Volume II Issue II; Dr. Eckhard Podack

May 2016

Volume II Issue II

The University of Miami’s FIRST Undergraduate Scientific Magazine

1943-2015

Dr. Eckhard Podack

MAC

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI AQUARIUM CLUB

Overview The University of Miami Aquarium Club is an on campus student organization that’s all about marine life!

Upcoming

Activities

This semester we have a number of exiting developments.

First and foremost, UMAC is able to announce the arrival of it’s largest ever aquarium, 150 gallons! We also have plans to travel to an east coast aquarium for our fall semsester trip.

The club meets weekly during the academic year Thursdays at 7:30 PM.

We meet regularly to discuss the aquarium hobby and the work involved with keeping and maintaining aquariums and the organisms living in them.

The club strives to educate members on topics relevent to the aquarium hobby as well as provide assistance to members with personal tanks.

Check us out! umaquariumclub.weebly.com @umaquariumclub umaquariumclub@gmail.com

The club takes trips to local aquarium stores, local beaches to promote ethical collecting of aquarium animals, and a number of other locations.

Trips taken during past semesters have included the Chicago Field Museum, National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Georgia Aquarium and many more.

News Dr. Eckhard Podack, 6 I Now Pronounce You...Divorced, 12 Power of Plur, 16 Rising Star Fossil Naledi Fossil, 18

contents

Capturing Science Through Photography Everglades, 20

Innovations in Science The Ethics of Genetic Modifications, 22

Ethics in Science Concussion, 24 Air Pollution, 26

Research Tigli Lab, 28 Student Profiles, 30 Hammerschlag Lab, 32

Health Science GMO vs Organic, 36 Midnight Munchies, 38 Blood Flow Restriction, 40

Featured Story: Our Scientific Giant: Dr. Eckhard Podack Before some of us could even walk (and before many of us were even figments in our parents’ imaginations), Eckhard Podack was already on his way to becoming one of the most gifted and talented scientists our world has ever seen. Described by many of his colleagues as a man “far too ahead of his time,” Podack is responsible for the discovery of perforin-1, a protein which is essential to host protection. He discovered and created a GP-96 heat shock protein used to treat non-small cell lung cancer. His more recent work includes his most exciting project yet: perforin-2, as well as 15 patents including multiple vaccines and a tumor repressor. However, with a resume over forty-seven pages long and a list of more than 300 publications, manuscripts and books, this is just the tip of the iceberg that is the impact of this brilliant scientific giant.

From the Editorial Advisor: In 1994, the White House launched its Web page, and the term “spamming” was coined — but both were unrelated.

This was the same year I began my undergraduate studies at the University of Miami. The highlight of this year did not come from any of these events but rather from within. Dr. Eckhard Podack ushered in a new era for the Microbiology and Immunology Department, joining as our Chairman. Since that time, the department has grown and prospered under his leadership and guidance. In October of 2015, we lost a great scientist and person. His contributions to the entire field of microbiology and immunology, specifically his work in cancer immunology, is an inspiration toothers. For example, his groundbreaking discovery of perforin and later perforin-2 made him a renowned expert in the field of immunology. Perforin-2 was funded just before Dr. Eckhard Podack’s passing and has connected the entire department of microbiology and immunology to a fundamentally significant immunological function that has future potential for more opportunities and funding. Another major discovery of his was a lung cancer vaccination. This breakthrough gave him the opportunity to save a University of Miami student. This issue is dedicated to his accomplishments, without which the department would not be where it is today. Dr. Podack was a major supporter and also a member of the Scientifica’s Board of Faculty Advisors.

Without his guidance, the magazine would have floundered in its early stages. In the next academic year, we will be eligible for the first time to receive the much needed referendum monies we worked so hard to secure. This will also be the last issue that our Editor-in-Chief, Victoria Pinilla Escobar, will be serving in her role. Her vision and leadership during the early stages of this publication has inspired others to follow her down the path to

scientific discovery. I am reminded of the first time that she came to me with the idea for the publication; the look on her face convinced me that her cause was well-founded and that a magazine such as this would be a much needed addition to the University culture. I am proud to be a part of this publication and I am looking forward to Henry Mancao taking over as the next Editor-in-Chief, bringing with him new ideas and perspectives to propel the magazine to greater heights. I have personally been honored to work for such a brilliant scientist and mentor as Dr. Podack was. He provided me with the autonomy to live up to my greatest potential as an advisor to many students and as the director of student activities of the microbiology and immunology undergraduate program. Dr. Diana Lopez, the director of the microbiology and immunology undergraduate program, has always had deep admiration of his mentorship, support and accomplishments. The entire faculty, staff and students will all cherish the memories of his instructional contributions to the adaptive immunology, innate immunology and honors seminar courses. We are strong as a department and we will continue on with the spirit and energy that made our department great.

Roger I. Williams Jr., M.S. ED Director, Student Activities Advisor, Microbiology & Immunology Undergraduate Department

BOARD OF FACULTY ADVISORS Richard J. Cote, M.D., FRCPath, FCAP Professor & Joseph R. Coutler Jr. Chair Department of Pathology Professor, Dep. of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Chief of Pathology, Jackson Memorial Hospital Director, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Mathias G. Lichtenheld, M.D. Associate Professor of Microbiology & Immunology FBS 3 Coordinator University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

*Eckhard R. Podack, M.D., Ph.D. Professor & Chair Department of Microbiology & Immunology University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Michael S. Gaines, Ph.D.

Assistant Provost Undergraduate Research and Community Outreach Professor of Biology

Thomas Goodman, Ph.D. Associate Professor of English

Leticia Oropesa, D.A. Coordinator Department of Mathematics Professor of Mathematics

Geoff Sutcliffe, PhD Chair Department of Computer Science Associate Professor of Computer Science

Yunqiu (Daniel) Wang, PhD Senior Lecturer Department of Biology

Barbara Colonna, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer Organic Chemistry Department of Chemistry

Charles Mallery, Ph.D.

Associate Professor Biology & Cellular and Molecular Biology Associate Dean

Geoffrey Stone, Ph.D. Professor & Joseph R. Coutler Jr. Chair Department of Pathology Professor, Dep. of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Chief of Pathology, Jackson Memorial Hospital Director, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Onur Tigli, Ph.D. Electrical and Computer Engineering Dr. John T. Macdonald Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute (BioNium) Department of Pathology Miller School of Medicine University of Miami

Meryl Blau, M.A. Lecturer Portfolio Development AAF Competition

Sarai Nunez, M.A. Lecturer Graphic Design

Dear Scientifica reader,

This is not farewell, but see you soon. This will be my fourth and last editorial as Editor-in-Chief of UMiami Scientifica Magazine, a magazine that has become a very important part of my life.

Since the spring of 2014, I have woken up with Scientifica in my mind and have gone to sleep thinking about new expansions, projects and stories that could be incorporated. The interest, support and dedication to this publication from our entire university community at times was overwhelming, especially when I began to receive 50 to 60 emails a day to express their support, critiques and even stories of middle school children being inspired to be scientists after reading our publication. I assure you I read all the emails and they propelled me to continue with Scientifica’s mission to spark the curiosities and passions of students in the STEM fields. Thank you for your support.

Out of all of Scientifica’s issues, the production of this one hits close to home. Volume two, Issue II celebrates the life of a brilliant scientist, mentor and man. Dr. Eckhard Podack (1943 – 2015) undoubtedly had the greatest influence on me during my time at the University of Miami. It was his persistence to use Socratic method to teach his microbiology and immunology seminar that inspired me to question concepts and expand my knowledge outside of my primary field. As chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, he believed unconditionally in my idea to create the first undergraduate science publication in our university’s history. He gave Scientifica both his blessing and financial support when the magazine was first starting. He was a distinguished member of Scientifica’s Board of Faculty Advisors as well as my mentor. Our five-page feature hopes not only to celebrate his life, but also to capture his accomplishments and the profound impact he made on our university community. I will miss his kind hearted, all-knowing smile that he gave me when he received Scientifica’s first edition shirt and magazine, and his lectures on Perforin-1 and -2, both of which he was the lead researcher of. I want to take this time to offer on behalf of Scientifica our sincere condolences to Mrs. Podack, Verena and Eilika, and the entire Podack family.

With Dr. Podack’s support, I leave Scientifica with: 1. A student-supported referendum that will sustain the publishing costs for Scientifica for years to come.

2. Fourteen distribution locations at the Coral Gables campus, five at the Miller School of Medicine, and one at RSMAS. 3. A strong Editor-in-Chief, Henry Mancao, who will take over the magazine starting in August 2016, and a strong Editorial Board that will continue to oversee the magazine.

Starting fall of 2016 I will transition to an advisory role as I continue with my postgraduate career. I want to thank my editorial board, staff members and faculty for believing in Scientifica from the very beginning. Your dedication to this publication has been the reason for our success. I specially want to thank my managing editor, Jennifer Chavez, design director, Michaela Larson, and copy chief, Henry Mancao for fearlessly debating ideas, creating new concepts, reading drafts, and for making my time at the University of Miami a memorable and rewarding learning experience. Creation and innovation in the sciences require people that are brave enough to think different, and that is what Scientifica is all about.

See you soon, Victoria A. Pinilla Escobar B.S. Microbiology and Immunology ’16 B.A. Judaic Studies ’16 Retraction: We would like to apologize to Dr. Onur Tigli as well as the entire Tigli lab for the improper usage of pictures placed on page 29 of the third issue of Scientifica. These photos were mistakenly placed on another story, “Neural Progenitor Cells”. The correct story and corresponding pictures have been placed on page 28 of this issue.

The photographs are intellectual property of the Tigli lab, and we thank them for giving us access to these photographs and their continuous support for Scientifica.

The Univeristy of Miami’s FIRST Undergraduate Scientific Magazine

Staff

Victoria A. Pinilla Escobar, Editor-in-Chief Jennifer V. Chavez, Managing Editor Michaela E. Larson, Design Director Henry Mancao, Copy Chief Andrew Rubio, Copy Assistant Raymond Truong, Copy Assistant Natalia Beadle, Photo Editor Sumanth Potluri, Business Director Divyanshi Jain, Business Associate Yukthi Kodali, Marketing Director Daniel Arndorfer, Distribution Manager Roger Williams, M.S. Ed., Editorial Advisor David Lin, Editor, Innovations in Science Neelanshu Thapar, Writer, Innovations in Science Veronica Andresini, Editor, Capturing Science Through Photography Rick Lin, Editor, News Valentina Suarez, Writer, News Natalie Massiah, Writer, News Kevin Ramrattan, Writer, News Karthik Udayappan, Writer, News Madiha Ahmed, Editor, Ethics in Science Barbara Puodzius, Writer, Ethics in Science Justin Ma, Writer, Ethics in Science Rohan Badlani, Editor, Journals Anum Hoodbhoy, Writer, Journals Renuka Ramchandran, Editor, Health Science Anthony Pumilla, Writer, Health Science Joseph Bonner, Writer, Health Science Rachel Colletti, Writer, Health Science Michelle Xiong, Writer, Health Science Peyton Brown, Editor, Research Aalekyha Reddam, RSMAS Correspondent Gabrielle Eisenberg, Editor, Scientifica Online Kelsey Vonk, Web Design Srividya Kannan, Photographer Khadeja Khan, Photographer Yumi Suh, Graphic Design Savannah Geary, Graphic Design Emily Stapleton, Graphic Design Manuel Pozas, Graphic Design John Wiltshire, Radio Show Host Lydia Livas, Radio Show Host

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Our Scientific Giant: Dr. Eckhard Podack - Jennifer V. Chavez

P

Before some of us could even walk (and before many of us were even figments in our parents’ imaginations), Eckhard Podack was already on his way to becoming one of the most gifted and talented scientists our world has ever seen.

