Celiac Life

In late July of 2011, I was diagnosed with Celiac disease.  I was 9 years old, and I felt like my world was coming to an end.  No, not because Celiac disease is some kind of terminal illness, or some excruciating disease that would require millions of dollars in medical procedures.  It meant that I would never be able to eat gluten again.  No more bread for my sandwiches, no more pancakes or waffles for breakfast, hardly even any cereal!  No more pizza or pasta, no cake or cookies, not to mention all of the wonderful glutenous foods that I had never tried and would never be able to even taste.

Gluten free symbol

What really is Celiac disease?

Celiac disease is an autoimmune genetic disease that renders the villi, the cells and structures that absorb nutrients from the small intestine, unable to take in any nutrients.  This happens because when someone with Celiac disease consumes gluten, a protein that is commonly found in wheat, barley, and rye, their body produces an immune reaction to the small intestine that damages the villi.

Image of vili in small intestine in person with and without Celiac Disease

The immediate causes for this are presently still unknown. However, Celiac disease does have a genetic connection.  For example, in my immediate family I have it, and so do my brother and my mother, so my mother passed on the gene for it to both of us.  If one has certain variants of HLA-DQA1 or HLA-DQB1, one is more predisposed to the condition.  Despite being a genetic disease, someone with the previously mentioned variations may not experience it until later in their life.  Often one will begin experiencing symptoms of Celiac disease after a stress to the body such as surgery or pregnancy, though they can begin as an infant. 

What are some symptoms of Celiac disease?

There are dozens upon dozens of symptoms for Celiac disease, and everyone experiences different symptoms.  One may not even experience any symptoms that seem related to digestion at all.  Some symptoms in adults are - fatigue, bone or joint pain, osteoporosis or osteopenia, seizures and migraines.  Children are more likely to have digestion related symptoms, some being - abdominal pain or bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, delayed growth and puberty, short stature, irritability and ADHD.

With such a variety of symptoms that are different for everyone, it seems hard to figure out whether a person has Celiac disease, or something completely unrelated.  Actually it is very easy to test for Celiac disease, there are a few simple screenings or tests one could take to determine whether they have it or not.  One is a blood test screening, which is available for anyone over 3 years old.  For this, one is injected with tissue transglutaminase IgA antibody as well as the IgA antibody to help the test run smoothly.  In 98% of patients who have Celiac disease the test will come out positive, though there is a chance of a false positive in patients with certain other conditions.  This test come out negative in 95% of patients who do not have Celiac disease.  For further testing, one can take and IgA Endomysial Antibody test, which has a specificity if 100% but is not as sensitive, and 5-10% of people with Celiac Disease do not have a positive test from this, and it also requires primate esophagus or human umbilical cord, so it is reserved only for very hard to diagnose patients.  One can also take a total serum IgA test, which gets for an IgA deficiency, something that is common in people with Celiac Disease, if one has an IgA deficiency, one can take a Deaminated Gleason Peptide test.  Another, and more practical test one can take an endoscopy, which is what I took.  An endoscopy is a test in which a very small camera is inserted into your small intestines to see if the villi are healthy, they also take a small piece to do a biopsy on, to further confirm whether you have Celiac Disease.

What happens if you are diagnosed with Celiac Disease?

While being diagnosed with Celiac Disease is not the end of the world, it certainly may feel like it.  No more pizza or bagels, no cookies or cakes, no bread or any other bread products, and not to mention all those food that seem perfectly fine but secretly have gluten in them... With all those foods that you can no longer eat, it seems like there is very little that you can eat.  Fortunately there are now many different brands that offer a variety of gluten free foods that don't taste half bad.  There are a few different bread brands, a couple cracker brands, a variety of cookies, baking mixes, and flours.  Now there are even some restaurants that offer gluten free food, and label it as such, what an exciting prospect!  

Gluten free aisle in a store

So while your new life may feel very strange at first, it's really not as big of a difference as you fear.  In my eight years of being gluten free, I have seen the number of products practically double, and while I do miss being able to walk into a restaurant and ordering whatever I want without having to think twice about what the ingredients might be, there is enough variety and actual good tasting gluten free food, that it no longer feels like such a burden to my life.

