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Talk:2015 Group 6 Project
2015 Projects: Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 | Group 6 | Group 7
Group Assessment Criteria
- The key points relating to the topic that your group allocated are clearly described.
- The choice of content, headings and sub-headings, diagrams, tables, graphs show a good understanding of the topic area.
- Content is correctly cited and referenced.
- The wiki has an element of teaching at a peer level using the student's own innovative diagrams, tables or figures and/or using interesting examples or explanations.
- Evidence of significant research relating to basic and applied sciences that goes beyond the formal teaching activities.
- Relates the topic and content of the Wiki entry to learning aims of cell biology.
- Clearly reflects on editing/feedback from group peers and articulates how the Wiki could be improved (or not) based on peer comments/feedback. Demonstrates an ability to review own work when criticised in an open edited wiki format. Reflects on what was learned from the process of editing a peer's wiki.
- Evaluates own performance and that of group peers to give a rounded summary of this wiki process in terms of group effort and achievement.
- The content of the wiki should demonstrate to the reader that your group has researched adequately on this topic and covered the key areas necessary to inform your peers in their learning.
- Develops and edits the wiki entries in accordance with the above guidelines.
Group 6: Z5050795 | Z3333429 | Z3330686 | Z5016650
- 1 Assessment
- 2 Function --Z5016650 (talk) 17:16, 29 March 2015 (EST)
- 3 Structure / Lab 3 Assesment --Z5050795 (talk) 22:20, 1 April 2015 (EST)
- 4 Current Research
- 5 Collagen Diseases
- Introduction - You identify the project focus, collagen type II, but this is a very brief introduction to the project. It needed more.
- History - 1930s, 1955 and 1969 are the only periods identified in the history, surely there was more?
- Structure - good description of structure and biosynthesis, could have used some images to illustrate better. Wikimedia Commons image not cited correctly, should not be used on project pages, you could have generated yourself (Z3333429 ) from PDB.
- Abnormalities - good to show gene location image. Abnormality table was useful.
- Current Understanding and Areas of Research - Some good examples, could have been more about current stem cell work in this area. Antibodies table was useful.
- Glossary - no glossary included on project page.
- I would have liked to have seen a closing section/paragraph to the project page before the references.
Student - (All, to end May)
- Z3333429 - 36, 11 Very few edit contributions to the project page, almost two thirds in the last week.
- Z5050795 - 23, 9 Very few edit contributions to the project page, more than half in the last week.
- Z3333429 - 7 images
- Z5016650 - 2 images
- Z3330686 - 1 image
Ref/Copyright/Student template OK
Hey, so I've just been looking around for a topic and maybe we could do something related to the fibres that make up the extracellular matrix e.g. collagen or elastin? I'm not sure though, what do you guys suggest? --Z5016650 (talk) 21:56, 22 March 2015 (EST)
Z3333429 (talk) 08:55, 23 March 2015 (EST) That sounds like a good idea. Will everyone be at the lecture tomorrow?
Z3333429 (talk) 09:13, 23 March 2015 (EST) My name is Emanuel btw. I had a look at the two lectures for EM and the main topics are:
EM Structure
- Glycoproteins
- Fibers
- Collagen - has the most information, if we want to do this topic we have to lock it in ASAP.
- Elastin
- Hydrated Matrix
- Proteoglycans
- Carbohydrate
- Adhesive
- Fibronectin
- Laminin
EM Function
- Support for cells
- Pattern of ECM regulates:
- polarity
- cell division
- adhesion
- motility
- Development
- migration
- differentiation
- growth factors
I think it is most likely that the topic will be broken up into structures but we may also be able to talk about the origin of EM and the function (although this may be a component of each structure that we have to discuss).
Okay let's lock in collagen then before someone else takes it.--Z5016650 (talk) 11:11, 23 March 2015 (EST)
Z3333429 (talk) 15:06, 23 March 2015 (EST) Okay I just emailed Dr Hill to let him know.
I would like to change the heading now, but no reply from the other two people! I guess we could just be safe and get it before its too late! --Z5016650 (talk) 19:53, 23 March 2015 (EST)
"Collagen Fibres" or "Collagen Component of the Extracellular Matrix" or something else? --Z5016650 (talk) 20:00, 23 March 2015 (EST)
--Z5016650 (talk) 20:38, 23 March 2015 (EST) Okay, i changed the heading! Feel free to add more words to it.
Z3333429 (talk) 00:47, 24 March 2015 (EST) I haven't heard back from Dr Hill yet. I won't be at the lecture tomorrow because I have a physio appointment so maybe ask him in the first 5 mins of the lecture just to make sure we have locked out topic in.
Z5016650 (talk) 18:37, 24 March 2015 (EST) To lock it in, we have to change the heading and we did that so it should be fine.
--Z3330686 (talk) 20:56, 24 March 2015 (EST)Hey guys! Sorry for the late response. Topic sounds good! I wasn't in the lecture today but will see you on thursday! My name is Emma.
--Z5050795 (talk) 17:28, 26 March 2015 (EST) Hi, guys! I`m late too.. Sorry about that. The topic sounds good! My name is Laura, I`m brazilian. I`m kind of lost in everything but i really want to work and contribute with the project. I just need to understand what is going on.. Please, don`t hesitate on saying to me what you think i should listen.. =)
--Z5050795 (talk) 10:33, 28 March 2015 (EST) Hi, guys! How are you?? I'm starting my research but before i want to confirm with you one thing. Our subtopic is Collagen Type B right?
--Z5016650 (talk) 14:09, 29 March 2015 (EST) Yeah Type II (2)
Function --Z5016650 (talk) 17:16, 29 March 2015 (EST)
Collagen Type II: Function
Article One:
This article suggests that the extracellular matrix of the cartilage is mainly composed of type II collagen. In healthy cartilage, type II collagen is not degraded. However, when it is degraded by enzymes this causes joint damage, this is what occurs in osteoarthritis.
Article Two:
In this article, it says collagen type II along with other proteins, has a role in skeletal development. Collagen II also interacts with minor collagens IX and XI to form heterotypic fibrils. Mutations in type II collagen in the extracellular matrix of the vertebrae show the important structural and developmental role of the fibrillar network.
Article Three:
In this article, it mentions that type II collagen is found in articular cartilage, which acts as a load bearing, low-friction, wear-resistant cushion. It is located at the ends of long bones to allow skeletal movement that is painless.
Article Four:
This article says that type II collagen plays an essential role in both fracture healing and long bone development. It is also mentioned that an increased production of type II collagen could enhance full bone formation. Type II collagen promotes bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) osteogenesis and inhibits adipogenesis. This means that collagen II may have a function in the early stage of BMSC differentiation.
Bone and cartilage both contain COL2A1 gene which has a role in the production of type II collagen. Therefore, mutations in such a gene can show many abnormalities.
Radiograph of the Family Members.[1]
- ↑ <pubmed>24949742</pubmed>
Structure / Lab 3 Assesment --Z5050795 (talk) 22:20, 1 April 2015 (EST)
Collagen type II: Structure
Article One: The authors of this article were studyind the relation with cancer progression and collagen disposition in the extracellular matrix. For this, they built a 3D computational model of collagen network to study the mechanic properties of a single molecule and also fibrils and fibers. They review the tripe-helix strucutre briefly and focus on the collagen gel (collagen fibers, interconnected into a three-dimensional fiber network), measuring the distance between the cross-link interactions, the density of fibers and creating models to vary the fibers geometry and see the dinamics alterations. They found that the network geometry is a determinant key in the mechanical properties of the fiber, even more significant than the density. The stiffer and denser crosslinkers increase the mechanical stiffness of the whole network and stress can be acumulated along fibers, which is an ideia to the collagen aligment that occurs in tumor progressions.
Article two: This article links chemical properties of individual tropocollagen molecule (length) and strenght of intermolecular attractions to macroscopic mechanical response of fibril. They studied deformation in two scales to see when it changes from homogeneous intermolecular shear to propagation of slip pulses and when covalent bons within tropocollagen molecules begin to fracture and one of the conclusions is that collagen's properties are scale-dependent (the strength of an individual tropocollagen molecule is different than the strength of a collagen fiber). Although the nanoscale distribution of crosslinks give additional strenght to the fibers, extremely large crosslink densities lead to negative effects.
Article three: In this study, the authors discuss how deformation can change the microstructure at the fiber scale. For this, they simulated a stretching strain to see the evolution of both the fiber and the network and verify the presence of cell-induced aligments. At low strains, no particular aligment was observed but above some levels both fiber aligment and network density increased. In uncrosslinked networks, this aligment is found to be irreversibly imprinted, however, in crosslinked networks the similar fiber aligment and the same geometrical properties are found but with full reversibility. Strain-induced alignments were known to be a combination of reversible elastic effect and irreversible inelastic effects, but now we know that it is primarily an elastic effect.
