People With a 'Sweet Tooth' Have Sweeter Dispositions

People With a 'Sweet Tooth' Have Sweeter Dispositions

A recent study was done by the phycology at Gettysburg College. A correlation was found between a persons ‘sweet tooth’ and a positive disposition. The research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology were five experiments where continued. He first one showed that a person who ate chocolate was far more likely to volunteer to help another person the a person who ate a cracker or no food at all. Another study found that a person who likes sugary snacks, like cake and cookies (compared to other taste types) were found to be very agreeable and helpful people. The authors of the study were so confident with their findings that they thought in future studies scientists would be able to hypothesize if a specific person had a sweet tooth nor not after analyzing their personality. The author also makes notes that further tests should b done to see if this trend crosses cultures, because it is not guaranteed that because this trend was supported in amerce, that it necessary will be true in another country.

I think that overall the author did a very good job writing this article. He was good at outlining the different experiments that took place and their results. I think the author should have, however, described how many people were in the experimental group, and given more details on how the experiments were conducted. I thought the author also did a very good job outlining future experiments that should b done on this object.

I found this article interesting because I think social science is very interesting. The idea that a persons food preferences can be connected to their sociability and helpfulness is very cool. I think it would be cool if a study was done to see if there was any correlation between a person who likes salty snacks and their type of personality.

North Dakota State University. "People with a 'sweet tooth' have sweeter dispositions." ScienceDaily, 18 Oct. 2011. Web. 23 Nov. 2011.

“On Mars Rover, Tools to Plumb a Methane Mystery”

Minah Ebrahim

This article explained the significance of a sudden outburst of methane which has recently been detected on the surface of Mars. Scientists have proposed that this methane is produced by a class of microorganisms which can live without oxygen. On Saturday, NASA will be launching a rover to Mars. The rover, named Curiosity, is equipped with an instrument that can detect methane in the air, which will provide further insight regarding the source of this methane. The article also presented a brief history of past Mars missions. Mariner 4 (1965) and the two Viking landers of 1976 found no evidence of life on a seemingly barren and dull Mars. However NASA's most recent rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have proved otherwise, producing evidence that Mars was once habitable. It is also mentioned that in 1996, fossilized microbes were found on a Martian meteorite which landed in Antarctica. The article sums up with the mention of a proposed experiment to send a DNA sequencer to Mars, though this has not been confirmed.

With Curiosity launching later this week and landing in August, people have time to wonder about the implications of any finds that might be made. Hopefully the rover will be able to provide evidence of microorganisms on Mars. If this is confirmed, certain theories regarding the origin of life on Earth will be strengthened. These theories provide that if Mars was habitable in the past, pieces of it containing microbes may have been blasted off by asteroids which later collided with Earth. It is intriguing that life on Earth may have began on a separate planet. Also, if the Obama administration chooses not to delay or cancel the anticipated 2016 and 2018 Mars missions, there will be more opportunities to find new evidence.

Though this article was well-written and interesting, it lacked in consistency. The author explained that an outburst of methane had been detected on Mars, yet did not mention what the source of this evidence was. This made the beginning of the article somewhat vague, but the tone shifted to being more thorough and convincing towards the end, when the history of Mars missions was being explained.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/23/science/space/aboard-mars-curiosity-rover-tools-to-plumb-a-methane-mystery.html?_r=1&ref=science

Comment on Nina's Review

Nina Byers’s review of the article “Cloaks of Invisibility, Switched in a Flash” was particularly interesting and well-written.  It was very informative, clear, and straight to the point.  One well-presented aspect was in describing what exactly the enigmatic title meant.  While cloaks of invisibility are still not possible for human use, two species of cephalopod have been discovered which can switch from transparency to being completely opaque in less than a second.  This is a highly-evolved camouflage reaction used for protection.  This is another well-presented  aspect of the review: Nina addresses why exactly this oddity evolved. These two cephalopods are predated on by hatchet-fish and deep-sea dragonfish, which hunt by seeing the silhouettes of fish and the reflection of light off of fish respectively.  By evolving this interesting defense mechanism, these cephalopods can protect themselves from both thypes of fish very quickly.  A final well-presented aspect of the review is that it describes how exactly the camouflage works.  By twitching black pigment sacs, the cephalopods appear transparent, and by expanding them into disks they can become opaque. 

