Making Mouse Memories

            In the article, “Making Mouse Memories,” scientists reactivated certain nerve cells, of a mouse, and made “artificial memories” appear in the mice’s minds. This experiment was for scientist to learn more about and look out for signs of natural memories that occur in the brain or that disrupt other memories. In this experiment, the scientists genetically engineered the mice, being experimented on, so that only nerve cells would activate a particular memory, which forms a molecule. With these molecules, the scientists could reactive those cells later on in the experiment. In this experiment, the mice were first put in a room with opaque white walls and floor with no odor; this acted as the “marked memory,” for the mice. The mice were then, later, put in a room with black and white checkered walls, a gridded floor, and the room had a wintergreen scent to it. The mice were subjected to shocks and they soon learned to freeze in response to being in that room. In some of the lab trials, the scientists reactivated the mice’s’ memory of the white room during a shock session. This made the mouse combine the reactivated memory (of the white room) and the scented room (due to the shock), which forms something called a hybrid memory. In other trials, the mice started to understand what was going on and they would only freeze when scientists put them in the second room, due to the reactivated artificial memory. This experiment “labeled and recreated a fearful memory” for mice by using molecules that were responsive to certain kinds of light, optogenetics. A day after the experiment, in a new room, the mice froze, due to the fear that when light was turned on, it triggered the artificial memory, of the shocking that happened the day before. As the leader of the experiment said, “[the results are] a dramatic way to demonstrate that behavior is actually based on very specific changes in the brain.”

            This experiment relates to our lives and humanity because this can improve the studies and knowledge of studies of brains and memory cells. With the technology and all the testing that happened (such as in this experiment), scientists can now learn more about how a mouse’s brain works and their memory, leading to the fact that soon scientists will be able to do the same for humans.

             

          I thought the article, “Making Mouse Memories,” was a very interesting article. I did find it, occasionally, hard to understand, but for the most part, it was pretty straightforward. I thought it was cool to learn about the mind and memory, and this experiment was a cool and interesting way to look at it.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/339302/title/Making_mouse_memories

Posted for J. Carroll

Surgery on Diabetics May Be Better Than Standard Treatment

       The article “Surgery on Diabetics May Be Better Than Standard Treatment, written by Denise Grady for the New York Times, discusses Diabetes and it’s treatments. More specifically, the article talks about how surgery has been more effective at forcing diabetes into remission, as opposed to standard medicine and change in diet. The study found that expensive weight loss procedures such as gastric bypass were incredibly effective for people with Type 2 Diabetes. The study found that people also lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol. A study done at the Catholic University in Rome showed that in two test groups that had bariatric surgery done (weight loss surgery), 75 % and 95% respective to each procedure had complete remission; those who didn’t have bariatric procedures all experienced no remission. In a similar study at the Cleveland Clinic, patients experienced remission rates of 42% and 37% - another astounding result and testament to why weight loss surgery is simply better in combatting Type 2 Diabetes, than alternatives such as exercise, change in diet, and medicine.

     This article is incredibly important for society. In the United States, the number of diabetes cases have tripled in the past 30 years ad stand at more than 20 million current cases. Type 2 Diabetes has reached epidemic-like levels, and with repercussions such as loss of feeling in limbs, and shots of insulin daily, suffice it to say Type 2 Diabetes is not fun or safe. This realization that weight loss surgery or weight loss alone are the only things separating people from good health is huge. It could impact the lives of many, by lowering medical expenses, and getting rid of the risks associated with Type 2 Diabetes.

     I felt that the author did a pretty decent job of writing the article. It was well written, and instilled hope in me, something that is hard to do when writing about medical treatments. Secondly, the author’s information was absolutely incredible. Whenever there was a word or term I didn’t understand, such as bariatric, a good definition was very close by. Finally, one thing that the author could have done better was supplying the reader with facts. While the article was informative and inspiring, it lacked the numbers that really scare people to the core, and therefore had less of an effect on me than it otherwise would have. Regardless, I really enjoyed reading this article, and found it to be well written - making for a pleasant reading experience.

