Upon hearing the information about antibiotic resistance in the Get Smart seminar this morning (Thank you for the extra credit, Andrew), I wanted to look further into the methods of doctors and what they often prescribe for patients. Though there were many studies and facts presented in the seminar, it was difficult to keep up with all of them. However, the main point was that unnecessary, overprescribing of antibiotics increases the chances of bacteria becoming stronger and more resistant.

One such prescription that is often overused by doctors is azithromycin, often referred to as a Z-Pak, which is a antibiotic that is used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. This antibiotic works by interfering with a bacteria’s protein synthesis which disables their growing abilities. The New England Journal of Medicine reports in this article that in 2010, health care providers prescribed 258.0 million courses of antibiotics, or 833 per 1000 people. This was a statistic that I remember from the seminar that I recently found during my research. Upon analyzing the data of outpatient prescriptions, these researchers found that prescribing rates were higher among people under the age of 10 and above 65. Why are these the most common ages for prescriptions?

Children are often more susceptible to a number of bacterial or viral infections, largely due to the fact that their immune systems are not fully developed and as they age, they start to come into contact with new people and new bacteria. On the other hand, elderly people have a greater number of health risks, so antibiotics are used to treat certain issues for fear of developing life-threatening issues. This NPR article reports that a study from Seattle Children’s Hospital found that 27% of acute respiratory tract infections are caused by bacteria. This means the other, roughly, three-fourths of infections are caused by viruses and cannot be treated by antibiotics. In such cases where an antibiotic is prescribed but is unnecessary to treat the infection, the risk of side effects is a lot higher than simply dealing with the infection without antibiotics. NPR writes, “the big problem is that aside from the strep test, there are no quick, simple ways to test a child to see whether an illness is caused by bacteria or viruses”. So naturally most parents demand their child have an antibiotic because they have seen it work before. However, they do not necessarily realize that the infection may be viral. In this article, Michael Epter, an emergency medicine physician, claims that no matter what the data may say, doctors find it difficult to convince their patients that antibiotics are not needed in certain instances. Despite explanations involving the dangers of antibiotic resistance and the potential for side-effects, most people are not happy.

So how do we solve this issue? One of the biggest parts of the seminar was simply spreading awareness. People need to be informed of the danger antibiotic resistance poses and how it can be prevented. One such idea that was proposed was a social media campaign and as someone who wants to go into advertising, this immediately caught my interest. The CMO Council  reports that email was the most effective digital marketing channel for customer retention in 2014. However, a member of the seminar’s audience mentioned that most emails from Penn State or other common, repetitive places get overlooked. So areas like Facebook and Twitter may be the next platforms to spread this message.

Like any study, there will be some discrepancies such as how doctors are going about telling their patients, what the patient’s former medical history is, which could explain a parent’s reaction, or what the patient’s current situation is. However, regardless of these variations in scenario, the fact remains that antibiotics are not always needed. It is proven that they do not work against viral infections and until medical advances are made, it will stay that way. Awareness and continued improvements in medicine and science will allow us to fight against antibiotic resistance.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Nearly 1 in every 3 seniors dies of Alzheimer’s or dementia. This website also reports that it is the only one of the top ten death causes in America that “cannot be prevented, cured, or slowed”. However, a report out of UCLA, may contradict this statement.

Despite the fact that this disease is still considered “incurable”, researchers are looking to discover the next best thing, reversing symptoms. In this study, Dale Bredesen and his team studied 10 patients who ranged from 55 to 75 years old, all with various stages of Alzheimer’s. They were put through an intense program that consisted of “maintaining optimal gastrointestinal health, strategic fasting in order to normalize insulin levels, maintaining desired levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream, and making use of DHA supplements in order to repair broken connections in the brain” as reported in an article by Medical Daily. This therapy was based on the underlying pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s. Pathogenesis simply means the biological mechanism that lead to the diseased state. The goal of the therapy is to “achieve metabolic enhancement for neurodegeneration” according to Bredesen’s published article.

After a few months of treatment, 9 out of 10 patients claimed to notice their cognition returning to normal or improving slightly. One 60-year-old woman reported no improvements, but she was in late stages of the disease when she began the trials. This causes me to wonder if those in the later stages are  “too far gone” in a sense to benefit from this therapy. Such a restriction is unfortunate for those already in the later stages, but if the therapy is proven successful, those diagnosed from here out will reap the benefits. Six of the patients were struggling with their jobs and had to stop working at the time of this trial, but with the therapy they were able to continue working with improved cognition or return to work. The longest patient follow-up was two and a half years from initial treatment and improvements in cognition were being maintained. 

Bredesen put the patients through a number of tests and found between 10 and 24 problems that need to be corrected in each patient. He claims that while drug companies are able to fix some of these problems, the better option may be to try to tackle many of the factors one-by-one. Like any study, especially one that is new, this one has it’s downsides. The official report stated, “The significant diet and lifestyle changes, and multiple pills required each day, were the two most common complaints of the patients”. However, because their condition was considered “untreatable” they were willing to stick with the process to the best of their ability because of the chance of improvement in their health.