            An area which could be improved in the review was that it did not go into detail as to how transparent the cephalopods actually become.  Being completely see-through sounds too fantastical to be an actual ability, but by using the word transparent it seems as if these creatures must be at least somewhat see-through.  A second area which could be improved upon, is that the review states this discovery is important to further understanding evolution, but does not explain why.  Although the discovery of these organisms is very interesting and may very well be important to the understanding of evolution, the review does not explain why that is so.

            The most impressive fact in the review was that creatures like this exist at all.  The ability to switch from being completely clear to completely dark does not sound possible.  Until now, such amazing camouflage abilities were the stuff of fairy tales.  Personally, I am just excited and happy that such interesting creatures can actually exist outside of a storybook.

Comment on “Oh, the Places we Could Go”

In Amanda Austi’s review of “Oh, the Places we Could Go” by Dennis Overbye, she starts strong with an intro that brings the reader in. She then leads them right into a very descriptive walkthrough of the exhibit that is being shown in the American Museum of Natural History. By making it so clear, it is almost like I am at the exhibit, and can really understand what makes it so great. Amanda does a very good job of summing up the article, especially the section on the future of space travel. The connection made from the exhibit to future space travel was mad very nicely.
That being said, Amanda’s review did have some flaws. She made the mistake of calling what I believe were supposed to be astronomers, astrologists. While it may seem like a little mistake, seeing as astrologists would have as important an opinion as a layman, the error of mistaking the profession is actually quite large. She also says that these “astrologists” believe that the United States will be able to create livable habitats for humans on mars soon, despite the fact that the funding for NASA has decreased greatly and there is no longer a manned flight program in America.
Overall, Amanda did a great job at reviewing this article, and made very clear points. Her opinions on the future of space and what benefits a space program will bring were very insightful, and made a great reason for putting more money into a government space program.

“Oh, the Places We Could Go”

“Oh, the Places We Could Go”

By Dennis Overbye

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/science/beyond-planet-earth-museum-review-oh-the-places-we-could-go.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=science

When most people think of space, they think of a faraway place not feasible, tangible, nor palpable to human beings. However, this day in age, people are starting to resist this concept. In the American Museum of Natural History, a new exhibit has opened up which highlights the new determination to occupy Space. “Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration”, is an interactive exhibit that not only highlights past space achievements, but also hints at future space exploration. It first highlights the achievements conceived during the Cold War by the Soviet Union and the United States. An IPhone app even goes along with the exhibit, allowing one to receive additional information about the topics. To top it off, chemists have added the smell of moon dust to make people feel like they are really experiencing space. When it has reached present day, an interactive screen is used by people to “transform” planets into livable environments. Some people may think this is just an entertaining way to end the exhibit, but really, this is the future and vision of space exploration. The interactive screen allows people to thicken the atmosphere of a planet, warm the temperature, add oxygen, etc. Dr. Shara, the man behind the exhibit, sees it as a blueprint for scientists going forward. Space exploration has definitely gone done not only in the United States but also in the rest of the world. However, astrologists are trying to prevent it from terminating completely. This exhibit serves as their way of displaying a vision for the next fifty to one hundred years. Dr. Shara is hopeful for future space exploration, stating that in 2030, humans shall return to space. When they return to space, he believes that planets will become “transformed”. They will be transformed to livable habitats for human beings. With the technology available today, astrologists think the United States will be able to complete this task; if we are willing to spend the time, resources, and money. Specifically in Space, the article notes the importance of Mars; it is the center of US space research. There is even a Mars Science Laboratory, which Dr. Shara predicts will be able to transform Mars into a livable place.

