Coffee Compounds that Could Help Prevent Type II Diabetes Identified

            The article I researched today provided insight into the causes and prevention methods for type II diabetes. The focal point was drinking coffee, which researchers from ACS’s Journal of Natural Products found to decrease the chances of an individual developing type II diabetes. In individuals with the ailment, they experience decreased insulin production over time, which can lead to blindness and nerve damage. The main constituent of coffee that is thought to hinder the process of developing this disease is cafestol. Cafestol was found to increase insulin secretion, as well as glucose intake in muscle cells. In fact, its level of effectiveness matched that of a currently prescribed antidiabetic drug. In addition, it is worth noting that there are likely other compounds in coffee that perform a similar function, as a large portion of the cafestol is filtered out by coffee filters and the similar effects are still noted.

            This article is quite relevant to contemporary society, as coffee is a beverage that is consumed by many Americans on a daily basis, and diabetes is a disease that plagues many within the country. If coffee intake increased, the number of people who develop type II diabetes would as well. As a result of this, the government would be able to reduce expenditures on medicare and Medicaid, and filter those funds into public education.

            This article was quite an interesting read, and immediately caught my attention as I drink coffee from time to time. It did a good covering how consuming coffee effects the development of type II diabetes, as well as the key compounds within coffee that are beneficial. However, I thought it was a little on the brief side and could have included more information regarding actual numbers and the noticeable effects coffee had on mice when tested. Lastly, they almost seldom mentioned that to achieve such effects, individuals would have to drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day, which in itself produces negative side effects and takes a toll on the body, while at the same time causing addiction.

Article Citation:

American Chemical Society. "Coffee compounds that could help prevent type 2 diabetes identified." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 December 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151202124610.htm>.

Hyperlink:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151202124610.htm

Closing In on Where Eels Go to Connect

This article talks about the mating patterns of the American eel, which scientists have tracked for the first time. In prior years, scientists have assumed the eels have mated in the Sargasso Sea because of the sudden appearance of eel larvae in the spring, but have had no concrete evidence to support this claim. Now, however, because of new technology, scientists finally have that proof. Because traditional tracking devices were too big for the small statured eels, scientists created new mini trackers to attach so they could monitor the movements and living conditions of the eels as they migrate. After a few trials with the trackers (predators ate them too often) they were able to pinpoint the journey of the eels to the Sargasso Sea. This migration is remarkable, and scientists say it is one of the most dramatic on Earth, believing the eels orient themselves by the Earth’s geomagnetic field. Karin Limburg, a scientist from SUNY Syracuse stated that this tracking is revolutionary and crucial to helping the species, which are considered endangered: “In order to develop conservation plans, we need to learn as much as possible about the entire life cycle of eels, and the largest information vacuum is this long, long migration back to the spawning area.”

This article really opened my eyes to a topic I had never heard about before. It is so relevant because entire species, such as the American eel, are in danger because of human interactions: “Hydroelectric dams block the eels’ migration inland, and the larvae are often illegally fished.” Also, climate change poses a threat to the eels because it could affect migration patterns. If everything continues on its course as is, the eel population could be destroyed and affect countless ecosystems in innumerable ways, such as the basic food chain.

The New York Times is a highly respectable newspaper with a reputation for delivering the best news in a professional fashion. This article furthered that reputation, as I found excellent research and couldn’t find any grammatical errors. Rachel Nuwer, the author of this piece, has written several articles for the Times, most about climate or endangered species. The one thing she could have included in her writing was a possible solution to this issue, because it is left rather open-ended. Other than that, the article was well-written and an interesting read.

Nuwer, Rachel. "Closing In on Where Eels Go to Connect." The New York Times. The New York Times, 07 Dec. 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/science/closing-in-on-where-eels-go-to-connect.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront>.

