How to ask question...

After reading some of your classmates posts, you should ask a couple of questions about the media or topics presented.  To help, I have included a couple of different categories of verbs and sample question starters to help you get started.  For each question you ask, just select a verb or a stem from one of the 4 categories below.

Application

Useful Verbs	Sample Question Stems
solve show use illustrate construct complete examine classify	Do you know another instance where...? Could this have happened in...? Can you group by characteristics such as...? What factors would you change if...? Can you apply the method used to some experience of your own...? What questions would you ask of...? From the information given, can you develop a set of instructions about...? Would this information be useful if you had a ...?

Analysis

Useful Verbs

Sample Question Stems

analyse distinguish examine compare contrast investigate categorise identify explain separate advertise

Which events could have happened...? I ... happened, what might the ending have been? How was this similar to...? What was the underlying theme of...? What do you see as other possible outcomes? Why did ... changes occur? Can you compare your ... with that presented in...? Can you explain what must have happened when...? How is ... similar to ...? What are some of the problems of...? Can you distinguish between...? What were some of the motives behind...? What was the turning point in the game? What was the problem with...?

Synthesis

Useful Verbs	Sample Question Stems
create invent compose predict plan construct design imagine propose devise formulate	Can you design a ... to ...? Why not compose a song about...? Can you see a possible solution to...? If you had access to all resources how would you deal with...? Why don't you devise your own way to deal with...? What would happen if...? How many ways can you...? Can you create new and unusual uses for...? Can you write a new recipe for a tasty dish? can you develop a proposal which would...

Evaluation

Useful Verbs	Sample Question Stems
judge select choose decide justify debate verify argue recommend assess discuss rate prioritise determine	Is there a better solution to... Judge the value of... Can you defend your position about...? Do you think ... is a good or a bad thing? How would you have handled...? What changes to ... would you recommend? Do you believe? Are you a ... person? How would you feel if...? How effective are...? What do you think about...?

New Vaccine That Targets 90% of Cancers Shows Promising Results in Human Safety Trials

A promising new cancer vaccine, ImMucin, targets a molecule found in over 90% of all cancers. This allows  the drug to be very effective in fighting all types of cancer. The tests were conducted at the Hadassah medical center in Jerusalem, and consisted of ten patients with the cancer, multiple myeloma, which is a blood cancer that affects plasma cells in bone marrow. Tel Aviv researchers, and Vaxil Biotheraputics said that seven of the patients who had finished treatment, all had significantly improved immunity against cancer cells compared to before they were given the vaccine, and three of the patients in the study were freed from their condition. The prophylactic vaccine works by enhancing the bodies natural defense mechanisms, and aims to prevent cancer conditions, rather than attacking cancer cells. ImMucin gives information to the patients immune system, to identify and destroy cancer cells with the MUC1 marker.

This connects directly to our unit about the immune system, and how it is used to fight infection. It holds many connections to other units we have studied including genetics, because the drug uses the genetic marker MUC1 to find cancer cells and separate them from the healthy cells. Finally, this article connects to our unit in body systems, studying how the immune system learns to identify harmful bacteria and other health risks, which the vaccine does.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20120409/9473/cancer-immucin-vaccine-clinical-trial-research.htm

Man finds extreme healing eating parasitic worms

A 29-year old man in 2004 deliberately infested himself with parasitic worms. This man suffered from ulcerative  colitis, a condition that caused him to have, starting at the age of 28, 10 to 15 bloody bowel movements a day. Without any reliable treatments available to him, he turned to treating himself with parasitic worm. A previous study of ulcerative colitis patients found that some of the patients who ingested the tricheris suis worm experienced relief. Due to legal issues, parasitoligists in the United States could not give him this treatment, as it had not yet been approved by the FDA yet. The man instead went to Thailand, where he had a doctor extract roundworm eggs from an infected stool. The eggs were cleaned and consumed, and the man later experienced relief as a result of the roundworms living inside him. Doctors have come to the conclusion that a protein called interleukin-22, a protein important in the healing of mucosal linings of the intestines, is the cause of his relief. The presence of roundworms in the man's gut helped the man restore the mucosal lining of his intestines.

