Project Seeks to Map and Reduce Ocean Noise Pollution

Broad, William J. "Project Seeks to Map and Reduce Ocean Noise Pollution." The New York

Times. The New York Times, 11 Dec. 2016. Web. 11 Dec. 2016.

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.

Zebra Shark Surprises Scientists by Giving Birth without Male.

Evelyn Kluemper

1/30/17

AP Biology

Cummins, Anna. "Zebra Shark Surprises Scientists by Giving Birth without Male." CNN. Cable News Network, 17 Jan. 2017. Web.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/17/health/zebra-shark-reproduction/index.html

Anna Cummins’ article, “Zebra Shark Surprises Scientists by Giving Birth without Male” was an interesting case of an animal changing its reproductive strategy.  In an aquarium in Queensland, Australia, zebra shark Leonie was separated with her male mate and was soon joined by Lolly, one of her female pups.  Nearly two years after being separated from zebra sharks, both laid eggs, which according to experts, is not uncommon.  Biologist Christine Dudgeon said that “It’s much like a chicken-- they lay eggs whether they are fertilized or not, if the conditions are good” (Cummins).  However, despite efforts made by the aquarium, the embryos in several eggs were unable to survive.  The following year, subsequent to laying eggs, Leonie produced three hatchlings and Lolly two.  It is not uncommon for vertebrates to be able to reproduce without fertilization, an advantageous characteristic that is believed to have been acquired evolutionarily through years of isolation.  However, this is the third known case of a vertebrate to switch its reproductive strategy.  The first two instances were an eagle ray and a boa constrictor.  Scientists have observed that the genes of the hatchlings have a great frequency of homozygosity and little to no genetic variation, which is a great disadvantage, as they are unable to adapt to their environment as well.

Biologists will be observing the hatchlings to see if they are able to reproduce sexually, since asexually produced offspring in the past have been unable to do so.  This birth will help biologists discover if it is possible for more species to reproduce without males.  Additionally, zebra sharks are considered an endangered species, so an alternative way to reproduce could greatly impact population numbers.

The article was very interesting to read and included an informative video.  It described the circumstances in which the zebra sharks reproduced asexually.  The author included a statement given by an expert.

"Mouse Cells Grown in Rats Cure Diabetes in Mice"

Saey, Tina Hesman. "Mouse Cells Grown in Rats Cure Diabetes in Mice." Science

News. Science News, 26 Jan. 2017. Web. 29 Jan. 2017.

The idea of growing new organs, by way of using other animal’s embryos is no longer a far-off ludicrous idea. In fact on January 26th researchers stated in an article in Cell that “Injecting human stem cells into pig and cattle embryos created embryos that incorporate a small number of human cells.” Although a seemingly small improvement we are one step closer to the momentous yet quite controversial idea of using hybrid, or chimeric, animals to produce human organs for transplant. However, Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a stem cell biologist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif warns that, “Farm animals incubating human organs won’t appear anytime soon.”  Even though Belmonte led the team of researchers and they have accomplished a major goal of proving that human cells can indeed integrate into a pig he feels “we’re still far away from that.” It is essential even with such fascinating new findings to remain reasonable and logical. There continues to be much work to do, but this work is a step in the right direction. Due to both ethical and funding hurdles human-animal chimera work is in its infancy and is likely to be slow in future growth. However, hybrids of rats and mice are already hinting that growing an organ from one species in another is a viable strategy for curing some diseases and perhaps enthusiasm for such research will follow. Another team of researchers reported in Nature that they “grew mouse pancreases in rats” which resulted in mouse insulin-producing cells from rat grown organs.  These xenograft cells were then transferred from the rats to diabetic mice, curing their diabetes without any use of immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection. This finding raises hope that animal-grown organs tailored to individual patients could be transplanted without fear of rejection.  Another issue facing organ development from other animals is the effect of a host environment on the respective stem cells. Researchers used the gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas9 and disabled Pdx-1 and genes involved in heart and eye development so that mice couldn’t grow functioning versions of those organs. Rat stem cells injected into mouse embryos filled in, growing functional organs, including one the researchers didn’t expect. Rats don’t have gallbladders, but “rat stem cells introduced into mice embryos are able to form gallbladders,” the researchers reported. The result  indicates that it may not be possible to re-create in lab dishes the mechanical forces, chemical signals and other conditions an organ needs to develop properly. In the context of human-pig chimeras the results were not as promising and many agrees “more work is needed to improve growth of human cells in pig embryos.”

