Fall 2022
In This Issue
Why we Started Our Research Journal
Dear Reader,
​
I started tutoring when I was in 8th grade, and I now tutor elementary, middle, and even high schoolers regularly. One of the kids I tutor is interested in robotics and easily built a cyborg hand from a kit by himself! Impressed, I realized how cool it is to have an interest or a passion from a young age.
​
When I was younger, I didn’t know what robotics was, and I thought science was boring and difficult to understand. I never thought that years later, science would be one of the most important subjects to me. If only I knew about the amazing world of STEM when I was younger, I could’ve fostered my interest into a passion while growing up.
​
The Mango Street Journal is here to expose you guys to new things, hoping to spark an interest in a topic you would otherwise not have known about. We hope you guys grow up surrounded with knowledge and get inspired to learn more about mathematical formulas, scientific phenomena, technological advancements, and more.
​
We hope you enjoy the Mango Street Journal and learn something new!
​
Sincerely,
​
Chief Editor,
Hadassah Choi
SLUG REGENERATION
Do terrestrial slugs have the ability to regenerate like their marine relatives?
By Hadassah Choi
September 19, 2022
Northwest Innolab
INTRODUCTION
Elysia marginata, a marine gastropod, is known for its ability to regenerate its body (even the heart) after autotomy. Many other animals possess this ability; however, Elysia marginata can survive with only a head. It is speculated that this ability is used to escape predators, but new research revealed that this ability can be used to expel internal parasites.
To test if this regenerative ability is only found in this certain type of slug or can be found in other terrestrial slugs, we conducted an experiment.
In this experiment, we gathered 3 species of land slug (Arion vulgaris/ Spanish slug, Deroceras reticulatum/ Gray garden slug, and Limax maximus/ leopard slug).
​
HYPOTHESIS
Since land slugs are closely related to sea slugs, some land slugs may have the ability to survive with only a head. Though sea slugs cut themselves on breakage points (which allow for a clean break) opposed to being cut, the land slugs should still be able to survive if they possess the same ability to regenerate their organs.
Further, slugs have two pairs of tentacles which can be regrown if lost. If they can regrow a part of themselves, they may have the ability to regenerate different parts.
​
METHODS AND PROCEDURE
3 Arion vulgaris/ Spanish slug
4 Deroceras reticulatum/ Gray garden slug
2 Limax maximus/ leopard slug
All materials were sterilized with alcohol wipes. All slugs were iced for 10 minutes. The slugs were cut below the mantle then left on petri dishes with lettuce in containers with air holes. Containers were left in a dark, clean bench to avoid bacterial contamination.
​
DATA
Day 1: Cut at 9pm
*Results right after dissection:
Arion vulgaris: Most movement out of the three species, moved around the petri dish right after being placed.
Deroceras reticulatum: One of the two moved to a different location on the leaf 5 mins after dissection, the other slug did not move.
Limax maximus: Moved the least out of the three species, smallest slug did not move at all.
Day 2: 9am
Arion vulgaris: All three survived, slight movement.
Deroceras reticulatum: One was still moving, the other died.
Limax maximus: One was still moving, the rest died.
Day 2: 9pm
Arion vulgaris: Slight pulsing in all three.
Deroceras reticulatum: Slight pulsing in one.
Limax maximus: All died.
Day 3: 9am
Arion vulgaris: Slight pulsing in all three, less than before.
Deroceras reticulatum: All died.
Limax maximus: All died.
Day 3: 9pm
Arion vulgaris: All died.
Deroceras reticulatum: All died.
Limax maximus: All died.
​
RESULTS
All slugs died within 48 hours of dissection. When a slug died, it turned upside down. The containers smelt slightly of rotten fish.
The Arion vulgaris slugs were the biggest out of the three species, while the Deroceras reticulatum were the smallest. The bigger the slug, the longer it survived. However, none of the slugs were able to replicate itself and survive longer than 48 hours.
​
SOURCE OF ERROR
There are many factors that can affect the results that were unaccounted for. For example, it is possible that all of the slugs were weak or had some disease prior to being cut that affected how long they could survive.
Further, the sampling size was small, and all samples came from a 5 mile radius, minimizing variation.
In further experiments, more slugs from a larger selection should be used to increase variation.
