Posted on 09/17/2003 8:18:21 PM PDT by wafflehouse
LOL!
A fool-proof voting machine for Florida.
From The Evangelist website:
SCIENCE
High school student wins for anti-cancer research
BY KAREN DIETLEIN
STAFF WRITER
It began when Jennifer D'Ascoli discovered the posibilities wrapped up in a common, succulent fruit found in muffins, pies, pastries and fruit salads: the blueberry.
While looking into cancer-fighting techniques to study for her junior-year science research project, the senior at the Academy of the Holy Names in Albany stumbled on promising anti-cancer research regarding flavonoids. Those are natural compounds found in ordinary fruits and vegetables, such as soy, cranberries and blueberries.
Her interest was sparked by research that noted that populations in Asia that incorporate cooked or fried soy products -- tofu, for example -- into their daily diet have a lower frequency of breast and prostate cancer.
Inquiring mind
"I wanted to see if the molecular structure of the flavonoids changed when cooked -- and if the new molecular structure would be what is helping to prevent the cancer," Jennifer told The Evangelist.
The project looked at two flavonoids in particular: naringenin, found in blueberries, and genistein, found in soy. She found not only that cooking both products not only changed their physical features -- for example, blueberries shift from a yellow-green color to a purple-red hue when cooked -- but also that the compound's basic molecular structure was changed.
"There is a definite molecular structure change," she said firmly, "and I believe that it helps fight cancer."
Thrills of science
Jennifer, a member of St. Helen's parish in Niskayuna, is excited by scientific research, especially in interdisciplinary fields, about subjects that might not be readily apparent or subjects masked behind the ordinary.
She thrills to results, loves to see change occur in her experiments and thrives on the hands-on involvement of work in the laboratory.
Much more boring -- but very necessary, she affirmed -- are the hours of research and data analysis that follows any lab work.
"I'll be trapped in the science library for hours at a time, trying to figure out what something means," she said. "I feel like -- 'Ugh! I need to get away from the books! Let me take some measurements!'"
Pay-off
But there are rewards for persistence: For her blueberry study, she won the $3,000 First Grand Award in Physics at the 2003 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Cleveland, Ohio.
She almost didn't make it to the pre-college competition, which invited 1,350 contestants from 35 countries. Her project won third place at the Greater Capital Region Science and Engineering Fair, and only the first two winners go. But she was offered the chance when the first-place winner decided not to attend.
Jennifer decided to take the week at a relaxed pace and to cut down on the stress that invariably crops up while defending research. Instead of stressing over notes and speeches, she tried to connect with other young people interested in science and technology. She went out to breakfast with Texas teens, for example, spoke with a contingent from Italy and talked shop with those whose projects were set up around her between judging sessions.
"I was there to have fun," she said. "I didn't expect to be winning anything."
More to come
Jennifer has big plans for the future of her project. Although researchers don't currently have a set method for making flavonoids into a anti-cancer drug or treatment, she believes the potential is there.
"It's a really great thing that we could have this natural way to fight cancer," she explained. "We could step away from chemotherapy and try to treat cancer with flavonoids. They're already in fruits and vegetables, things we can relate to."
To prove that, however, she has much more work to do, such as testing heated and unheated flavonoids on different cancer strains.
And there's no shortage in subject material for testing. According to Jennifer, there are more than 4,000 known flavonoids, in food both ordinary and exotic. She hopes to conduct research on those substances next year.
"Nobody really knows how they work right now," she said. "But I want to find out what is making them fight cancer so well."
(Jennifer knows more than science. This school year, she will edit the school's literary magazine, audition for the fall play and serve as a co-captain for the mock trial team.)
I keep hoping that a simple method of cold fusion will eventually pan out. It would relegate the Arabs to the obscurity that God properly intended for them.
Well damn.........just Damn !!
Stay Safe Ern .......:o)
Madame Curie was a female scientist from the early 20th century who made many discovries dealing with radiation. I believe they named an element after her. Curium?
Madame Curie was a female scientist from the early 20th century who made many discovries dealing with radiation. I believe they named an element after her. Curium?
< sarcasm off >
Farnsworth died in '71 and was from Utah. Wallace (around 18 yrs. and in Utah) could be Farnsworth reincarnated, ready to resume where he left off. Of course, I guess not too many Mormons believe in the perfectionment of the soul through re-embodiment.
Not too many anybodies believe in re-embodiment.
Farnsworth died in '71 and was from Utah. Wallace (around 18 yrs. and in Utah) could be Farnsworth reincarnated, ready to resume where he left off. Of course, I guess not too many Mormons believe in the perfectionment of the soul through re-embodiment.
Not too many anybodies believe in re-embodiment.
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