Abinaya's Articles
Coffee: Thumbs up or down? Don’t know? Ask your genes.
Abinaya Sivanandan
Millions of people around the world rely on coffee to get them through the days. In fact, about 90% of the United States population consumes at least 1 caffeinated beverage per day. But others, no matter their drowsiness, will never turn to a steaming mug of coffee. It keeps them up, or the taste is too off. But why? How does coffee have such drastically different effects on different people? Scientists may have an answer: insomnia, jitters, and the loved/hated bitter tastes could in fact be due to minute variations in a person’s genetic code.
Consistent drinkers of coffee develop a level of tolerance to caffeine over time, one that can be reversed just by cutting back on the daily cup. However, if your aversion to coffee comes from the anxiety, sleeplessness or nausea some people experience with this popular drink, it could be the work of variations the size of a single nucleotide1 in your DNA. (The A, T, C, and G2 of the genetic alphabet.)
To start, your metabolism is responsible for dealing with the caffeine in your system. For this process, most of the work is done by two very important genes. The CYP1A2 gene produces a liver enzyme, by which approximately 95% of all ingested caffeine is metabolized. Your AHR gene is responsible for controlling how much of that enzyme is produced. Together, they determine the amount of caffeine circulating in your bloodstream, and for how long. This means someone with a genetic variation that is the causation of a decreased caffeine metabolism is likely to consume less coffee than a person with a genetic variation leading to an increased caffeine metabolism. That is to say, if you’re a fast metabolizer, caffeine won’t persist long enough to thoroughly impact the stimulus centers of your brain and you might end up reaching for a second cup. (And another, and another.) If your body doesn’t produce as much of the enzyme, the chemical will circulate for a longer time period at a higher percentage, which in turn leads to longer-lasting effects.
In terms of caffeine’s impact on the brain’s activity and reward centers, however, a different set of genes has been implicated. Adenosine, a nucleoside3, is known to promote drowsiness by slowing nerve activity and obstructing the release of feel-good substances in the brain, such as dopamine. When caffeine is circulating in the bloodstream, it takes the place of Adenosine and promotes wakefulness, which can lead to insomnia. The expression of Adenosine receptors is ADORA2A, and various studies show that variants in this gene influence your reaction to caffeine. It is likely the reason some people experience insomnia even after a small sip early in the day. It is also known to cause anxiety from a small amount of caffeine in people with a certain variant of the gene.
Even the bitter taste can be perceived differently by different people, depending on the strength of their bitter-receptor genes. A person more able to taste the bitterness of the coffee may be less likely to enjoy it, though they may begin to through conditioning. A person less able to taste the bitterness will likely be less put off by the taste.
Overall, there are many reasons why people like or don’t like coffee. A plentiful amount of those reasons are due to your own body, and your genes. So on what side do you fall?
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: The blaze that ignited better working conditions everywhere:
Abinaya Sivanandan
It was another day in the busy streets of New York. Saturday, though now commonly a day off from work, yielded an opportunity to work more hours and earn more income for the many people who found work inside the many floors of the Asch Building. 16-year-old Anna Altman, Annie to her close friends and family, was one of these people. She worked as a sewing machine operator, along with hundreds of others. On the fateful afternoon of March 25, 1911, at 4:30 PM, Annie was likely just beginning to retire for the day as the quitting time of 4:45 PM steadily approached.
She never had the chance.
Annie Altman was just one of the 146 people who perished in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. Women, men, and children even younger than Annie who had been working hard under inhumane conditions were left to the mercy of the flames. Those who thundered down the stairwells were met by a locked doorway. A doorway that was locked because the owners were afraid they’d steal. The workers weren’t treated like humans; far from it. And it showed, as the owners and their families escaped and left the workers to the flames. Some met their end in the glow of the fiery blaze. Others, like Annie, jumped from the windows of their floor to a quicker death. The fire itself was over far sooner than anyone expected, but the effects lasted far longer.
The 146 people who perished in the fire deserved justice; their families commanded it.