This article relates to Honors Biology because it is related to the digestive system. Ulcerative colitis is one of many conditions that can upset homeostatic balance in humans. In this case, the man in question had damage to his intestines mucus lining. His condition shows how vital the mucous lining is to maintaining a healthy digestive tract. Without the mucus  lining, the intestines were subject to damage by harmful bacteria, causing the man's debilitating symptoms.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/12/09/worms.health/index.html

NY medical schools chart progress with stem cells

http://online.wsj.com/article/AP798ab92b4263471abddc1cb502928862.html
Summary: Recently eight New York Medical Schools have reported making strides in stem cell research and learning about different diseases as a result.  The Stem Cell research in each college was jointly funded by a $600 million dollar state program.  There is a wide variety of progress being made by each school on a number of different uses for stem cells.  For instance, Mount Sinai School of Medicine recently discovered a way to turn regular human skin cells into stem cells that have the ability to become heart cells.  This is important because by creating heart stem cells, the human population will better understand the functions of the heart itself and how it works, which may provide insight to problems such as heart disease.  In addition, the Albert Einstein School of Medicine noted that it had come across a way to create/replicate liver cells that could reduce the need for liver transplant, and contribute to our knowledge and understanding of the liver, and its functions.  Other advances made by the eight schools include advances in blood stem cell research, neurological disease research, and the discovery of a treatment to target and destroy leukemia cells.

Connection:  This article is important to our class, because we have lately been learning about the human body system, and this article can be tied with many of the body systems such as skeletal, circulatory, nervous, and the lymphatic systems. In addition the disease I researched for my human body systems project was leukemia and the article specifically references leukemia and methods researches are testing in order to try and combat it.

Man Cannot Live On Rice And Beans Alone (But Many Do)

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/05/03/151932410/man-cannot-live-on-rice-and-beans-alone-but-many-do

Rice and beans are a common food combination all over the world. Today, they make a popular meal for people everywhere who live in poverty. Put together in the right proportions, rice and beans can provide an almost balanced diet for a very low price. However, the health of many who rely on this combination is being threatened because of rising global food prices. Beans are generally more expensive than rice. This has caused the poorest of the poor to begin eating more rice in comparison to beans. Since beans are much more nutritious, this negatively affects their health. Beans are considered a 'superfood' due to their large amounts of fiber, potassium, folate, iron, manganese and magnesium. They're also cholesterol and fat free. Recent studies have shown that an increase in the ratio of beans to rice might lower one's risk for heart disease as well as diabetes.

Another worry about increasing consumption of rice in comparison to beans lies in the rice itself. Most rice  bought by people living in poverty is white rice, not brown rice. While white rice is lower in cost, it is also lower in nutritional value. White rice lacks much of the healthy oils, iron, magnesium and vitamins B1 and B3 that are present in brown rice before it is processed and becomes white rice. In addition, white rice as a high glycemic index. This means that it raises a person's blood sugar, only keeping them full for a short amount of time. Beans, on the other hand, have a low glycemic index which makes one feel fuller for longer. Still, even a correctly proportioned diet of rice and beans would lack vitamin C, as well as other nutrients which are considered essential to body function. Despite all this, rice and beans continue to provide enough nutrition for many people to survive off of in extreme conditions of poverty.

This article relates to our recent study of the digestive system this term in honors biology. It focuses on nutrition. More specifically, it focuses on how the body requires certain vitamins and minerals in order to function properly. For example, one of the minerals found in beans is potassium, which aids in body functions such as water balance, nerve function, and muscle function. We studied both the nervous system and the muscular system during this term as well. Without essential vitamins and minerals, our other body systems would not work correctly. Proper nutrition allows our bodies to carry out necessary life functions.

