During this tough semester, when I performed not well in the exam or got bad grade for my assignment, I always feel depressed and disappointed, sometimes I do not want to do anything about study any more. However, I read lots autobiographies of successful person, and learnt that we should persevere no matter how difficult the situation we are facing. Learning from Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking’s successful experience, I believe that we should never give up for our goal until we reach it.
First of all, Marie Curie was persistent in her research though the research is so hard for her. Since she never gave up her dream, finally she succeeded. Marie Curie, the one of only two people who was honored with Nobel Prizes in two different sciences areas, was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity and she discovered radium and polonium. In 1898, Marie Curie and her husband started the challenging work of separating out radium material. When they made this groundbreaking decision, they admonished themselves that this research would be laborious and difficult. However, they never think of giving up so they kept determined to solve any problem in their research. Actually they didn’t have enough money to work in a good laboratory with precise equipment, so they had to grind pitchblende with a pestle and mortar. They optimistically weighted out a 100-gram sample of pitchblende and believed that they can succeed soon. During the further research, they realized that what they were searching for was present in such minute quantities and so complex the pitchblende was that chemical separation of its constituents was really an arduous task for them. Nevertheless, they were sure they can discover and separate the element from the large number of pitchblende. Spending four years, the couples eventually separated one – tenth of a gram of radium chloride from a ton of pitchblende. Thanks to their persistent, the discovery of radium and polonium found quickly.
Moreover, the example of Stephen Hawking also taught me lots to be insistent for my dream. Stephen Hawking, British theoretical physicist, has come to be thought of as the greatest mind in physics since Albert Einstein. He excels in his amazing research in the field of cosmology and theoretical physics. However, Hawking is severely paralyzed since early adulthood with the degenerative nerve disease, and during a visit Hawking contracted pneumonia, which in his condition was life-threatening as it further restricted his already limited respiratory capacity. As a result, Hawking has been confined to a wheelchair and had lost the use of most of his physical functions; even couldn’t write or speak. Actually, anyone who is been reduced to Hawking’s condition would become gloomy and depressed even committed suicide. It’s a miracle that Hawking thrived on his wheelchair and make world-renowned achievement. Although Hawking appears to speak his great opinion fluently through his electronic voice synthesizer, in reality, creating the text is a tedious drawn-out process that a posed question took 7 minutes to answer. However, Hawking never give up but persists to do further research. Because of his steadfastness, he became one of most successful scientists in the world.
In a conclusion, I do not think anyone’s dilemma can compare to Curie’s or Hawking’s. From these two great scientists’ experience, I firmly believe that no matter how rough the situation we are in, we should not give up but keep working on it, and finally we will succeed. So whatever the difficult situation I am going to be in upcoming four years, I will never give up but keep walking.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Research paper's outline
Thesis statement: we should remove the cell phones in the daily life; otherwise cell phones will jeopardize human being seriously in the upcoming several years.
1. The long term use of cell phone will increase the probability of having tumors and cancer in the head.
A. Use an example of an event happened in 1993 provoke public’s concern about the link between cell phones and probability of having tumors and cancer.
a. A husband had sued a cell phone manufacturer in a Florida US District Court for causing his wife's brain tumor.
B. From the technologic perspective, analysis the reason why the long term use of cell phone will increase the probability of having tumors and cancer.
a. The radio frequency (RF) radiation in the cell phones may hurt human being’s health.
C. More and more researches prove that there is connection between the radiation in the cell phone and having tumors and cancer in the head.
a. One Swedish study: the risk of acoustic neuroma, a tumor formation on the nerve near the ear, was greater on the side of the head that the cell phone was held.
b. Dr. Ronald Herberman, Director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, issued a warning to hospital faculty and staff to decrease direct cell phone exposure to the head and body due to a possible connection between cell phone radiation and brain tumors.
2. The radio frequency radiation from cell phones can damage the DNA in sperm so that increase chance of miscarriage and childhood cancer:
A. Damage the DNA in sperm: According to the Cleveland Clinic Center for Reproductive medicine, semen quality "tended to decline as daily cell phone use increased."