This article and its premise of the development of both successfully accomplished mice-rat chimeras and the more science-fiction human-pig chimeras has an integral role in our society. Stem cells are an important resource and as we learn how to capitalize on their diversity and ease with which they are manipulated, many diseases and disorders may possibly be remedied. It is important to use new CRISPR technology in order to devise ways to cultivate new organs and consequently save lives. These recent studies are transformative to our society as well as to the field of regenerative medicine. Although seemingly inconsequential this research and all succeeding research will transform science for many  years to come.

The author of this article, Tina Hesman Saey, overall wrote a wonderful piece. I particularly enjoyed her use of quotes as well as her evident in-depth research about the topic. By including the ideas and point of views of many leading researchers on the topic Saey asserts a sense of authority and intellectual exploration of the complex issue. Additionally, by including previous work in just the past decade readers realize how the current mouse cells in a rat is such a step forward. We realize this is not a new occurrence but a study based on a culmination of other works. However, Saey did err a little with her organization of her article. For example, I felt that defining chimeric animals, although important to do, was done in the wrong place. The definition of chimeric animals are good information located in a bad place. Sequentially it made no sense to go from discussing organ rejection to defining chimeric animals to discussing research by Hiromitsu Nakauchi on mouse pancreases. The information seems random and adds to the confusion. In order to improve this Saey should simply re-read her work and/or enlist an editor and read her piece for overall coherence and logical placement of ideas. Writing, especially about science, can be difficult: where to include data or a definition where etc. Essentially, although well intentioned defining chimeric where she did led to a slightly less effective article by Saey even though everything else is nearly impossible to mess up.

A Genetic Fix to Put the Taste Back in Tomatoes

Chang, Kenneth. "A Genetic Fix to Put the Taste Back in Tomatoes." New York Times. N.p., n.d.

Web.

Over time, tomatoes in today’s supermarkets are less and less tasteful. Now, Harry J. Klee believes that he can make it come back. “Dr. Klee and his colleagues describe flavor chemicals that are deficient in most modern varieties of tomatoes.” They tracked different genes in each tomato that produced these genes and as a result found tomatoes that possess better versions of these genes. “Now we know exactly what needs to be done to make it right,” Dr. Klee said. “We just have to turn the crank”. Even though genetic engineering would be easier and faster, they are using traditional breeding to make the taste improve. “Think of the tomato flavor as a symphony with lots of notes,” Dr. Klee said. “Over the last 50 years, they’ve removed one instrument at a time”. Since the tomato plants produce small quantities of these genes, restoring the good versions of the genes should not greatly affect the other traits that growers demand. People have been put to the test to see which tomato they preferred and some said the supermarket brand with less flavor.

It is sad that over time, the taste of fruits such as tomatoes has changed over the years. This is not normal. Today organic foods should have the most flavor possible no matter what year. It is important for labs to keep on testing these tomatoes and to try to get them to regain full taste level. Today, too many chemicals are put into foods and pesticides that are not organic and can be dangerous to one's health. If this is changed and maybe all foods can be organic and today’s generation can experience what taste buds once felt. 

This article was very well written. I thought that the author did a really good job and clearly explaining the problem with the tomatoes and the opinions that professionals had on this issue.  I cannot pinpoint an area in which the author could have improved the article since I think it was pretty good overall. I was able to learn a lot from it.  

