Teddy Wardell          10/29/18

Bio C Odd          Current Event 6

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/what-approval-new-flu-drug-xofluza-means-you

Cunningham, Aimee. “What the Approval of the New Flu Drug Xofluza Means for You.” Science

News, 26 Oct. 2018,

www.sciencenews.org/article/what-approval-new-flu-drug-xofluza-means-you.

In the article, “What the approval of the new flu drug Xofluza means for you” by Aimee Cunningham, she explains how a new drug called Xofluza can treat the Flu. This new drug which is currently only available for use in Japan will be a new alternative for the current drug in place, Tamiflu. These two drugs are very unique and use a different kind of way to kill influenza. This drug is still not the best way to kill influenza but can relieve the symptoms in a very short period of time. The way the drug works is by blocking parts of the influenza virus that are responsible for creating proteins that are required to produce more of the virus within a host cell. However, the drugs relieve the flu to the same degree. It only takes two days for the drug to start taking away flu symptoms and is a single-dose treatment. In a clinical trial, about 1,000 adults and adolescents tried Xofluza and experience fewer flu symptoms such as fever, aches, and coughs in only one to one and a half days. This drug is only approved to be used two days after experiencing symptoms but is most effective when used within 24 hours of having the flu. This drug helps mostly people above the age of 65 who are more likely to have complications due to influenza.

This article is very important to our current society for many reasons. One reason that it is relevant is that it shows how Xofluza will be very helpful in the near future. The article describes how a new flu virus that is resistant to Xofluza may emerge. In the article Frederick Hayden, a clinical virologist at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville states, “So clearly we do need alternative treatments” (Cunningham 1). This proves that this drug may be more helpful in the future than it currently is and will help prevent some new flu-like diseases. In addition to this, Xofluza will be used worldwide very soon which means that the next time a person gets a flu shot, they could be using this drug instead of Tamiflu. This way of taking the drug is much easier than Tamiflu and reacts much quicker. Many scientists are excited for this drug to get approved for worldwide use and see what it can do. Finally, this drug will help many people above the age of 65. This is drug is important because it can help the elderly who have influenza prevent asthma or chronic lung diseases.

Overall, I thought this article was written well for the most part and went very into depth about what Xofluza is. The reader gains a lot from the article when it gives quotes that other doctors have said about a certain topic. For example, when infectious disease physician Andrew Pavia of the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City says, “Prevention is better than treatment in all things and that’s absolutely true for flu. So the first message is: Get your flu shot,” it adds a lot to the article and makes the reader feel as if they are having a conversation with the author. Another aspect of the article that I really enjoy is when the author adds specific details in the article. When Aimee Cunningham was writing this article she always used specific examples to add more detail to the article. There are some parts in this article that I didn’t enjoy. First, I would have added a paragraph about when the drug will finally be released. This would help round out the article and give it an ending. On the topic of it not having an ending, the article is missing a conclusion. These two problems can be fixed by adding a few more paragraphs to the end of the article. Overall, I thought that this article was very interesting and insightful.

Bjorn Samios         10/29/18

Bio Current Event Review

Conover, Emily. “This Cloud-Zapping Laser Could Help Scientists Create a Quantum Internet.” Science News, 23 Oct. 2018, www.sciencenews.org/article/cloud-zapping-laser-could-help-scientists-create-quantum-internet?tgt=nr.

In the Article “This Cloud-Zapping Laser Could Help Scientists Create a Quantum Internet,” Emily Conover writes about the fascinating scientific technologies being developed for quantum purposes. The article begins with how the system works; a satellite in space will be capable of emitting a tiny laser which will be able to poke a millimeter-wide hole in cloud cover, and the satellite will then be able to send a beam of information right behind it. This is a large advancement in quantum technology because it eradicates the variable of cloudy weather in testing quantum technologies, such as the hypothetical future quantum internet. Conover describes this new internet as a method of “ultra secure transmission of data,” using quantum particles beamed to and from satellites but cloud cover was always a problematic contingency. The laser was reported to have worked effectively in a cloud chamber in a lab, which mimicked the effects of a real life overcast day. This new technology will speed up the development of a better internet, as well as other quantum technologies due to the removal of the weather variable. On cloudy day, signal lasers sent from satellites get scattered when colliding with the particles in the clouds, losing efficiency and security. Clouds also majorly block quantum testing due to the delicate particles scattering greatly. This invention is a great breakthrough in the development of quantum technologies.

