Carp DNA Is Found in Lake Michigan

Henry Arcano 1/21/10

Chemistry Article Review

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/science/20carp.html?ref=science

Genetic material of the Asian Carp, an invasive species that has been nearing the Great Lakes for years, has been found in Lake Michigan. That means that the fish has somehow gone past the elaborate system of barriers created to keep it out of the Great Lakes. These barriers, costing millions of dollars, were made to stop the fish from reaching the Great Lakes, where it would have no natural competitors and will threaten the fish population. Now no live or dead fish have been found, and there are many other ways that the DNA could have reached Lake Michigan. However, it is being taken as an early warning that there may be live Carp in the Lake. No one knows how the DNA got into the Lake, and no one probably ever will. The Supreme Court denied Michigan the right to close the locks of a Chicago shipping canal that goes directly into the lake on the day the positive DNA samples were found. This is bringing even more calls for help from the Great Lake states. The governors of Wisconsin and Michigan have called for the Obama administration to call an emergency summit and identify an emergency rapid response. Professor Lodge of Notre Dame says that the court rulings and the DNA findings “Highlight the urgency” of action to protect the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes have a 7 billion dollar fishing industry and 20% of the world’s fresh water.

This crisis affects humanity in general. If the Asian Carp invade the Great lakes, then they would be able to support high-density populations. This would lead to a decrease in the population of the natural species of fish. That might deplete the 7 billion dollar fishing industry going on right now.

I found this article very interesting, but I thought that it was hard to understand unless you already have background information about what’s happening with Asian Carp. Other than that, I did not have any problems with this article.

"Scientists Find a Shared Gene in Dogs With Compulsive Behavior."

Derr, Mark. "Scientists Find a Shared Gene in Dogs With Compulsive Behavior." The New York Times 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 21 Jan. 2010. .

Researchers have recently studied Doberman Pinschers and their compulsive actions. For example, Dobermans will suck their flanks for ours at a time. These Scientists describe their findings remarkable, considering they have thought to find “the first gene identified in dogs.” OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) is found from 2.5 percent to 8 percent of the human population. OCD symptoms in humans can be identified from behavior such as excessive hand washing, repetitive checking of stoves and with that pulling the hair from root and self-mutilation. Dr. Dodman, Tufts University, and his scholars did a study. They gathered a group of 94 Doberman Pinschers that did suck their flanks or blanket. They also took another group of 73 Dobermans that did neither of these two actions. For both of these groups Dodman studied their genetic history along with their DNA. After many studies Dodman discovered a spot on canine chromosome 7, it contained the gene CDH2(Cadherin 2). From his discovery of this spot he was able to make a distinction between the two groups of dogs. “OCD” dogs (dogs that sucked blankets and splits) had the spot, while the ones who did neither had no spot. In further studies the Cadherin found in humans usually results in autism and spectrum disorder, which involve compulsivity.

I thought that this article gives scientists another look how we are in a way related to all living beings. Not only in chromosomes of humans, but in dog genes of compulsivity are found. I just find that unbelievable. I also think after taking in information from this article, that from the findings of Dr. Dodman could take us one step into the future of finding genetic disorders in humans. Not only could we find it in humans, but in all living beings. Overall I predict that the discoveries of Dodman will, at some point better the future of the human race, and the world.

Being a critic for this article is tough, considering that there is not to much to talk about considering its flaws. I thought overall it was a nicely written article. It was very informative, interesting and kept me reading. I would have to say the only think Derr Mark could improve upon is how he lures the reader in. I like dogs, that is the reason that kept me reading. He needed to include more interesting comparisons or facts to break up the stiffness and the seriousness.

Bacteria Transformed into Living Blinking Clocks

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-01/video-bacteria-transformed-living-blinking-clocks-could-provide-precisely-timed-drug-delivery This is a video accompanied by an article about the discovery scientists from UCSD involving the bacteria E. coli. Scientists discovered away to manipulate these bacteria in away so that they release florescent beams of energy at periodic intervals. In other words, they make the bacteria blink. This is extremely interesting, but even more phenomenal was the discovery of quorom sensing, an exchange of molecules between the bacteria, in order for the bacteria cultures to be synchronized.

