Project Seeks to Map and Reduce Ocean Noise Pollution

Maddy Foley

AP Biology

12.11.12

Broad, William J. "Project Seeks to Map and Reduce Ocean Noise Pollution." The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Dec. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/science/project-seeks-to-map-and-reduce-ocean-noise-pollution.html?ref=science

            I read the article, “Project Seeks to Map and Reduce Ocean Noise Pollution, ” by William J. Broad. The article details the change that has occurred in the depths of the ocean in the past decades. This change, is known as “noise pollution,” and involves the new loud and present sounds that are infiltrating the once quiet ocean ecosystems. This ocean noises are caused by humans, and more importantly technological advancements. Sonar blasts of military exercises, commercial ships horns, and air guns for oil and gas exploration are just a few of the noises penetrating the deep ocean waters. This change, unfortunately, is having detrimental effects on the marine populations, particularly whales, who depend on their hearing to locate food and each other. Many sea mammals evolved to have very good hearing to make up for the poor visibility in the dark ocean. Marine biologists have noticed a recent decrease in mammal “talk”, or the voices whales and dolphins use to communicate, as human noises have increased. This inability to communicate could mean a decline in hunting and breeding, and therefore possible extinction for certain mammals in the ocean, but particularly whales.

            Fortunately, society is recognizing the importance of solving this problem. Certain solutions are being presented and enforced to protect sea animals and control ocean noise pollution. Mr. Bahtiarian of Noise Control Engineering has provided extensive measures to quiet ships. This includes adding layers of sound-absorbing tiles to the walls of noisy rooms and mounting engines, pumps, air compressors, and other types of machinery on vibration isolators. Furthermore, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designed maps that use bright colors to symbolize the sounds in the oceanic depths. These maps will raise awareness of our generation’s contribution to ocean noise and build a better way to reduce it. Lastly, legal experts are figuring out ways to create laws, regulations and treaties through United Nations bodies like the International Maritime Organization that will work to achieve voluntary noise reductions. It is clear that it is important to further expand these efforts and become aware of this problem. It is also beneficial to note the repercussions our technological society can have. Fortunately, the advancements in science are making it more possible to solve these problems.

            I thought this article was well written and presented the seriousness of the situation in a comprehensible and factual manner. However, this article frequently mentioned different organizations and people, making it slightly difficult to follow at certain points. Yet, the main points and goals were there, and I was left with an aware yet optimistic attitude for solving this problem. 

Insomnia Is Linked to Trouble Breathing

Alexis Petnuch

*Couldn't post from my account*

Carey, Benedict. "Insomnia Is Linked to Trouble Breathing." Well Insomnia Is Linked to Trouble Breathing Comments. The New York Times, 3 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. <http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/insomnia-is-linked-to-trouble-breathing/>.

            The article, “Insomnia Is Linked to Trouble Breathing” talks about a study conducted to determine whether or not breathing problems were the cause of insomnia. Although it is speculated that irregularities in breathing can cause insomnia, only one small study was conducted to prove this, thus, it is not proven. A drop in the amount of oxygen inhaled while sleeping may actually cause chronic insomnia, speculated by many to be caused by the urge to use the bathroom or stress. Hyper-arousal, a state in which your nervous system is alerted, is a theory as to why insomnia occurs. However, this theory explains why insomniacs cannot fall asleep and fails to explain what makes them wake up numerous times during the night.

            Sleep researches in Albuquerque interviewed twenty people with chronic insomnia and asked what they thought the cause of their insomnia was. Most blamed their insomnia on nightmares, urge to use the bathroom, or pain. These people were then tested and wired with sensors that tracked brain waves and breathing during the night. The results showed that in majority of the people studied, an abnormal breath occurred within seconds of the insomniac awaking. An irregularity in breathing is not proven to be an official cause of insomnia, but studies have shown that it is definitely a contender in finding a reason for this sleeping problem.

            Insomnia is often treated with talk therapy or medications, but these rarely solve the problems with the disease. If the finding of breathing disorders as a cause of insomnia is proven, treatment of the disorders may aid in curing the insomnia. Dental inserts to keep the airways open during the night can be prescribed to help with breathing and in extreme cases, a CPAP can be used to keep the airways open. These sleep therapies are costly and more studies would need to be conducted to prove the theory of breathing problems causing insomnia, but in the future, the mystery of the causes of insomnia could be found.

            This article was interesting and showed a possible explanation for Chronic Insomnia. A lot of this article was speculation so it was kind of disappointing to know that not many studies were being conducted to prove this theory. However, it was interesting to know that this was a possible explanation and a good starting point for future studies and findings on insomnia. There aren’t many known causes or treatments for insomnia so it is important to know that there may be unknown causes of the disease that are being researched and studied.

Asian Cities’ Air Quality Getting Worse, Experts Warn

Wassener, Bettina. "Asian Cities’ Air Quality Getting Worse, Experts Warn." The New York Times. 