This article had great strengths as well as weaknesses. The author could have done a better job going more in depth on the quantum internet idea. Half of the article title appeal was the idea of a new internet, and the laser just seemed as if it would just be a precursor to that. However, the whole article was pretty much solely about the cloud laser. Conover did a great job of explaining how the laser heats up the cloud particles to send a shockwave that scatters them for a few milliseconds while the information laser slips through. She also succeeded in keeping the article short. A strongly written one page article is more effective than a sloppy five pages. She kept it short enough to hold my attention as well as explain most of the importance, aside from the aforementioned flaws.

Elaina Poulos   10/21/18

Biology Honors Per. 3            Current Event Review

Fox, Maggie. “Why Is It so Hard to Figure out This Polio-like Illness Hitting Kids?”

NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 21 Oct. 2018, 6:30 AM, www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/why-it-so-hard-figure-out-polio-illness-hitting-kids-n922011.

I chose the article “Doctors are Struggling to Find a Cause of This Paralyzing Condition” from NBC News to write my current event review on. This article starts out by explaining to the readers that doctors are really baffled because of the uprise of this rare polio-like disease mainly found in children. The name of this illness is called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM). Then the article goes into saying that last year there were only a few amount of cases, but now for some unknown reason, it is on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made a statement that it’s currently investigating 127 reported cases and so far 62 of them have been confirmed to be acute flaccid myelitis in 22 states. The article includes a quote from Dr. Nancy Messonnier from the CDC, “We have not been able to find the cause of the majority of AFM cases. Despite extensive laboratory testing, we have not determined what pathogen or immune response caused the arm or leg weakness and paralysis in most patients. We don’t know who may be at a higher risk for developing AFM or the reasons why they may be at higher risk.” This response from Dr.Messonnier is scary because we really don’t know what causes this condition so we don’t know the steps a person can take to try to prevent it. It is also strange how the number rose so dramatically from the previous year. In addition, the article tells the viewers that the first wave of this illness occurred in 2014 with 386 cases, but not to panic since the chances of getting this disease is less than one million, so it is very rare. Also it is has been compared to polio, but Dr. Benjamin Greenberg who is an expert in rare neurological autoimmune disorders at the University of Texas claims that AFM is not causing the muscle weakness or paralysis to the degree polio did. Also the article explains that people are generally not tested for viruses therefore public health officials are not aware of what's going around. Doctors and public health officials can only really find out which viruses are going around until there is a widespread outbreak of a virus that forces people into hospitals. Despite this, in around 2014 there was speculation that the virus EV-D68 was the main cause of AFM, but doctors are not 100% sure with this answer because as the article states, “since 2014 there has not been any notable increases in cases of EV-D68, even as cases of AFM rise and fall.” The fact that we don’t know what’s responsible for AFM is bad since doctors don’t how to vaccinate people against it. Also we are not even aware if the cause of AFM is due to a virus. This articles also informs the readers about another concern of this disease which is the immune systems’ of most patients clear up the infection so by the time doctors run tests a specific viral cause does not appear. The CDC does want to be clear on one thing and that is none of the patients tested positive for polio. Symptoms of this disease are it usually starts out as a fever with a possible running nose, but then turns into weakness in the arm or leg with the dreaded droopy eyelid and face. To be clear the main telltale symptoms of this disease are weakness in the arm or leg (as in you can’t move it or can’t get up) and a droopy face. Lastly, as of now the only way to try to protect yourself from this scary disease is to wash your hands.