What does this mean for us? Actually, it is a great deal of importance towards us because the researchers are able to implement this in other bacteria cultures, such as those found in yogurt, so that they exchange molecules containing information on the consumers system. Basically, the bacteria receive live feedback of the body's condition, so they can assess what is wrong and deal out the correct amount of medicine. At least, that's the goal. These researches are now trying to swap the dye gene that emits light with man made compounds, like drugs, so they can be released from the pill at the appropriate time.

I think this article was very intriguing and that the video was amazing. In the last few years, man has made some major steps in medicine, and this not only proof of it, but further advancement of our capabilities. I'm excited to find out more about the outcome of this operation and hope it can help humans greatly in the future.

Mind Readers

In the article "Mind Readers" by Lisa Katayama she describes her
experiences visiting the University of California at Berkeley and
learning about the technology research being put forward to create
computers that are able to pull pictures from the brain just by scanning
it. When you see a picture the visual cortex immediately interprets it
(there are an estimated 300 million neurons in the visual cortex alone,)
sending various electrical and chemical signals through the brain. What
Dr Jack Gallant is trying to do is create a mass catalogue of the
different type of signals that different visual stimuli trigger and
using a computer, recreate the scene based on these results. To do this
his team at the Henry H. Wheeler Jr. Brain Imaging Center send many
people through MRI scans and show them pictures, recording the activity
in their brain. Using an algorithm called Baye's theorem they calculate
the probability that the signals they see are associated with the
specific picture. This way they can figure out, with around ninety
percent accuracy, which signals correspond to which aspect of the photo.
So far his computer is able to register some blobby shapes and
movements, so if you think about an elephant crawling across a desert, a
grey Dumbo shaped blob will appear to be crawling across the computer
screen. This is quite impressive, but all around the world scientists
are working on creating brain reading machines for not just pictures,
but emotions and dreams as well. What all these scientists agree on, is
that the first brain reading machines will be in use sometime this
century.
This article is fascinating, because the subject matter sounds like it
comes from a horror science fiction movie, but is actually happening at
this very moment. If such technology was perfected it could help
humankind immensely, affecting many different fields. This technology
could illuminate the inner worlds of those suffering from
hallucinations, post traumatic stress disorders and other cognitive
difficulties, thus aiding doctors in their search for a cure. Judges
could also use this technology in the courtroom, by probing into
suspects brains, and testing to see whether those claiming insanity do
have valid justification. However, many new ethical issues may be
raised, because many are uncomfortable with the idea that our private
thoughts could be subject to snoopers and hackers.
I didn't have any major qualms with this article; I found it very
informative and interesting. The only thing I would change is to spend
less time taking Dr. Gallant's ideas on why the brain is so awesome and
spitting it back at us. We know the brain is awesome already, what we
want to find out is how we can unlock all of this power.

Not All Ski Slopes Are Environmentally Equal, Study Concludes

This article speaks about studies that have been done recently on ski slopes. It has been concluded that cleared ski runs cause less damage to our ecosystem than graded slopes because on cleared runs, seed banks and small shrubs are left on the slope. Also the top layers of the soil are left intact. This supports plant growth and vegetation, which in turn supports wildlife. On graded slopes everything is bulldozed over which removes topsoil and vegetation. This significantly damages our ecosystem. The article also states that the only reason that there are graded slopes is because they open a couple of weeks earlier than cleared runs.
This article is very important because not many people realize that the slopes that they are skiing on could be damaging the environment. Also, it is teaching people that they could be helping the environment if they wait few weeks later normal for the skiing season to start.
I though that this article was very interesting. It taught me a lot; I never thought of ski slopes as not being environmentally friendly. This article was easy to understand and there was not one point in it where I was bored. I would even be interested to learn more about this topic from reading this article.

