Transgenic Plants

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v399/n6733/full/399214a0.html

http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v17/n7/full/nbt0799_627.html

These two articles, Transgenic pollen harms monarch larvae, and Monarch Bt-corn paper questioned, are controversial and both talk about the experiments done on monarch larvae fed on milkweed leaves dusted with pollen from N4640-Bt corn(a commercial variety containing a gene for an insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis protein as a defense against infestation with the European corn borer). These articles talk about the publication of peer-reviewed scientific publication which indicates that transgenic pollen kills larvae of the monarch butterfly. This paper caused contrasting responses among plant scientists and representatives of life science companies around the world. In their experiments and publication, John E. Losey, Linda S. Rayor, and Maureen E. Carter from the Department of Entomology at the Cornell University, show that the larvae of butterfly feed by leaves of genetically modified plant ate less, grew more slowly and had higher mortality than those fed plain leaves or leaves dusted with pollen from a nontransgenic corn line.This publication has been criticized by many scientists. Their critics were about a number of weaknesses of the paper, the poverty of experiments quantifications, the use of inappropriate controls, and the preliminary work gathered no direct evidence that the B. thuringiensis toxin in the maize pollen was the cause of death.

The reason why I chose these two articles, and like them, is the way they talk about pros and cons of Transgenic plants. The transgenic plans are very useful and needed nowadays, since they have many pros. Among of transgenic plants' pros, we can mention that, Transgenic plants are environmentally friendly, farmers can use few pesticide. In addition to that, Transgenic plats provide increase in the crops production, sicnce they give an improved yield. This yield is improved in making plants that have disease resistance, pest resistance, and stress tolerance all contributing to yield. Besides of these pros of transgenic plant, there may be also the cons. Among of cons,  there are some effects on non-targeted organisms, such as insects, in the food web. Moreover, there my be the movement of herbicide resistance to weeds. 

My point of view on these two controversial articles is that the genetically modified planst have to be produced due to their high crops that they give considered with those which are unmodified. The studies and researches must be carefully done, in order to have negligible impact on non-target organisms. For any publication, they might be criticisms about it; this is what shows its value. When I read throughout those two articles, I found that the critics were valuable, because these scientists, they really did not finalize their work before publishing it. Moreover, they were not sure if the results they have gotten are confirmed with their hypothesis as accepted by one of them, Losey. Anyways, transgenic plants are very needed, but the studies must continue about them in order to reduce their cons.

The Surgical Treatment of Breast Cancer

http://www.cancernews.com/data/Article/202.asp

Breast Cancer is a cancer that forms in the tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands, which make milk). It may occur in both men and women, although male breast cancer is very rare. The research shows that seventy-one percent of black woman diagnosed with breast cancer experience a five-year survival rate, while eighty-six percent of white women experience five-year survival. The first sign of breast cancer usually show up on a woman’s mammogram before it can be felt or any other symptoms are present. They are a lot of origin of breast cancer; risks for breast cancer include a family history, atypical hyperplasia, and delaying pregnancy until after age 30 or never becoming pregnant, early menstruation, late menopause, current use or use in the last ten years of oral contraceptives and daily consumption of alcohol.

The scientists discovered some treatment for breast cancer. A sentinel lymph node biopsy is a new technique. This technique was developed as a test to determine if breast cancer has spread to the lymph ducts or lymph nodes in the axilla without having to do a traditional axillary lymph node dissection.  The research from the University of Michigan has discovered that the lymph ducts of the breast usually drain to one lymph node first, before draining through the rest of the lymph nodes underneath the arm. That is the lymph node that helps sound the warning that the cancer has spread. Lymph node mapping helps identify that lymph node, and a sentinel lymph node biopsy removes only that lymph node. The sentinel lymph node is identified in one of two ways, either by a weak radioactive dye that can be measured by a hand held probe, or by a blue dye that stains the lymph tissue a bright blue so it can be seen. Most breast cancer surgeons use a combination of both dyes. This procedure is new. The “best” way to administer the dye, which dyes to use, and the benefits and risks of the procedure in various situations, is still being studied. A traditional axillary lymph node dissection is the “tried and true” method, and is still considered the “gold standard”.

The breast cancer is a huge problem around the world especially for women. There is no quite way to prevent breast cancer. But there are a few things that all women can do to reduce their risk and help to prevent it if it is found at an early or more treatable stage. We can lower breast cancer’s risk by changing those risk factors that are under your control. We can do it by limiting alcohol use, exercising regularly, and staying at a healthy weight. There are a lot of institutions that help in preventing the breast cancer. If we join them and receive education form them we can live better with or without breast cancer.