An About-Face on a Risky Transplant

CHEM-IH                                                                                                   Morgan Frayne

Current Events QTR 4                                                                                      4/29/14

Facial transplants are risky business. The procedure is complicated and so much can go wrong during the surgery. One team removes the face and underlying tissues from a donor, while a second team removes the damaged portions of the recipient’s face. Bone, if needed, is attached first. Then four major arteries and veins, two on each side of the upper neck, are attached as quickly as possible. Once blood flows to nourish the new face, surgeons can take more time to stitch nerves, muscles, other soft tissues and finally the skin. As the graft heals and nerves regenerate, rehabilitation to relearn speaking and other tasks begins; monitoring for rejection lasts a lifetime. The entire procedure and rehabilitation process is tedious and requires a lot of patience and effort with both the patients and the doctors. The surgery has no yet been perfected, and is still relatively new. The first face transplant was performed in France in 2005, and it is said that the surgeons didn’t follow ethical or legal guidelines.

I think that this article informing people on facial transplants is very important to others because anyone can be born with a mutated face, or have a serious trauma that disfigures their face. Either way it’s important to know about things like these because it may affect us and those around us. I think its important to have general knowledge of something like this so that you can have a base to learn off of if it was necessary to know about this for something that’s happened to you or someone you know.

I think that this article was very detailed and certainly gave me an insight into a risky surgery like this. I had no idea that facial transplants were as new as they are, and now that I do I am able to have an opinion on this topic. One thing is that I didn’t really like the way that the author of this article organized his ideas. When it came to the section of the article that informed the reader on the surgeon’s job and the physical procedure, I had to pause because the author made it a little tough to follow the logistics of the surgery.  Regardless I still think this article was splendid and I’m undeniably glad that I read it.

Altman, Lawrence K. "An About-Face on a Risky Transplant." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Apr. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.

In Land That Values Ivory, Wild Elephants Find a Safe Haven

Jacobs, Andrew. "In Land That Values Ivory, Wild Elephants Find a Safe Haven." The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/26/world/asia/in-land-that-values-ivory-wild-elephants-find-a-safe-haven.html?ref=science&_r=0>.


I read the article “In Land That Values Ivory, Wild Elephants Find a Safe Haven,” by Andrew Jacobs. In this article the issue of mass slaughter of elephants is expressed. Over the past decades the number of elephants in the world has almost doubled thanks to people having a bugger role in the protection of these animals. Recently however, studies have shown that in China, a place known for needing ivory, may have the perfect place to shelter elephants. In southwest China forests provide protection for the elephants with plenty of food and less hunting. The one problem facing these areas is the loss of habitat, and resources. The elephants that now have less food will wander to farmers plantations and steal food. These issues are currently being addressed with authorities all over China.

Although the decrease in elephant population may induce sadness into our lives it has no real and direct effect, these crops being eaten could be some that are grown for trade. Therefore, areas such as the U.S may end up affected by these elephants in China. This article can also open our eyes to the environmental concerns we should have and be able to save animals habitats not just elephants.

I think the writer of the article did a great job summarizing this huge worldwide problem into a relatively simple to read article. However, I do not think the vocabulary in this article was really 9th grade level, so I had to look up a few words but other than that a very nicely written and educational article to read.

Brain Control in a Flash of Light

           I read the New York Times article, "Brain Control in a Flash of Light." Scientist Karl Deisseroth developed a fiber optic system, or a system of threads used to transmit data, to trigger activity inside the brain of a live mouse. This is a major advancement in the field of optogenics, which is "the most revolutionary thing that has happened in neuroscience in the past couple of decades" according to scientist Cori Bargmann. Scientists hope that his will further advance this field and lead to revolutionizing discoveries.

            This development could have a large impact on humanity. From here, scientists could use this fiber optic system to manipulate and change the brains of humans. After this would be accomplished, it would be possible to attempt to cure diseases or disabilities within the brain. This is a fascinating discovery and is a large leap forward in neuroscience.

