Snippets of Science

Researcher Dr Vincent Matthews and his team from Indiana University specialize in studying the effects of media violence. Their most recent investigation involved a group of 28 young, male students, assigned to either play violent or non-violent video games everyday for a period of 1 week.The students selected had no prior experience in video gaming. The participants were subjected to MRI scans before and after their gaming experience, while they carried out a series of tasks involving emotional or non-emotional content. 

The MRI scans revealed that the students who played the violent video game had much lower brain activity in regions governing emotions, attention and inhibition of impulses. Dr Matthews explains, “Behavioral studies have shown an increase in aggressive behavior after violent video games, and what we show is the physiological explanation for what the behavioral studies are showing.”

A week after the investigation was completed, the participants were brought back in for another scan. The results of the post-investigation scan showed that a week of no exposure to the violent game resulted in a reversal of brain activity levels similar to the norm, although levels was not quite the same as before the experiment.

During the MRI scan, the male students were presented with violent and non-violent terms in different colors. They were asked to identify the color of the word instead of its meaning, a variation of the typical Stroop effect psychological test. Participants would have the tendency to process the meaning of the word before they are able to identify the color it is written in.

Participants who played non-violent games displayed increased brain activity in the regions involved in emotional responses, when they were shown words with violent indications. As expected, those who were exposed to violent gaming had significantly lower activity levels in comparison to their control scores taken at the start of the experiment.

Though none of these changes appear to be permanent, the study of the brain’s response after regular exposure to violent video games could potentially be useful in determining the impact such activities have on young, developing minds.

(Source: TIME)

Patients with high blood pressure are typically encouraged to eat food that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Doctors often recommend diets that are fruit and vegetable-rich, often containing some of the following:

Celery

This particular vegetable is packed with a phytochemical known as phtalides, which help to relax the muscle tissue of the artery. As a result of the lowered constriction, there is increased blood flow and a resultant lowering of blood pressure.

Cold-Water Fish

Packed with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, cold-water fish are known to be beneficial to our cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart attacks and stroke. The omega-3 fat functions as a blood thinner, easing the flow of blood around the body, making the formation of clots less likely. Since omega-3 fatty acids cannot be synthesized by the body, dietary intake is our only source of this compound.

Berries

Berries are amongst the most nutritious foods available, since they are full of fiber as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are the best within the family because they also help to lower blood pressure. Raspberries have the highest fiber content, while a cup of strawberries provides 136% of the daily vitamin C requirement. Blueberries function more directly, containing a compound known as pterostilbene, which prevents plaque accumulation in the arteries.  

(Source: health.yahoo.net)

Scientists from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine have discovered that the removal of senescent or worn-out cells from aging mice can spare the animals from age-related conditions such as cataracts or muscle loss.

Using a specialized strain of mice with an accelerated aging process, the basis of the investigation involved a removal process as soon as these cells became senescent. Senescent cells are ones that have begun displaying signs of wear, and the body slowly phases them out of function. Once they have been classified as such, the cells will either start on a path to death or are kept around in a permanent senescent state.

The senescent cells that stick around begin producing proteins that normal, healthy cells do not. Scientists studying aging and age-related diseases speculate that these proteins are what leads to several aging-associated conditions. Researcher Darren Baker explains, “They start to turn on a variety of genes that are not good and are thought to be detrimental to the overall function of the tissue.”

The accelerated aging mice used in the investigation are predisposed to developing cataracts, weakened muscles and typically die of heart disease when they reach 10 months of age. The research team treated these mice with a drug that would eliminate all senescent cells. This treatment was repeated every 3 days. Compared with control mice, the treated mice displayed stronger muscle tone, fewer occurrences of cataract development and less wrinkled skin.

Interested in finding out the difference between an early initiated removal and a later phase removal of senescent cells, the researchers treated a second group of accelerated aging mice, but the treatment on these mice only started after 5 months of age. Though the late phase treatment was not able to reverse the aging symptoms in the 5-month old mice, repeated doses lead to a stop in the deterioration of muscles and fat cells.

It should be noted that the removal of senescent cells does not extend lifetime, it simply holds off the development of age-related diseases and conditions. The researchers speculate that death is linked to other pathways independent of these types of cells. Information from further mice studies will be used to hopefully develop gene therapies or vaccines against senescent cells.