The new ideas sparked by astrologists definitely have a huge impact on humanity. Museums normally are for the purpose of preserving “old stuff” in the world. This exhibit in a history museum does show the decline of space research, but definitely motivates and inspires astronauts and space programs to come alive once again. The idea that our planet will be able to essentially make other planets, is truly an amazing concept. However, it is hard to grasp. If another world was to form, we could only imagine what would change. People would not only move from continents but from planets. In the work force, this new planet could be used as a source for raw materials, resources, new jobs, and possibly more real estate agents! This could mean new wars as well. If the dream of Dr. Shara does come true, our world would change drastically, not just in size.

This article was extremely well written and captivating. The writer describes her experience at the exhibit with humor, and personal anecdotes that engage the reader. Also, I think that the topic chosen by the author was one that inspired many people. Even the title, “Oh The Places We Could Go” draws in the reader. Another good point in the article was the way the writer added quotes from Dr. Shara. This made it easy to understand the scientific point of view behind the writer, who was just a visitor to the exhibit. Last, the writer did a good job on emphasizing the fact that space exploration and study has definitely declined in our world. However, one thing that the writer could have done better was she could have expanded on how planets could be transformed in greater depth. The author’s lack of explanation could have been due to the fact that this is new to scientists and even they don’t have enough information on it yet. Overall, this article was very good. I learned many new things about space in America, and was inspired by Dr. Shara’s dream to transform planets to livable habitats.

Citation:

Overbye, Dennis. ""Oh, the Places We Could Go"." New York Times 14 Nov. 2011 Web. 17 Nov. 2011. .

Route Proposals May Ease an Oil Pipeline Bottleneck

Grace Connors

AP Biology – Article Review #2

“Route Proposals May Ease an Oil Pipeline Bottleneck,” written Ian Austen examines the problems with the Keystone pipeline; that there is simply a shortage of pipeline capacity to carry the oil from the main terminal, located in Cushing, Oklahoma, to the Gulf Coast. This pipeline, which both TransCanada and Enbridge hope to get off the ground by January, has the immediate problem of growing glut of oil in Cushing, which will be the final destination. The lack of pipeline capacity from Cushing leads to excessive stockpiles at the oil terminal. This has, in turn, depressed the price of West Texas Intermediate, the crude oil company, by as much as $27.88 a barrel, in the recent months. The Cushing bottleneck remains the largest issue for this pipeline yet. The two new projects that could possibly relieve the bottleneck have exciting the American oil prices up to $102.60, the highest level seen since June. However, the state department delayed the approval process for the 1,700 mile Keystone XL pipeline until after the next presidential election because of intense pressure from the environmentalists, who currently oppose the messy process of taking oil from oil sands.

This is incredibly important now because Keystone XL will not be transporting more oil from Canada, and the existing cross-border pipelines will run out between 2015 and 2017. So now, refineries in the Gulf Coast are looking to replace the lost supplies with countries like Venezuela, who has a tense relationship with the United States. If the Keystone XL pipeline was completely, the Canadian oil sands producers could have access to the markets in the gulf coast, but as it is, the Venezuelan markets are being accessed by many of the gulf refineries. Enbridge has even come up with a solution by building a seaway pipeline that will not cross international borders as to ensure that there are no political ramifications, but the Seaway pipeline can only offer half the capacity that the Keystone XL pipeline could.

This article is extremely well presented in that the author captures the intensity of the need for oil, and how countries need to be ruthless, especially the United States, in its pursuit. However, the author failed to exactly spell out the exact problems with the Cushing Bottleneck and therefore why Cushing, Oklahoma needs to be accessed. The author also failed to examine any environmental problems with the pipeline, especially the Seaway pipeline and why only half the capacity of the Keystone XL pipeline can be reached using the Seaway concept. Overall, this article was an excellent glimpse on the struggle for oil, but missing some key facts that could have enhanced the overall objectiveness of the piece.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/business/energy-environment/route-proposals-may-ease-an-oil-pipeline-bottleneck.html?ref=science

