By Leah Modica

Currently a massive 264-metre oil tanker stocked with 1.4 million barrels of crude oil is stationed off the coast of Venezuela. This vessel has sustained alarming damages as it sat neglected for years by the Socailist Veneuzelan President, Nicolas Maduro. Every day it is getting closer to capsizing. If this vessel does capsize, it will be 5 times greater than the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 off the coast of Alaska.

Drone footage of the listing Venezuelan oil tanker, FSO Nabarima, taken on 16 October 2020, showing … [+] TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO FISHERMEN AND FRIENDS OF THE SEA

This massive carrier was used as a stationary platform aide in the OPEC nation’s oil export. Due to slowed production from Covid-19 the FSO Nabarima has sat untouched for months.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has directed all his attention to the petty battles between his government and the oil workers union, rather than the oil-slicked problem at large. Very little resolutions have been made on this issue due to the consistent disagreement. 

The FSO Nabarima’s failing conditions were brought to light by an anti-government oil worker  Eudis Girot, who also heads the Unitary Federation of Petroleum Workers of Venezuelan. Girot phrased in a video posted earlier this week,”I invited you, Mr. President. Take a helicopter. Go out there. Do your own inspection.”

Russ Dallen, head of Caracas Capital Markets, supports Girot in saying, “That ship should not be in this shape except for neglect and stupidity,” who closely tracks Venezuela’s maritime industry. 

4 Sep 2020: reports in the local press of Trinidad and Tobago six weeks ago showed the risk of the … [+] TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO GUARDIAN

If capsized, the crude oil will damage, and very possible destroy the flushing ecosystem of the crystal blue Carribean. The surrounding nations will be beat down again in wake of the global pandemic. The Venezelan government and the OPEC will lose millions, if not billions of dollars in the clean up efforts. In order to save People, the Planet and Profits there needs to be swift actions in place for the FSO Nabarima. 

Please feel free to leave comments below. If you would like to discuss this topic further please reach out to me at sustainabilityresearch@nathanwayne.news

We are all thinking of the families that were afflicted by the tragic terrorist attack that took place on this very day 19 years ago. Many of us from the next generation are unaware of the pain our countries people had to go through emotionally and economically to get to this point in ending mass-terrorism that we have reached today. #remembrance #nineeleven #remember #firefighters

By Garrett R. Garcia

We’ve previously talked about obesity and it’s different effects. It does not matter if you are a child or a full-grown adult, being obese is never good. Yet, the majority of the population turn a blind eye to childhood obesity. They make excuses such as, “They will thin out when they are older”. That, however, is not always the case.

 There are two very common and very harmful causes of obesity in both children and adults. These are lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet. Exercise is something that all animals and humans need to maintain a functional lifestyle. According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans all children who are at least six years old must exercise for a minimum of sixty minutes per day. One hundred and fifty years ago, our species was very active. Now, with all of our modern luxuries, we do not need to go and walk to town or go hunting all day just so that we can eat in winter. 

Parents can, at certain times, be oblivious to the fact that too much nutritious food may harm their child. Firstly, they can consume unhealthy sugary foods and drinks. Or, they can eat way too much nutritious food. With these different unhealthy habits, you have the perfect physical “recipe” for obesity. The rest of the causes are really just mental. While healthy food is overall more beneficial than sugary and greasy foods there is one more word that really separates the two. This word is one you might remember;  moderation. Moderation is a habit parents need to instill in their children so that they don’t finish off a gallon of ice cream in one sitting. No matter which way you look at it, Obesity comes down to a mental disorder that can cause health problems such as cardiac arrest and type two diabetes. These mental issues; Bipolar disorder, and Schizophrenia can potentially lead to obesity, especially if the people who have these issues have a poor diet. Children are just as likely to develop these issues as an adult. Although they are not completely to blame, the child’s parents play a huge role in whether or not they are obese.

The effects of this issue are devastating on children. There are problems that are visible from the outside and there are also problems that reside in the body. “Potbelly” is a very common symptom that will develop from obesity. Lack of energy is also something that will affect your physical capabilities. This is because most people who are obese are carrying around two or more times their healthy body weight in fat. Having all of this weight is very strenuous on the body to carry around all day. This can potentially cause problems in your joints and bones. Children’s social life can be affected. They can be bullied, picked on or harassed because of their size. Because of this teasing and bullying, the child can develop low self-esteem. There have even been self-reports of a, “lower quality of life”. Parents might tell their children that they are perfect the way they are, however, this can be even more unhealthy as the child will continue to consume unhealthy food. Also, be careful because it’s not always the foods you and your children eat, but when you eat them too.

While it is less talked about, Childhood obesity is even worse on the body than normal obesity. This is because it can “manifest” inside the child’s body as they grow older. The conditions can worsen. Even if you change diets, there is still a huge risk for permanent health problems with your body. All it takes to change is you and nothing/no one else. Remember, it takes a mere sixty minutes of your day to change your whole life. It has also been proven that heavier people are able to burn fat faster than the average weighted person.