Described by many of his colleagues as a man “far too ahead of his time,” Podack is responsible for the discovery of perforin-1, a protein which is essential to host protection. He discovered and created a GP-96 heat shock protein used to treat non-small cell lung cancer. His more recent work includes his most exciting project yet: perforin-2, as well as 15 patents including multiple vaccines and a tumor repressor. However, with a resume over forty-seven pages long and a list of more than 300 publications, manuscripts and books, this is just the tip of the iceberg that is the impact of this brilliant scientific giant.

Podack’s passing has not just impacted many people globally. We have lost a true pioneer and a crucial component of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Aside from being an M.D. and Ph.D, Podack was father to two daughters, Verena and Eilika Podack, and husband to his 31-year-long life partner, Mrs. Kristin Podack. A man of many talents, Podack enjoyed sailing, gardening and restoring old cars, and could boast being a man that did not have two left feet. Podack was an incredible father, husband and researcher, who changed the lives of many, and continues to share his knowledge with the world through the many students that were lucky enough to be mentored by the most humble, generous and truly fascinating physician and researcher.

It is with great honor that we attempt to do him justice in this homage, knowing well that nothing could ever truly capture the essence of the man we knew as Dr. Eckhard Podack.

Dr. Eckhard Podack was born in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia), Germany on February 26, 1943. He was born the youngest of five children. He was born during World War II, one of Germany’s most difficult times. His wife, Mrs. Kristin Podack, attributes much of his determination and strength to his postwar upbringing. She related the story of Dr. Podack’s Mother listening illegally to the BBC and learning that the Russians were advancing. Dr. Podack’s Mother put the luggage on one train but was unable to find space for the children on that same train. The suitcases left.

She was able to force her way on to the next train with the five children. The train with the suitcases was bombed.

The train they were on was the last train that left Königsberg before the Russians took the City. Ultimately, the Podack family made it to a village near Frankfurt where they lived in a basement with nine people, a small space, and no running water. Kristin said “Eckhard had the most humble beginnings, torn by the trauma of war. He felt a great sense of related German responsibility all of his life. Life’s challenges taught him to be independent, self-disciplined and resourceful, but he never tolerated selfpity.”

Podack moved to Frankfurt, Germany and attended medical school at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, where he completed his medical degree in 1968 with a large interest in immunology. Not yet satisfied, Podack obtained his Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 1973 at Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany. After earning his M.D. and his Ph.D., Podack served as a military physician and helped his father (also a doctor) with his family practice. The family practice was responsible for tending to four villages, and was on call twenty-four hours a day. Mrs. Podack described Eckhard as “a thoughtful physician, secure and confident in his abilities to treat his own family.”

In 1974, Podack began immunology research at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. His passion for immunology led him to his next career adventure: teaching. Podack moved to the East Coast to become a professor

of microbiology and immunology for the New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. While working for the medical system in New York, Podack met his future wife, Kristin. She reminisced, “I had prepared well for the interview thinking I was applying for a position with Dr. Soldano Ferrone, who works on monoclonal antibodies for melanoma. When I arrived for my interview, there were many people in the office waiting to be interviewed.

But the interview was actually with a German physician who had come from California for a day. I openly admitted that I had not researched his work because I thought the interview was with someone else. “That’s okay,” he said. “Tell me about the work you are doing at the Hospital for Joint Diseases.”

Discovery of Perforin-1 Podack’s life-long work took form in the years of 1985 and 1986 with the discovery of perforin-1, a “cytolytic

pore-forming protein, involved in the protection and propagation of infectious diseases.” Along with fellow researchers Young, Hengartner and Cohn, Podack published Purification and characterization of a cytolytic pore-forming granules of cloned lymphocytes with natural killer activity on March 28, 1986 on perforin-1. “He faced so much opposition,” Kristin recalled. “Cytotoxicity was a hotly debated topic at the time and some scientists would argue with him, not believing in the function of Perforin-1.

But Eckhard would not publish a paper just to publish a paper. He believed in real science and quality over quantity.

We traveled all over to several immunology conferences where he was invited to talk about his research, and he entertained all discussion and debate about his work and the work of others. He was always confident that the truth would prevail.”

Southern suns and sky blue water In 1987, Podack was summoned to more tropical weather. Dr. Wayne Streilein, chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Miller School of Medicine, seeked a distinguished researcher that was interested in immunology. Podack fit the bill right away. With his wife at his side, Podack helped develop an immunology program at the Miller School of Medicine concentrating on finding a cure for cancer while continuously engaging in several interdepartmental projects. He was able to engage several faculty members from different areas of the Miller School of Medicine to build the program, departments ranging from pathology to molecular biology and biochemistry. In 1994, Podack became the Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

As chair of the department, Podack was known for many things, but one in particular always stood out to his colleagues and former lab technicians: his open-door policy. “Podack always had his door open. I don’t know if you noticed when you walked in, but my office doesn’t have a door! I have tried to emulate Podack in that sense. I always want to be available to people who need me,” said Dr. Natasa Strbo, Podack’s former student, post-doctoral fellow and current lab successor.

“He was always available to talk, to help. I remember when I first started working here — my focus wasn’t genetics; it was never molecular biology.

I knew the basics, but I didn’t know how to work the specific computer program for sequencing. That afternoon I walked into his office and told him I didn’t know how to do it. I expected him to be frustrated, or tell me he was too busy to teach it to me himself, but he promptly got up and followed me into the room where we kept the sequencing computer.

He sat down in the computer chair and made me read out single letters ‘in threes!’ he would demand, ‘like amino acids!’ I never thought that a man that was busy like him would take the time to teach me. I will always remember that moment.” Podack was Strbo’s mentor for 15 years; she says that she has never and

will never have a mentor like Podack.

“He was a man beyond his time. He knew about hot topics before they were ever hot topics. I have dozens of papers of his that were rejected from the 90s and are now the most researched areas of medicine and science. He pushed me to be my very best, breaking me out of my original concentration and allowing me to work with Dr. Pahwa [co-director of the Miami Center for AIDS Research] on her HIV research.

He was focused on seeing people grow.

Walking into the lab and not having him to rely on really shows us how much we truly needed him and will continue to need him. The pressure is now on me to continue his work and lead this lab. I cannot be Podack, but I can hope to make him proud, and in doing so, keep his memory alive.”

Dr. Diana Lopez, director of the undergraduate microbiology and immunology program, also feels the large void in the department, as she

was one of the people who helped bring Podack to Miller. The two decided to create a new undergraduate course called Innate Immunity, and Podack was very enthusiastic about it. It gave him yet another platform to talk about his research and inspire new students. Lopez remembers fondly that while teaching and researching were motivation enough, Podack still couldn’t make it through the day without his Cuban colada. “He loved Cuban coffee and would make it at least twice a day,” Lopez mused. “I miss him very much and will always remember him.”

Perforin-2 and the Future Shortly before his passing, Podack assembled a team for perforin-2, just as he had done for perforin-1. His team was ultimately able to get the paper published one month before his passing. “Eckhard was excited,” Kristin said. “He would come home

“The death of my father within months of losing Dr. Podack puts this type of question into an entirely new perspective. Consequently, I can say Dr. Podack’s impact on my life went beyond the propitious opportunity to be at the cutting edge along with other scientific pioneers working on molecules, which later would become textbook knowledge. Rather, his invitation to travel from Germany to work in his New York laboratory actually made him indirectly responsible for me to meet my future beautiful American wife. In addition, after seeing first-hand from Dr. Podack that it was possible for a German to have a career in the United States, all the while knowing I would face limited scientific freedom should I return to my German position, I made this country my home and started my own family here. Learning is a lifelong process and as such I continue to learn from his mentality that no scientific question is too difficult to pursue regardless of intellectual or technical difficulty, even if you lack the expertise or the necessary funding. One could break this down to two important traits: persistence and never taking “no” as an answer.

I believe that these attributes were just as important as his scientific intellect to make his life so fruitful. The power of persistence — and patience — are important for everyone to consider for his or her own life, because you need time and patience to achieve large goals and the persistence to carry through, especially when it feels like you are running your head against a wall.”

-Dr. Mathias Lichtenheld

and tell me something new every day. He was thrilled with the discovery of Perforin 2. He loved discovery of the unknown, he questioned everything. He knew how to do everything he asked his team to do. He was extraordinarily capable of working at the bench, and continued to work at the bench throughout his career. He was as much a physician as he was a practical researcher, thrilled with the thought that some of his basic research had applications for the treatment of patients.”

Strbo says that the future of the Podack lab is hopeful, but the thought of continuing without him is bittersweet: “The hardest part is getting results for an experiment he had started with us and thinking, ‘Eckhard would have loved to see this!’ But I want to believe. I know that some way, somehow, he can, and I hope he is proud and loving it as much as we do. Actually,” Strbo said, a proud twinkle in her eye, “I know he is loving it as much as we do.”

I Now Pronounce You

DIVORCED.

− Karthik Udayappan

I

n the United States, the flower industry is a whopping $26 billion industry, with 1-800-Flowers netting a cool $700 million each year. Transactions in relation to Valentine’s Day surge to an estimated $19 billion yearly. Interestingly, 3 million first dates happen every day. Clearly, romantic love is important to us. This primal emotion has been pondered, experienced, expressed, fantasized and — pardon the pun — romanticized since the time of prehistoric man. We constantly sing about it or its lack thereof — yes, I’m looking at you, Taylor Swift. We write poetry about it. We even watch movies about it, with the broadest of smiles and the deepest of cries. But only recently have we begun empirically studying it, perhaps in hopes of swaying the odds in our favor or finding “the one.” Just ask chemistry.com or the many other online dating services. In fact, chemistry.com hired Dr. Helen Fischer, the most referenced scholar and anthropologist in the realm of romantic attraction research, to design their matching algorithm. Even with many resources founded in such research, love is frustratingly elusive to many.

Happiness seems perpetually farther. The basic markers of love and happiness in marriage throughout society reflect this frustration: the divorce rates in the US have steadily increased to its current all-time high of 50%. That

is, one in two marriages are doomed to dissolution. You might have a couple theories of your own to explain this.

When juxtaposed with the astounding success of arranged marriages in other societies, is romantic love, which is seen

by Westerners as the only proper basis for marriage, just not a strong enough glue? Or maybe it has to do with the emergence of greater independence in women? By analyzing this scary trend in divorces empirically — through the three major theoretical frameworks in sociology — I propose that we can begin to learn the foundations of love, marriage and happiness.

The first theoretical framework is symbolic interactionism. The central tenet of this perspective is that symbols, which are objects or people we attach meaning to, are essential to comprehending how we socially interact with that person or object and how we view the world. Concrete examples are far superior to textbook, abstract definitions.

James Henslin, the author of “Essential Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach,” supplies us with a great example: “Suppose that you are head-over-heels in love with someone and are going to marry this person tomorrow. The night before your marriage, your mother confides that she had a child before she married, a child that she gave up for adoption. She then adds that she has just discovered that the person you are going to marry is this child. You can see how the symbol will change overnight! — and your behavior, too.”