From Shore to Forest, Projecting Effects of Climate Change

Grace Devlin
AP Biology – Article Review #2
11/17/11

This week, I read “From Shore to Forest, Projecting Effects of Climate Change” from the New York Times science sections. This article talked about a report that has been recently released about the future of New York State as it undergoes climate change. The report is a three-year project that consists of 600 pages. The article states that this report is an improvement on previous ones because of its wider range that details possible efforts to prepare for climate change in the state. The preparations it outlines considers public health, agriculture, transportation, and economics, which is important because it is more practical to consider these factors altogether instead of separately. The article also expands on the expected climate changes for the future. It states that the temperature across the state is expected to rise by 3oF by the 2020s and 9oF by the 2080s. The writer explains that the effects of these changes would drastically change the agricultural scope of New York, thus impacting the economy and society of the state. Additionally, the rising ocean levels would put beach communities in jeopardy. These changes would have an especially damaging effect on the lives of the poor and disabled in New York State.
This report on climate change in New York is significant because it is something that we must be aware of for the near future. These changes are approaching and it is crucial that vulnerable communities be prepared for the worst. The release of this report will help in the process of preparations because it is detailed and considers anything and anyone who will be affected. Although these changes will not be occurring tomorrow or even in the next five years, it is critical for cities and states to start planning now because of all that is at stake. Hopefully this report will also set a precedent for other cities in similar situations across the country so that global warming does not take a toll on populations or cherished landmarks.
I thought this article was very well organized and well presented to the reader. The author was clear in his explanation of the report and its meaning to the state of New York. I especially liked how Kaufman included the known facts about global warming in the future because it makes the report much more relevant and important to the leader. However, an improvement I would make to the article would be to elaborate further on some of the preparations outlined in the report. Kaufman included one example at the end of the article about rising sea levels, but it would have been better to include one about agriculture, for example, too. Overall, though, I found the article very informative and it was definitely worth the read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/nyregion/climate-change-to-affect-new-york-state-in-many-ways-study-says.html?ref=science

Cloaks of Invisibility, Switched in a Flash

Nina Byers 11/14/11
AP Biology Article review

Recent findings have uncovered at least two species of cephalopod that are capable of clever camouflage. In the article written by Ritchie King, “Cloaks of Invisibility, Switched in a Flash,” he discusses two, rather interesting, cephalopods. Cephalopod is the species under which Squids and Octopi fall and the Japetella octopus and an Onychoteuthis squid have a peculiar ability to switch rapidly between being completely transparent and completely dark. Scientists believe that this cloaking ability evolved through hiding from predators. For example, the hatchet fish hunt by, “diving deeper and looking upward for silhouettes of potential food” and the deep-sea dragonfish catch prey by using, “biological searchlights that reflect off of clear flesh.” Thus, the Japetella and Onychoteuthis developed the ability cloak themselves in an instant. These two cephalopods depend on sacs of black pigment distributed throughout their body. When the cephalopods wish to be transparent, they can twitch the sacs, like a muscle, and create very compact spheres that just allows the “glassy flesh” to be visible. If they wish to be completely darkened, the sacs flatten and stretch to form a shroud about the animal. Both of these happen within a second.

This discovery of such an organism is crucial to the concept of evolution. They demonstrate how defensive mechanisms can develop according to their environment. In this case, we see them shielding themselves from a hatchet fish and deep-sea dragonfish. We can take this information in examining other “peculiar” organisms to understand why they may have developed biological phenomena. This finding is incredibly interesting and just demonstrates that we will constantly be uncovering new and strange life on our one planet.

