Venus Flytraps Need Protection From Poachers in North Carolina

Mele, Christopher. "Venus Flytraps Need Protection From Poachers in North Carolina." The New

York Times 28 Nov. 2016.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/28/us/venus-flytraps-poaching-north-carolina.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=4&pgtype=sectionfront

In “Venus Flytraps Need Protection From Poachers in North Carolina,” Christopher Mele explains that poachers have been trafficking in thousands of Venus flytraps stolen illegally from the wild and from gardens. The Venus flytrap only grows in the wild in an area of southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina. Conservationists are worried that the continued poaching of the plant could endanger the Venus fly trap and they estimate that only 35,000 of them remain in the wild. Sergeant Brandon W. Dean of the law enforcement division of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission explains, “We’ve got something very precious in the nation here. If we don’t do something now, it’s going to be extinct.” Mele discusses the measures being taken by the state of North Carolina in an effort to limit the poaching of the plant. The theft of flytraps growing in the wild was upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony punishable by jail time and the seizure of one plant is now considered an individual crime. However, the author points out that officials have admitted that it is too early to tell if the harsh penalties have contributed to a decrease in thefts. He also describes the difficulties in catching and convicting the poachers. Christopher Mele explains that the dense woods and bogs are difficult for officials to patrol and that it is hard to prove if Venus flytraps were harvested illegally.

This article is significant to society because it describes the dangers that the Venus flytraps are facing in the wilderness of North Carolina. For residents of the area, it informs them of the important issue that is happening in their own backyards. In this way, they can be aware of the poaching and its serious repercussions to the plant. They can also report any theft or suspicious behaviour to the authorities in order to preserve the biodiversity of their state. For readers outside of the area, this article teaches them that the Venus flytrap is in danger of becoming an endangered species. They can then avoid purchasing the plant, especially if it is being sold from a roadside or over the internet because then it was probably stolen. “Venus Flytraps Need Protection From Poachers in North Carolina” also details the fight to preserve biodiversity in species throughout the world which can help readers understand the importance of saving certain species of plants and animals from extinction.

Christopher Mele wrote an thorough and informative article about the poaching that the Venus flytraps of North Carolina are facing. Mele described the plant and it’s history within the state including the fact that it was named the official state carnivorous plant in order to provide background information for the reader and help them understand the plant. He did an excellent job of explaining how the poachers acquire the flytraps and even took it a step further to discuss why the poachers have been stealing them. He explains that some people believe it’s because of the possible health benefits of the plant and some people purchase the Venus flytrap because it is unique and fascinating. He covered many different angles of this issue, but he could have delved deeper into the motives behind the poachers and the people who are purchasing the plants. Mele also could have explained how the conservationists are approaching the issue of preserving the Venus flytrap.

Could Toothpaste Give Heart Disease the Brush-off?

Allison Barker

Current Event Review

AP Biology

Hulick, Kathryn. "Could Toothpaste Give Heart Disease the Brush-off?" Science News for

Students. N.p., 23 Nov. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

<https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/could-toothpaste-give-heart-disease-brush>.

The article that I read, “Could Toothpaste Give Heart Disease the Brush-off?” by Kathryn Hulick, describes a study in which 61 men and women between the ages of 19 and 44 were split into two groups, one which used regular toothpaste and one which used a toothpaste that turns the plaque on teeth green, in order to see if the new toothpaste had an effect on the amount of plaque in the mouths of the subjects. Both groups followed the same teeth-brushing instructions for 60 days, and at the end of two months, the group that had used the new plaque-dying toothpaste had removed twice as much plaque as the other group. As a buildup of plaque is thought to lead to other, more severe problems, this new toothpaste could prove very helpful. Further, the researchers then measured the levels of C-reactive protein, or CRP, in the blood of the subjects. CRP is an indicator of inflammation, so lower CRP levels would mean less inflammation in the body. Inflammation is dangerous, and excessive inflammation can point to health conditions such as obesity. The combination of a fat buildup in the arteries and inflammation can lead to a higher risk of heart disease. Among the patients who had used the special plaque-dying toothpaste, CRP levels had dropped 20%. However, among the patients who had been brushing with regular toothpaste, CRP levels, and therefore inflammation levels, had actually risen. This study suggests that there might be a link between eliminating plaque using the special toothpaste, thereby reducing inflammation in the gums, and lowering inflammation throughout the body, although researchers cannot be sure without further examination.