            I thought that this article was quite well written. I thought that he did a great job of explaining the field of optogenics and giving an update on what is happening in that field today. This was a very well written and informative article.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/22/science/mind-control-in-a-flash-of-light.html?_r=0 

Harmful affects of bullying

This article is about how according to research the harmful social, mental, and physical health of childhood bullying are still shown even 40 years later. “Just over a quarter of children in the study (28%) had been bullied occasionally, and 15% bullied frequently.” These individuals who were occasionally bullied were more likely to have poorer health at age 50 according to research. And the individuals who were bullied frequently have an increased risk of depression, or suicidal thoughts. “Programs to stop bullying are extremely important, but we also need to focus our efforts on early intervention to prevent potential problems persisting into adolescence and adulthood."

This affects us today because the more adults out there who were bullied during their childhood are at higher risk of something like depression, or even a suicidal thought. This research just shows it is even more important to not bully anybody ever. Something done to you as a child could determine your health at age 50.

I thought this article was very interesting. I knew that childhood bullying could affect your health as an adult, but I didn’t know it was to this extent. I enjoyed learning about this, and hope by reading this article people will become more aware of what they are doing.  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140417212510.htm

Element Poster Project

The students in the Core Chem Class were allowed to choose an element and produce a triptych (3 panel) poster describing the element's discovery, uses, sources,  characteristics, and Bohr diagram/electron configuration.

A ’64 Quake Still Reverberates

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/science/a-64-quake-still-reverberates.html?ref=science 

by Henry Fountain

The article “A ’64 Quake Still Reverberates” brings up an really important issue about the recent quakes that hit the West coast of the American continent.In 1964, an devastating earthquake with the magnitude of 9.2 hit the South-central region of Alaska, and kills 125 people.This was the second most powerful earthquake after the one in Chile in 1960, that had the magnitude of 9.5 degrees.2014, 50 years after the earthquake in Alaska, a quake hits the coast of Chile, with a magnitude 8.2, killing 6 people.According to new reachers, the Chile`s 2014 quake was caused by the reverberations of the ’64 earthquake in Alaska.The Chile`s earthquake happened along a fault where stresses had been building.These stresses were caused by the slowly dipped beneath one plate and another,  according to scientists.They call it the low-angle megathrust event.Along 50 years , the quake in Alaska that caused stress on the fault, and aggravated it , reflecting in earthquakes  as the one that rocked Chile.

It is important to know about geology, and understand how the tectonics plate system works.This plates are what cause the earthquakes, and understanding them can maybe help to forecast a big or even normal earthquake that is coming up.To people,specially those who live near geologic faults, its is also important to be aware about it because earthquakes affect many people, specially those who are not prepared, as for example, the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, which killed hundreds of people.

The article written by Henry Fountain describes with a lot of details how do the tectonic plates work.It also give a lot of examples that helped to understand it.I liked how they mention the details of the research and explained how did scientist came to such conclusion.

Printed Body Parts That Work?

Printing documents from a computer is normal in the life of a basic human being living in the United States. People would print out diagrams, tables, and other works. But no one suspected that a person could not only print out figures onto paper but to recreate the image in a 3D model. The idea of 3D printing has been expanding for months now, upgrading materials, designs, and efficiency. A person with access to one of these amazing machines has the ability to “Print” anything, whether it be machine parts or decorations. But who would have thought it to be possible to print out basic replacement body parts? That’s right. It actually is real now. The article I read was “Bone Replacements and Heart Monitors Spur Health Revolution in Open Source 3D Printing” by Joshua M Pearce and it gives incredible information about how 3D printing has advanced.

This incredible piece of technology can effect everyone in our lives in the health world. For instance, say that you had some freak accident where you needed to replace a bone, or an artificial heart. With the technology of 3D printing, you can literally print out new pieces for your body, whether it be bone or other body part. The possibilities for medical use are endless for the 3D printer. Apparently, doctors have already seen the potential of this incredible new idea, especially dentists. In the US alone, thousands “have benefited from 3D printing used by dentists.”

As for the article itself, it was great. The author included stunning detail about the true potential of this device and how it will help us in the future. The way he worded his sentences were amazing and made it seem that he had full understanding on what he was talking about. If he were to write another article, I would definitely read it, that is if I remember his name.

http://www.livescience.com/43787-bone-replacements-and-heart-monitors-spur-health-revolution-in-open-source-3d-printing.html

On Canvas, Clues About Air Pollution

Bhanoo, Sindya N. "On Canvas, Clues About Air Pollution." The New York Times. The New York Times, 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.