Symbols dictate how we should act. You certainly behave different to someone you think of as an aunt or uncle as opposed to someone who is your significant other.

To explain the divorce rate, one can simply examine how the symbol of marriage and divorce has changed over time.

In the early 20th century, marriage was understood to be a sacred, lifelong commitment. Divorce was an immoral and vile option. However, slowly, sociologists started noting the climbing importance of mutual affection and compatible personalities in mate selection. Marriage was no longer the lifelong commitment stemming from duty and obligation.

Rather, marriage became a temporary arrangement founded on feelings of intimacy.

Simultaneously, the symbol of divorce changed. This historical symbol of failure morphed to one of freedom and new beginning. The stigma of divorce markedly lessened.

The meaning of love, too, had changed. “True love” was expected to supply unwavering highs. As dissatisfactions in marriage are inevitable, this expectation set people up for failure. Spouses started blaming one another upon only the first signs of adversity or failure to meet expectations. In total, these changing ideas, or symbols, of marriage probably play a role in many people’s decision to opt for divorce.

The second theoretical framework is the Marxian conflict theory. Conflict theorists look to how the relationship between spouses has changed to explain the trend in divorce rates. Historically, men have dominated women. And historically, women had little alternative than to accept their exploitation. With the advent of industrialization, women can now independently support their basic needs outside

News

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of marriage. This invaluable ability endowed them with the power to refuse to bear burdens the earlier generations of women had simply accepted. The grand result of interest is that women are likely to terminate a marriage that becomes unbearable, or even simply unsatisfactory. Then, perhaps, the elevated divorce rate is a symptom of women progressing in their age-old struggle with men.

The third perspective is functional analysis. This perspective posits that society is a whole unit, made up of interrelated parts that work together. When all parts of society fulfill their functions, society is normal. Otherwise, it is in a pathological state. According to functional analysis, industrialization and urbanization have undermined the traditional functions of the family and marriage. Before industrialization, the family formed an economic team — the wife was in charge not only of household tasks but also of raising small animals, churning butter and milking cows.

She also did the cooking, sewing, washing and cleaning. The daughters helped. The husband was responsible for large animals, for planting and harvesting, and for maintaining buildings and tools. The sons helped. In essence, members of the family, including the husband and wife, relied on each other for survival. Other functions that kept family members bound to one another included educating children, teaching religion and caring for the sick and elderly. Clearly, the family used to have many more functions than it does now. Economic production is no longer a home-based, joint effort. Today, husbands and wives earn individual paychecks, often competing to be the breadwinner. Functional analysts argue that when family loses its traditional, economic function, it weakens the ties. Each spouse functions as a separate component, and, as a result, divorce is more likely.

Our survey of the three perspectives helps us piece together why the current trends in divorce are as such.

But notice the contrasting explanations supplied by each perspective. Divorce is not as easy as a decision stemming from the layman’s guess that two people are simply incompatible. Each theory focuses on different social aspects of marriage and, when combined, provide a more complete picture of the phenomenon.

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The Power of PLUR - Natalie Massiah

Photo by: Faizah Shareef

[P L U R: Peace Love Unity Respect]

S

ocial groups are a key component in every college student’s daily life. Whether you play a sport, are involved in a religious group, or share a certain hobby, these groups bring people of all different backgrounds together to create a sense of unity and belonging within their members. As the spring semester begins, you can’t help but overhear the chatter of students about one thing: Ultra Music Festival. The three day electronic dance music festival, often referred to as Ultra for short, was founded by two Miami-native musicians in 1999. Now in its 17th year of running, Ultra brings people of all races, genders and religions from across the world to Bayfront Park to partake in one of the biggest dance parties in the world. Not only is it a one of a kind experience in Miami —Ultra has soared internationally to places like Croatia, South Korea, and Brazil. People come not only for the music, but for the carefree atmosphere and sense of

unity. According to a Reuters, close to 380,000 people were in attendance in 2015. But there’s a lot more to Ultra than the loud music and flower crowns. Émile Durkheim, who is often credited as the father of modern sociology, found that religion was a key source of gathering, as it created relationships and stability. He later contributed in his book, The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, that there was a connection between engagement and higher consciousness. He believed in the separation of the profane (the normal mundane things we as people do daily) and the sacred, which required groups to come together for unification. His theory on the emphasis of being together is titled “collective effervescence.” While that sounds like a mouthful, it boils down to the idea that groups with a shared purpose give a deeper sense of belonging. Durkheim best described this special kind of togetherness as the moment when people “believe they have been swept up into a world entirely different from the world they have before their eyes.” In

Photo by: Avarty Photos

basic terms, the feeling is so intense, that you might not think it is real at all. Within a society, the individual feels the need to be interconnected in order to feel complete. Such examples of this completion involve feeling at peace, and forgetting the daily stresses of life when going to these events, similar to a “natural high.” Durkheim’s concept believes in the necessary human connections, and to able to be free flowing, with no boundaries to cultural norms. As a result of those connections, an aura is emitted, and this unexplainable notion is produced, leaving an effect on concertgoers.

Now you might think: “What exactly do Durkheim and Ultra have in common?” Well, Ultra seems to create a special sort of effect in its attendees, and that effect is known as “the PLUR effect,” which has been around for a while. While electronic dance music festivals and raves have been under criticism for drug abuse and police violence that can occur as the result of an overpowering crowd, the PLUR effect (an acronym for Peace Love Unity Respect) promotes positivity, non-judgment and simply being human. The PLUR effect involves the trading of handmade bead bracelets known as Kandi. The exchange often involves two people spelling out “PLUR” with their hands before presenting the small handmade tokens. This small yet meaningful ritual elicits a sense of belonging, regardless of whether or not the attendees were complete strangers. Rave-goers often share hugs, take pictures and even give life advice to others. They would

further introduce more people to the group with terms of endearment such as “big brother,” “big sister” or even “mom.”

After reading about how I was not the only person experiencing complete ecstasy when the bass dropped at my local fraternity party, I decided to test Durkheim’s theory on collective effervescence. And of course, with the help of the scientific method, I sent out a survey to as many Facebook groups within the school page as I could, hoping to get some intel on what people were thinking. Although my expectations for responses were a bit smaller than what I considered necessary to get a true slice of representation, I figured the results were seemingly accurate to Durkheim’s theory. More than half of responses either strongly agreed or agreed to feeling extremely friendly with those around them when they go to music festivals, and they feel a common connection among those around them.

So why do we have these misconceptions about music festivals? In 2013, one security member sued Ultra Music Festival because they were almost trampled to death while preventing swarms of ravers from stampeding the festival’s entrance. The media caused lots of outrage and the city of Miami was debating whether or not they wanted to bring back the festival. The festival also further developed its bad reputation by allowing minors to participate, as they could have possibly been in contact with “Molly,” a pure form of MDMA (ecstasy) with serious side effects.

With tighter security measures, rave-goers hope to reverse the drug stigma, trying to clear their name and promote good images instead of bad. Rave culture is not based on recklessness and rebellion, it is just the way the media alters the narrative. In reality, rave culture is based on peace and acceptance, bounded by the common enjoyment of electronic music.

So, does going to Ultra bring goodness to the soul?

Maybe! The effects of collective effervescence can be so overwhelming that it is sometimes unexplainable to others after the event. As college students, part of the “experience” includes going out to parties, concerts, and gatherings. While many people decide to go out to blow off stress, meet new people, or because of interest, some people decide to go to avoid FOMO, or Fear Of Missing Out. This phenomenon manifests when we get the feeling that we, as individuals, might miss out on something so spectacular that we might feel slightly ostracized or out of the loop when everyone else who attended the event comes to praise it. On some occasions, this can lead to anxiety and depression. Part of the reason why Ultra Music Festival (as well as these mass geographic gatherings) is so popular is that the experience joins massive crowds of people together.

According to my survey, 65% of people either strongly agreed or agreed that they often had trouble explaining to others about their experiences post festival. Perhaps there is more to these festivals than what cameras can capture — whether the songs or social phenomena are responsible for the PLUR effect at festivals like Ultra, good vibrations always reign galore.

Rising Star - Kevin Ramrattan Two cavers exploring the Rising Star cave system in 2013 unintentionally made one of the most important paleoanthropological finds in decades. This region of South Africa, known as the Cradle of Humankind, was named to recognize the finds of the prolific excavation sites dotting the landscape. The duo contacted Professor Lee Rogers Berger of the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, 40 kilometers away, concerning their discovery. Berger, an American-born paleoanthropologist, had become somewhat of a local celebrity after describing Australopithecus sediba from two partial skeletons whose remains were first discovered by his nine-year-old son in 2008. When it came to investigating the Rising Star cave system, he used social media to recruit a team of small, willing and qualified individuals, all of whom were women, to be his “underground astronauts.” Working in groups of three, the six women took turns descending into the dark depths of the cave to probe for fossils. The first obstacle in the dangerous expedition was a crawlspace less than 10 inches high, leading to a chamber with stalactites and a jagged rock wall.

The wall was scaled and the volunteers dropped through a vertical chute into the innards of the cave, designated the Dinaledi Chamber, almost 100 feet below the surface.

Despite excavating only 1 square meter of the cavern floor, 1,550 hominin fossils were excavated from the shallow, fine-grained sediment. This represents the largest cache of a single species of hominins discovered in Africa. Two years later, Berger et al. released Homo naledi, a new species of the genus Homo from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa.

The word naledi means star in the Sotho language and was chosen to reference the Dinaledi Chamber in the Rising Star cave system. The 1,550 hominin specimens found account for at least 15 (now thought to be 18) individuals, both male and female, from infancy to elderly. The wealth of information provided by these fossils is astounding considering hominin species can be described from dentition alone, as was the case for Ethiopia’s 3.3 million-year-old Australopithecus deyiremeda, also acknowledged last year.

Apart from the sheer volume of fossils, the range of maturity between specimens can tell us about the population as well as the species’ growth and development.

Paleontologists can perform relative dating by comparing fossils and stratigraphy to create a chronology, and can perform absolute dating by subjecting volcanic ash surrounding fossils to radiometric dating to provide a numerical age, as is done in East Africa. In the case of Berger’s A. sediba, the fossils were encased in waterdeposited calcite sediment over a layer dated by uraniumlead decay. The age of A. sediba was refined by evaluating the paleomagnetic signature, or the relative magnetic orientation of rocks. The researchers struck no such luck with the H. naledi find, as the sediment was shallow and

Fossil:

Homo Naledi

uninformative. Radiocarbon dating would not help, as it involves destroying a sample, and can only date back to 50,000 years due to the relatively short half-life of carbon-14.

Berger is unfazed, however. If the fossils prove to be over 2 million years old, they would be among the first in the human family tree; if the fossils are fewer than 2 million years old, they would provide evidence of the existence of multiple Homo morphs evolving at the same time.

Homo naledi’s skeleton is an amalgamation of contrasting features. Its skull structure places it within the genus Homo; however, its australopith-sized braincase is 560 cubic centimeters for males and 465 cubic centimeters for females. This is significantly less than that of Homo erectus’s 900 cubic centimeters and of our own average of 1,300 cubic centimeters. This small head rested on ape-like shoulders that would have supported climbing. The palms, wrist morphology and robust thumbs are traits shared with modern human and Neanderthals, suggesting tool making, yet the fingers were long and curved, further supporting the species’ ability to climb. H. naledi’s plesiomorphic (ancestral) hips protruded outwards, yet the slender legs with strong muscle attachments indicate a bipedal gait; the feet, similar to ours, show the species was also capable of effective strides.