 Grady, Denise. "Surgery on Diabetics May Be Better than Standard Treatment." New York Times 6 Mar. 2012. Www.newyorktimes.com. ING Direct, 6 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/27/science/to-combat-diabetes-weight-loss-surgery-works-better-than-medicine-studies-find.html?ref=science>.

A Tiny Horse That Got Even Tinier as the Planet Heated Up

This article by James Gorman is about the effects of global warming on entire species of animals. The Sifrhippus was once the smallest horse in the world before it went extinct. 50 million years ago, it underwent a change in size from an average of 12 pounds to 8 and a half as the temperature increased over the course of several thousand years. Scientists say that this climate change is to blame for the decrease in the size of the horse. This species was once abundant in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming, where wild mustangs roam freely today. Because smaller mammals tend to shed body heat more easily, scientists say that the horses decreased in size due to natural selection; the larger horses couldn’t cope with the heat as well as the smaller horses, so the smaller horses thrived. The scientists are also saying that this is a trend in mammals, and that we will experience a shrinkage in many mammals as we undergo our own global warming.

This article relates to humanity because we are experiencing global warming, so the we as mammals could undergo the same shrinkage as the sifrhippus did 50 million years ago. Many other species that we live with will also decrease in size as the climate increases.

Overall I enjoyed this article because it relates to humanity as a whole and global warming. I think that the author could have gone more into detail explaining how the natural selection occurred among the sifrhippus.

Gorman, James. "A Tiny Horse That Got Even Tinier as the Planet Heated Up." New York Times. 23 Feb. 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/science/sifrhippus-the-first-horse-got-even-tinier-as-the-planet-heated-up.html

Whales Have Sonar "Beam" for Targeting Prey

The article, “Whales Have Sonar “Beam” for Targeting Prey” written by Christine Dell’Amore describes how toothed whales are able to track fast moving prey in the water by using a “constantly shifting, tightly focused sonar beam.”  Echolocation is the skill that all toothed whales and dolphins have, where they click loudly using special nasal structures and listen for echoes bouncing off objects.  By focusing these clicks into a type of sonar beam, whales are able to efficiently track fast moving prey.  This skill is quite necessary for their survival, as without it, they would most likely not be able to acquire food, as their eyesight proves little to no use underwater, especially when it gets deeper and darker.  Study leader Laura Kloepper, a zoologist at the University of Hawaii at Honolulu, explains this quite clearly.  She says, “The bottom line is echolocation is how these animals make their living. Not only do they have to locate fish, they have to discriminate fish and figure out what kind of fish it is—it's this constant underwater dance between predator and prey.”  This explains why there has to be some sort of focusing going on, or else whales would have no idea what they were eating, if they could even find anything in the first place.  To do some tests, the team worked with Kina, a false killer whale at the University of Hawaii with large amounts of previous training.  In the first experiment, Kina was instructed to swim into an underwater hoop up to her pectoral fins.  Next, a soundproof door was lowered, and Kina then echolocated on a target, a hollow cylinder similar to a toilet paper tube.  “Kina had previously been trained to recognize the thickness of this particular cylinder and to signal this by touching a button with her snout, which earned her a fish reward.”  Kina was then presented with two other types of cylinders in order to test her echolocation skills: one with much thicker walls, which she could detect easily, and another with only slighter thicker walls, which presented more a challenge for Kina to pinpoint.  “While Kina was echolocating the various targets, an array of underwater microphones were measuring her constant barrage of sonar waves.”  After analyzing the data, scientists discovered that Kina’s beam shape had changed depending on the cylinders’ distances and differences.  Kloepper explained that this could be compared to how an eye continuously refocuses on an object.

            This article is important to society because it shows how much more we can still learn about so many things in the world.  Although it may seem as if we know a lot, I can guarantee we have barely scratched the surface, and this newly found information on whales demonstrates how we can learn new things every day.  Plenty of echolocation mysteries remain, however.  For example, scientists are still not sure how whales can hear properly even while clicking incredibly loudly (the focus of the study team's next project).  "The more information we obtain on their ability to manipulate the beam," Houser said, "the more complicated the story becomes."  I chose this article because although I had heard about it, I was interested in how whales could locate things around them and find food in the ocean when their eyesight was not very helpful.

