Author Archives: cpa5056

Right vs. Left Brained

1 Reply
Are you right-brained? People tend to characterize you as creative, subjective, and open-minded. Or are you left-brained? You’re more analytical, you pay attention to detail, and your more logical. Turns out you’re neither. Researchers from the University of Utah found that “right brained” people don’t use either side more than the other, and vice versa, through brain imaging.   
There are some functions that occur in one side of the brain though. For example, language tends to be connected to the left side while attention tends to be connected to the right side. But the idea that people are stronger on one side over the other was found to be a myth. Jeff Anderson, a researcher at Utah University, conducted a study involving over 1,000 people between the ages of 7 and 29. All of the participants had functional connectivity MRI’s done while their brains were resting for ten minutes. The researches divvied up the brain into 7,000 regions. They analyzed these scans and reached the conclusion that people don’t have a stronger side of the brain network. It depends more on a connection-to-connection basis. 
I think these findings are quite important. Many people use these terms with much confidence as if it’s common knowledge. There were never any conclusive studies done to test this thinking until now. Now we believe that it’s not true. This doesn’t put an end to the terms right-brained or left-brained. I believe people can still classify themselves as either of these depending on their personal characteristics. They just have to know that the brain actually doesn’t work that way. 
In a side comment, this study was published on PLOS ONE. We went over these journals in class this Tuesday and we talked about how difficult it can be to get a paper published to one of these journals. By this study and paper being published, it makes me believe that their study and conclusion must have some ground. Being that right/left brainess was widely accepted knowledge, the fact that this study made it past all the checks in the scientific world must say that other scientists are in agreement with these findings.

Cure to Cancer?

Leave a reply
In my THON committee, R&R, a couple of weeks ago, we watched a video about a little girl named Emma Whitehead who had leukemia and had a very grim future. The doctors said she didn’t have much time at all and presented her parents with the chance to participate in a new experimental treatment. Emma was the first child to receive this treatment. Within a week of getting the treatment, she was feeling much better and she is now cancer free. 
You may be wondering what this miracle treatment is and why it hasn’t been used on more people with cancer. Well, this treatment, T-cell therapy, isn’t in wide use because it’s still early on in its stages. Like we learned in some of our classes this semester, it’s not uncommon for things like this to take a decade to hit the streets. But so far, this treatment has shown promising results. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has treated 10 adults and 2 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma with this treatment. In 9 of these 12 patients, the treatment has killed of large quantities of the cancer cells. Since it’s still early in the process, the sample size was small but as we get further along the process and more patients use this treatment, we will get a better picture if this works. 
You are probably wondering how this treatment works. Doctors remove billions of t-cells from the patient and give them new genes that program the t-cells to attack the cancer cells. T-cells are white blood cells that fight viruses and tumors. After the cells have been “programed”, they are injected back into the patient and they go to work. The way these scientists are altering the t-cells is very ironic. They employ a disabled form of HIV to the t-cells and this trains them to fight cancer cells. In essence, they are training the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells with a form of the HIV virus. They use the HIV virus because they are very good at carrying genetic material into t-cells. 
There are scientists and oncologists who think this treatment shows promise. Scientists said in the New England Journal of Medicine and Science Transitional Medicine that it “may signify a turning point in the long struggle to develop effective gene therapies against cancer.” They also believe that it may not only be limited to only leukemia and that other cancers may be vulnerable to this approach. 
This news gives me hope that one day we will have a cure for cancer and that we are getting closer to finding that cure. There are still many hurdles for this treatment to cross but it seems promising. Only time will tell what this treatment will bring. Watch a video on Emma Whitestone’s story and be hopeful that one day we won’t have to worry about cancer.
  .
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/10/health/a-breakthrough-against-leukemia-using-altered-t-cells.html?_r=0
http://www.chop.edu/service/oncology/pediatric-cancer-research/t-cell-therapy.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/health/13gene.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Are Introverts at a Disadvantage?

