Breakthrough - Science Journal - Winter/February 2020

The Ramaz Science Journal Winter Edition / February 2020

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Table of Contents

Dopamine Fasting

Air Pollution Linked to Feeling of

by Esther Cabot ‘21

Stress Among Teens

Pg. 3

by Batya Levy ‘21 Pg. 9

Ancient Chess Piece

by Sydney Eisenstein ’22 Pg. 4 Stealthy Albatross

by Daniella Feingold ’''20 Pg. 6

Groundbreaking Cancer Research at The Tel Aviv University

by David Rivietz ‘22 Pg. 11 A New Planet Yet To Be

Holiday Waste

Discovered?

by Arielle Levy ‘21

by Isaac Silverman ‘21 Pg. 13

Pg. 8

Genetic Testing in the “Embryonic Stage”

by Samantha Sinensky ’21 Pg. 15

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Dopamine Fasting Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, serves many functions within the brain. By exchanging chemicals passed through neurons, brain cells work together to process information and direct behavior. An organ known as the “mesolimbic reward pathway,” which helps control our response to pleasure, relies on dopamine to function properly. In any event, dopamine fasting blocks this pathway in order to break an addiction to our hyper-stimulating world.

It is important to note that the idea behind dopamine fasting is not to literally lower dopamine levels. Rather, its goal is to encourage people to reduce time spent on problematic behavior, such as drug abuse. When the brain realizes that it may soon earn a reward, it receives an initial hit of dopamine and another hit when it receives the reward itself. One of the things that happens when people cut themselves off from these rewards is that they suddenly become aware of their bodies in a new way. After a fast, they report feeling more focused and happy engaging in activities they’d avoided. That said, it’s unrealistic to cut out all pleasurable experiences from your life but maybe consciously refraining can be a good thing.

Esther Cabot ‘21

Reference “Is There Actually Science Behind 'Dopamine Fasting'?” LiveScience, Purch, www.livescience.com/isthere-science-behind-dopamine-fasting-trend.html? _gl=1%2A170vnd5%2A_ga%2AYW1wLUxJbzZRT0V5aHN4VHZGeDJleXlmaWk2RGd1OHc1RW hRZkFrRzVkdzdONG1SWE9EQ0U0N0lFX3dMNmRfcDJJcnA.

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Ancient Chess Piece

The oldest known chess piece was recently found! At the Jordanian site of Humayma, a little, rectangular stone was excavated. It is thought that this stone is a rook dating back to approximately 1,300 years ago. The rectangular stone is made of sandstone. The stone has two projections, like a rook. In the same area, other rooks have been found at other Islamic sites. John Oleson, an archeologist at the University of Victoria in Canada, says that the rooks from other Islamic sites are at least a century older than the rook found at Humayma. Oleson notes that the comparisons between the rock carving and other early chess pieces, were very similar and convincing. This rook has the same shape as other early Islamic chess pieces.

Less complex board games than chess date back to around 4,000 years in Eurasia. Oleson says that written accounts suggest that chess originated in India at least 1,400 years ago. It is assumed that merchants and diplomats spread the game westward. Humayma was once a major trade route between Asia and the Middle East, so it appears likely that chess made its way along the route. The chess piece excavated at Humayma dates back to between 680 and 749, when Humayma was owned by an Islamic family known as the Abbasid family.

Oleson says, “Chess became very popular in the early Islamic world.” He says that chess brought together people with various backgrounds. Islamic texts of that time portray chess matches between Muslims and Christians, and between the rich and the poor. Oleson says that rooks from southwestern Asia had two projections at the top to represent two-horse chariots. These chariots date to as early as the late 700s. Similar to how chess matches today bring people with diverse backgrounds together, this discovery indicates to us that chess has been bringing people with diverse backgrounds together for over 1,000 years.

Sydney Eisenstein ‘22

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References Bower, Bruce. “A carved rock found in Jordan may be the oldest known chess piece.” Science News, 22 Nov. 2019, https://www.sciencenews.org/article/carved-rock-found-jordan-mayBe-oldest-known-chess-piece Jones, Alexandra Mae. “Canadian archeologist may have found oldest known chess piece.”

CTV News, 24 Nov. 2019, https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/canadian-archeologist-may-have-foundOldest-known-chess-piece-1.4700028 Yirka, Bob. “Chess piece found in Jordan may be world’s oldest.” Phys.Org, 27 Nov. 2019, https://phys.org/news/2019-11-chess-piece-jordan-world-oldest.html

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Stealthy Albatross Albatross are seabirds that can cover great distances with minimal effort; they are the only birds that can cover 9,900 miles without landing. They are also one of the largest flying birds with a maximum wing span of 12 ft. They eat squid, fish, and krill, and hunt by scavenging, seizing, and diving.