-Hannah R.

Humans and Dogs: A History

People have a special connection with dogs. More households have a dog than any other kind of pet, and they have had a significant place in culture going back thousands of years. Even the cat-crazy ancient Egyptians kept pet dogs. However, where does this connection originate from?

My own dog

To fully answer this question we have to understand where dogs came from. Genetic analysis shows that dogs likely diverged from wolves at least 27,000 years ago. It seems likely that modern dogs originate from wolves that cooperated with humans. In the time since, they have undergone several changes that likely lead to the special connection we have with them.

Though they may be cuter, in my experience, chihuahuas are just as vicious(Images from here and here, respectively).

In the time since they have diverged from wolves, us humans have bred them into breeds with certain characteristics. While they are not separate species and are capable of interbreeding, the breeds we have created are very distinct with their own traits that separate them from each other. However, in our creation of these breeds, the selective breeding they have undergone has led to the introduction of some negative traits. The inbreeding that purebred dogs go through has led to a higher rate of genetic disease, particularly cancer relative to crossbred dogs. In addition, some of the traits we have bred into them are harmful. Most notably, the bulldog was bred for its distinctive short face, but this has actually led to an increased mortality rate.

Perhaps the most obvious reason for our relationship with dogs is their ability to understand us. Research has shown that dogs do have the ability to understand some human visual communication. However, even without that research, any dog owner could tell you that their dog absolutely can pick up on their body language. Speaking purely from my own personal experience, I know that my dog not only can pick up on my mood, but reacts to it, showing sympathy and excitement when appropriate. In addition, people read, correctly or not, certain emotions in dog communication.

In addition to this, people and dogs are sort of hardwired to like each other. When a person interacts with a dog, levels of certain hormones are elevated or lowered. In particular, touching a dog results in elevated levels of oxytocin and lowered levels of cortisol. Oxytocin is a hormone that affects, among other things, social bonding, and particularly is associated with maternal feelings following childbirth, and cortisol is a hormone associated with the stress response. What's more, it has been shown that the release of oxytocin can cause a positive feedback loop leading to additional oxytocin release in both human and dog. This is consistent with what people actually experience with their dogs. People definitely do have an affection for dogs that is similar to that they might have with children, and interacting with my dog does help to destress after a tough day. 

The relationship between dogs and humans is totally unique. Unlike most other domesticated animals, with the possible exception of cats, people don't typically expect any benefit from having a dog, while other domesticated animals, like cows or horses are typically raised for their capabilities or products. This sort of totally non-beneficial relationship is an interesting result of tens of thousands of years of evolution that have led to the bizarre, wonderful relationship the human race has with our beloved canine companions.

An Emerging Form of Warfare

This generation remembers listening to the news in the back of our parents’ cars, hearing about various horrors that we never were able to wrap our heads around--threats of nuclear war, international terrorism, and the like. I remember myself, a highly pretentious seventh grader, listening to these stories and imagining huge missiles being developed across the ocean. But in fact, I never thought about the other weapons that terrorism could include. From learning about international conflict from the radio and history class throughout my life, I was extremely drawn to this topic when I first learned about bioterrorism in an article published in my mother’s college alumni magazine.

A familiar name among AP Bio students, smallpox was once known as the world’s most deadly disease, but after a 12-year eradication effort, the virus was eradicated in 1979, and now only exists in laboratories. While it was active, however, the disease could spread like wildfire, through sneezes, coughs, contaminated bedding and clothing, open wounds, or occasionally skin-to-skin contact. The symptoms manifest after a short period, presenting as a high fever, body aches, and vomiting, before escalating into red spots and a rash with pustules filled with the virus. Many people died from the disease--more 300 million in the 20th century alone.