Article four: This study uses scanning transmission electron microscopic mass mapping to develop an image of the structure of collagen fibrils from embryonic cartilage. Cartilage fibrils were harvested from 14-day-old chicken embryo sterna. These samples were then prepared for examination via electron microscopy. The results demonstrated that collagen type II in conjunction with type XI formed 10+4 microfibril structures. Evidence suggested that as long as some collagen type XI was present, over expression or mutations in collagen type II did not affect the assembly of thin fibrils. It is also apparent that microfibrils that contain XI are the nucleus for the accretions of collagen type II microfibrils.
(A) Single U87 glioblastoma cell in a collagen network 10 hours after gel polymerization. bar = 50 µm. (B) Several U87 cells on the surface of a collagen gel 10 hours after gel polymerization. bar = 200 µm. (C) Two cell colonies embedded in a collagen matrix 48 hours after gel polymerization. bar = 200 µm. Fibers (artificial red color) are imaged through confocal reflectance; cell nuclei (green) are labeled with a GFP-histone heterodimer.
Collagen gel morphological changes induced by presence of cells. [1]
Copyright Vader et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- ↑ <pubmed>19529768 </pubmed>
Current Research
Z3333429 (talk) 06:59, 2 April 2015 (EST)
Article 1
The effect of estrogen on the expression of cartilage-specific genes in the chondrogenesis process of adipose-derived stem cells.[1]
SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of estrogen on genes pertaining to chondrogenesis. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were differentiated into cartilage and then treated with estrogen in order to determine the genetic markers associated with the expression of type II collagen.
- Cell culture: Human adipose-derived stem cells were sourced from patients aged 25-55 years using enzymatic digestion of subcutaneous tissues.
- The cells were then cultured in a modified medium that was changed two times a week allowing for differentiation into cartilaginous tissues.
- Pellet culture: Pellets of chondrogenic APSCs were formed using a centrifuge and then suspended in a treated chondrogenic medium.
- The pellets were then incubated for two weeks and the control group was left untreated whilst the experimental group was treated with estrogen E2.
- At this point in the procedure the medium was changed every three days.
- Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR): Gene expression of cartilage-specific markers was determined using the RT-PCR method.
- RNX-plus kits were used to extract the cellular RNA and any unwanted genomic DNA was removed through the use of DNase.
- Concentrations of RNA were assessed using a spectrophotometer and cDNA was synthesised from the identified RNA and used for PCR.
RESULTS and CONCLUSION: Type II collagen was found in the control group but no type II collagen was observed in the experimental group. Aggrecan was detected in both groups with a significant decrease in aggrecan expression in the experimental group.
The study demonstrated that estrogen has an inhibitory effect on the expression of type II collagen and also leads to a significant reduction in aggrecan gene expression. This means that estrogen is not suitable for use in the chondrogenesis of type II cartilage from ADSCs.
Article 2
Type 1 regulatory T cells specific for collagen type II as an efficient cell-based therapy in arthritis.[1]
SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to assess the potential of collagen type II regulatory T cells (Col-Treg) for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
- Ethical guidelines were followed and approved of by appropriate ethic committees.
- BALB/c and DBA/1 mice were obtained and separated into transgenic groups of rearranged T-cell receptors (TCRs) and type II collagen specific T-cell hybrids.
- Col-Treg clones were generated from Col II–specific transgenic mice.
- Ova-Treg clones were generated were also generated.
- IL-10 was added to both groups on day 2 and the cells were then cloned.
- Cytokines IL-4 and interferon γ (IFN- γ) were counted using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) after two days of stimulation.
- Cytokine secretions were stained for using fluorescent dye and then analysed using fluorescence-activated cell sorting.
- The immunosuppressive function of Col-Treg clones was then assessed.
- Arthritogenic antibodies specific for collagen type II were injected intraperitoneally into 9 week old DBA/1 mice.
- Col-Treg cells were delivered via intravenous injection into the mice hours later.
- Beginning from 3 days post initial injection, the disease severity was scored using a scale:
0 = normal 1 = weak swelling 2 = significant swelling associated with redness 3 = intermediate swelling associated, or not, with redness 4 = maximal swelling and/or redness in all inflamed digits
- The number of inflamed digits were taken into account and scored appropriately (0 = no inflamed digits, 0.5 = zero to five inflamed digits, 1 = six to ten inflamed digits, 1.5 = one to fifteen inflamed digits and 2 = 16 or more inflamed digits).
- The mice were also weighed to determine any lose in body weight.
- 9-12 week old DBA/1 mice were immunised at the base of the tail with bovine type II collagen.
- 21 days after the arthritis tests, a booster shot was given.
- Col-Treg cells were injected intravenously into the mice on day 20, 22 or 28 after arthritis induction.
- The thickness of each hind paw was measured consistently after day 21 and the severity of arthritis was graded.
- Samples were collected and stained.
- Leukocyte infiltration and erosion were scored according to appropriate scales.
- Immunoglobins were measured.
- Detection of Col-Treg cells was carried out using PCR.
- 9 week old BALB/c mice were injected with ova-specific CD4 cells.
- This group was then immunised the following day with IFA.
- On day 5 one paw was injected with ovalbumin/phosphate-buffered and PBS was injected into another.
- Specific Treg cells were injected intravenously and the mice were killed after 2 days. Samples were then collected and stained.
RESULTS and CONCLUSION:
The results indicate that introduction of Col-Treg cells reduces the incidence and clinical symptoms of arthritis in both preventive and curative settings. There was a significant impact on collagen type II antibodies and there was a noticeable decrease in antigen-specific effecter T cells. These results indicate that collagen type II T regulatory cells could be an effective treatment from patients suffering from RA.
Article 3
Remission of Collagen-Induced Arthritis through Combination Therapy of Microfracture and Transplantation of Thermogel-Encapsulated Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells.[1]
SUMMARY: This study provided a new therapeutic strategy for autoimmune inflammatory diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis particularly with the effect on collage type II.
- 36 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used for the experiment and ethical guidelines were followed to keep suffering minimal.
- The SD rats were divided into for groups: CON, BLA, GEL and BMC. *All groups were injected subcutaneously with collagen type II emulsion.
- Booster shots were given at d=21 with half the dose.
- All groups received operations one week after booster shots.
- In the BLA, GEL, and BMC groups a hole was drilled into the tibial plateau of the left knee and then the wound was closed.
- The CON group received a sham operation with no drilling performed. *The rats were then allowed to move freely after their respective operations and were monitored.
- Bone marrow was harvested from the tibia and femur of a 3 week old SD rat and the mononuclear cells were isolated. The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) were prepared for use.
- The groups all received different treatments 3 days post surgery.
- BMC: PLGA-b-PEG-b-PLGA (BMMSCs); GEL: thermogel ; BLA (Blank group): phosphate-buffered saline (PBS); CON (control group): PBS
- The rats were then scored in terms of arthritis onset according to level of erythema, swelling or joint rigidity and oedema. An average of the limbs was calculated to determine scores.
- The rats were killed and both distal femurs were examined and photographed for macroscopic evaluation.
- The distal femurs were then fixed and stained in order to perform microscopic of the knee cartilage and surrounding synovium.
RESULTS and CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the majority of SD rats developed some form of irreversible bone or cartilage degradation with the exception of the BMC group. The BMC group displayed scores significantly lower than the non-treatment groups but were still possessed higher degrees of disease than normal rats. This means that BMMSC therapy can reverse synovial hyperplasia to an extent but cannot offer a full recovery.
Article 4
TGF-β1 conjugated chitosan collagen hydrogels induce chondrogenic differentiation of human synovium-derived stem cells. [1]
SUMMARY: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a biofunctional hydrogel consisting of collagen type II nanofibers and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) in the regeneration of cartilage.
- Photocrosslinkable hydrogels were prepared.
- TGF-β1 was added to the hydrogels at a concentration of 10 μg/mL.
- Human synovium-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hSMSCs) were suspended in hydrogels and then cultured in chondrogenic medium.
- Growth of hSMSCs was observed with a light microscope.
- Cell viability was observed by staining the samples after washing with PBS and viewing them via fluorescent microscopy. Viability was determined by the ratio of live cells to total cells.
RESULTS and CONCLUSION: The results indicate that collagen type II impregnation and TGF-β1 delivery significantly promoted chondrogenesis. This hydrogel system could be an effective treatment for cartilage defects and the results support the hypothesis that collagen type II impregnation in conjunction with TGF-β1, promote chondrogenesis in hSMSCs.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 <pubmed> 25789269</pubmed> Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name ""PMID" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name ""PMID" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name ""PMID" defined multiple times with different content
- ↑ <pubmed>25774788</pubmed>
Collagen Diseases
Article 1
"Premature Arthritis Is a Distinct Type II Collagen Phenotype" This article is produced by the American College of Rheumatism. It's focus is on the type 2 collagen gene, COL2A1, and how mutations in this gene can result in a wide spectrum of phenotypes the affect mainly cartilage and bone. It has an extensive review that places the mutations of COL2A1, as a key marker for those patients whom have isolated degenerative joint disease. This paper gives a great foreground of type 2 collagen.