Henri Weimerskirch recently published a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He is a marine ecologist that works for the French National Center for Scientific Research.

His team attached two ounce data loggers to 169 Albatross in breeding colonies on the Amsterdam, Crozet, and Kerguelen Islands, outposts in the Southern Indian Ocean. The data loggers were made of a GPS antenna, a radar detector, and an antenna for transmitting data to satellites. In addition, the loggers were solar powered. It took roughly ten minutes for two people to attach a logger to the back of an Albatross, who were very easy to work with. Albatross were chosen for this study because of their aforementioned size, speed, and taste for fish. The researchers monitored the birds for eight months, in which they covered about eighteen million square miles. Since Albatross are attracted to fishing vessels, the loggers on their backs can sense radar signals of fishing boats. Within this time, the loggers counted radar blips from 353 vessels. However, only 253 of those boats had their automatic Identification System Transponder on. These transponders broadcast the ship’s identity, position, course, and speed as mandated by the International Maritime Organization law. That means the 28% of those boats had their transponders off in order to fish without a license, or move illegal catches onto cargo vessels. In international waters, the study found that 37% of boats had their transponders turned off. Because the information from birds logger and the boats transponders can be viewed in real time, Albatross may help government officials find suspicious boats.

The next steps of this study are to make the loggers smaller, try them with other seabirds, and in places such as New Zealand, Hawaii, and South Georgia.

Daniella Feingold '20

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References “Albatross.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Jan. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatross.

Kornei, Katherine. “They're Stealthy at Sea, but They Can't Hide From the Albatross.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 27 Jan. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/science/ albatross-ocean-radar.html.

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The Holidays and Their Waste The holidays are a time of great excitement. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years are fun times of eating and gifts. However, because of their glamour, it is easy to forget that they are also a time of waste. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency says that during these holidays, Americans throw away twenty five percent more trash than on a usual day. This may seem insignificant to some, but that’s twenty five million tons of extra trash being discarded. During Thanksgiving, many people share what they are thankful for, but it seems the Earth is forgotten in that instance. Thirty five percent of a Thanksgiving turkey is sent to the landfill. On Christmas and Hanukkah, far more plastic and paper are wasted due to the American love of materialism. In certain houses, presents and gifts are given in plentiful amounts. In the UK, the average child receives sixteen presents. The waste from gifts is not considered a present for the planet. Many of the waste builds up in the oceans and kills many animals. Also, six million trees are wasted each year. People said that they would rather throw out their faux plastic trees than reuse them for the next year. On New Years, the purchasing of paraphernalia with the new year labeled on is just one of the wasteful habits people have.

At New Year parties people waste a tremendous amount of food and drinks. This leaves lots of plastic waste and food scraps sent to the landfill. Instead of making grand New Year resolutions, maybe try being kinder to the planet. Although these holidays can make you feel like it’s hopeless to try to care for the planet, fear not! They are many options that we can try to reduce our waste during these eventful times. If you want to be really adventurous, there are vegan friendly plant based turkeys.

However, if that is a bit too adventurous for you, try to buy a smaller turkey that you and your family will finish. Also, you can compost your food waste, take leftovers home, or give them to a homeless shelter. For Christmas, just compost your tree or reuse your plastic one from the previous year. For Hanukkah and Christmas, give your friends and family zero waste gifts or simply don’t wrap them. For your New Years parties, try a potluck, where everyone can bring a dish in a reusable baking pan. Also, for the kiddos out there, sixteen or more presents is a bit decadent.

Arielle Levy ‘21

References “How Much Waste Does the Festive Season Create?” How Much Waste Does the Festive Season Create? - PHS Wastekit, www.phswastekit.co.uk/blog/posts/20-11-2018/how-much-wastedoes-the-festive-season-create.

Meaghan. “Tips for Reducing Your Thanksgiving & Holiday Waste.” Lakeshore Recycling Systems, 28 Feb. 2018, www.lrsrecycles.com/tips-for-reducing-your-thanksgiving-holiday-waste/.

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Air Pollution Linked to Feeling of Stress Among Teens The air we breathe is polluted by tiny particles that are less than 2.5 micrometers in size. These pollutants come from car engines, fireplaces, and coal-burning power plants, and harm our health in several ways. Those who breathe dirty air regularly, are at more of a risk of developing immune disorders, lung cancer, or heart disease.

