Vedem – In the Lead

I attended a very touching ceremony for the commemoration of the holocaust at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.  There were a number of holocaust survivors including my dear friend Gitta Rosenzweig, a hidden child of the holocaust.

There were also many dignitaries, councils from a number of European countries, rabbis, and a children choir.  They spoke about the Butterfly Project: A living memorial to honor the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust.  People getting together to paint as many ceramic butterflies as the number of kids killed in the Holocaust.

Vedem-the magazine from the concentration camp Terezin:

The most exciting part of the ceremony was the opening of the exhibition named Vedem.  Vedem (In the Lead) is Czech-language literary magazine that existed from 1942 to 1944 in the Terezin concentration camp, during the Holocaust. It was hand-produced by a group of boys living in the Home One barracks, led by Editor-in-chief Petr Ginz. Altogether, some 700 pages of Vedem survived World War II.  Some of these pages are displayed in this very touching exhibition.

Vedem-The creativity of children in danger:

A drawing by Petr Ginz of the planet Earth as seen from the Moon was taken by Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon onto Space Shuttle Columbia, which disintegrated upon its reentry into the earth’s atmosphere.

Moon Landscape: Memory of the Holocaust into space:

 At 16, Ginz was deported to Auschwitz, where he was gassed.

This exhibition is demonstrating the power of imagination and creativity of human beings under the most distressing conditions.  What a waste of the human potential...

Things I learned from my father: Constancy

I am often asked why am I always speaking of my mother.  What about my father?  The simple answer is that my mother was the dominant parent.  She was the one who was always heard and controlled our social connections.  My father was the more quiet personality who accepted most of my mother’s decisions.  He adored my mother and always praised all her qualities.

My father has certainly affected my personality, as he was very accepting and non-combative.  The most important thing for him was the constancy in life.  Observing the traditions, keeping the Sabbath, keeping the holidays and days of remembrance.  Attending important family events such as weddings and Bar-Mitzvahs.

We always had a festive meal to welcome the Sabbath on Friday night.  My father presided over the table with a very constant manner of reading the prayers, blessing his wife and children, blessing over the wine and the bread.  He never missed a Shabbat morning service and was always up before anyone to attend the early prayer ritual.  By the time he was back we were up and ready for a small meal and again he presided with a Kiddush prayer over wine and bread.

In the Jewish calendar there is a fast almost every month: The Yom Kippur fast is most known.  But my father observed all the others: He fasted in memory of his mother and father’s deaths.  He fasted in memory of the destruction of the Jewish Temple: Tisha B’Av, the fast of Ester before Purim, the fast of the eldest child on the eve of Passover.

Most Jewish families who came to Israel from Iran had this social structure that the man is out to make a living and the woman is the one who stays home, cooks and cleans and brings up the children.  My grandfather was a traveling salesman back in Iran.  He traveled from Turkey to Iraq to Iran selling wool.  He was hardly ever home.  In Israel most men in the family were in some kind of trade.  My father was a salesman as well.  He was home every night, so he participated in the household chores by doing the weekly shopping.  Some of the women had part time jobs outside the house.  Many worked from home sawing clothes for others.

I was an exceptional child as I excelled in school.  Both my parents did not exactly know how to deal with a bright little girl.  I was a voracious reader early on.  This is what my father had to say when he saw me reading a thick book: “How do you remember the beginning of the book by the time you get to the end?”  Occasionally he would attend parents meetings in school.  He was always bragging to everyone about the compliments he hears from my teachers.

In my teenage years we always had this push and pull between the traditions of my family compared with my friends from more progressive families.  I could never follow my classmate who had her boyfriend spend the night at home with her.  However, my father was always more sensitive to my emotional needs than my mother.  He would defend me against my mother when we had a social argument.

My father had a stroke right after I left home.  Communication with him was difficult after that.  After he died I remember my mother’s comment: “I miss your father’s constancy.  He made me get up every morning and prepare three meals every day and stay on top of life.”  She also reminded us every year on the day of his memorial.  So I remember that he died in the winter

My father always shows up in my dreams.  Some sweet dreams, some dreams when I am stressed and look for guidance.  A sort of a guardian angel. 

Basic Science #7: Albumin

Albumin is a large abundant protein in our blood.  When blood is collected in a tube and left to stand, the red cells, containing hemoglobin will sink to the bottom.  The liquid on top is called serum or plasma.   Albumin gives it the yellowish color.  Serum also contains various components important for our overall health.  The white blood cells and platelets will be in between these two layers - in the interphase.

We should all know about a blood test for Albumin (by my health care provider):

Normal amounts of Albumin: 3.3 - 4.8 g/dL. Albumin is a protein that is made in the liver and released into the blood. It helps keep the blood from leaking out of blood vessels. Albumin also helps carry some medicines and other substances through the blood and is important for tissue growth and healing.