3. Children are at an increased risk for adverse health effects from cell phone radiation.
A. One study has shown that children under the age of eight absorb twice the amount of radiation into their brain tissue as adults due to their lower skull thickness.
4. Using a cell phone while driving, even with a hands-free device, is unsafe as driving drunk and can make accidents more likely.
A. The use of cell phone while driving make lots of accidents happen: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that driving distractions, including the use of cell phones, contribute to 25% of all traffic crashes.
B. Use cell phone while driving is same as drunk: According to researchers at the University of Utah people who drive while talking on their cell phones are as impaired as drunk drivers with a blood alcohol level of 0.08%.
C. Government’s action: six states have taken legislative action to lessen the possible safety hazards of talking on a cell phone while driving.
5. The use of cell phones by people with pacemakers is unsafe.
A. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), radiofrequency energy from cell phones can create electromagnetic interference (EMI) that may disrupt the functioning of pacemakers, especially if the cell phone is placed close to the heart.
Conclusion: since the long term use of cell phones in the daily life hurt human beings’ health in several aspects: increase the probability of having tumors and cancer in the head, damage the DNA in sperm so that increase chance of miscarriage and childhood cancer, make children to be at an increased risk for adverse health effects, make traffic accidents more likely as driving drunk, and especially harm people with pacemakers. The use of cell phone is hazardous to people, we should remove them from our lives.
Warnings also in the last paragraph: If we still talk with friends by cell phones several hours one day, we are going to have higher probability of having tumors and cancer in the head; If men still put cell phone in front pockets, poor fertility and an increased chance of miscarriage will occurred; if children use cell phones as often as adults do, the percentage of childhood cancer will increase; If we still are allowed to use cell phones when we are driving, the number of traffic accidents will keep increasing in the future.
1. The long term use of cell phone will increase the probability of having tumors and cancer in the head.
A. Use an example of an event happened in 1993 provoke public’s concern about the link between cell phones and probability of having tumors and cancer.
a. A husband had sued a cell phone manufacturer in a Florida US District Court for causing his wife's brain tumor.
B. From the technologic perspective, analysis the reason why the long term use of cell phone will increase the probability of having tumors and cancer.
a. The radio frequency (RF) radiation in the cell phones may hurt human being’s health.
C. More and more researches prove that there is connection between the radiation in the cell phone and having tumors and cancer in the head.
a. One Swedish study: the risk of acoustic neuroma, a tumor formation on the nerve near the ear, was greater on the side of the head that the cell phone was held.
b. Dr. Ronald Herberman, Director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, issued a warning to hospital faculty and staff to decrease direct cell phone exposure to the head and body due to a possible connection between cell phone radiation and brain tumors.
2. The radio frequency radiation from cell phones can damage the DNA in sperm so that increase chance of miscarriage and childhood cancer:
A. Damage the DNA in sperm: According to the Cleveland Clinic Center for Reproductive medicine, semen quality "tended to decline as daily cell phone use increased."
3. Children are at an increased risk for adverse health effects from cell phone radiation.
A. One study has shown that children under the age of eight absorb twice the amount of radiation into their brain tissue as adults due to their lower skull thickness.
4. Using a cell phone while driving, even with a hands-free device, is unsafe as driving drunk and can make accidents more likely.
A. The use of cell phone while driving make lots of accidents happen: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that driving distractions, including the use of cell phones, contribute to 25% of all traffic crashes.
B. Use cell phone while driving is same as drunk: According to researchers at the University of Utah people who drive while talking on their cell phones are as impaired as drunk drivers with a blood alcohol level of 0.08%.
C. Government’s action: six states have taken legislative action to lessen the possible safety hazards of talking on a cell phone while driving.
5. The use of cell phones by people with pacemakers is unsafe.
A. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), radiofrequency energy from cell phones can create electromagnetic interference (EMI) that may disrupt the functioning of pacemakers, especially if the cell phone is placed close to the heart.