Adolescence is considered a period of heightened stress. From school to friends to families, it’s common for an adolescent to experience situations where they feel pressured. During stressful situations, a body responds accordingly. A faster heart rate, tense muscles, faster breathing, and sweating are common. A new study shows that tweens and teens who breathe polluted air, respond more strongly to stress. And those with anxiety or depression are especially sensitive to these pollutant effects.

Psychologist Jonas Miller, especially interested in stress in teens, wanted to study if there was a correlation between air pollution and the body’s response to stress. Miller knew that teens spend more time outdoors than adults do, so they breathe in more tiny pollutants. His team recruited a group of 144 adolescents, mostly those living in or near San Francisco, California, which ranks among the top cities in the U.S. with the worst air quality. Information about each participant was collected including, physical and social information, their height and weight, whether they had started puberty, how much money their parents made, and whether they felt anxious or liked by others.

Each student was required to participate in a stress test, while hooked up to sensors monitoring their heart rate and sweat levels. Miller found that at rest, the students’ bodies reacted similarly, no matter where they lived or how dirty the air was near their home. But differences began to emerge as the test got tough. Those who lived in neighborhoods with more air pollution, reacted more strongly to stress, their heartbeats were more irregular, and they sweat more than teens who lived in neighborhoods with cleaner air. And for those students who reported depression or anxiety, the effects were twice as strong.

Epidemiologist Anjum Hajat, who was not involved with the project but thought it was interesting, said, “Miller’s study provides unique evidence of the negative health impacts of air pollution among adolescents.”

The question remaining, how can teens limit their exposure to air pollution? According to Miller, time outside during rush hour should be limited. That’s especially important “on days when air pollution is particularly strong.” Indoors, exposure to tiny pollutants can be reduced by the use of air purifiers with HEPA filters. Finally, Miller says, “Teens also should get mental help when they need it,

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treating symptoms of anxiety and depression can boost people’s resistance to the harmful effects of fine-particle air pollution.”

Batya Levy ‘21

Reference Stevens, Alison Pearce. “Air Pollution Intensifies a Teen's Feeling of Stress.” Science News for Students, 18 Oct. 2019, www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/air-pollution-intensifies-teens-feelingstress.

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Groundbreaking Cancer Research at The Tel Aviv University Researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a cell called PJ34 that destroys Pancreatic cancer cells. Prof. Malka Cohen-Armon and her team at Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine performed their experiment by placing xenografts of human Pancreatic Cancer cells in mice.

The researchers had to compromise the mice's immune system in order for them not to reject the cells.

Pancreatic Cancer is a very dangerous cancer for many reasons. For one it is very hard to detect because there is no screening that can detect it. Usually, it is found when it is too late where the tumor is at a stage in which it can not be operated upon. At this point, it has also most likely spread to other parts of the body. The 10% of people who are diagnosed early on and can get it removed have a 34% chance of surviving 5 years. For the 52% of people who find it at later stages, the 5-year survival rate drops to 3%.

“In research published in 2017, we discovered a mechanism that causes the self-destruction of human cancer cells during their duplication (mitosis) without affecting normal cells,” explained Cohen-Armon. “We have now harnessed this information to efficiently eradicate human pancreatic cancer cells in xenografts.”(Israel21c).

Prof. Malka Cohen-Armon’s team worked alongside Dr. Talia Golan’s team. The collaborators performed the experiment at the Cancer Research Center at Sheba Medical Center. They injected the self-destructing Cancer cell(PJ34) into the mice for 14 days straight.

After one month of these injections, the tumor cells in the mice had been reduced from a range of 80-90%. It was reported that one of the mice’s tumors had disappeared entirely.

One might think that a treatment like this would have terrible side effects. Prof. Malka Armon-Cohen stated that the mice did not, in fact, have any adverse side effects of any sort including weight loss and behavioral change. Even more so the cell attacks only Human Cancer cells and does not affect natural cells unlike treatments such as Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy.

The PJ34 development by Israeli researchers is now being tested in pre-clinical trials to help combat this severely intense Cancer. The future development of this cell could prove to help those with other cancers such as Lymphoma, Breast, and Lung cancer.

David Rivietz ’22

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References “American Friends of Tel Aviv University - American Friends of Tel Aviv University.”

American Friends of Tel Aviv University - American Friends of Tel Aviv University, www.aftau.org/.

“New Treatment Triggers Self-Destruction of Pancreatic Cancer Cells.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 3 Dec. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191203102018.htm.