Overall, the author did an impressive job of review. King is to the point and uses good language; I particularly like his choice of, “camouflage conundrum.” The author accounts for the reasons for the Cephalopod phenomena in a comprehensive manner in describing the different predators that cause the Cephalopods to react the way they do. Though the article is short, it is to the point and easy to grasp. I hope to see more on these little Cephalopods and if there are any more like them!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/science/cloaks-of-invisibility-switched-in-a-flash.html?_r=1&ref=animals

How Many Species? A Study Says 8.7 Million, but It’s Tricky

How Many Species? A Study Says 8.7 Million, but It’s Tricky

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/30/science/30species.html?_r=1&ref=biologyandbiochemistry

Review by Lucas Berger

This article talks about paper that recently came out that presents a new method for determining how many species there are on earth. A team of ecologists led by Dr. Mora from the University of Hawaii created this new method, which has come up with an estimate of 8.7 million species, give or take 1.3 million either direction. To come up with this number Mora and his team studied the rate at which scientists have discovered different species in some of the well know families, such as mammals. Through their studies the scientists found that over time the rate of discovery decreases, until a certain point where all animals have been discovered. At this point it is assumed that we know most of the worlds mammals. We do not ,however, have a very good understanding of how many insect, fish, or plants there are. Using the discovery pattern of mammals and other known families the scientists created models that predict how many more species of other families will also be discovered. The final number was 7.7 million animals, and 300,000 plants. This prediction, however, is far from an accepted truth. Over the past few centuries many people have estimated how many species there are in the world. Estimates have ranged from the hundred thousands all the way up to one hundred million.

This new estimate of the number of species in the world is quite interesting. It is hard to imagine the vast number of living organism that exists across the earth, but 8.7 million seems like a fair number. The impact this estimate will have on people’s lives is not particularly significant. As previously stated there have been many attempts to estimate the number of species in the world. Scientists have never been able to agree on one number, and even if they did it would be impossible to prove. Instead these estimates simply provide a better understanding of our surroundings.

I found this article to be quite interesting. I think the author did a good job telling the reader what the new estimate was, and what the number really means. I think the author also did a good job of telling the reader the history behind species estimates. I did not like, however, the way the author described the significant of the new estimate. At first he made it seem like an important discovery, but later said it was unimportant.

More Flexible Window into the Brain

This article, titled “More Flexible Window into the Brain,” discussed the introduction to the world of neuroscience a new piece of equipment known as the flexible electrode array. The author of this article discussed how this new technology had allowed for previously unobserved responses during seizures and sleep to be recorded. The results of such new discoveries could provide scientists and doctors with new methods of treating, and the ability to get closer to curing, diseases such as epilepsy, depression, chronic pain, and more neuropsychological disorders. Secondly, I liked how the author of this article provided examples from various studies that had been conducted in various institutions around the country. This variety helped prove how the device has had positive results for more than one team of scientists. Finally, the article made a clear comparison of similar technology prior to the invention of these new arrays. The author showed how the old technology was difficult to operate and often didn’t work as accurately as the new arrays do.

Although overall the article was well presented and informative, there were a few aspects that could have been improved. To begin with, the article did not present any downside to the technology nor did it explain any of its possible negative effects. Secondly, the article used terms such as neuromuscular stimulators and neuroprostheses without a proper explanation as to what these terms meant. The article would have been easier to understand had these terms been defined.

I learned from this article that this new technology, which is used to observe certain mental diseases and brain conditions, can also be used to treat the brain’s myriad of illnesses. For example these new arrays could be used as pacemakers, ablative devices, or neuromuscular stimulators.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111113141405.htm

"Patent for a Pig"

An interesting documentary on genetically modified livestock and crops and the patenting of such.

