Elondra Harr

Submission Query

411 Skipper Bowles Dr.

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

January 30^th, 2016

 

Dear Ms. Boyd,

 

According to your agency’s website, you are actively looking for a writer to publish a blog about a popular science topic affecting the world today. I’m pleased to introduce my blog post, “Women Stronger than Men? Studies show Women may have better defenses against flu virus than Men”. Well first, let me start off by giving you my definition of the flu. The Flu: a highly common, potentially deadly viral infection that has caused a tremendous amount of Hysteria throughout the world. I personally wanted to know more about this infamous disease so I decided to write this article from the angle of: Who’s more susceptible? Men or Women? I found this to be quite the fascinating topic and I would like to share this information I found with the readers of your journal. In this blog, I discuss several factors leading up to which sex is actually “stronger”.

Are males really the stronger sex? Or is a just an old belief that really has no credible scientific facts to back it up? Well, some researchers believe that women’s immune systems are actually stronger than men due to the female hormone estrogen. From News Medical, I found that Sabra L. Klein discusses how the female hormone Estrogen actually helps fight off the flu virus. Klein and her colleagues conducted research to see how infected cells from males and females respond to different types of estrogen. Using this research, I wrote about how Estrogen works to fight off the flu virus. My blog post also addresses the fact that certain genes between the sexes switch on and off at certain points, causing women to possibly have an advantage when dealing with autoimmune diseases. I give the readers a better understanding of the differences between women’s immune systems and men’s by providing a few research studies conducted by highly influential research labs at Standford University and John Hopkins School of Public Health. I also add the effects of the male sex hormone testosterone on the flu virus. Studies show that men with higher levels of testosterone may be more likely to get the flu than men with lower levels. I include a study where a multinational team from Stanford University, France, and the University of North Carolina conducted a study where they took blood from 54 women and 37 men of different ages and studied a variety of immune system proteins and cells using complex systems to detect gene expression. I think the readers will find this study very interesting and gives them more insight on how to flu virus works and how genetics really play a significant role.

In this article, I will be covering the scientific reasons as to why women have generally stronger immune systems than men. I display several research studies giving actual proof to the scientific conundrum. To make this article even more useful, I include preventative steps from the CDC for readers to follow to make sure they’re doing their best to keep themselves from getting the flu. I end my blog post by adding precautions that the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends you take to help you prevent the flu. I believe by adding preventative methods to the blog will give the readers a sense of hope that even though their immune systems might be genetically “weaker”, there are still some things they can do to help prevent them from getting sick. I also include the life cycle of a flu virus just so the readers can get a better understanding of what happens to your body when the flu virus actually invades. I think the readers will appreciate this. This interesting topic will surely be quite fascinating and informative to the readers.

Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

Sincerely,

Elondra Harr

Ellen Davis
510 Hinton James Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27515
ellenmd@live.unc.edu

February 4, 2016

Dear Ms. Boyd,

I am a current student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and I am pursuing a degree in a field related to health medicine. I am searching for a cutting-edge magazine, like your own, that will publish my most recent article, “Why Have A Pancreas?” This article chronicles the very real connection between Type 1 Diabetes and a faulty pancreas. Type 1 Diabetes is a very scary disease at large today. While only 5 to 10% of diabetics suffer from Type 1, the disease is extremely horrifying because it targets children. However, this article will also bring solace to parents and family of diabetics because it describes a new device called the Artificial Pancreas that ideally will give diabetics back the control they desire over their body and their lives.

Hormones have more control over your body than you think. This is especially true when it comes to diabetics, who have botched hormones. Diabetics do not have two of the most important hormones, insulin and glucagon. These hormones keep your blood glucose level at a set point. Insulin is a hormone that signals cells to allow glucose to enter the cell and therefore decreases your blood sugar. This may seem negligible, but because of this function you can eat a dozen donuts without having blurred vision or numbness in your appendages. Glucagon is a hormone that signals cells to let glucose leave the cell and therefore increases your blood sugar. This function is also vital because it gives you the ability to skip breakfast without passing out or falling into a coma.

Due to these hormonal challenges, diabetics have to implement different treatments so they can live relatively normal lives. There are many treatments available at present; however, one of the newest treatments is the artificial pancreas. The artificial pancreas is a bit of a misnomer. When you think artificial, you picture a pancreas made up of actual human tissues; however, this artificial pancreas is completely mechanical.

The artificial pancreas is composed of a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), an insulin pump, and a computer algorithm. The CGM and insulin pump are two devices that are commonly used to treat diabetes. The CGM continuously monitors a diabetic’s glucose level, while the insulin pump delivers the hormone insulin to the diabetic’s body. A diabetic will typically use a CGM to identify blood sugar level. Once blood sugar level is found the diabetic will complete calculations to determine appropriate insulin dosage. Finally the diabetic will press buttons on the insulin pump to deliver the insulin. However, the artificial pancreas (AP) is different in that is combines both of these functions. An AP combines the CGM and pump together with an algorithm. This algorithm collects data from the CGM, then decides insulin dosage, and finally commands the insulin pump to deliver a correct insulin dosage. Thus the AP “closes the loop” and creates a mechanical pancreas that can operate without human help.

The remainder of my article will explain how the old treatments worked and compare them with the workings of the artificial pancreas. It will go on to explain why the artificial pancreas is so beneficial, and then provide a personal story that gives insight into how the artificial pancreas could improve daily life of diabetics. I will also present some hopeful results from the latest clinical trials.

This article is informative and fascinating. I believe it will fit well with the magazine you have built.

Thank you for your time,

Ellen Davis