“Pancreatic Cancer - Statistics.” Cancer.Net, 10 Apr. 2019, www.cancer.net/cancer-types/ pancreatic-cancer/statistics.

Visochek, Leonid, et al. “The Phenanthrene Derivative PJ34 Exclusively Eradicates Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells in Xenografts.” Oncotarget, Impact Journals, 11 Oct. 2019, www.oncotarget.com/index.php? journal=oncotarget&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=27268.

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A New Planet Yet To Be Discovered?

It has been nearly a century since the last discovery of a new planet in our solar system. In February 1930, Pluto became the most recent planet to be discovered, only to be refuted as a planet in 2006. Now there is a hunt being conducted for a new elusive planet on the outer edge of the solar system. This planet has for now been dubbed “Planet X” or “Planet Nine.”

For over a century, research has been conducted to find this hiding planet. In fact, it was during this research when the accidental discovery of Pluto was made. What had prompted astronomists to begin a search was that they had found out that there was something causing gravitational effects on our solar system.

When Pluto had been discovered, it was concluded that it could not have been it that was causing such large gravitational effects due to Pluto’s size. Although research had been put on the “back burner” for some time now, outward orbit discoveries have been made. For example, last year an object was discovered and designated as 2015 TG387 which rests on an outer orbit (the Kuiper Belt) approximately 0.03 light years from the sun.

More and more discoveries are being made on the edge of the solar system. With the discovery of 2015 TG387 as well as several other new “mini-worlds”, astonishing patterns have been found by astronomists. This pattern gives weight to the argument that a larger celestial body is gravitationally affecting its nearby neighbors. It is even a belief that Planet X might be the reason for other planets tilts. However, a competing argument has been presented which states that the apparent pattern that has been created could be due to a large disk of debris in the outer orbit of the solar system beyond Neptune. If this occurrence does happen to be because of a larger exoplanet, there is still the debate of how massive is the planet? Some researchers argue that it is around the size of Neptune (approximately 10 times the Earth’s mass), while others argue that it is half the size of Neptune (approximately 5 times the Earth’s mass). Although compared to Neptune, there is one unique characteristic which neither Neptune or any of the current exoplanets exhibit. Planet X is said to be a “rocky planet.” This means that it is composed mainly of rocks and metals. This is a common similarity for all of the inner planets,

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but yet to be seen in an exoplanet and Planet X would be the first of its kind to share this similarity with the inner planets.

Researchers have been getting closer to locating this missing piece of our solar puzzle. As technology advances, we are allowed to probe deeper into space than ever before. We are circling in on the solutions for all of these debates as researchers say we could be able to discover Planet X within the upcoming decade.

Isaac Silverman ‘21

References Mack, Eric. “The Solar System's Hidden Planet X May Finally Be Spotted Soon.” CNET, CNET, 28 Feb. 2019, www.cnet.com/news/solar-systems-hidden-planet-x-may-finally-be-spottedsoon/.

McSweeney, Kelly, et al. “The Intersection of Technology, Innovation & Creativity.” Now. Powered by Northrop Grumman, now.northropgrumman.com/the-hunt-for-planet-x/.

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Genetic Testing in the “Embryonic Stage” Research scientists studying gene-editing conduct experiments to alter an organism’s DNA, with the ultimate goal of applying their discoveries to humans. During the initial research period, scientists may experiment on human cells in a Petri dish, to be followed by experiments on mice, and perhaps on human embryos. Such experiments are performed with the knowledge of other scientists and the results are published in peerreviewed scientific journals. However, Chinese biophysicist He Jiankaui skipped animal testing and publication in a scientific journal, but rather announced in 2018 at the Human Genome Editing Conference in Hong Kong, that he created the first-ever gene-edited babies.

Jiankui experimented on embryos obtained through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) technology from a couple with a unique health issue. The father was HIV positive and did not want to possibly infect his children with the same virus. Jiankui’s objective was to ensure that the children born would be resistant to HIV. He utilized CRISPR-Cas9, a gene-editing technology, adapted from a bacterial defense mechanism against viral invasion. This technology allows researchers to remove, add, or modify genes.

Following IVF, fraternal twin female embryos had their CCR5 gene disabled (gene “knock-out”) from their genomes. The CCR5 gene is known to produce a protein that the HIV virus uses to enter and infect cells. With the CCR5 gene eliminated, HIV no longer has a means of infiltrating the body cells.

Today, the couple has twin girls that are supposedly HIV resistant, and a third “CRISPR baby” born this past August.