(Source: livescience.com)

Surviving severe natural disasters such as an earthquake and a tsunami is expected to impact a person both mentally and emotionally. However, medical personnel directly involved in the recent traumatic event in Japan were advised not to provide immediate counseling to survivors, after latest research suggests the lack of counseling support might be more beneficial in countering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development.

Dr David Forbes of the Australian Center for Posttraumatic Mental Health indicates that PTSD is caused by “an increased engraving of the horrifying memories in the brain, reducing their potential to fade.”. From as far back as the 1980s, some psychologists and counselors begun to consider the possibility that people could be spared from developing PTSD if they were not required to discuss the experience immediately after going through it.

The decision not to counsel the Japan earthquake survivors was sanctioned by Japanese mental health authority officials, after an international review revealed that only 5-10% of natural disaster survivors develop PTSD. A separate investigation published recently also concluded that there was no evidence to indicate that immediate intervention would prevent PTSD.

Researcher Justin Kennard from the University of Queensland believes that middle ground in this debate lies in a specialized version of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This therapy technique involves 4-12 therapy sessions that are administered at least a month after the traumatic event. He postulates that such a time period is sufficient for the survivors to internalize and deal with the emotional impact in their own ways, leaving only those that at most risk to PTSD easily identifiable.

(Source: newscientist.com)

Microglia are specialized immune cells located in our brain. These cells function by scavenging pathogens, protecting neurons from infection. In addition, they clean up debris created from damaged neurons. Recent research carried out Duke neuroscientist Staci Bilbo and her team indicates that microglia behavior has a vital impact on memory and learning.

Previous research by Assistant Professor Bilbo had demonstrated that lab rats subjected to infections at an early age, responded by producing a strong immune reaction against any subsequent infections. During this induction of immunity, microglia release a signaling molecule called Interleukin-1, or IL-1 for short. However, high levels of IL-1 has been known to affect learning abilities and memory development in laboratory animals.

These observations were obtained during a series of experiments that spanned close to a decade, in which very young rats were exposed to infection and challenged again with a similar yet harmless infection later in life. The second challenge is often followed by a highly effective immune response.

The extra IL-1 production by microglia takes place even if the second infection occurs outside the brain. In order to determine how this immune response affects memory, the team placed lab rats in a novel environment, before exposing them to a sound followed closely by a mild electric shock. Control rats that were not subjected to infection at an early age, remembers the novel environment and the subsequent shock treatment after one exposure. Placing normal rats into the novel environment a second time results in them almost immediately freezing in place out of fear. The converse was observed in previously infected rats, which were observed to run around curiously through the new environment almost as if they had never seen the area before.

The rats that were exposed to infection were aged proportionately to a third trimester human fetus, though Dr Bilbo believes more research is required before an accurate prediction of effects can be made for the human brain.

(Source: sciencedaily.com)

A slew of different energy drinks have been flooding the market these past few years. This is not a surprising observation when you note that Americans have spent $9 billion dollars buying these drinks in 2011 alone. Manufacturers that do not have a finger in the pie are eager to jump on board, with the tantalizing promise of boosting your mental capacity and health via the usage of natural substances only. Let’s see if some of these popular ingredients really work.

Caffeine

Being a chemical compound that can stimulate our central nervous system, the effects of caffeine on our bodies have been heavily investigated. Scientific research has indicated that caffeine does work, hence it is found in almost every energy drink in the market. An Austrian study carried out on 100 men given a 100mg of caffeine, displayed a significant increase in brain activity. A similar observation occurred in an investigation by a group from the University of Chicago, in which fatigued people who were give a 200mg jolt, appeared to become twice as alert compared to their non-caffeinated counterparts.

An average caffeine energy drink contains caffeine levels equivalent to two cups of coffee. Such an amount should not pose any problems to most people, provided they stay away from other caffeinated beverages throughout the day. Downing coffee, cola and the occasional energy drink daily could lead to headaches, sleeplessness and nausea.

Glucose

The body utilizes glucose to churn out the energy we require, hence increasing glucose levels via energy drinks seems an understandable enough concept. Men who drank a 6% glucose drink before cycling, demonstrated a 22 minute longer endurance period on the bicycle when compared to those who did not. Despite the increased energy, it should be noted that glucose does not fight fatigue nor keep someone awake.

Given the precarious nature of the body’s blood glucose nature, we should think twice before guzzling glucose-based energy drinks. The sudden influx of glucose would cause the body’s insulin levels to skyrocket, and signal to the body to stop burning fat.