1 Reply
We live in a world where extroverts are everywhere. Or at least it seems that way. There are many characteristics of extroverts that are aligned with the characteristics of successful people such as CEO’s and celebrities. In short extroverts are people that are outgoing and energized people. There are many people who think that these are important features to have to stand out and be successful. I think one of the reasons this is the trend is that extroverts are more easily seen. Since they are more outgoing, they will show any thought they have with enthusiasm and great energy which will lead to more people noticing them. 
There is a negative connotation with being an introvert. “Quiet” is the best way to describe an introvert in one word. But that doesn’t do them justice. To many people, being quiet is seen as a bad thing. People won’t want to be your friend because they assume your shy. Companies won’t hire you because they assume you can’t communicate “effectively”. As an introvert, I would disagree with almost any assumption of an introvert. Amy Lord explains quietness best, “to me, describing someone as ‘quiet’ is like saying they are tall; it doesn’t give you the full picture. I can be softly spoken, reserved and introverted, but I am not shy, stupid or lacking in communication skills, I’m just careful of what I say and when I say it.” This is a perfect explanation of why introverts are seen as quiet. Introverts always have a reason for their silence. This list has some very interesting reasons why some introverts are quiet and not shy.
So are introverts at a disadvantage to extroverts? I think the answer mostly depends on the situation and the person. For example, if an introvert goes in for a job interview, they have to communicate to the company that they are intelligent and diligent. Just because one doesn’t come off as enthusiastic, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not interested. One great advantage that introverts have is that they are good listeners. This is an underrated characteristic to have because when you listen, you have a better chance of understanding. While introverts are being quiet, there is a lot going on behind the scene. While listening they could be showing consideration, contemplating, preparing, showing restraint, or just being stoic. 
While all of that plays in favor of introverts, it doesn’t mean that extroverts are at any disadvantage. I would argue that if there were an advantage to either group, it would be towards extroverts. I believe this because since they are friendly and outgoing, more people are attracted to them. This gives them more of a chance to get noticed, be in a position of leadership, and just being liked better. 
In conclusion, I don’t believe that introverts are a disadvantage to extroverts. If there is a shortcoming to being introverted, its very minimal. I don’t think that it is better or worse to be either. I think it’s a matter of being comfortable and happy with yourself and how you’re perceived. I arrived at most of these opinions by reading about half of the book  Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. It’s a very interesting book that gives you a different perspective on introverts and their somewhat negative image.

Reason to Men’s Madness

6 Replies

Mostly every woman out there thinks that men are just perverts for liking large breasts. Most men don’t have a really good reason for liking them so much. I’m here to tell you that women are slightly wrong and men, here’s an excuse for the next time you get caught looking. A study done by Chicago University found that women with larger breasts tend to have higher intelligence. Some of you are probably wondering about that stereotype that women with big boobs are “dumb”. As a matter of fact, many people would think that Marilyn Monroe was dumb because she fit the stereotype of dumb because she was blonde and had big boobs. Contrary to that belief, many of her closest friends and family would argue that she was very smart. I would agree with that especially after seeing her quotes flying around everywhere. How could these words, “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring,” come out of a dumb woman’s mouth? 

Back to the study. This study was done by a Chicago University sociologist on 1,200 women. She separated the women into 5 group based on breast size ranging from virtually flat to extra-large. The women took an IQ test and the results were that the women with larger breast sizes beat the women with smaller breasts by an average of ten points. Even women in the medium sized group beat the women in the smaller groups. The reason for these results is unknown. One of the possibilities is that hormones that lead to larger breasts may also play a role in intelligence. It could also be natural selection in play. 
Now by all this, you can’t argue that men aren’t smart for liking big breasts. I mean all this time we just knew that women with big breasts had a higher chance of being smarter. All jokes aside there have been studies done to prove that men prefer women with larger breasts, contrary to popular belief. One study found out that only 17 percent of men thought the ideal breast size was UNDER a C cup. Also, only 26 percent of men said the smallest size they would consider is a B cup. Even more, 20 percent of men said that breast size was the biggest consideration when seeking a mate. This means that one out of five guys a girl dates would be dating her just for her breasts. That’s kind of shallow of us men, but there does seem to be reason for it, which digs into the controversy of evolution. The Chicago sociologists believe that men seek women with larger breasts because it increases their chances of producing intelligent offspring. 
In conclusion, women with bigger breasts can be smarter and men who like women with big breasts are slightly smarter for liking them. This does not mean that big breasts guarantee that women are smarter or that women are only smart if they have larger breasts. Life makes a little more sense to me now. There are a couple more things that I have to find answers to so that I can try to justify why men and women do what they do and think what they think. 

But I Only Drink Diet Soda

5 Replies

As we learned in one of our earlier classes this semester, drinking soda is bad for you. Everyone knows that, but not many people know if and how bad drinking diet soda is for you. There are many diets sodas with claims that make them seem like they are healthy beverages. We’ve all seen Coke Zero with very low calories and zero sugar. Diet sodas have zero sugar compared to the huge amounts of sugar is regular sodas. If these drinks have no sugar, how do they still taste sweet you may be asking. They all contain artificial sweeteners. The real affects of many sweeteners today are unknown which is why many people still drink diet beverages and tell them selves that they are healthy. 

