Narrative Interview

I received an object from sherry. upon receiving the scarf from sherry the first thing that came to my attention was the color. it was a forest green not to light not to dark. when i took a closer look at the scarf it appeared to be hand made. by the knots in the scarf i was almost positive it was hand knitted. the scarf didn't have any brand name on it or any tags attached. the scarf looked to have been well used from the strings hanging off it with its vintage appearance. My first assumption was that the scarf was a hand-made gift that she had received from and family member or a friend. it made me believe that, although it wasn't the prettiest scarf in world, she wore it because it possibly symbolized something more than just a piece to keep warm but rather a friendship or love. i assumed that sherry wore it to remember the person who gave it to her and that the scarf had a deeper meaning to her than just to keep warm. while interviewing sherry i asked her ten questions about the scarf she had given me to further understand the meaning of it. i came to understand that she had knitted the scarf herself and it was not a gift which shifted my perspective of the scarf. she had knitted it her freshmen year at mason about three years ago and she choose the color green because it was masons color. i then inferred that she was excited to come to mason and wanted to she her school spirit.

Revised Research Problem

Tarek Edelbi
English 302
Revised Research Problem
My revised research problem will be to further research the effect that toxins, contained in plastics used in every day materials, have on the genetic makeup and various mutations they cause. My area of interest will consist of different researches such as: how various plastic toxins can be transferred, plastics in the diet, ways the toxins affect an organism, and where and how they can affect an organism. Although it’s a wide range of interest they can both be similarly related to one another. Most toxins contained in plastic are well studied and documented, there are a number of toxins that are very harmful and are known to cause damage to DNA weather in embryo or to a fully developed organism.
The questions to be researched is what toxins are causing the damage, in what stage of development, how are they being caused, and what solution is there for prevention of damage. These questions are important because plastic production is increasing more and more every year, and recycling is only scratching the surface to a solution. Since plastic materials never fully decompose, these toxins will soon start having an impact on not only the environment but all the organisms living in it. Since living with only a limited number of plastic products seems almost impossible, the general public seems to be avoiding the topic of how detrimental these toxins can be, and since the effects haven’t taken their toll on the environment and many organisms just yet it isn’t a major concern.
Proposed methods for this study are still not definite, but further research in previous experiments will create a good start. By researching current studies on the topic, a better understanding of the situation can be established. Limitations on the study could be where and how the genome is affected, since the human map has only been put together for six years and many other organisms’ maps haven’t been started.

Works Cited
Ahmad, Maqbool, and Ahmad S. Bajahlan. "Leaching of styrene and other aromatic compounds in drinking water from PS bottles." 16 May 2007. Science Direct. Journal of environmental sciences. Mason, Fairfax. 25 Feb. 2009 .
Alderson, Norris. "Testimony." 14 Mar. 2008. ASL. Mason, Fairfax. 25 Feb. 2009 .
Ball, Douglas. "Development of Safety Qualification Thresholds and Their Use in Orally Inhaled and Nasal Drug Product Evaluation." 23 Feb. 2007. Toxicological Sciences. ToxSci Advance Access. Mason, Fairfax. 25 Feb. 2009 .
"Screening Assessment for The Challenge Phenol, 4,4' -(1-methylethylidene)bis- (Bisphenol A) Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number 80-05-7." Oct. 2008. Environment Canada. Health Canada. Mason, Fairfax. 25 Feb. 2009 .
Somorovská, M., J. Tulinská, M. BaranÄoková, M. ZámeÄníková, A. Collins, A. Líšková, B. Vallová, H. Petrovská, E. Jáhnová, P. VodiÄka, L. Fuortes, and M. DuÅ¡inská. "THE COMET ASSAY IN BIOMONITORING OF OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE IN RUBBER FACTORY AND PLASTIC LAMINATION PLANT. COMPARISON WITH CYTOGENETIC AND IMMUNE BIOMARKERS." 2006. ELIS. MASON, Fairfax. 25 Feb. 2009 .
Totten, Bill. "[A-List] Get Plastic Out of Your Diet." 16 Nov. 2006. Mindfully. Livivng nutrition magazine. Mason, Fairfax. 25 Feb. 2009 .
Tyl, R. "Polycarbonate Plastics and Bisphenol A Release." 2006. Bisphenol A. Human health and saftey. Mason, Fairfax. 25 Feb. 2009 .

Exchanged object

I received a green scarf from sherry. the color is not a bright green but more of a forest green. it looks like it was hand knitted, and looks to be very warm. it looks like she might of had it for a while. seems that she would only use it in cold weather and maybe to match her green mason shirt. the scarf's material feels like a thick cotton or possibly wool.

it might be a gift that she received because it looks hand knitted, and it might have some sentimental value because it looks a little worn out. the scarf doesn't have any tag or brand on it so i'm assuming it is a hand made gift. sherry might wear it because the person that gave it to her was someone special in her life, and when she wears it she remembers him or her. from receiving the scarf i could tell it had more of a meaning to her than to just keep her warm or because it matches her shirt but because the scarf might represent someone close to her.