The Smallpox Virus--Variola

To stop the spread of the disease, extreme measures always had to be taken. Each victim can be expected to pass the virus to everyone else with whom they have been in contact with, so every person exposed has to be vaccinated immediately. After the eradication efforts, routine vaccination for smallpox stopped because the efforts had been so widely successful. Even though this means that most people have lost immunity, there now exist only two labs in the entire world where the smallpox virus is approved to be held--one in the United States, and one in Russia.

However, the location of one of the laboratories has come to be a reason for concern among scientific communities. Until recently, biological weapons were seen as unlikely agents of destruction, mostly because countries previously believed there was a moral line that would be crossed by using them. But it has become known that Russia has continued development of its bioweapons program, even after signing an agreement to put an end to it. It has been speculated that they have been able to create certain weapons infected with smallpox and other viruses, with the intent of causing harm internationally. Some of these weapons are on the scale of ballistic missiles, which can travel between continents. A delivery of smallpox to the United States would be a national emergency as people have not been vaccinated since its eradication, and any form of mutation could have taken place in the virus. As many as 10 other countries are also seeking ways to develop biological weapons.

     But why biological weaponry? Well, these unconventional weapons can be built in mundane situations and operate very discreetly (in aerosol spray form, among others). The workshop can be disinfected and people would only become ill a few weeks after an attack, but the pathogens can kill large amounts of people within a small amount of time and the weapons can cause widespread hysteria even faster than the death toll can rise.

     What this means for us, however, is unclear. Scientists are preparing to deal with possible threats of endemic, learning from the history of outbreaks such as the ancient Egyptian smallpox outbreak, the European plague, and Philadelphia’s yellow fever epidemic in the 1700s, but it is too soon to tell what the future will bring. The world is rapidly changing as new technologies emerge (think CRISPR and other genomic modification tools) and as parts of Earth are being explored for the first time. This makes room for plenty of man-made mutant pathogens created in labs, eradicated pathogens, and newly discovered pathogens from newly explored areas of the world to be brought into civilization for the first time or for the third.

Evidence of a Smallpox Outbreak in Ancient Egypt from a Mummified Human

Unfortunately, there have not been any official efforts in the US to prepare for an attack of bioterrorism. Online searches looking for information on what the US has done in the past years to prepare did not hinder any information, only showing webpages which give information on what individuals should do in the event of this emergency, for example, read here.

It is clear that a new age of warfare is emerging, and it could be even deadlier than the nuclear weapons we have feared for most of our lives. 

Houseplants and Their Effect on Your Life

The Benefits of Having Houseplants

After filling my bedroom with at least fourteen plants, and giving them names, it is safe to say that I have an obsession. It's no secret that houseplants are beautiful to look at. However, I, as well as many others, did not recognize the countless benefits of having indoor plants. In fact, studies have proven that the presence of plants in one's environment has a positive effect on their mental health. Houseplants can not only improve one's mood, but they can also purify the air inside a home, especially if they have a relatively large surface area. These effects are most prevalent where there is a variety of different species of plants, as different species have different effects on their surroundings. My personal favorites are succulents and palms.

Money Tree (Jennifer) Pachira Aquatica

Most plants release carbon dioxide at night, when they stop photosynthesis and only perform cellular respiration. Succulents such as cacti are special because they release oxygen all the time. The constant release of oxygen, even during the night, can improve sleep quality, as the person sleeping can breathe easier. CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) plants are very important because they are the best air purifiers. These plants include orchids, succulents, cacti, and pineapples, which have adapted to their hot and dry environments, allowing them to close their stomata during the day, prohibiting water evaporation. Then, at night, they improve air quality by performing cellular respiration and finally opening their stomata, which can improve sleep quality, as well. 

In addition to this, certain species of palm trees, such as areca palms, can help raise the humidity levels in the air. Areca palms are the most efficient air humidifiers. This can be convenient during the winter, as (through transpiration) the palms release water through their stomata, which is then released into the air, making it less dry. These are just a few examples of plants that can improve your life. Here are many more:

Areca Palm Tree (Yolanda) Dypsis Lutescens 

 Do you ever clean your house and then are bothered by the idea of the lingering chemicals in the air? If you have aloe vera plants, bamboo, or money trees, this doesn't have to be a problem! Plants such as aloe, bamboo, money trees, and nerve plants can absorb formaldehyde and benzene in the air, which are found in many cleaners and paints.