Zielinski, Sarah. "Man Cannot Live On Rice And Beans Alone (But Many Do)." NPR. 03 May 2012. NPR. Web. 06 April 2012. 

Why Do We Yawn?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/11/111115-yawning-mystery-brains-sinuses-health-science/?source=hp_dl2_news_yawning20111116
  Published on November 15, 2011
Why Do We Yawn?
Summary:
     As advanced as we already are in science, we cannot seem to figure out why humans yawn. There have been many theories put out from lack of oxygen to fatigue, yet when tested, they failed. So, scientists continued to find a cause of the yawn. Gary Hack and his team discovered that the back wall of the sinus was much thinner than was described before. Andrew Gallup and his team put probes into rats brains, recording temperature changes before, during, and after the rats yawned. That was an attempt to see if yawning cools the brain. They also tried their theory with a human who yawned consistently, and the temperature did indeed change. Since their theory has only been tried a few times, they are hesitant to announce that they have found the cause, but they do believe if this was to be defined, it would lead to strides in diagnosing conditions such as epilepsy and migraines, even insomnia. 
Connection:
     This article is about potential causes of yawning. Yawns are generally considered automatic involuntary actions of the body. Yet, this article makes an interesting connection between yawns and the brain. The brain, with its many parts, controls the involuntary and voluntary actions of the body. It is part of the nervous system, which we learned earlier in this year. The article connects yawning to the brain as it might be a potential way for the brain to cool itself, much like a computer uses a fan to cool its inner hardware.

Michael Ji     New Muscular Dystrophy Treatment 
 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120504110554.htm


Recently scientists have finally successfully found evidence that stem cells can be used successfully to treat muscular dystrophy, a crippling muscle disorder that causes muscle weakness and the lose of muscle tissues. The new stem cell research evolves a genetically modified stem cell which has been injected by a PAX7 gene. The Pax7 gene is key to the regeneration and growth of skeleton tissue which is muscle tissue. With this genetically modified stem cell, once injected, a patient can have a easier time repairing the damaged muscle tissue, and either slow, stop, or reverse the effects of Muscular Dystrophy.

This relates to our current curriculum as we have been talking about the types of tissue within a body, skeletal being one of them. Also, in our class presentations, Muscular Dystrophy has been brought up as a source of homeostatic imbalance for the muscle system.

Fatty Diet Leads to Fat-Loving Brain Cells

Most regions of the brain do not make new nerve cells. However, in the median eminence, a small region of the hypothalamus, new nerve cells are made throughout an individual's life span. The hypothalamus is responsible for controlling one's metabolism. Neuroscientist, Seth Blackshaw, and his colleagues reported that in their study, mice who were fed a high-fat diet produced about four times the amount of new nerve cells in the median eminence than compared to the mice who consumed the regular diet. To determine if these new nerve cells were connected to weight gain, Blackshaw and his team used a laser to cease nerve cell production in the median eminence in the mice still consuming the high-fat diet. They reported that these mice began to be more active, and did not gain as much weight as the mice who were eating the high fat diet and able to produce new nerve cells. Both humans and mice have these tanycytes, the cells found in the median eminence, but it is not known how these cells can impact one's metabolism. He states that it is too early to decide if a similar phenomenon occurs in humans.

This article relates to our previous study of the nervous system. The nerve cell is the basic unit of function in the nervous system, they are responsible for transporting signals throughout the brain. With the production of these new nerve cells in the rats combined with the high-fat, it lead them to become less active and gain more weight. As we more recently learned, excess weight gain can cause great disruptions to homeostasis.