Chemistry of albumin: Human serum albumin - HSA is made of 609 amino acids.  (Yes six hundred and nine amino acids!)  Bovine serum albumin - BSA has a very similar chemistry with small differences in amino acid sequence.   Here is the 3D structure of both proteins pointing out this specific difference:

Human and Bovine Serum Albumin:

The similar structure of albumin in various organisms can be followed from lower organisms to higher ones.  This is the scientific base of evolution.  In comparative genetics the scientists can compare the amino acid sequence of mouse, rat, dog, bovine and human and show the homology.  There is a higher fit or homology between human and bovine, than between human and mouse.

Albumins belong to a group of proteins described as globular proteins, referring to their spherical shape.  This shape makes them soluble in water, so their location in the cell is in the aqueous, or water environment.  Some proteins are membrane proteins which means they are not soluble in water and will be attached to the cell wall or membrane. 

An important aspect of biochemistry of proteins is transport of nutrients or drugs depending on their solubility in water.  Albumin has an important role as a “universal” solvent.  Here you can see how Albumin can attach various molecules as fatty acids which are lipids, or calcium which is a small ion, and transfer them through the blood to their destination in the body.

Albumin attached to various drugs and nutrients:

In this post on Albumin I have introduced the principles of soluble and membrane proteins and some basis of evolution. I hope more people would study these topics and learn to appreciate our amazing complex biology.

Happy Purim!

Fira, my uncle's wife arrived in Israel from Mashad many years after our family.  She was always known for her outstanding cooking skills.  Even after we were all grown ups , my mother kept telling to go to Fira so I can learn to cook!
These days Fira is running cooking workshops and parties in addition to her catering business.  
Here are some of Fira's sweet memories of "Mishloach Manot" the custom straight out of the Megillah to take packages of goodies to relatives, friends and the poor: 
"I remember this tradition with sweetness and richness!
In the morning of the holiday all of us the Jewish kids, would wake up with happiness in our hearts.  We would put on our finest clothes, and go on our mission of delivering the goods our moms made.  Each family had a tray including all the goodies and the kids would go to the Jewish families and deliver them.  The woman who dared to forget any of the items was scrutinized!  "Mishloach Manot" was the topic of the conversation the whole day!  How was her Halva?  What was the smell of her non tafton?  And the kids were walking around with the decorated trays and thoroughly enjoying every moment of the celebration.
The traditional Mashadi "Mishloach Manot" includes all these sweets: "Shir berenge" (rice with milk) Halva (Rice, sugar, cinnamon, curcumin, saffron) Gushfil (Persian style elephant's ears, unlike the Ozney Haman- Haman's ears or Hamentashen.) Nan tafton (sweet rolls) and Hard boiled eggs decorated with stars of David."

I have sweet memories from the Shapira neighborhood of Tel Aviv.  At the time no family had a cooking oven.  Across the street from my Aunt Soraya's apartment was a bakery.  Our mothers would prepare all the dough at home and then walk to the bakery with all the kids.  The baker provided the large baking trays, the mothers would lay their goods place them in the oven and in a few hours the smells were all over the neighborhood.  We the kids had the best times of our lives.  We happily walked home with our mothers and then helped divide everything into portions and deliver them.  My mom had the best non tafton!
Happy Purim!

News on Pi Day

*Article in the Atlantic Magazine by Jeffery Goldberg

THE OBAMA DOCTRINE

The U.S. president talks through his hardest decisions about America's role in the world. He blames France and UK for not following up on his post war plan. America cannot continue paying for policing the world!  
Look at the article on THE BIDDING WAR in Afghanistan.  Close to a trillion dollar for the cost of war!

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/04/the-obama-doctrine/471525/

*Newsweek magazine.  Article by Elijah Wolfson

CHILD ABUSE ALLEGATIONS PLAGUE THE HASIDIC COMMUNITY

This is a 16 page article!

http://www.newsweek.com/2016/03/11/child-abuse-allegations-hasidic-ultraorthodox-jewish-community-brooklyn-432688.html

*New Yorker Magazine.  Article by Matthiew Aikins

How did we spend close to 800,000 million dollars in Afghanistan?

THE BIDDING WAR

How a young Afghan military contractor became spectacularly rich.http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/03/07/the-man-who-made-millions-off-the-afghan-war

New Yorker Magazine:
By David Remnick

Pi Day, falls on March 14th(or 3/14, echoing the first three digits of the mathematical constant). A year ago, to mark the occasion, we asked the mathematician Steven Strogatz to write an essay for our Web site explaining why pi is worth celebrating. Pi, he wrote, “puts infinity within reach.” It’s also crucial to the math not just of circles but of cycles (which are, when you think about it, circles in time). Pi, Strogatz pointed out, “appears in the math that describes the gentle breathing of a baby.” Structural engineers use it to think about earthquakes. Oceanographers use it to think about waves. It’s everywhere.

And this is what I know and feel that numbers are everywhere, numbers matter!  We intuitively grasp and understand this!  Little kids get hold of an iPhone and they immediately grasp the computing power in their small hands!

