As a teen who knows the bare minimum about Autism, I was interested in digging deep beyond the surface and obtaining more knowledge about those who have it, and how/if it can be cured. First and foremost, what is Autism? Autism is a mental condition present from early childhood characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts. Autism does not run in my family in particularly, but I do have several friends that have relatives with Autism. From what I’ve discovered, many individuals believe that Autism is the result of the inability to properly break down peptides predominantly found in foods containing gluten and casein, causing rattling in the biochemical and neurological process. Biochemical evidence shows increased levels of peptides that have not been broken down after studying the urine of the individuals with Autism. Thus, the question arises. Can eliminating gluten from an Autistic child’s diet improve their behavior?

The Study:

In this particular study, children’s diets were monitored over a 5-month period of time, using parent/ teacher conference sessions, elimination of gluten from the individual’s diet all together, and monitored urine profiling. With lack of knowledge of where Autism develops from, people grasp for straws to help their children dealing with such a disorder. Urine tracking, particularly in this study, added a great deal of value to the experiment, using liquid chromatography (which is used to separate a sample into individual parts), found high level of peptides in the urine samples, primarily in food containing high levels of gluten. A total of 31 children were tested during this experiment, falling somewhere between the age range of 5-7 years old, all having different disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, and spectrum disorders.  The experiment consisted of straying participants away from gluten, and monitoring their diets consistently.

Correlation:

1. Direct causation: Eliminating gluten from an Autistic child’s diet -> improvements in behavior
2. Reverse causation: Eliminating gluten from an Autistic child’s diet <-  improvements in behavior  …. which doesn’t seem to be the correct solution here
3. Third confounding variables: ?
4. Chance…because chance is always a possibility 

Conclusion:

Data from parental interviews and parental and teacher observations showed that some of the participants on the gluten free diet were reported as showing some improvement in autistic behaviors, after 3 months on the diet. When the 5-month experiment was completed, results showed an improvement in the vast majority of participants.

Bottom Line: Fixing the behavior of children with Autism is important, and is linked to a gluten free diet. The number of children being diagnosed with Autism is seemingly growing, therefore, more studies like the one analyzed in this blog need to conducted to test if the results are really just by chance, or if removing gluten from an Autistic child’s diet truly enhances behavior.

References:

1.  http://www.dictionary.com/browse/peptide
2. http://aut.sagepub.com/content/3/1/45.shor

When I initially chose this topic, I wanted to know the type(s) of treatment(s) that were most effective in healing soldiers returning home from war with mental wounds. I have always been fascinated with events pertaining to combat, which is why I was so drawn to this issue. Both of my grandfathers are war veterans, and have shared vivid stories from battle with the family, and the lasting impact (both negative and positive) the memories left behind. However, I was unaware of the specifics that factored into the treatment process and/or what type(s) of treatment they received. After pursuing the internet, I discovered a unique type of treatment, known as Virtual Reality, that has not been widely promoted just yet.

In reality, there is no real homecoming for veterans. During their attempt to rejoin civilian life, the memories from combat linger in the back of their minds, hindering their progress. The indescribable horrors of war leave a negative lasting impact on a number of today’s finest young people, ultimately resulting in a mental health condition recognized as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). By definition, PTSD is a psychological disorder that sprouts from a first-hand experience of a traumatic event. Those whom suffer from PTSD recall the vivid experiences frequently and have difficulty overcoming them. Some of the symptoms include trouble sleeping, being extra alert and aware, dependency on alcohol, flashbacks of the traumatic event, and acts of violence. If a soldier were to return home in this disheveled manner, they would typically be prescribed antidepressants, however, my research shows that this approach is ineffective in healing those who are physically and emotionally scarred.

The Study:

In order to determine how effective exposing soldiers with PTSD to virtual reality is in the healing process, Rothbaum, Hodges. Alarcon, Ready, Shahar, Graap, Pair, Hebert, Gotz, Wills, and Baltzell (1999) conducted three controlled studies utilizing a caucasian, 50 year old male veteran who previously worked as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and has suffered from depression, alcohol abuse, and PTSD. The coordinators administered the experiment by exposing the patient to computer animated scenarios that replicated his area of deployment. These animations were intended to imitate realistic situations that the soldier has experienced in the field, and allow him to train his responses and restore memories.