The results of this study are extremely important to society. In the current age, people, especially teenagers, are less active and more overweight than they used to be, and this can lead to much higher rates of heart disease. If there were a way to help protect the body against such a dangerous ailment, especially if it was as easy as brushing your teeth with a certain product, that would be a major step forward and would be accessible to everyone, as toothpaste is more affordable than medicine. Further, an increased focus on heart disease prevention would benefit people by raising awareness about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. A toothpaste that protects against heart disease would serve as a reminder to people that they need to treat their bodies with care.

I enjoyed this article because I found it very informative. I had known that plaque was linked to heart disease, but I had never been able to understand how the two were linked. Learning that plaque causes gum inflammation was valuable to me for this reason. I also liked that the author was very clear about the uncertainty of the results of the study while also being optimistic about what these new findings could mean for the future. I appreciated that the author included details about further steps that the researchers were planning to take. However, one thing that I did not like about the article was the lack of depth in the description of the study. There are many ways that an experiment can be designed, and some of them can lead to misleading results. Therefore, I would like to have been told how the participants were selected and how they were assigned to groups. Overall, though, this article taught me about the importance of brushing teeth, a task which many often find mundane.

The Race for a Zika Vaccine

Sarah Billings November 27, 2016

Current Event 9 AP Biology D even

Thomas, Katie. "The Race for a Zika Vaccine." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Nov. 2016. Web. 27 Nov. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/business/testing-the-limits-of-biotech-in-the-race-for-a-zika-vaccine.html?action=click&contentCollection=health&module=NextInCollection®ion=Footer&pgtype=article&version=newsevent&rref=collection%2Fnews-event%2Fzika-virus>.

In the New York Times article “The Race for a Zika Vaccine,” Katie Thomas talks about how as the Zika Virus continues to affect so many people in the Americas, the search for a cure is making immense progress. Normally, a vaccine could take around a decade or so to be developed. However, due to the involvement of so many companies and government organizations in the research process, scientists predict that a cure could be found as early as 2018. One of the biggest helpers in this process has been the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research led by Dr. Fauci, who has been a part of solving every major disease since the 1980s. With this disease, he confidently describes how “most of us in the field feel that we will get a vaccine for Zika...So it’s really a question of what’s the best one, how quickly can you get it, is it safe, and is it scalable?” (Thomas 2016). These have been the basic considerations of scientists as they hunt for a cure. Some of the options they’ve been working on include using the killed vaccine, in which a dead virus is injected into the body. The body then builds its defense against the virus in a way that also protects against the live version. Another proven-quicker method involves instituting a harmless piece of the virus’s DNA, which would then tell the human DNA to make zika proteins, forcing the human body to create antibodies to fight them off. While both the options seem promising, they are still mostly untested on humans. As of now, researchers and scientists continue testing, hoping to find an answer soon.  

As Vika is a virus that has affected over 70 countries so far and caused thousands of birth defects, the creation of this vaccine would be incredibly important to society. While it’s good to know that there is a high chance of finding a cure, this article serves as a reminder that this virus is still out there and causing problems for many places not too far away. Without a cure, this virus could potentially spread to our own neighborhood and affect us, as well as any friends or family exposed. It is especially important for us in a wealthier neighborhood of the U.S to be aware of this ongoing problem because, as the article points out, so much of the funding that’s helping this research is coming from the wealthy people and governments who can afford vaccination campaigns. On a more personal level, I had always been interested, as well as horrified, by the Vika virus, so it was encouraging to hear that they were making progress.    

After reading this article, I thought the level of detail and explanation was really good, especially for someone who might not know that much about the topic. Topics, such as the different forms of viruses and methods to treat them were discussed and explained thoroughly so it would be clear to anyone reading, not just someone science-inclined. The article also included many credible sources, such as the National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which backed up that what the author was saying was very legitimate. The only aspect that could use some improvement was the length of the article, as it was very long and included some stories or quotes that weren’t really necessary. However, it was overall a really good article and very interesting to read.  