Bhanoo, Sindya N. "Not All Ski Slopes Are Environmentally Equal, Study Concludes." New York Times 12 Jan. 2010. Web. 13 Jan. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/science/12slopes.html?ref=science>.

COUNTING OF CALORIES ISN'T ALWAYS ACCURATE

Counting of Calories Isn’t Always Accurate
Caroline Yerkes
January 13, 2010
CHEM IH

CITATION: Bakalar, Nicholas. The New York Times Online. 13 Jan 2010. 11 Jan 2010.

SUMMARY:

Are calorie totals always correct? When researchers tested the food sold in some chain restaurants and frozen foods sold in grocery stores, they found that the actual calorie content of most foods averaged higher than the given amounts.

Not all foods were this way, and and some dishes actually contained more calories than listed. Some food companies are arguing that not all servings are identical, and more tests need to be done to reach an accurate conclusion.

This article is interesting because you would think that since these values should be regulated by the government that they should always be correct. However this is not the case, and in the research, most listed calorie counts are not correct. This article would be helpful for those basing their diets around a 2000 calories intake, if they have inaccurate figures, it is impossible for them to do this.

I liked this article because it was very interesting. It was pretty well written. It was not very complex or confusing. I like getting articles from the New York Times because they are always very well written and prepared with just the right amount of detail.

"E.P.A. Seeks Stricter Rules to Curb Smog"

Amanda Austi January 11 2010

Chemistry 1H Current Events

E.P.A. SEEKS STRICTER RULES TO CURB SMOG

Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency has introduced a stricter standard for smog-causing pollutants. Smog or ground-level ozone is formed in the presence of sunlight by a reaction of nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide and methane. The main sources of these pollutants are power plants and factories, fumes from volatile solvents, vehicles emissions and gasoline vapors. The new standard will bring ample health benefits to many Americans, as well as imposing large costs on industry and local governments. In 2008, Bush had made an administration that has been challenged by state officials for being too weak, and not protecting human health and the environment. Obama’s new administration sets a standard for ground level ozone, up to 0.060 to 0.70 parts per million, over 2 decades. This new rule will replace the 0.075 parts per million proposed by the Bush administration. The Obama administration would also propose a secondary smog standard that would change depending on the season, thus protecting plants and trees.

The new standard proposed by Obama, will affect our humanity in many ways. IT will force hundreds of countries that meet the current law to take steps to get back into compliance. 322 countries of the 675 that monitor ozone levels are out of compliance. If the limit if followed, 515 countries would be out of compliance. Obviously, this is a huge difference and could help out environment. Lastly, agency analysts have estimated that if the standard is followed, 12,000 premature deaths per year from heart or lung diseases could be avoided, as well as cases of bronchitis, asthma, and nonfatal heart attacks. Obama’s new administration clearly affects humanity today and will help our environment tremendously.

The article, “E.P.A. Seeks Stricter Rules To Curb Smog” was a very well written article. I enjoyed reading it a lot because the author, John M. Broder made it very comprehendible. This was a very confusing topic, but it was easier to read because Broder explained everything about the administration. Also, what I really liked was how he compared it to the previous administration by Bush, and explained the harmful effects of smog. Therefore, I thought this article was very helpful and interesting.

Citation: Broder, John M. ""E.P.A. Seeks Stricter Rules to Curb Smog"." nytimes.com N.p., Jan. 2010. Web. 11 Jan. 2010. . Path: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/08/science/earth/08smog.html?ref=science.