The Medical Monthly Is Sponsored By Willick Engineering: Quality industrial/medical equipment to push the world forward.

By Nathan Wayne

You can purchase a Picasso replica painting off Amazon for $5, so how do you know if the $50 Million piece of original artwork hanging on your wall is really authentic? The solution is digital x-ray art authentication.

Art authentication is the process of scientifically testing art pieces using various methods. These methods include carbon dating, examining under digital microscopes, and digital x-ray. These methods are similar to identifying fingerprints because there are noticeably different traits in each painting. Each artist has their own painting technique and style.

Willick Engineering is a team of experts in digital x-ray imaging technology involved in several projects related to art authentication. They have recently investigated the authenticity of an alleged Picasso. An art investor wanted assurance of his purchase, so the artwork was brought to Willick Engineering for digital X-Ray investigation. What was discovered gave clues to the experts that helped determine whether or not this could have been attributed to Picasso.

Using high resolution digital x-ray imaging technology (DÜRR HDCR35 Computed Radiography System), Willick Engineering was able to reveal the hidden painting behind the painting. Can you tell what it is? Sometimes x-ray images aren’t that obvious but this is an exception. Doesn’t that look like the fronds of a pineapple, what about those juicy apples? It could be a bowl of fruit, but there is no doubt something there. Does this prove the alleged Picasso’s authenticity. Well, we can see in his other styles that fruit bowls are prominent. So this could very well be his work of art.

Many of us dropped our jaws when Leonardo Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi sold at an auction for $450,350,000. Why would someone pay this much for something that was painted hundreds of years ago? It is because of his style. In certain paintings that have peaceful depictions, what lay behind is very dark. For example, upon x-ray examinations, a battle scene with horses and swords drawn was found behind Leonardo’s Adoration Of The Magi. Also, the type of pigment used in his paint was lapis lazuli (worth more than gold at the time) and was found using microscopic sampling.

Artwork is unique, but the ever-growing mind of man never has a large enough challenge, so technology must advance to the advanced skills of criminal masterminds.

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By Regina Rodeghiero

Can you imagine being surrounded by vividly vibrant colors and unusual patterns on various birds flying about you? This is an everyday sight for birds, but as for humans, the sight is otherworldly and unimaginable. How do bird’s eyes and human’s eyes differ? When birds look at each other, they see an astonishing amount of pigments and patterns that adorn each birds’ feathers and beak, a sight that is inconceivable for the human mind. How is this possible? 

Birds can see ultraviolet or UV light. It exists because humans see wavelengths between 390 nanometers and 700 nanometers; this ranges from violet to red and is called the visible spectrum. Humans have trichromatic vision and therefore detect light with three kinds of retinal cone photoreceptors. The retina where these are located contains about 130 million photoreceptors that change rays of light into electrical impulses that travel to the brain.  Birds differ in that they contain more photoreceptors than humans and have four kinds of retinal cones instead of three. Bird’s eyes also use a retinal oil that contains pigments to protect its eye from the damage of ultraviolet light and filter out the extraneous wavelengths. Lastly, birds have a double retinal cone whose purpose is currently unknown. 

Birds are divided into two groups based on the color of light (wavelength) that their retinal cones detect most intensely. Scientists define the two groups as ultraviolet-sensitive or as violet-sensitive. These patterns and pigments help birds tell each other apart. For example, a male and female parrot that look indistinguishable to us may have UV patterns that make them appear diverse to each other.  Birds also rely on their perception of UV light for success and survival. These fluorescent pigments play a significant role throughout an avian species’ life in selecting mates, differentiating eggs, healthy fledglings, and foraging for food. 

Ultraviolet light and fluorescence constitute a significant factor in natural selection between male and female birds. To illustrate; depending on the species, a female might choose a male with more or less fluorescence that determines how healthy the male is and therefore, will produce healthier offspring. Next, the eggs have specific patterns that distinguish a mother’s eggs from those of a different species. A mother bird does not want to feed unwell hatchlings when the same resources could be feeding the healthy and likely-to-survive young. Therefore, the pigments and patterns on chicks tell the mother bird whom to feed while marks on their beaks tell her where to put the worms. Fowls use UV light to their advantage when foraging for food as berries reflect light, and for raptors as vole’s urine trails reflect light, possibly even  leading to its next meal. 

Birds have such a larger sense of color then us humans do, and as for food, they are able to sustain themselves thanks to this highly-sophisticated ability. A bird’s ability to see ultraviolet light is a vital part of their survival, and without it they might have become extinct. Scientists are studying this ability because it could lead to many technological advances in the future and a more comprehensive understanding about our world, for both our feathered friends and humanity itself.