Trump Has Options for Undoing Obama’s Climate Legacy

Fountain, Henry, and Erica Goode. "Trump Has Options for Undoing Obama’s Climate Legacy." The New

York Times. The New York Times, 25 Nov. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/25/science/donald-trump-obama-climate.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=9&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0>.

The article that I read for this current event talks about Donald Trump’s plans to undue all of the environmental laws and regulations put in place in the past decades. The author of the article states that Trump plans to get rid of the Clean Power Plan, which regulates the emissions from power plants. Donald Trump believes that climate change is a hoax, although he now claims that he sees how it could be possible, and has also made remarks towards pulling out of the Paris climate accord. It will be challenging for Trump to undo some things like withdrawing from the Paris accord, but others will be easy to undo such as the United Nations- backed program to reduce the environmental impact on international air travel, which will not be put in place until the year 2020. It is unclear whether Trump will actually do the things that he said he will, but many people who are part of his transitional team are known non believers in climate change.

This will obviously have a huge impact on society if Trump does follow through with his plans to undo all of these regulations and future plans to tackle this issue of climate change. There is so much evidence of our effect on the climate and if all of these regulations are taken out of the picture, it is likely that climate change will increase rapidly and be detrimental to our world even sooner than expected. We should be moving in the direction of creating more regulation instead of getting rid of regulation.

The author of this article did a good job of explaining the different plans that Trump claims to have to reduce the rules and regulations to end climate change. He explained clearly how Trump most likely will not be able to get rid of these regulations without a huge revolt from environmental activists, democrats, and most likely republicans as well. The author did a good job explaining everything clearly and thoroughly, making it an easy read for anyone who stumbles upon the article. I think the author could have mentioned more about how undoing these regulations would hurt our environment and he also could have given an opinion on whether he believes Trump will follow through with these plans, considering how he seems to change what he believes often. Overall, this was a very informative article and gives good information on what Donald Trump might do to harm our environment, which we should all be aware of.

Could Human-pig Hybrid Organs Help Patients?

Alex Swenson                                     11/17/16

AP Bio                                       Current Events

Imam, Jareen. "Could Human-pig Hybrid Organs Help Patients?" CNN. Cable News Network,

n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/09/health/human-organs-chimera-irpt/index.html>.

I read Jareen Imam’s article about how human organs bread in pigs can help to save lives. I article opens by explaining that there is a worldwide organ shortage. This is a major problem as the FDA estimates that 22 people per day die as a result of not being able to get the proper organs. To begin her article, she describes the research being done at UC - Irvine. There, the scientists are working to breed human organs in pigs. To start, the scientists then proceed to knock out sections of pig DNA so that the human DNA can be inserted into that place. For example, scientists to make a human pancreas in a pig would theoretically knock out the section of pig DNA which tells it to make a pig pancreas and replace it with the human DNA to make a human pancreas instead. She then explains that by putting human stem cells into the embryo of a pig they can grow human organs inside of the pigs. Currently, this study is in an ethical corner. Their research is not being supported by the US national institute of health because of the fear that the stem cells will possibly make a human brain and make a pig-human mutant. They then explain that the animal could think human thoughts to the process which they deemed cruel and unethical.

    This article was very important in explaining how scientific breakthroughs are limited by what is ethical or not. For example, in 2010, Japanese scientist Hiromitsu Nakauchi, who is now a stem cell biologist at Stanford University, was able to grow a rat pancreas inside a mouse. The science community deemed this to be ethical as it was rats and mice and did not involve humans. The debate between what is ethical and what is not has been a question is the science community for a very long time and this article helps to highlight that argument.

    Overall this was a very well written article. The author used language that was easily understandable. Also, she kept her explanations about the science quite broad so readers could easily grasp the information she was trying to explain. She also had a great counter argument to the argument about ethics. But, I felt that she could have wrote more about the ethics argument as that was quite interesting. In all, this was a well written article that helped to explain an advancement in medicine.
posted for A. Swenson

University of Oxford. "Scientists uncover genetic evidence that 'we are what we eat'." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 November 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161115111720.htm>.

