Last day for "missing" work - January 7, 2011

Hand in those "missing" assignments by or before January 7 - Friday.  "Missing" = posters, postings, Harlem Renaissance work.

Inside one boy's anorexia: 'How can I burn the most calories?'

Name: Cat

Posting Number: 2

Topic: Health

Title: Inside one boy's anorexia: 'How can I burn the most calories?'

Writer: Madison Park

Publication: CNN

Date: December 3rd, 2010

Words: 1138 words

Main Idea:

Eric Ostendorf was in class when he would ask to go to the bathroom and there he would do 45 chin ups. He was 10 then. Children under the age of 12 are now experiencing more hospitalizations because of eating disorders. The reason? Teasing. The growth of the idea that you have to have a certain body image is affecting children as young as eight or nine. There is also scientific evidence of growing dissatisfaction with body image in preschool children. It is not just girls who are experiencing these problems. Younger kids just in general are experiencing eating disorders. They think that by eating less they will become less obese, but they misinterpret what that means. They just need to eat healthier.

Conclusion:

Child obesity rates have soared. Children think that in order to not become obese they should eat less until they are just always hungry, but that is not the case. More younger girls and boys are becoming anorexic and bulimic. Younger children are being hospitalized because society has created the perfect body image. If you don't fit in that category from a young age, you are teased and made fun of. Kids don't realize how many lives they are damaging.

Linking Pockets of Europe to High-Speed Internet

First Name: Stephen

Current Event Posting Number: 2

Topic: Technology and Science

Title: Linking Pockets of Europe to High-Speed Internet

Writer: Eric Pfanner

Publication Name: New York Times

Date of Publication: November 28^th 2010

Words: 2 pages

A. All over Europe, the Middle East and Asia, more than 30 million households have limited or even no internet connection. Even Ablis, a small town outside of Paris does not have internet connection fast enough to watch YouTube videos. To fix this problem, several European companies began launching satellites into orbit so that it can deliver broadband to European customers. These satellites have the capability to offer service quality that can match cable and DSL. The drawback for this new internet connection is that for households to receive Wi-Fi from the satellites, they would need to install satellite dishes and modems which can cost up to a few hundred dollars. Companies that sent these satellites into space like Avanti and Eutelsat, have decided to work through Internet service providers instead of selling directly to consumers so that the consumers will not have to be charged with additional fees. Although this new way of offering internet connection is revolutionary, it will be a last resort and will remain that way. This is because in the next generation, cellular networks used by phones can be used to fill the existing gaps in broadband.

B. In conclusion, companies like Avanti and Eutelsat have begun sending satellites into space so that they can provide internet connection to places like Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The main problem with this is in order for the consumers to receive this new connection; they will need to install satellite dishes in their homes which can cost even more than normal cable or DSL connection. In response to that, Avanti and Eutelsat will work with other Internet service providers so that the cost for internet connection will remain the same. Avanti and Eutelsat say that internet connection from satellites can be revolutionary but others believe it to be just a last resort since most cable and DSL connections are at least 10 times stronger.

Isha
Posting #2

Topic: Health
Title: Child Nutrition Bill Clears Congress
Author: Robert Pear
Publication: New York Times
Date of Publication: December 2nd, 2010
Length: 997 words



