The LA Mountain Lion pg 2
AI Aiding Kidney Health pg 3
Prescribing Nature pg 4
HUMANS NATURE VS
cover photo by: Inaya Nicholls
The Other Angelenos:
The Plight of the Los Angeles Mountain Lion
Introduction
When one thinks of Hollywood, they likely picture the glitz and glamor of a movie star’s life, illuminated by studio lights and overlooked by the iconic Hollywood sign—not, perhaps, the mountain lions that call the surrounding hills home.
P-22, a mountain lion tracked by the National Park Service (NPS), lived his life in Los Angeles’s Santa Monica Mountains—specifically Griffith Park, in the mountains’ Eastern region. However, P-22 was born all the way in the Western Santa Monica Mountains, meaning that in traveling to his Griffith Park home, P-22 had to cross two major freeways, a practically impossible feat.
And, perhaps LA really is where celebrities are born, because P-22 shot to icon status overnight. He became a fixture of environmental conversation, continually making headlines, until, in November of 2022, he started exhibiting uncharacteristic, dangerous behavior. Scientists later found P-22 severely injured, likely due to a vehicle strike, and made the difficult decision to euthanize him. P-22 opened LA’s eyes to the struggles of wildlife in the area, galvanizing support for projects that minimize the danger that comes with being a mountain lion in a major metropolitan region.
What is habitat fragmentation, and why is it harmful?
Human activity and development can fracture the natural environment, leading to a drastic change in the land animals rely on. In P-22’s case, this meant his ideal home range was slashed by the urban sprawl of Los Angeles and its spiderweb of ten-lane-highways. This is one example of habitat fragmentation, defined in a study by researchers at National Taiwan University as the change that occurs when a continuous habitat is broken apart into isolated patches, typically due to human activity. And, as shown by a study done at the Australian National University, prolonged habitat fragmentation can lead to habitat loss, which will only get more drastic as development continues.
Another threat posed by habitat fragmentation is genetic loss. As populations become isolated from each other, so too do their respective gene pools. Furthermore, an individual in a fragmented environment has a more restricted choice of mates than one in a continuous environment, leading to inbreeding and the proliferation of unfavorable traits. This is especially a risk for the California mountain lion, as found by a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)-affiliated study.
How is the Southern California mountain lion impacted?
In LA, densely populated metropolitan areas brush right against land occupied by mountain lions. A 2014 study from UCLA and the NPS found that these mountain lions lacked genetic diversity and exhibited unusual
behavior, like inbreeding and killing close relatives. And, according to a 2023 UCLA study, human-caused mortality exceeds natural mortality in mountain lion populations that live near humans, a fact that is largely contributed to by vehicle collisions, which P-22 tragically exemplifies.
LA’s highway system provides an impenetrable barrier that discourages the breeding of genetically diverse individuals. A 2022 study, also conducted by researchers from UCLA and the NPS, shows that these mountain lions are already showing signs of inbreeding depression, the harmful physical and reproductive traits that result from inbreeding. According to a study from UCLA and University of Washington, the effects of this loss in genetic diversity can snowball, and, if the current pattern of genetic erosion persists, there is a 16–21% probability that the mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains will become locally extinct in the next 50 years.
What are humans doing to fix this problem?
Fortunately, not all is lost. That same study shows that just a small amount of gene flow in the LA area, brought on by lions crossing the freeway, will increase genetic variation, promoting the lions’ continued survival.
So, how do you reconnect isolated mountain lions? One solution that’s currently being implemented is the creation of wildlife corridors, or pathways that allow wildlife to cross urban areas like highways unharmed. These corridors have been shown to increase the movement of individuals, promote genetic diversity, and reduce vehicle-wildlife collisions, as summarized in a study from Occidental College and the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy.
And, action is already being taken. The NPS spotlights the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon, which is currently being built over US 101 and will connect the Santa Monica Mountains to the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains. The crossing will be completed in late 2025, and it is just one phase of a larger project aiming to increase connectivity between the two mountain ranges.