Conclusion: since the long term use of cell phones in the daily life hurt human beings’ health in several aspects: increase the probability of having tumors and cancer in the head, damage the DNA in sperm so that increase chance of miscarriage and childhood cancer, make children to be at an increased risk for adverse health effects, make traffic accidents more likely as driving drunk, and especially harm people with pacemakers. The use of cell phone is hazardous to people, we should remove them from our lives.
Warnings also in the last paragraph: If we still talk with friends by cell phones several hours one day, we are going to have higher probability of having tumors and cancer in the head; If men still put cell phone in front pockets, poor fertility and an increased chance of miscarriage will occurred; if children use cell phones as often as adults do, the percentage of childhood cancer will increase; If we still are allowed to use cell phones when we are driving, the number of traffic accidents will keep increasing in the future.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Research Log
A.TOPIC: we should remove cell phone.
B. reseach:
1. Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Acoustic Neuroma: Results of the Interphone Case-Control Study in Five North European Countries
Schoemaker, M. J. Swerdlow, A. J.
Source: British Journal of Cancer; 10/3/2005, Vol. 93 Issue 7, p842-848, 7p
There is public concern that use of mobile phones could increase the risk of brain tumours. If such an effect exists, acoustic neuroma would be of particular concern because of the proximity of the acoustic nerve to the handset. We conducted, to a shared protocol, six population-based case–control studies in four Nordic countries and the UK to assess the risk of acoustic neuroma in relation to mobile phone use. Data were collected by personal interview from 678 cases of acoustic neuroma and 3553 controls. The risk of acoustic neuroma in relation to regular mobile phone use in the pooled data set was not raised (odds ratio (OR)=0.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7–1.1). There was no association of risk with duration of use, lifetime cumulative hours of use or number of calls, for phone use overall or for analogue or digital phones separately. Risk of a tumour on the same side of the head as reported phone use was raised for use for 10 years or longer (OR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.1–3.1). The study suggests that there is no substantial risk of acoustic neuroma in the first decade after starting mobile phone use. However, an increase in risk after longer term use or after a longer lag period could not be ruled out.
2. Effect of cell phone usage on semen analysis in men attending infertility clinic: an observational study.
Authors: Agarwal, Ashok1
Source:Fertility & Sterility; Jan2008, Vol. 89 Issue 1, p124-128, 5p
Objective: To investigate the effect of cell phone use on various markers of semen quality. Design: Observational study. Setting: Infertility clinic. Patient(s): Three hundred sixty-one men undergoing infertility evaluation were divided into four groups according to their active cell phone use: group A: no use; group B: <2 h/day; group C: 2–4 h/day; and group D: >4 h/day. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm parameters (volume, liquefaction time, pH, viscosity, sperm count, motility, viability, and morphology). Result(s): The comparisons of mean sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology among four different cell phone user groups were statistically significant. Mean sperm motility, viability, and normal morphology were significantly different in cell phone user groups within two sperm count groups. The laboratory values of the above four sperm parameters decreased in all four cell phone user groups as the duration of daily exposure to cell phones increased. Conclusion(s): Use of cell phones decrease the semen quality in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology. The decrease in sperm parameters was dependent on the duration of daily exposure to cell phones and independent of the initial semen quality.
3. Analysis of RF Exposure in the Head Tissues of Children and Adults
Authors: J Wiart
Physics in Medicine & Biology; Jul2008, Vol. 53 Issue 13, p3681-3695, 15p
This paper analyzes the radio frequencies (RF) exposure in the head tissues of children using a cellular handset or RF sources (a dipole and a generic handset) at 900, 1800, 2100 and 2400 MHz. Based on magnetic resonance imaging, child head models have been developed. The maximum specific absorption rate (SAR) over 10 g in the head has been analyzed in seven child and six adult heterogeneous head models. The influence of the variability in the same age class is carried out using models based on a morphing technique. The SAR over 1 g in specific tissues has also been assessed in the different types of child and adult head models. Comparisons are performed but nevertheless need to be confirmed since they have been derived from data sets of limited size. The simulations that have been performed show that the differences between the maximum SAR over 10 g estimated in the head models of the adults and the ones of the children are small compared to the standard deviations. But they indicate that the maximum SAR in 1 g of peripheral brain tissues of the child models aged between 5 and 8 years is about two times higher than in adult models. This difference is not observed for the child models of children above 8 years old: the maximum SAR in 1 g of peripheral brain tissues is about the same as the one in adult models. Such differences can be explained by the lower thicknesses of pinna, skin and skull of the younger child models.