The most striking part of the discovery was the fact that the skeletons were found in such a secluded part of the cave.

It is unlikely that a predator dragged the carcasses into the Dinaledi Chamber, as the bones would reflect violence: broken fragments and tooth marks. If the H. naledi were simply trapped, it is plausible that other animals would meet the same fate or even that rocks had fallen down, yet the bones in the chamber belong almost exclusively to H. naledi, deposited over time, and the sediment does not include rocks. The sediment also excludes the possibility of a flood transporting bodies into the chamber. So then, how did over a dozen individuals end up in the innermost part of the cave?

Berger’s team believe Homo naledi intentionally placed their dead within the chamber as a ritualistic, or repeated, behavior. Treatment of the dead is a practice believed to be unique to Homo sapiens and (possibly) Neanderthals.

If the species was also capable of distinguishing itself from the world around it, perhaps a young H. naledi could have spent part of the Pleistocene afternoon crouched down, basking under the sun and contemplating her own mortality. Of course, this means that H. naledi would have knowingly exposed itself to risk when crawling through the claustrophobic cave with corpses. Furthermore, this suggests H. naledi possessed mastery of fire, as they would have needed to illuminate the cave to find their way out. The idea that a small-brained organism would go to such lengths struck researchers as impossible. Famed paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey believes the cave probably had another,

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more accessible entrance during H. naledi’s time. Others in the field believe the significance of H. naledi’s deliberate disposal of corpses in the cave was, at best, a better alternative to having them decay around the living.

This is not the first time Berger has provoked controversy; he has been criticized for rushing to publish results. In 2008, Berger was the lead author for an article entitled, “Small Bodied Humans from Palau, Micronesia” where he described a population of primitive Homo inhabiting the islands 3,000 years ago distinguished by cases of insular dwarfism, a phenomenon whereby after leaving the mainland, the population evolves smaller bodies. He attributes their morphology to genetic isolation, a reduced resource base and an absence of terrestrial predators.

Not everyone in the paleoanthropogenic community was convinced. In response, Fitzpatrick et al. produced “Small Scattered Fragments Do Not a Dwarf Make: Biological and Archaeological Data Indicate that Prehistoric Inhabitants of Palau Were Normal Sized” later the same year. The researchers contended Berger evaluated a sample size that was too small and fragmentary to support his assertion.

Furthermore, the estimated stature of these prehistoric individuals was well within the range of normal variation for humans in the region. Is Berger’s hasty reaction to publish at play again? Some would think so.

The dissenting researchers argued that Berger’s team excavated the site too quickly, which he retorted was done to prevent further damage by cavers. Paleoanthropology is a field that arouses impassioned debates and inches towards answers at a notoriously slow rate. For example, Ardipithicus ramidus was studied for 15 years before any formal findings were reported. Experts with decades of experience examine fossils in isolation for years before submitting to peer-review. Instead, Berger took two years to publish, and did so through an online outlet by providing digital scans of fossils. Within such a short timespan, some aspects of investigation must have been rushed. Tim White, who led the team that worked on A. ramidus, maintains that H. naledi is actually H. erectus, based on an error published in Berger’s paper. There are some obvious advantages to Berger’s method of publishing; open-access allows interested parties to easily read the paper, and with sufficient equipment, 3-D copies of the fossils can be printed to evaluate independently. The aforementioned issue of dating struck some in the community as a point of contention; they believe the significance of the fossils is not yet known, as the age has not yet been determined. The researchers are investigating methods of dating the fossils and are unlikely to have a response before 2017. Whatever the case may be, the story of where we come from and who we are is not yet complete; the answers are still out there.

the Everglades

Capturing Science:

− Natalia Beadle One of the many birds that populates the tropical wetlands of the Everglades is the white ibis. The population size of this small but resilient bird, the University of Miami’s beloved mascot, is oft-debated, with estimates ranging from tens of thousands to millions. Although the white ibis population is concentrated in the Everglades, it is commonly found throughout the southern United States, Central America and the Caribbean, and a few parts of South America. The population of the white ibis in Florida has been continually declining in recent decades. It normally resides in swampy habitats but, in the past few decades, it has been colonizing other areas; it now inhabits urban locations, including Naples, Homestead, downtown Miami and even the University of Miami campus. This habitat expansion is a testimony to the resilience of the white ibis. However, it does raise concerns regarding the status of the Everglades. It is unlikely that these birds are spreading to the suburban and urban areas of South Florida simply because they prefer those living conditions. Instead, the spread of the species, along with its population decline in South Florida, indicates that

there is trouble in the Everglades. The white ibis is vulnerable to losses in its feeding and nesting habitat, so the size reduction of the Everglades is probably a factor that has led to the dispersion of the ibis. The ecosystem of wetlands, lakes and rivers that we call the Everglades was originally 3 million acres, or about 4,600 square miles, but is now only about half that size. While natural stresses such as fires and hurricanes have played a role in the deterioration of the Everglades, human activities have arguably been the most impactful factor. In the late 19th and 20th centuries, the economy of South Florida grew substantially, bringing more people to the Miami metropolitan area and creating a necessity for agricultural and urban development. As a result, water was diverted from the Everglades to build canals, dams, pump stations and other water-engineering structures.

The drainage of the Everglades is its primary threat, but there are other dangers. The population of South Florida has grown much faster than expected, and with people comes pollution. One of the unique features that has shaped the Everglades is its low nutrient levels. However, nutrient and

air pollution due to agricultural runoff and industrial activities has increased the nutrient levels, upsetting the balance of the ecosystem. Adverse results of this pollution include harmful algal blooms, the replacement of native plant species with nutrient-loving flora like cattails, and accumulations of toxic mercury in various native species. The white ibis is one of the species affected by increased mercury concentration. Untreated waste that is released into the environment contains methylmercury, which alters the hormone levels of the bird, thereby affecting their mating process, leading to lower rates of reproduction. Many other species in the Everglades have been threatened by dangers to the ecosystem, including the American alligator, the great egret, the West Indian manatee and the famed Florida panther. Fortunately, conservation efforts have commenced for many plant and animal species in the Everglades, and restoration plans for the water quality of this World Heritage Site have been initiated. Hopefully, the recent attention to the preservation of the Everglades will ensure that it continues to be a natural wonder of Florida.

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The Ethics of Genetic Mod - Neelanshu Thapar

Imagine you walk into your first job interview. Your shoes are polished, suit recently drycleaned, and you have been practicing in the mirror for the past three days. You are nervous, but you know you are qualified for the position — your past experience and qualifications align perfectly with the job description. You get called into the interviewer’s office by his secretary. You walk in and give him a firm handshake. He is an unpleasant man, brows constantly furrowed, lips tight — just a few minutes ago you heard him yelling at his secretary about misplaced paperwork. Despite this, you forge ahead; the job is important to you. You describe your prior accomplishments to him, explain why you’re so passionate about the position, and even throw in a joke or two. Things are going well: the stiff interviewer opens up as you talk, his brows easing up as he actually starts to grin, and he even laughs at your jokes. At the end of the interview he stands up, shakes your hand, and says that you’re the best applicant they’ve seen so far! He says that there are some procedural points that need to be sorted out before a final decision, but chances are you’ve got the job.

You go home ecstatic and wait patiently for the next few days to hear back from the company, only to be told that they hired someone else. What did you do wrong?

What you didn’t know is that you left behind some hair in the interviewer’s office. No more than a strand or two, but enough for him to have collected a sample to send it in for PCR amplification and genomic analysis. Results came

back indicating minor predispositions for cancer and dementia. You had inherited genes involved in the development of both diseases — something that doesn’t guarantee disease progression but definitely increases the odds. Unfortunately, in this imaginary world, most people had these predispositions in their genomes fixed at the embryonic stage in their prenatal development — before they were born. Your parents opted to do things the “natural” way and leave your genes alone. Despite legislation banning genetic discrimination, most employers secretly screen their applicants’ genomes, since productivity goes down when employees develop serious illnesses. This is the exact situation depicted in the 1997 science fiction film “Gattaca”: a world where imperfections in any individual’s genes are fixed before they are born. The parents of an unborn child even get to decide aesthetic features like hair and eye color.

In a world where genes are practically purchased, the content of your genome matters a lot.

It may seem ridiculous at first glance, but as prolific science fiction writers like Arthur C. Clarke have pointed out, science fiction is the precursor to scientific fact. Consider Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” where a fantastical machine that could travel underwater was first proposed, far preceding the advent of the submarine. Today we stand on the precipice of a

Photograph by Miki Yoshithto

difications paradigm shift regarding the human genome. Now that it has been sequenced, we are shifting our attention to manipulating it. We have already cataloged the specific genes that contribute to various diseases — CFTR gene in cystic fibrosis, BRCA1/2 in breast cancer and HTT in Huntington’s. Scientists are now thinking about making use of that information and nipping these genetic defects in the bud. Once an individual is already born, changing their genes is quite difficult, if not impossible.

But manipulating the genetic composition of an embryo is a technique we have already developed. We have been prohibiting such manipulation for a while now, considering it an ethical violation. Last year, the International Summit on Human Gene Editing was held in Washington, D.C. to delve deeper on the implications of such practice. The committee concluded that this method of editing a human’s genetic composition is still highly unethical, but more research needs to be done on assessing the safety and efficacy of DNA editing.

In line with that assessment came a recent ruling by the British Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) granting the first ever license to edit the DNA of human embryos to stem cell researchers at the Francis Crick Institute in London. The stipulation of that license was that researchers had to terminate the embryos after 14 days, and by no means were they allowed to implant the embryos into women, which would result in the birth of genetically modified humans. The HFEA posits that the move is actually

quite conservative and that it stays well within ethical boundaries.

Was this really such a small step? The debate over this issue has divided scientists and laymen alike, with knowledgeable advocates on both sides. On one hand, we currently have the knowledge and means to assess a variety of genetic defects before a child is born and correct them so that he or she leads a normal life. Potential illness aside, there are conditions that cripple children from birth such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) that involve defects on the SCIDX1 gene. Children born with this condition live in literal bubbles — sterile environments — since their bodies lack the ability to fight most infections, resulting in a life expectancy of one year. Perhaps it is our moral obligation to make sure that such a life-threatening disease is fixed, even if genetic manipulation is the answer.

On the other hand, where does genetic editing stop?

Assuming we don’t go as far as aesthetic changes like eye color, we still have to decide how to deal with less obvious changes. For example, what if we figured out how to coax the genes involved in intelligence or fitness? Is it so wrong to provide that benefit to future generations? Consider the issues that “Gattaca” raised.

In a world that already discriminates based on color, gender, race and sexuality, is it so unrealistic to imagine us discriminating based on genetics? The couples that adhere to natural birth sans genetic intervention due to religious or personal reasons might truly sit at a disadvantage. More realistic are issues surrounding research on genetic editing. The current medical system requires clinical trials for new procedures, and although we have standards in place, research involving genetics is a true risk to any of the patients involved.

These patients would essentially be humans who were born into clinical trials without their consent, being experimented on by untested methods. Moreover, the changes made to their genomes can never be undone.

If the trials fail or cause horrendous side effects, those people will live with induced abnormalities for the rest of their lives.