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing was born out of P-22’s legacy. One mountain lion’s plight inspired incredible community action to restore connectivity between mountain lion populations in the LA area. As the project comes closer to completion, we can hope to see the crossing’s goals come to fruition, spurring gene flow and ensuring the survival of the mountain lions. The tale of the Los Angeles mountain lion presents an incredible example of what happens when humans and nature find themselves at odds, but also what happens when we learn to coexist.
written
KAYA MOSS
Editors-in-Chief:
Executive Editor: Amoolya Chandrabhatta
Editor-at-Large:
by:
photographed by: INAYA NICHOLLS
Chiraag Kambalimath, Malleeka Suy
Sammy Kawai
Head Technical Editor: Samia Rahman
Head Production Editors: Jacqueline Cheung, Erin Jang
Head Illustrators: Christina Zhao, Leo Harris
Staff Illustrators: Mikkey Compuesto, Nethra Nair
Head Photographer: Inaya Nicholls
Staff Photographer: Tommy Murphy
written by: ALEISHA TRIPATHY illustrated
by:
NETHRA NAIR
Helping Us Pee Better?
How AI is Revolutionizing Kidney Health
“ Ugh, I can’t figure this out. ChatGPT, what do I do?” We are all so quick to turn to AI for answers, but it is far more revolutionary than just a tool for homework help. Everyday tasks, even bathroom breaks, are now intertwined with technology. At the forefront of this transformation is healthcare, and specifically nephrology, the study and treatment of kidney diseases. The kidney is a complex organ responsible for vital functions such as filtering blood, balancing electrolytes, and regulating hormones. Nephrologists are now leveraging AI to enhance patient care, improve diagnostics, and make more precise treatment decisions.
Dr. Linda Awdishu, the head of the division of clinical pharmacy at UC San Diego’s Skaggs School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, has been involved in integrating AI into kidney care, particularly in diagnosing and managing acute kidney injury (AKI). AKI is characterized by a sudden decline in kidney function caused by lack of blood flow to the kidneys or blockage in urine flow due to diabetes, old age, or severe dehydration. Dr. Awdishu highlighted the challenges of diagnosing kidney injuries in an interview, specifically the reliance on creatinine as a biomarker, which, unlike ChatGPT’s instant answers, often signals disease only in its later stages. Despite the vital role that biomarkers play in indicating the progression of disease, interpreting them remains a challenge in healthcare.
However, the development of new FDA-approved biomarkers has the potential to detect kidney injury earlier, especially when combined with patient data like demographics, medical history, genetics, and lifestyle factors. This enables AI to generate personalized risk assessments and treatment recommendations, optimizing treatment protocols. For example, Kidney News (June 2023) reports that AI-driven risk scores can predict AKI up to 48 hours before it’s detectable through traditional diagnostic methods, highlighting its impact.
Early Detection with AI
Deep learning, a type of AI, involves neural net works that mimic how the human brain processes information. These algorithms learn from large datasets by identifying complex patterns, and they improve their predictions as they learn from new data. They can analyze vast amounts of patient data such as blood tests, medical imaging, clinical notes, and demographics to detect early signs of disease with greater accuracy.
For instance, a study conducted by Tangri et al. at the Chronic Disease Innovation Centre at the University of Manitoba (2011) developed traditional models that use demographic and clinical information to predict chronic kidney disease (CKD), a long-term condition where the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter waste and fluids from the blood. In contrast, AI models, like those devel -
oped by Chauhan et al. at the Penn Medicine Health System (2022), use a software method called “Random Forest”, where different decision paths analyze patient data to predict disease progression and allows for quicker interventions. Additionally, AI can automate the diagnosis of kidney diseases from biopsies, improving the time, cost of interpretation, and accuracy.
Personalized Treatment and Monitoring
By continuously monitoring patient data, such as vital signs, lab results, and data from wearable devices, AI-powered systems offer real-time insights into a patient’s overall health, enabling early detection of complications and more tailored treatment interventions. Recently, self-operated medical devices via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth have also emerged, allowing patients to monitor their health in the convenience of their home between treatments.
Despite its innovations, AI’s reliance on vast patient data raises important concerns around privacy, data security, and equitable access. Securing informed consent is key to maintaining patient trust and protecting sensitive information. Ensuring transparency in AI algorithms is crucial for clinicians to confidently use these tools. In addition, Dr. Awdishu points out that implementing AI in low-resource countries remains challenging due to limited infrastructure, raising questions about equal treatment for all patients.