Article 2
"Autoimmunity to type II collagen an experimental model of arthritis" This paper experiments with Type 2 collagen and it's results show that intradermal injection of native type II collagen, extracted from human, chick or rat cartilage) induces an inflammatory arthritis in approx 40% of rats of several strains. It shows that Type 1 and Type 3 collagen do not have the same effect.
Article 3
"Ophthalmic and molecular genetic findings in Kniest dysplasia" This was a paper that studied the variability of the ophthalmic phenotype in Kniest dysplasia (inherited disorder associated with defects in type II collagen and characterised by short-trunked dwarfism, kyphoscoliosis, and enlarged joints with restricted mobility). It concludes that the ophthalmic features in Kniest dysplasia are very similar to those in other disorders of type II collagen such as Stickler syndrome. It went into great detail explaining the COL2A1 gene which will be very usual for our project.
Article 4
<pubmed>12837047</pubmed> The abstract of this article eludes to the use of a denatured type 2 collagen material, UC-II, and it's success in previous studies in the reduction of joint pain and swelling for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. I think this would be a good article for us to look into further. It is inaccessible, due to it not being 'FREE FULL TEXT' but if we would like we could look into it further.
Note: A lot of information was available regarding the use of denatured type 2 collagen when discussing diseases and ways to treat them. This may be a branch that my group might consider including when completing our 'Type 2 Collagen - Disease' section.
X-ray, coronal and sagittal micro-CT images1 [1]
Z3333429 (talk) 14:28, 16 April 2015 (EST) Hey guys Mark emailed all of us and posted on our pages that we need to get moving with our page so I added a title for intro and the section that I did the articles for. I also added the references section so that when you add your content with appropriate referencing all he references will appear at the bottom of the page in order.
--Z5016650 (talk) 17:30, 30 April 2015 (EST) Im just finding some useful articles/links:
--Z3330686 (talk) 17:41, 30 April 2015 (EST) Here is the draft format of the page that we have come up with in class today.
Introduction (what collagen type 2 is, why it's important, list other collagens, role of collagen type 2)
Historical Findings
Structure (describe the structural components of collagen type 2)
- proteins
- types of fibres
- biosynthesis
- developmental stages (function, what cells make collagen type 2, when is collagen type 2)
Function (describe the function of collagen type 2)
- developmental function)
- interactions with other cells/proteins/collagens
- excess
- insuffucuencies
Current & Future Research
- antibodies
- models
- methods (IHC, WB)
Glossary (we think this will be useful)
--Z5050795 (talk) 16:28, 14 May 2015 (EST) Hi guys, I added some stuff to the "syntesis" topic but still needs to be improved. I need to put the references and correct the text.. I just posted there because i though was better once people will read and comment our page. (at least they will have something to criticize lol)
Group 6 peer review
Information needs to be put in the introduction and history section because just empty subheadings. The structure section has lots of written information which is good, with a few empty subheadings which need to be finished, but overall very informative and I like the use of the diagram it's a good visual aid and splits up the text. I'm not sure how the section on developmental stage is relevant to the structure though. Function section looks good with the diagram, clearly labelled and corresponds well to what is written in the adjacent text. I would say a few more functions should be given in this section but that's all that would need improving in my opinion! The abnormalities section appears unfinished too but I like the introduction to the section outlining what will be in the section. For the current research section I think it'd be good if the different areas that new research is focussing on is summarised and then a brief overview into the studies because it's quite hard to follow with the paper titles as the subheadings i.e. 'Type 1 regulatory T cells specific for collagen type II as an efficient cell-based therapy in arthritis' could be changed into cell-based therapy for arthritis ? Good use of the glossary at the end! The structure of this page is good it just needs a bit more work finishing the content!
Group 6 peer review
I think the project has been divided well into the different sections. However, information is missing from the beginning half of the project (introduction and historical findings) so that needs to be added. I would recommend using dot points for the historical findings. The structure is a bit patchy, it seems as though not all of the information is in the section yet e.g. the proteins, types of fibers. From what is written, it needs to be edited and more concise. The image in the section is good for illustrating the structure but I think more images should be used. Maybe also consider moving the picture you have from the functions section on the structure to the structure section? Also reading the functions section, there seems to be a lot on the actual structure of the cartilage rather than its function so maybe shift some of it to the structure section and emphasize the functions of the cartilage in that section. The recent findings should be created as a separate section or joined with the current understanding/areas of research? The abnormalities needs to be more simplified. Some of that is hard to understand having not read the actual article, also more information needs to be added to the other abnormalities. Make sure to include some pictures of the abnormalities to make it more interesting. The current areas of research seems to be more organized but I'm not sure so much detail is needed? Maybe simplify it a little more and focus on the other sections. The glossary also needs to be expanded a little because there are a lot of terms in the project that aren't explained. Overall, the page needs more work but it's heading in the right direction.
Project 6 Review
While a history section isn't 100% necessary if you don't get around to it, it ''is'' very important to have a captivating introduction to your topic. It is probably a good idea to leave that until you're all but finished though, so good job planning ahead.
The biggest problem is that your page isn't as well-developed as it should be by this stage. There are still raw journal article references and lists that need to be formatted properly, as well as headings with no content. You should also convert the glossary into a table, or at least make the headword of the entries bold.
Remember that you're writing a wiki page, not an essay, so your aim is to communicate concepts rather than specific results. Some of the language in the "Abnormalities" section is extremely technical (which is good) and causes the reader to skip over most of the details (which is bad). Keep your target audience in mind!
Your paragraphs aren't overwhelming in size, which is good (though some are a little long – try splitting the "Biosynthesis" paragraph at "After the glycosylation…"). They are also written fairly well. Your page almost has the best layout of any of the project pages. Small suggestion, however: change "Type II Collagen" to a title by enclosing it with 1 equals sign instead of 2:
=Type II Collagen=
Ultimately, you seem to be on the right track. You have the perfect balance of pictures and text, and the progression of the page and division into subheadings is pretty much perfect. It's now just a matter of actually fleshing out those sections that haven't been written yet and making sure you check each other's work for errors.
Group 6
Group 6 is doing their project on Type II Collagen. The group page at first sight looks really organised, and the most important information is present on the page. I also think that the images included are relevant and good as a summary for the information, but perhaps more pictures can break up the text. There are some issues with spelling and grammar, however that just needs to be edited in the final stages of the assessment. Again its not necessary, but perhaps the information in the "Current understanding and Research" section can be integrated rather than put into categories of papers. However, regarding that last point, it is really good that it was made clear what part of research was being addressed in the information and gave the reader a good idea of what was going to be addressed. I'm not sure what you plan to do with the list of antibodies, but perhaps it is better to put it in a table to condense the information and make it easier to refer to. All in all a good assessment, just needs to be wrapped up at the ends, especially the introduction and history :) Good job! [edit]
Peer Review
This project is still incomplete having nothing written for the introduction and history section. The structure has some information however this is also missing parts. From what I have read so far there are a few grammatical and spelling errors. Maybe have someone else go over it, which is what I normally do because I know I'm not the best at english. You have used some images to keep the viewer engaged however, they are not referenced properly as they do not contain the copyright information.
The function section seems to contain a lot about the structure of cartilage. Maybe move this into the structure subheading and focus more solely on the function of cartilage and type II collagen. Recent findings are also under function which I personally don't think belongs there unless these a findings about the function of type II collagen. Captions should also be underneath the photos.
When using abbreviations make sure to put what the whole thing is atleast once before it or in a glossary so that the reader can refer to it. What is COL2A1? Im guessing its collagen type 2 gene? But what is A1? If it is maybe put it in brackets to make it more obvious rather than commas. I don't like how you have incorporated the references in the text because it just makes it so much harder to read fluently. Also when amounts are involved in text, write it out instead of putting the number, for example two instead of 2.
Overall, the project is good as it has got good structure and is on the way however it is missing quite a bit of content across all the areas. Make sure to add a hand drawn image and to fix the image references as from what I can tell that is what Mark loves to take marks off for. Also there are a lot of repeats in your reference list, which can be easily fixed in the editting process. good job so far :)
Group 6 Peer Review
You've structured the page well under the topics and sub topics that you currently have. It seems that there still need to be more content added onto some of the sub topics, especially at the beginning. I am sure you'll have time to complete it all after these reviews. The information is researched well so far, its easy to understand. Consider having more images, maybe showing the formation of the collagen. Also some images under the abnormalities would be good too. If you have trouble finding images that can be reproduced, then draw them yourselves. Make sure you look over the referencing of all the images that you have so far, you don't want to loose marks for having some things missing. A formatting suggestion would be to have the antibodies under the 'current research' topic in a table or easy to read format. The group clearly knows how to cite all their content, the in text citations are all formatted really well and according to the correct formulas.The a reference list is correctly added. There are some references that have not been cited but I am assuming that this is because you are still going to add more content from the references. Make sure you add these to the reference list later on. The drawing of the articular cartilage is really good, clear and easy to understand. Overall the group has done some great work content wise and the layout of the page. I'd just suggest some more images, maybe tables and just fill in some of the missing content. Good work so far ☺.