Guarana

The newest arrival to the energy drink market, Guarana is a small South American shrub.The Guarana seed has a caffeine content of 4-5%, as compared to a coffee bean which only contains 1-2%. However, analysts have discovered the dosage of Guarana in most energy drinks are very low. Associate Professor Kevin A. Clauson sums it up, “It probably doesn’t have much of a safety risk, but it also won’t do you any good.”

The various studies that have been carried out on Guarana indicate that an impact can be felt only when you drink enough of it. People who were given a 222mg dosage reported feeling slightly less fatigued and also demonstrated a 30 second faster reaction time. Some scientists are convinced that these effects are due to Guarana’s caffeine content, but others believe the existence of some other component that either produces it’s own stimulative effects or bolsters that of caffeine. 

Ginseng

The ginseng content in most energy drinks is derived from the extract of the ginseng plant root. While studies have shown that it does not improve physical performance, ginseng can improve our brain power. A 200mg extract was given to participants in a study, before they took a cognitive test. Those who were not given the extract performed significantly poorer in the test compared to those who did. Researchers believe this beneficial property stems from ginseng’s ability to increase blood glucose uptake by brain cells. However, most energy drinks in the market do not contain the optimal amount required for the improved cognitive effects to be observed. 

While harmful effects are unlikely to occur from the intake of ginseng energy drinks, some reported negative side effects include diarrhea and its interaction with blood thinning drugs.

Taurine

One of the most abundant amino acids in the human brain, taurine has neurotransmitter properties. However, most scientists are not convinced that taurine can boost mental alertness. This is especially since the amino acid is not able to pass from the blood stream through the membranes that surround the brain. 

Like most others, taurine-based energy drinks are harmless in small amounts, although one should be reminded of the recent case of seizures suffered by 3 people in Phoenix, Arizona, when they drank two heavy-dosage drinks within a short period of time. At this point, studies on the effects of taurine consumption are still lacking, making it difficult to conclude anything regarding its safety or its supposed energy boosting role.

(Source: health.yahoo.net)

The insulin-producing cells in our body are known as beta cells, and they reside within our pancreas. Diabetics suffer from the disease because of either having their beta cells destroyed by immune cells, or because their beta cells never produced sufficient insulin to begin with. Now, a group from Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology believe they have discovered the key to beating diabetes; neural stem cells.

The researchers extracted these stem cells from the olfactory bulb via the nose. The olfactory bulb is a region of the brain that processes smell signals. They also obtained some stem cells from the memory-governing hippocampus. The two groups of neural stem cells are easily obtained since they are both accessible via the nose.

The neural stem cells were then exposed to Wnt3a, a human protein that induces insulin production, and also to an antibody against a protein that inhibits insulin production. The stem cells were allowed to replicate, before they were placed on thin sheets of collage that acted as a removable scaffold. The thin sheets can be placed on top of the rat pancreas without causing harm to the organ.

Both type I and type II diabetic mice that received the stem cell transplantation were observed to have insulin levels matching their non-diabetic counterparts. Accordingly, elevated blood glucose levels that existed previously no longer occurred. These effects remained for 19 weeks, the time point at which the scientists removed the scaffold. The diabetic condition returned soon after the stem cells were removed. 

Several labs around the world have attempted to convert stem cells from various body regions into beta cells, usually succeeding only with genetic manipulation. This study brings about the possibility of skipping the genetic manipulation step, preventing any necessary safety concerns. In addition, there is no cause for concern with regards to rejection or the usage of immunosuppressive drugs since the neural stems cells can be obtained easily from the host.

The researchers are confident of applying the principles of this set-up to humans, since other research groups have demonstrated the extraction of adult neural stem cells from the olfactory bulb by using an endoscope.

(Source: newscientist.com)

Graduate student Jian Shi and Professor Wang

Materials Science and Engineering professor Xudong Wang and his team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created a plastic microbelt that vibrates when in contact with low-speed airflow, such as that from respiration in the human nose. 

The microbelt was engineered using a material known as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The material accumulates an electrical charge upon mechanical stimulation. The researchers tweaked the properties of the PVDF such that the microbelt could generate enough energy to power small devices.

Professor Wang comments about the implications of this finding, “Basically, we are harvesting mechanical energy from biological systems…We calculated that if we made this material thin enough, small vibrations could produce a microwatt of electrical energy that could be useful for sensors or other devices implanted in the face.”