The content in this article is very relevant and is affecting our society now. There has been 62 cases recorded as of now of acute flaccid myelitis in 2018. Also the cases have been widespread, occurring in 22 different states in the US. Also as mentioned before this disease is frightening especially to young children (who are the most susceptible to this disease). It leaves some children partially paralyzed in places like their arms and legs. It is important that people are aware of this disease so they can take measures to protect themselves and their children. Also it is also important to know that you can develop this disease indirectly which makes it even more concerning. For example, if someone is bitten by a tick or mosquito and they develop either West Nile Virus, Jamestown Canyon Virus, Lacrosse virus, Powassan virus, St.Louis encephalitis, and Eastern equine encephalitis, they can eventually down the road develop AFM. You may ask how? Well as the article states “These viruses cause symptoms including encephalitis, a life-threatening inflammation of the brain; acute flaccid paralysis, which can include AFM and similar conditions; and meningitis.” People should know this so they can dress accordingly when they know they are in a place with a high concentration of ticks or mosquitoes. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which is a federal agency suggests that people should cover up and use repellent to prevent insect and tick bites. This disease is hurting our children and is paralyzing them. As of now, with what we know, this disease can affect anyone. So it is important to take the necessary precautions. Nobody wants to contract this horrible and scary polio-like illness.

I believe the article I read was very informational and well-written. I believe it provided me with useful information and it was written sophistically, but not to the point where it was difficult to read. The average person could read this article and definitely understand it. Another strength is was that it included real quotes from respected and educated officials such as Dr. Nancy Messonnier from the CDC and expert Dr. Benjamin Greenberg. I also liked how the author of this article included where the doctors were from and their place of occupation so we are aware of their background and know they are accredited individuals. The article was not too long to the point where it became boring and uninteresting to read, but it also wasn’t too short and brief.  There are a few areas where this article could be improved such as I wish the author included more about AFM as in how does this disease cause arm and leg weakness. I was curious to find out so I had to look up the answer and it says that it targets the spinal cord which leads to arm and leg weakness and loss of muscle tone. Also as I reread the article I realize that it never states how there exists no cure or specific medical treatment which is true. It glosses over that part and may make some readers wonder “does a cure exist?”. The article does include how there exists no vaccination against it, but does not go in depth about how there is no cure. In addition, another weakness is the author doesn’t explain any possible treatment that could improve the lives of patients. I think the author, to improve the article, should have added that patients may seek physical or occupational therapy to improve their conditions. Lastly, I think this article should have ended with a proper conclusion. It ended with “This is why the CDC’s advice for preventing an infection that might lead to AFM is so general: wash your hands, and cover up and use repellent to prevent insect and tick bites.” An improvement I suggest is that the author should write a conclusion that sums up all the major topics that were discussed and that wraps up the piece. In conclusion, author Maggie Fox wrote a really nice and informative article explaining why it is so hard to figure out why acute flaccid myelitis is targeting kids.