In the article, “Scientists uncover genetic evidence that ‘we are what we eat”. A study done at Oxford University is discussed. Within this study, researchers selected two different parasites,  eukaryotic parasites and bacterial parasites, in order to test their hypothesis that “ the composition of this food could alter an organism's DNA.” They found that these two parasites, who infected very different host and consumed different foods, had DNA which reflected that. Low-nitrogen, high-sugar diets resulted in more nitrogen in the DNA sequence then vice versa. This discovery was a huge breakthrough in the study of metabolism and evolution as it has finally answered the question to why two closely related species can have such different DNA. The researchers have now advanced their study to test more complex organisms to see if this same conclusion holds true.  

This study is greatly applicable to society and even our own lives as based on further studies, this concept could be applied to human genetics. The idea that the food we consume can actually affect our DNA could be useful in many medical study regarding different diseases or other issues. The co-author Emily Seward concluded that  their study “provides evidence that we really are what we eat.” This idea is definitely applicable to our modern world especially considered the bounds of processed food and GMO’s we consume. Now that we’ve learned food can be a factor in more than just your health, but your actual genetic makeup, we may have to raise some questions about the effects of the products we are eating.

I thought the author of this article did a decent job, but there were definitely areas they could have improved upon. For instance, I feel as though a majority of this piece was quoting the researcher from the study. While it was interesting to learn about this, I felt he only really scratched the surface. It would have been interesting if he brought in outside sources and compared this to other research or really analyzed the impact of these findings. There was definitely a lot that the author could have added, but regardless I learned about a very interesting new concept and noticed i was drawn by the topic.

A Dinosaur With a Beak and Feathers Unearthed in China

Chang, Kenneth. "A Dinosaur With a Beak and Feathers Unearthed in China." The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Nov. 2016. Web. 17 Nov. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/11/science/dinosaur-mud-dragon.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Ftrilobites&_r=0>.

I read Kenneth Chang’s article, “A Dinosaur With a Beak and Feathers Unearthed in China.” The article begins by describing the newfound creature: donkey-sized, feathered, and unable to fly. This creature is known as the Tongtianlong limosus and lived during the final 15 million years of dinosaur existence. They belong to a group of dinosaurs called the oviraptorosaurs and closely resemble birds. This new species was found in the region of Ganzhou four years ago during the construction of a school. Due to the strange posture the fossil found in, scientists believe that the animal had become trapped in a quagmire and had died trying to pull itself out. The feathers found on the Tongtianlong show the sharing of a common ancestor between the creature and many birds. The creature is not believed to have been a meat-eater, rather its diet consisted of plants, nuts, insects, small animals or mollusks. The large differences between the six oviraptorosaurs found suggest a rapid evolution of dinosaurs around this time. The body forms of all six species are very different although they all come from southern China. The article concludes by warning the reader that is still hard to draw conclusions from the fossils because the exact timeline is unknown.

The article was important because it helps us learn more about dinosaurs and evolution. Studying the Tongtianlong can give scientists a better idea of how oviraptorosaurs were related to one another. The article also provides evidence against a very common belief that dinosaurs were in decline long before they became extinct 66 million years ago. The fossil shows forms of oviraptorosaurs to have fairly different body forms which would prove there to be a rapid evolution shortly before the dinosaurs went extinct and would refute the common belief by many. This article also helps to expand scientists knowledge on dinosaurs and the reasons they went extinct.

I found this article extremely interesting and well-written. For me, it was interesting because I have always found dinosaurs interesting. Also, this was the first dinosaur I heard of having feathers which was fascinating. To improve this article, the author could have described some terms that may have been confusing to the general audience. For example, he could have described what a quagmire was to make the article easier to follow. Also, he could have included more facts about the fossil itself to make the finding more relevant to the article. Overall, I liked how the author discussed a topic not widely debated today. I also liked the upbeat, positive tone the article took.