Humans make mistakes. We have this unrelenting drive towards progress that pushes us further into unexplored territory, and despite our best efforts or the innocuous nature of our discoveries, we can never truly foresee the consequences. Ask the people of Chernobyl who expected a revolutionary new form of energy in their city yet to this day beget children with horrifying birth defects. Ask the pregnant women of the 1950s who used to take thalidomide, a medicine that was supposed to alleviate morning sickness, but instead resulted in a generation of deformed babies. Our small foray into genetic manipulation of embryos is a very real step towards full-on human genetic modification.

In a world of unintended consequences, perhaps we should think a little harder before opening that door.

60% of Sisters are in an Honor Society

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Florida Gamma Chapter A National Health professional Honor Society dedicated to the encouragement and recognition of excellence in professional health scholarship, including medicine, dentistry, veterinary, and others. Including:

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Meetings Every Other Tuesday at 8pm What Do We Do? Microbiology Awareness Week Gandhi Day & Other Service Events Halloween & St. Patrick’s Day Mixers Rat Trivia Nights End of the Year Banquet Email: um.microbiology.club@gmail.com

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So I said, “Who is Mike Webster?” And everybody looked at me like: “Where is he from? Is he from outer space?— who is this guy who doesn’t know Mike Webster in Pittsburgh?” — Dr. Bennet Omalu.

As forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu revealed in a PBS Frontline interview, this would become the beginning of a long and difficult investigation into what is now known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In fact, Omalu and CTE were the subjects of the film “Concussion,” which opened Christmas day. It started when Omalu was assigned to perform the autopsy of acclaimed Pittsburgh Steelers Center and Pro-Football Hall of Famer Mike “Iron Mike” Webster. The subsequent analysis of his brain and those of other football players along with the naming of the CTE condition thrust Omalu into a struggle against the National Football League (NFL) after he published the results of his findings in the 2005 paper titled “Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in a National Football League player.” However, this story is not about how the NFL attacked Omalu’s reputation, accused him of being a fraud, demanded the retraction of his paper on this sentinel case or even how they accused him of practicing voodoo — this is about the ethics of player health in the American Football system and how to move forward with this knowledge as a society.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy describes the neurodegenerative effects of repeated brain trauma often associated with contact sports. In CTE, brain tissue is degraded, causing the encephalopathic cavitation in the structure of the brain and the build-up of abnormal prion-like “tau” proteins. It must first be established that there are indeed dangerous potential health effects in certain cases of playing American football, though this does not substantiate the claim that playing football directly induces CTE. On football players during his time, Omalu remarked: “For them to wear helmets and all those protective gear, that meant it was a violent game ... That meant they were exposed to repeated trauma to justify the need to wear a helmet.”

This logic is affirmed by the evidence amassed over many years

by Omalu’s case studies on five football players and that of other doctors who have studied the similar effects of repeated head trauma. Aside from the textbook process Omalu carried out to bring his discovery from research to peer review and finally publishing, the statistics suggest that there is reasonable doubt in the claim that CTE cannot be induced through football; all five of the players analyzed by Omalu showed CTE and these players varied in their mental health and well-being from the time between leaving professional football and their deaths.

Ultimately, through literature and observation, it is easy to see that contact sports may more likely than not be in some way connected to higher incidence of traumatic head injury and thus chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

So comes the question of ethics. In the case of American football, if the system is aware of this potential danger, who is ultimately liable? What should be done? The first issue is that of informed consent; players must be made aware of the risks of playing a contact sport like American football. At the highest level (the NFL), this means informing players of the whole truth regarding the dangers of the sport; that is, quite simply, their responsibility to the players and their families as an employer.

This does not mean burying the side effects in the fine print at the end of a thousand-page contract. This is an ethical obligation that is recognized by the U.S Dept. of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration under Worker’s Rights and should be clear and accessible. This is a matter of awareness;

Concussion - Justin Ma the athletes involved need to know the inherent risk. They must be provided with the terms and conditions whereby they can make an informed decision, regardless of what the decision is.

Should a player decide to accept the risks, they are at least aware of the risks and willingly release liability. This information, by extension, needs to be present at every level of the sport: from children’s little leagues up to the institutional level of the NFL. As shown, the cost of not doing so are the many dozens of athlete lives and the well-being of current and former athletes who have unknowingly (or unintentionally) submitted themselves to the consequences of playing football. Omalu asked, “How come before Mike Webster no NFL player was told or knew that there was an intrinsic risk of brain damage from playing football?” The answer is simple: business. As a sport, American football serves primarily as a source of entertainment. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry. To potentially sacrifice the well-being of players when they are not informed of the risks without reason is already unethical- yet, to do so for the sake of money and personal gain is not only wildly unethical but should even be viewed as criminal.

Is it ethically responsible for society to allow contact sports like American football to be played. Ignoring the issues of informed consent, these sports are most certainly still within ethical lines provided that the side effects of health risks like CTE do not bring harm to others. Omalu notes that once players have left the field, some do not “compete” well in the “field of life.” He also notes that the CTE condition is a progressive disease, with those players exhibiting the disease presenting increasingly worse symptoms the longer they live. With modern medicine prolonging lifespans even further, it is possible that the full effects of CTE have yet to be seen. Should the neurodegenerative effects result in an altered mental state, the victim may bring harm to others — at this point, the ethics of the sport itself would be called into question. In fact, CTE’s symptoms already include medically diagnosable states of depression, impaired judgement and confusion, aggression and dementia, according to the Boston University CTE Center. In extreme cases, the advancement of these symptoms may lead to violent episodes or accidents in which the impaired mental state of a CTE victim leads to the harm of others.

Ethical considerations aside, it is also important to look into the measures being taken to ensure the safety of players who do submit themselves to the risks of the game. The NFL has taken some action in changing the rules of the game and providing sideline athletic trainers and neurologists — neither of which reduce the incidence of concussions by any great degree. Other avenues of support, such as sports medicine, are making more significant advances in protecting players. The University of Miami is no exception, with an excellent sports medicine program featuring extensive infrastructure and staff for physical therapy and research. The University of Miami has top-notch staffing who do their best to prevent injury and expedite rehabilitation as well as concussion testing not only for our varsity players but also for our club sports participants. Institutions nationwide are also taking care to ensure the safety of their athletes. Other university programs across the nation in departments such as biomechanics, engineering, neurology and medicine are all involved in the development of what may very well be considered the holy grail of football safety: a helmet which can be certified in reducing concussions.

Photo by: Dierk Schaefer

Air Pollution

Photography by: Paul Pival

- Justin Ma

Many people are familiar with fog — a horror movie staple, the subject of dramatic photography or an early morning road hazard. However, a far smaller number can say that they have met fog’s very unpleasant cousin: smog.

An oft-used buzzword of modern environmentalists, this toxic haze is making its presence increasingly known in major industrial areas threatening public health and safety and serving as a primary indicator of a far larger menace: air pollution.

Air pollution is unique in that it is arguably the most directly effective form of pollution. Professor Elliot Atlas from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science remarked that air pollution is “a major pathway for distributing pollution to the waters, soils and organisms around the globe, even to the most remote parts of the earth” — aside from the direct pollution of the air. He explains that “toxic metals such as mercury can be found in the Arctic environment … and it is the atmosphere that delivers these toxins by carrying it from polluted source regions to areas that are (or were) pristine.” To emphasize the potentially detrimental effect of polluted air: you could survive for as long as three weeks without food, a few days without water, but hardly a few minutes without air. The very nature of investigating environmental crises — with its many academic papers, studies and statistics — can often detract from the ethical and sociological considerations which accompany this complex discipline.

The global environment is a concept that is far too large to

belong to any individual in an “ownership” sense and thus must be considered a public good. Like any public good, it is part of the sociological phenomenon that can be described as “the tragedy of the commons.” In short, the classic root of most environmental problems can be summarized as the disparity between the short-term selfish goals of the individual and the long-term societal needs of sustainable development.

Although most of us could be considered to be environmentalists at heart, the majority is also easily characterized as apathetic in practice. In the struggle for sustainability, even this apathy can be enough to propel this downward spiral. Moreover, the scope of an environmental crisis is long and individual accountability far exceeds a typical lifetime. As such, most people are aware of the threat of eventual total failure, but for them it remains just that: eventual. While environmental decline is a very glaring public issue, it is simply not enough of a personal trouble to impact daily lives.

From an ethical standpoint, many believe that public goods are built upon the responsibility of the individual.

Consider the private responsibility of vaccination in its contribution to public health, or the private responsibility of following the speed limit to the public issue of road safety. Although the environment is a public good, there is an inseparable degree of personal responsibility regarding its well-being, and history has shown that this intangible responsibility is no match for the high-powered output of a

coal-burning power plant. Ignoring this responsibility could easily be considered unethical, but there are virtually no immediate consequences to doing so. Therein lies the root of the problem.

Back to smog — particularly, what might be considered the smog capital of the world: China. Beijing made headlines last year over various red alerts, record levels and even so-called “airpocalypes” due to air pollution, and the Chinese government is finally taking action past the whimsical routine of measurement and monitoring systems.

China is making the public issue a private one by attacking the profitability of pollution. Various anti-corruption laws making officials accountable and even higher caps on fines levied for violating environmental laws are discouraging the negligent practices that led to China’s current environmental situation. Certain environmentally unsustainable facilities were shut down by the government alongside implementation of smoking bans in the capital, car rotations by odd and even license plates and stricter monitoring of air quality — all part of China’s newly amended Air Pollution and Control Laws. Many of these policies, however invasive, are the start of making people accountable for actively contributing to pollution by hitting them where it hurts: their wallets.

Beijing’s policies seem to be working to a degree, but many analysts are not optimistic. Lowered demand for Chinese steel and thus a lesser need for coal, as well as favorable weather patterns this past year have all been cited as possible third variables in China’s war on air pollution.

Time has shown that, in writing, the law is often quite different from what is actually practiced. Atlas, who has made extensive study of trace gases and ozone depleting agents in the atmosphere, notes that these measures have been in slight decline and suggests that “regulations have reduced the emissions of compounds that contribute to urban and regional smog [improving] the air quality, especially in urban centers” — at least to some degree.

Despite the positive trends in these components, Atlas was very quick to add that another major issue is the continuing rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide that contributes to a warming of the planet.

“The change in atmospheric ‘health’ for the future is linked to our own decisions on how to regulate and control harmful emissions, so this becomes hard to predict,” Atlas explained. There are even more potential feedbacks that occur in the environment as a result of climate changes.

“On the horizon are potential increases in extreme weather events, droughts, floods, etc., and these conditions have impacts on the atmosphere that will also feedback on air quality changes.”

For now, China will continue to be the punchline in air pollution’s cautionary tale. We all ought to end our days of passive pollution and take an active role in securing sustainability, not because we are good human beings but rather because it is our responsibility. Hopefully these changes come sooner rather than later. When asked about the greatest threat to atmospheric health and air quality, Atlas answered simply: “The greatest threat … is us.”

The Tigli Lab:

Cutting-edge Research for Diverse Applications

Dr. Onur Tigli, BioCMOS/MEMS/NANO Research Team © 2015

- Daniel Brzostowicki

D Dr. Onur Tigli, BioCMOS/MEMS/NANO Research Team © 2015

Dr. Onur Tigli, BioCMOS/MEMS/NANO Research Team © 2015

r. Onur Tigli is an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and has a secondary appointment in the Miller School of Medicine Department of Pathology.