Group 6 Peer Review
Overall , I think you're on the right track with your page, and once you fill in the missing bits, it will be good!
Key points clearly described: I felt that your page was structured / set up well, however there is a great deal of information missing (work in progress). Nonetheless, most of the parts that had information were well done. In particular, I felt the clinical application was narrowed down really well and highlights the clinical significance of the research. Just a note, under 'Function', when describing the layers of the articular cartilage, you should make obvious the three 'zones', i.e. 'The first zone is the articular surface', or even number them, such as '1. Articular Surface' and then include all the information following. I just felt that the zones needed to be distinguished better. The abnormalities section was really confusing and complex to understand. The incorporation of the referencing into the text did not work. I think you need to just reference at the end and only use last names and/ or reword that entire section to eliminate having to reference in text. Seeing the references within the text made me lose track of what I was reading. You also need to break the abnormalities paragraph down, and define the different components mentioned, for example, what are exons?
Understanding? Content, headings, sub – headings, diagrams, tables, graphs? Teaching at peer level? Own innovative diagrams, tables or figures, Interesting examples or explanations?: I thought your hand – drawn image was fantastic! Well done! It really outlines the structure of articular cartilage. I also liked the other images you used, but feel you need to add an image description below the 'Mature Chondrocytes' image and add a lot more images in general. An image showing the development stages described under 'Developmental stages' would be beneficial.
Content correctly cited and referenced: I think you should look over your references. In particular, under some of the images, you are lacking quite a bit of the necessary information, including copyright!
Evidence of significant research / Adequate research: There is a lot of missing information on your page. You obviously need to do a lot more research and you can see that your page is a work in progress. The more articles you use and the more research you do, the more credible your page will be! As for the parts, where research has been completed; while you have done research, maybe look at a couple more articles so you are not only gathering information from one source.
Other: There are quite a few grammatical errors on your page; a few spelling errors, punctuation and problems with sentence structure. This really needs to be looked over, because it takes away from the quality of your work. In particular, look over the structure component. I like the idea of a glossary! Add words to it that may not be understood by a person who is not familiar in the scientific field. As for antibodies, maybe you should list that information in a collapsible box. It seems out of place on the page the way it currently is.
´´Project 6 Peer review´´ Hey, dear classmates! I see that your project has a lot of potential: this potential, however, should be explored. There is a serious lack of information in many topics has absolutely nothing written. There is no introduction for now, what makes the understanding of the subsequent headings pretty hard. Imagine if a reader with no biological background was to read your page? He would be completely lost. There is also a serious lack of information in the abnormalities section: in the sub-heading about rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that is so common, there is no more than a loose sentence, for instance. Hence, you guys should improve this section as well.
But let´s talk about what you have, as it is useless to talk about what is missing: the biosynthesis part is pretty good, there is enough information to understand how the process works and the text is clear. An image with the biosynthesis pathway would be excellent, if you guys can find it. In the function part, there are some loose sentences that makes the text a little bit confusing. The section about current understanding and ongoing researches is pretty good! You guys could show that there is many field to be discovered by these researches.
I am really sorry about what I just wrote. I did it because I wish that you do a great project in order to have very good marks. I believe you guys will have an excellent project if you work on this project! Keep going!!
group 6 peer review
Group 6, overall the project has got missing topics and lack some organization but I'm sure you will come up with something to fix it. Abnormalities section is quite confusing and unorganized, specially the Kniest Dysplasia, because it seems the information given was just dropped randomly. I think you guys could explore more the diseases by giving some brief information on the clinical manifestations and the main reason collagen type II is related to it. The antibodies subheading could be less specific, maybe just mention the ones you judge to be more clinical or scientifically important. Current understanding and research areas are quite well and has got good explanation, good job on that one!
Group 6 peer review
By having an overall look on group's 6 project page, I can see that the topics are all included, but some information still lacks. Type II Collagen is a very important molecule with a wide range of functions. For this reason, I think that the abnormalities section should be more complete, with some pictures helping the understanding. I also think that Kniest Dysplasia and Rheumatoid Arthritis could be better explained, in a way we can comprehend them better and relate to Type II Collagen more easily.
Overall, so far the project is well-developed, but not completed. Some editing with the addition of pictures and some missing content is necessary. Good job so far, though! :)
Group 6 Peer Review
The page is well-organised but I think you should finish some sections. The Introduction is not still finish and I did not understanding why the type II collagen was divided in a section (the first section). The Structure section is clearly but it is incomplete like sub-sections "protein" and "types of fibres".
The general function is very brief when comparing with articular cartilage. I think you could describe more functions and then focus on the cartilage. The image of cartilage is very informative. The Abnormalities section is very interesting (the issues chosen are very relevant) but it is still incomplete. For example, I do not understand clearly about Kniest Dysplasia and Rheumatoid Arthritis. I think you can explore more and use images, for example. Furthermore, the studies cited in abnormalities were confused. The Current Understanding and Areas of Research section is also informative and gives a good idea about the perspectives related to type II Collagen.
Overall, considering that the page is still in progress, there are few things to finish and do not forget to look over the references. I think it will be a great page.
Group 6 Peer Review
The project topics have been divided well though the introduction and history have no content present. Each heading has its one mini intro before the more complex content is introduced, even though it results is the repetition of ideas I quite enjoyed it making the transition for heading to heading quite easy. The plan of leaving the introduction blank until all other parts of the project are complete is a viable one, though the history is required to give context to the methods used to get to our current understanding and the basis for further research. The content isn't fully developed especially sections of antibodies and Models. If these are to be included in the final page I recommend making the antibodies either expand/minimize to save space and have any models content be put in current research. Additionally abnormalities require more content on Dysplasia and arthritis. The subheadings of Skeletal bone development and fracture healing require more information an extra 2-3 sentences each would suffice The structure, function and current research content seems to be mostly there with some further small additions needed. The references are formatted correctly except the Type II Collagenopathies section in which there is evident referencing not formatted using the proper script. There seems to be a slight lack of reference in biosynthesis subheading, references is key in providing support for the concepts you are presenting. You will require more than 2 images, preferably at two for each section. Some recommendations would be fracture healing, skeletal bone, number of articles published per year graph, pathways during synthesis but most importantly is clinical pictures of abnormalities. I really like the DIY articular cartilage picture the drawing is very clean. Additionally the collagen triple helix doesn't seem to have any referencing which could get hairy since the copyright information doesn't seem to be present in its description. There seems to be multiple grammatical errors which would need to be addressed before submission, this is particularly prevalent in the structure section.
Though you seem to not have all you content up, all of the flaws in your project are straight forward to address, Best of luck
Group 6 Peer Review This page seems to be a real work in progress. What has been written is great, and the use of images match the text. But there are many sections that are blank, and overall the page lacks a lot of depth. It's quite hard to review this page as it's missing a lot, but this is probably due to the fact that your group hasn't gotten around to working on it yet. More detail could be written on the pathological abnormalities - the information given is quite vague and non-specific. However, if the rest of the project is laid out and written as the completed sections have, it should be a good page.
Group 6 Peer Review
This is a solid start to your project. There is good information described in all sections currently filled out. There are other sections along with stated questions that need to be filled out and answered. You probably were already planning on doing that. Also, re-reading through your current work to check for grammatical mistakes will make your webpage more professional.
I really liked the photo you incorporated in the function section. It clearly illustrates the cartilage zones which helps the reader to visualize the information you have discussed. Adding more photos and other sorts of media into your webpage will balance out the text you incorporate on your page, as well as, make the page more interesting.
I think you have a good start to your function and abnormalities sections. However, it seems there is still a good bit of information needed to fill out all of the holes in your work, especially in the abnormalities section. Just a few tips: When adding in additional information, also think about making the page visually interesting by breaking up the information with visuals that aid the reader in comprehension. Also, I liked that you included an antibodies section. However, when adding in significant amounts of information, this info might work best as a link to the page where this info can be found as this is supplementary to your topic. Best of luck with your editing!
No introduction but that's fine since introductions are best done at the end of the project. Just don't forget to mention everything that you will be talking about in your wikipage. Good start with your structure section. It's definitely discussed the basics of the the structure of type II collagen. However, I suggest that you use more papers. Regarding the biosynthesis of type II collagen, where are your references? Don't forget to include them. You have a really good photo showing the structure of collagen, if only you could relate it back to your text by saying something like "as seen in image X". Also, just keep an eye for spelling mistakes, e.g. alpha not alfa.