Child obesity has been a major concern in the United States for the past few years. Michelle Obama is a strong advocate for solving this issue and she had been lobbying continuously for a bill to try and prevent both obesity and hunger. Finally, on Thursday, December 2nd, 2010, Congress approved the bill. In the House of Representatives, the bill received a majority vote of 264 (to 157). In the Senate, the bill received a unanimous vote. Now the bill just needs to be approved by President Obama, and he plans on signing it.
The bill is going to be funded by cutting $4.5 billion dollars from food stamps. Some people protested against it because they felt it was unreasonable and wrong to use money meant to support to the poor to fund the bill. However, Obama reassured them that he would first attempt to find other sources of money for the bill before he used the food stamp funds.
According to representative Rosa De Lauro, “The bill sets national nutrition standards that will finally get all of the junk food infiltrating our classrooms and our cafeterias out the door.” It will help reduce child obesity and feed 31 million children every day. Some people still oppose the bill because they feel it that is uneccesary and a waste of money because families should decide what their kids do (and don’t) eat. However, Michelle Obama has good intentions. There will be new nutrition standards that would make schools sell only healthy food, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole wheat products. Since these types of food cost more, the government is also planning on covering the extra cost and giving free meals to more than 100,000 kids.
Child obesity has been a growing problem in America, but now, hopefully, the new child nutrition bill will improve conditions. Schools will soon only have healthy meals and the government will cover the extra costs. No child will be forced to live off of junk food and no child will be left without food because of the amount of money they have. It is an expensive proposition, but even though some are against that part of it, in the long run, it will promote healthy eating habits and create a healthier generation of people.

Arsenic-Feeding Bacteria Find Expands Traditional Notions of Life

Gavin

Posting Number 2

Topic: Science/Technology

Title: Arsenic-Feeding Bacteria Find Expands Traditional Notions of Life

Writer: the CNN Wire Staff

Publication Name: CNN

Date of Publication: 12/3/10

Length: 339 Words

Main Idea:

Scientists from the Bay Area have discovered a new form of life that instead of containing phosphorus, an element once thought to be essential for life, contains arsenic instead which is generally a poison. The discovery happened in Mono Lake, CA a prehistoric lakebed with notoriously harsh conditions for life to thrive in. Scientists found that the bacteria, strain GFAJ-1 of the Halomonadaceae family of Gammaproteobacteria, has replaced phosphorus in its DNA with arsenic which was previously thought impossible. Scientists were able to recreate the bacteria and grow them in colonies in a lab setting. This opens up a world of opportunity and possibility as to what it means to be a form of life and what conditions are needed to support life. Now there are a lot more stars with solar systems that are able to support life which is very exciting.

Conclusion:

The new bacteria strain that was discovered is no doubt a scientific breakthrough and a huge surprise to the entire world. What was once thought to have been absolute fact and necessary for life to exist has been proven wrong as the bacteria has been able to switch one element for another in its DNA. This has broadened the possibilities of there being extraterrestrial life vastly and shows us that there may be a whole other world of organisms right under our noses

New Discoveries in Cell Processes

Jackson

Posting Number: 2

Topic: Science/Technology

Title: When Good Cells Go Bad: K-State Scientist Researches Cellular Structure

Writer: Clark Johnson

Publication Name: M2PressWIRE

Date of Publication: August 13, 2010

Length: 389 words

Some scientific research experiments do not involve any effort to cure a disease but rather seek understanding of the biological function of a particular complex or organism. Jeroen Roelofs is a researcher at Kansas State University, originally from the Netherlands, getting his postdoctoral at Harvard Medical School. Proteasome 26S is a complex being studied by Roelofs that controls the disposal of defective proteins. A dearth of this complex can cause many diseases if defective proteins build up in cells and cause problems with biochemical processes. Roelofs has landed two grants in which he will study proteasome 26S in more depth hoping to find answers to how it works. He claims that he is trying to find out how a cell will work normally and naturally, looking to uncover details about cellular functions rather than dysfunctions. This technique usually leads to many new pathways being opened for other scientists to discover new facts and possibly new cures for related diseases in the long run. Though he does not intend to personally cure any diseases with his discoveries, he intends to expand our scientific knowledge so that future researchers can cure these diseases.

In conclusion, Roelofs is attempting to enter a cell for the purpose of documenting the process that proteasome 26S naturally goes through. Because he does not intend to cure any diseases with his findings, perhaps he is being generous to the scientific community by doing the hard, long work and leaving the more significant discoveries for other scientists. Otherwise, he could still make significant findings when he is observing the normal process of proteasome 26S, and those findings may end up creating cures. Roelofs work could prove to be unsuccessful, or it could turn out to be very significant and helpful to those affected by dysfunctional protein disorders.