Heres How Researchers Made Mice With 2 Dads Article Review Riley Morgan

Riley Morgan

Biology Mr. Ippolito

Current Event 5

10/21/18

https://www.livescience.com/63877-two-dad-mice.html

The article written by Stephanie Pappas discusses the discovery made by senior study author Wei Li, a stem-cell researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. For the first time, researchers have created mice from 2 male mice and no female. According to the article, the mice were not able to survive for more than one day but the process of creating these mice by  coaxing an embryo made out of the DNA from two male mice all the way through the fetal development stage was extremely challenging. It was way harder then creating mice using too female mice which the article says has been done in 2004. According to Wei, the barrier to single sex reproduction is something called genomic imprinting which is a very important feature for embryonic development. During Sexual reproduction, the offspring inherits half of its DNA from its father and half from its mother.  The DNA from each parent has molecular tags that are added during the formation of the original sperm and egg. These tags are very important to early embryonic development. According to Mellissa Mann, a researcher in reproductive science at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the Magee-Womens Research Institute, studies have shown that when genetical engineers try to create an offspring based off of 2 sperm and no eggs, the embryo is unable to develop while the Placenta flourishes. Other studies have shown that when genetical engineers have tried to create offspring based on two eggs and no sperm, the Embryo thrives and the Placenta fails to develop. While undergoing this study, Wei claims that researches also wondered why mammals cannot reproduce on their own. In order to figure this out, scientists experimented to see what it takes to create parthenogenesis in mammals. Parthenogenesis is the process where a female produces without a male. The researchers used genetically engineered mice stem cells which only had 1 set of maternal chromosomes and injected them into another normal egg. This created an embryo with 2 sets of maternal DNA. The scientists then transferred this embryo of 2 maternal sets and no sperm into a surrogate mouse. The mice appeared normal but were not extensively tested for a long period of time so it is unsure how healthy they would of been as time progressed. Mice with 2 mothers had already been experimented with before in 2004 so scientists focused on a more new and relevant topic: creating mice with 2 dads.  This has only been done once before by researchers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. Researched create male stem cells with x but no y chromosomes. They then injected them into female blastocysts. They let the females develop into adults and then mated the female mice who only carried male X-DNA with other males. When paired, they created offspring that carried genes from two dads. This time, the scientists wanted to take a slightly different approach of seeing if they could make with two dads without the step of genetically engineered females. To tackle this problem scientists injected a sperm cell and stem cell with only paternal DNA into an egg cell which had its nucleus removed. When the nucleus was removed the cell was stripped of all maternal DNA. They then extracted stem cells which developed in the resulting embryo. The extracted stem cells were put into a separate blastocyst.  This was necessary to develop a placenta. After this, the stem cell injected blastocyst was placed into a surrogate mouse mother According to the article, this is “The first time that bi-paternal mice with two direct fathers has been produced.” Although born, the mice did not thrive well. Out of 1023 tries, only 12 mice babies were born. The 12 mice that survived were “swollen with fluids and were more than twice as big as regular mice pups.” The mice had problems breathing and being fed and died one day after birth.

This article is very relevant and has a big effect on society because  according to senior author Qi Zhou, also of the Chinese Academy of Sciences this method can be used again to target the effects of imprinting on various developmental disorders. These findings also are a big help when explaining why mammals cannot produce alone like most amphibians. Although the article says this is very far away, it is possible that these discoveries could also be part of a foundation for same sex human reproduction

This article was extremely well written, detailed, and interesting. Its strengths consisted of being extremely detailed. Every term that was used in the article was defined if not obvious. The experiments also were described in a detailed way. Pappas also did an excellent job explaining the background and events that led up to the main experiment the article was meant to focus on. Although very detailed and clear in some parts, The article was extremely lengthy which caused me to lose interest at some points. The background information of events that led up to the article took up a majority of the writing. The event I wanted to read about was not talked about until the very end. At some points the article was confusing as well. The lengthy descriptions in some cases were helpful but in others just made it even more confusing. To improve this article I would advice Stephanie Pappas to get to the point quicker and not wait till the last paragraph to talk about the topic listed in the Title. I would also work on cutting down and taking out unnecessary words to make the article not only less lengthy but more interesting and less confusing. In conclusion, This article was very innovative in many different ways and was extremely interesting to read but did get confusing and lengthy at times.

George McCormick

Current event

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181011112444.htm

Cell Press. "Clues from a Somalian cavefish about modern mammals' dark past." ScienceDaily.

ScienceDaily, 11 October 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181011112444.htm>.

