More Insight on Gastric Byspass Surgery: CSB #6

As many probably already know, a popular weight loss surgery called “Roux-en-Y” gastric bypass helps morbidly obese people lose weight and turn around their lives. They lose one-third of their digestive tract, rid themselves of diseases such as diabetes, and lose a lot of weight. But what still remain a mystery is why exactly people lose weight after the surgery. Megan Dailey believes she has the answer that gives more insight into eating disorders and depth into the surgery itself. Once you find out more about the relationship between food and the body, you can gain a different perception into the impact of eating disorders on the body. Dailey's research showed that when patients undergo this surgery, the food bypasses the duodenum, a pharynx between the stomach and small intestine. It travels directly to a place called the jejenum and consequently, the jejenum receives more nutrients. This promps the release of hormones that affect the appetite in a good way. And this is why people's appetites are curbed after this surgery. To test her theory, Dailey mimicked the effects of bypass surgery on rats. She injected nutrients into the jejenum directly and observed that all the rats consistently lost weight. Dailey also discovered that GLP1 and PYY, hormones that effect appetite, were released at a higher pace. Since rats body's are quite similar to those of humans, we can almost most definitely conclude that the humans' need to eat lessens after bypass surgery. Now, I believe that it is very fascinating to learn about the body and its digestive system. I cannot wait to learn about it in science class! I hope that the research from this study can help scientists better understand eating disorders and the body in general. By doing that, techniques to help the poor people effected by eating disorders and obesity could be improved as well as their conditions. I hope that the research regarding bypass surgery and the digestive system in general will continue to develop and grow. \

Citations+Sources:

Dailey, Megan. "A common surgery could clarify eating disorders while it mends
     obesity." Hopkins BrainWise Spring 2011 30 Mar. 2011: n. pag. Hopkins 
     Medicine . Web. 31 Mar. 2011. <http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/
     publications/psychiatry_newsletter/hopkins_brainwise_spring_2011/
     embraceable_roux>.

http://paladinpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/obese_gastric_bypass_surgery-300x199.jpg

Widely Believed Allergy Remedy Dispelled

Some people have believed for some time that honey can help aid and possibly even cure allergies. The reasoning behind this is that since bees pollinate flowers and are covered in pollen, all the pollen should transfer over to honey. Therefore, if you consume a little bit of honey each day, your system should gradually be able to handle pollen in higher amounts.   So, the University of Connecticut Health Center decided to put this belief to test. The research team would give different substances to people affected with allergies and see if any type of honey would add relief to allergies. The 36 people were split into three groups: one would receive local honey, the other commercial honey, and the last corn syrup that was made to taste like honey (the placebo group). After a few months went by, none of the groups reported having relief or aggravation and this myth was proved wrong. According to Doctor Stanley Fineman, president of a college that specializes in allergies and asthma, "Seasonal allergies are usually triggered by wind borne pollens, not by pollens spread by insects." To me, I found this to be a real bummer, since I suffer from pretty bad allergies. When I first saw this title, I was secretly hoping that this might be the key to end itchy eyes and constant sneezing. Oh well. I am sure many other allergy-stricken people will be surprised and slightly saddened when they hear this news, but I found it interesting that allergies were caused by wind borne pollens, a fact I was unaware of before. This article made me wonder what other remedies there might be out there that people habitually (and stupidly) follow in hope of curing whatever ailment they need to cure.













Citations: 


 O'Connor, Anahad. "Eating Local Honey Cures Allergies." The New York Times.
     N.p., 9 May 2011. Web. 9 May 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/
     health/10really.html?_r=1&ref=science>.

J, Clive. "Effect of ingestion of honey on symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis."
     Pub Med. Gov . N.p., 7 May 2011. Web. 9 May 2011.
     <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11868925>. 

Picture url:  http://healthproductreviewsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/allergic-reaction.jpg

CSB #8: Muscle Experiment

authors: Emma Malysz, Gabi Gupta, Jackie An, Vivian Isenberg 

How are muscles of the forearm and hand affected by different temperatures of water, including ice water, warm water (50ºC), and room temperature(16ºC) water?

Have you ever been out on a cold day and realized that it is difficult to open a door and carry all of your books and pencils? Doesn’t it feel easier to do this when it is warm outside? We hypothesized that the warmer the temperature, the higher the force, but we decided to test it. By using the Vernier dynamometer, shown on the right, we were able to measure the force released by our hand grip. We placedboth dominant and non-dominanthands in a one liter bucket of water for 30 seconds and gripped the device for 15 seconds, exerting as much force as possible, measuring the difference in the muscle patterns. We set upthree different buckets, each containing a different temperature of water. The first has ice water (0ºC), the second had room temperature (16ºC), and the last contained warm water (50ºC). Before conducting the experiment, all four of us believed that the force of the right-hand placed in warm water would result in the strongest force, as it was our dominant hands and the warmest environment. We thought that the warmer temperatures would relax the muscles, giving us the highest results. Also, we felt the weakest would be the left hand in cold water, as it was our non-dominant hand in the coldest environment. 