Original Article: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/339458/title/Fatty_diet_leads_to_fat-loving_brain_cells
Author: Laura Sanders
Date Published: 5 May 2012

Does smoking help protect the joints?
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/08/smoking.protect.joints/index.html

Research has shown that people who smoke are less likely to need joint-replacements. Scientists conducted a study of older men in Australia and showed that the longer they smoked, the less likely they were to need a replacement surgery. However, it is unclear why this is the case, although scientists believe it may have something to do with the nicotine, which is the chemical that makes tobacco so addictive. Nicotine may stimulate activity in cartilage cells, and by doing so weaken the severity of arthritis. Despite this, scientists still do not recommend smoking, as the harms still outweigh the potential benefits. They are instead hoping that further research will help them figure out exactly how smoking helps prevent damage to joints so they can develop treatments that do not involve smoking.
This article is related to what we are learning in Honors Biology because it is about the respiratory system, and the skeletal system. We have learned about smoking, and all the problems it causes like cancer and heart disease. We have also learned about nicotine, the chemical that addicts people to smoking. Smoking is related to the respiratory system because it usually damages tissue in the lungs and prevents them from working as well, causing homeostatic imbalance. The part about fewer joint problems involves a different topic we studied; the skeletal system. We studied how joints work and how cartilage is essential to their function. We also learned about arthritis and other diseases that damage the joints.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders: How Human Cells 'Hold Hands'

The publication of the journal, Neuron, reveals that molecules on the cell membrane connect each cell to the ones around it. A group of genes called gamma-protocadherins encode for the cell adhesion molecules. In the spinal cord, the lack of these genes causes the deaths of neurons and severe loss of synapse.In the cerebral cortex though, these these symptoms do not appear. Instead, the cortical neurons would have a reduced development of dendrites. This led to the discovery that gamma-protocadherins normally inhibit a signaling pathway within neurons that reduce dendrite branching. The absence of these genes caused the pathway to become hyperactive leading to the creation defective branching. If only the cerebral cortex was affected by the lack of these genes not the spinal cord, then the organism would be able to survive into adulthood. This was tested and proven on several laboratory mice. However even in the cerebral cortex, the organism would still be affected by the lack of these genes. It is believed that this is connected to human neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, mental retardation, and schizophrenia.
This article is connected to our last unit on the nervous system. Both the brain and the spinal cord are part of the central nervous system, which is the body's main processing center. Also, dendrites are an essential part of neurons, the most basic unit in the nervous system. Although, this article mainly connects to the nervous system, the disruption in cell processes, such as the defective branching, is a kind of homeostatic imbalance, connecting this piece to the body systems as a whole.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders: How Human Cells 'Hold Hands' website

DCA Dichloroacetate kills cancer cells

       Dichloroacetate, nicknamed DCA, is a new compound discovered by the University of  Alberta that shrinks cancer tumors.  It has successfully worked with tissue from human lungs, chests, and brains, which were implanted into rats and then tested using the drug.  It targets cancer cells, and kills them causing the tumors to shrink.  It does not attack other healthy human cells that other treatments, like chemotherapy would.  It is a new alternative to current treatments, that when used will not have side effects like hairless, and nausea.  Clinical trials have only gone through preliminary stages, but the drug seems promising and has rocketed forward on its way to the shelves.  It has passed every test with flying colors, and will seemingly be available soon.  The goal of the researchers is to get funding from companies other than drug companies so that a cheap drug will be available, and help everyone.
     This is related to our current unit, where we are learning about the human body systems.  Cancer of the lungs, heart, brain, or any other part of the body can lead to a harmful disruption of homeostasis.  This new drug offers a way fro humans to stay healthy and away from one of the biggest homeostatic imbalance causes, cancer.  Cancer can disrupt all of the human body systems, which are needed to function properly, and with this new research they will be able to do so.  If the human body will never get cancer again, there will be far fewer deaths, or suffering, or homeostatic imbalances among our kind.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaXT4tU7NU8
Published on Mar 2, 2012 by therealcureforcancer

Intense Light Prevents, Treats Heart Attacks

Intense light prevents, treats heart attacks
A study suggests that a new option could be used to treat and help prevent heart attacks: intense light. For patients, it could mean reducing the amount of damage from a heart attack because of exposure to daylight inside the hospital. The light affects one's circadian rhythms, which are controlled by proteins from different organs, including the heart. One of these proteins is called Period 2, which functions when your arteries close off, causing a heart attack. When you have a heart attack, little to no oxygen reaches the heart and it has to switch its fuel from fat to glucose. Period 2 is essential to that change in fuel, and so can increase the heart metabolism efficiency. The study showed that intense light activated this protein, minimizing heart attack damage.