​
CONCLUSION
Terrestrial slugs do not possess the same regenerative ability as the autotomous sea slugs. However, more research will need to be conducted to test different land species.
Land and sea slugs evolved from snails millions of years ago. There is still much to learn about gastropods and their evolution. It is still unclear how or why Elysia marginata can regenerate its vital organs. Perhaps some sea slug species evolved this ability some million years ago, while land slugs continued to evolve without ever evolving it.
​
REFERENCES
Mitoh, Sayaka, and Yoichi Yusa. “Extreme Autotomy and Whole-Body Regeneration in Photosynthetic Sea Slugs.” Current Biology, Elsevier, 8 Mar. 2021, https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(21)00047-6?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982221000476%3Fshowall%3Dtrue#relatedArticles.
Roth, Annie. “Meet the Sea Slugs That Chop off Their Heads and Grow New Bodies.” PACIFICLONGBOARDER, 6 Oct. 2021, https://www.pacificlongboarder.com/news/Meet-the-Sea-Slugs-that-chop-off-their-heads-and-grow-new-bodies/.
Ugliest Animals
Have you ever seen a funny looking animal? Here are 5 animals that we think deserve the title of ugliest animal!
Naked Mole Rat
Naked Mole Rats, also known as sand puppies, are rodents that live in burrows in eastern Africa. They can survive up to 18 minutes without oxygen and are resistant to some type of pain and cancer. They can also survive without drinking any water.
Proboscus Monkey
The proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) or long-nosed monkey is an arboreal Old World monkey with an unusually large nose, a reddish-brown skin color, and a long tail. It is endemic to the southeast Asian island of Borneo and is found mostly in mangrove forests and on the coastal areas of the island. The large nose, or proboscis, of the male, which can exceed 10.2 cm (4.0 in) in length, hangs lower than the mouth
Aye aye
The aye-aye is a long-fingered nocturnal lemur. Aye-ayes are native to Madagascar. They are omnivores, meaning they commonly eat seeds, fruit, and insects. This species was thought to be extinct, but is now classified as endangered.
Blob fish
The blob fish, or Psychrolutes marcidus, was chosen as the world's ugliest animal in 2013 by the Ugly Animal Preservation Society. Blob fish have soft bones and little muscles because they are deep water fish. They need this characteristic to survive the pressure down there. Therefore, when blob fish are at surface, they decompress and look like the picture on your left.
Damascus Goat
Originating in the Middle East, this rare, funny-looking goat is used for milk.
Baby Damascus goats are more normal looking. Click here to see a picture.
As they get older, their heads change shape, and their ears become so long that many breeders and farmers cut them.
Gonionemus vertens
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hydrozoa
Order: Thecata (Leptomedusae)
Suborder: Limnomedusae
Family: Olindiasidae
G. vertens is a small hydrozoan jellyfish whose type specimen is found in the large part of the northern
hemisphere. This bell-shaped hydromedusa has about 60-80 unbranched tentacles which are evenly spaced around the margin of the bell. G. vertens feeds
on small crustaceans, especially copepods.
Chromodoris tinctoria
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Family: Chromodorididae
Chromodoris tinctoria is a species of colorful sea slug. It is a marine gastropod mollusk. They can be found throughout the Indo-West Pacific
region. The mantle is opaque white with open red reticulations on the central area and flanks. It has one row of dark-red reticulated spots on the outer flanks. The mantle has a narrow, golden
marginal band.
Takifugu niphobles
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Tetraodontiformes
Family: Tetraodontidae
The grass puffer, Takifugu niphobles, is a species of fish in the pufferfish family
(Tetraodontidae). This common to abundant species is found in the northwest Pacific Ocean in
China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam. It is primarily found in coastal waters,
ranging to depths of 20 m, but is often seen in brackish water and has also been recorded briefly
entering freshwater. This fish’s intestines contain the extremely potent pufferfish poison tetrodotoxin which is potentially lethal to humans.
Beauties of the Deep
From: Ji-Hyun Kim,Ph.D (DOKDO 1025: The Ecology of Dokdo's Marine Life VII)
Apogon doederleini (Ostorhinchus doederleini)
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Kurtiformes
Family: Apogonidae
Apogon doederleini is a species of fish in the cardinalfish family, also known by the common
name fourline cardinalfish. It is native to subtropical regions of
the western Pacific Ocean. Its distribution extends from Japan to Taiwan and Australia to New
Caledonia and the Kermadec Islands. They are well know for their male mouth brooding
(paternal mouthbrooder). Males keep fertilized eggs in their mouth for 5-17 days until hatching.