The New York Times, 06 Dec. 2012. Web. 08 Dec. 2012.

This article discusses the air pollution that has worsened in Asian cities. It is reported that in recent years air pollution has worsened and has become a growing threat to human health. A conference of experts was held on Wednesday in which experts discussed the worsening air pollution. Clean Air Asia, a regional network on air-quality management, aggregated data from more than 300 cities in 16 Asian countries and found that levels of fine particulate matter – a key pollutant in terms of its impact on human health – were below targets recommended by the World Health Organization in just 16 cities, most of them in Japan. It is reported that pollution levels in 70 percent of the cities exceed even the most lenient of several targets recommended by the World Health Organization. It is said that the number of people living in the developing cities in Asia is expected to swell by 1.1 billion over the next 20 years, making urban air pollution a particularly relevant issue for the region. A study by the World Health Organization published in 2008 estimated that outdoor air pollution caused 1.3 million premature deaths worldwide per year, 800,000 of them in Asia.

This is very interesting since pollution is a major problem in the world at the moment. It is important that experts are finding this out now since something has to be done to remedy this matter. A report by an organization warned that air pollution could become the biggest environmental cause of premature death by 2050 if action is not taken to improve air quality.   

I believe that the author did a great job with the article. The article covered an issue that is very distressing because of the reports that pollution has caused many deaths. Overall I enjoyed this article because I thought it was very informative.  

Bigger Role Seen for Breast Cancer Drug” by Andrew Pollack (Marika C)

Marika Chrisanthopoulos

AP Biology

Article Review

December 6, 2012

Bigger Role Seen for Breast Cancer Drug” by Andrew Pollack

            In the article, “Bigger Role Seen for Breast Cancer Drug” by Andrew Pollack, the study of a drug recently being used in keeping breast cancer from reoccurring in healing and surviving patients has revealed that those taking the medication should be staying on it for more years than previously suggested to keep the cancer from coming back. The drug tamoxifen has been used and prescribed to thousands of women worldwide to help prevent breast cancer, and was initially taken for five years after recovery, but this study has shown that the drug should be taken for at least 10, doubling the recommended usage. In order to prevent the cancer from coming back, tamoxifen blocks the results of the hormone estrogen, which fuels tumor growth in estrogen receptor-positive cancers that account for about 65 percent of cases in premenopausal women. Studies performed in the 1990s showed that there were no benefits in women staying on the drug for over five years, but the new study named Atlas found that women who continued taking the medication were less likely to have the cancer come back or to die from the disease in comparison to those who took it for five years. The new study included 7,000 women from three dozen countries all around the world that tested positive with estrogen-related breast cancer. Half of the women were chosen at random to continue taking the drug even after the 5 prescribed years, while the others took it for the assigned amount. In the 10-year group, 21.4% of the women had a recurrence of breast cancer in the ensuing 10 years, which is the period 5-14 years after their diagnoses. The recurrence rate for the 5-year group was higher, at 25.1%. About 12.2% of those in the 10-year treatment group died from breast cancer, compared with 15 percent for those in the control group. There are side effects to taking the drug, however, including; endometrial cancer, blood clots, and hot flashes. In the study, 40% of the women in the 5-year group stopped taking the drug early due to these uncomfortable effects, although they can be reversed by taking a few other medications.

            This article relates to me and to humanity because many of us, including me, know people who have had or currently have breast cancer, which frequently results in death, or the prescriptions and treatments for it lead to other deadly cancers and diseases. This result can be very important in the future, for a 3.7% decrease in the deaths of women caused by breast cancer that can be prevented by just an increase in the longevity of taking a certain drug is amazing and will affect many families and people all around the world. Hopefully the drug will be prescribed to more women for the extended period of time to help them stay healthy and keep the cancer from coming back.

            This article was very well written; one thing the author did well was that he clearly described the study and talked about how the drug worked, which relates to biology and how the body reacts to prescription drugs. Another nice touch was that there were quotes and opinions from numerous doctors and scientists talking about their views of the drug, as well as how the drug could be improved to continue to help more people. There was an example of a women, a breast cancer survivor, aged 39, that also spoke about her opinions about the drug and how she will continue to use it for 5 years in order to keep her disease under control. The article included numerous statistics comparing each group involved in the study and their results, which added to the desired effect of convincing the audience that the drug can continue to help more women. One thing that could have been improved about the article was if the author talked a little bit more about the women involved in the study; maybe differentiating the results with older and younger women, as well as those from different countries and from differing backgrounds.

Study Bolsters Link Between Hits to Head and Long-Term Brain Disease

Belson, Ken. "Study Bolsters Link Between Routine Hits to Head and Long-Term Brain Disease." The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 Dec. 2012. Web. 05 Dec. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/sports/study-bolsters-link-between-routine-hits-to-head-and-long-term-brain-disease.html?ref=science>. 

