Neb. Life

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a battle and the soldiers from one army start mistakenly killing their own comrades.

It is also believed that autoimmunity can develop when the immune system overreacts to a pathogen within the body. Many different diseases fit into the category of an autoimmune illness. Type 1 diabetes, lupus, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease are just a few examples of autoimmune disorders. These maladies are uniquely different and target a wide range of body systems.

The study mentioned above involved nearly 15,000 American individuals. Researchers used immunofluorescence, a technique where antibodies are tagged with fluorescent dye to observe the regularity of ANA, an antinuclear antibody that serves as the most common biomarker for autoimmunity. In general, biomarkers are measurable substances that can signal the development of a certain condition or disease. Therefore, higher levels of ANA would likely indicate a higher probability of developing or having an autoimmune disease. The study found that since the early 1990s, the prevalence of ANAs had jumped from 11.0% to 15.9%. While these values may not seem particularly significant, these percentages correspond to 22 million versus 41 million people presenting ANAs in recent years. The most shocking revelation in the research was the adolescent demographic. This group, consisting of 1219 year-olds, had experienced the greatest increase in ANA levels – tripling the values found in the early 1990s. Despite the concerning statistics, there is little conclusive evidence for what is causing the biomarkers for autoimmunity to rise. Some scientists suggest that because humans haven’t genetically changed considerably in the last 30 years, lifestyle and environmental factors may be to blame for these increases. New discoveries like these are critical to prompt further studies and public health awareness. With how widespread and debilitating autoimmunity can be, developing an understanding of what causes these diseases and how to treat them is highly important.

Nicole Hardt is a sophomore biomedical science major from Apopka, Fla.

National Native American hertiage month

Celebrating the Indigenous communities of Nebraska

Happy National Native American Heritage Month! I am proud to identify as a Hopi woman, and am excited for what’s to come next. I would first like to acknowledge that we are on stolen from Native Americans and built by enslaved African Americans.

You may ask what is National Native American Heritage Month? This month we celebrate and amplify the culture, heritage and experiences of Indigenous peoples. The continent’s original inhabitants were a diverse group of people, each with unique customs, faith practices, and languages. It is important to know and give respect to the native people who first cared for this