Penis Transplants Being Planned to Help Wounded Troops

Penis Transplants Being Planned to Help Wounded Troops

Many male soldiers return turn from active duty with serious injuries caused by I.E.D’s (improvised explosive devices). According to the Department of Defense Trauma Registry, between 2001 to 2012, 1,367 men in military service suffered wounds to the genitals in Iraq and Afghanistan. Almost all of them under the age of 35. The loss of genitals is one of the most devastating losses because of the psychological impact it has on the victims. Sgt. First Class Aaron Causey, who lost both legs, one testicle and part of the other from an I.E.D. while in Afghanistan with the Army in 2011, said the testicular damage was the most troubling of his injuries. Sergeant Causey said, “I don’t care who you are — military, civilian, anything — you have an injury like this, it’s more than just a physical injury.” Luckily for these soldiers, surgeons at the University of John’s Hopkins are preparing to experiment with a procedure which has never before been conducted in the US, a penis transplant. Within the next few month, the surgeons believe that they will be able to successfully transfer a penis from a deceased donor to a recipient who will be able to use this organ to the full extent of his own. The procedure, which should take around 12 hours, involves the connecting of 2 to 6 nerves and 6 or 7 veins or arteries. Only two other penis transplants have been reported in medical journals. The first was a failed attempt China in 2006 and the latter was a successful attempt South Africa last year. Of course, like any major transplant operation, there are risks which include bleeding, infection, and the possibility that the medicine needed to prevent transplant rejection will increase the odds of Cancer. Still, for many victims, the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. There are some requirements which the applicants must pass. The receiver must still have his testicles and a functioning portion of his urethra, but, the good news is, if they pass these prerequisites, the patient will likely be able to produce children of his own. “Some hope to father children,” Dr. Lee, a leading researcher at John’s Hopkins, said. “I think that is a realistic goal.” This procedure will be revolutionary in restoring the manhood which many soldier feel as though they lost through their injuries. As Dr. Brandacher puts it, “It’s very hard to imagine what it means if you don’t feel whole. There are very subtle things that we take for granted that this transplant is able to give back.”

The greatest part of this surgery is that it can restore such an iconic body part. Because of the connection between manhood and the male genitals, an injury of this type can have very a severe psychological impact on the victim. Restoring the genitals to soldiers in need is a very important step forward in the recovery of the soldier and also a step forward in medical science. John’s Hopkins is licensed to perform 60 surgeries to test if this experiment is truly beneficial for the patients. If so, this will be a large step forward in learning about the human body and figuring out how to repair it. As of now, the surgery is only available for those injured in combat, but if the results of the experiment are sufficient, the surgery will soon become open to the public.

Denise Grady’s article was incredibly well written, weaving in plenty of quotes and statistics from various surgeons. There are really no complaints that I have with this article. The writing was very elegant, all the information needed on the topic was there, and the author even included graphs and diagrams to explain some of the more difficult to understand concepts such as the surgery itself. There was so much information presented that I couldn’t fit all of it into my summary in great detail so I would suggest to any reader who found my review interesting to go back and read the article for themselves.

Citation:

Grady, Denise. "Penis Transplants Being Planned to Help Wounded Troops." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Dec. 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/07/health/penis-transplants-being-planned-to-heal-troops-hidden-wounds.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0>.

Coffee compounds that could help prevent type 2 diabetes identified

Just as the title indicates, researchers have found that drinking coffee has actually been able to prevent the onsets of type 2 diabetes. The researchers investigated different coffee compounds' effects on cells in the lab, for example, cafestol and caffeic acid. These two compounded resulted in an increase in insulin secretion when glucose was added. They say cafestol is good for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, this observation becomes unclear because coffee filters eliminate quite a bit of the cafestol in drip coffee, so it is likely that other compounds also contribute to these health benefits.

This was very shocking a comforting to learn, because I drink coffee everyday, as well as probably a good amount of my classmates. So this discovery is definitely relevant to people our age. This was discovered because people believed that coffee was actually one of the causes or triggers of type 2 diabetes. Therefore making this discovery even more shocking, than just at first glance.

One good aspect of this article was it opened with explaining type 2 diabetes“patients with type 2 diabetes become resistant to insulin, a hormone that helps turn glucose from food into energy. To overcome this resistance, the pancreas makes more insulin, but eventually, it just can't make enough. High blood glucose levels can cause health problems, such as blindness and nerve damage” Although I really enjoyed reading this article, there is probably a few things I wish it touch on. For example, is there a certain amount of coffee that if exceeded will no longer prevent type 2 diabetes. Also, the article didn’t mention whether or not this accounts for those who drink coffee everyday.  