             I found this article to be perfectly written.  After reading it carefully, there was not much I could critique on the article as I found the way it was put together to be very effective and easy to understand and see what they were trying to accomplish.  For example, the first paragraph was basic information on the topic that the reader would need to understand in order to go on further in the article.  Then, the second paragraph was the experiment and some of the results.  And lastly, the third paragraph analyzed the results and explained what it meant to us.

Dell'Amore, Christine. "Whales Have Sonar 'Beam' for Targeting Prey."

     National Geographic 22 Mar. 2012: n. pag. National Geographic. Web. 25

     Mar. 2012. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/

     120322-whales-echolocation-sonar-ocean-animals-science/>.

The First Oxygen Users?

 http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/01/the-first-oxygen-users.html

            This article describes the origins of aerobic respiration, the process in which oxygen is used as a fuel in living organisms. Evolutionary biologists Gustavo Caetano-Anolles of the University of Illinois and his colleagues in China and South Korea examined the genomes from all groups of organisms. Genomes are the entirety of an organism’s hereditary information; it is coded in either DNA or RNA. Using these genomes, they were able to distinguish domains, which are a part of a protein sequence and can evolve, function, and exist independently of the rest of the protein chain. These domains form a three dimensional structure which help in determining their functions. However, proteins with several domains often cause problems when determining the evolutionary origin of a domain. By focusing on domains which were involved in an aerobic metabolism, the biologists hoped to find the origin of this process. After creating a timeline for the evolutionary history of the domain associated with aerobic respiration, the researchers matched the sequence with a geologic timeline. The origin of a particular domain often corresponded to the appearance of a certain organism. The biologists discovered that about 2.9 million years ago, organisms which carried out aerobic processes emerged. They concluded that ancient archaea, single celled microorganisms, used aerobic respiration to produce a form of the vitamin B6. The oxygen necessary to create vitamin B6 came from the breakup of hydrogen peroxide. The scientists explained how the enzyme manganese catalase speeds up the decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. The scientists were able to support their argument with the fact that in this geological period, the massive amounts of hydrogen peroxide could have been produced by glaciers.

            This article is significant because it helps scientists understand the origins of organisms which used oxygen as a primary source of energy. It is a major landmark in biology and other sciences since scientists were able to estimate a date when these organisms emerged. Further investigation could explain the development of the various oxygen using organisms.

            This article was very informative, and it provided a clear explanation of the biologists’ process.  However, there was a lot of scientific jargon in this article which would be hard for an average reader to understand. Despite the use of complex scientific terms, the article was able to deliver a comprehensive and clear explanation. I also liked how the article was able to prove the credibility of the scientists’ research, since it offered interpretations of the experiment from Paul Falkowski, a biogeochemist from Rutgers University, and biogeochemist Timothy Lyons, from the University of California.  

           

Posted for A. Reddy

Reading Between the Tree Rings

     In the article Reading Between the Tree Rings by Kevin Anchukaitis. We learn that tree rings don’t just tell us how old the tree is but that they indicate the rate at which the tree grew. If the rings are close together than the growth those years was small and when the rings are more then the growth was more rapid those years. The branch of science that stud dies tree rings is called Dendrochronology. From studying the different rates of growth we can pin point when droughts occurred and maybe even times of irregular heat or cold. We have even learned about some droughts  in north America and Asia that lasted for decades and probably caused the fall of whole civilizations.

     Studying these rings gives us great insight into the past. The data the scientist are collecting not only tells us about past climate patterns but may help us to predict future weather patterns like droughts as the writer says “Knowing about past climate can allow us to predict its range of possible behavior in the future”. If this were true this would greatly impact every human for we would be able to prepare for times of droughts or take advantage of times of great rainfall. But studying these rings is not an easy task as is stated in the article ”Teasing out climate patterns from tree rings requires a complex understanding of statistics, biology and climatology".

