BNFO 300 
Molecular Biology Through Discovery
Approach to Research Articles
Fall 2018

Your aunt has reached the age where she is frail, and her physician has advised her to take high amounts of Vitamin D. Your family has doubts about this, and since you are known to be engaged in science, they have called on you to investigate whether taking Vitamin D is a good idea.

You found on the web four newspaper stories that seem pertinent (see below)... but they clearly don't speak with one voice! Are some of the sources fake news outlets? Are some of the researchers bought off by the pharmaceutical or organic vitamin industry? The question is difficult to assess just from the articles, so you take the matter to us, your colleagues in this class, to resolve the matter.

Adopt one of the news articles listed below and find the research article that matches it (same researcher, same year, same topic, and same journal if known). Read the full text of the research article so that on Thursday, August 30, you will be able to discuss it with your colleagues to try to sort out what's going on.

Note: Newspaper articles are NOT research articles! Enjoy the newspaper articles but don't expect them to resolve the mystery. To do that, you will need to find and read the research article on which the newspaper article is based. Come Thursday as an expert on your research article (not the newspaper article).
 
Article
Yours, if your last name
A
Vitamin D deficiency
figures in hip fractures

Chicago Tribune, 2 June 1999, Cassandra West
lies between A and Fi
B
Extra vitamin D and calcium
'a waste of time'

Telegraph, 28 April 2005, News p.12. Nic Fleming
lies between Fr and K
C
Over 65? Take lots of
vitamin D to prevent a fall

Reuters Health News, 2 October 2009, News. Megan Brooks.
lies between L and Re
D
Vitamin D pills for elderly
'increase their risk of falls'

Daily Mail, 4 January 2016. Sophie Borland.
lies between Ro and Z