Cancer Risks Debated for Type of X-Ray Scan

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/09/health/09scanner.html?ref=science
Cancer Risks Debated for Type of X-Ray Scan
In this article scientists and political leaders are debating whether or not to put full body X-Rays in airports. Most scientists say that it has radioactivity and the waves can cause cancer. This debate mainly came forth on December 25, when a plane was attempted to bombed from Amsterdam to Detroit. The American Civil Liberties Union denounced these scanners as a “visual strip search.” They think that this would be a violation of peoples privacy. Some airports already have this equipment for their random special security checks. Another issue is the amount of radiation. The less radiation they use in the scanners, the less effective and visual the x-rays will be. Its been said that the billion people that use these scanners there will only be ten more deaths a year from the radioactivity. It was said that those deaths would represent only a tiny increment over the existing cancer rate, just as the extra dose was a tiny fraction of the natural background dose of radiation people get from everyday exposures, but they should still be considered.
I chose this article because I’ve heard a lot about the airplane traveling and attempted bombing. Also I went on a trip in and out of the country while this cenario was going on. The security was very on their feet because of this man, getting through security and on to a plane with this bomb.
This article was written well. It was easy to understand. It also did not have too much scientific wording that was difficult for me to comprehend. Also, it was on a topic that I was interested and knew most of the vocabulary from when I had heard this previously.

Poison-taster ants help save colonies

Chemistry 9 1/10/10 Cyrus Adamiyatt

Poison-taster ants help save colonies

This article tells of an element of an ant’s lifestyle that helps save its colonies. These ants have evolved in order to help combat poison. When it gets cold and ants find themselves out of food, they often enter homes looking for something to eat. In reaction to this homeowners often put out poison to kill the ants. Ants use three tactics to fight poison and famine, and one particularly interesting is sacrificing some ants as poison-tasters. This same tactic can be used to distribute food quickly after a famine, while guarding against sickness. Researchers from the University of the West of England discovered this through experimentation ants. They housed the ants and gave them no food or water for 48 hours. During the famine ants that had normally been active stayed in place to conserve energy and food. When working ants needed a boost food was shared through mouth to mouth regurgitation. The ants known as “living silos” that tested the food could act as both testers for food toxicity and to store food. When the famine ended 95% of ants were fed within the first 30 minutes, but the system of food distribution through living silos meant that the food was mixed and diluted lowering the chance of poison.

This article can relate to humanity because many people have problems with ant infestation and now it is known that poison will not necessarily take care of the colonies that have made your house their home.

I thought that this article was very well-written with the use of good vocabulary, and very well summarized. This was a long topic that could have been made into a long and confusing article. Instead the author was able to keep the article to an adequate length, but still teach everything in a way that is understood. I enjoyed reading this article and I have to say that it was very well-written and had few noticeable flaws in any aspect of the article.

Viegas, Jennifer. "Poison-taster ants help save colonies." www.msnbc.com MSNBC, Jan. 2010. Web. 10 Jan. 2010. .

Where Did the Time Go? Do Not Ask the Brain

Where Did the Time Go? Do Not Ask the Brain

By Benedict Carey

Many people have recently been asking themselves questions like, “what happened to 2009” and, “did we really just start a new decade?” It seems like the previous decade has gone by much faster than others, why? Because the brain is awful at telling time. Scientists have been studying how the brain keeps time but have not proved anything yet. Some think that certain cells count intervals in the brain like an internal clock. But this clock is not good at telling time. For example, when a group of college students where asked when Brittany Spears shaved her head, on average they were 3 months off. Another example is a French explorer who spent 2 months in a cave without being able to tell if it were day or night. He was convinced he had only spent 25 days in the cave. The way time is kept in the brain depends on what is happening in that person’s life. Something emotional such as a breakup or getting married seems much more recent than it really was. Memories help the brain tell time. This is why other people’s children seem to grow up much faster than their own. Because they only have memories of that child when they were much smaller, compared to their own children who they see everyday and can not notice their growth. Overall, it is very hard to comprehend how the brain tells time and no scientist has discovered exactly how it does. What we do know is that it is bad at telling time.

This article can relate to all human beings because everybody has trouble telling time with their brain. It tells about how the brain tells time and why it is so bad at telling time too. This article relates to me because I also have trouble at telling time without a clock or calendar.

Overall this was a good article. It was able to make this complicated subject about the brain into a comprehendible article about time. It had good examples of how awful the brain is with time and why it is so bad with it too. Overall this was a great article.