In Fighting Crime, How Wide Should a Genetic Net Reach

          This past month, Natasha Singer published another article corresponding to her article she published last year in the New York Times. Her new article is called, “In Fighting Crime, How Wide Should a Genetic Net Reach?” This article discussed a new type of DNA analysis called “familial searching”. Familial searching is a process by which forensics labs try to match DNA from a crime scene to the DNA of convicted felons who may not have committed that particular crime. The reason for doing this is because the lab was unable to find a direct match to a suspect and is now trying to widen their search and hopefully find a convicted felon who is a relative of the person who actually committed the crime. The article follows a case called the “Grim Sleeper” serial murder. In this case, the lab could not find a direct DNA match. The lab then searched a data base that had 1.3 million DNA samples and came up with a list of 200 partial hits. They applied scientific procedures to examine Y chromosomes and came up with a match to someone who was the son of the murderer. There is a debate however, about whether or not this new aspect of genetic analysis infringes on privacy laws, especially if the forensics lab cannot narrow down their analysis to a single suspect. If that is the case, the article asks whether or not police should have, “...free rein to knock on the doors of people on a partial DNA match list, many of whom may not have anything to do with the unsolved crime?’’ This scientific technique is currently used in Britain, however, in the United States some people question the type of guidelines or laws that need to be enacted so that the science can be used.

I favor using this new type of science. I think that when someone murders another person the police should be given some leeway to use tactics that could lead to finding the guilty person. DNA testing and genetic analysis is very reliable. If the forensics lab can narrow down a list of suspects by finding those suspects relatives it is highly probable that I will lead them to the person who actually committed the crime. Because there is a high level of certainty in the DNA that links relatives to one another, crimes may be solved a lot more quickly. I also do not see the harm in widening the search to a larger data base. What is the harm in having police interview a broader group of people who could help solve a crime? Don’t they do that now anyway and with much less certainty about the people they are speaking with? I don’t understand why the American Civil Liberties Union would object to allowing the police to do their homework. 

In Fighting Crime, How Wide Should  a Genetic Net Reach

Purging Cells in Mice Is Found to Combat Aging Ills

The article “Purging Cells in Mice Is Found to Combat Aging Ills” discusses recent discoveries of the ills of senescent cells. These cells accumulate in aging tissues and secrete agents that stimulate the immune system and cause inflammation. The cells are very few in number and have few positive effects on the human body. Recently doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. have performed tests on mice where these senescent cells are purged by giving the mice a drug that self-destructs these specific cells. In these mice the researchers discovered that the mice’s tissues did not have many of the issues that come with aging, like cataracts, the wasting of muscles, could exercise more, and did not lose the fat that in humans, causes wrinkling. Researchers now are able to research even more efficient and healthy ways to purge the body of these cells. They have already experimented with specific drugs and the manipulation of genes to self-destruct the cells, both with relative success in mice. Although aging research is relatively young and for a long time it appeared to be an impossible task to slow aging down, this discovery may be groundbreaking. The discovery of senescent cells follows other discoveries in the manipulation of aging genes, where it appeared that the aging process was similarly slowed. Although the researchers have not discovered whether or not the discovery will allow humans to live longer, they are continuing research on mice with longer life spans in hopes of seeing all the effects of the drug.

I felt the author did an excellent job at conveying just how groundbreaking the new discovery could be as well as going into detail about what exactly this discovery is. Although, it appears that the cell purging is far away from reaching humans it is still both exciting and amazing that we are getting to almost science fiction like levels of aging research. Overall i felt this topic was fascinating and amazing and that the author did an excellent job at conveying all aspects of it.