He specializes in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), nanotechnology and microchip development for medical applications. His lab’s primary task at the moment is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project for developing cancer diagnosis technology at the micron scale. The eventual goal of diagnosing cells at such a level is the advent of personalized medicine, in which every person can be diagnosed at the cellular level while potentially extracting important information for therapeutics and drug development. He and his researchers are trying to understand how cancer initiates and progresses with time by using their novel devices that combine magnetics, electronics and acoustics. They are also working on micron scale energy harvesting for selfsustained electronic systems. Tigli and his team conduct research at the intersection of engineering and medicine.

For his innovative work in cancer diagnosis, Tigli received the NSF CAREER Award in 2013. This award is the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the missions of their organizations.

Tigli is also the recipient of the Eliahu I. Jury Early Career Research Award of the College of Engineering in 2014 as well as the Provost Research Award in 2015.

For the cancer diagnosis project, his lab uses patented

Research Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) devices. SAWs only travel on the surfaces of piezoelectric materials. In scientific terms, piezoelectric materials respond to mechanical stress with the generation of electrical charge and generate mechanical strain when exposed to an electrical field. The SAW device can both generate and detect SAWs. His lab creates the waves such that anything placed in their path can be detected, since the SAW devices are very precise at sensing even small disturbances. This novel approach of SAW devices was inspired by a breakthrough in mechanobiology that concluded that cells with cancerous growths have varying biophysical properties. Normally, biopsies and lots of samples are used in cancer diagnosis. In contrast, Tigli’s researchers only need to use one cell, place it in a sensing region, and use novel technologies of integrated magnetics, acoustics and electronics to analyze its properties. The way cells interact with the microchip technology tells them what type of cells they are looking at and if they are cancerous or not. One of the important problems this technique addresses is the lack of homogeneity among cells — there are always outliers. Taking averages of cells misses some subtleties. With their approach, they can look at each cell and form the population. It would be exhausting if not for microfluidics, which allows them to use very small volumes of samples to read out cells. The culmination of their research is a device integrated with microfluidics. The device is a small chip that includes measurement devices as well as microfluidics with inlets and outlets for delivery of cells to and from sensors. They foresee putting exterior sensor devices and integrated electronics onto the chip to create a complete system as well.

As for their energy harvester project, the purpose is to create self-sustaining smart electronic devices.

Right now, even small pieces of equipment need batteries for energy. Tigli and his colleagues want to eliminate the need for these batteries by making devices that scavenge the energy available in the environment. These devices would be autonomous and free of maintenance cost. In the short term, this could result in longer lasting batteries, which is useful in many cases. As an example, the devices could potentially double the time between replacements for pacemakers, resulting in an increased quality of life for the patient.

Tigli and his researchers make use of piezoelectricity for these projects in addition to their cancer-related project. Tigli and his colleagues wish

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to capture vibrations that occur in the environment and use those as mechanical stressors for their piezoelectric materials. In order to accomplish this, they build tiny mechanical structures. When these unique microstructures are exposed to external stimuli, they create stress levels that are higher than what would result from simply compressing something such as a hard block. This allows them to maximize the stress generated for every unit of force that is applied. They make various microstructures on silicon substrates by using microfabrication techniques to allow mechanical energy to be converted into electrical energy for later processing with specially designed electronics. In their research, they use an atomic force microscope for two main purposes. The first is to examine the surface topology of special thin films that the lab fabricates and verifies for their quality. The second purpose is to measure piezoelectric properties. They combine the microscope with a ferroelectric tester for this purpose.

These are only two featured projects that illustrate the interdisciplinary work that Tigli and his research assistants do on a daily basis. His ongoing research has direct implications in fields as diverse as clinical medicine, neuroscience, genomics, cell and tissue engineering as well as for implantable medical device (IMD) applications. His lab has had many students over the years who have gone on to do high-level work in their fields after being in his lab.

It’s challenging work, and space for undergraduates is limited, but for those interested in these kinds of cutting edge technology research, it is probably worth the effort. Tigli himself is very thankful to be working on an NSF project and hopes to fulfill the potential of personalized patient care. He is also grateful for the support he has received through University of Miami sources, such as the Provost Research Award.

He also would like to acknowledge his colleagues at the Department of Pathology and the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute at UM (BioNIUM), where he is an affiliate faculty member.

Please visit ece.miami.edu/tigli for details on Tigli’s Bio CMOS, MEMS and NANO research team activities.

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RSMAS Student Profiles - Aalekhya Reddam

W

hen it comes to science, research and education go hand in hand. So it is no surprise that undergraduate research is one of the main focuses in the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS). Undergraduates pursuing degrees in Marine Science often take advantage of the numerous research opportunities offered and work closely with professors to gain experience in their fields of interest. A few of these people are outlined below:

Bethany From: Mt. Prospect, Illinois Year: Senior Majors: Marine Science, Biology and Psychology

What lab are you working in and who is the professor?

I work in the Toadfish Lab with Dr. Danielle McDonald.

What project are you working on in the lab?

I’m currently studying toadfish urea in regard to their communication and stress level.

What do you like about research?

I began doing research my sophomore year to gain more experience in the field of marine science and I love working with toadfish; they are amazing animals that we can learn a lot from. I also like being able to go out to RSMAS and see the ocean. My research advisor Dr. McDonald is also amazing!

Do you have any suggestions for anyone looking to get into research in RSMAS? Email any professor whose research you are interested in. Make sure you look at their current research online and read papers they have recently published to get an idea of what is currently going on in their lab. Also, make sure to set up your school schedule with time to go to RSMAS, with the shuttle or a car.

Evan From: North Yarmouth, Maine Year: Junior Majors: Marine Science, Biology and Psychology

What lab are you working in and who is the professor?

I’m working for Dr. Diego Lirman. I’m studying coral genetics so I also spend a lot of time in Dr. Andrew Baker’s laboratory so that I can have access to his equipment.

What project are you working on in the lab?

I’m working on a project for the Ph.D. candidate Crawford Drury, studying the genetics of coral symbionts (zooxanthellae) in staghorn coral (acropora cervicornis). The project focuses on the distribution of different genotypes of zooxanthellae in different locations and under different conditions.

What do you like about research?

First of all, the direct experience I’m gaining is invaluable. I’m learning biochemical procedures for DNA isolation, which are valuable in any biological field. I’m also getting to build relationships with many of the researchers and professors at RSMAS, who have been able to provide me with networking that is far-reaching and exactly what I’m looking to get involved with long-term.

What are some of the challenges you face when doing research?

There’s no easy guide to anything in the research world. People may give you pushes in the right direction — telling you various things you should try to do in order to get into grad school, et cetera. But nobody really tells you how to do all of those things, or which ones are most important.

- Aalekyha Reddam Considering the shark’s position as an apex predator and the aura of mystery that surrounds it, it not surprising that everyone has some form of interest in their well-being. Most researchers that study them today do so because they were interested since they were children; however, shark researcher Neil Hammerschlag did not share this childhood fascination — and that makes his academic journey all the more interesting.

Dr. Hammerschlag was born in South Africa, where his family lived until they moved to Toronto, Canada.

His interests led him to pursue a degree in ecology at the University of Toronto. He continued his passion by studying at Nova Southeastern University and obtaining his master’s degree in marine biology. Lastly, he obtained his Ph.D. in marine biology and fisheries at the Rosenstiel School of Marine Science. After gaining his terminal degree, he was offered a faculty position at RSMAS. While Hammerschlag wasn’t always interested in studying sharks, he was always interested in marine science and admired the ocean. He started scuba diving at the age of 11; since then, his love for the ocean and the organisms that lived in it continued to grow along with his interest in the science behind it. While the University of Toronto did not have marine science as a major, Hammerschlag had the opportunity to take a combination of field courses that combined the study of marine science and volunteer experiences through fieldwork. To further his pursuit, he delved into different research labs to gain a sense of what the field was really like. He conducted research that ranged from corals to bat parasites, and was immediately drawn into the field of marine science.

Hammerschlag’s first encounter with shark research was when he conducted shark-based field research in California. He learned that the global shark population was in trouble and there was a need to conduct conservation biology research . This drove his decision to focus on shark biology. As he got more involved in the field, his interest focused on predator-prey interactions and movement ecology and how they related to the conservation of these animals.

Currently, all the research done in the Hammerschlag Lab is in some way associated with the conservation of sharks. One example of such research is the observation of white shark hunting behavior in South Africa. The lab looks at how the white sharks affect the behavior and physiology of seals and the subsequent consequence on the seal population. This sheds some light on the role of white sharks in the South African ecosystem, and on the consequences of decreases in their population.

Another project the lab looks at is the movement patterns of large sharks in Florida and the Bahamas.

They study where and why the sharks go to certain places. This process involves looking at how the external factors (like environmental conditions) and the shark’s physiology (energy state, hunger levels, reproductive state) interact together to affect where the shark goes. This information is used to study conservation management and establish marine protected areas to best conserve the species.

Another research project the lab looks at is the effect of climate change and urbanization in South Florida on shark behavior, such as shark migration patterns. In particular, they study pollution and habitat destruction in Miami and how it is affecting the movement and health of local sharks.

With the decline in shark population and increased interest in their conservation, the lab takes on several undergraduate students to help with research. The lab has recruited around 100 undergraduates over the past half decade; however, the opportunity is extremely competitive and there is little turnover among undergraduates.

Hammerschlag’s advice to people interested in getting involved with shark research is a reflection of his journey. He claims that true success in the field is dependent on your passion about the science and its quantitative aspect as well as the drive to research its applications to help the greater community. He says, “You have to be happy enough to do the research even if it doesn’t involve sharks; the sharks are just a small aspect of the work you do.” While you do get to work with the sharks, a lot of research involves hours and hours at the lab or in the field building equipment.

If you are interested in shark populations, you might also be interested in community outreach. Performing research with sharks comes with the added responsibility of educating the public about shark conservation, and the Hammerschlag lab has a strong outreach program.

Locally, they bring students from high schools and middle schools to get a hands-on experience with sharks through their shark tagging trips. It is usually the undergraduates who help train and lead these students, allowing the undergraduate students the opportunity to grow as instructors. The lab also has a strong online presence; people interested in following their research can read their blog at sharktagging.com. One can also follow them at facebook.com/sharktagging and on their twitter page @umsharkresearch. Undergraduate students who want to get involved in the Hammerschlag lab can apply at sharktagging.com

Photography credits to Dr. Hammerschlag’s Lab & Christine DaSilva

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GMO Vs Organic

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” was a saying meant to teach kids about the positive benefits of eating their fruits and vegetables. However, this saying isn’t quite so simple anymore. Before the advent of the organic label, it was no question that the fruits and vegetables at the grocery store were healthy. Nowadays, grocery shopping is an increasingly confusing task even with the simplest of foods. While the organic label was meant to enable consumers to buy foods that were free of pesticides and genetic modification, most shoppers see this label as just another food trend. Additionally, most shoppers, no matter how educated or health conscious, cannot decipher what organic means, what genetically modified foods are, and, more importantly, what the health effects of these products are.

- Rachel Colletti

I set out to see how much the students at the University of Miami already knew about this topic. The first person I approached was a junior named Sarah Francis who is studying accounting. When I asked Sarah if she ever buys organic food, she expressed to me, “I sometimes think about buying organic, but it definitely costs a lot more and it’s not clear how much of a difference eating organic actually makes compared to conventional foods.” She also said that she wishes there weren’t such conflicting theories on how humans are supposed to be eating, and that the food industry could do a better job at clarifying these discrepancies. Dustin Raiffe, a senior studying marine science and microbiology, commented that he finds the topic of organic and GMO (genetically modified organisms) foods complicated and sometimes confusing. Raiffe ended our interview by saying, “I think that the food industry needs to be more transparent about the nutritional effects of its foods. A lot of people sell unhealthy things and it’s immoral.” College students are just as confused and frustrated as the general population about this topic.