While this may seem to be a happy ending, the science community had mixed reactions to this outcome. Many scientists were quick to point out issues in which He Jiankui approached the experiment and presented the alleged results. The first concern was that a gene normally active in the human body was disabled. As this gene most likely affects other physiological functions in the body aside from penetration of HIV virus, these other functions were compromised. He claimed that the babies were HIV resistant and nothing else in the body was harmed. However, only time and development of the babies can verify that assumption. A new study implied an additional benefit to the knock-out of CCR5; disabling the gene may increase cognitive and memory skills. Yet, there are bound to be negative implications when a gene is disabled. New research has suggested that those who lack the CCR5 gene have a shorter life expectancy and are four times more likely to die from the flu than people carrying the gene. These are major concerns, and more research may attest to the fact that lacking the CCR5 gene will yield more negative outcomes.

Many scientists were shocked to learn of Jiankui’s experiment, utilizing people rather than first working out the experiment with laboratory animals. His research was viewed as a violation of medical

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ethics, as he did not perform sufficient safety testing and did not follow the usual protocol for obtaining participants. It was highly unusual that the results of the experiment were not published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Additionally, Jiankui falsified the ethics review document needed for accepting participants, and even changed blood samples. This avoided laws prohibiting people with HIV from using assisted reproductive technology. If the twins’ health was compromised and could be connected to Jiankui’s experiment, then he could face three to ten years in prison. On the positive side, Jiankui ensured to monitor the twins’ health up to the age of 18 years. However, most likely this will not occur, as the Chinese health ministry instructed him to cease practicing medicine. As a result of the controversy, Jiankui was fired from his place of employment, the Southern University of Science and Technology, in China. Furthermore, he is being investigated by the Chinese government because he violated state laws.

Additional concerns are how Jiankui’s work will affect gene-editing research in the future. There has been discussion for an international moratorium. This would cease all research relating to geneediting in human embryos, regardless of any actual intentions to implant the embryos. Now that Jiankui utilized CRISPR biotechnology before it was deemed safe, preventative action must be taken, assuring that future recklessness does not continue.

Although Jiankui is facing extreme backlash for his actions, certain researchers expressed their support. Dr. George Daley, Dean of Harvard Medical School, feels that ethical debates cloud improving the biotechnology used in Jiankui’s research. Although his methods were unconventional and illegal, this work with gene-editing is worth investigating.

Jiankui’s research sparked scientists in the United States to utilize CRISPR technology on human embryos. Dieter Egli and Katherine Palmerola, at Columbia University, are utilizing the CRISPR technology to repair gene mutations in human embryos. Specifically, their focus is on genetic diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa, an inheritable form of blindness. Yet, unlike Jiankui, this research involves fusing an egg and sperm, with termination of the zygote, prior to further development. There is no intention to implant the pre-embryo into a woman.

He Jiankui’s research was very compelling and may have implications for the field of geneediting far into the future.

Just prior to the publication of this article, He Jiankui was sentenced to three years of jail time and fined $430,000 for manipulation of human embryos with gene-editing, and forging documents to pass an ethics review.

Samantha Sinensky ‘21

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References Belluz, J., 2019, “Is the CRISPR Baby Controversy the Start of a Terrifying New Chapter in Gene Editing?”, Vox, updated Jan. 22nd. www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/11/30/18119589/ crispr-gene-editing-he-jiankui .

Cyranoski, D. 2019, “What’s Next for CRISPR Babies?” Nature, 566:440-442.

Anonymous, 2019, “CRISPR-Cas9 Babies Likely to Die Earlier, Berkeley Study Says, DW.Com, March 6th , www.dw.com/en/crispr-cas9-babies-likely-to-die-earlier-berkeley-study-says/ a-49025884-0 .

Kolata, G., et al. 2018, “Chinese Scientist Claims to Use Crispr to Make First Genetically Edited Babies.” The New York Times, Nov. 26th. www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/health/gene-editingbabies-china.html .

Osborne, H., 2019, “He Jiankui's Gene-Edited Babies Might Have Enhanced Brains.”, Newsweek, Feb. 25th. www.newsweek.com/china-gene-editing-he-jiankui-enhanced-brainfunction-1342441 .

Stein, R., 2019, “New U.S. Experiments Aim To Create Gene-Edited Human Embryos.” NPR, Feb. 1st. www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/01/689623550/new-u-s-experiments-aim-tocreate-gene-edited-human-embryos.

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We hope you enjoyed this issue of BREAKTHROUGH! EDITORS Daniella Feingold ’20 Samantha Sinensky ‘21 FACULTY ADVISOR Ms. Lenore Brachot

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