Great work on your function section! It's well-researched, has good structure, and your photo definitely relates to your text. I like how you split its function into different sections, which highlights the significance of collagen. My only suggestion for this section is to use more papers to back up some of your information. With abnormalities, I can see that this section is still in the works. There is a heavy use of technical jargons but the information is still understandable. I'm a bit confused as to why the bulk of the text isn't under Kniest Dysplasia. Overall, I hope that you get the bulk of it done before submission. Try to use around 3-4 papers per disease. I found that those are enough to write a concise and detailed text. As for current research, well done! I see that you only wrote about the aims and he results of the paper. Try to write about more papers if you only plan to write that much for each paper. It's a good summary of each paper, I just don't think it shows you've done enough work compared to your colleague's sections.
Regarding the photos, most of them are properly cited and safe to use. The student drawn image has the appropriate copyright. I only have an issue with the image used for the structure of collagen. The file name has a typo, collaghen instead of collagen. Also, it doesn't include any references or copyright. Lastly, with referencing, I can see that you have repeating references. Try to fix this by using the format given in the Lab 1 Handout - One page Wiki Reference Card
Group 6:
Overall a good effort has been made in regards to the content of this page, but there are still sections that need to be added to or tidied up. Similarly, some sentences can be constructed differently so that what is being said is clearer to the readers. Additionally, I think an introduction is critical and including historical findings will help the readers put everything into context and have a good understanding of the topic. They don't need to be extensive but I think they should be present. Also, I think it may be worth adding a small introduction to the antibody section before listing all the antibodies because right now the inclusion of this section is not very clear. Lastly, the 5 most recent PubMed articles at the bottom of the page currently seems slightly out of place so it may be worth putting it under its own sub-heading for current research.
Furthermore, the structure of the abnormalities section needs to be tidied up, and I think it would be worth seeing if you guys can find images to accompany the different abnormalities so that the readers attain a visual representation of these issues. Possibly an animation can be included somewhere in the project. The glossary is good, however I suggest constructing it in a table to add some variation to the layout of the page. Also, make sure that all terms have a definition.
Project 6 Critique:
An introduction that gives a fairly general overview regarding your topic would be nice, and perhaps you could also use the introduction section to outline what you intend to discuss in your project. Your history section seems to be a bit too incomplete to use a paragraph format, perhaps there is someway you can make a timeline type format, just something to consider. Your structure section is still lacking in a couple of places, but your image really contributes to the sections that you have. I really enjoyed your function section, it was very concise and thorough.
For your abnormalities section you may want to frame the beginning of the section with a heading, when I started reading the fist body of text in that section I wasn't exactly sure what I was reading about. If the beginning of this section is meant to be an introduction to the section, perhaps frame it in that manner. Your research section was nice, highlighting a couple of research studies, perhaps could do with another image or two to keep the reader interested but over all a nice job thus far. '
The page has been organised well into the relevant headings. However, information for the introduction and history sections are still missing and the structure and abnormalities sections are incomplete. The information presented in the structure section shows extensive research; however there are some issues with spelling, grammar and expression at times. This can be improved with proof reading. References are also missing in parts of the structure section.
The function section is well written, concise and this is definitely is the strongest section so far. The information under abnormalities can be summarised better and perhaps bold the title of the paper that is referenced in the text. Try to simplify the subheadings under current understanding and areas of research, as they are really long sentences.
The page is lacking in visual stimulus. The antibody section and the glossary can be tabulated for better presentation of the information. Good use of subheadings to break up information in different sections. References 19, 20 and 22 are not referenced properly. Overall, good work in progress and the group is on the right track. However, the large amount of missing information indicates that more research is needed.
Group 6 Peer review
Introduction needs some information. Something that will orientate the reader into the basic concept of Collagen. History section is good for the molecular structure of collagen. Appears to be lacking from Collagen family as there is nothing below text. Information in beginning of Structure section is presented well, however work needs to be done in finishing the work. there is very little citations in the body of text that needs to be rectified. The Skeletal bone and Fracture healing sections need more information added to the sections as there is a lot to talk about that is missing. Need to add more abnormalities and some more pictures in this section under at least a few of them to provide some variance in the medium. At the moment, the subheading in the abnormalities section is dismally empty. Current research section looks good. maybe add one more closer to submission date and maybe some links. Antibodies section is well laid out. and the formatting of this section is visually appealing. consider the work that has gone into this part and do something for the previous areas. Models and Methods sections need information. Glossary is a nice addition. perhaps place them in a table for a better look. Citations, more information, pictures, and an overhaul on the formatting. It's coming along but needs some work to get it looking good. Keep it up.
Group 6 Peer Review
This page needs a little work before its finished. You have obvious sections that are yet to be written but thats okay as long as you get to them eventually. Your introduction is clearly one of these. Keep it simple and clear and try to get an eye-catching image in there to liven it up a bit. As a secondary note about images on the page, 3 throughout the whole page is nowhere near enough so definitely consider doing an image search and adding more in there.
The function section needs more images as well. I can see the heading you've put in as a guide of what you are planning to include and it looks good, just keep going. The abnormalities section is way too short so maybe do some more research or just write a bit more from the papers you have already. The current research you've included right at the end should be moved to before the references list.
I'm not sure why you have included the antibodies from the lab here. From memory this should have been added to your individual pages but maybe clarify this during the lab this week. there is no context for it to be there so it looks a bit weird. Your glossary is a nice inclusion but in terms of the layout and format, it looks a bit clumsy. If you get time, reviewing this would be good. I hope you guys put in the effort to really refine this page and finish it off. Its looking good so far, all the best!
Group 6 Peer Review
Group 6, your group project page is shaping up well. In particular, the sections on structure and function of Collagen are explained in great detail. You also have extra added information on antibodies which is great and demonstrates the extent of your research. Your addition of a glossary is fantastic as I have not seen this done on many of the other group project pages. You might want to make the words that you define in bolded text to separate them from their actual definitions. Your current understandings and research is well developed but may need another one or two images. As for your section on "Abnormalities" it doesn't have any images. I particularly liked your headings under the Introduction "What cells make Collagen Type II?" and "At what stage is Collagen Type II made?" even though the information for these titles is not there yet, I think that this type of information would be useful to other peers researching type two collagen. Well done for including a hand drawn image and using the computer to do so. It is clear, relevant, concise and easy to understand. The first image on your group project page does not contain the references and copy right information. I particularly liked that your group project page just focuses on Type 2 collagen rather than all the types so that you are able to focus on this in greater detail.
Group 6
The contents menu of the page shows that everything has been categorised and placed under their appropriate sections. There is no introduction as of right now, assuming that the introduction will be added soon, it would be good to address within the introduction the main sections of Collagen Type II that you will be talking about throughout the project giving the reader a basic outline of what is come. The 'History' section has some decent information.
The 'Structure' section of the project is nicely explained with detailed information regarding its structure and biosynthesis, however I think certain parts, 'biosynthesis' can be broken down / summaried to be easily understood by the readers as it is currently a lot of information to take in as well as lacking any in-text citations. Certain subheadings under the Structure section have yet to have information added to them, especially under crucial subheadings such as 'What cells makes Collagen Type II' when the project is about Type II Collagen.
Very good job in the 'Function' section of the project, however it seems to be lacking in citations and references, unless all the information was obtained from 5 sources of information. The hand-drawn image is nice and simple with the appropriate information blurb under it.The abnormalities section in the project has complex information which might need more organisations and deciphering as to make it easier for the information to be extracted. Possibly make use of dot-points to break up the text as well as images which show the different kinds of abnormalities which arise from Type II collagen diseases.
I think with some formatting, summarising and more information under certain sections would make the project much more accessible and easy to read / understand. Adding in more images with the appropriate references and citations would also help break-up the text! Great work so far!
Group 6:
It is not evident whether or not section 1 type 2 collagen is a heading or a section. At the moment it is appearing as a heading. If this is not the case you should consider changing it. The introduction does not appear to be finished. The history text is done quite well but is very short. You should consider expanding the text. The section of structure has a lot of text and a good quality image. The student should consider expanding on the description of the image by explain what the images a, b, c and d are. The student has used subheadings that aid the reader and indicate an extensive amount of research. Information under the empty headings is still needed.
The section on function has been done very well. The student has used subheadings that aid the reader. The content indicates an extensive amount of research and appears to be very informative. Furthermore the information is quite detailed going beyond basic science while relating back to the cell biology aims. The intro and image used in this section effectively back up the content and aid the reader in understanding the function of collagen 2. The red labeling in the image also stands out making this section much better. The synthesis section does not make much sense. It is evidently unfinished. More information and one or more subheadings will improve this section drastically. Current research section has also been done nicely with an image included that aids the reader. The subheadings used indicate a good understanding in the topic and an extensive amount of research. This section does however appear to be a bit messy and disorganized especially under the antibody section.