Senate Passes Sweeping Law on Food Safety

Name: Gregg

Posting Number: 2

Topic: Health

Title: Senate Passes Sweeping Law on Food Safety

Writer: Gardiner Harris and William Neuman

Publisher: New York Times

Date of Publication: November 30, 2010

About 1147 words

Legislation recently passed a vote of 73 to 25 that would help ensure that the food we consume is safe. This is important especially after the breakout of tainted eggs, peanut butter and spinach sickened many people in the last few years. The bill allows the F.D.A. new powers to recall tainted foods, increase inspections of food items, demand accountability from food companies, and also oversee farming. The legislation greatly increases the number of inspections of food processing plants that the F.D.A. will be in charge of conducting, especially on foods that are considered most high risk, although it's hard for instance peanut butter, a few years ago probably wouldn't have made it onto the list. As Food suppliers grow in size, problems at a single facility can sicken thousands of people all over the country, and stronger bills are on the way to being passed that would make food consumption safer for the public. The bill will allow the F.D.A. to demand immediate food recalls as well. An important part of the bill gives agency more control over food imports, including inspection of foreign processing plants, and the ability to set standards for how much fruits and vegetables are grown outside of the country.

Conclusion: In the last few years the United States had many civilians food poisoned simply because of the slow recall of tainted foods and the little amount of protection from the F.D.A. More bills are still in the process of being passed to ensure a good amount of safety, but this bill is the start of more government control over food agencies. Consumer advocates were jubilant over the Senate's action and it allows for safer consumption of foods that could have a chance of being tainted.

Opinion: I think that more government control over our food is a good thing as long as the F.D.A. doesn't overstep their power and start causing harm to smaller farmers and businesses. I think that the bill is necessary seeing how individual private corporations failed to protect the people from consuming tainted foods many times. Another good thing about the bill is it allows for the F.D.A. to be able to protect us from foods that are imported which is about one fifth of our food.

Congress Approves Child Nutrition Bill

NAME: helen ^.^
TOPIC: Health/Leaders
POSTING #: 2
TITLE: Congress Approves Child Nutrition Bill
AUTHOR: robert pear
PUBLICATION NAME: NY times
DATE OF PUBLICATION: Dec 2nd

Main topic:
Congress Approved the nutrition bill to set the standard of school lunches/food. The bill passed with the vote of 264 to 157. Although the bill was passed many are having debates on where to get the money in order to pay the bill. Michelle Obama lobbied the bill because she believed that childhood obesity should be dealt with by the schools. Rosa DeLauro (the democrat of Connecticut) supports the bill because it will replace the unhealthy food with nutritious food. But the Co-chairmen for the house hunger congress (Mr. McGovern) states that hunger and obesity are one in the same because high calorie foods are cheaper than healthy food. (which equals people eating empty calories and more people have hunger and obesity problems). Also The republican of Georgia ( Paul Bron) says that overall it not about the health of the children but it is about how Washington is taking more control and in doing so spending more money which leads the children into greater debt.

Conclusion:
In conclusion congress passed a bill to raise the standards of nutrition in schools. some people say it is good because it will get rid of a lot of problems facing schools like childhood obesity but others are saying it wont help because the government has no money to put into this bill and therefore they are putting all the future generations in debt.

Arsenic and Old Space: A Key to Life on Other Planets?

Jeffrey

Posting Number: 2

Topic: Science/Technology

Title: Arsenic and Old Space: A Key to Life on Other Planets?

Writer: Allie Townsend

Publication Name: Time

Date of Publication: Dec. 2nd, 2010

Length: 458 words

This Thursday NASA announced its discovery of one of the oddest bacteria on Earth. Found in Mono Lake, California, these bacteria thrive on arsenic, which is usually toxic to all other organisms. Not only do these bacteria live in arsenic, but they also seem to consume or eat it, as well. When scientists cultivated the bacteria in very low levels of phosphorous, they seemed to live just as well. However, in all known organisms on Earth, phosphorous acts as an essential backbone to DNA, the life's genetic material. The new findings in this bacteria suggest that other forms of life may exist, not just the familiar carbon and phosphorous-based life forms. NASA's findings suggest that this new type of bacteria seems to substitute phosphorous with arsenic in their DNA, which, if true, would alter our concept of biochemistry and broaden our view of possible life forms. NASA is still probing with experiments and hopes to apply their findings to research in space, where life may exist without phosphorous.