Basic Science #6: Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin was the first protein that we studied in biochemistry.  I have great fondness for this protein. 

Before I start talking about the chemistry of hemoglobin you should remember a few facts:

*Everybody knows this important protein in our blood. 

*It gives blood the red color because it contains an iron ion. 

*It is essential for binding oxygen and so it gives us energy. 

*Levels of hemoglobin in the blood are measured in any standard blood test. 

*Hemoglobin levels are higher in men than in women and that is one reason why men are usually stronger.

*Hemoglobin levels correlate with the number of red blood cells and levels of iron.  If hemoglobin levels are low it is often caused by iron deficiency anemia.

*The part of the protein that contains iron is called heme.

As I was studying the biology of proteins one fact always amazed me.  My childish impression was that the protein was made once and stayed like that.  But I found out that our cells are continuously making and breaking the proteins according to their need in the machinery of the cell.  If your cell needs the energy it will make more hemoglobin.  While you rest it will break down the protein to its individual amino acids.  And both these processes are very finely controlled.  It is amazing how super intelligent our cells are.

Chemistry of hemoglobin.

Check out this 3D model of hemoglobin:

Hemoglobin is made of 564 amino acids.  Molecular weight of hemoglobin is around 50,000 (For comparison: Oxygen molecule is 16, it fits in a small pocket of hemoglobin.)

Now try to imagine how these 564 amino acids fold in the cell to make the two subunits: a and b. These two subunits then double up to form a tetramer with two of each subunit.  Then the heme is inserted in each of the four subunits for a fully active protein enabling the special function of the hemoglobin - the transfer of the oxygen.  An alteration of any part of this structure of hemoglobin would cause inability to execute its duty of carrying oxygen.

I was really amazed to learn how complex is the structure of such an important basic protein.  The more I learn about the mechanism of action of proteins in our biology I am stunned to see the intricacy of it all.  

To add to the complexity of this we now measure levels of hemoglobin a1c in diabetes patients.  The high level of glucose molecules in the blood causes them to attach to the hemoglobin to form glycated hemoglobin:

I am thankful every day for the way my cells allow me to continue breathing and thinking, running and dancing!

Political Balance in a Democracy

We hear about the phenomenon of Donald Trump having such an unstoppable run to become a Republican candidate for president of the United States. Two of my good intelligent friends told me they will vote for him as they are staunch republicans. It is the kind of people who say anything is better than Hillary, or Obama was the worst thing that happened in the USA.   

One of these friends told me: "Sara, there is no justice there never was and there never will be justice." This may be true but it does not stop me from striving for justice, truth, knowledge. 

We are all proud to be part of the American democracy. How do we improve it?  I want to present some of my ideas of finding balance in our divided politics. 

People will tell you that capitalism is the reason for the economic success of this country. I can show you here where pure capitalism fails. By pure capitalism I mean judging every move by the immediate monetary returns. What is lacking in this policy is a long term vision of the economy and welfare of the citizens. Here are a few examples of where we can improve. 

Nutrition: We have large successful food companies that provide us with fully stacked supermarket shelves. There is no lack of food or malnutrition like in many other places in the world. The downside is that in order to maximize shelf life and so profits the packaged food is loaded with sugar, fat and salt. No one suspected that there is anything wrong with this. No one thought that we are losing balance here. There is over nutrition that our physiology is not equipped with defense mechanisms against it. So we have to deal with epidemic levels of high blood pressure, obesity, cancer. To find balance the food industries should have a minimum degree of social responsibility

Education: I am so lucky to have gotten my education for free back in 1960’s Israel!  Today in the US most people need to get college loans to complete their education and they are burdened with heavy debts when they start their career.  I am even hearing this idea that we do not have enough teachers and universities to give a college education to all.  This idea is completely out of balance.  We can put more people to work building more universities!  There is nothing as important and essential as passing knowledge to future generations.  Again: we need a long term policy!  In addition we now have the internet with an ever growing number of educational websites for every learning disability imaginable.  There is no reason whatsoever that anyone who wants to learn cannot learn!

Clean water and air:  For a balanced political policy clean air and water are essential.  The people who claim it is too expensive to switch from oil to solar energy have no long term vision.  There is abundance of water in the world.  We need all the bright brains to have the knowledge to develop better ways to deliver clean water to as many people as possible.

Health care: A viable democracy requires a healthy knowledgeable electorate.  I had many arguments with those who oppose affordable health care for all.  The last of their points was that we do not have enough doctors and hospitals to care for everyone.  Again there is no long term vision here.  Why did we get to this place?  Why can't we train more doctors?  Why can’t we put people to work building more hospitals? 

I believe in balance between conservative and liberal ideas, tradition and progress.  But if we have an uneducated poor electorate with no affordable health care, why are we surprised that Donald Trump is so ahead in the polls?  We now have citizens with limited education and questionable health overwhelmingly voting for Donald Trump. I wonder if they learned in school about the rise of Hitler.