This article relates to our study of the circulatory system. It talks about a heart attack, and a new way to prevent it. We learned that the cause of a heart attack is when an blood vessel becomes blocked off by plaque. Plaque will build up because of a tear in the vessel, and it comes in to seal up the gap. However, the plaque will harden and partially start to block off the artery as well as cause it to lose some of it's elasticity. When there is too much buildup of plaque, blood cannot get through and go to the heart. When this happens, blood can't deliver oxygen to the heart, causing a heart attack, during which the heart must switch over fuel from fats to glucose, which is where the Period 2 enzyme comes in, relating back to the article.



"Intense Light Prevents, Treats Heart Attacks." Intense Light Prevents, Treats Heart Attacks. 25 Apr. 2012. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/04/25/intense_light_prevents_treats_heart_attacks.html>.

Scientists Measure Communication Between Stem Cell-Derived Motor Neurons and Muscle Cells

UCLA researchers have developed a functional way to measure the speed of communication between motor neurons and muscle cells outside the body.  To do this, stem cell-derived motor neurons from mice were used along with previously developed muscle fibers.  The cells were cultured in a petri dish in a particular way so that the cells would automatically form synaptic connections.  After a week, the neurons had made all the protein networks needed for communication with the muscle cells.  Using a method called dual patch-clamp recording, the scientists measured the connections between the cells.  In this method, pipettes are inserted into the motor neurons with stimulation and recording electrodes to simulate a reaction.  The researchers at UCLA hope that this new way of observing neurons and muscle cell communication can help provide information on neurodegenerative diseases and pinpoint exactly when neuron cells begin to degenerate.

This relates to our current studies because it discusses muscle cells and how they interact with neurons to produce movements and reactions, which is what we studied in the nervous and skeletal system chapter.  The article provides a look at how neurons relay signals to muscle cells.  It also explains how nuerodegenerative diseases are a decaying and eventual destruction of the neurons, resulting in a loss of communication.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120504172057.htm

Genes That Increase the Risk of Osteoporosis and Fractures Discovered

Science Daily
Date of Publication: April 23, 2012
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423132011.htm

               Scientists have made the discovery that gene variation plays a key role in the cause of osteoporosis. The study, led by Sahlgrenska Academy, has named 56 regions of genes that come into play for bone density. For the first  time, research has helped distinguish 14 of these genetic regions that specifically are linked to risk of fracture. A study has taken place, including 80,000 women, providing a genetically diverse demographic. The results proved that women with a larger amount of the 14 genetic variants that are associated with bone fracture are 56 percent at higher risk of developing osteoporosis compared to those of average sets of gene variants. The research has provided insight on new opportunities for bone research, along with new information for treatments to osteoporosis.
                This article relates to our study of the human body, specifically the skeletal system. We learned about different types of bone cells, including osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Osteoblasts help form bones, while osteoclasts are bone destroying cells. Osteoporosis, a common bone disease, directly is associated with the imbalance of bone density when old damaged bone is no longer replaced, when osteoclasts outnumber osteoblasts. As presented in the skeletal group's presentation, osteoporosis can lead to very easily fractured bones. Lastly, in early units we studied the role of genetics and genetic variation, which when associated to diseases can put specific people carrying those genes with a predisposition.

             

Sports & Energy Drinks Damage Teeth
By Rupert Shepherd

This article is about how sports and energy drinks damage teeth over time. The article states that drinking energy drinks is like "bathing their teeth in acid" and can cause erosion of enamel. Through an experiment using various drinks 4 times a day to bathe enamel alternating with an artificial saliva solution, scientists discovered that these drinks cause twice the damage of normal sports drinks. It also states that natural fruit juices and water even can be better for teens than "smart drinks" which may not be so smart in the long run.