B. reseach:
1. Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Acoustic Neuroma: Results of the Interphone Case-Control Study in Five North European Countries
Schoemaker, M. J. Swerdlow, A. J.
Source: British Journal of Cancer; 10/3/2005, Vol. 93 Issue 7, p842-848, 7p
There is public concern that use of mobile phones could increase the risk of brain tumours. If such an effect exists, acoustic neuroma would be of particular concern because of the proximity of the acoustic nerve to the handset. We conducted, to a shared protocol, six population-based case–control studies in four Nordic countries and the UK to assess the risk of acoustic neuroma in relation to mobile phone use. Data were collected by personal interview from 678 cases of acoustic neuroma and 3553 controls. The risk of acoustic neuroma in relation to regular mobile phone use in the pooled data set was not raised (odds ratio (OR)=0.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7–1.1). There was no association of risk with duration of use, lifetime cumulative hours of use or number of calls, for phone use overall or for analogue or digital phones separately. Risk of a tumour on the same side of the head as reported phone use was raised for use for 10 years or longer (OR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.1–3.1). The study suggests that there is no substantial risk of acoustic neuroma in the first decade after starting mobile phone use. However, an increase in risk after longer term use or after a longer lag period could not be ruled out.
2. Effect of cell phone usage on semen analysis in men attending infertility clinic: an observational study.
Authors: Agarwal, Ashok1
Source:Fertility & Sterility; Jan2008, Vol. 89 Issue 1, p124-128, 5p
Objective: To investigate the effect of cell phone use on various markers of semen quality. Design: Observational study. Setting: Infertility clinic. Patient(s): Three hundred sixty-one men undergoing infertility evaluation were divided into four groups according to their active cell phone use: group A: no use; group B: <2 h/day; group C: 2–4 h/day; and group D: >4 h/day. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm parameters (volume, liquefaction time, pH, viscosity, sperm count, motility, viability, and morphology). Result(s): The comparisons of mean sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology among four different cell phone user groups were statistically significant. Mean sperm motility, viability, and normal morphology were significantly different in cell phone user groups within two sperm count groups. The laboratory values of the above four sperm parameters decreased in all four cell phone user groups as the duration of daily exposure to cell phones increased. Conclusion(s): Use of cell phones decrease the semen quality in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology. The decrease in sperm parameters was dependent on the duration of daily exposure to cell phones and independent of the initial semen quality.
3. Analysis of RF Exposure in the Head Tissues of Children and Adults
Authors: J Wiart
Physics in Medicine & Biology; Jul2008, Vol. 53 Issue 13, p3681-3695, 15p
This paper analyzes the radio frequencies (RF) exposure in the head tissues of children using a cellular handset or RF sources (a dipole and a generic handset) at 900, 1800, 2100 and 2400 MHz. Based on magnetic resonance imaging, child head models have been developed. The maximum specific absorption rate (SAR) over 10 g in the head has been analyzed in seven child and six adult heterogeneous head models. The influence of the variability in the same age class is carried out using models based on a morphing technique. The SAR over 1 g in specific tissues has also been assessed in the different types of child and adult head models. Comparisons are performed but nevertheless need to be confirmed since they have been derived from data sets of limited size. The simulations that have been performed show that the differences between the maximum SAR over 10 g estimated in the head models of the adults and the ones of the children are small compared to the standard deviations. But they indicate that the maximum SAR in 1 g of peripheral brain tissues of the child models aged between 5 and 8 years is about two times higher than in adult models. This difference is not observed for the child models of children above 8 years old: the maximum SAR in 1 g of peripheral brain tissues is about the same as the one in adult models. Such differences can be explained by the lower thicknesses of pinna, skin and skull of the younger child models.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)