An 11-year study on diet sodas concluded earlier this year with startling results. This study on an artificial sweetener called aspartame followed about 3,300 women for a number of years as they drank diet sodas containing aspartame. The results of this study were that there was a strong correlation between the amount of diet soda you drank (amount of aspartame you consumed) and degeneration of kidney function. In this study they took into account the participants age, blood pressure, smoking habits, and pre-existing conditions.
Just in case you were wondering, aspartame is used in a wide variety of products and not only diet sodas. Some of these products include diet Cokes, Pepsis, many other “healthy sodas”, Wrigley’s Orbit and Extra gums, and many other products. This is a very long and frightening list of items. Many of which I have consumed and you probably consumed as well. Also, popular sweeteners that contain aspartame are Equal and NutraSweet. I have never been a fan of artificial sweeteners but never had a reason. Now that this study has shows such strong results, I will definitely be staying away. 
I think the best course of action to take is to stay away from drinking any sodas. There is no such thing as a healthy soda. Regular sodas can lead to weight gain and diabetes among other complications. Diet sodas can lead to kidney degeneration among other rumored complications such as gain weight and cancers. If water isn’t an interesting enough beverage to drink, try some all-natural juices such as coconut water and apple juice.

Drink Your Way to Being Rich

3 Replies

Since we are all college students, most of us do our fair share of drinking. This got me to thinking about whether this leads to success or, well, failure in life (monetary wealth). We all know how hard this activity can be on our bank accounts. I have heard of many students going broke when they turn 21 because of how much money they spend at bars. You may be thinking how could this behavior possibly lead to becoming rich. A 2010 Gallup Survey showed that 46% of people earning $20,000 are regular drinkers versus 80% of people earning more than$75,000. That is a staggering increase to me.

 The reasons for this are all over the board. Some of them include but are not limited to rich people can afford the alcohol, drinking could be a social activity for affluent people, or rich people drink to relief stress from work. These are all arguable because they vary by the individual. For example, most college students aren’t considered affluent but most of them engage in drinking. This might have something to do with the fact that binge drinking is correlated to lower incomes.  

 I don’t think the answer to this question will ever be conclusive since there are so many third variables involved. This could be due to direct causation (drinking leads to wealth), which is unlikely. It could also be reverse causation (wealth leads to drinking), which I think is the more likely of the causes. I believe this because rich people have more of a reason to drink. Dr. Selman, a famous New York Psychiatrist whose client base includes some of the wealthiest New Yorkers ranging from Wall St. bankers to lawyers thinks so too. He notices more people using prescription drugs, opiates, stimulants and tranquilizers. Why? Heightened stress levels caused by their jobs and the struggling economy (CNBC article). This is a plausible cause since wealthier people have jobs with more power and workload, which leads to higher stress and alcohol, can be seen as a stress reliever to some people.

There hasn’t been any research yet on this matter but the increasing interest will surely lead to some studies in the future. Another cause, which may be a bit far fetched, is that it’s not yet recognized as a health risk. Actually, moderate drinking is believed to be good for health. Dr. Brewer, leader of the CDC alcohol program has this to say on the topic, “we would expect people with a higher socioeconomic status to be among the first to avoid binge drinking, as is generally the case with other risk behaviors, like smoking and obesity.” He believes that wealthier people are more likely to listen to their doctors when they tell them not to engage in these types of risky behaviors.

So my conclusion is that drinking, especially binge drinking won’t lead to being wealthy. Being wealthy is more likely to play a role to drinking more. My advice to all you college goers is to lay off the alcohol a little bit. Being able to consume large amounts of alcohol is not likely to play a role in how rich you are.


Leave a reply

We are all mature adults and I think it’s about time we have this conversation. I’m sure many of you have heard at one point that people have to drink to reduce their stress. I always thought this was BS, but maybe this is because I don’t really stress. People at school say that they need to go out and drink to get rid of their stress from school. I get that it’s nice to get out with your friends and forget about class for a night but my question is if alcohol really has an effect on stress. 

The answer to this question is yes. This is not an excuse to go get drunk every time you feel stress because there are caveats. It can only reduce stress in some circumstances. For one, it only reduces stress at low levels of intoxication. If too much alcohol is consumed, it can actually elevate stress levels (I’m sure we all have that friend that cries or gets overly dramatic when they’re “intoxicated”.) 
Heavy drinking might reduce psychological stress but it increases physiological stress by a lot. Alcohol puts a lot of stress on the body’s metabolism system, which increases physiological stress on the body. A study done by the University of Missouri states that very moderate drinking can reduce drinking. The definition of moderate I’m talking about is not what most college students know. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines moderate for men as four drinks per sitting and no more than 14 per week. For women, it’s 3 drinks per sitting and no more than 7 per week due to their lower body mass. Although alcohol can benefit stress there might be a point where it becomes a problem. If you become dependent on alcohol to relieve stress, you’re in trouble and should stop right away because it’s likely to be unhealthy.