In conclusion, NASA has discovered extremely unusual bacteria which thrives on arsenic, a toxic material, and also can survive on very low levels of phosphorous, an essential ingredient to life. NASA has interpreted the findings as a possible substitution of phosphorous for arsenic in the bacteria's DNA. Although research still continues, these findings go to show that a variety of different forms of life may exist, not just the carbon-based organisms we commonly call life. NASA is applying their new findings in the search for life in space, where other trace elements could prove to support other kinds of life.

Personally, I find that this discovery goes to show how much diversity we have on Earth. Although it would be very interesting for scientists to discover life in outer space, it is interesting enough just to find these bizarre life forms on our own planet. We definitely have not discovered all there is to discover in our own world, and I feel that it is absurd to start looking on other planets when we are just beginning to see and appreciate the diversity of nature on Earth.

Researchers One Step Closer to Potential Autism Test

Ashka

Blog Post #2

Topic: Health

Title: Researchers One Step Closer to Potential Autism Tes

Writer: Miriam Falco

Publication: CNN

Date: Dec 2, 2010

650 words

Main Idea: Until this recent study there has not been a test to verify if a child or adult has autism. Doctors have used the “milestone method” to gauge if someone has autism. This means measuring when they learn to crawl, speak walk, etc. A child with autism would develop these skills much later than expected. However a new test has emerged that can identify autism through a 10 minute MRI scan of the brain. In the study 30 males with autism and 30 males without from ages 7-28 were scanned and the results show that brains with autism have a disorganized nervous system compared to normal brains.They researched males first because they are more likely to carry the disease. They looked at the water flow in the brain along nerves and axons to determine irregular patterns in autistic brains. Nicholas Range, an associate professor at Harvard University, throws caution to the fact that the test is not perfect yet and that much more research and lab work on other subject will have to be carried out before any assumptions can be made. He also added that the test should expand to encompass autistic babies and women.

Conclusion: This is another advancement in health that is sure to have an eventual impact on people and families that deal with autism. This has never been done before, which is why it’s such a break through. However this is not a cure to autism, it is only a means to identify it and an imperfect method at that. This test will have its greatest impact in helping develop other tools to identify autism even more accurately and quickly. It is also added that there are many different types of autism and it is not right to assume that every brain functions like the ones in the research.

Florida Keys Declare Open Season on the Invasive Lionfish

First Name: Cindy
Current Event Posting Number: 2
Topic: Scince
Tile: Florida Keys Declare Open Season on the Invasive Lionfish
Writer: ERIK OLSEN
Publication Name: New York Times
Date of Publication: November 22, 2010
Length: 859 Words

Main Ideas:
On November 13, 18 teams consisted of spear fisherman brought nets and spears and competed to kill as many lionfish as they could with the hope of winning $3350. Lionfish is an invasive native species of the Indo-Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea. It is believed that it has been released by aquarists around the 1990s and it has since spread to North Carolina and through the Carribean. According to scientists, one female lionfish can produce annually approximately two million eggs. Scientists have examed that among 1000 lionfish’s stomaches, there are more than 50 species of prey fish involved. Lionfish also prey on parrotfish, which feed on algae and keep them from overgrowing and killing corals. Once, a single female lionfish was found in September 2009 at Dry Tortugas National Park, site managers were terrified because lionfish continue to grow its population rapidly and damaging the reef system on the Carribean, which serves as a guide to the site mangers. National OCeanic and Atmospheric Administration once said that it is impossible to eradicate the fish and the only hope is from local control. So, the 18 teams were competeing with one anothoer, but only 109 fishes were killed. One lion hunters explained another potential solution to eradicate the lionfish is to promote the fish as food for man. He commented that lionfish are considered excellent eating and peopl feasted on fried lionfish nuggets.