Rare Breeds, Frozen in Time

Alex Adrian 1/9/10

Chemistry Current Events

Rare Breeds, Frozen in Time

By Barry Estabrook

This intriguing article brings to the surface a new way to save the breeds of animals that are dying off. The SFV method to maintaining a steady growth of near-extinct farm animals is that the scientists freeze embryos of the animals in a freezer about the size of a washing machine. The purpose of this is to conserve the breed before it is too late. These embryos are then thawed out and embedded in a surrogate mother. The baby animal will be born; with no problems or disabilities and Chip is the breathing proof. Chip is a rare fainting goat from Tennessee that has a beard and an impressive pair of horns. The SFV was the foundation that brought Chip into the world and many other animals. This heritage livestock preservation facility helps make these animals lives happen and these animals do not ever end up on a cabob. The SFV organization is the only one in the country that’s main goal is to conserve rare heritage livestock breeds through a process of freezing semen and embryos. This technique is called cryopreservation. On Chips long journey to the earth he spent his first six days in his mothers embryo and then he was flushed from her womb and spent a few months frozen in the freezers. He was then thawed and transplanted into his surrogate mother who was not of the same species, but a common breed called a Nubian doe. Chip was born a normal fainting goat. Some say that the creatures born at the SFV center are misfits but these special animals are anything but. They are the last of their kind that are very necessary in sustaining these breeds. The animals are not bred for the company to make money off of them by selling their meat;these animals live a normal, healthy life on a farm eating nothing but grass in a pasture. Dr. George Saperstein, who is the foundation’s chief scientific adviser said, “Think of this as a safety valve program.” The doctor meant that the SFV program would be the savior of the generations if there was ever a famine in the livestock industry because the frozen embryos would come into play. In California in 2006, there was a heat wave that wiped out 16,500 cows and the farmers could not do anything to stop it. Livestock was wiped away, and the farms were producing little to nothing. Programs like SFV are hopefully going to sprout up in more parts of the US enabling the US to keep our precious animals living for as long as possible. These animals do contribute to our everyday lives because just like any other goat, Chip produces milk, which is then sold. His milk is no different than any other goat’s milk, which further proves that these animals are not being genetically altered. They are being born when their mothers cannot have enough babies in her lifespan.

This article was clearly written and the format of the article was perfect. I would read about background information first and then read more about the program called SFV that was helpful because I had never heard of the organization. A good amount of supporting details helped me better understand the article. To improve the article a few more examples could have been included but from the article I became aware of the situation that arose recently. Lastly, the amount of proof was perfect because I could see that the article was completely true and that the SFV is a fabulous program that is greatly needed in the US. The company is a nonprofit organization that needs to gain more awareness and contributions of America can help us save our dying-off animals!

Sources:

Estabrook, Barry. "Rare Breeds, Frozen in Time." The New York Times 5 Jan. 2010,
science ed.: n. pag. Web. 9 Jan. 2010. 06/dining/06frozen.html?ref=science>.

Massive Black Hole Implicated in Stellar Destruction

Core Chem Honors - Block 2 Nick Proios
Dr. Charles Ippolito January 4, 2010

Massive Black Hole Implicated in Stellar Destruction

link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100104120148.htm

Scientists from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory believe that a star has recently been destroyed by a big black hole. The scientists suggest that this black hole is much more massive than the Sun. Supposedly a thousand times as massive. These Chandra observations showed a source of X-rays in a cluster of stars and mysterious elements which were in the emissions of X-rays. It is believed that these X-rays are part of the "ultralimonous X-ray source" or ULX category. This would mean that the ULX is more luminant than any stellar X-ray source but its less luminous than the bright X-ray sources that have to do with massive black holes. However the nature of the ultralimonous X-ray sources is still a mystery. The ULX source that was believed to be seen was in a cluster of old stars. Jimmy Irwin of the University of Alabama led the study. Him and his colleagues were able to pick up an optical spectra of the cluster using Magellan 1 and 2 telescopes in Las Campanas, Chile. The data showed emission from gas that had oxygen and nitrogen but not hydrogen. They believe that the gas is orbiting a black hole that has at least 1000 solar masses. Irwin concluded that the destroyed star was a white dwarf.
This article is important for kids who are studying astronomy and chemistry, It teaches about line spectras and how they can be used to identify gases when they are obtained. This current events article is important to me because I had no idea that X-rays, which contain large amounts of energy, could be found in clusters of stars.
I didnt enjoy this article too much. Although it did teach me more about astronomy. When I first came across it it seemed interesting, but I didn't find it very attention grabbing while I was reading it. It isn't the type of article that I would enjoy reading.

NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center. "Massive Black Hole Implicated in Stellar Destruction." ScienceDaily 4 January 2010. 4 January 2010 .

Private-space industry developing

Verhovek, Sam H. "Space Inc." Popular Science Jan. 2010: 34-41. Print.

Many Corporations, such as the company Virgin Galactic, are designing low-orbit craft for "space tourism" purposes. The private space-travel industry is growing; many passengers have already paid for tickets to later flights. The private space industry is increasing in size and now includes at least fifteen companies trying to build spacecraft. At least one group is promising to begin commercial launches as early as 2011. Companies with viable spacecraft stand to make even bigger gains when the space shuttle is retired by NASA. One group, Orbital Sciences Corp., already holds a $1.9 billion contract to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). A few other groups are vying to provide transport to the ISS once the space shuttle is retired.
I liked this article. It covers a very interesting topic and is well-written. However, the topic can be considered unimportant because of all the problems that we are encountering on the earth (e.g. global warming). Also, it didn't provide too much information about the companies themselves, and only mentioned seven of them.

First Wave

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/40789/title/First_wave

Halfway between Hawaii and Fiji lies a little-known nation called Kiribati. In the central Pacific ocean, it may not be a very popular destination for tourists but it has something other tropical islands don’t have; the world’s largest marine preserve harboring one of the last pristine coral reef ecosystems. However, soon these islands that make up the nation may be known for something less desirable than perfect getaways or a coral reef. This nation is among the lowest spots on earth, consequently leading to the first couple islands to vanish due to global warming. James J. McCarthy, the past president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Harvard University biological oceanographer, states, “They are like the canary in the coal mine in terms of the dramatic impact of climate change on a whole civilization of people. They didn’t cause the problem, but they will be among the first to feel it.” In island and coastal countries, the impact of global warming may be so drastic that adaptation is not really an option, possibly forcing people out of their homes. Leaders in Kiribati are trying to get international assistance to plan for that worst-case scenario. This would happen due to the rising water level, which is caused when the water expands (thermal expansion) due to human caused climate change, or when the land-based glaciers and ice caps melt. At a meeting in Poland, organizations representing about 40 small islands and the poorest 50 developing countries pushed for industrialized nations to take tougher action against climate change, to prevent evacuation and submerged areas. The fate of these islands rest on the government. If they make touch climate controls to help stabilize the environment, then the islands can be saved. If we continue emitting gases and other harm into the atmosphere, these islands will surely be destroyed.

I thought this article was too long and provided way too much at times. The article continuously went off topic and I had to organize my review for the article to make sense. I didn’t like the way it was planed or the amount of writing in the article. It seemed that it wasn’t thought out enough. I hope that the government will finally take action to stop climate change and to save the many people in danger of being evacuated.

White Lizards Evolve in New Mexico Dunes

Deep in the White Sands of New Mexico, for the past decade, scientists have been doing research on these lizards that were brown, but over time became white. Professor Erica Bree Rosenbloom, from the University of Idaho says that brown lizards very rare and hard to find. Her focus is on three lizard species that have supposedly turned white so they can hide or escape from their predators. This is an example of convergent evolution, when all species aquire the same traits. But despite this the fact that they all have the same traits, the mutations and molecular mechanism is different, and the mutation has made the white skin trait dominant, and the trait spreads more quickly through the first species of Lizards than it does the rest. This article is very captivating and informative of the tough subject of evolution. It makes me think about all the experiments people will be doing on animals to test the theory of evolution, and how creatures adapt to new environments which some how can change their physical appearances that make them look somewhat abnormal.