First, our group, all right handed, put our right hands into the bucket of ice water. Despite many complaints from the group members, each of us managed to survive the 30 seconds in the ice water. Each of us felt that it was extremely difficult to apply force to the hand grip, as our hands were all freezing. The graph on the right shows Jackie in red, Gabi in blue, Vivian in green, and Emma in orange. Jackie’s maximum force was 106.8 N, Gabi’s was 145.3 N, Vivian’s was was 178.3 N, and Emma’s was 180.9 N. Similarly to what we believed, we received different results while doing the left hand, which is shown on the left. Vivian actually surpassed her previous force, with her maximum force becoming 190.7 N. Gabi, Jackie, and Emma’s all decreased.

After the ice experiment, each of the team members waited for exactly 6 minutes before putting their hands in the 16ºC water. Same as before, each of us tested our right hands first. The colors and their matching person are the same as mentionedabove. However this time, Vivian’s maximum force was the strongest, 184.7 N, followed by Jackie, 153.4 N, then Gabi, 152.6 N, and finally Emma, 129.9 N. Then, we tested the left hand, which had different results as well. Once again, Vivian’s left hand was stronger than her right, with a maximum force of 187.1 N. Jackie, Gabi, and Emma received almost identical results to their right hand, yet each of them had larger drops. This suggests that they could not hold the strength for as long as they could with the right hand. If you look at the two graphs, you can see drops in all four of the members, but in the graph on the left, the drops are much larger and much more frequent. 

Finally, our group tested our hands in the 50ºC water. We hypothesized that the best results would come from the right hand placed in the warm water. Onceagain, Vivian had the most force, with the maximum as 209.0 N. This was herstrongest trial by over 25. This time, Jackie was the second strongest, with a maximum as 191.0 which was also her strongest. Following Jackie was Emma, whose force was 183.2, another personal best. Last was Gabi, who had her strongest of 177.7 N. All four of the group members had the strongest results during this trial. Next, we tested the left hand. Emma’s was 200.9 N, Vivian’s was 160.5 N, Jackie’s was 169.1 N, and finally, Gabi’s was 114.3 N. Emma’s left hand in the hot water resulted in her highest score during the experiment, whereas the other three approached their average score. 

After graphing the results, we found the average and made graphs. The following graph shows the all of the right hand results and the averages. Vivian had the highest average (190.67 N), then Emma (164.67 N), then Gabi (158.53 N), and finally Jackie (150.4 N). The averages from our left hand show that Emma’s, Vivian’s, and Gabi’s forces were all slightly less on their left hand, even though Emma and Vivian received their highest on their left hand. Jackie’s was slightly higher. The highest score for Emma was her left hand, warmest experiment, and her weakest was her right hand, room temperature water. The highest score for Jackie was her right hand, warm water, and her weakest was her right hand, cold water. Gabi’s strongest was her right hand, warm water, and her weakest was her left hand, warm water.Vivian’s strongest was her right hand warm water, and her weakest was her left hand, warm water. Three out of four members had their strongest test with their dominant hand in the warm water, which is what we originally thought. However, before we believed that the weakest results would be the left hand cold water, but 50% of the group had their weakest results while their left hand was in warm water. This result may be because our hands were tired at this point. If we had more time to conduct this experiment, our results may have varied and been closer to our hypothesis. Our experiment explored the realms of biology, particularly the muscular system. It also involves some facts about homeostasis and body temperature. While in a different environment, the muscles proved to act differently, which is what we were testing in the first place. We believe this experiment is great for aspiring scientists or anyone who is curious about muscle and their relationship to different extreme temperatures. If you ever do this experiment or something related to muscle strength and temperature, we would love to hear from you! 

*all forces are shown in Newtons (N)

Breakthrough in Prenatal Diagnosis

FYI: Down Syndrome is caused by 3 copies of chromosome 21 as opposed to 2 copies. It results in altered facial features and intellectual problems. It may also result in heart problems. 