Conclusion: According to the news, lionfish grow in size rapidly, they can prey on more than 50 different kind of fish, and they are destroying reef system. Currently, particular reef in areas like Bahamas are filled almost completely with lionfish. If the reef system were damaged and depleted, this impact could affect the region’s economy, because they rely heavily on fishing. Locals have offered two possible solutions to this problem, one is promoting lionfish as food for human and the other one is organizing teams to compete with one another by killing as many lionfish as they possibly could.

Teen Brain More Prone to Drug, Alcohol Damage

Sarah

Posting #2

Topic: Health

Title: Teen Brain More Prone to Drug, Alcohol Damage

Writer: Elizabeth Landau

Publication Name: CNN

Date of Publication: 11/15/10

Length: 468 words

Main Idea:

Plenty of teens seem to enjoy the free and rebellious feelings that drugs and alcohol offer. These teens however, do not understand the long-term damage they're inflicting upon their brains and bodies. The brain is still developing through teenage years therefor, abusing drugs and alcohol can cause a terrible change in the path of development. Research has shown that the teenage brain is even more susceptible than the adult brain because it contains more receptors for the drug to latch onto. Teen brains have longer-lasting effects of getting high which can result in damage to parts involving learning and memory and a decrease in IQ. Teens are also much more vulnerable to drug addiction. Addiction for teens is usually much faster, stronger, and longer. The same consequences exist for alcohol abuse. Alcohol also has a greater impact on the teen brain because it binds to the multitude of receptors and creates larger problems for the developing brain. Researchers found that alcohol can interfere with connections in the brain related to the production of stress hormones. This interference can damage one's ability to handle stress, causing long term issues such as depression and anxiety.

Conclusion:

Teenagers all over the world use drugs and alcohol without fully understanding the impacts they have on them. Because the teen brain is still developing, it is much more susceptible to damage from drugs and alcohol than the adult brain. Teens that abuse these substances are very vulnerable and at risk for long term impairment to their brains and bodies.

Let Me Sleep On It: Creative Problem Solving Enhanced by REM Sleep

Kieran Gallagher

Posting #2

Topic: Health

Title: Let Me Sleep On It: Creative Problem Solving Enhanced by REM Sleep

Author: Science Daily Staff

Publication: Science Daily

Date: 9 June 2009

Length: 534 words

Though psychologists believe that all problems can be worked through with the passage of time, REM sleep has been proven to enhance the creativity with which we attempt to solve these problems. The study was done by Sara Mednick, PhD and assistant professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego, the VA San Diego Healthcare System and Denise Cai, graduate student in the UC San Diego Department of Psychology. It was published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). These experts hypothesized that REM sleep would help stimulate different systems in the brain, which allows the decision maker to draw parallels between seemingly unrelated situations. As part of the study, subjects were given a creativity test called a RAT or Remote Association Test. In this test they were given three words and asked to find a word that all three words could be associated with. In one instance, the participants were given the words cookie, heart and sixteen and expected to respond with the word “sweet.” The test subjects were given this test once in the morning and again in the afternoon after either a nap with REM sleep, a nap without REM sleep or a quiet rest period. Both of the groups that did not experience REM sleep showed no improvement, but the group that experienced REM sleep improved by 40%. This suggests that REM sleep does indeed aid in problem solving by uniting different parts of the brain.

In conclusion, REM sleep is not only necessary for our physical and mental wellbeing, but it can be incredibly beneficial in solving complex problems that require more creative solutions. Though experts still do not know exactly what goes on in our brains during REM sleep, they are constantly discovering more about how it enhances our health. As REM sleep occurs more frequently later in sleeping, this study once again stresses the importance of getting many hours of sleep every night. This correlates with many previous studies linking REM sleep and grades or REM sleep and health.