Octopus dofleini (Enteroctopus dofleini)
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Octopodidae
The Pacific giant octopus a large marine cephalopod which can be found throughout the Pacific region. It can be found in the Intertidal zone down to 2,000 m (6,600 ft), and is best adapted to
cold, oxygen-rich water. They feed on crustaceans (shrimp and crabs), mollusks (scallops, clams,
abalones, moon snails, small octopus), and fish (rockfish, flatfish, sculpins).
Algorithmic Art with Music
What is it?
The above image was created by transforming soundwaves into unique visual artwork using algorithms and computer programming.
Click the link or video to see what happens!
Special thanks to Creative Technologist and Algorithmic Artist Sabin Timalsena
Monkeypox- What is it, How Serious is it, And What Should I Know?
By Hadassah Choi
The World Health Organization has declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency. Monkeypox is a virus similar to smallpox, though not as contagious or deadly. Symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle aches, and rashes with pus-filled blisters and pimples. It can take up to 21 days for symptoms to develop.
Monkeypox was first found in a colony of monkeys, giving the disease its name, but the source of the disease remains unknown.
Because of the virus’ genetic makeup and the phasing out of routine smallpox vaccination, it is a concerning possibility that monkeypox could mutate and become a greater threat for humans.
Most cases found outside of Africa before 2022 were connected to international travel and imported animals. The first time human monkeypox was reported outside of Africa was in 2003 when 47 people became infected after coming into contact with their pet prairie dogs, who were infected after being near mammals from Ghana. In November of 2021, a U.S. resident who had recently returned from Nigeria to the United States was confirmed to have monkeypox.
Monkeypox is spread through human-to-human contact, including physical contact and respiratory particles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that there is a low but actual risk of getting monkeypox for anyone who comes into close contact with an infected person.
There are no specific treatments for monkeypox. However, since monkeypox and smallpox are similar, antiviral drugs used to treat smallpox may be used to treat monkeypox. Furthermore, smallpox vaccines may be used to prevent monkeypox infections. The disease is not usually deadly, but can be fatal to young children. Currently, there are almost 3,000 confirmed cases in the US.
https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html
Sources: https://www.npr.org/2022/07/24/1113197119/monkeypox-symptoms-prevention-vaccines-what-to-know
Did You Know?
The first living creature in space was a monkey named Albert I! He went to space before any human.
Flavor Enhancing Chopsticks
By Brian Park
What if there is cutlery that makes food taste good? Japanese researchers made it happen.
Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita and beverage maker Kirin Holdings Co. co-developed chopsticks that enhance food taste using electrical stimulation and a mini-computer worn on a wristband. Miyashita explains that the device uses a weak electrical current to transmit sodium ions from food, through the chopsticks, to the mouth, where they create a sense of saltiness. He also added that the salty taste increased by 1.5 times.
The taste-enhancing chopsticks may have particular relevance in Japan, where the traditional diet favors salty tastes. The average Japanese adult consumes about 10 grams of salt per day, double the amount recommended by the World Health Organisation. However, putting less salt and using these chopsticks can help to reduce the chances of having diseases like high blood pressure and strokes, which are caused by high sodium intake. “If we try to avoid taking less salt in a conventional way, we would need to endure the pain of cutting our favorite food from our diet, or endure eating bland food,” says Ai Gato, a Kirin researcher. Miyashita and Kirin are refining their chopsticks prototype and hope to commercialize them as early as next year.
With this remarkable new invention, Professor Miyashita and Kirin Holdings Co. opened up a new path in connecting food and electronics. When these chopsticks are widely adopted, people will be able to eat less salty without having to sacrifice the taste. Maybe with more technological advances, scientists can create a device that enhances other tastes like sweetness and spiciness in not so distant future.