This relates to our current unit because the enamel decay could easily lead to a problem in mechanical digestion. As well as that, this is a homeostatic imbalance because of the pH change caused by overly acidic energy drinks. We have had a heavy focus of homeostatic balance and how different systems help maintain it including how the digestive system helps to obtain necessary nutrients for the body's natural processes.

Scientists Show How a Gene Duplication Helped Our Brains Become 'Human'

            Scientists at the Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute have discovered an important mutation in the human genome, resulting in humans’ unique brain. A duplication of the SRGAP2 gene allows for more connections and a larger brain. Usually duplications in the human genome would help the original gene, which functions in neuron sprout connections. However, this mutated gene interferes with the original function. When scientists expressed the mutated gene in mice, they noticed that the major neurons of the cortex, pyramidal neurons migrated faster during maturation, but took longer to sprout the dendrites. This delayed the maturation of dendrite spines and resulted in a surprise. This delay produced many more spines when they finally matured, resulting in many more connections. The new pyramidal neuron of mice looked similar to those of humans. Scientists concluded that when the gene duplicated, many more connections between neurons would have occurred enlarging the brain. This resulted many behavioral differences between humans and primates. Scientists have added this major mutation to the evolution of humans.

            The article relates to our studies because it discusses the nervous system and specific nerve cells. We learnt about the structure and function of dendrites and the connections between the neurons. The increase of dendrites and connections would create more areas of receiving signals and transmitting them on to other neurons. The article reasons that this is what developed the uniquely large brain with millions of connections and neurons. Also, the article connects this to the evolution of humans which relates to our unit on animals and evolution.  

Scientists Show How a Gene Duplication Helped Our Brains Become 'Human'

Improved Bone Repair With High-Strength Silk Scaffolds

 HTMLSITE:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/244794.php

Bio medical engineers at Tufts University's School of Engineering have demonstrated the first all-polymeric bone scaffold material that is biodegradable and capable of providing mechanical support during repair. The new technology uses silk fibers to reinforce a silk matrix. It could improve the way bones and other tissues are repaired following accident or disease. 1.3 Million people undergo bone graft surgeries in the US a year, and the supply for self-donated tissue is very limited. Also donated tissue can be rejected by the body. The silk scaffold is strong and has generated good cell responses. There are polymeric bone scaffolds currently, but they lack strength. "By adding the microfibers to the silk scaffolds, we get stronger mechanical properties as well as better bone formation. Both structure and function are improved," said David Kaplan, Ph.D., chair of biomedical engineering at Tufts University.

This relates to this years biology course because we have learned about the skeletal system and bones in the unit of the first of the Human systems. And if a bone is broken or has disease, which we also learned about, they are under a homeostatic imbalance. These surgeries help the bones recover from the homeostatic imbalance. These graft surgeries help repair bone tissues, which we also learned about in the unit.

Biman, Mandal B. "Improved Bone Repair With High-Strength Silk Scaffolds." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 02 May 2012. Web. 06 May 2012.     <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/244794.php>.

Weight Loss Reduces Cancer Risk Factor

     A new study shows that losing weight can cause the body to have lower levels of inflammatory cells and proteins. It is previously known that chronic inflammation is a big risk factor for cancer, so having less inflammation leads to a lower cancer risk. However, the study found that there was no reduction if the person participated in an exercise-only method of weight loss with no dieting. A link between obesity, inflammation, and cancer has been seen before, but this adds much more evidence to support it. The findings of the new studies show that the risk can be affected, but they have no idea as to what extent, or if it is a large or small amount. 
     In Biology this year, we learned about cancer, including its causes, symptoms, and treatments. We learned that there are many different risk factors for cancer, including genetic disposition among others. This article ties in to the things we have learned about cancer, as well as our studies of homeostasis, and how lack of exercise/being overweight can disrupt homeostasis, as well as allow secondary diseases to disrupt homeostasis. 