Snakes’ Feat May Inspire Heart Drugs, Lawrence K. Altman
As pythons digest their prey, their internal organs, including the heart, double in size. Heart expansion in pythons, as well as humans occurs through a process called hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is when an organ expands because existing cells enlarge, not because new cells are created. In humans, when this process occurs, it often causes high blood pressure and heart attacks. However, there is a second, more beneficial, type of hypertrophy that occurs in human hearts when conditioned athletes exercise. The enlargement of a python’s heart is similar to this second type of hypertrophy in human hearts. Injecting the blood from one python to another, a starving python is found to increase the size of the injected python’s heart. It is likely that three types of fatty acids, found in higher amount in snakes, are the cause of this phenomenon. To protect snakes the toxic effects of huge amount of lipids they have a specialized enzyme called SOD (superoxide dismutase).
This data is significant because it demonstrates how pythons’ blood could be used to create a new drug that will help prevent heart attacks and possibly other illnesses, like diabetes and high blood pressure. The beneficial type of hypertrophy that occurs in pythons’ hearts can decrease the risk of heart attacks, as well as other heart diseases. Although this was not expected, when a python’s blood was injected into rats and mice it caused their hearts enlarged, which means that these results could be found in humans, as well. However, there are risk factors because certain fatty acids and lipids found in snakes’ blood would damage the human heart if injected. Furthermore, structural differences between human and snake hearts could cause conflicts. One of the largest difference is that snake hearts have three chambers, while human hearts have four. There are also questions that still need to be answered in regards to the snakes’ ability to enlarge their organs after a meal. For example, scientists are still pondering “what causes the snakes organs to shrink to their fasting size,” which occurs a few days after eating their prey. Even more importantly, scientists need to find whether or not “injections of fatty acids will safely lead to sustained increase in organ size.” These issues and questions need to be addressed before new python blood based drugs are tested with humans. Although there are many problems that still need to be addressed, snake plasma does have potential for saving the lives of many who would have died of a heart disease.
This article was engaging and I learned a lot by reading it, but I found that it was vague in some areas and hard to follow. The author does not address how scientists plan to overcome the problems they face with using python blood as a medical treatment for humans. Moreover, this article would have been improved if the author gave background on how these python studies first started. Also, he should have gone into more detail about what experiments the scientists conducted to make their conclusions. This being said, however, the study discussed in this article was not only interesting, but extraordinarily relevant because in society today so many people are affected by potentially fatal heart problems that it medicine could help prevent.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/health/python-digestion-study-holds-promise-for-human-heart-health.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=snake&st=cse

Gut Bacteria linked to MS comment

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Sawyer White did a fantastic job of reviewing the article “Gut Bacteria linked to MS.” His review was very well presented and informative, allowing me to understand the contents of the article very thoroughly. Sawyer was able to describe the effects of MS so that I could understand why this discovery was important to the medical world. Mr. White also described the process by which the discovery was made in a clear way so I knew what the scientists did and what they data was that they found. I also thought that Sawyer’s point that the article should have said why they were researching the intestines in the first place was a great criticism, which also made me wonder why the article did not have that information.

There were some ways Mr. White could have improved his review though. Although he described what the scientists did in a clear, easy to understand way, it was not very extensive. There could have been a simple explanation of what the scientists did, and then a more complex explanation of their work. Sawyer also never mentions what role the bacteria might have in causing MS, so it is hard to understand the link between the two.

In the end, this review was informative and gave me information on a possible medical breakthrough that would help many people and give them better lives. The idea that bacteria in someone’s intestines could lead to a terrible disease in the brain is something that baffles me.

Study: Daily Aspirin Cuts Hereditary Cancer Risk in Half

David Disalvo’s article, “Daily Aspirin Cuts Hereditary Cancer Risk in Half,” highlights a recently discovered, possibly life changing use for Aspirin. For years, Aspirin has been looked upon as the miracle drug. It has been known to prevent heart attack, heart disease, and stroke. But, now, it appears that Aspirin can even do one more thing, help cure cancer. In a study carried out by researchers Queens University and Newcastle University in the United Kingdom found that taking two aspiring per day reduced the risk of colon cancer by more than 60% for those who had a family history of the disease. In this study, around 1,000 patients in 16 countries were tracked for more than 4 years, and these people who were tracked, were mainly those with Lynch syndrome, an inherited genetic disorder that causes cancer by affecting genes responsible for detecting and repairing DNA damage. Moreover, among 50% of people who have Lynch syndrome develop cancer, and it is estimated that this syndrome causes 3% of the 600,000 cases of colon cancer in the United States every year. Given that colon cancer is second leading cause of cancer related death in the US, the fact that any of these deaths can possibly be prevented is a huge find, and the effectiveness of aspiring in fighting all types of cancer should be further examined. Lastly, it appeared that Aspirin was effective in it’s fight against caner by destroying pre-cancerous cells, causing them to self-destruct, before they can become deleterious and cancerous.

