Category: Uncategorized (Page 3 of 5)

Articles:

Rabin, Roni Caryn. “In a First, Surgeons Attached a Pig Kidney to a Human, and It Worked.” The New York Times, October 20,  2021.   https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/19/health/kidney-transplant-pig-human.html. 

Summary:

Roni Caryn Robin explains in this article how an organ from a pig was attached to a human and how it functions for the first time. Robin explains how they successfully took a kidney from a genetically altered pig and used it on a patient who was brain dead. This is a major event as it could pave the way for other organs to be transferred from different species onto humans. There are over 100,000+ Americans who are on the waiting list for an organ transfer and this discovery could seriously help them out in the long run. The surgeons attached the kidney from the pig to “…blood vessels in the patient’s upper leg, outside the abdomen”.  As a result of this, the organ started to produce urine and creatine as a normal functioning kidney would. While this may be a revolutionary discovery, this procedure still has many “…significant medical and regulatory hurdles to overcome”.

The procedure of transferring organs from one species to another is called xenotransplantation.  While this recent discovery is a positive one, there is still more to be known. Even though the organ may be functioning now, we still have to think about what could happen later in the future. There might be problems in the future that are currently not present right now. However, the surgeons have observed their work and have seen the organ function normally within a two-day time period. While there is still much work to be done, this procedure will surely be able to save many lives in the future if all goes perfectly well.

Analysis: This article is trustworthy as it was written by Roni Caryn Rabin, a graduate of Columbia University, staff writer for The New York Times, etc. This article is intended for everyone as it relates to health and how doctors are improving and finding new ways to solve certain problems. The procedure would save a tremendous amount of lives as it removes the problem of not having anybody to donate the organ that you need.

Response:

In my opinion, I find this article very useful. It gives us a lot of information about this certain procedure. It tells us what they did, how they did it, and the outcome of the procedure. On top of that, it also gave us background information on xenotransplantation. This article made me think about how incredible it is that there are still so many ways to save people’s lives. It made me feel like as time progresses, the world will have figured out how to resolve many of the problems we have today.

Li, Li. “Surgeons Tested a Pig Kidney Transplant in a Human Patient – and for the First Time, It Worked.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 20 Oct. 2021, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pig-kidney-transplant-human-patient/.

Summary:

In this article, Li Cohen explains how surgeons transferred an organ from a pig to a human and how it was not rejected immediately. This procedure was performed on September 25 at New York University and it took the surgeons 2 hours to complete. They took a kidney from a pig that was genetically engineered and placed it in a woman who was brain dead with the consent of her family. According to Cohen, “The kidney was attached to the blood vessels in the donor’s upper leg and kept outside the abdomen, where it was covered with a protective shield, for the duration of the 54-hour study”. Researchers found that this pig kidney acted just like a human one in the sense that it produced normal levels of urine and creatine.

As a result of this procedure, it gives people hope. This type of procedure is not new, but, it is known to fail. Humans have antibodies that make the transferring of pig organs to humans impossible. However, they used a pig that was genetically engineered so that our antibodies wouldn’t reject it and it managed to work. This is a big step in resolving the lack of donors issue as it would essentially provide an alternative to our organs.

Analysis: Li Cohen is a journalist, social media producer for CBS News, and has written articles for numerous different websites. This article is trustworthy as she has her work published on various different reliable websites like MSN, Yahoo, CBS, etc. This article was intended for everyone as it provides a possible solution and information for a problem that is very serious. It also gives a glimmer of hope to those who are in need of organs as this could seriously help them out.

Response: In my opinion, this article is very important is it brings light on a topic that is not talked about enough. My only question is how much time needs to pass for this procedure to be called a success. If this does manage to pass all guidelines and become a success, the amount of people that will be filled with joy as a result of this is unimaginable.

Roberts, Michelle. “US Surgeons Test Pig Kidney Transplant in a Human.” BBC News, BBC, 21 Oct. 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58993696.