Overall a good job on this project. The current images and text of this project appear to be of good quality, there is however a lot of work that still needs to be. The choices of headings used are quite good, covering the key areas necessary to inform learning and indicating a good understanding of the topic. The subheadings for sections such as structure and current research indicate a detailed a good understanding, however the there should be more subheadings in each of the other sections to aid learning. The pictures used are very good however there should be a wider range of pictures to aid in the teaching aspect of the wiki page. The text is lacking in a lot of sections and needs more work. The Content is correctly cited with in text citation used throughout the wiki page. The references are also done correctly and appear quite extensive. If these errors are fixed and the extra text is added this project will improve drastically.


text:
Sitting on a Rock
After weeks of unseasonable cold in the Southwest, the sun warmed the desert floor into the 70s again last week.
The weather became so perfect that it seemed criminal to sit inside. So, on Sunday morning, I walked down the wash near the house, found a rock the right size, sat on it and basked in the sun.
A "wash" is a ravine where water gushes only when it rains, which is rare. The rest of the time, a wash makes an ideal quiet place for walks, hidden as it is below the level of homes and streets beneath thick desert vegetation.
The number of birds in this area has doubled in the past weeks. A grouchy man across the road put out three feeders, and they have been inundated with business.
House finches come in crowds. A cardinal stops by every few minutes. Quail roam underneath to pick up fallen seed.
However, when I spent time about 70 feet from the man's feeder standing on public land but observing his birds, he stepped out of his house and glowered at me.
I think it was John McCain. Or his brother.
So, this time I climbed down in the wash and sat on a rock.
The first bird to stop by the saguaro which towered over me sang a song that thrilled me. For days, I had been trying to find out what unseen bird trumpeted this clear, taunting fanfare. The little black bird perched on the tip of a saguaro sang that very song.
Now it was just to find the little black bird in the bird book when I got back to the house.
Except, the bird didn't stop with the fanfare, which I did notice was a little quieter than normal. He went on to sing finch songs, woodpecker songs and mimick cactus wren buzzes. He did mechanical buzzes and squeaks.
A mockingbird? But mockingbirds are gray, not black. And this bird wasn't just black, it was oily black with rainbows, as if it had been dipped in motor oil.
Later, I would find out it is a starling.
A few minutes later, another bird landed on a dead limb and started making the original taunting trumpet fanfare, this time at a louder volume.
I was surprised to see the trumpeter was a male Gambel's quail. Quail gurgle and scold as they scurry on the desert floor in search of seeds, a sound familiar to anybody who takes walks in Arizona. But the trumpet call of the male was of an entirely different timbre.
Then, a tiny hummingbird perched three feet from my nose in the thick branches of a palo verde tree. He blended with his surroundings so well that if I took my eyes off him, I had to really work to find him again.
As I sat perfectly still in the stunning sunshine, I heard a buzz pass overhead like a bullet. Sounding like a dentist's drill, the pitch of the buzz would lower several steps on the musical scale as it went past due to the Doppler effect.
The buzz came and went every few seconds. It was so small and it moved so fast I would never be able to identify it. I almost wondered if it was an insect.
Later on, I found that when hummingbirds get it in their mind to fly in one direction, they can go up to 60 miles per hour.
When they fly that fast, which is usually in an attempt to impress mates, they angle their tail feathers to make a high pitched hum.
The hummingbird is not called a hummingbird because of the whir of its wings. The hum that earned the bird its name is the high-pitched buzz of the tail feathers in high speed flight.
I know this because I found on the internet (the source of all knowledge) that a science student tested the various tale feathers of 18 varieties of hummingbird in a wind tunnel. One of the feathers made exactly the sound I heard while sitting on that rock.
After a fascinating fifteen minutes, my little hummingbird friend on the palo verde branch up and left. One of John McCain's neighbors saw fit to fire up his blower to move some of the leaves which have fallen since the recent frosts.
My time on the rock was over.
As I climbed out of the ravine back up to level and ambled back to the house, I realized how rewarding my minutes on the rock had been.
In addition to the fun, I may have learned more than I would have watching Senators on the Sunday morning news shows.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
Although my kids are pretty little yet, they are not too young to understand patterns, count petals or observe spirals. However, the math behind the Fibonacci sequence is a little beyond their abilities just yet.
Just to give you a little background on the subject, the Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers that you get starting with the numbers 0 ,1. You add those two numbers together 0 + 1 = 1. Now the sequence is 0, 1, 1. To continue the sequence, you add the last two numbers in the sequence together to get the next number. 1 + 1 = 2 then 2 + 1 = 3 then 3 + 2 = 5 and so on and eventually end up with this string of numbers:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 ...
First we observed the spirals by looking at one of the sunflower seed heads in our backyard. We counted (or rather I counted) the spirals going to the right. The spirals totaled 55. We tried to count the spirals going left, but lost track. I didn't want to cut the sunflower head off just yet because this year we want to watch the heads dry naturally outside. The counting would have been much easier if we would have taken the head off and sat it on a flat surface. According to the "Fibonacci Fun" article in this month's KNOW Magazine, "different kinds of sunflowers have different numbers. The pairs might be 34 and 55, or 55 and 89, or 89 and 144."
After observing the sunflowers, we went on a Fibonacci nature hunt in our backyard. We counted the petals on many of the flowers and noticed several that had a Fibonacci number. Many of the flowers we found had 5 petals, and one had 8. We found a white flower with 10 petals (not a Fibonacci number) but when we looked more closely we noticed that the flowers petals were arranged in a star pattern with 5 points (a Fibonacci number). Not all flowers have a Fibonacci number of petals.
We also observed the spirals in a pine cone (above) and a Black-eyed Susan flower seed head (left). Later on we numbered the Black-eyed Susan spirals going counter-clockwise, counting 13 spirals. The spirals going the opposite direction number 21 spirals, if you'd like to try counting them yourself.
I wish I knew the names of all the flowers we found - some we planted (Potentilla, Petunia) but a few of them are weeds and I don't know their names. When the kids get a little older, we'll probably revisit this math/science activity and spend a little more time on the details. Older kids would probably enjoy creating a chart to document the different Fibonacci numbers of each plant. But, for now, the kids had enough fun counting petals and going on a Fibonacci nature hunt.
Sunflower and Fibonacci related links:
Discovery Education - Numbers in Nature
Home School Math - Fibonacci numbers and golden section
ISU Extension - Growing in the Garden Sunflower Activities!
Mensa for Kids - Fabulous Fibonacci and His Nifty Numbers [pdf]
This year I noticed that two different picture books were released about Fibonacci numbers. I haven't had the chance to personally see either, but thought I'd include the information here, just in case someone wanted to check them out:
Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature by Sarah C. Campbell
Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci by Joseph D'Agnese
If you enjoyed this post you can find more Science Sunday experiments involving kids at http://adventuresofmommyness.blogspot.com/2010/09/science-sunday-more-flooding.html or even join in the weekly meme. Science is Fun!


text:
Hacking Team
Today, 8 July 2015, WikiLeaks releases more than 1 million searchable emails from the Italian surveillance malware vendor Hacking Team, which first came under international scrutiny after WikiLeaks publication of the SpyFiles. These internal emails show the inner workings of the controversial global surveillance industry.
Search the Hacking Team Archive
Saudi King Offers Support to Egyptian Military
|firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com
Guess who? BTW persians are not arabs. Read on, this intervention is very significant.
From today's WSJ, FYI,David
Updated August 18, 2013, 10:57 p.m. ET Saudi King Offers Support to Egyptian Military King Abdullah Rallies as the Most Prominent Foreign Supporter of Egypt's Military GeneralsBy ELLEN KNICKMEYER
RIYADH—Saudi King Abdullah is turning out to be the most prominent foreign supporter of Egypt's military generals in their armed push against Egypt's Islamic movement, sending field hospitals and words of support over the weekend for what he called Egypt's fight against "terrorism and extremism."
The Egyptian military's crackdown, part of violence that Egyptian authorities said has killed roughly 1,000 people since Wednesday, also appears to have revealed a new split between Saudi Arabia and its close ally, the U.S.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah
The Obama administration last week canceled a planned joint military exercise with Egypt to protest the Egyptian government's bloody breakup of sit-ins by the Muslim Brotherhood.
The U.S. has urged curbing the violence between Islamists and Egypt's government, while stopping short of threatening to cut off military aid to the country.
In a comparatively rare public foreign-policy statement read Friday on Saudi television, King Abdullah declared that what was happening in Egypt was an Arab affair. "Let it be known to those who interfered in Egypt's internal affairs that they themselves are fanning the fire of sedition and are promoting the terrorism which they call for fighting," he declared, without mentioning any country by name.
King Abdullah and Saudi Arabia have faulted the U.S. response to events in Egypt before.
In early 2011, Saudis expressed bitterness at the U.S. urging then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a longtime ally of Saudi Arabia and the U.S., to cede to popular demands to surrender power.
Saudi analysts at the time said that the Saudi perception that the U.S. had abandoned Mr. Mubarak contributed to the Saudi kingdom's decision to send troops around the same time to prop up the government of neighboring Bahrain amid public demonstrations there.