Looking Ahead
Moreover, these methods have not been largely implemented yet. According to Dr. Awdishu, current risk prediction algorithms are often site-specific, tailored to work within particular hospitals based on local data and practices rather than universally. Nevertheless, the future of AI involves integrating these predictive tools into electronic health records to provide real-time clinical-decision support. This could allow clinicians to predict the risk of AKI before surgery, mitigate nephrotoxins during high-risk procedures, and adjust medications to protect kidney function.
So, are we back to the future yet? AI is already transforming healthcare—detecting early tumors in oncology, analyzing ECG patterns in cardiology, interpreting complex imaging in radiology, and improving personalized medicine in genomics. “Dr.” AI is not only safeguarding our kidney health but also enhancing even the simplest aspects of life, like our bathroom breaks, ensuring a pure and vibrant bloodstream for everyone!
Prescribing NATURE:
ou’re staring at the computer screen after hours of concentration. Feeling overwhelmed, you decide to take a walk outside. A slow breeze is rustling through the trees, the air smells like freshly cut grass, and you return feeling motivated to tackle the tasks ahead. How is it that taking walks is so effective at calming us down and clearing our minds? New research has shown that exposure to natural scenes, scents, and sounds can improve productivity, relieve stress, and prevent disease. Even if it feels like procrastination, pausing work to step outside for a moment could actually save you time!
Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is a Japanese practice recommended as preventative healthcare by both Eastern and Western medicine, according to a 2020 review by the U.S. Forest Service. The activity itself doesn’t actually require much physical activity at all: simply get yourself to a forest, find some trees, and coexist. Although many think outdoor activities to be strenuous, forest bathing is low effort, yet provides a long list of health benefits.
Most current research focuses on the hormonal and emotional effects of forest bathing. Cortisol is the hormone your body releases when you feel stressed, and it can affect your mood, immune system, nervous system, metabolism, and more. A review of previous forest bathing literature led by Michele Antonelli confirms that past scientists designed trials testing salivary cortisol levels before and after visiting a forested or urban environment and nearly all yielded the same result: stress hormone levels decreased after spending time in the forest. Depending on length of exposure and intensity of physical movement, studies have found that this change can still have an effect on participants for as long as one to four weeks after their initial contact with nature. As for other physiological responses, forest bathers have shown increased natural killer (NK) cell count, implying a relaxing effect on the nervous system, which is also demonstrated through decreased urinary adrenaline and heart rate. Natural killer cells are a type of white blood cell that target and destroy diseased cells, including cancerous ones, making them a strong preventative defense against
So, what is happening to our brains that provide these large responses? The New York Department of Environmental Conservation explains that changes in cortisol level and immune function could be triggered by the inhalation of phytoncides, volatile organic compounds released by plants. Plants and trees release phytoncides into the air to defend themselves against insects and help fight disease, but when inhaled by humans, they can increase the presence and activity level of NK cells. Horticultural scientists led by Seon-Ok Kim in 2022 found that respiratory contact with soil microbes like Mycobacterium vaccae increase in serotonin and decreased heart rate. However, when given smell-blocking masks, a group of students also showed similar levels of cortisol decrease as those without masks in a study by Teruhiko Kondo in 2011. While scent, or better known as, olfaction plays a role in the positive effects of forest bathing, it doesn’t explain everything. It is possible that the placebo effect also has a large part to play in human physiological responses, as one 2019 study by Juyoung Lee found that after telling
participants planned to visit a forest or a city, salivary cortisol levels began to decrease in the group headed to the forest before they even arrived. More research is ongoing to better understand the placebo effect and investigate other factors at play, like the power of visual stimuli.
Utilizing the visual effects of nature means you don’t need to live in close proximity to untouched landscapes in order to enjoy natural health benefits. Researchers from the Uppsala University in Sweden found that subjects placed in windowless rooms had higher blood pressure and performed worse on a cognitive test than those in rooms with windows that had trees in sight. The same applied for subjects given a potted plant or a picture of natural scenery in their rooms compared to those without. It seems that even contact with nature at a very small level can boost productivity and mood. These findings have fueled a growing interest in Nature Rx, the idea that interacting more with nature will improve our quality of life. Medical professionals are now prescribing time outdoors to prevent and treat mental illnesses such as chronic stress. Universities across the nation are shifting to prioritize biophilic design into their architectural improvement plans. Biophilic design aims to incorporate elements of natural scenery into building plans and indoor spaces, varying from indoor gardens to water features to more natural lighting, with the intent to decrease stress, fatigue, and depression in urban inhabitants.
