As Scientific Writing Comes to a Close

These past four months have been a grand adventure in my Scientific Writing class. Honestly, I had very different expectations coming into this class. I expected to learn about research papers: writing them, analyzing them, and citing them. I did not expect to learn many other valuable writing skills. I did not realize that I would be writing resumes, cover letters, and personal statements. I did not realize that I would be writing a blog for the NDSU Department of Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences (VMS) website. I did not realize that I would be learning how to write efficient tweets (or that there even was a right or wrong way!). I definitely did not realize that I would be directing a promotional film about the NDSU VMS department and that it would also be featured on our NDSU VMS website. Needless to say, I was very naïve about what I was getting myself into!

 My Cyber-Self 

Blogs, micro-video profiles, and tweets -- all new adventures for myself. The trick to it all? Making each one into something you are interested in! If you find a video interesting, it is much easier to write about that video in a manner, which pulls the audience in. The internet wants concise action filled clips, so write that! Being trendy, active, and professional all in one is the number one way to create a cyber-self!         
    

SET – CUT!

I’m a director? SAH-WEET! Little did I know that this would mean long hours overseeing each step, numerous emails back-n-forth to my professor, last minute editing.. and re-editing, and easing tensions between team members. Was it fun? You bet it was! Would I do it again? Most definitely! This was such a blessing and a learning experience for my team and I. If anyone tells you that Scientific Writing classes can’t be fun, send them my way, I've got a video for them!

Ready to Write

I sit down at my desk – writing is impossible anyplace else (even in class). Papers, scribbles, and notes scatter across the desk, surrounding my computer. On screen is a blank word document, cursor blinking as it waits for me. I go through all of my sources, all of my notes, and I scribble down ideas. Next I move to sort my ideas and favorite highlighted sources, every topic I want to discuss gets either a letter code or a color code. Finally I can begin to write. I prefer to write the entire document in one sitting. Writing in pieces ‘throws off my groove’. The first draft needs to be ‘decent’. Not necessarily in grammar, but in word structure and ideas. Changing those means rewriting the entire document. The best time of day to write?? Early morning or late evening. At a time with few distractions, allowing me to be entirely immersed in my project. I’m ready to write.

Struggles

Oh, where to begin? This class has not only shown me my strengths and techniques in writing, but has opened my eyes to my struggles. Words. Long, detail-packed, sentences. I struggle with conciseness. My papers are dry and wordy with few action words and plenty of prepositional phrases. I was never aware of this before this class, but now I know what I need to strive to overcome. For that I wholeheartedly thank you Professor!                                       

 

Not So Sweet

I struggled to wake up enough to make it to my 8 a.m. class. Out of habit, I made a cup of hot tea to compliment my cereal. My morning wasn't complete without it. Like other college students, my days are full of long hours and study sessions that go late into the night, and the weapons in our battle against energy deficit litter my dorm kitchen: coffee makers, Splenda sweeteners, Coca-Cola Zero, Diet Dr. Pepper, and in my case, lots of tea.

Many of our favorite drinks are made with artificial sweeteners. They are a part of our daily routines. They augment the drinks that provide us with energy, comfort us through stressful situations, and encourage us to get out of bed in the morning. More than once, I have overheard students remark that they didn’t know how they would function in the morning without their cup of coffee…and sweetener.

Artificial sweeteners have infiltrated nearly every corner of our daily lives, but for the better or for the worse? I had to find out.

As I skimmed through Google articles, I found something that caught my attention. The heading read, “Certain gut bacteria may induce metabolic changes following exposure to artificial sweeteners." This was exactly what I was looking for. Unsure of what to expect, I read through the article and then through the study it was based on. I read that these scientists had connected artificial sweeteners to metabolic changes in gut bacteria, resulting in a glucose intolerance. This alone could lead to an increase in obesity and diabetes, which the sweeteners were previously believed to combat. Say what?!

In their experiment, mice were given either water, sugar water, or artificially sweetened water to drink. Even with different dosages, their results came out the same – those drinking the artificially sweetened water were becoming glucose intolerant. The mice showing this intolerance were given antibiotics to eradicate much of their gut bacteria - the results? The mice were no longer glucose intolerant. The intolerance was related to the bacteria in their guts. They even transferred the glucose-intolerant bacteria from one mouse to a ‘sterile’ mouse, resulting in a transmission of the glucose intolerance.

The scientists went on to find out if this occurred in humans as well. They found that some groups of bacteria induced glucose intolerance when exposed to the sweeteners while others had no effect. The exact reaction to the sweeteners is not yet determined, but they hypothesized that the bacteria react to the sweeteners by secreting substances, which provoke an inflammatory response (not unlike sugar overdose) that changes the body’s ability to utilize sugar = glucose intolerance.