Citations:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151202124610.htm

American Chemical Society. "Coffee compounds that could help prevent type 2 diabetes identified." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 December 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151202124610.htm>.

Parents May Pass Down More Than Just Genes, Study Suggests

The article that I read, Parents May Pass Down More Than Just Genes, Study Shows, discusses how a recent study has hinted that males’ experiences may alter their sperm, which then changes their offspring. In one experiment that was completed, male rats were fed a high-fat diet and were mated with females. The results of this were that compared to the male rats fed a regular diet, those on the high-fat one were more likely to father offspring that gained weight. This idea suggests that the experiences in a male’s life can change their genes in such a way that affects their children. Though it may seem that this is true with the rat experiment, this may differ in humans. The latest challenge is to determine if a human’s life sways the genetic makeup passed to their offspring. In 2013, an obese man went to have his stomach stapled, but a week before the operation, a week after the operation, and a year after the operation, the man provided sperm to see whether or not there was a genetic difference. The entire idea that scientists are trying to prove contradicts the standard thinking about heredity: that parents only pass down their genes to their children. These inherited genes may predispose them to obesity or cancer but whether or not the parent actually experienced these traits in their life does not change the genes. Scientists are not completely sure if their idea is correct but they do have hope that they are partially correct. Dr. Romain Barres of the University of Copenhagen said, “I don’t want to speculate whether it’s positive or negative in the following generation...We’re going to try to see if there’s something transmitted all the way down.”

This article is very important to the scientific world because of its understanding or goal to understanding the human body and our genetic makeup. With technology becoming more advanced, the knowledge and ingenuity of science is changing and expanding in many different directions very quickly. These types of studies are beneficial because they can help the medical and scientific field to understand how specific traits such as obesity and stress are more common in the offspring of parents who experienced the trait in their life, not just carrying the gene. Knowing and understanding how this works allows us to be one step closer to grasping how we can prevent diseases such as cancer and improve the lives of humans everywhere.

In my opinion, I feel that this article was written very well. The author gave a great summary of the experiment that was completed and gave great detail on DNA and how it transfers from parent to offspring. There was no time in which I was confused content-wise, nor was it repetitive or wordy. For this reason, I believe that the author was very clear and concise in his research and writing. Also, because there were some quotes that were included from experts on the subject of genes and the passing of them, it allowed me to be comfortable and trust the information that was presented in the article. Overall, the author seemed to know a lot about what he was talking about, definitely a sign of good research, and knew how to correctly portray the information in an understandable way to the reader.

Zimmer, Carl. "Parents May Pass Down More Than Just Genes, Study Suggests." The New York Times. The New York Times, 07 Dec. 2015. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.

Agriculture Linked to DNA Changes in Ancient Europe

The agricultural revolution lead to the rise of modern civilization.  In a recent study, an international team of scientists has found that after agriculture arrived in Europe 8,500 years ago, people’s DNA underwent widespread changes, altering their height, digestion, immune system and skin color.  The researchers found indirect alterations by studying the genomes of living Europeans, making it possible to see the changes over thousands of years.  Prior to this discovery, scientists relied on bones and physical remains to comprehend European history.  The earliest bones of modern humans in Europe dated back to about 45,000 years ago.  Early Europeans lived as human-gatherers for over 35,000 years.  About 8,500 years ago, the first archaeological record of farmers was left on the continent.  By studying living Europeans, scientists have discovered that their ancestors adapted to agriculture through natural selection, utilizing molecular underpinnings of these traits.  Prior to the rise of agriculture, Europe was populated by hunter-gatherers.  Then, a wave of people from the Near East, as the DNA suggests, brought agriculture to the continent. Lastly, about 4,500 years ago, a nomadic population  from the unforested grassland of Russia, known as the Yamnaya, swept into Europe.  The scientists also published how genes have evolved.  Previous studies suggested that Europeans were more capable to digest milk once they began raising cattle.  In the study published in Nature, David Reich, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School, confirmed that LCT, the gene that aids milk digestion, experienced intense natural selection and became common in ancient Europe.  This dated back only 4,000 years ago.  Furthermore, the supply of protein in milk created risks.  Early European farmers who depended on wheat and other crops risked low doses of essential nutrients.  As a result, a gene called SLC22A4 encoded a protein on the surface of cells to draws in the amino acid called ergothioneine. Wheat and other crops have low levels of ergothioneine, and the new variant increases its absorption, increasing the chance of survival among the farmers. That would have increased the chances of survival among the farmers who had the gene.  Scientists hope to track historical changes in the human genome across the globe over tens of thousands of years.  Tracking the genome is a “time machine” to the past, as stated by Rasmus Nielsen, a geneticist at the University of California, Berkeley.