The kingdom's quick support for the Egyptian military this month and last underscore the extent to which security and the rolling back of political Islam have preoccupied the Saudi monarchy since the Arab revolutions.
Most of the king's public statements in recent months have focused on the perceived threat from religious movements like the Muslim Brotherhood, which officially is banned in Saudi Arabia.
On Saturday, the Saudi government said it was sending three field hospitals to Egypt in the interests of "standing by and supporting the brotherly Egyptian people" amid continuing street violence there.
Saudi Arabia and the fellow Gulf monarchies of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in early July pledged $12 billion in aid to Egypt. The support came within days of the Egyptian military taking into custody the elected Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, an ally of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Though allies, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have long vied to be the top regional power. The Arab revolutions that began in 2010 unseated many of the autocrats with whom a succession of Saudi rulers had felt comfortable, such as Egypt's Mubarak, and for a time strengthened the regional Islamist movements that Saudi and some other Gulf rulers see as a threat to their own family dynasties.
However, with political Islam now on the defensive again after the army-backed overthrow of Mr. Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood-allied government in Egypt, Saudi Arabia's conservative, security-focused views for the Arab world are now on the ascent.
The Saudis have pledged well over $10 billion to prop up favored Arab governments post-Arab Spring.
Meanwhile, in Turkey, an Islamically oriented government that for years won admiration for a pragmatic, business-friendly regime, has alienated many former supporters with what are seen as bungled or overly aggressive policies. So has Qatar, which, countering Saudi Arabia, backed political Islam.
U.S. President Barack Obama meets with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on June 29, 2010.
On Sunday, a prominent Saudi royal, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, announced via Twitter and a news release that he had fired Tareq al Suwaidan, a general manager of one of his television stations, after the "revelation" that the man belonged to the "Brotherhood terrorist movement."
The man's status as a leader of the Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood had long been noted on his Wikipedia entry, on YouTube, and elsewhere.
The move by the prince, whose large business holdings include shares in News Corp, which owns The Wall Street Journal, could signal a further crackdown on Islamic activists within the Saudi kingdom.
Influential Saudi clerics including Salman al Odah, who earlier this year challenged the government on Twitter to increase freedoms and transparency, have posted condemnations of the violence in Egypt on Twitter and Facebook.
Write to Ellen Knickmeyer at email@example.com
A version of this article appeared August 19, 2013, on page A10 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Saudi King Backs Egyptian Military.--
David Vincenzetti
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text:
A horse and a chicken are playing in a meadow. The horse falls into a mud hole and starts to sink. He entreats the chicken to get the farmer to help pull him to safety. The chicken runs to the farm, but the farmer can't be found. So, he drives the farmer's Mercedes back to the mud hole, ties some rope around the bumper and pulls the horse to safety.
A few days later, the chicken and the horse are playing in the meadow again, and the chicken falls into a mud hole. The chicken yells to the horse to get help from the farmer. The horse says, "Wait, I think I can stand over the hole!" So, he stretches over the width of the hole and says, "Grab my penis and pull yourself up." The chicken does and pulls himself to safety.
The moral of the story: if you are hung like a horse, you don't need a Mercedes to pick up chicks.


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I hope you don't mind me posting this on your forum (I can delete if necessary). I'm trying to promote a UK e petition created by Thyroid UK below. Please sign and share on social media or other if appropriate. Many thanks
The reason why I have posted on your forum is that thyroid problems can so often be an associated factor in so many conditions e.g. high cholesterol, fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, food intolerances, absorption issues such low vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron and more, chronic fatigue syndrome, fertility problems, weight problems, sleep issues, other auto immune disorders and many more.
Please help and if you agree sign and share (Facebook, Twitter, etc) the e petition below.
Thyroid sufferers really need your help.
Anyone can succumb to Thyroid disease although it mainly affects women. The results can be mild to very severe. It has the ability completely to destroy a person's and their family's lives, e.g. unable to work, infertility problems, relationship problems and severe mental health problems. I could go on.
I myself have lost nearly 15 years to this debilitating disease. Despite all efforts, I've lived in constant pain, experienced extreme weakness, cognitive problems, severe dizziness/vertigo to name just a few symptoms. This made me largely house bound, unable to participate in much of daily life and reliant on others for help. Throughout this period, the NHS only offered me thyroxine (T4 the inactive form of thyroid hormone).
Thankfully, having done my own research, I'm now on the road to recovery having found other treatment options namely, Liothyronine/Triodothyronine (T3 the active form of thyroid hormone) and Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) which contains T1, T2, T3, T4 and calcitonin (the same as a human thyroid).
Many people do well on the conventional treatment of T4 only. However thousands of thyroid patients are suffering unnecessarily. The economic cost to the UK in terms of general and mental health care (including inpatient care), welfare benefits and employment costs of maintaining this narrow approach must be significant and I have little doubt would well exceed any additional cost which a broader choice of NHS medication options would require. So in real terms, although hard to quantify, there would probably be net saving to the Exchequer and NHS.
Lets see if we can make a difference for thyroid sufferers in the UK and potentially globally.
All we need to be heard is 10,000 signatures. Why not help us reach our goal of 100,000 signatures.
Many thanks for you help.
Best wishes


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"In fact, cursive writing seems to activate a separate brain network altogether…these creative pursuits put the mind at ease and spark creativity.
What neuroplasticity has taught us, is that it is never too late to learn (or relearn) a skill. These diversions are relatively simple to implement in everyday life; allowing the mind to wander a bit, or rest on a repetitive task-at-hand, only require minutes of our day.
Perhaps the greatest thing about handwriting is that the very act of doing it forces you to focus on what's important. It is, in essence, a moment of mindfulness."
Perfect Penmanship™ is a system designed by Michael J. Lavery, the author of the book Whole Brain Power. Of the three major tenets of his brain training system, Lavery contends that penmanship takes the top tier in terms of benefits for cognitive function for the brain. The reason being is that it is applicable for people from the age of four to one hundred and four or more. Scientific studies are proving convincingly that in the act of writing information in one's best, consistent, and legible cursive penmanship, the capacity to retain the information as it applies towards academic success or business acumen far exceeds any other form of written communication.
As technology has marched forward in the 21st century, the art form of writing by hand has been relegated to near obscurity. It is our goal as practitioners of Perfect Penmanship to personally demonstrate our commitment to this skill and to inspire family, friends, and associates to join this noble cause to bring penmanship back to its rightful place in popular culture. It starts with the acceptance that all of us have the capacity to produce wonderful penmanship. The journey begins with the intent to seek proper instruction and techniques. This is the reason Perfect Penmanship works for all dedicated practitioners. We guarantee that you will be producing beautiful-looking handwriting on the first day using our unique cursive templates. Since our system is downloadable and printable, you can begin your journey immediately.
Make a conservative investment into the betterment of yourself, the lives of your children, family, and friends. Spread the joy of your life's experiences through Perfect Penmanship™ in your daily handwritten communications.
"I know how to write my name backwards and left-handed in cursive and I can sign it pretty well. So that's something that I may do in the future, kind of unique — definitely unique, obviously, but I think it sets me apart…
I do those sort of things to keep my mind off of golf and to help my fine motor skills with my hands, create more sensitivity and increase my brainpower, try and do something like that."
"Upon doing some research about the connection between handwriting and brain performance, I decided to delve into the Perfect Penmanship program. Every morning I write in my journal with my left hand in a normal cursive technique, and my right handed penmanship has improved as a result.
I believe this has had an impact on my cognition in areas of alertness, concentration, and memory enhancement."
"If someone told me 32 days ago that I would be able to write in beautiful left-handed mirrored penmanship, recite the powers of 2 (2-30th so far) from memory, and experience mental clarity and sleep, I would doubtfully dismiss them and ask what drugs I would have to consume.
However, as explained in Mr. Lavery's program, once the reader begins implementing the three exercises on a daily basis, the process of myelination, neurogenesis, steroidogenesis and synaptogenesis begin to change and essentially grow the brain. This is what I am currently experiencing, an incredible journey that at age 24, I am feeling progressively younger, happier, hyper-conscious of my surroundings, and focused."
"I went from being a bewildered college student on academic probation, to a 4.0 Dean's List student through the application of these exercises. Where before I could hardly sit awake through a two hour lecture, today I can breeze through my lectures remaining attentive for the entire duration. I can now write better than I ever could, formally, romantically, philosophically, and even poetically. The confidence I radiate today is a mirror image of who I once was, shy and uninteresting. This program helped me leave behind damaging habits, and replace them with beneficial, progressive, and productive habits.
The changes in my personality and presence have been so dramatic, that its inspired my brother, father and mother to incorporate these exercises into their daily regimen."
Please contact us for more information, and we will get back to you shortly.


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The Suzuki Jimny is a bit of a weird proposition in the modern motoring world.
It's absolutely tiny, tough as nails and projected to sell just 1,200 units a year.
It also has the motoring press more excited than pretty much any other car this year.