Summary:

Michelle Roberts explains how this newly discovered process is a huge step when it comes to helping those who are waiting for an organ donor. In this article, Roberts talks about a two-hour operation that took place at the New York University Langone Health medical centre. Surgeons took a kidney from a pig and transferred it onto a human who was brain dead and had no chance of recovering. However, whenever a pig organ is transferred onto a human, the human body sees the organ as something foreign and ends up rejecting it. For this reason, Scientists used genetically modified pigs for this procedure so that the body would let the kidney function normally.

After the transfer was done, the surgeons observed the kidney for two and a half days to see what the results where. After multiple tests and checks, they found that the kidney started functioning normally and acted just like a human kidney. According to Dr. Montgomery, ” …about 40% of patients who are waiting for a transplant die before they receive one”. If this procedure turns out to be a success, the amount of lives that would be impacted in a positive light is astronomical.

Analysis:

This article was written by Michelle Roberts and made this article for everyone. Roberts is a health editor/senior broadcast journalist at BBC News. She is a qualified doctor and has over 20 years of experience in news, health journalism, publishing and copywriting. She has attended multiple schools such as the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of the Arts London, Harlow College and University of London. This article was made for everyone to read as this information could seriously help you or someone you know. It also shows you how we are improving health wise.

Response:

In my opinion, I truly think this article is important as it gives us hope that people who need organ donors won’t have to be stuck on a waitlist anymore. Instead of relying on a kind person to save their life, they can rely on a genetically modified pig to give them the organ they need. The only question I have is what are the side effects that come with having an organ transferred from an animal to a human? Will the side effects kick in soon or later on in the future?

How to Create a World Where No One Dies Waiting for a … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgBnYr0_FRk.

Summary:

Organ supply is an issue that has drastically increased as time has progressed. In the United States, there are over 115,000 people on a waitlist to get the organ that they need. Each day there are 92 people who transplants that take place. This issue is so severe that in some parts of China, there are people willing to go to the black market in order to purchase an organ. Thanks to gene editing technology, we have made progress to end this issue. Pig organs are the main focus of this solution. Pigs are used since some have organs that share the same size and physiology as us. While in college, Luhan Yang used a tool called CRISPR which is used to change DNA. After doing work using the tool, she was reached out by physicians at Mass General Hospital to see if they could potentially use CRIPSR to solve the organ shortage crisis.

After hundreds of trials, they managed to produce Laika, a genetically modified pig. It was the first pig to be born without PERV, a deadly virus that can be transmitted into humans. This pig is seen as the first crucial step in demonstrating safe xenotransplantation. As time progressed, they have now created more than 30 pigs without the deadly virus. Laika is the beginning of tackling the massive issue that is organ shortage and can be seen as a symbol for solving many other current issues.

Analysis:

This video is very trustworthy as TED is known to be an amazing source for information on a certain topic. This video was intended for everyone to see since it is showing us how we can save countless amounts of lives through gene editing technology. This video gives us information on xenotransplantation and the issues that arose while trying to perfect it. Luhan Yang provides a detailed story on how she got to where she is now and what inspired her to tackle the organ shortage issue. It also shows how Luhan Yang and her team managed to solve these issues and how this is the first of many issues that will be solved.

Response:

In my opinion, I found this TED Talk to be very inspirational. It makes me believe that over time, many of the issues we currently have will be solved leading to a greater future. Not only is this video inspirational, it is also very informative. It made me understand how this whole process occurred and how they use certain tools to solve this issue. A question I have for Luhan Yang would be is, what else is there to do to completely make this process 100% safe, or what are the next steps?