This article and the research conducted demonstrate the importance of reconstructing the human and unearthing more fossils in order to understand the origin and descent of ancient Europeans through the genome.  By studying the genome of living Europeans, scientists discovered the changes in skin color, digestive enzymes and height.  This study raises hopes that scientists can recover far older human genomes.  With the discovery of new fossils and skeletons, scientists are able to uncover and forge connections between the adaptation and migration of species.

This article was well written and interesting.  Zimmer clearly explained the theories of migration and adaptation.  He provided context for the new research by describing previous discoveries.  In addition, Zimmer cited all the scientists involved in the research and cited their disagreements in certain theories. However, the sequence of the article was confusing. The discovery of the evolution of traits of Europeans was left to the end of the article.  He provided too much context, before explaining the new research, theories and discoveries.

Zimmer, Carl. "Agriculture Linked to DNA Changes in Ancient Europe." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Nov. 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/24/science/agriculture-linked-to-dna-changes-in-ancient-europe.html?_r=0>.

Paris Climate Talks Avoid Scientists’ Idea of ‘Carbon Budget’

Paris Climate Talks Avoid Scientists’ Idea of ‘Carbon Budget’

The suggestion of a carbon budget was made in 2013 by a series of scientific papers and is the idea that the amount of emissions we can use without significantly damaging the environment should be split between all countries. One way to think of it is like having a pie and needing to divide it, but the question is, how much do you give each country? Do you base it on size or use of fossil fuels already? Scientists believe that the cap of emissions would be reached when after calculating the total amount of carbon emissions and other green house gases the temperature of the earth could only increase 3.6 degrees fahrenheit. At 3.6 degrees the sea level would still increase by 20 feet but over an extended period of time, anything about 3.6 would result in high sea levels, catastrophic heat waves, and difficulty producing food. The article, however, went on to discuss how the carbon budget will not be considered at the Paris Climate Conference because it will be shut down immediately. The politics involving divvying up the amount of emissions that each country could use would be close to impossible and also very difficult to enforce. Countries have made their own carbon emission limiting plans yet none of them are drastic enough. Even if Europe, America, and China fulfill their plans, together they will use all of the emissions leaving none for any other countries. Scientists say earth’s only hope is that more country’s limiting plans are used and as time goes on begin even more drastic. 

This is important to all of us because it is going to effect our earth and the way we and our offspring live very soon. Many people don’t realize just how severe this situation is and that if we continue using fossil fuels at the rate we are, the world will not be able to sustain us for much longer. Ocean levels will increase, natural disasters will occur much more frequently, and temperatures will continue to rise causing droughts and fires. The United States emits the second largest amount of fossil fuels following China. As Americans we need to work to ensure that generations will have a future by pressuring the government to take drastic measures in limiting our amount of emissions. 

The article was very clear in explaining the concept of a carbon budget and why it was not working. The only thing I would improve is that it really did not give any suggestions or ways to improve the environment. The article was depressing in that it said we were pretty much doomed, unless as a world we could decide on a carbon budget plan which they later explained was close to impossible.  This only gives one side of the story and there are other scientists who have a more optimistic view of our future. Overall, I thought it very informative because I learned a new perspective on climate change and more about the Paris Climate Conference. 

Gillis, Justin. "Paris Climate Talks Avoid Scientists’ Idea of ‘Carbon Budget’." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Nov. 2015. Web. 29 Nov. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/science/earth/paris-climate-talks-avoid-scientists-goal-of-carbon-budget.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront>.