Ryan Swenson

“Article Summary”

            On January 2^nd, 2014, scientists have been working with fruit flies to further our understanding of one of the worst diseases to this day, cancer. Cancer kills millions of people each year. Fruit flies are used in many different scientific applications because of their quick generation times amongst other reasons. Dr. James Wakefield, Daniel Hayward, and Dr. Jeremey Metz, were the main scientists that were involved with this study. They were working at the University of Exeter, and discovered that when cells go through division they express a lot of room for change and are quite flexible in doing so. This has a good chance of helping understand some of the early causes of cancer in the cells. The process first looks at the roots that help move organelles through routes.

            These roots are specifically called microtubule spindles. They occur and aid in the cell where the DNA separates during cell division, resulting in two new cells. The study showed that there were numerous routes in the way that these spindles would form. The next step was to really visualize what was happening, and they did so by using very in-depth, detailed images, that specifically looked at manipulating genes and proteins of the fruit fly. This is a new and novel way of helping to understand the way that cancer develops early on, and the pathways are pivotal to visualize development.

            These researchers discovered that there were multiple paths in which the spindles could be formed. When they would remove one of these paths, they also discovered that it would increase the likelihood of one of the other pathways that develop these microtubule spindles. And in studying these pathways, this team found a protein that was common throughout each one, augmin. This whole study is all new understanding of how the spindle can form in many different ways in fruit flies. Before this research, it was unknown.

Previously, scientists everywhere assumed that the microtubule spindles would form from the centrosomes and then split when the chromosomes get separated and a new cell forms, but now their ideas have been altered. The research shows that the spindles can form from actual chromosomes themselves, as well as some other parts of the main body of a cell. None of this was known until this experiment was done.

            Augmin, as mentioned earlier, as the common protein found in all these pathways for spindle formation, is a factor of the microtubule spindle that needs to be present in order for these to form. This was an interesting part that the scientists discovered.

            These researchers now think that cancer may be caused from disruptions of some of these pathways. When none of them are disturbed, it could now mean that you have a lower risk of acquiring cancer. And conversely, if many of these pathways are destroyed, than you could be at a higher risk for cancer. This makes sense because you then have fewer ways that the microtubule spindles can form, and thus be more susceptible to errors in cell division that could lead to cancerous cells that begin to divide and grow into tumors.

            As promising as this study is beginning to look, it is however all theoretical at this point. Dr. James Wakefield and the group plan to further investigate this process and see if it can lead to better understand one of the worst diseases that is affecting the human population to this day.

MLA citation- Association for International Cancer Research. "Using fruit flies to help understand cancer."ScienceDaily, 22 Oct. 2010. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
(I don't know how to double space, sorry. It's 2-pages though)

"How Does Writing in Your Field Work?"

             

               To figure out how articles in my field are written I would do a few things. First off, I would e-mail or contact my advisor and see if he had any insight or ideas on achieving this answer. Secondly, I would use the internet and look up to see if there is a specific way that my field has of writing, whether it be a template, outline, etc. Lastly, after using these options, I would browse the internet and look/read for commonalities in articles that are pertinent to my field then using that information, structure my writings after them. That is how I'd go about finding out how writing works in my field.

"Sources W/ One MLA Citation"

Source1-       http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101022082454.htm

              Source2-       http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140102113142.htm

MLA citation- Association for International Cancer Research. "Using fruit flies to help understand cancer."ScienceDaily, 22 Oct. 2010. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.

Ryan Swenson

“Thought Piece #2”

            As I was reading Rosenberg’s article at the beginning, I felt a lot of the same struggles that she encountered. I often would read paragraph after paragraph and begin to get enveloped into my thoughts and soon realize that I had read almost an entire page without actually understanding it. I’d always have to go back a page and then start reading from there only to go back to wandering off again. This seems like a constant struggle that I have at times with reading pieces that I find rather uninteresting. And after a little while of this battle, I’d eventually wave the white flag and surrender to my homework that was due for the time, simply out of a combination of this boredom/frustration.