With advances in nanotechnology and miniaturized electronics, researchers hope to develop biomedical devices that can be placed within the body to monitor blood glucose or heart rate. The power supply required to run these devices could eventually come from waste energy in blood flow, motion, heat or respiration. 

The team will now move on to further scale down the thickness of the microbelt, aiming to reduce it to the submicron level. Professor Wang also hopes to take advantage of the bio-compatibility of PVDF, by creating a micro-scale device to harvest energy from the respiratory process.

We don’t see them and we hardly feel their presence on our heads. For most of us, they have never caused us health problems of any sort. It is easy to see how our ears could be taken for granted, leading us to forget to pay attention to this particular organ’s bill of health. Let’s go through some interesting ear health pointers that just might make you sit up and listen.

Cleaning out earwax

Doctors remain in the dark with regards to the exact purpose of earwax, although the general belief is that it participates in the ear’s self-cleaning process. Earwax also serves practical functions such as being toxic to small bugs, preventing from getting very far into the ears. It does the same to dirt and debris, trapping them at the front of the organ.

For most of us, the earwax removal tool of choice is the cotton swab. Dr J. Randolph Schnitman, a board-certified otolaryngologist (more commonly known as an ENT or a ear, nose and throat specialist), wants us to be more careful during the process, “You can use cotton swabs to clean around the (outside folds) of your ears, but you should be careful not to…push the wax further in or you can damage the ear drums.” In fact, for normal people who do not produce excessive amounts of ear wax, cleaning your inner ear while in the shower would be most convenient. You can do so by allowing warm water to go into your ear, before tilting your head sideways to dump the water out. Make sure the water is warm, as using hot or cold water could cause you to suffer from vertigo. Excessive earwax build-up can usually be removed by over-the-counter earwax remover, although visiting an ENT is encouraged if the issue is chronic. 

The bones that allow us to hear

The three smallest bones in our bodies can be found in the middle ear, namely the malleus, incus and stapes. These bones act as amplifiers of sort, transmitting the energy of sound waves in the air around your eardrum to your inner ear. These transmissions trigger nerve stimulation in the brain, initiating the interpretation of sound. Like any other bone, the bones in our middle ear can be broken, resulting in conductive hearing loss. Thankfully, surgical processes exist to replace them with artificial prostheses. 

The dangers of flying with stuffed ears

With the experience of flying on an airplane no longer being much of a novelty for most of us, we are perhaps used to the feeling of stuffed ears during altitude changes. However, be advised that the combination of stuffed ears and a cold can be dangerous.

The Eustachian tubes, a structure that runs from the middle of each ear cavity to the back of our throats, functions to release pressure when we encounter altitude changes. During a cold, the tubes become filled with liquid and makes it difficult for them to carry out the releasing of pressure. This difficulty could cause eardrums to implode and pinch inwards, leading to damage. Dr Schnitman recommends flyers who frequently suffer from colds to take a decongestant before the flight. 

Your ears and your taste buds

Our ears contribute to taste processing in the brain because of the transmission purpose it plays. A group of nerves called the chorda tympani, connects the taste buds on the front of the tongue to the brain via the middle ear. As such, it is not unheard of for complications or infections arising from ear surgery to negatively impact a patient’s sense of taste.

Our fragile eardrums

We know our eardrums are fragile and that we should avoid sticking anything potentially hazardous into our ears, but how thin are our eardrums exactly? Try picturing a piece of paper or even a sliver of fingernail. Our eardrums comprise of 3 layers, a fibrous middle layer sandwiched between two linings. Any damage to the middle layer often heals insufficiently. Taking out the middle layer severely compromises the integrity of the eardrum, making it highly susceptible to rupture. 

62 obese, American teenagers took part in a study that attempted to determine if there was a co-relation between the amount of sleep and the body’s insulin and blood sugar levels. The study carried out by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, revealed that teenagers who slept between seven-and-a-half to eight-and-a-half hours had optimum blood sugar and insulin levels. Conversely, sleeping more or less increases blood glucose levels while a lower amount of deep sleep would lead to a drop in insulin levels.

Such findings indicate a possibility that such a specific sleeping pattern could help to ward off the onset of diabetes, and also backs up previous research that indicated a higher chance of type 2 diabetes occurrence in sleep-deprived adults.

(Source: )