"Running May Be Good for Your Knees." by Gretchen Reynolds

Sarah Billings

AP Biology D even

Mr. Ippolito

January 18, 2017

Reynolds, Gretchen. "Running May Be Good for Your Knees." The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Jan. 2017. Web. 18 Jan. 2017. <https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/well/move/running-may-be-good-for-your-knees.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fhealth&action=click&contentCollection=health®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront>.

In the New York Times article called “Running May Be Good for Your Knees," by Gretchen Reynolds, the debated theory of whether or not running causes knee pain is examined. The article focuses on one experiment, which was conducted by researchers at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. In this experiment, they took fifteen male and female runners, who were all under thirty and had healthy knees (meaning no history of arthritis or injury). The researchers then drew blood from each of their arms, as well as a little bit of synovial fluid from their knees, which is “a lubricating fluid that reduces friction inside joints” (Reynolds 2017). The author describes how “Healthy knees contain only a soupçon of the stuff; arthritic and otherwise unhealthy knees tend to contain much more.” The participants were then taken to a biomechanics lab, where they either ran on a treadmill (at their preferred pace) or sat in a chair for thirty minutes. Another sample of blood and and fluid was taken after these tests. After analysis, the researchers found many different points of interest. Firstly, the results showed that, in almost every case, runners had a lower level of inflammation in the synovial fluid in their knees than in their baseline level. Additionally, it seems that after a run, the levels of a substance called cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, or COMP are higher in the person’s blood than in the synovial fluid. COMP is a substance that has expressed higher levels in diseased knees, meaning that running causes this substance to move out of the knees and into the blood. On the other hand, sitting for thirty minutes caused the levels to increase within the fluid in the knees. Overall, this experiments suggests that running could actually lower the risk of arthritis, however the scientists explain that this is only a “very small and short-term study.” In the future, they would like to use larger numbers and include more variables to ascertain a better theory.

The findings in this article are extremely relevant to modern society. According to the Arthritis Foundation, 1 in 5 adults are diagnosed with arthritis, and it is the nation’s number 1 cause of disability. Therefore, if scientists could learn more about factors that induce it, such as sitting for prolonged periods of time, then they could help decrease the chances of it happening significantly. This article can also help encourage people to go running more, if it will help prevent disability. I find this article particularly interesting because I run a lot, so I think it’s important for me to know if there are possibly harmful effects in running too much or for too long.

While this article was really well written, there were some aspects the author could have done better. For example, it’s important to include statements and opinions from multiple sources so there’s more credibility to the issue, and the viewer can observe other perspectives and make their own assumptions. This article only provided a quote from one man, who was a professor at the university and lead author in the study. While his opinions will definitely be well informed, he’s only one voice that we’re hearing on the subject. In terms of positive aspects, the author provided a really good description of the experiment itself, as well as a thorough explanation of the scientific terms discussed. Overall, it was really interesting to read about this topic.

For Better Vision, Let the Sunshine In

For Better Vision, Let the Sunshine In

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/well/live/for-better-vision-let-the-sunshine-in.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fwell&action=click&contentCollection=well&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront

Reynolds, Gretchen. "For Better Vision, Let the Sunshine In." New York Times. N.p., 19 Jan. 2017. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

I read the article “For Better Vision, Let the Sunshine In,” by Gretchen Reynolds, I thought that the article was very interesting and I was able to learn a lot. The article talks about how being nearsighted is a lot more common that it used to be. The medical name for nearsightedness is myopia. Myopia results when eyeballs are longer than normal, which changes the angle at which light enters the eye and therefore the ability to focus on distant objects. According to a study done in 2009 by the National Eye Institute, myopia in Americans has “soared by 66 percent since the early 1970s.” Some experts connect the elevated rate of myopia to the hours that young people stare at computers and other screens. But a recent study was done by JAMA Ophthalmology, which is the study and treatment of disorders and diseases in the eyes,  suggests that a great factor may be a side effect of looking at screens for hours, it's keeping children inside for most of the day. This new study is looking at if the lack of direct sunlight reshapes the human eye and impairs vision. Researches gave vision exams to 3,100 older European men and women and interviewed them at length about their education, careers and how much they remember being outside during different stages of their lives. Strong correlations were found between current eyesight and the lifetime exposure to sunlight. People who had gotten the most sun between the ages of 14 and 19, were 25% less likely to have developed myopia by middle age. Exposure to sunlight up to age 30 also showed positive results.