1. who made the scarf?
2. who gave you the scarf?
3. why do you wear the scarf?
4. What does this scarf mean to you?
5. How long have you had this scarf?
6. Would you buy this scarf if you saw it in the store now?
7. What would it mean to you if you lost this scarf?
8. Do you like the color green?
9. Have you ever washed this scarf?
10. Is there anything you want to tell me about this scarf?

sherry made the scarf so it wasn't a gift. she knits and made it when she was a freshmen at mason because masons color is green. she has many other knitted scarfs but this is the only one she has here with her at mason. she wears it to protect herself from the cold. she has washed the scarf only once before but usually doesn't because it ruins the stiching.

Article Analysis

Citation Information
Article Title: Individual and joint toxic effects of pentachlorophenol and bisphenol A on the development of zebrafish (danio rerio) embryo
Author(s):Zhenghua Duana, Lin Zhua, Lingyan Zhua, Yao Kuna and Xiaoshan Zhua
Journal Title:Individual and joint toxic effects of pentachlorophenol and bisphenol A on the development of zebrafish (danio rerio) embryo
Publication Information (date, volume, etc.):Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Volume 71, Issue 3, November 2008, Pages 774-780

Database Accessed:2/24/2009

Analysis Information
Purpose: To prove that toxins such as PCP and BPA found in everyday material can have detrimental defects on live embryos.
Audience: Wide range of audience from scientist studying zebra fish to geneticists.
Sources: various sources




Primary Details
Research Concern: Effects of PCP and BPA on development of zebrafish
Thesis: That the presence of PCP and BPA will have an effect on the development of the zebrafish.
Procedures/Methods: Placed healthy control fish's embryos into toxic conditions.
Supporting Evidence: embryos decreased significantly with defects as well.
Key Findings:PCP and BPA were both toxic to the development of zebrafish embryos, and the toxicity level of PCP was about two orders of magnitude higher than that of BPA.
Limits:PCP BPA water
Problems:chemical consistency
Point of View:

Presentation and Argumentation
Concepts/Key Vocabulary Words:
Use of Evidence: experimental methods
Conclusion:PCP and BPA were both toxic to the development of zebrafish embryos, and the toxicity level of PCP was about two orders of magnitude higher than that of BPA.
Implications:

Evaluation
Strength of Argument: the argument had sufficient and reasonable research.
Strength of Research Approach: research was concise and accurate to theory
Strength of Supporting Evidence: due to experiments the supporting evidence is strong
Importance of Article's Inquiry: Had some main points related to my research topic
Overall Evaluation: great article
Other:

Summary #2 2/24/09

Tarek Edelbi
Summary
In this article researchers discuss the claim that a diet with sugar can lead to increased amounts of acne. Although the connection between sugar and acne has long been dismissed, scientists are now doing further research. Recent studies have shown that sugar may not be the reason but the food’s glycemic index, or the speed and extent to which it raises blood glucose levels, which causes inflammation. In order to test the sugar theory scientist recruited 50 males between the ages of 15-25 all with acne. They followed their diets and progress for 12 weeks. Some of the subjects followed a typical diet which included high-glycemic foods such as white bread, sweetened cereals and pasta, while the other subjects were given foods higher in protein and lower on the glycemic scale, like fish, whole-grain breads and fruit. At the end of the 12 weeks the study showed that the subjects with the low-glycemic diet had a greater reduction in skin lesions and other various acne symptoms then the control subjects. Scientists also tested the levels of free circulating androgens, male hormones, which are also known to cause acne, which also turned up at a lower amount. Still more research is needed to prove this theory.


O'Connor, Anahad. "The Claim: Sugar in the Diet Can Lead to Acne". The New York Times. 2/24/09 .

Summary 2/24/09

Tarek Edelbi
Summary 2/24/09

This article was on the topic of a genome. It explores the mystery of the human body and how it’s able to collaborate the trillion of cells that encompass the same genome. In the article they compare the bodies cells to “something like a play in which all the actors have the same script but are assigned different parts and blocked from even seeing anyone else’s lines”. The cells assign themselves to the different roles they will play throughout an individual’s lifetime. As researchers dig deeper to find how this process works they are finding a “second layer” of in formation called an epigenome. The epigenomes’ roll is to control the access to genes that are packed into the DNA allowing each cell type to activate its own special genes but blocking off most of the rest. A human contains one genome but many epigenomes which will also control when the accessible genes may be activated. Researchers have found evidence that changes in the epigenome can cause cancer and other diseases. The epigenome has the ability to alter with age, for example identical twins often look a little different as they grow older because of accumulated changes to their epigenomes. Although this research will continue it is very expensive and some researchers think that discoveries in this field is still way to over our heads and the technology for the research is not up to par. The National Institute of Health has a small $190 million initiative called the epigenome roadmap in which individual researchers receive the funding.


Wade, Nicholas. "From One Genome, Many Types of Cells. But How?". The New York Times. 2/24/09 .

project update

1. currently i have been following up on the research from last class. i have been looking into more specific child birth defects and how they are being caused. although many defects have no known reason for occurrence, geneticists have strong evidence but nothing solid to prove the cause of certain birth defects. for the state of my project, i have found a well researched topic that can be narrowed down to many precise topics, and can have a reasonable amount of research done.

2. for my task list i might want to go into more research and pick out certain birth defects that i want to focus on.