 

In the article Clues from a Somalian Cavefish about Modern Mammals' Dark Past, Cell Press writes about the unique Phreatichthys andruzzii. With roughly 3 million years of living in pitch black, this species of blind cavefish has lost an archaic system of DNA rehabilitation. This DNA repair system is found in most organisms including bacteria, fungi, plants, and most animals. This process harnesses the energy from visible light to repair ultraviolet damage to the DNA. This is important because only placental mammals were previously thought to lack this system. The article highlights the evolution of animals in extreme environments and focuses on how and why their DNA changed throughout time. We are given insight into what our evolutionary ancestors were like during the time of the dinosaurs and why they evolved.

Although this article does not have a lot of influence or a large impact on society,  its value and relevance falls on the impact of the discovery and what information it gave scientists. The discovery does not impact society itself, but our understanding of our beginning as a species. Due to the fact that this Somalian species of fish has not seen light for 3 million years, it lost the highly conserved gene that allows for photoreactivation. All non placental animals and mammals use this DNA repair system, making it quite peculiar as to why just this fish is special. Even other blind cave fish still have this gene, or an improved version, posing the question why did this fish lose its ability to use its photoreactivation mechanisms? “The researchers found that Phreatichthys andruzzii carries mutations that disrupt the function of essential DNA repair genes. It also lacks a regulatory enhancer element, which coordinates and enhances DNA repair in response to sunlight in other species by turning other genes ‘on.’” The interesting thing is this lack of ability shows a more extreme level of adaptation, making it even more unique. This high level of adaptation points to the idea that modern mammals ancestors once lived and evolved in  darkness. This discovery may not be all that important to society, but its roots in our origins is undeniable. This research and information about genes, specifically DNA repair genes, may eventually lead to medical implications and gene therapy.

Overall I thought this article about Somalian cavefish was very informational, written well, and had many strengths. Informationally, this article was on point, melding many facts together about genes, DNA, evolution, the specific species of fish, and time all into one conglomerate. The author made the high level of information in this article clear and easy to understand, even for someone with little background knowledge about genetics or cave fish. One weakness the author had was that there were not many implications or connections to society, this could change as soon as an advancement is made. As for now though, this information can only aid in further research and hypothesis. If I were the author I would have tried to relate this research to something applicable to humans, but the real challenge is how this information is used. Some of the theories surrounding evolution and our ancestors should be further developed and elaborated on. To sum it up, I thought this article was very informational and delivered it well, even connecting it to other science/history topics.

Ben Mandanas         10/2/18

Core Bio       Current Event 4

Gramling, Carolyn. “Here's What's Unusual about Hurricane Michael.” Science News,

10 Oct. 2018,

www.sciencenews.org/blog/science-ticker/whats-unusual-about-hurricane-

michael?tgt=nr.

In the article “Here's What's Unusual about Hurricane Michael.” by Carolyn Gramling, she talks about the immense strength of Hurricane Michael. Gramling talks about the science behind what creates a supercharged storm, such as Hurricane Michael. Warmer ocean temperatures combined with moist air are the two of the ingredients to making a superstorm. Gramling also states why Hurricane Michael went from just shy of a category 5 to 3 and back to 5 right before slamming into Georgia. This is because as the hurricane exited the warmer waters in the Gulf of Mexico and entered the drier air around Florida, this caused it to weaken. Hurricane Michael slammed into the coast with wind speeds around 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph), just shy of being a category 5. Scientists, although they don’t know for sure, point rapid intensification of storms to global climate change and the recent increase of surface ocean temperature.

This article has a very important impact on society, it not only teaches people about global climate change, but the impacts of it as well. In the article, scientists have long predicted that warming ocean waters will have an impact on the type of major storms we have. This has a major impact on people's lives because this could displace them from their homes and they could lose family members to the increasingly dangerous storms. Also, this could have impacts on the national economy, storms can shut down important cities for weeks at a time, destroying businesses. Lastly, a major impact of not only the storms but rising ocean temperatures have been melting the polar ice caps, making the se level rise.