In the aftermath of the fire, many first blamed New York City’s Building Department, claiming its inadequate inspection as the cause for the fire. It came to light that there was only one fire escape, but claims against the department were disproved when Borough President George McAneny stated the building met standards eleven years ago when plans were filed; the department was so underfunded and understaffed that they had no resources to check the buildings that were not being constructed. Most of the blame then fell upon “The Shirtwaist Kings,” Isaac Harris and Max Blanck. As the owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, they were well known for their business, and now infamous. Their trial began on December 4, 1911, and the courtrooms were brimming with angry family members and friends seeking justice. On December 27th, after discussing for barely 2 hours, the verdict of not guilty was returned. One juror, Victor Steinman, stated, “I believed that the door was locked at the time of the fire, but we couldn’t find them guilty unless we believed they knew the door was locked.” Outrage was largely prevalent among the population, but despite the efforts of many, justice could not be won. About 3 years after the fire, on March 11,1914, 23 individual civil suits against the owner of the Asch building were settled. Approximately $75 was awarded to each grieving family. $75 for a lifetime.
Though the families and friends did not receive much for the lives of their dearest, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was good for at least one thing. Widespread outrage and public anger resulted in the culmination of a Factory Investigating Commission with 9 members. They took a thorough examination of working conditions in New York factories, and their suggestions for improvement were the introduction to what is called “The Golden Era in Remedial Factory Legislation.” From 1911-1914, 36 new laws were enacted, changing the state’s labor code for the better. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire cost 146 lives, a transaction that can never be reversed, but along with that came changes that were for the better, and a growing conscience for the people of New York.
Hurricane Florence: by Abinaya S.
September 13, 2018
Late at night on September 12, hurricane Florence was downgraded to a category 2. However, conditions are still dangerous as the hurricane edges closer to landfall. As of 8 AM ET on September 13, the NHC (National Hurricane Center) released a statement reporting that Florence was centered about 170 miles southeast of Wilmington, NC, and 220 miles east of Myrtle Beach, SC.
The NHC says that Florence is a “large hurricane”, with its winds extending outward up to 80 miles from the center, and the tropical-storm winds extend out to 195 miles.
According to meteorologists, Florence is expected to finally make landfall over the coast of southern NC and eastern SC later today, on September 13. However, the forecast track has shifted relatively south and west, putting Georgia in its possible path of destruction.
Approximately 5.25 million residents are under hurricane watch or warnings, around the southeast coast of the United States.
Residents in Georgia will likely receive only heavy rains and tropical storm winds, but we must be prepared for Florence to shift its peril on us.
Can laughter really help you live longer?
By Abinaya S.
Published September 25, 2018
One question that has been brought up by many conversations is if laughing truly has the ability to extend your life. It can, in fact, cause you to live longer. Anger, sadness, frustration, and other negative emotions such as these can increase your levels of stress, which often leads to other, more serious physical conditions.
Laughing and forgetting about the stress for a moment can scientifically help you live longer by lowering your stress levels, and thus lower the risk of a dangerous condition. Many studies have been performed to determine the answer to this question, and all have relatively similar results.
So, remember to live, love, and most importantly, LAUGH.
The Wilhelm Gustloff
By Abinaya S.
Published September 25, 2018
The infamous incidents of both the Titanic and the Lusitania left a mark on history that can never be repaired. But with their death tolls of 1,500 and 1,200, these horrible maritime incidents are nothing compared to the tragedy of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship carrying about 10,000 passengers from Germany during WW2. Somewhere in the Baltic Sea, Soviet sub S-13 struck it down, leaving the passengers of a ship that was only meant for 1,500 people to fend for themselves in the icy waters.
With far too few lifeboats, an estimated 9,343 people didn’t survive. Most were war refugees, fleeing the horrors in Germany, and half were just young children. But even though the death toll of this tragedy is six times larger than that of the Titanic, school curriculums and educators neglect to teach us about it.
As sad as it may be, it’s a part of history, and it’s something we need to know. As George Santayana wisely stated, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”