Conclusion: Through their initial analysis, Rothbaum, Hodges, Alarcon, Ready, Shahar, Graap, Pair, Hebert, Gotz, Wills, and Baltzell found that there was a significant decrease in the patient’s scores from pretreatment to posttreatment. During pretreatment the impact of event scale, ranging from zero to fifty, measured the level of distress caused on the veteran by the traumatic event a thirty three. In the six month follow up his score was a zero, showing a total absence of intrusive and avoidance symptoms related back to the traumatic event. The experimenters concluded that the sound of helicopters triggered the strongest emotions in the patient. Imaginal exposure is seen to be helpful in curing this because of its capability to vividly rehash the worst experiences and control the feelings they trigger.

Bottom line: Adequate and immediate psychotherapy treatment is necessary for soldiers returning home from combat, because an acute episode can eventually transition into a chronic lifelong issue. Not all soldiers suffer from PTSD, but those who do ultimately have trouble transitioning back into civilian life. The virtual reality exposure tested in this study shows positive results and holds potential for the future.

References:

1. http://www.livescience.com/47258-virtual-reality-ptsd-treatment.html
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10378165
3. https://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/symptoms

It helps choose what clothes to wear, what books to buy, where to live, and who to date. It is in one’s smart phone, car, and can know their everyday routine. It finalizes most of the trades on Wall Street, grades college students’ papers, and controls a city’s transportation system and water infrastructure. It is for the twenty-first century what electricity was for the twentieth and steam power for the nineteenth. There is one major difference though, electricity and steam power will never outthink humans like Artificial Intelligence will.

The once unfathomable concept of artificiality and intelligence working as one being is becoming reality and arising in the modern world, more prominent and effectual than ever before. As the ability of AI expands, humans are no longer working in accordance with their brain’s full potential, lessening their performance quality. Since machinery is being so vastly utilized and now replaces direct human activity in several ways, less is required of humans. The presence of AI encourages a lack of attentiveness and sophistication. Nicholas Carr addresses this issue in the article “Automation Makes Us Dumb”. Carr expands on his theory of automation making the world dumb by presenting the results of an experiment acted out by scientists at Utrecht University, in which they had a group of people carry out laborious tasks. Some used software that provided little to no assistance while the others used sophisticated, artificially intelligent software that assisted greatly. The null hypothesis is that artificial intelligence has no effect on an individual’s performance in the work force, while the alternative hypothesis is that AI is lessening the quality of one’s performance in the work force. The consensus came to was that the individual’s whom used the less complex software made less mistakes and acquired new skills, while those utilizing the advanced machinery would rely on the software when faced with a difficult problem.

In one of the studies analyzed by Carr, and conducted by British aviation researcher Matthew Ebbatson, a group of pilots were sought out to execute a difficult task that pertained to landing a plane in harsh weather conditions. Ebbatson aimed to put their skills to the test and measure their reliance on AI. He concluded that the pilots were unable to land the plane swiftly and efficiently due to a lack of practice and over reliance on AI.

Correlation possibilities

1. Direct causation: Reliance on advanced technology —> poor performance in the work force
2. Reverse causation: Reliance on advanced technology <— poor performance in the work force
3. Third confounding variable: WEALTH
4. Chance

As the economy grows and manufactures, schools, and businesses are capable of purchasing more advanced machinery, students and workers no longer consider it necessary to think and analyze beyond what the machine, iPhone app, or built-in device provides. Almost every child by the age of three has an I-pad in possession, and textbooks in schools are slowly becoming extinct due to new and improved technology. Humans are slowly becoming second in line to the capable AI machinery. The products of AI are being incorporated into major fields, possessing the ability to perform an excessive amount of tasks that were once solely able to be performed by human beings.

