This will be a composition of all of my writing assignments for Genetics (Bio 294)
Writing Assignment #1 (Personal Statement)
My name is Bryce Montgomery and I’m a sophomore at Old Dominion University. I am currently studying Biology with a concentration in Marine Biology. I was born in PG county (Prince Geroge’s County Maryland) and during my first year of life, moved to Frederick Maryland. From a young age I’ve always been fascinated with the aspects of nature, with life being my favorite. Throughout my elementary and middle school years I had the occasional fish, frog etc. My father had a 30 gallon fish tank which he turned over to me and I became obsessed with aquascaping. Aquascaping is a term used for creating a naturalistic environment for your fish using wood, rocks, plants etc. I would spend countless hours watching Youtube videos and collecting wood and rocks from outside. I never got into using the plastic plants and fancy decorations because I looked at aquascaping as having a slice of nature in my home. During these years my fascination with fish grew and I later branched out into taking care of lizards. I started off small with anoles and long-tailed grass lizards for about 2 years and I am currently taking care of two crested geckos. Crested geckos are from New Caledonia which is a tropical environment aka a tropical rainforest. So of course with my aquascaping background, I had to create a realistic environment for my geckos and that I did. I received countless compliments from people that I showed it off to and I take pride in what I create. Aside from the nature side of me, I enjoy the gym, putting smiles on peoples faces and learning new things. The gym has truly become a part of me. I started working out around 7th grade and never stopped. I view myself as a gem that can always be refined by improving my physical appearance or mental strength. I wouldn’t say I’m a perfectionist but I know there’s always room for improvement. During my free time, I work as a licensed personal trainer and help people achieve their goals. I get self-gratification from helping others achieve their physical goals because I look at it as, I gave someone their confidence back and helped them realize that achieving goals is a process that takes time. Comedy is also important to me because I believe it is good for the soul. I grew up hearing Bernie Mac, Martin Lawerence, Dave Chappelle, Luenell, etc on television and it became a part of me. I’ve used comedy to bring people together, release tension and just overall make someone happy. I think it’s good to understand how to use comedy effectively and knowing when to use it. In the future I see myself working alongside animals with a team of people that I call my family. I would enjoy my career being more hands on, instead of the traditional lab style job because I am a kinesthetic learner. Having a good team of people that you trust, and enjoy being around can drastically improve productivity and overall happiness. I’ve always been nervous about my job feeling like a job, I want my career to feel like a hobby or something I enjoy. I know that might not be realistic but, that’s the future hope for and see for myself.
Writing Assignment #2 (Primary Article Vs Review Article)
A primary article is an article that describes or gives first hand information on a topic. For example, If a group of researchers did experiments on catfish and wrote a paper on it, it would be the primary article. What I use to help me determine if its primary or secondary is I look to see if they reference what was done in the experiment or do they reference a whole experiment. The sections that are typically found in a primary article are, Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.
A review article is a survey of a previously published topic. Review articles summarize previously published topics instead of reporting new results and facts. They give the general overlook of said study.
The scientific peer review process is a process that all journals have to go through inorder to be published. First scientists complete an experiment and then write up a paper. The paper is then submitted in hopes of being in a journal. The people who review the paper send it out to other scientists that are experts in said field to review it and make sure it’s accurate. The experts in said field give recommendations for the paper and send it back to the original scientists for corrections. Once corrected, they can resubmit the paper in hopes of it being accepted.
I believe that ‘Permanent Inactivation of Huntingston’s Disease Mutation” is the primary article because it has the typical selections that are found in a primary article. (Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.) In the other article, it has headers and under those headers are explanations. There are no results, tests or methods in that article.
Writing Assignment #3 (Journal Nature Citation)
Alsakhawi, R. S. & Elshafey, M. A. Effect of core stability exercises and treadmill training on balance in children with Down Syndrome: Randomized controlled trial. Advances in Therapy Nature 36, 2364–2373 (2019).