Overall, the article “Here's What's Unusual about Hurricane Michael.” by Carolyn Gramling, is very well written and has many strengths. Gramling weaves the science and numbers into her writing very well, helping the reader grasp the overall topic. This also lets the reader take in what they are learning. Also, she proves that rapid intensification of a hurricane is not a new thing, this helps convey and prove her argument. One weakness their was in the article was, Gramling didn’t include the affects the hurricane would have on Georgia and its surrounding states. This would have given the reader a greater understanding of the immense strength of a hurricane with wind speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour. Gramlings article needs little improvement, other than a new paragraph on the general effects of a superstorm like this would have on the region. Also, she could add how to prepare for one of these and how the U.S. could predict one in advanced.

“Scientists used Zika to kill aggressive brain cancer cells in mice”

Kathryn Haggerty

Mr. Ippolito

Core Biology

Current Event
October 2, 2018

“Scientists used Zika to kill aggressive brain cancer cells in mice”

Patel, Neel V. "Scientists Used Zika to Kill Aggressive Brain Cancer Cells in Mice." Popular Science. 21 Sept. 2018. Web. 04 Oct. 2018.https://www.popsci.com/zika-glioblastoma-cancer

    For this week's current event, I read the article “Scientists Used ZIka to Kill Aggressive Brain Cancer Cells in Mice.” This article discusses the effects of using the Zika virus to prevent and, furthermore, save a living thing from cancer cells, particularly in the brain. Researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and from China successfully used this Zika virus to create a vaccine of their own and use it to kill aggressive brain cancer, known as glioblastoma. This awful diseases kills most of it patients in less than two year and usually returns to the lucky few that survive the initially cancer. The team tested the vaccine out on mice without an immune system and found that it did not cause infection. In addition, the brain stayed intake and the no behavioral problems were recognized. More importantly, the researchers also tested the vaccine out on mice with the glioblastoma tumor, and the results were astonishing. The vaccine managed to reduce the amount of cancerous brain cells living inside the mice’s brain. This amazing discovery could one day lead to a potential cure for glioblastoma brain cancer. In other words, this article points to how many things that present themselves as dangerous to humans, could in turn save their lives.

    This medical achievement has an enormous effect on society. In New York City alone, 496 people per year suffer from this disease. It is estimated that 16,830 adults in America will die from brain cancer every year. This number needs to be decreased. The overall effect of this Zika vaccine could greatly influence the survival of hundred upon hundreds of Americans. In turn, this discovered could also lead to the discoveries of other vaccines, for other diseases, located in the last place suspected. The fact that the things we look at as horrible and awful could actually be the things to save us at the end of the day, shows how crucial it is to look at things from every perspective. Pei-Yong Shi, a UTMB geneticist came up with initial idea to place the vaccine in mice to see the effect. “The vaccine managed to reduce tumor growth overall, and specifically target and kill off cancerous brain stem cells from both tumor lines, prolonging median rodent lives from 30 days to 48 days and 31 days to 53 days, respectively.” These results were astonishing. However, there are many downsides to the vaccine that many researchers have found. One being that mice and humans have different immune systems, which could drastically change the outcomes.

    Overall, I believe that, the author Neel V. Patel, was extremely informative on the new discoveries of everyday life. He took something that is discarded as bad and made it good. The author used comprehensible language to bring across there point in an appropriate matter. In addition, the author added downsides to the article, which shows that the information in the text is not exactly correct. There is always room for fault in discoveries like these. For my critiques of the article, I believe that the author could’ve presented more background information on glioblastoma tumors and their overall effect on the world. I had to complete outside research in order to learn the daunting matter of the disease. In addition, Patel should’ve added more sources to support his claims. If he were to add two or three more scientists opinions on the matter, the credibility of the article would be so much stronger. Overall, Patel did a great job in bringing awareness to a crucial part of life. Without this, the chance of creating a vaccine for brain cell cancer would be slim to none at this point. In turn, I am looking forward to reading more of his articles in the future.