Source:

"Weight loss reduces cancer risk factor"

Nathan Seppa

May 1, 2012

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/340363/title/Weight_loss_reduces_cancer_risk_factor 

Protein Tweak May Trigger Alzheimer's
        Scientists have caught tiny amounts of a strangely shaped protein spreading destruction throughout the brains of mice. If a similar process happens in the human brain, it could help explain how Alzheimer's starts, and even suggest new ways to stop the dangerous molecule's spread. It is thought that the abundance of the molecule A-beta in the brain is one of the key steps to developing the disease. A-beta commonly takes the form of a chain of 42 protein amino acids. The new study chronicles the dangers of a modified A-beta that lacks the first two amino acids in the chain. Capping this stub is a rare, circular amino acid called pyroglutamate. Even trace amounts of this version, called pyroglutamylated A-beta, or pE A-beta, are devastating to mouse nerve cells. Scientists think that this discovery may have uncovered one of the first steps in a long disease process.
        The article relates to our studies because it is talking about the nervous system, in particular nerve cells. In class we learned about the importance of the nerve cells in the nervous system. The article is saying that the abundance of the protein pyroglutamate is devastating to the nerve cells. This is going to help scientists be able to detect people who are developing Alzheimer's which we also learned about in class. This article is showing that the the devastation of nerve cells by the pyroglutamate protein could be the starting sign of Alzheimer's. In class we also learned about how bad Alzheimer's is, and that any information that we can get about this complicated disease can help the scientists uncover the truth about this horrible disease.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/340386/title/Protein_tweak_may_trigger_Alzheimer’s

Study: Stem Cell Therapy Could be New Weapon in Fight Against HIV

Researchers at the University of California, led by Joseph Anderson, have developed a new method of combating HIV. The therapy is thought to be a complete cure for people with not only HIV, but people with AIDS as well. The treatment works by injecting stem cells that have been modified to contain a trio of genes that are resistant to HIV into the patient. The new stem cells then help block the HIV virus while maintaining a functional immune system. The new form of therapy would also allow patients to stop needing to take anymore antiretroviral drugs. this treatment has already been tested successfully on mice in the lab, and Anderson is expecting to move on to clinical trials on humans very soon. 

This article relates to our current unit as it displays a possible cure to a serious immune system disease: HIV and AIDS. HIV and its later stage, AIDS is a disease that infects many cells that are vital to the function of the immune system. Although, HIV by itself is not fatal, the disease damages the immune system so much that many patients die after obtaining another illness, such as the flu. 

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/health/Study-Stem-Cell-Therapy-Could-Be-New-Weapon-in-the-Fight-Against-HIV-150240405.html

Jessica Berman

May 04, 2012

As Diabetes Rises In Kids, So Do Treatment Changes

       In this article, Scott Hensley discusses the high rate of Type 2 diabetes among children. Diabetes is the disease when the body can't produce insulin. In Type 2 diabetes, there is a high level of sugar in the blood. Because of this, body fats, muscle cells and the liver don't respond to insulin, a hormone that regulates carbohydrates in the body. This is called insulin resistance. This article talks about how childhood obesity, caused by an imbalance of calorie intake and exercise, causes the Type 2 diabetes. Also, as mentioned in the article, an effective treatment for Type 2 diabetes is hard to come across. Children need to take more than one drug, like metformin, to suppress the disease and get their blood sugar level under control. Another thing that studies showed was that exercise and lifestyle changes didn't help children with Type 2 diabetes. The medication helped their health better than a lifestyle intervention. Children nowadays are living in a world where unhealthy, calorie-high foods are easy to come by, and the environment is such that exercise is hard to do.