Writing Assignment #4 (Genetics Related Primary Article)
“Effect of Core Stability Exercises and Treadmill Training on Balance in Children with Down Syndrome: Randomized Controlled Trial” is a research paper that explores the effectiveness of core stability exercises and treadmill training on balance in children with Down syndrome. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra chromosome, resulting in developmental delays and intellectual disabilities. Children with Down syndrome often experience poor balance and coordination, which can negatively affect their quality of life and ability to engage in physical activities. The study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial, which means that the participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a core stability exercise group, a treadmill training group, or a control group that did not receive any intervention. The study included 90 children with Down syndrome aged between 6 and 12 years old. The core stability exercise group received a 12-week intervention that consisted of exercises aimed at improving their core strength and stability. These exercises included planks, bridges, and bird dogs, which are commonly used in physical therapy to improve core stability. The treadmill training group received a similar 12-week intervention that consisted of treadmill walking with an incline. The control group did not receive any intervention and continued with their normal daily activities. Before and after the 12-week intervention period, the participants’ balance was assessed using the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS). The PBS is a tool that assesses a child’s ability to maintain balance while performing various tasks, such as standing on one leg, standing on a foam surface, and reaching for objects while standing.
The results of the study showed that both the core stability exercise group and the treadmill training group had significant improvements in their balance compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference between the two intervention groups in terms of their balance improvement. The study’s findings suggest that both core stability exercises and treadmill training can be effective interventions for improving balance in children with Down syndrome. These interventions may also have the potential to improve other aspects of physical functioning, such as strength and endurance. The study has several limitations, including the relatively small sample size and the lack of a long-term follow-up. Additionally, the study only assessed the short-term effects of the interventions and did not evaluate their effectiveness over a longer period. In conclusion, the “Effect of Core Stability Exercises and Treadmill Training on Balance in Children with Down Syndrome: Randomized Controlled Trial” provides evidence that both core stability exercises and treadmill training can be effective interventions for improving balance in children with Down syndrome. These interventions may have the potential to improve other aspects of physical functioning as well. However, further research is needed to fully evaluate their long-term effectiveness and potential benefits.
Writing Assignment #5 (Genetics Related Article Summary)
“New Variant XBB. 1.5 is ‘most transmissible’ yet, could fuel covid wave”
This article was about a new variant of coronavirus that emerged in 2023. It is named XBB. 1.5) and it has overtaken the “regular” coronavirus in cases in the United States. It has overtaken Covid-19 because it is easier to spread to those who have already contracted Covid-19 and or those that have been vaccinated. XBB 1.5 is a descendant of Omicron (another Covid-19 variant) and is rapidly spreading. In December of 2022, it accounted for around 2% of U.S covid cases and as of the first week of January, it accounts for 27% of U.S covid cases. XBB. 1.5 is spreading so rapidly that is is believed to account for 70% of cases in the Northeast. On the bright side, XBB. 1.5 hasn’t been proven to me more virulent than Omicron and Covid-19. It is believed that XBB. 1.5 evolved from Omicron due to the fact that many Omicron cases had other viruses along with them. It is believed that Omicron and other viruses mutated into XBB. 1.5. XBB. 1.5 spreads easily due to the fact that it is better at binding to the cell and replicating its own DNA. Studies have been conducted to see if XBB. 1.5 is more capable of escaping antibodies but there was no evidence of a higher invasion rate in XBB. 1.5 compared to Omicron. Another reason XBB. 1.5 is spreading is, XBB. 1.5 was successful in blocking antibodies from vaccines. Many known scientists/virologists were telling the public to be on alert and do their due diligence to keep XBB. 1.5 cases down but, noted that, “XBB.1.5 is just sort of the latest variant in what is going to be a continual process of the virus evolving”(Bloom 1.) XBB. 1.5 mutations did draw a lot of attention towards it but overall it doesnt change how the public should navigate through this pandemic. In the “Journal of Pure & Applied Microbiology” it states, “Global health officials are worried about the rapid spread of the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant in the northeastern United States”. The News article stated that XBB. 1.5 is rapidly spreading. The Journal also states that, “However, XBB.1.5 has a mutation that gives it an edge in connecting to cells, which in turn boosts its development”……”Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has yet to collect data on XBB.1.5’s severity, there is currently no evidence to imply that it is more harmful than earlier subvariants. This is because alterations in this omicron subvariant improve the virus’s ability to adhere to cells and replicate within them.” The news article did state that XBB. 1.5 does have the ability to easily attach to cells and replicate within them. Overall I think popular press information is accurate. In this circumstance, it is dealing with a very serious virus and it’s very important to release accurate information. For a less serious topic, it’s important to take popular press information with a grain of salt. It does no harm to fact check what you heard/read before sharing that information with someone else.
Lac Operon Assignment
Romanov Assignment A
annotated-Untitled20document20282329.docxRomanov Assignment B
annotated-RomanovB-20Bryce20Montgomery-2.docxRomanov Assignment C
annotated-Untitled20document20283229.docx