There are however, some serious issues with this study in general. First and foremost, Bayer, the maker of Aspirin, sponsored the study and so the company undoubtedly wants to get out the drugs name with an ability to cure cancer. Next, the amount of Aspirin taken by those involved in the study is enormous. The normal recommended dosage per day to help prevent heart attack is 80mg per day, whereas patients in this study took 600mg per day, in two 300mg dosages. This much aspirin can cause problems related to degradation of stomach lining, such as ulcers, and bleeding complications. Furthermore, Aspirin in dosages that are this large can also prevent beneficial blood clotting. Finally, this study can’t be generalized to all types of people and all types of cancer, for this experiment was performed on a very small, select group of individuals all with the same genetic problem. Certainly, in the future, scientists will perform more experiments trying to see if Aspirin can in fact help fight other types of cancers. All in all, this is a very encouraging find, which must be further studied and examined.

I felt that the author did a very good job conveying the details in the study, and how the experiment was performed. However, I was also pleased that he presented possible negative sides to the drugs ability to cure cancer, and how this study must be taken with a grain of salt. He made it possible for the lay reader to understand the experiment in detail and explaining how the aspirin fights the cancer, without getting into too much complicated terminology.

DiSalvo, David. "Study: Daily Aspirin Cuts Hereditary Cancer Risk in Half - Forbes." Information for the World's Business Leaders - Forbes.com. 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. .

What Happens After a Python Gorges May Help Human Hearts

Altman, Lawrence. “What Happens After a Python Gorges May Help Human Hearts.” New York Times Online. 27 October 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/health/python-digestion-study-holds-promise-for-human-heart-health.html?ref=science

The digestion of prey in pythons is an unbelievable phenomenon. They swallow huge prey; dear, alligators, and pigs, and then their heart and organs double in size within that day, shrinking back in a period of two weeks. But how is this beneficial to people, who are mammals not reptiles, with diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity? Dr. Leslie A. Leinwand and Dr. Cecilia A Riquelme, who began the research of python metabolism at the University of Colorado in 2005, have found through extensive observation that the process by which the python heart grows bigger is by enlarging it’s existing cells, or hypertrophy, not by creating new ones. Through the process of gas chromatography, they found that a specific combination of three fatty acids, mryistic, plamitic, and palmitoleic, was produced in high quantities in the blood plasma while the python was feasting. It is this plasma that the python produces that induces the hypertrophy. They proved that they could induce the engorgement of the cells in fasting pythons when they injected them with a fed python’s blood and hypertrophy occurred. If possible to be replicated in humans, Hypertrophy is the factor that can be beneficial. It happens in the human heart in two types, the first as a result of illnesses such as high blood pressure and heart attacks, and the second more beneficial of the two that occurs from exercise in healthy athletes. Further research found that when the blood was injected into live mice, the mouse heart cells enlarged and it was the healthier version of the two that took place.

This was an encouraging find because mice are mammals like humans, and it means that it could be used as treatments of ailments of the human heart. Researchers say that that through understanding of this process of hypertrophy, they can develop new ways to “delay, prevent, treat or even reverse various hereditary and acquired human diseases.” Further research on the topic should be made as soon as possible, as to how this can be applied safely to humans. Hopefully it can be manipulated into a drug available to sufferers, helping them to enjoy a better life.

            
          This article did a very good job explaining the research done in a way that is understandable for a nonscientific reader. But by doing so, it is extremely long, and lacks details on the methods that the scientists used to make their discoveries. It is also poorly laid out, the main points of the article being repeated several times only differing in small details added or omitted, when it could have been stated in one detail paragraph or sentence. So while I was writing my summary I was force to flip back and forth between pages. Although it does state that hypertrophy in the python is the same kind that results after the activity of athletes in human hearts it does not say how this is beneficial in people with heart illness, leaving many questions unanswered. Does it make them healthier? Does it make the heart stronger to fight against the illness? Besides engorging the cells in the heart of the mice, what were other affects? All questions that I would like answered. Besides these weaker points of the article, it was very good and informative. 

Posted for M. Rizzo