            What I really liked about Rosenberg’s article was the strategy that was presented by her. Specifically about the parts of reading the intro, section headings, then conclusion. And after reading those, trying to figure out the main point or argument that the writer is trying to convey. I think that when I’m reading scholarly articles, I often get lost in all of the context and really struggle to even realize what the writer is trying to get across halfway through. This strategy will definitely be used by me in the future because I think it will not only get me involved with the material at hand, but it will better my understanding of the article the second time around when I actually read the article.

            A lot of the time students will be quick to just read and skim through any assigned reading they have and then try to bring up little facts and tidbits that they picked up along the way to tie into their assignments, without even knowing exactly what was going on with the article. Some readings are going to take more time, and students, especially myself, need to understand that. Scholarly articles are going to take time to read and should be read as if you yourself were a scholar. They weren’t written to be quickly read over and have bits of information gleaned from them. That’s what I really got out of this reading, and I think that it really will be helpful to further my reading skills as I continue on my college career. I got the most use of the strategy that I mentioned earlier of pre-reading the article to get main concepts from it.

(This is over a page double-spaced, I do not know how to double space on the blog)

Ryan Swenson

“Portrait of a Writer”

            In Kent Haruf’s written piece he describes all sorts of places where writers from past and present prefer to work in. Whether it be in a basement, or leaning over a refrigerator, it is the writer’s preference that helps them concentrate to get their works done. For me, when I write I definitely prefer to be somewhere secluded from other people. I like silence and to be alone with my thoughts when I am writing. I can have music on or headphones in, as long as I’m the only one in my thoughts then I’m alright. If the weather permits, I’d love to be able to write outside. I like the outdoors, especially on a cool summer day with a slight breeze. Laying down in the soft green grass with those conditions are when I am at peace with life. I love hearing all of the sounds of nature and all the sights it has to offer. I also love rainy days and being able to be right next to a window when I’m writing. I like the sound of the rain as it hits the window. It soothes me and is relaxing whenever I am stressing about finishing some type of work. The problem is I’ve always lived somewhere where it is simply too cold for more than half the year to be in that situation or any other type of nice, warm weather. So I often find myself secluded in my bedroom, or now, in my dorm room. If my roommate is present then I throw in the headphones or if he is gone sometimes I’ll just sit and be quiet with my thoughts. I like to be in a calm state whenever I am about to write any essay or paper. It helps me think clearly and not get distracted by the other choices that college has to offer. When I’m in my zone is when I seem to be able to write the best. If I ever get some sort of writer’s block, I often can recognize it right away. From there, I often will take a break and just not think about the topic or whatever it may be that I am working on. My break could involve getting a snack or a drink, turning on the TV for a few minutes, or even resting my eyes for a little. I just need to calm down and really relax to be able to write smoothly and efficiently. After, I’ve done so I can really get back into the swing of things by reading what I have written and seeing where I can go from there or try and brainstorm new ideas that I haven’t thought of yet which really gets the process going again.

            Another aspect that really makes writing more interesting to me is topics. In almost every class except one my junior year of high school, I had to write about topics that I quite frankly didn’t give a s*** about. This made writing especially difficult for me because as is I don’t already like writing that much, it didn’t help one little bit that I had to write about boring topics or readings that I either didn’t gain any useful knowledge from or just plain thought was a waste of my time. I really don’t like being forced to write a certain length paper on something that I in the first place despise. On top of that I really, really hate when on top of that they make you have a certain structure, style, and/or format that they require you to do in your paper. Like are you seriously making me write about a topic that you chose, then make me write this topic in a way you want me to write it? That always frustrated me because it always seemed that if I had an interesting topic that I found interesting, then I could really create some interesting pieces of writing. On top of that if I could write freely (Obviously have some structure if I were to turn it in) instead of having to worry about every little sentence and punctuation in my paper then writing would be a more enjoyable and less frustrating. I feel like in writing there should be no set structure like an introduction, body, conclusion, etc. I understand how that could help others follow along with your writings, however, I think that writing in itself should come from inspiration that you draw from topics you enjoy, and, with that, the structure should come from what you feel is an appropriate way to present your own work and not what others think of you. Teachers always would tell other students and myself at the beginning of the year/semester that from reading our papers they would recognize our style and type of writing, but I would always put that into question when they were handing out a writing assignment that they had a required format that you have to have in order to get the grade you want to receive. Then to further that they make you include a certain number of sources to cite and how many times you have to quote your sources. So where does my own style come into this? It never made sense to me.