Julio A. Alvarez
Literary Narrative Pre-Final Draft
ENG 1101

OUTLINE
I. INTRO: A beginning
II. BODY 1: Adapting to School
III. BODY 2: Changing Paths
IV. BODY 3: Missing 1 Credit
V. CONCLUSION:
A.Things I learned as young adult
B. If you try things can get better

A New Beginning to dreams to a High School Graduate

My name is Julio A. Alvarez, and at the tender age of 9. I had to leave everything behind for a new life. The day was hot and warm, yet fresh and soothing gusts of wind came down from the mountains. I was in my little house made of cement block walls, thin grooved steel sheets for a roof, and wood framing as support for the roof. My mother came into our room and told me and my younger brother that she had good news. She then proceeded to tell us, “Nuestras visas han sido aprobadas.”(Our visas have been approved.) What did this mean? This meant that we will be moving from the Dominican Republic to a whole different country, and I would have to leave my life behind. Trust me I wasn’t too keen about that idea. This new beginning drastically helped shape my educational journey through having to overcome my language barrier, to changing my career for something that brings me more joy, to being able to graduate early.
I remember being really nervous to go to school and meet new people that I couldn’t understand or communicate appropriately with. Around the time of summer of 2010, my mom took me to the Public School 19 Roberto Clemente, which was the nearest school when I used to reside in Williamsburg. As I was approaching the building, I remember thinking to myself, “Do they speak my language? Can they understand me? Are they people with short fuses?” As I entered the building I was guided by a lady to sit at any table; naturally I went to sit at a table by myself. As I looked around I began to notice that it seemed that there were other kids that looked similar to me, “Perhaps they also spoke my language?” I uttered to myself. After a while of sitting by myself , the bell signaling class went off.. Kids began to line up in lines for their respective grades. I took my line which had the number 3 in it, which stood for third grade. As we were walking up the stairs, I took out this little paper my mom had given me. Inside it said “Cuarto 330, Señor Vargas.” Which meant my room number was 330, and my teacher’s name was Mr.Vargas. As I was going to my classroom, I saw a man with slicked back gelled hair, and a light gray suit standing outside of 330. He says to me in Spanish, “Oh, you must be Julio. My new student. It’s nice to see you, welcome to my ESL class.” I looked up at him confused as he was speaking to me in spanish. This was my first interaction with someone other than my family who spoke English and spanish. From here Mr.Vargas, taught me how to comprehend english and how it was very similar to spanish. He gave me books to read, assignments to practice my writing skills, vocal practices for pronunciations, which helped me develop new skills to overcome my struggle of adapting to my new environment, my new language, and my new school. As time went on, I had left Mr.Vargas’s ESL group at the end of fourth grade. This leads to me being proactive to take actions and learn new things that I don’t know.
I always loved fixing things and solving problems, yet I decided to be a mechanic. Shortly after I chose my new career path as a mechanic, I applied to Automotive High School. Which was supposedly one of the best schools to learn how to become a mechanic. I was really excited to try new things, and get placed in a shop class on how cars work and stuff. Well here was my issue, I was one of the few applicants which couldn’t get an intro class, this then placed me on a list which wouldn’t be able to do any shop classes until their second semester as a sophomore. I was extremely disappointed when I heard this news. This made me feel as if I wasted my time and effort. After my first semester I didn’t really feel all that interested in becoming a mechanic anymore. I had decided I will pursue a career with my other joy, which was technology. I remember Bila romani’s “Chronicles of a Once-Pessimistic College Freshman ” where he said how much he disliked how the high school system sifted through kids, and sorted them arbitrarily. This was similar to my case, since I wanted to do a shop class but due to a random selection program I wasn’t able to do an early class, but this then led me to take another means of action. I now began the search for a new school. I attended the school fair, then the transfer fair, and finally applied for my transfer. After a month of research and picking out which schools interested me the most. I had narrowed my choices down to two schools. First was a school named Performing Arts & Technology High School, the other was William E. Grady CTE High School. These schools were great candidates for expanding my interest in technology.