This article is meant to sort through the information consumers are constantly bombarded with about what to buy at the grocery store. After reading, you should be able to make more informed choices about what kind of produce to put in your body, and you may be inspired to do your own research on this topic.

As you walk through the produce section of Publix, you see a vast assortment of fruits and vegetables. Upon further examination, you may start to question what the labels on each of these products actually mean. You can choose organic apples, conventional cucumbers, non-GMO berries, the list goes on. What do these labels really mean? Produce that is not labeled organic is, by default, conventional. This means that it was grown with pesticides and may contain genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified foods are organisms whose genetic materials have been altered in the laboratory, mainly to withstand herbicides or to produce insecticides of its own. All genetically modified foods have been tested and deemed safe for consumption; however the long-term effects of these foods have yet to be evaluated. And while most developed nations do not agree that GM foods are safe and have strict labelling regulations, America does not require GM foods to be labelled. Because of this, you can assume that a conventional fruit or vegetable has been genetically modified in some way or another — there is no sticker telling you this. In

contrast, organic foods are grown without synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizer, antibiotics, and hormones, and in America they must be completely GMO free. Interestingly, prior to World War II, all crops were organic. After the war, farmers began to use chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers to protect their produce and increase revenue. While most people think of “organic” as a new health trend, it is actually the most traditional way to eat.

Conventional produce is grown with pesticides and often contains genetically modified organisms, but how does this affect the body? Just because a fruit or vegetable is grown with a pesticide, it does not necessarily mean that this pesticide will have a negative effect on humans. It could be possible that the body disregards these foreign chemicals and excretes them as waste. Researchers have been pondering this question for years now, and while few studies have been able to produce a final verdict regarding human pesticide consumption, one study was able to establish that the pesticides from the food you eat are retained in the body. This study, published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal, analyzed the amount of pesticides in the urine of individuals from three to 11 years old who ate conventional produce. The research team then contrasted this with the amount of pesticide in the urine when these children ate organic produce. The results showed that, when the children ate an organic diet, there was a dramatic decrease in the amount of pesticides in the urine and that eating an organic diet provided an immediate protective effect against pesticide harm to the body. This same study was repeated in an adult population and the same results were found. So, does the retaining of pesticides in the body have any adverse effects?

Again, there have been limited studies conducted to determine how pesticides affect our health. However, one study from the British Journal of Cancer, conducted by Kathryn Bradbury, was carried out for 10 years and studied 623,080 middle-aged women. Bradbury’s results showed a reduced risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the women who were organicproduce eaters. The study did not aim to explain why pesticides may increase the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but Bradbury notes that a further study may want to examine blood markers of pesticide exposure in relation to organic food consumption and the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Another study by Dr. Maryse Bouchard found even more dramatic results. After surveying children who had high levels of pesticides in their urine, the team concluded that there was a 52 to

72 percent increase in ADHD for these children. This finding sheds light on the increase of ADHD diagnoses in America over the last few decades and where the cause of this phenomenon may lie. Another disease that we have seen a dramatic increase in our country is testicular cancer (TC). One team of researchers thought that this increase may have something to do with pesticide consumption, since the rates of TC have increased dramatically since WWII. Their results, published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Health, showed that among men who had high levels of pesticide residue in their blood, they had triple the rates of testicular cancer.

While there are a few studies to pull evidence from, it is disheartening how little research has been conducted to examine the foods that Americans eat every day. Until more studies are conducted to determine the safety of pesticides for consumption, it is a good preventive measure to avoid foods grown with pesticides. This avoidance may also be used as a political statement to demand that our foods undergo stricter testing and regulation before they are allowed to be sold to consumers.

So how do genetically modified organisms stack up? Many Americans have dismissed GM research as being a part of a larger conspiracy theory. And with the health and agribusiness sectors being two of the top lobbyists in our government, it is easy to see why Americans are weary. The World Health Organization notes that “while theoretical discussions have covered a broad range of aspects, the three main issues debated are the potentials to provoke allergic reaction (allergenicity), gene transfer and outcrossing.� However, no studies have been able to prove nor disprove these hypotheses. Again, consumers can take a stand and refuse to buy genetically modified foods until more research is conducted and the safety of these products have been tested in long-term trials.

The safety of conventional produce is yet to be determined, but what about the nutritional health? Could pesticides and genetic modification somehow decrease the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables? Fortunately, there have been numerous studies conducted to determine the health discrepancies between organic and conventional foods. In 2012, Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler published a study where she and her colleagues discovered that organic produce contains more phenolic phytonutrients (think antioxidants) than their conventional counterparts. Antioxidants and other phytonutrients are the main benefits of eating fruits and vegetables because these are the molecules that provide a protective effect against chronic

disease and environmental toxins. Antioxidants are made by plants to protect themselves from predators such as insects.

But when a plant is sprayed with a pesticide, the plant does not need to produce as much of these protective agents. Therefore, choosing organic produce enables you to gain the full benefits of eating fruits and vegetables.

The benefits of eating fruits and vegetables are amazing. A study that compiled an analysis done by The World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute of Cancer Research in 2007 showed that if just half of Americans increased their produce consumption by one serving per day, 20,000 cancer cases would be avoided. The evidence is clear that if you want to live a healthier life, you should increase your servings of fruits and vegetables every day even if you can only afford conventional produce. If you are concerned with optimal health and want to decrease your chances of developing a chronic disease, eat organic produce. If you want to adopt a more practical approach to organic produce, you can shop according to the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen recommendations. These lists are created annually to show the fruits and vegetables that are best to buy organic or are okay to eat conventional. However if you are buying conventional versions of the Clean Fifteen, be aware that these products have most likely been genetically engineered since, in America, GM foods do not need to be labeled. If you wish to eat non-GMO for preventative measures until more research has been conducted, you may want to go 100 percent organic in your diet.

While the great debate between organic and conventional produce is still up in the air, consumers have an empowered position to demand what is acceptable to be sold in the grocery store. Hopefully, the dearth of evidence serves as a call to action to either take a stand on this topic, or conduct your own research about what you put in your body.

Midnight Munchies - Rick Lin Have you ever sat on your bed on a Wednesday night craving snacks? Or sat at your desk the night before an exam and just wanted to eat something to de-stress? Or even considered just skipping dinner or lunch entirely?

Nowadays, eating at irregular times has become a common trend. Particularly in college, where students are extremely busy, many often decide that meals can be delayed and choose to eat late at night. New research has begun to show that eating at times normally reserved for sleep has a detrimental effect on one’s brain function. Many say occasional stress eating late at night may be harmful, but it is easy to pick up this damaging habit. One study has found that eating late impedes the type of learning and memory that is controlled by the hippocampus in the brain.

Researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have been intrigued by how eating at irregular hours affects health. One fact that is already known is that this type of late-night eating can influence metabolic health, which may be a risk factor for the development of diabetes. Dawn Loh, a researcher at UCLA, has said that their research provides strong evidence that eating normal meals at irregular times has long-term influences on learning and memory. This study stressed that this has not been shown in humans since the experiment was performed on mice. In addition to eating, many college students find themselves up during irregular hours (for instance, around 4 A.M.), which can dull the functions of the brain. Do you ever feel terrible after pulling an all-nighter? I have very much experienced the fact that if I get more sleep the night before an exam, I am able to retain more information than if I had pulled an all-nighter.

Furthermore, this study shows that certain areas of performance are more impacted than others are. The researchers tested the ability of mice to recognize a new object. A very interesting result was found. The mice that were fed during their normal sleep times had a more difficult time recalling the object. Also, their long-term memory was dramatically diminished, which was shown through a fear-conditioning experiment.

Interestingly enough, both long-term memory and the ability to recognize new objects are controlled by the hippocampus portion of the brain. The hippocampus is in charge of linking our senses and emotions to memory and also helps us organize and store new memories.

Whenever we experience an event, nerve impulses are turned on for specific pathways. If we repeat the experience, those pathways become stronger. However, this was not the case in mice that ate at irregular hours.

Mice that were given food during a specific window

during their sleep time did not experience a strengthening of those pathways compared to mice that ate during normal hours.

A protein called cAMP response element-binding (CREB) protein moderates some genes that are involved with an individual’s circadian clock and with learning and memory.

When this protein is less active, it decreases memory, which may lead to being a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. In relation to eating at irregular hours, mice showed a significant decrease in the presence of CREB in the hippocampus.

However, the irregular eating did not have an effect on the protein in the circadian clock.

In addition to learning and memory, eating at irregular times can have other significant impacts. For instance, it can mess with our blood sugar levels, which can cause fatigue and lethargy. Late night snacks have also shown to have a significant impact on weight gain. A study at Northwestern University showed that irregularly timed meals could be a factor for weight gain. The exact mechanism is not completely determined by caloric intake and some believe it may be due to circadian control. Eating at irregular times can contradict with our natural body rhythms. This is an extremely pertinent issue particularly in our society because obesity is a serious issue that is becoming more and more common. A simple experiment performed on mice showed that mice fed during their sleep hours gained significantly more weight than mice that were fed during their normal meal hours. Just as our circadian clock moderates our sleep schedule, it also moderates our meal schedule.

While late night snacking is detrimental, another aspect of unhealthy eating that needs to be considered is skipping meals The solution to this is not to avoid late-night snacks, but to eat meals at normal times during the day. Skipping meals during the day may result in temporary weight loss, but several research teams have shown that this weight loss may not necessarily come from fat but from muscle. Losing weight from muscle is never ideal and can be dangerous.

Furthermore, skipping meals could also lead to a lack of nutrients from proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Next time you think about grabbing that pack of nuts late at night to de-stress, think again. One of the best suggestions is to make sure you have time in your schedule every day to eat at normal times of the day, so you are not hungry late at night and feel tempted to make a midnight run to the convenience store. As a college student, this is likely a relevant issue that you face often. Whether it’s watching a movie or late-night studying for an exam, we typically want to have some type of snack that we can easily consume. If you have the heart to change your eating habits for the better then, after a while, eating at the appropriate times will become the norm. Now is the time to change your eating habits. Don’t wait.

Looking to improve your memory? Try these brain foods known to enhance focus, memory, reduce anxiety and stress (and they’re healthy, too!): 1. Whole Grains -Enhance memory & focus 2. Eggs -Boost memory, concentration & energy levels 3. Nuts -Increase energy & blood flow to the brain 4. Berries -Rich in antioxidants, and boost brain function 5. Seeds -Improve mood and brain function 6. Avocados - Brain development and concentration 7. Tomatoes -Improves brain function 8. Apples -Increase energy and retention 9. Bananas -Increase serotonin and boost mood 10. Dark Chocolate -Improves memory and concentration

BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION

TRAINING FOR MUSCLE GROWTH - Anthony Pumilla

Blood flow restriction training (BFR) is a form of resistance training that involves altering blood flow mechanics, subsequently altering the adaptations a certain loading parameter (read: weight) will induce. The basic premise of the method involves occluding venous blood flow from the working muscle (leaving arterial blood flow intact) and loading said muscle through its range of motion. Blood is restricted from leaving the area of the working muscle. As a result of this occlusion, BFR may also be referred to as “occlusion training.” BFR has been shown to induce similar hypertrophic (although not necessarily strength-related) adaptations to that of traditional progressive resistance training, while allowing much lower loads to be used. It can be very useful for both injured individuals as well as for those looking for another tool to add to the box. Thanks to fairly recent research, this technique can be performed practically in your everyday gym setting, either alongside or as a replacement for traditional progressive resistance training.