The i newsletter cut through the noise
Its predecessor's simplicity and honesty caught people's imagination and the promise of more of the same in the new car's ridiculously cute packaging had grown men and women salivating.
Suzuki Jimny SZ5
Price: £17,999
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, petrol
Power: 101bhp
Torque: 95lb/ft
Transmission: Five-speed manaul
Top speed: 90mph
0-62mph: n/a
Economy: 41.5mpg
CO2 emissions: 154g/km
So does it live up to the hype?
Yes, as long as you accept that this is a car unlike pretty much any other.
In a world where so many cars try to be jacks of all trades the Jimny is utterly focused on filling a very small niche. Not many people need something the size of a shoe (okay, a 3.48m-long shoe) that costs less than £20,000 and can also scale a mountain but there are enough to make the Jimny viable and it aims to meet their needs completely.
The Jimny's unique selling point is that it offers the kind of mud-plugging capabilities few vehicles can match in a compact and relatively inexpensive package.
The new car retains a tough ladder frame chassis but has better approach, departure and rake angles and huge articulation from its rigid axles. It also has hill descent control and Suzuki's most advanced All Grip Pro four-wheel-drive system.
We were let loose on a seriously gnarly off-road course and the Jimny destroyed it. Even brutally steep, mud-slicked hills were dispatched with ease and without the million-mode computer systems found in more expensive off-roaders.
That's great when you're hammering across the countryside with your collies in the back but what about on the Tarmac?
The last Jimny was awful on the road and Suzuki has put significant work into making the new car more user friendly.
It is a big improvement in every way but is still pretty poor by modern car standards. There's a lot of noise from the tyres, engine and around the mirrors and it still leans a lot when shown a corner. The steering, too, is vague and the 1.5 petrol has to work hard to keep up with traffic.
That being said, the old car's on-road behaviour didn't put off its dedicated buyers so the new one's flaws relative to other cars probably won't either.
You can't talk about the new Jimny without mentioning its looks. Quite simply, it's one of the best-looking cars of the year. It's been compared with everything from the Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G Wagon to Hummers but thanks to its tiny size manages to be endearingly cute and purposefully tough at the same time.
The detailing includes nods to previous generations but the overall look has also been designed to be as practical as possible. The pillars are upright to give better visibility and the flat bonnet means you can always see the edges of the car. There's even a dip in the front side widows to improve the view out.
The interior, too, has moved on significantly. It's still a case of function over form – it's more wipe-clean than soft-touch – but it's a far more modern approach than before. All the controls are chunky so they can be operated by a driver wearing gloves but there are also a lot more creature comforts, including air con, cruise control, DAB radio and in SZ5 trim heated seats and a seven-inch touchscreen. It's still tiny, though, and the boot is a laughable 85 litres with the rear seats in place.
The Jimny is priced from £15,499 for a manual SZ4 to £18,999 for an automatic SZ5, putting it on a par with the likes of the Ford Ecosport, Kia Stonic and Nissan Juke. But it's not an alternative to a B-segment SUV. It's still too unrefined and cramped for that. What it is is what it's always been – a tiny car with a very particular set of skills. If you "got" the old one then you'll get the new one but if you're looking for a tough-looking but soft-living SUV look elsewhere.


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DEEP RIVER, Conn. (AP) — Margaret Rohner worried about her troubled adult son not taking his psychiatric medications and told a friend he needed to be hospitalized. But she was eager to see him over Christmas and, despite earlier reservations, agreed to let him come to her home to open presents and spend the night.
The day after Christmas, the 45-year-old Rohner was viciously attacked with a fireplace poker and knife, her eviscerated body left in the living room of her Deep River home. Her 23-year-old son, Robert O. Rankin, was charged with murder.
It was a tragic end for a woman who had spent years trying to find appropriate care for her son, known as Bobby. Friends say she shepherded him through numerous hospitalizations, changing medications and doctors, and various treatment programs for his mental illness, seemingly to no avail. All the while, friends said Rohner, a recent breast cancer survivor, would bear the brunt of Bobby's angry rants, holding out hope that her only child's condition would improve.
"He was in and out of that system for four years, and all we ended up with was a disaster, a tragedy," Robert Rankin Jr., Rohner's former husband and Bobby's father, said in an interview with The Associated Press. Rankin said his son has been diagnosed with a form of schizophrenia.
The case highlights many of the issues state policymakers have been wrestling with in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting by 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who killed his mother before gunning down 20 first-graders and six educators on Dec. 14, 2012. One task force is compiling recommendations for legislators to consider regarding mental health services for patients ages 16 to 25. State Sen. Dante Bartolomeo, who has pushed for improved mental health services for children, said one challenge for young people with psychiatric problems is that once they become adults, treatment is generally voluntary and "medication compliance does become a problem."
Another commission is looking into whether Lanza's mother had difficulty accessing treatment services for her son, who was diagnosed with a form of autism that isn't associated with violent behavior. On Friday, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced that his new budget will include additional funding for mental health care, including residential and transitional services for young adults with serious mental illness, something Rohner was hoping to find for her son.
Bobby Rankin, who hasn't entered a plea to the murder charge, is being held at Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown. His attorney, Dennis P. McMahon, said Bobby has serious psychological problems and he's been advised not to visit him because of his fragile mental condition.
"He's struggling with this now," McMahon said. "I don't think he understands what is happening."
Several of Rohner's friends and customers described her steadfast efforts to fight for the right treatment for her son and her dream to find him long-term, supportive housing.
Sally D'Aquila, who hired Rohner to clean her house and work on her garden, said Rohner would frequently be on the phone with doctors and social workers, trying to manage her son's care. D'Aquila said Rohner "wanted so desperately for him to be normal, if there is such an animal."
"I think she often felt there was nothing there. She was just on her own with no one to help her," D'Aquila said. "That's a pretty lonely place to be."
Patricia Unan, a close friend, said Rohner expressed frustration to her Dec. 19 about Bobby's deteriorating mental condition since he stopped taking his medications. Bobby for months had been receiving residential respite services offered at River Valley Services in Middletown, a program run by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, according to Bobby's father.
"She told me she'd pleaded with the person she spoke with (at River Valley Services) to hospitalize him and force meds because she recognized when he was headed for a break down from previous experiences," Unan wrote in an email. "She said they told her they wanted to wait until after the holiday to address the situation."
Mary Mason, a DMHAS spokeswoman, couldn't confirm whether Bobby was a client, citing patient confidentiality laws. But she described the respite program as a voluntary alternative to a hospitalization, where temporary, supportive housing is provided. She said patients can check themselves out but need to notify staff when they're leaving.
Bobby's father picked him up Dec. 23, not wanting his son to spend the holiday away from family. The elder Rankin understood Rohner didn't want Bobby to come to her house because he hadn't been taking his medications, which often prompted outbursts directed at his mother. Robert Rankin Jr. said Bobby, who wore his hair closely cropped and a bushy beard, appeared distant, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary and the staff didn't express any concerns. In hindsight, he doesn't believe his son should have been allowed to go home.
"I'm sure Margaret told them more than once, 'When he's not on his meds, I'm threatened by him,'" Rankin said.
Rankin and Rohner have been divorced for about 20 years but remained friends and lived about a half mile apart. When they saw each other on Christmas Eve, Rankin said Rohner told him that she wanted to see Bobby on Christmas and give him presents.
"She basically said, 'How's he been?' And I said, 'Fine, for the most part. He's been fine,'" Rankin said.
To Rankin's surprise, Rohner decided to let Bobby spend Christmas night at her home, where he typically stayed when he wasn't in Middletown.
Bobby spent an uneventful night with Rohner and her boyfriend, Jack Adanti. But soon after Adanti left the house on Dec. 26 to run errands, Rohner was killed. The young man once known as a kind, high honors student with good manners and who had been accepted to Hofstra University told his father afterward that he was "sick and tired of being sick and tired." State police say he immediately confessed to killing Rohner, telling a trooper: "I used the knife to kill my mother."
Adanti is still stunned by what happened, saying Bobby was quiet when he left that morning. Bobby even shook his hand and thanked him for his Christmas presents.
"If I had the slightest inclination that anything was wrong, I wouldn't have left," he said. "That's going to haunt me for a long time. Probably forever."
Adanti said he knew about Rohner's recent concerns about Bobby not taking his medications but that she really wanted him home for the holiday.
"Love is going to overcome caution, and you want to love your kid," he said. "You don't want to be afraid. You don't want to push him away."
Adanti has kept Rohner's text messages on his phone, including one from Dec. 4 about a conversation they had about Bobby and his problems.
"Thank you for listening," she wrote. "Sometimes my strength gets tested, but as you know, I'll survive."
Slain Conn. woman sought psychiatric care for son
DEEP RIVER, Conn. (AP) — Margaret Rohner worried about her troubled adult son not taking his psychiatric medications and told a friend he needed to be hospitalized. But she was eager to see him over Christmas and, despite earlier reservations, agreed to let him come to her home to open presents and spend the night.