Avocado (Kara) Persea Americana  

Aloe vera plants are also easy to take care of, as they need minimal water, so you can forget about them for a couple of days and they will still be okay. These plants also have health benefits when applied to a cut or sunburn, as well as consumed in drinks, although they taste extremely bitter and absolutely horrible. When aloe vera is applied to the hair, it can condition and (using proteolytic enzymes) repair damage on the scalp, reducing itchiness and dandruff.

Growing up, my mother always told me that having a money tree in the house brings good luck and wealth in the future. I'm not sure about this, however, I love this plant because it is safe for cats. Both of my cats love chomping on all of my houseplants, which eventually makes them sick a couple hours later. However, money plants are nontoxic, which is perfect because that is their favorite plant to eat. This plant is also very beautiful, especially when the stems are braided together. Also, just like aloe vera, it purifies the air by absorbing formaldehyde and benzene.

Ever since I filled my room with plants, I have been sleeping better. In addition to the physical benefits these plants cause, I have noticed that the responsibility of taking care of these plants has a drastic effect on my mood.

Haworthia (Selena) H. Attenuata      

 Bamboo (Jhene) Bambusoideae

Harnessing the Wind

I recently watched a movie named, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, a true story about William Kamkwamba, a 13 year old boy who taught himself how to construct a wind turbine in order to save his Malawian village from famine. This wind turbine was used to power a pump that would bring water up from a nearby well, so that the village could plant crops even in the dry season.

William Kamkwamba standing atop his windmill he built in 2001 (source)

This caused me to start thinking about the use of wind turbines in New Jersey, and what impact they have on the state. To search for these answers I went to The US Wind Turbine Database. Remarkably, I found that there are only 6 wind turbines operating in New Jersey, 1 in Bayonne as part of The Bayonne Wind Energy Project, and 5 in Atlantic City as part of the Jersey Atlantic Wind Farm Project. Moreover, none of these 6 wind turbines are offshore!

Jersey Atlantic Wind Farm Project in Atlantic City, NJ (source)

To my surprise, I found from the American Wind Energy Association that, as of April 2019, of the 41 states that have wind turbines, NJ ranks 39th in the number of wind turbines and the energy in Megawatts (MW) produced: ahead of only Connecticut and Delaware. As a result, I asked myself, what is New Jersey doing to increase the amount of wind energy they harness?

Phil Murphy signing the executive order (source)

Recently elected NJ governor, Phil Murphy, signed an executive order on January 31st, 2018 that outlined how his administration would be working towards growing the amount of MW produced from wind energy sources, in an effort "to establish New Jersey as an environmental leader". As stated by this article from Dustin Racioppi and Scott Fallon, the order called for:

• 3,500 MW of offshore wind energy by 2030 (enough energy to power 1.5 million homes)
• The "environmental protection commissioner and utilities president to establish a strategic offshore wind plan".

So far, it seems as if Governor Phil Murphy is sticking to his promise of converting New Jersey to entirely clean energy by 2050, with this specific bill focusing on offshore wind turbines.

Offshore Wind Turbines (source)

Afterwards, I asked myself, why does New Jersey rank so low in the first place?

After further research, I found that part of the reason why is because of actions done by former NJ Governor Chris Christie after he signed a 2010 law known as the Offshore Wind Economic Development Act. Governor Christie, instead of working to increase renewable energy sources in New Jersey and help the aforementioned bill succeed, turned his focus away from climate change as he "embarked on a presidential bid to appeal to conservative voters in states heavily dependent of fossil fuels". This resulted in New Jersey missing out on becoming the first state to harness offshore wind energy through turbines, with Rhode Island instead reaching that distinction.
With climate change awareness increasing on the world stage, it is great to see New Jersey work towards becoming a state known for being environmentally friendly once more. 