AP Bio Notes from Chief Editor
What is Coding? By Alvin Sung
​
Have you ever wondered how a computer works? Why does the video start when you click the start button or why does a character throw a grenade when you click e on the keyboard? All these are done by coding. Coding is a list of instructions that tells a computer what to do. So, how does a computer know what our instructions mean? Do we simply write “Start Video” to tell the computer to start a video? Well, not exactly, we code following a set of rules, so the computer would understand, and each set of rules is called a programming language. For example, we have python, Java, C++, and Scratch. Since computers only understand machine language which is made of binary digits (0 and 1), a “compiler” will translate the code written in a programming language to machine language.
​
Robots
We can also use coding to make robots to do specific tasks. Lego Inventors are robots made of Lego that use word blocks, a block-based programming language where programmers use blocks to communicate with robots. The coding platform looks like this.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
By clicking the play button, a compiler will translate the word blocks into machine language and send it to the robot.
​
We could drag other blocks under "when the program starts" to tell the robot what to do. If we put this pink block under it, the compiler will turn the blocks into binary digits (0 and 1) and tell the robot to go forward for 20 cm.
​
​
​
​
​
There are many other things you can code such as turning the robot 180 degrees, or changing the speed of the robot. With more complex programming languages, there are even more actions you can make the robot do. Coding has allowed us to create software programs, systems, websites, etc. that greatly benefit our lives.
​
Robotics-Play a sound when an object is less than 10 cm close: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bibv49F-nHo
Robotics- Golf Bot: https://youtu.be/cXVYTKDYj8Y, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXVYTKDYj8Y
Robotics- Remote Control Robot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua_tfeLDtd8
The Paradoxical Loneliness of Humanity
By Thomas Ebele, Ph.D.
“But where is everybody?” Enrico Fermi
Humanity’s search for extraterrestrial life has so far come up with nothing to show for the billions of dollars and millions of hours. Fermi, called by some the Architect of the Nuclear Age, was one of the most important scientists of the modern era, contributing to discoveries in nuclear technology, theoretical physics, experimental physics, statistical mechanics, quantum physics theory, nuclear theory and particle physics. Deep in discussion with his colleagues, he wondered aloud why, with the billions of stars in our galaxy alone, together with the billions of years that our universe has existed, we have not detected other civilizations out there in our stellar neighborhood. After all, humanity climbed the technological ladder in a mere matter of tens of thousands of years, almost nothing on the universal timescale, and if we could do it, others should have been able to do it as well.
Of course, we might well be alone in the universe, the only spark of sentient life, or perhaps any life, that has managed to exist long enough to comprehend our existence in the context of the observable universe. That is the evidence we are currently faced with: a total silence and lack of repeatable proof of any other life. There are many alternative explanations however, including the possibility that they exist, but we just cannot detect their technology, like ants trying to decipher the technology of roads, cars and other human infrastructure.
​
Another possibility, called the Rare Earth Hypothesis, is that life exists, but it is just too far away to detect. Our instruments continue to improve (a great example is the upgrade in space telescope power from the powerful Hubble to the magnificent James Watt telescopes), but space is vast, almost beyond comprehension. The great buzz of radio broadcasts from our planet would dissipate into the background static less than 100 light years from Earth, and our galaxy alone spans a width of 100,000 light years. Life that sparsely settles the universe may be impossible to detect at our current level of technology.
A more ominous hypothesis is the Dark Forest, an idea promoted by Chinese science fiction author Cixin Liu, in which the silence that surrounds us is one created by a predator species that obliterates any other developing civilization out of a paranoiac desire for self preservation. It sits in the dark, watching and waiting to strike. Other civilizations, if they exist, recognize the danger and hide their presence. If this is the case, we would be wise to do the same.
While there are many other hypotheses about the true situation, the notion that I favor is that of the Zoo Hypothesis. Similar to the Prime Directive from the science fiction canon of Star Trek, this posits that advanced civilizations exist and are aware of our existence, but they choose not to make contact or even reveal their existence because, like the animals we keep in a zoo, humanity is not advanced enough to be worth communicating with or even given free reign in the universe. We are kept inside a bubble of alien technology that masks the presence of other life until we reach some benchmark of progress. Given the way we humans treat others of our kind (often horribly) and especially the lack of regard we show towards other species on Earth, no intelligent alien species would risk exposing themselves to similar maltreatment at our hands. It could be that the most important development we make as a species is not down the technological path toward greater power over our environment, but down the path of peace toward greater spiritual and peaceful coexistence with each other and with our fellow travelers on Spaceship Earth.