This article is very relevant for today, because many children are home for most of the day on some sort of technology device. Many children do not go outside and play as much as they did a few years ago, and the lack of time outside certainly appears to be contributing to the rise in myopia rates. By spending more time outside you can decrease your chances of developing myopia or other eye conditions. Sunlight is also associated with harmful impacts too, such as exposure increases the risk of developing skin cancer. But by wearing sunscreen young people should be able to reduce the risks while potentially strengthening their vision.

This article taught me a lot about eyesight in general. I was attracted to the article because I am nearsighted in one eye, so I wanted to know more about what is happening today and why there is a increase in the number of myopia cases. I did not know that sunlight had such a big part is shaping the eye. Overall the article was well written, the author made a good job summarizing all of the information and making it easy to understand but the order and some of the sentences were a little confusing. I wish that the author had included some ways to help this condition other than going outside, and if it is reversible.

Study Maps "Uniquely Devastating" Genital Injuries Among Troops

Grady, Denise. "Study Maps 'Uniquely Devastating' Genital Injuries Among Troops." The New York Times 13 Jan. 2017.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/health/genital-injuries-among-us-troops.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=sectionfront

Denise Grady’s article “Study Maps ‘Uniquely Devastating’ Genital Injuries Among Troops” discusses a recently released report by military researchers that focuses on genitourinary injuries in veterans. The report describes how 1,367 men in the United States military suffered injuries to their urinary tract or their genitals when they were serving in Iraq or Afghanistan between 2001 and 2013. The author describes the injuries as “ ‘uniquely devastating’ because they can impair a man’s ability to have sex, father children or urinate normally.” Grady also includes that the number of genital injuries has increased compared to previous wars because of improvements in body armor and battlefield medicine. She also explains that the terrain in Afghanistan forced many of the men to patrol on foot, leaving their groin areas vulnerable to explosions, which is the leading cause of the wound. Doctors at several medical centers hope to provide some of these men with penis transplants with deceased organ donors, but the operation has only been performed once in the United States and it was only last year. A new discovery in the report revealed that the blast injuries could have a delayed effect that destroys fertility even if the testicles seem unharmed. The Defense Department recognized that some members of the military were losing their ability to father children, so it created a pilot program to pay for freezing sperm or eggs before deployment. Congress also passed a law in September that allows fertility treatments with service-related fertility.

This New York Times published article is significant because it describes the serious injury that a large number of enlisted American men have been facing. A surgeon and lieutenant colonel at Brooke Army Medical Center, Dr. Steven J. Hudak explained that, “The amount of resiliency and inner and outer strength and personal courage the patients I’ve been asked to care for is quite inspiring, the courage they display when they face these things that 20-year-olds otherwise would not have to face.” These men fought for our freedom and our country in the Middle East and are facing substantial consequences when they return home because of the damage to fertility and the ability to have sex. Researchers even say that these men are at high risk for suicide, so it is important that this issue is acknowledged and respected. In addition, the planned penis transplantation for these men is a major medical breakthrough that could shape the way that transplants are conducted and could allow many men to regain what they have lost.

Denise Grady wrote a thoughtful and succinct article regarding the genital injuries among troops. She included relevant facts and statistics that allowed the reader to understand the scope of the issue and was able to cover the topic from both sides: the emotional one and the medical one. She explained the emotional devastation that these injuries have on the men and the medical breakthrough that their injuries could result in. Her article briefly mentioned genitourinary injuries to women, but she did not provide a thorough analysis of them at all. I think that she should have included more information on the medical approach to their injuries so that her entire article could have been more thorough and well-rounded.