As I patiently waited for my transfer response to arrive in the mail, around the middle of March, my mother got a call. This call was from the Department of Education (DOE), stating that my transfer was denied since the distance is within an hour of travel. The following day I then proceeded to head down to the nearest DOE office, and we requested a hearing for further as to why it was denied. I was then again tld that I was within an hour of time to get to my Automotive HS. I had to explain to them that if service was delayed by even 15 minutes. I would be arriving late and it would end up with travel over one hour. They went on and said, “well why don’t you take another train?.” We then discussed how much time it would take if I were to commute via another train, the traveling time would be well over an hour and twenty minutes. I kept persisting with them that it would be a better decision to allow me to go to another school as I would not be happy with what I’m currently working on at this present school. Finally they gave me an option. The only option I had was to get a stamp of approval from the principal agreeing to a safety transfer. Thankfully, after explaining the situation and showing the letter of denial the principal had made the decision of approving my transfer. I would have to bring the approval and a new transfer form to the DOE office so that I would be allowed to change schools. Finally after two weeks of waiting I received a letter with my approved appeal to transfer schools, and seeing this letter gave me hope for my new future.
After getting used to my new school and almost nearing the end of my tenth grade at Performing arts & technology, I had decided that I would graduate early, although things didn’t go as planned. After passing my tenth grade I went and discussed with the guidance counselor that I wanted to graduate early. She then gave me a list of requirements and an agreement to stay on task, and happily I agreed. As my junior year of highschool came along, I was excited to try and give my attempt at graduating early. I had regular classes, an AP class, a college class, online classes, and finally I had my internship. Somehow I managed to juggle all of these at once whilst also losing all of my social life, and believe me I had a lot of stress piled up. My only ways of relieving it was by playing video games, or being alone reading, listening to music, or by enjoying the company of my own silence. As the second semester came in I had decided that I won’t be doing the extra college credit class, nor the AP class. The semester went by normally. I was aware that I wouldn’t be able to graduate with the senior class and had to do summer school. Prior to this I had sorted out my paperwork to join City Tech CUNY, as a freshman in Fall 2018. As I was diligently working on my final online classes, and trying to get all of my final credits, I got called to the guidance counselors office. I was expecting good news and that I was finally able to have the merit of graduating early. I was told that I was missing one credit and that I would have to stay one more semester. At that moment I didn’t know what to do. I felt lost and as if I had failed. I had asked, “why didn’t you tell me this sooner? I wanted to graduate, I wanted to leave and be free.” I had then been told I needed one more credit to graduate and that one credit was english. I asked “what happened to my english credit that I had tried to get on my online class?” My counselor told me, “Due to a computer error that credit was not imputed and therefore you’ve to redo the course again.” This pissed me off for a bit. I now had to go to my college and drop all of my classes, and go back to school for one period. Funny enough my last assignment for graduating that semester was the last essay I ever wrote and that was exactly a year and one months ago. After a year of figuring who am and what I want to achieve
Still to this today I’m still on my educational journey not as a child learning to understand people, but as a young adult trying to understand how the world works. I try my best to not let unnecessary bureaucracy push me down, and give my best try to stay on top of things. I understand that things won’t always go my way, but if I put in the effort and persistently try. I know I can achieve greater things. As a young adult I’ve learned how to manage my money and credit appropriately; how to talk in appropriate tones; how to manage my time better; how to de-stress appropriately. I also had the great opportunity to meet great new people at the Brownsville Justice Community Center (BCJC), they taught me how to guide myself appropriately through risky situations, so if they ever were to occur. I would have the knowledge on how to handle it or move around it. Altogether I can say that I still have much to learn, so as a young individual I came to understand that one never stops learning.
From the end of it I came to understand that life works in many wonders. You will never know what you will get. Like in my case I was lucky my school had ESL and this gave me the opportunity to adapt quickly. After persisting that that’s not what I wanted to pursue I changed majors, Also nearing the end I was able to graduate early. Not exactly when I wanted to, but I still was able to do it. Remember this if you try you can do it, if you don’t try nothing can be done. So go out there, and enjoy your life.