     This article was interesting and I learned something from it. I though the article was well written and easy to follow. I also thought the pictures that went along with this article were interesting but not the most appropriate. I would of liked to see an example of a drought that they pinpointed using the tree ring method overall i would recommend this article to anyone looking for an interesting read. 

http://scientistatwork.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/reading-between-the-tree-rings/?ref=science

"How Cancer Cells Start New Tumor Sites"

This article was written on a study done at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine that was based off the complex molecular process involving the protein that allows cancer cells to create tumors in remote areas of the body. The molecule on the surface of cells, known as CXCR4 is abundant in 23 types of cancer, which include some of the most known and most dangerous types; breast, lung, pancreas and thyroid cancer. The article talks about how cancer in general kills its victim through the process of the cells spreading to different parts of the body. When a tumor splits away from the initial site of the cancer, it circulates the body. A molecule located within the cell, called CXCL12 ends up causing the CXCR4 to signal said cancer cell to make a new tumor, resulting in the spread of cancer to different parts of the body. With the information above, the objective of this study is to understand this signaling pathway. Using human cancer cells called HeLa, researchers found a molecule that is essential in the signaling pathway. The next step is to target the molecule, and disable it to stop the process of cancer cells creating new tumors. The researchers’ are hopeful that the outcome of this study will give them the ability to make a drug to help stop the process.

This article effects humanity in many ways. For example, cancer affects millions of people, whether those people have cancer themselves, or their family members or friends have suffered or are suffering from cancer, therefore, a groundbreaking discovery such as this one could provide a new method to stop new tumors from developing in remote areas in the human body. Essentially saving lives. Also, having multiple family members who have suffered from cancer in the past, I am directly affected by this discovery since it may help my family fight against cancer, and many generations to come in the future.

This article was very informative, and I enjoyed reading it due to the relative nature to my life and many others’ lives, I presume. It was a nice read, and the article wasn’t too hard to follow, except for a few instances. There were a few grammatical errors in the article and some clarification on certain areas of the article would’ve been useful for myself and other readers.

Loyola University Health System. “How cancer cells start new tumor sites.” Biology News Net. Loyola University Health System, 14 Mar. 2012. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. <http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/03/14/how_cancer_cells_start_new_tumor_sites.html>.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/03/14/how_cancer_cells_start_new_tumor_sites.html

"Study: Most wight loss supplements are not effective"

The article "Study: Most wight loss supplements are not effective," by an Oregon State researcher, discussed weight loss and how supplements are, on the whole, ineffective. The article explains how there is no real evidence that an individual supplement can have drastic effects on weight loss. Weight loss supplements is a $2.4 billion industry in the United States that ultimately has no positive effects on health in the United States. In fact, the article explains that some weight loss pills have extremely negative side effects, ranging from "bloating and gas, to very serious issues such as strokes and heart problems."  Melinda Manore says that dietary supplements such as green tea, fiber and low-fat dairy products can help to reduce a persons weight, however without daily exercise it is impossible to loose weight. She states, "I don't know how you eliminate exercise from the equation. The data is very strong that exercise is crucial to not only losing weight and preserving muscle mass, but keeping weight off." In the end, the article says that in addition to daily exercise, eating whole grains, fruit, vegetables and lean meats is the key to weight loss. Furthermore, the article lists many suggestions for a healthier diet. For example, the article says to eat foods that "physically take up more space." For instance, eating 100 calories of grapes instead of 100 calories of raisins will make you feel more satisfied. Having solutions to the problems which the article talked about really made this a well rounded article.

This article is very relevant to the health problems that our society is facing today. The percent of people, both children and adults, in the United States who are obese is growing rapidly. Obesity and health is an enormous problem today and people want solutions. This article disproves a "myth" in a way. It educates people on the truth about dietary supplements and weight loss. More articles like this one are needed to educate the public on health and wellness. The more information the public has, the more likely they are to make more informed and intelligent decisions about their diets and overall health.

This article was informative, interesting and  easy to read. The article starts out with an explanation of the problem it will discuss and clearly and concisely explains common misconceptions and why those misconceptions are wrong. This sequencing was logical and organized which made reading the article much easier. As a result of the logical organizing and the smooth transition between topics the article flowed well. In addition, I really liked how there was a section at the very end of the article which listed different methods and tricks for staying healthy and losing weight. One thing that i didn't like about this article was that it didn't explain the science behind dietary supplements. It didn't go into any detail about why supplements don't work. It also would have be interesting to read about the chemical processes of the metabolism and why it is so difficult to stay healthy and maintain a good body weight.