Bottom line: Practice makes perfect. As humans become more reliant on advanced machinery to complete a multitude of tasks, the less practice they feel is needed. However, when unexpected situations arise, they are unsure of how to handle them because of how dependent they have become on advanced technology. If we stop and use our brain’s more often instead of relying on siri, or other to do the dirty work for us, than AI machinery will not be able to beat out the human brain. After all, humans are the master minds behind the creation of the machinery!

References:

1. http://www.wsj.com/articles/automation-makes-us-dumb-1416589342
2. https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Understanding-Artificial-Intelligence/1014625
3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nigel-barber/can-artificial-intelligen_b_7903914.html
4. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/06/fashion/artificial-intelligence-as-a-threat.html?_r=0

It is widely believed that the political standpoint in a given household has strong influence on the political beliefs of the adolescents whom grew up there. Given that the 2016 presidential election is right around the corner, I’ve decided to explore this topic and attempt to recognize how political opinions are shaped. Not to mention the overwhelming amount of people that approach you in the hub on the daily asking the question that everyone dreads, “Are you registered to vote?”, make it hard to forget about the election…

Many conclude that the political views of others within an individuals exposed environment juggle with and/or manipulate their political stance when engaged in conversation on the topic. While this may be true, additional third confounding variables have been identified that sway the political opinions of young children. In a scholarly paper written by Andrew Healy whom attended Loyola Marymount University, and Neil Malhotra whom attended Stanford University, a newly conceived notion is closely dissected. Healy and Malhotra analyzed a fairly large natural study conducted by the University of Michigan Political Socialization Panel (PSP), and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), which solely focuses on the influence gender of siblings has on political beliefs.

The experimenters hypothesized that boys with sisters are more likely to possess conservative views leading up to adulthood than males with brothers. While this can be labeled as the alternative hypothesis, the null hypothesis would be that the gender of siblings has no effect on political opinions. The putative causal variable (X variable) being tested is sibling gender and gender roles in a given household, and the putative response variable (Y variable) being measured is whether the older male siblings identify as Democrats or Republicans as they grow older. The data collected in this experiment is entirely survey based, therefore, a potential barrier is that respondents might not be completely honest in their answers.

In 1965, the PSP gathered a group of 17-19 year olds for the first wave of the study, and followed up with them in 1973, 1982, and 1997. The surveys asked a series of questions pertaining to their opinion on a woman’s stance in the workforce. The respondents were to rate these statements/questions on a 1-7-point scale, 1 being the most liberal choice, and 7 being the most conservative choice. Similarly, the NLSY respondents were given statements regarding gender roles and were asked to rate them from strongly disagree-strongly agree. The data collected by this organization is fairly more modern given that the survey was handed out in 1986, followed up in 2006 and 2008, and ended in 2011. One advantage the NLSY has over the PSP is that it contains detailed information of the respondent’s childhood experiences prior to the experiment. However, both the NLSY and PSP possess background information on the families of those who were surveyed.

Conclusion:

1. Data from both the PSP and NLSY showed a massive amount of males with sisters whom possessed conservative and traditional views on gender roles.
2. Men with sisters are less likely to perform typical female chores around the house, but the gender of a female’s sibling(s) does not alter their household tasks.
3. Correct decision and a consistent result

Take home message: Political opinions are shaped by multiple surrounding factors, and are linked to gender. The results of this study does not prove that ALL males with sisters tend to classify themselves as republicans, but it does raise an interesting point that should be further researched. As a female who grew up in a house entirely made up of woman, I tend to fall more on the liberal side of the political spectrum. However, a handful of my girlfriends have brothers with political views that would further prove the conclusion of this study!

References:

1. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/06/27/why-boys-with-sisters-are-more-likely-to-be-republicans/
2. http://myweb.lmu.edu/ahealy/papers/sibling_politics_jop_submit.pdf
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5mJE7zIPUY

When I first became aware of genetically engineering babies, I was in complete disbelief because of how unethical the idea of manipulating a child’s characteristics and appearance sounded. Then, it was explained that the original intent of the advanced technology was to prevent and/or decrease the likelihood of a child from developing or passing down genetic diseases such as down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, etc. However, individuals have been taking advantage of this new technology to construct desired babies. Babies are not objects; they are living organisms that hold the same human rights as any other individual. I personally believe it is immoral to maneuver a child’s appearance, however, other’s tend to disagree.