Foods that fight cancer

Leave a reply

Talking about cancer and vaccines today in class got me thinking if there are any ways to prevent or lessen your chances of getting cancer. I stumbled upon an interesting article on CNN on about foods that actually help fight breast cancer. These foods are geared more to people who have or have had breast cancer but I’m sure it could hurt to eat them as a precautionary measure. Also, it wouldn’t help to eat these foods as a precaution to other types of cancer as well because too much healthy eating can do no harm, except if you love your junk food as much as me, but I digress. 

 Let’s start with soy. It was believed for quite some time that soy actually was bad for cancer. So naturally, someone decided to do a study on this. The American Journal of Nutrition did a study involving 9,500 breast cancer patients after diagnostics involving soy intake. In this study it was found that the consumption significantly reduced the chances of reoccurrence of breast cancer. Another study by the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention produced similar results stating that eating soy-based foods reduced mortality rates and reoccurrence of the disease. 
 
How about kale? As many of you may know, kale is the new super food and is known to be extremely healthy and to have many benefits. One of them being to reduce the chances of the reoccurrence of breast cancer. Kale has carotenoids which are pigments found in yellow and orange foods such as oranges and sweet potatoes and dark leafy vegetables like kale and spinach. Dr. Mitchell Gaynor has this to say about carotenoids “We know now that certain foods make your body inhospitable for cancer cells to thrive. The goal is to keep cancer cells dormant, and what you eat makes a difference.” 
 
The last one is fish. We have to talk about some meat because you don’t have to become a vegetarian. Salmon and cod are known fish that contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids. These acids have been linked to improved breast cancer prognosis. A 2011 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that this acid inhibits the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Now this may not help prevent cancer but hey I’m always down for some salmon and maybe it could help prevent cancer. Who knows?
 
There are many other foods that are thought to help prevent cancer. None of these have mechanisms and none of them are 100% proven. My whole thing with this is that it can’t hurt to eat healthy. Nothing bad will come out of it and you may just be saving yourself from getting cancer.

Men “breast feeding”

3 Replies

Please tell me you watched Meet the Fockers. The part that caught my attention was when Robert DeNiro wore the fake breasts to feed his grandson. That got my attention because it got me wondering if men can breastfeed. According to the World Wide Web, there are many fathers who feel helpless when their kids are first born and want to help their wives as much as possible. One way they want to help is by breastfeeding…. I know what you’re thinking. IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?! The answer to that question is yes, although it is a tentative yes. Men do have milk ducts and some mammary tissue. This allows men to lactate. Although men can do this, it is quite hard to produce enough milk to feed a baby. Another factor to the phenomenon is that men don’t have the necessary hormones to produce the same milk for babies as women. Maybe the best way to help is to buy one of those fake “manary glands” from Meet the Fockers. IF you have no idea what I’m talking about, watch this video.

Sleep talking…

3 Replies

Has anyone ever told you a story about that you were caught in the act of sleep talking or even worst, sleepwalking? You might have felt embarrassed or maybe this wasn’t the first time. If you’re like me, you likely hear this just about every time you sleep in the same room as some one else. Have you ever wondered what causes this? Sleep talking is also known as somniloquy and it’s a type of parasomnia. A parasomnia is an abnormal behavior that takes place during sleep according to WebMD. This behavior occurs in about half of kids between the ages of 3-10 and about 5% of adults. As of right now, the cause of sleep talking is unknown. This behavior can be dangerous because it can be a symptom of a sleeping or mental disorder but most of the time, it’s a harmless behavior. 

There are no known causes for sleep talking but it is believed that it can be induced by some medications, emotional stress, mental disorder, or substance abuse. There is little known at all about this. All that is known from studies is that it is most common in young children. This may be a part of the brain developing or it may have nothing to do with it. It is also a theory that people who commonly talk in their sleep after the age of 25. Sleep talking is quite different than a sleep terror. If you ever experienced a sleep terror, you know what I am talking about. They are very scary and there’s very little you can do. Sleep terror is also most common among younger children but it’s as far as the commonality, that’s all that’s similar. 
Next time you experience someone sleep talking, there’s not much you can do. If it’s not a night terror, you might even want to consider having fun with it. There aren’t any known harms to this as far as we know. You might want to take a video while you talk to them and make a funny conversation out of it. Since sleep talkers don’t realize they sleep talk even when they wake up, it could be used as proof or just as a black mail.