       This article is relevant to Term 4 Biology because it is related to diabetes, a disease of the endocrine system. The endocrine system is a system that deals with the hormones of the body. Insulin is one of these such hormones. We will study the endocrine system later in the term. Also, the article deals with obesity, and an issue that stems from the digestive system, another body system we have learned about. Obesity is the condition of being severely overweight, caused by an excessive intake of calories into the body.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/04/30/151683942/as-diabetes-rises-in-kids-so-do-treatment-challenges

 Hensley, Scott. "As Diabetes Rises In Kids, So Do Treatment Challenges." NPR. NPR, 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 05  May         2012. <http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/04 /30/151683942/as-diabetes-rises-in-kids-so-do-treatment
challenges>.                                                                   

Why Underweight Babies Become Obese

According to an animal model study, scientists have found that babies who are born underweight are prone to obesity as they get older. Babies whose growth had been restricted in the womb because of the mother's malnutrition, hunger, or her reluctance to gain weight during pregnancy are born underweight. If this is the case, during the development as a fetus, the level of appetite-producing neuropeptides in the hypothalamus (the portion of the brain that controls a variety of functions, one of the main ones being hunger) increase, resulting in a natural tendency to increase the intake of food. In a recent rodent model study, researchers found that the amount of neuropeptides that increase appetite but decrease energy investment went up, while the number of neuropeptides that decrease appetite but increase energy investment went down. This means the hypothalamus was set to consume as many calories it could without any feeling of satisfaction.
This article relates to our studies of the nervous system and homeostatic imbalances. The hypothalamus is part of the brain, which is part of the Central Nervous System. The hypothalamus controls autonomic functions, such as hunger, thirst, and temperature, and is a crucial part in maintaining homeostasis. Since the hypothalami of underweight babies are affected, the homeostatic balance of appetite-controlling neuropeptides is affected. Obesity is also a homeostatic imbalance because it disrupts many important body functions, as well as getting in the way of almost every body system, including the circulatory, integumentary, skeletal, and muscular systems.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120502162523.htm

Respiratory Diseases Expected to Increase with Global Climate Change

This article describes the relationship between global warming and increasing respiratory illnesses. Global warming can cause more wildfires and dust storms, which can put particles in the air that, if inhaled, can cause respiratory illness. Also, tropical mold spores and diseases are being found farther north because the north is getting warmer. There is also more pollen due to the temperature increase. Global warming causes more ozone at ground level, which can lead to lung cancer, asthma, and infections. People with weak immune systems or in areas that have been affected by natural disasters are at greater risk.

            This article connects mostly to our unit on the respiratory system and also the immune system. People in areas affected by global warming are being exposed to tropical diseases that they have little immunity to, so they will get respiratory illnesses more easily. Global warming causes an increase in airborne irritants that can lead to infection in the lungs. Lastly, this connects to the immune system because people with weak immune systems are likely to experience greater problems because of climate change. Since their immune systems are already weak, they have no way to combat the new diseases.

Ojha, Dr. K.S. “Respiratory Diseases Expected To Worsen With Global Climate Change.” Medical News Today. 19 March 2012. MediLexicon International. Web. 4 May 2012. 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/243008.php

Lighter Weights Can Still Make a Big Fitness Difference

     Studies show that lifting lighter weights can be just as effective has heavier weights in building muscle, in fact lighter weights reduce the risk of injury. Stuart Phillips, a professor of kinesthesiology at McMaster University in Ontario, says that resistance training is more important than cardiovascular exercise in maintaining muscle mass. Most people are under the impression that you need to lift 80 percent of your all-out maximum weight for 8 to 10 reps in order to build muscle. Phillips and his colleagues looked at what goes on inside muscles after conventional 80-percent-of-maximum lifting with few reps versus lifting 30 percent of maximum weight until the muscle becomes too fatigued to go on. This usually occurs after around 25 to 30 reps.They found that both methods produced the same amount of new protein. Another benefit of lighter lifting is that it is easier on joints, making it the best option for older people. This new information is controversial because contradicts the "rules"  already established by fitness experts.
     This article relates to the muscle and skeletal system. It shows how different types of exercise has different effects on the muscles and joints. Muscles grow in mass when you work out by creating more protein.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/04/30/151710725/lighter-weights-can-still-make-a-big-fitness-difference