The exact mechanisms by which BFR induces hypertrophy to the extent it does with lower loads are

somewhat unknown. There are three primary mechanisms that are known: increased metabolic stress, muscle fiber recruitment and cellular swelling. All three boil down to one thing — muscle protein synthesis. The regulation of muscle protein synthesis and degradation determines muscle protein accretion and, therefore, muscle growth.

As both scientists and athletes, we can control exercise variables to alter the intramuscular environment, and thus produce this desired protein accretion and muscle growth.

Metabolic stress — a factor we can control — is one of the main determinants of hypertrophy alongside mechanical tension and muscle damage. This stress is simply a metabolic byproduct buildup, an alteration of the intramuscular environment. BFR, being that it occludes venous blood flow, blocks the normal escape route of these metabolic byproducts, resulting in increased byproduct accumulation. This accumulation and resulting metabolic stress will initiate signaling linked to skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Growth factor expression will increase, such as that of local MGF and IGF-1, with a concurrent decrease in atrophic gene expression, such as

that of myostatin. The increase in shear stress endured with BFR has been postulated to increase satellite cell activation through the release of NOS-1. Heat shock proteins associated with BFR may also be linked to inhibition of atrophy pathways. BFR provides a method for increasing these metabolic byproducts to increase hypertrophic potential at a given load.

Traditionally, it was stipulated that a loading threshold for hypertrophy existed at around 65-70% 1RM. Resistance training performed under this threshold was thought to result in suboptimal hypertrophic adaptations.

Recent data, though, suggests that hypertrophy is more so a result of the intramuscular environment during training than a result of the actual load itself. Loads as low as 30% 1RM have been shown to result in similar motor unit recruitment and subsequent muscle protein synthesis increases as that of higher loads when taken to failure.

However, this similarity disappears when muscular failure is not reached. When using loads under the threshold, a set must be taken to failure to recruit the full spectrum of motor units. Motor units, or groups of muscle fibers, are recruited as necessary throughout the bout of exercise.

The Henneman’s Size Principle states that these fibers will be recruited as a spectrum, beginning with the slowest units and ending with the fastest. The resulting protein synthesis from a bout of exercise will depend on this fiber recruitment, as fast twitch fibers tend to activate muscle protein synthesis signaling proteins more frequently than do slow twitch fibers, which results in more muscle protein accretion and growth. As you can imagine, reaching muscular failure with very low loads specifically within the muscle group being targeted would be fairly impractical. This is one of the places where BFR comes in. In a sense, the intensity for a certain movement can be increased without increasing the external load, as neural factors associated with metabolite accumulation will increase fast twitch fiber recruitment.

Cellular swelling, related to both metabolic stress and muscle fiber recruitment, is another main mechanism of BFR induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy. It has been stipulated that there is a “volume sensor” that activates anabolic signaling pathways. This volume, or muscle cell swelling, has been shown to increase protein synthesis and therefore growth, likely through the mTOR pathway.

Muscle swelling and size increases have been shown following BFR, likely due to blood pooling, ischemia (if arterial flow is occluded), and metabolite accumulation.

This swelling and size give a likely explanation for at least a portion of the muscle protein synthesis increases following BFR. Although these protein synthesis and resulting hypertrophic adaptations can be seen using traditional progressive resistance training, there are instances when BFR can and should be used for the hypertrophy and strength-based athlete. Since BFR, using loads as low as 20% 1RM, can induce similar muscle growth to that of high load training, it can be useful for training the

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musculature involved in an injury. If a joint is injured or in the midst of recovering from an injury, it may be impossible to stimulate the surrounding musculature with high loads. Utilizing BFR may allow an athlete to work around this injury if low loads can be handled, either to continue hypertrophy and strength progression or attenuate the loss thereof. Certain protocols have been developed to attenuate muscular atrophy and strength reductions in immobile joints — though that’s beyond the scope of this article. Aside from injury, BFR may be used to reduce stress on a joint if necessary. Resultant muscle damage from BFR has been shown to be less than that of high load resistance training, suggesting that BFR can be used in times when limiting muscle damage is desired. Although muscle damage is one of the main factors, resulting in hypertrophy, too much of it will result in suboptimal adaptations. BFR can also be useful for those looking for ways to induce metabolic stress and/or develop fatigue resistance.

So, now that we understand the theory behind BFR and when to use it, we need to understand how to use it practically in a gym setting. Recent research has focused on developing a practical method of occluding venous blood flow, usually using knee wraps for the lower body and wrist wraps for the upper body. The first step is to occlude blood flow above the working muscle. For the biceps and triceps, this would mean wrapping right above the muscle bellies of the biceps and triceps, just below the shoulder. Wrapping at the hip, just below the glutes, would occlude the quads and hamstrings. For the calves, wrapping would need to be just below the knee. The studies determined that wrapping at a tightness of 5-7 and 7 on a scale to 10 would result in successful venous, but not arterial, occlusion of the upper and lower body, respectively. Unfortunately, torso musculature cannot be occluded and thus BFR cannot be performed. The tightness would have to be adjusted as needed, especially taking into account individual differences seen in different joint positions. Once the working muscle is successfully occluded, proceed to performing the resistance training.

Normally, BFR is used for isolation exercises, but it may work well with some compound movements. The protocol that has seemed to work best in research has been performing a set a 30 repetitions, followed by 4 sets of 15 at 20-40% 1RM. Rest periods do matter here, as 30 seconds between sets was shown to elicit the greatest results. To clarify: venous flow has to be occluded throughout the whole bout (including rest periods). Once all the sets are completed, the wraps are removed.

In conclusion, BFR can be very useful to induce skeletal muscle hypertrophy and, less so, strength in a number of situations, benefitting an array of both injured and healthy athletes. As long as health allows, I would encourage everyone to grab a pair of wraps and give it a shot. Just don’t be alarmed when it hurts.

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South Florida Regional Science Bowl Co-partnered with Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society

Hosted by the University of Miami during the 2015-2016 academic year.

What is Science Bowl?

Science Bowl is a high school competition in which high school students compete by answering questions relating to the math, chemistry, biology, physics, energy, etc. for a scholarship to the national competition in Washington D.C. For more information on how to get involved, contact Sathvik Palakurty at sxp720@miami.edu

Even scientists can be rock stars for a night. With red carpets, paparazzi and tuxedos, the Nobel Prize ceremonies briefly capture the world’s attention. Research often unfamiliar to the masses is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, the world is amazed, everybody claps — and then it’s over. Every year since its inception in 1895, the Nobel Prize has showcased ground-breaking work, the type that redefines what we know to be possible. Yet every year, the importance of that work fades from the collective psyche once the fanfare is over. Perhaps a more thorough understanding of what a Nobel Prize really is, and what the work done in the fields of medicine and physiology this year really means, will better convey the gravity of these awards.

The Nobel Prize - Neelanshu Thapar

So what is a Nobel Prize?

The prize itself carries the spirit of its founder, Alfred Nobel. Nobel was the epitome of an industrialist in an era that rewarded such panache.

Despite belonging to a business-minded family that went bankrupt several times, Alfred pushed himself to come up with almost 355 patented ideas before his death. His most defining discovery, dynamite, made him an extremely wealthy man, and his eventual fortune — today worth almost $453 million — laid the basis for the Nobel Endowment that funds the awards today.

Each individual award is worth $1.5 million, which pales in comparison to the intrinsic value it adds to its recipients. It is not uncommon for Nobel Laureates to have easier access to research grants and willing investors. Some evidence suggests that the sheer satisfaction of winning a prize even adds two years to a recipient’s life. The awards, however, are rarely won alone, with a maximum of three people allowed to share the prize in any given category. In fact, there are researchers infamous for limiting any work they think is Nobel-worthy to only three authors. To say that such thinking is presumptuous would be an understatement. Most publications that take on Nobel status take decades to earn recognition. The prize — which cannot be awarded posthumously — sometimes never even makes it into the hands of researchers who have done groundbreaking work simply because they die before being Nobel Media AB 2015/ Pi Frisk recognized. The forever controversial Rosalind Franklin, for example, to isolate ones that produced antibiotic agents. He came across the was not only cheated by Watson and Crick, but also cheated by time species that produced this beneficial chemical, but it was the effort itself — having died 4 years before the Nobel Prize was awarded for the of American parasitologist Campbell that resulted in identification elucidation of DNA’s structure. of the active compound. Campbell demonstrated the efficacy of Avertimicin against parasites in animal models, and the rest was Who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine & Physiology this year, and history. Avertimicin has since been modified to form other useful why should I care? compounds, and the class of drugs has been used to treat millions The 2015 Nobel Prize was split amongst three researchers, one of against devastating conditions like river blindness and lymphatic whom made history for her homeland. Having won the lion’s share of filariasis. the prize — half of the touted $1.5 million — Dr. Youyou Tu is the first Together, the work of these scientists has saved countless lives, but Chinese woman to become a Nobel Laureate, cementing herself as a the lessons learned from the way they approached their respective rarity in this male-dominated tradition. During the early 1970s, Tu was problems are equally important. As a collective society, we are commissioned by the Chinese government to remedy malaria, which battling parasites and bacteria that are increasingly resistant to the was killing troops stationed in Vietnam by the hundreds. The parasite drugs we have developed. Like in the Greek myth of Sisyphus — an responsible for malarial disease — Plasmodium falciparum — causes ancient king cursed by Zeus to push a boulder uphill for eternity — changes to red blood cells that blocks vessels all over the body, often we too are cursed with the endless task of trying to find chemicals resulting in death if left untreated. Tu tackled the challenge via a very to defeat microorganisms that are continually developing resistance. systematic but established approach, followed by a remarkably unique In an era when we are quickly running out of ideas, Omura has one. The initial strategy involved high volume screening of various refocused the world’s attention on a source of antibiotics that is herbal remedies used on animals infected with malaria. This approach relatively untapped: soil bacteria. These microorganisms have been revealed the use of sweet wormwood plant (Artemisia annua) as a fighting against each other using chemicals for longer than we potential treatment. Unfortunately, the usage of this herbal remedy gave can even imagine. Some of them have become exceedingly skilled effective but inconsistent results, so Tu did something quite uncommon: at taking out their enemies (like Streptomyces) and could be an she looked back at ancient Chinese texts which gave her the clues necessary to eventually extract the active antimalarial compound in sweet excellent source of new compounds to use against the pathogens that wormwood (Artemisinin). The potency of this drug against malaria was plague us. By shedding empirical light on ancient chinese medicine, unprecedented before its time, and since its inception it has been used to Tu demonstrated that there is a deep well of medical knowledge still available to us outside the realm of allopathic medicine. She treat over 1 billion people! showed us that although often misleading, alternative and ancient Dr. Satoshi Omura and Dr. William Campbell, the other recipients medicines might just yield some very potent products when evaluated of the 2015 prize, each received one fourth of the award each for the seriously by a sharp scientific mind. Together these decade old discovery and characterization of Avertimicin — a compound that accomplishments are providing lessons that are more valuable than launched an entirely new class of antiparasitic drugs. Omura did the ever. painstaking screening of many species of the soil bacteria Streptomyces

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