Pros and cons graphic (source)

However, there are also a variety of environmental consequences of wind turbines. For example, as detailed in a report titled "Environmental Impacts of Wind-Energy Projects", 20,000 to 37,000 birds per year (other sites say greater than 400,000) are killed by wind turbines. Although this is a startlingly high statistic, it pales in comparison to the death rate of birds colliding with other objects like buildings, cars and high-tension wires: with an estimated 97-976, 80 and 130-1000 million deaths respectively. Bats, however, do in fact see a large percentage of their deaths from collisions as a result of wind turbines. According to an article in BioScience by Mark Hayes, 600,000 to 900,000 bats every year are killed, either through collisions or barotrauma. Barotrauma occurs when "spinning turbines create changes in air pressure as they move, which can essentially cause the animals' lungs to explode", as defined in a Popular Science article by Rebecca Boyle.

Wind turbines interfering with birds (source)

Apart from the power they generate, wind turbines benefit the environment in other ways as well.

Wind turbines/Wind energy in general, as stated by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (OEERE), now has the "largest renewable generation capacity of all renewables in the United States" and is an "inexhaustible" resource. In addition, this process does not require the release of any greenhouse gases as no fossil fuels are burned. Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere, effectively keeping the Earth 33 °C warmer than it should allowing life to survive on Earth. Meaning that, wind turbines enable us to harness energy while letting the biosphere thrive at the same time.

Not releasing extra greenhouse gases is vital, as an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would cause the temperature of the Earth to rise beyond normal levels. This negatively effects animals such as Polar bears, who are starting to see their habit melt beneath their feet.

Polar bears suffering in their depleted habit (source)

Moreover, the wind energy industry also positively impacts the economy. For example, the OEERE notes that in 2016 the "U.S. wind sector employed more than 100,000 workers"; with the Wind Vision report stating that 600,000 could be employed by 2050.

Wind turbine technicians (source)

Finally, many people who support Wind turbines and recognize their potential benefits, actually oppose their construction when there are plans for them to be built near their homes. This phenomenon is known as NIMBY, or Not in My Backyard. Believe it or not, this is another big reason for the lack of windmills in many places as people commonly do not like the way wind turbines look or the noise they can possibly create. 

NIMBY (source)

Considering the positive and negative effects of wind turbines, I am in support of the increased production of wind turbines offshore and on land in New Jersey, the United States, and around the world. However, I believe there should be regulations on when they are allowed to function and where they can be constructed. For example, I believe they shouldn't be allowed to operate in areas with large bird/bat and other flying animal populations, or to function during the height of migration seasons.

A good 'ol meme (source)

Thank you for reading! Please sign this petition to let your voice be heard on increasing climate change education in the United States.

Good Gut Health

Millions of trillions of bacteria are in existence on Earth. Trillions of bacteria reside in human bodies. In fact, bacteria outnumbers the number of the cells in the body 10 to 1. These bacteria are part of us in more ways than not. This brings about perplexing questions, why are there so many bacteria and what do they do? The human gut houses a great number of bacteria, making it the microbiome of the human body. The existence of bacteria goes back to the beginnings of life on Earth. From then, over millions of years more and more bacteria have emerged into existence. Ever wonder how there are so many illnesses that exist, yet not every single person on this Earth is ill? Well, these bacteria contribute enormously to the immune system. Gut bacteria contributes in the development of white blood cells which helps the body fight off infections! This is crazy! Who would have thought the bacteria in your GUT would protect you from, dare I say, pathogens all over your body.

Cartoon version of bacteria found in your gut

This segues me into my most favorite beverage behind water and coffee… kombucha <3. Kombucha is a probiotic rich drink. There are inconclusive health benefits in drinking kombucha and any other probiotic drink for that matter. Many people believe that kombucha aids in digestion because of all the bacteria it contains, such as lactobacillus, which is also found in your gut. Digestion is essential for your body to get the nutrition it needs and also to stay healthy, however kombucha might not be the able to solve all your digestive problems (as heartbreaking as it sounds).