Oregon State University. "Study: Most Weight Loss Supplements Are Not Effective." Biology News Net. Oregon State University, 6 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/03/06/study_most_weight_loss_supplements_are_not_effective.html>.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/03/06/study_most_weight_loss_supplements_are_not_effective.html

“Titanic Sunk by "Supermoon" and Celestial Alignment?”

            On April 15^th, 1912 tragedy struck the RMS Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean.  The sinking of the RMS Titanic is still known as one of the worst fatal events to ever happen.  Scientists are remarkably still studying what went wrong on the fateful spring night.  In “Titanic Sunk by "Supermoon" and Celestial Alignment?” Richard Lovett explains how scientists have found a new one of a kind theory that explains some unclear facts about the sinking of the Titanic.  Scientists have investigated and found out that an ultra rare alignment of the sun, the full moon, and earth caused unusual waters that night.  Scientists have concluded that that ultra rare alignment caused an unusual pull from the moon that raised tides for the few days before.  The area that the RMS Titanic sunk is not known for having a large population of icebergs.  But with the unusual pull from the moon, scientists feel that icebergs from the coast of Canada could have been drug right into the path of the RMS Titanic.  This can be compared to a rowboat on a beach.  Imagine the rowboat left near the shore and when high tide comes the rowboat being lifted up from the sand.  Basically scientists think that this happened to large icebergs that previously couldn’t have been moved.

            This affects human life today in a coupe different ways.  For instance, many people are still curious about what happened on the night of April 15^th, 1912.  That’s why some of these scientists are still studying.  If scientists are still finding things out now, what does this bode for the future?  Could we discover more things about an event that happened such a long time ago?  Another reason this connects to human life is actually connected to me and a few others in our class.  In Mr. Doyle’s World History class we are actually studying the titanic in detail and planning on writing a research paper on it.  So in fact this actually is present in my life today in a very large way.

            I thought this article was very well written.  Lovett wrote it in a way for someone who doesn’t really have an idea of some terms and/or information on this event to understand easily.  He also wrote with a tone that really kept me wanting to listen to his argument on this theory.  One thing I thought he could have done more of was putting quotes in his article.  Excluding the three quotes at the end the reader really had to trust what Lovett was saying because there was a lack of quotes in the first 10 paragraphs.  In the end I thought that this article was really interesting and something that others should definitely read.

           

Lovett, Richard A. "Titanic Sunk by "Supermoon" and Celestial Alignment?" National Geographic News. National Geographic, 6 Mar. 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2012. .

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/03/120306-titanic-supermoon-moon-science-iceberg-sky-sink/

posted for O. Jones

Ocean Acidification

The article, “Ocean Acidification” proposes the problem of how ocean acidification, caused by global warming and human activities is affecting the oceans, causing them to be increasingly acidic. When we burn fossil fuels, over 30% of the Carbon Dioxide dissolves into the oceans and harms marine life and interferes with coral and mollusk growth. The article explains that nearly all of the mass extinctions that happened in the past were caused increasing levels of CO2 and decreasing oxygen levels, which is happening now. Also, in the past, the levels of Carbon Dioxide were increasing at a rate that is 10 times slower than they are now, so if we continue with this many species of animals that live in the oceans could be wiped out fairly quickly. About 65 million years ago, when an asteroid hit earth, it caused great ocean acidification and ended the Cretaceous period.

          This article was very interesting because it showed that our emissions are not only causing global warming, they are starting a problem that has caused mass extinctions in the past and it could happen again very quickly because of how fast we are emitting carbon dioxide. 

posted for C. Gordon

Depression could be evolutionary byproduct of immune system

The Article ‘Depression could be evolutionary byproduct of immune system,’ proposes that genetic variation that promote depression arose during evolution because they helped our ancestors fight infections.

