pathway for differentiation. The discovery will hopefully provide another way of growing stem cells in the lab and lead to more research.