Paper Airplane
By Alvin Sung
On April 16th, 2022, a group of paper airplane experts from South Korea broke the Guiness Record for the farthest paper airplane flight. Their paper airplane flew 252 feet and 7 inches! That’s almost the length of a football court! You can find the video here.
So, how did they break the record? Chee Yie Jian, the team’s founder and designer, says that their success is because of the design of the airplane and Kim Kyu Tae’s “rocket arm”, and they are a perfect combination. Chee and Shee Moo Joon have worked for years to design a plane that flies the highest and longest. They find out that the best material for the paper airplane is the Conqueror CX22 100 GSM. This type of paper is one of the stiffest and highest quality paper in the world.
Here’s a video to show you how to build the best paper airplane in the world!
​
Source:
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/farthest-flight-by-a-paper-aircraft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVQYAdqHjcc
Sunscreen and UV Rays
By Hosannah Choi
As climate change gets worse, summer weather has been growing increasingly hotter each year. Many activities require being outdoors in the sweltering heat, and there have been days where temperatures reach above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It is important to wear sunscreen to protect ourselves from the Sun's UV rays. But what are UV rays, and why are they harmful to us? UV (ultraviolet) is a form of radiation from the sun that has the benefit of Vitamin D but can also be hazardous to humans. There are two types of UV, UVA and UVB, UVA is associated with skin aging, while UVB is associated with skin burns.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Without any protection, our bare skin absorbs both these UV rays. Too much UV intake can cause cancer or other skin problems. When we absorb too many UV rays it can damage our DNA which tells our skin cells-and other body cells- how to function, leading to mutations that can be malignant (harmful) and leads to what we know as skin cancer. There are ways to prevent this such as wearing sunscreen, also known as SPF (Sun Protection Factor). The highest level of SPF is 100, the lowest being 0. The difference between all these SPFs is the percentage of UV rays it allows to get to our skin, for example, SPF 50 blocks 98% of UV rays, while SPF 30 would block a lower percentage.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Sunscreens are designed to reflect and scatter UV rays and are mostly made from oxides such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Some sunscreens only protect us from one type of UV ray, so be sure to get a “broad spectrum” sunscreen that works to deflect both UV types.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Sunscreens don’t last all day, so it is recommended reapplying every two hours or depending on how strong your sunscreen is. Although fun activities may distract you, don’t forget to apply sunscreen when going outdoors!
How Skin Care Products Affect Your Skin
By Ashley Sung
Serums, body lotions, face masks, and many more are considered skin care products. Not only are they at the top of women’s must-buy list but also they are essential for one’s skin health. But why?
Most skin care products nowadays are likely to contain ingredients such as alpha-hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids, hydroquinone, and so on. Alpha-hydroxy acids (also known as AHAs) are a type of acid that is derived from sugarcane, milk, or fruit. They exfoliate the skin and improve the skin by peeling away the surface of your skin so that new, more evenly pigmented skin cells may generate and take their place.
We can classify AHAs into different types: Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Malic Acid, Tartaric Acid, and Citric Acid. The most common AHA is Glycolic Acid. It’s the strongest among the types of AHAs because of its small molecular size. As molecular size increases, bioavailability and toxicity decrease. Since Glycolic Acid has a smaller molecular size, then its bioavailability and toxicity must increase. Higher bioavailability increases the chance your body takes in the necessary nutrients and helps you stay healthy. Toxicity is a measure of the poisoning strength of a chemical. Chemicals with high toxicity only need small doses to cause poisoning. Therefore, a concentration of 1%-2& of glycolic acid is effective enough for daily uses.
It may sound scary that such a chemical is used in skin care products, but with proper usage, glycolic acid can make the skin appear smoother and even speed up the recovery process of skin effectively.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
https://www.irvinelasercenter.com/blog/aha-and-bha-acids-for-the-skin-whats-the-difference
https://www.healthline.com/health/aha-vs-bha
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/molecular-size
What Did The Earth Say to The Sun?
Did you know?
It rains diamonds on Saturn and Jupiter.
Thinking Corner:
Quantum physics is the study of the behavior of atomic and subatomic particles. These particles are extremely small, which makes them extremely hard to study. The observer effect is one characteristic of these particles. It says that when the particles are being observed, they change their behavior.