I find this recent research a little alarming. Glucose intolerance via consumption of artificial sweeteners may not seem directly harmful, but we must think of our internal flora as well as overall health effects. This research will definitely need a follow up, someone to discover what it is that leads certain bacterial species to react in the presence of artificial sweeteners and why others are unaffected. These scientists have cracked open the door to this mystery, all that is left is to explore what is waiting on the other side. Isn’t that what research is all about?

I understand that this may drastically change how some of you get yourselves out of bed in the morning or stay awake cramming late into the night…. But for myself, I am safe from the struggles of change. My beliefs prior to this article and after remain constant: You can’t go wrong with a cup of hot tea.

Image 1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.

Image 2 Source: USDA

This entry was written as part of the MICR 354 (Scientific Writing) student-blog series for NDSU VMS.

A Ren Fest Adventure

WE'RE GOING TO THE RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL!!!!!!!

My best friend and I squealed and jumped around excitedly like you would expect to see in high school girls..... not juniors in college. Another check off our bucket list was coming true, but that was almost a month ago.

The festival has come and gone. For those of you who do not know what a renaissance festival is or why it was so exciting for us, please continue to read and allow me to enlighten you. For those of you who A. do not find interest in the renaissance era B. know everything about the ren fest and have been to one every year for the past five decades leading you to feel you can learn nothing new about them or C. are already bored, feel free to skip to the line starting with "And that was the end.."

For those few stragglers still with me, lend me your ears. Okay, okay, your eyes will do just as well...

The ren fest (much easier to type than renaissance festival!) is not like any other place you have ever been to. The streets are laden with wood pieces which try their best to grab the hem of your dress and pull you to a stop. Luckily, they're not strong enough to achieve their goal, but the weight is well noted. It may be wiser to not wear a ground-length dress (mental note for next time). The wood shavings will also cling to socks and leggings as if trying to aid in your camouflage... boots are also recommended. My socks still aren't free of the debris....

The streets are also lined with old 'one-of-a-kind' 'made-by-hand' craft stores as well as food that probably doesn't fit the era. It may be the only place where one store can sell ONLY bacon. Another sells ice cream, another apple strudel, and still more with giant turkey legs (you cannot pass these up!), mead, beer, steak on a stick, pizza, sparkling apple cider floats, fruit smoothies, and so many others. For those of you foodies out there, this place is heaven.

As for the craft stores, there are wandmakers, glass tinkers, fairy dust peddlers, leather workers, mask makers, jewelry so unique you won't find it elsewhere, costumes, paintings, walking sticks, nimbus 2000s, there are hand-forged weapons, pottery, and just about anything else you can imagine. Almost everything is one of a kind. Be sure to bring plenty of spending money, because you'll be sure to find gifts and items that you just Cannot leave without. I speak from experience, as does the rest of my convoy. :S believe me, it happens. No. Seriously.

Ah, the entertainment. Perhaps the best part of it all..

The jousting. Oh boy, are you in for a show! Humongous horses, handsome knights, humorous crowd leaders, and plenty of chaos and cheering. The crowd gets just as involved as at a championship football game and the event is much more exciting (now don't get your knickers in a knot, some people just find one-on-one combat with horses thrown in as a plus more thrilling than a group of guys slamming into each other, moving three feet, and being stopped by a whistle.... just an opinion. Like I said, watch for those knickers). 

Fire Shows! Now these people can put on a show that has you on the edge of your seat, holding your breath, and praying no one gets burnt (or worse). Fire breathing, fire eating, acrobats with flaming staves.. all while dancing to gypsy-styled music and grinning like naughty schoolchildren. Occasionally looking surprised that a stunt actually worked. Our shows were put on by the Fandazzi Fire Circus, feel free to look them up and get excited about fire!

Belly dancers. Now, don't get me wrong about these women (or men if you see men at a ren fest), they may be a little bit out there.. but boy can they move in ways incomprehensible to the eye. A few talented dancers mixed with good music and you'll feel like you've drifted into another era. 

Alas, this entry is running long, it is time for me to tie up the loose ends. I may have been wrong when I said that the entertainment was the best part of the ren fest. The best part is the atmosphere. Every person is grinning from ear to ear. Costumes range from ladies to vikings to fauns to assassins to wenches to pirates, with people in them from all ages, ethnicity's, backgrounds, and beliefs coming out to forget their daily lives and enjoy life with one another. Everyone is friendly. Everyone is laughing and having a grand day. At a renaissance festival, everyone is everyone else's neighbor and no one is unhappy. At a renaissance festival you are free to live in the moment and love life.

And that was the end of a grand adventure.. 

Until next time...

"The Road goes ever on and on,

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can.." -Bilbo Baggins