     Have you ever looked at a sunset? Have you ever considered if the colors were brighter than several years ago? Sunset paintings by some of the greatest artists are now cluing scientists into information that might not have been imagined before. In the article, "On Canvas, Clues About Air Pollution" by Sindya N. Bhanoo, scientists such as Andreas Kazantzidis, an atmospheric physicist at Greece's University of Patras, are involved in the research that these sunset paintings are  giving significant clues about air pollution. According to Dr. Kazantzidis, "polluted skies result in redder sunsets" and since these artists usually paint what they see, the brighter color was brought to the canvas. This was evident when a volcano erupted in Indonesia in 1815. Afterward, when the ash and gasses from the volcano were released into the atmosphere, the sunsets were of bright red and orange. The paintings from about two years before in this area were not as red. This research was done by analyzing photographs of paintings between the time periods of 1500 to 2000. By examining these paintings and looking at the "red-to-green ratio along the horizon of each sunset", Dr. Kazantzidis and his team were able to make an approximation of how much aerosols was in the atmosphere at the date of each painting. In turn, the amount of air pollution during that time can be estimated.
     This information affects humanity in general due to that air pollution is a constant issue nowadays. With these clues, scientists can predict what the pollution status, if any, was before the 1850's since meteorological measurements did not exist until then. They may be able to find a solution to this problem or at least find a way to delay atmospheric pollution from making a greater impact on the earth.
      This article was definitely interesting because I would never have thought that paintings of sunsets would give clues about air pollution. Overall, the article was informative and easy to follow. However, it was on the short side, and I did want to know more about the topic, but this field of research is relatively new, so the length is understandable. I would recommend this article to anyone who enjoys science and/or art or is curious about the topic.

Panel’s Warning on Climate Risk: Worst is Yet to Come

Gillis, Justin. “Panel’s Warning on Climate Risk: Worst is Yet to Come.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Mar. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/science/earth/climate.html?ref=science

            The article, Panel’s Warning on Climate Risk: Worst Is Yet to Come by Justin Gillis discusses the growing issue of global warming. The intergovernmental Panel on climate change has reported that “Ice caps are melting, sea ice in the arctic is collapsing, water supplies are coming under stress, heat waves and heavy rains are intensifying, and fish are going extinct (paragraph 2).” This issue has been widely discussed before, but experts have concluded that all evidence found proves that global warming is worsening. Carbon dioxide given off by cars and power plants are the main contributors. Little is being done to solve this problem, although President Obama has recently been “trying to use his executive power under the Clean Air Act and other laws to impose significant new limits on the country’s greenhouse emissions (paragraph 16). “

            This article affects all of society drastically. Change in climate is predicted to cause a shortage of food, increase poverty, slow down economic growth, cause diseases in humans and animals, and many other negative side effects. Farmers in hotter climates will not meet the rising demand for food because crops will grow less abundantly. No one can protect themselves from global warming and it will affect everyone if it is not prevented.

This article was well written and interesting. The author included details and facts to convince the reader about the issue. Gillis made the article easy to read and understand while still providing solid information. One thing he could have done to improve the article would be to tell the reader what they could do differently to prevent global warming. Overall the author did a great job on this article and I would recommend it. 

Quick Gains After a Smoking Ban

Kate Braumuller                                                                                           4/1/14

Block C                                                                                                            Mr. Ippolito

I read the New York Times article, Quick Gains After a Smoking Ban, by Catherine Louis.  The article enformed people, in recent studies the smoking ban has decreased the number premature births and asthma in the US, Canada and Europe.  Less than a year since the smoking an, the percentage of children born with asthma and born prematurely have decreased 10%.  “There are over a million babies dying of being born preterm every year in the world. We can make major strides in decreasing that with smoking bans.” Says Dr. Vincenzo Berghella, (president of Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine). Reasearchers are working on strengthening their evidence in order to the movement of smoke free laws.

This topic effects billions of lives.  The fact that banning smoking prevents problems in childrens lives is extremely important. Knowing the facts, now efforts can be made for smoke free laws.  If laws get passed then millions of lives will be saved.

This article was fascinating and taught me something new.  It was easy to comprehend and provided with facts about the topic.  I liked how the author told about how doctors and researchers are planning to improve the problem of smoke laws.  The article was well written it gave many quotes from doctors that supported the argument well.  I suggest you read this article.