            Now that I’m done with my rant I’d like to include what makes me the writer I am today. For me I tend to draw my future works on examples I’ve seen from the past. The information/advice that I’ve received in the past, I will then use in future works. Then once I get critique from that work, I try to constantly improve. But that’s an aspect of English that definitely gets me angry. It seems like you can always improve and what you’re doing can always be better. I suppose you can view that in a pessimistic view or an optimistic view. The pessimistic is that you’re writing will never be the best it can. However, the optimistic would be that with each piece that I write, my writing is getting stronger. I’ve tended to be more of a pessimist of this because as is English never tickled my fancy. But I suppose those two views can be applicable to almost every aspect of life. Maybe I’m being difficult because I always consider myself a math and science guy. If I get stuck on a problem in math I’ll go over my work and look for mistakes but in English when I get stuck in either papers or any work really I get angry and begin to question why it is important or why I have to do what I do. It’s just that with math you know that if you put an addition sign where a minus sign was, you can easily find and change that then move on. English however, you could make an entire paper, then realize that your organization might be a disaster, or you’re straying off topic a lot towards the middle and the end, and now you need to start your entire paper over. I do sound extremely lazy with those last few sentences, but if you don’t have a love for a certain topic, subject, etc. then it does make writing seem like the worst chore of all for me. I can’t stand pointlessly writing about what an author means in chapter when it’s a boring piece to me in the first place. If I could choose a book that I had a general interest for then it’d be much better. Look at me, I was gonna talk about me as a writer and again, I find myself in another paragraph of ranting.

(This was over 3 pages double-spaced, I don’t know how to make this double-spaced on the blog)

            

Ryan Swenson

“Portrait of a Writer”

            In Kent Haruf’s written piece he describes all sorts of places where writers from past and present prefer to work in. Whether it be in a basement, or leaning over a refrigerator, it is the writer’s preference that helps them concentrate to get their works done. For me, when I write I definitely prefer to be somewhere secluded from other people. I like silence and to be alone with my thoughts when I am writing. I can have music on or headphones in, as long as I’m the only one in my thoughts then I’m alright. If the weather permits, I’d love to be able to write outside. I like the outdoors, especially on a cool summer day with a slight breeze. Laying down in the soft green grass with those conditions are when I am at peace with life. I love hearing all of the sounds of nature and all the sights it has to offer. I also love rainy days and being able to be right next to a window when I’m writing. I like the sound of the rain as it hits the window. It soothes me and is relaxing whenever I am stressing about finishing some type of work. The problem is I’ve always lived somewhere where it is simply too cold for more than half the year to be in that situation or any other type of nice, warm weather. So I often find myself secluded in my bedroom, or now, in my dorm room. If my roommate is present then I throw in the headphones or if he is gone sometimes I’ll just sit and be quiet with my thoughts. I like to be in a calm state whenever I am about to write any essay or paper. It helps me think clearly and not get distracted by the other choices that college has to offer. When I’m in my zone is when I seem to be able to write the best. If I ever get some sort of writer’s block, I often can recognize it right away. From there, I often will take a break and just not think about the topic or whatever it may be that I am working on. My break could involve getting a snack or a drink, turning on the TV for a few minutes, or even resting my eyes for a little. I just need to calm down and really relax to be able to write smoothly and efficiently. After, I’ve done so I can really get back into the swing of things by reading what I have written and seeing where I can go from there or try and brainstorm new ideas that I haven’t thought of yet which really gets the process going again.

            So if I were to some up myself as a writer, I’d do so as having to be calmed and relaxed, definitely not stressed, and alone with my thoughts whether it be secluded outside in nature or in the comfort of my own bedroom or dorm room.

(This is over 1 page double space, I can't figure out how to make it double spaced on this blog)