For about 100 years, doctors have been able to determine whether a baby will have down syndrome by undergoing a choice of two procedures. Currently, these procedures are: Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS). The first takes a sample from the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby by inserting a needle through the uterus at about 15 weeks into the pregnancy. The latter is done at about 11 weeks into the pregnancy and retrieves a piece of the placenta by poking a needle through the cervix. While these tests are fairly accurate, 1% of women that choose to take this test will have a miscarriage. This is why only 10% of pregnant women take these tests. But now, thanks to advances in science, doctors believe they have an alternative to CVS and amniocentesis that will NOT come with any possibility of a miscarriage.  This new alternative will be cheaper and less invasive; it just involves a simple blood test that can be taken early on. With further studies, this process could possibly be implemented  into practice about 2 years. Now, I am enthralled that the avoidance of a miscarriage will allow more babies to be born. The emotional devastation and loss of a life must be unbearable and parents should not be punished by simply taking a test to find out more about their baby.  While prenatal diagnosis is a controversial issue(90% of women will abort if they find out their baby is affected), I believe the testing is a good idea. People affected with down syndromes are not self-sufficient and are prone to: heart problems, sleep apnea, obesity, dementia, diseases in general, and leukemia. I acknowledge the fact that many down syndrome kids may thrive, sometimes, parents will choose abortion. The baggage that comes that comes with caring for such a child is unimaginable; the time, effort, and money will sometimes be too overwhelming for a parent. The problems that down syndrome people have to go through simply might be too painful for the parents to put their children through. Also, knowing whether your baby has down syndrome can help you prepare to care for your child. I am no medical expert, but prenatal diagnosis is good in my eyes. Your thoughts?
 

Sources: 

Family Doctor. "Prenatal Diagnosis: Amniocentesis and CVS." Family Doctor . N.p., Aug. 2010. Web. 7 Mar. 2011.

Harmon, Amy. "Prenatal Test Puts Down Syndrome in Hard Focus ." New York Times 9 May 2007: n. pag. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/us/09down.html>.

Reinberg, Steven. "Infomark Noninvasive Test May Identify Down Syndrome Early On; Simple blood draw might someday become routine practice in pregnancy, researchers say. ." HealthDay A250784418 (2011): n. pag. Health and Wellness Resource Center. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://puffin.harker.org:2069/servlet/HWRC/hits?r=d&bucket=healthnews&n=10&searchTerm=2NTA&l=d&index=BA&c=3&docNum=A250784418&s=16>.

Save Babies . N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.savebabies.org/images/babies-1.jpg>.

Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Down Syndrome ." Mayo Clinic. N.p., 7 Apr. 2009. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/down-syndrome/DS00182>.  

Science Behind Sleeping

Definitions:
melatotin- chemical produced that makes one sleepy and helps with prevention of infection

Summary: Did you know humans spend one-third of their life simply sleeping? Now you know. Sleeping is vital to functioning in daily activities; without it, we would be "walking zombies" in the words of Andrew T. McPhee, a leading sleep researcher. Your body's energy level is restored when you sleep. Also, people that get less than the recommended hours of sleep tend to be more prone to infections and such. That is because the body produces a chemical called melatotin when we sleep that helps fight disease and during the day, the production of melatotin is stifled. Now, while we sleep, we pass the sleep cycle that contains several stages . During the first stage, we enter sleepy mode. Bodily functions slow down, such as body temperature and activity in the brain. You become extremely relaxed and then go into the second stage. Your body continues to slow down and soon enough, you will be entering the stage called deep sleep. This part is critical because during this period, growth hormones are generated and, as the name suggests, we get a chance to fully rest.  Following this period comes the one you are probably dying to read about, the dream stage. Also known as REM sleep ( rapid eye movement, called this because while we dream, our eyes move in quick, sudden movements), we experience dreams. Dreams are thought to be interrelated with one's life, but there are a few researchers who believe that dreams are just random thoughts. Now, there is so much more fun information to know about sleeping, but unfortunately, I will not be discussing all of them. If you have any questions about anything regarding sleeping, just ask me and I will most likely know the answer (the book contained everything you have to know about sleeping).

Discussion: While I read the book, I constantly thought about how many people are sleep deprived. Not getting enough sleep disables you; many car accidents happen because of people that are not fully awake. Sleepy people are very similar to drunk people as they both are not completely aware of their surroundings and their motor skills are impaired. I know that some nights when I am not able to fit in those eight hours, the next day I tend to forget information easily, I am more irritable, and I sometimes I get sick if it goes on for a few days. What about you? This book also got me thinking about the start time of school. For most high schools, classes begin at about 7: 45 on a typical day. That's ridiculous considering that teenagers start getting tired at around 12:00, it's a scientific fact. For teenagers, melatotin production begins later than other age groups, which means they do not feel the effect of sleep until later into the night. And considering they are supposed to sleep for nine hours, they are cutting it short by two full hours. As I mentioned earlier, sleep helps one do better in general, so why does it make sense to impair high schoolers from doing their very best? It doesn't. I think that school should start later so everyone is fully rested and end earlier so people have more time to do their homework. What is your opinion on this matter? '

More questions:

Have you or anyone you know ever experienced a sleeping disorder?
How much do you typically sleep a night?

