The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| World’s oldest sperm found in Australia Posted: 14 May 2014 12:46 AM PDT The sperm from an ancient species of tiny shrimp was discovered at the Riversleigh World Heritage Fossil Site, an area in the far north of the state of Queensland where many extraordinary prehistoric Australian animals have previously been found. They include giant, toothed platypuses and flesh-eating kangaroos. Mike Archer, from the University of New South Wales School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, who has been excavating at Riversleigh for 35 years, said the sperm was an exciting find. "These are the oldest fossilised sperm ever found in the geological record," he said. The sperm are thought to have been longer than the male's entire body, but were tightly coiled up inside the sexual organs of the fossilised freshwater crustaceans, known as ostracods. "We have become used to delightfully unexpected surprises in what turns up there," he added of Riversleigh. "But the discovery of fossil sperm, complete with sperm nuclei, was totally unexpected. It now makes us wonder what other types of extraordinary preservation await discovery in these deposits." A research team led by Archer collected the fossils in 1988 and sent them to John Neil, a specialist ostracod researcher at La Trobe University in Melbourne, who realised they contained fossilised soft tissues. He drew this to the attention of several European specialists, including Renate Matzke-Karasz from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and Paul Tafforeau from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France. A microscopic study revealed the fossils contained the preserved internal organs of the ostracods, including their sexual organs. Within these were the almost perfectly preserved giant sperm cells, and within them, the nuclei that once contained the animals' chromosomes and DNA. The researchers, whose findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, estimate the sperm are about 1.3 millimetres long, slightly longer than the shrimp. Archer said that about 17 million years ago the site where the fossils were found was a cave in the middle of a vast, biologically diverse rainforest. "Tiny ostracods thrived in a pool of water in the cave that was continually enriched by the droppings of thousands of bats," he said. His UNSW colleague Suzanne Hand, a specialist in extinct bats and their ecological role in Riversleigh's ancient environments, said the steady rain of droppings would have led to high levels of phosphorous in the water. This could have aided mineralisation of the soft tissues. "This amazing discovery at Riversleigh is echoed by a few examples of soft-tissue preservation in fossil bat-rich deposits in France," she said. "So the key to eternal preservation of soft tissues may indeed be some magic ingredient in bat droppings." – AFP, May 14, 2014. |
| 10 steps to get financial aid for your tertiary education Posted: 13 May 2014 11:42 PM PDT 1. Look for programmes that interest you You have just graduated from high school and you do not know what to study after this? First, pick a career path you would like to pursue. A lot of scholarships are offered by private companies for specific programmes. For example, the Genting Sanyen scholarship is offered to accountants, whereas Samling scholarships are only for students majoring in Accountancy or Finance. If you become a private corporation's scholar, you would have to maintain a certain CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) or a degree of involvement in extra- curricular activities. Therefore, choose the programmes you are interested in or qualified for, or you might stress yourself out trying to fulfil the company's sponsorship requirements. 2. Visit online portals There are quite a few online university directories out there which have lists of scholarships available and allow you to connect with multiple universities to seek advice on financial aid and scholarships. Some of these e-directories even allow you to search scholarships based on your course of interest and study level. By visiting these portals you not only explore available scholarships and financial aid options but you can also find tips on how to increase your chances of getting these scholarships. Some of these education portals also offer you personalised advisory services, free of cost, helping you to apply to these scholarships and financial aid. 3. Start researching However, bear in mind that you may be competing with many other students out there for the same aid package. Therefore, be sure that you meet all the basic requirements and complete your written essays or submit your academic transcripts in an orderly and timely manner to avoid being eliminated early in the short listing stage. 4. Understand the terms and conditions Make sure you read and understand all the terms and conditions for each financial aid package or scholarship you are applying for. Companies that offer full scholarships or study loans often require you to work with them for five to seven years upon graduation. Proceed with your application only if you feel the related companies will help you in your career path. 5. Look out for 'generous' colleges If you do not wish to be bound by the corporations offering financial aid, perhaps you could try looking for institutions of higher education that offer scholarships. These are sponsored by the alumni or the Board of Directors of the institution and are usually reserved for the financially needy and those who excel academically. However, the trade-off of applying for university or college scholarships is that you might have to serve duty hours in the library or the in-campus photocopy shop throughout your period of study. 6. Market yourself Put together a simple CV highlighting your extra-curricular activities, exam results, employment history (if applicable), and other achievements. These particulars, if favourable to the scholarship committees concerned, can help sway their decision in your favour. Academic excellence and healthy, active social engagement are among the traits companies or institutions look for in all-rounded individuals they wish to sponsor. When preparing your CV, avoid using generic terms such as "assisted", "secured", "held" or "completed". Instead, list your achievements in more concrete terms. For example, instead of "Led the sales team", say "Achieved 20% growth in sales" instead. Be sure to attach a recent passport-sized photograph of you in formal dress. 7. Ask questions If you are shortlisted for an interview, congratulations! Remember that an interview session is not just the time for the awarder of the financial aid to know more about you. Rather, it is a valuable session for mutual understanding. At the end of each interview, you might be given a chance to ask questions. If you are, grab the opportunity to clarify issues with regards to mutual expectations. Know what your sponsor expects from you if you get the scholarship, and vice versa. 8. Make your choice Don't be too hasty in signing the scholarship agreement as soon as one is offered. As a student with bright prospects, you have the right to choose from many other scholarships or aid packages. Therefore, make full use of the grace period and consider the offer-and other options-before making up your mind. 9. PTPTN – the last resort In fact, the PTPTN's 1% interest rate is to entice students into borrowing from it. There are also processing fees, administrative fees and other amounts payable to consider. When it comes to loan approval, it can be said that PTPTN's requirements are less rigid. Any student who has done his or her paperwork in an organised manner would be eligible. However, considering the amount of total payables waiting for you after graduation, consider PTPTN as your last resort. 10. Do not give up Many people often believe that once the student is enrolled in a college, it is too late to get financial aid. Not so. Some corporations prefer to give students aid only when they are in their second or third year of study because they would want to have these students working with them straightaway after graduating. If you're faced with this situation, consider starting your journey as a college student by applying for PTPTN or other study loans. Then, work diligently to create an excellent track record in your academic and extra-curricular fields to be able to qualify for these scholarships that would come in the later part of your tertiary education. – May 14, 2014. |
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