How it works:

Scientists manipulate a child’s outcome by editing/adjusting the fertilized egg. In an article published by Sy Mukherjee, the first child ever born using genetic engineering is discussed and analyzed. The baby boy’s parents utilized the egg of the mother, sperm of the father, and an additional egg given by a donor. The couple decided to do this in order to avoid their child from obtaining a deadly disorder carried by the mother, known as Leigh syndrome. The null hypothesis is that the likelihood of the child from possessing Leigh syndrome will not decrease nor increase when the embryos are fiddled with, and the alternative hypothesis states that the baby will be completely rid of any possible genetic diseases.

Outcome:

The experimenters concluded that the risk of the child from developing Leigh syndrome was significantly reduced due to the mitochondrial DNA being removed from the mother’s cell. According to another expert known as Dr. Keith Blauer, the rate of success for creating females is greater than that of males. He points out that parents tend to choose the gender of the new child based off of the gender of the other sibling(s). In the study discussed above, the genders of the children the couple conceived before the genetically created child was born remains unknown. The only information the reader is given is that the children were deceased after a few years due to the Leigh disease passed down by the mother.

General Concerns for the future:

A general concern for the future is that those who are of high social rank will abuse the system, and turn our world into a totalitarian environment. The wealthy will aim to design “perfect” children whom exceed the looks and brains of children who classify in lesser economic statuses.  In some countries, genetically engineering babies has already been banned due to the threat of a dystopian world. In addition, scientists fear that people will begin misusing the CRISPR, and look at it as a chance to create the perfect child.

Bottom line: Scientists cannot predict whether toying with embryo’s will harm babies more than it will help them. Even if a massive amount of well conducted studies are set into place and analyzed, it is still unable to be determined whether or not there will be positive results.

References:

1. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/may/01/fear-of-designer-babies-shouldnt-distract-us-from-the-goal-of-healthy-babies
2. http://fortune.com/2016/09/27/three-parent-baby-born/?iid=sr-link2
3. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/choosing-your-babys-gender/
4. http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21661651-new-technique-manipulating-genes-holds-great-promisebut-rules-are-needed-govern-its

Hey guys! My name is Amelia, and I’m a freshman from South Philly! *Waits for someone to start singing the Fresh Prince theme song* I’m currently in the Division of Undergraduate Studies, but plan to major in communications! After reading other blog posts, it seems as though a handful of people in this class are also into communications and/or public relations, so I guess I’m in the right place! While I was making my schedule with my academic advisor, I told her that I’m not much of a science person and she appointed me to this class. However, I do enjoy solving math problems, the reason being I am fascinated with the idea that there is always a definite answer to complex equations and riddles. I know that is odd because science and math go hand in hand, but I just truly do not find learning about cells, atomic mass, reproduction, etc interesting.

After attending the first few classes, I’ve come to the conclusion that Andrew reminds me a lot of my high school civics teacher. I enjoyed my civics class because it was challenging, yet intriguing, and forced students to think outside the box. By the way Science in Our World was described the first day, I believe we will be pushed to think in that way instead of just memorizing boring content. I’m taking this class simply because I need a science gen ed, but also because the SC200 introductory paragraph, course description, and course objectives were instantly captivating! The main focus of this class is right up my alley , and I am especially fond of how we can blog on a topic of choice (as long as it relates back to science of course)!

Although I will most likely never need to know the technicalities of science with the career I intend to pursue, science is inevitably all around us. In that case, I totally agree with Andrew when he says, “Non-scientists need to be scientifically literate too” in the syllabus! It is imperative to retain background knowledge in order to keep up with our world that is constantly changing. Even our world’s most popular music artists make references to science concepts in their music, and television show producers in their episodes. Did you really have a childhood if you never saw the Hannah Montana bone dance episode? If you never saw it, click here! This may sound silly, but episodes like these could potentially inspire students to study and/or retain information in unique ways!