The article “Study Bolsters Link Between Routine Hits and Brain Disease” talks about how multiple hits to the head can lead to a disease called, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E.. It is incurable disease whose symptoms can include memory loss, depression and dementia. The study was conducted by the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy and the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and included people from ages 17 to 98. The study allowed the researchers to see how routine hits affect the brain and the different stages of the disease. The study included 85 people and 80% showed evidence of C.T.E. most of these people participated in sports. 50 of them were football players, including 33 who played in the N.F.L.. However, the study did not mention the number of people who could be suffering from this disease because it is impossible to know, because they only studied brains of people who suffered from this disease. 

Brain injuries are now becoming a very important part of our society. Schools are now required to have regulations for students who have received head injuries. Coaches, athletes, and doctors are being trained to recognize the signs of concussions and other dangerous or repeated hits to the head. Since many students at our school participate in contact sports it is important for them to realize the dangers of being continually hit in the head. Additionally, the dangers of being continually hit in the head are constantly being explored and more research is becoming available all the time. 

I think that this article is very informative. It summarizes the main points of C.T.E. and gives detailed information on the study. For example, the article mentions that it is impossible to know how many professional football players could be affected by C.T.E. It explains that this is because brains are only donated to study if the family believes the person was suffering from the disease. By explaining why the study could or could not predict certain things helped the reader understand the issues with learning more about the disease. 

With Carbon Dioxide Emissions at Record High, Worries on How to Slow Warming.

Gillis, Justin, and John Broder. "With Carbon Dioxide Emissions at Record High, Worries on How to Slow Warming." NY Times. N.p., 2 Dec. 2012. Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/world/emissions-of-carbon-dioxide-hit-record-in-2011-researchers-say.html?ref=science&_r=0>.

This article, as the title states, talks about how global warming seems to get worse and worse, with worries on how to stop it. Even though global warming is still a debated topic, the earth is getting warmer nonetheless, and countries have signed formal treaty to limit the warming. The main problem though, is that countries around the world, even those who signed the treaty, are not limiting their carbon dioxide emissions. Josep G. Canadell, an Australian scientist, even stated how this issue requires immediate attentions with large and sustained global mitigation effort. New figures show that emissions are falling, but only slowly, in some countries, but this fall is only matched by certain countries, like India and China, who are increasing their emissions. The problem is that there needs to be energy sustainability, rather than running on oil and coal, which cause large emissions of carbon dioxide.

This topic is very important, especially globally, considering it affects not only how people should change their energy usage, but also that it can change whole environments. Countries find the need to cling onto emission-causing energy sources, so as to help their economies, but by doing so, can be greatly hurting the globe in the long run. This is a constant debate of today, for economy versus environment, but global warming is the larges scale debate of this topic.

I did like this article, but there were some parts I thought could have been added into or altered in the piece. It would have been interesting to learn about how the calculations of jumps in percents in temperature globally were calculate, and how they are directly, or indirectly, related to emissions of carbon dioxide. Also, it was a little heavy on the information of the countries and political stand of this topic, rather than the actual science to how much the emissions are a problem, and how to stop them efficiently.

Ridley, Matt. “The Unsolved Mystery of Why You Just Yawned.” The Wall Street Journal. 30 November, 2012. Web. 2 December, 2012 <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323330604578143174255401726.html?mod=WSJ_0_0_WP_2715_RIGHTTopCarousel_1>.

            Just about everyone yawns at least once per day, either when they wake up or when they find themselves staring at the clock at work or school.  However, for an action so common and so seemingly simple on the surface, the truth is that scientists do not know a lot about why we yawn.  “The Unsolved Mystery of Why You Just Yawned” was written after a recent study proved that babies yawn while in utero.  The article details the findings of that study along with those of other recent scientific research about yawning.  The fact that babies yawn while in the womb may seem insignificant, as people yawn every day and it is no big deal.  But the reason that this study is so important is that it suggests that a previous theory (we yawn to fill our lungs with oxygen or to empty them of carbon dioxide) is no longer valid, thus leaving us with no real explanation for why we yawn.  The article continues, detailing what scientists presently know about yawning- that it is triggered by boredom and by stress, and is contagious.  A study with chimps led to the conclusion that chimps (and most likely this carries over to people) yawn more when they witness chimps that they know yawning, rather than “stranger” chimps.

            Since yawns are so common, it is natural to question where they come from, even though they have no glaringly negative consequences.  If, however, scientists can find substantial evidence indicating why people yawn, that evidence could lead to future important discoveries.  For example (this is purely speculative), if yawns relieve stress by releasing a certain chemical in the body, scientists could possibly use that knowledge to formulate a natural stress-reliever.

            I liked that the article incorporated multiple studies, but I wish that it had expanded a little more upon each one.  Also, I felt the article was a little anti-climactic.  That is, I feel that as a reader, I began not knowing why people yawn and ended still uncertain why people yawn.  While I understand that no one knows exactly why people yawn, I feel that the author could have offered a future direction for studies on yawning and what sort of impact they could have on society.