An example of what kombucha looks like

Kombucha is green or black tea that is fermented with live bacteria and yeast known as the symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast or SCOBY. Through this fermentation process, kombucha allegedly gains antioxidants and probiotics. The content of the antioxidants and probiotics varies drastically from each manufacturer, so there is no single answer to determine whether or not all kombucha is actually beneficial to people's health. However, people continue to claim that kombucha contains probiotic properties because of the fermentation process it goes through (this could also be very false and the kombucha industry is just doing a great job at advertising, but that's a whole other discussion). So, there is no definitive evidence that kombucha is actually good for you. 

Even after all of the evidence that says kombucha has no real health benefits, I still think everyone should try it because it makes you feel like a health person.


Some fresh kimchi

One fermented food that I can guarantee you helps in digestion is kimchi. I know this because my mom is Korean and she told me so. Also, because there are actual probiotics such as lactobacilli, and it's even backed up by scientific evidence! Fermented cabbage also has been proven to be cancer preventing! That is actually amazing. 

TRY KOMBUCHA AND KIMCHI!!! That is all. 

A Shot Full of Dead Germs

The fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty in 1661 inoculated his children after he survived smallpox as a child.  He ground smallpox scabs and helped his children breathe them in through their noise, and others rubbed smallpox sores into healthy skin. It was a risky procedure, in earlier civilizations, to infect themselves with diseases in order for their bodies to learn how to recognize foreign substances and acquire a proper immune response to them.

 Figures showing the preparation of a vaccination needle with an infected animal scab

This was a turning point as it prompted newer generations to discover how vaccines helped the body build an immune response. The helper T-cells play a major role in immune responses; without them, there would be no response. Once the vaccine is in your system, it quickly activates helper T-cells. These cells help in other ways as well. For example, CAR T- cell therapy is a treatment that is being studied in the treatment of some types of cancer. In this treatment, a patient's T-cells are altered in the laboratory so they will bind to cancerous cells and kill them. Most importantly, they signal to other cells that your cells have been infected, or that something is off, releasing chemical messengers called cytokines, which enter the T-cells and signal that cell to start dividing. This process leads to the production of more helper T-cells, which stimulate cytotoxic cells that kill infected cells, and B cells that secrete antibodies, which help in preventing invaders from damaging your body. Most importantly, helper T-cells give rise to memory cells, which are left behind to live in the body for a few years to remember that specific pathogen, just in case it enters again. The next time your body is exposed to that same pathogen, it will be able produce antibodies faster, and elicit an efficient immune response. In simpler terms, the vaccine tricks the body into making more memory cells to help the body gain immunity to a disease. From this, it seems as though vaccinations are tremendously helpful in keeping the body safe from diseases lurking around today. So, why do many individuals refuse to get vaccinated when all it does is strengthen your immune system? 

Cytotoxic cell killing a cancerous cell

Well, for one thing, some people think that they are being injected with "bad" things. However this statement is false. Vaccines are shots that contain pathogens- dead or weakened, of course. Opponents of vaccines believe that vaccines cause allergies or disorders like autism. However, there is no definite evidence for these claims. Of the 10,000,000 million kids injected with vaccines, only 125 kids have side effects that are somewhat serious, like encephalitis, or genitalia inflammation. It is safe to conclude that vaccines  have a very high success rate.

Evidence that vaccines do work- After the Chickenpox vaccine was licensed, a steep decline of cases resulted

In a close-knit and fast-paced world today, we encounter more than 60,000 thousand germs everyday, each wanting to find a host to reproduce in. Ever wonder about the vast amount of germs on a doorknob, a water fountain, or any other fomites? All these germs could easily enter your body, and cause massive damage to your health. But, thanks to vaccinations, we can become immune to certain diseases that can cause worse issues in our healths than a shot of dead germs can. As it is such a controversial topic, it is one that needs to be accurately informed about. Although they may sting and make you feel nervous, vaccines are worth it as they make you immune to diseases!

Building immunity