Depression is so common in adults in the United States that it seems the possibility of depression being ‘hard wired’ into our brains. This has led to biologists proposing several theories and evolutionary advantage.

For years there has always been several links with depression and inflammation, people with depression have a higher levels of inflammation. But people with high levels of inflammation don’t always have depression.

Charles Rasion, co-author, quotes “The basic is that depression and the genes that promote it were very adaptive for helping people – especially young children – not die of infection in the ancestral environment’ If depression can be passed down in genes that it could be the start of a lot more people living longer.

Authors, Andrew Miller and William P. propose that evolution and genetics have bound together depressive symptoms and physiological responses that were selected on the basis of reducing mortality from infection.

Their theory has led to the explanation between stress and depression, a byproduct, of a process that reactivates the immune system in anticipation of a wound.

The immune system is activated with disruption in sleep patterns, eating disorders and mood disorders

Depression occurs one in ten adults, so it is good to be aware of this disease. This article is important because it relates to as humans and that depression and the genes that promote this adaptive for helping young people. Because, of the fact that many people die from infections, surviving them and becoming immune to infections is important since we can pass it on through our genes.

I thought that this article could be improve if Emory University could have explain the previous proposals of depression, to try and help readers understand the article. The article is well written and is more understandable if the reader has a scientific understanding.

Emory University. "Depression Could Be Evolutionary Byproduct of Immune System." Biology News Net. Emory University, 01 Mar. 2012. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. <http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/03/01/depression_could_be_evolutionary_byproduct_of_immune_system.html>.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/03/01/depression_could_be_evolutionary_byproduct_of_immune_system.html

Flu drug Amantadine may boost recovery from severe brain injuries

Although the drug, Amantadine, was originally used to cure the flu during the 1960s, it is now used for other purposes as well. It is used to improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and a very new, recent study showed that is also speeds the recovery of severe brain injuries. This new study completely amazed scientists. The experiment to determine if Amantadine can quicken the process of recovery for brain damages involved 184 patients who suffered from awful brain damages due to falls and car crashes. Approximately a third of these patients were in a vegetative state. The rest of the patients were minimally conscious. Some were given the drug; meanwhile, others were given a placebo for four weeks. They recovered within one to four months from their brain injuries. Both groups made significant improvements. Even though each group did well, the patients that took Amantadine recovered quicker. Some significant improvements were the ability to give yes and no answers to questions, obey commands, and use a spoon or hairbrush. Seventeen percent of the people who received Amantadine were still barely conscious, versus thirty-two percent of the people who took the placebo. Two weeks after this experiment, the recovery of both groups of patients was the same. Despite this observation, the drug still quickened the speed of recovery for people who had fallen badly or have been in devastating car crashes. Amantadine speeds up the recovery for brain injuries caused by a fall or a car crash, but scientists are not completely sure if it works on people who have experienced strokes. Neurologist, Joseph Giacino, believes that Amantadine could also speed up the recovery of gunshot wounds and strokes (but this theory has not been proven yet).

If Amantadine actually works, it can impact so many people who suffer everyday with severe brain damages. However, if it really does not work, it still opens the door to more research, experiments, and progress.

This article is really educational because it updates people with one theory that is being studied in the world of neurology today. This article was very detailed, which made it very easy to understand. The article told the reader what improvements took place with the people who took the drug. In addition, it also clearly explained the experiment and its outcomes done by neurologist, Joseph Giacino, and his 184 patients with the drug, Amantadine, versus the placebo. Even though this was quite well-written, it could have talked a little bit more about the Parkinson side of the drug, so people could compare and see if it is more useful towards that disease instead of head and stroke injuries. Also, neurologists could formally test Amantadine to determine whether or not it can speed up the recovery process for people with brain damages from strokes or just birth defects. Amantadine should continue to be tested for the symptoms it has, and how to make it safer and more useful.

Citation: Staff, CBS News. "Flu Drug Amantadine May Boost Recovery from Severe Brain Injuries." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 01 Mar. 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2012. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57388459-10391704/flu-drug-amantadine-may-boost-recovery-from-severe-brain-injuries/?tag=cbsnewsLeadStoriesAreaMain