Citations:

McPhee, Andrew T. Sleep and Dreams. N.p.: Grolier Publishing, 2001. Print.
http://www.bustachange.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/sleep-replacement-drug.jpg

CSB #3: A Cure For All Cardiovascular Problems?

ABOVE: clogged up artery vs. normal artery


Definitions: 


HDL- good cholesterol
LDL- bad cholesterol
CETP- cholesteryl ester transfer protein, helps increase amount of good cholesterol 


Summary: 
Could we finally have a way to reduce high cholesterol? Well, scientists are working on a solution called anacetrapib that promises many positive effects. It works by increasing the number of HDL and eliminating some LDL by speeding up the reaction of CETP. When the drug was tested, patients experienced a 138% increase in HDL and decrease in LDL. Merck, a drug company, is investing $150 million in this project and if all goes well, anacetrapib is projected to yield one billion dollars in revenue. However, they must do two things. One, this drug must prove to not only reduce cholesterol levels, but reduce risk for cardiovascular problems. Two, no negative side effects may come out of this. Before it can be sold on the market, Merck must prove that  anacetrapib is completely safe. A similar product called Pfizer lowered cholesterol levels as well, but it was shown that death risk is raised when Pfizer is used. More studies will be conducted to ensure nothing of this sort will happen. 


Discussion: 
I think it would be great if scientists discovered how to lower cholesterol levels. Many people suffer from high cholesterol( to be exact, 1 out of three people in the US). High cholesterol can interfere with everyday life and even lead to fatal outcomes. However, I do believe it to be a little skeptical that there will be no side effects whatsoever. Raising your good cholesterol and lowering the bad, basically altering with the regular bodily functions is bound to not be that great for you. Hopefully, they will find a way around this; after all, they are scientists. 


Questions: 
What types of studies will be performed to learn more about this topic? 
How much will this product be sold for if put on the market? 


Sources: 
Singer, Natasha. "Merck Drug to Raise Good Cholesterol and Lower Bad Shows
     Promise." New York TImes. N.p., 17 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.
     <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/health/research/18merck.html>.
Merck. "In Phase III Study Merck's Investigational CETP Inhibitor Anacetrapib
     Met Safety and Efficacy Endpoints in Patients with CHD." Merck. Merck, 17
     Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.merck.com/newsroom/
     news-release-archive/research-and-development/
     2010_1117.html?WT.svl=content&WT.pi=content+Views>.

Gabi Gupta's CSB #2 Salt: Good Addition to Food or a Cell Repairer?

definitions:
tadpoles- baby frogs
regeneration- regrowth of bodily organs
NaV1.2- protein that create sodium channel
sodium channel- integral membrane proteins (connected to membrane) form together is selectively permeable in letting sodium ions pass through the plasma membrane
sodium transports-

Summary:

Scientists in Massachusetts studying regeneration conducted an experiment on the Xenopus laevis, or African Claw Frog, to help them better understand how cells can be repaired. They first amputated the tadpoles tails, and then injected a rush of salt into the area where the tail was. The salt inrush proved to have helped the rate of regrowth. Usually, the NaV1.2 is prevented from entering the cell, therefore deterring or completely stopping the rate of regeneration. The reason that the salt never reaches the cell and helps it rejuvenate is because it is stopped by sodium transports. NaV1.2 is associated with one of the main components needed to help regeneration, so when it is not able to get through, the chances of the cell revitalizing are slim. But if scientists find a way to regulate sodium transports, that would allow the sodium ions to enter the cell, allowing the cell to undergo changes.



Discussion:
I think this is really interesting because this brings us one step closer to solving medical problems, such as spine problems or limb loss. But, we should look further into this idea because we would not want any negative side effects, which might be impossible. If scientists can get this to work, we would be able to help soldiers and maybe even handicapped people who undergo loss of arms and legs. That would be a huge accomplishment and a pioneer the idea of generation. New discoveries always lead to discoveries that build on previous discoveries, so if these Massachusetts scientists can overcome this challenge and find a way to make it work, that would be SO impressive.


Questions:
What future studies will be conducted and what kind of experiments to further expand on this concept?
What other information is there on mutation that can help them? Are there any other experiments that they can learn from?

Sources:
http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/abstract/30/39/13192
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/science/12obsalt.html
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/SCN5A
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/SCN2A