While these tests were merely anecdotal, a controlled clinical trial will more than likely result. However, the therapy itself can continue to be improved upon as well. Dredesen is clearly aware of this as most researchers should be. Nothing is perfect the first time and there will always been improvements that can be made. Their report even states, “It is recognized that the system described here is an initial system, one that is likely to benefit from optimization”. I think a larger test sample would be needed in a clinical trial as well as controlling for the levels of progression of the disease in each patient. There would also need to be some form of monitoring in order to prove that they are sticking to the therapy regime. While such a study would be very involved and need to be planned out accordingly, this potential improvement for Alzheimer’s patients is incredibly uplifting considering their disease is considered “incurable”.

After reading this article on the class blog about male balding, I wanted to look more into hair-loss in women. Ironically, a friend of mine told me recently that her hair has been falling out. Was this due to stress, medical issues, or something else altogether? I’m going to try to figure it out.

In the article mentioned above, Androgenetic alopceia as that name of the common balding pattern in men. However, American Hair Loss Association uses the term when talking about baldness in both men and women. The AHLA article reports that while testosterone is at the center of the balding process, Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the real problem. DHT binds to receptors in scalp follicles, shrinking them so healthy hair is unable to survive. Though women have lower levels of testosterone to begin with, this can still lead to DHT-triggered hair loss. Hormonal balance is incredibly important when discussing hair-loss because testosterone levels are one leading cause of this problem. AHLA writes, “Androgenic alopecia can be caused by a variety of factors tied to the actions of hormones, including, ovarian cysts, the taking of high androgen index birth control pills, pregnancy, and menopause”.

This leads me to wonder if perhaps my friend’s birth control could be the cause of her hair-loss. On this page, AHLA describes how contraceptives suppress ovulation by using various levels of estrogen and progestin. They report that those who are predisposed to hormonal-related hair loss or are hypersensitive to hormonal changes could experience hair-loss when on the pill or more commonly, when they stop taking the pill. I do not think many women are aware of the this potential side effect. It is common knowledge that contraceptives can relieve period pains, and clear skin, but the potential for hair-loss is not as commonly known. Maybe this is because only those who are predisposed to hair-loss are more commonly affected, therefore, doctors do not discuss such potentials unless the patient’s medical history calls for it.  The AHLA recommends that women wanting to use the pill merely to avoid contraception, should take low-androgen index pills. Remember, testosterone and DHT are different kinds of androgen.

Before

 After

The Bernstein Medical Center for Hair Restoration writes in this article that oral contraceptives can cause hair loss and be a treatment for it. They list drug-induced shedding and facilitating female pattern genetic hair loss as two mechanisms by which birth control pills cause hair loss. In the case of helping hair growth, the pill prolongs the anagen phase (growing phase), however, these higher estrogen-level pills have a greater incidence of other side effects. In a study found here, researchers looked into “the ability of an oral supplement to increase hair growth in women with thinning hair”. This randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial took healthy women ages 21 to 75 and gave them either Viviscal® Maximum Strength or the placebo twice a day for 180 days. A large number of variables were controlled for and even excluded a lot of participants. Surprisingly, those with androgenetic alopecia who, by the opinion of the researcher, might be at greater risk or interfere with clinical evaluations were excluded from the study. The mean number of terminal hairs in the test area in placebo patients was 256 to begin with and it ended with 242.2 after 180 days. Conversely, patients who took the medication began with 271 and ended with 609.6. This supports their hypothesis that Viviscal® increases hair growth in women with thinning hair. At the end of the article it reports that larger studies are underway to look into this drug’s effect on hair counts and thickness.

Upon looking at both sides of this interesting topic, I think it is safe to say that the potential for hair loss due to birth control pills is low enough that most women should not worry about it. However, that does not mean they should not be cautious. Those that have a delicate hormonal balance or are predisposed to hair loss, should consult their doctor. For everyone else, if the worry is still there, stick to a lower androgen level pill. Lastly, for those with hair loss, maybe birth control will be the new remedy in the future!

My mother always says that walnuts are good for your brain because they look like one. We know that at least half of this statement is true, I mean look at it.

According to this article, the brain is made up of 60% “structural fat” and needs other fats to allow the brain to function properly. These other fats include omega-3s, which are fatty acids that could be related to mental health. Walnuts have a ton of omega-3s, making them great for the brain. But I can’t help but wonder what makes these omega-3s so good for us and can walnuts affect us as college students?

In this article from the University of Maryland Health Center, Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary to human health, but the body does not produce them. Omega-3s play a “crucial role in brain function”, while helping normal function and development. These fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and are important for cognitive and behavioral function. People with low amounts of Omega-3s may have symptoms of fatigue, poor memory, dry skin, mood swings or depression, and poor circulation. This article reports that there are mixed results about whether omega-3s have any effect on depression and its symptoms. In an attempt to find whether this is true, I looked up various studies done on omega-3s and depression.

In a study at the Royal College of Surgeons, 49 patients who had repeated episodes of self-harm were randomly assigned 1200 mg EPA plus 900 mg DHA (different fatty acids) or placebo, along with regular psychiatric care for 12 weeks. The article reports that those who received the omega-3s had significant improvements in rates of suicidality, depression, and daily stresses. This could be good evidence to include in meta-analysis to determine whether or not omega-3s have an effect on depression, due to it being a single-blind randomized placebo control trial. I believe it does not suffer from the Texas Sharpshooter problem because they were only testing certain topics and not for any general result (suicidality, depression, and daily stresses).

In another study found in that same article, Sarah M. Conklin, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh, showed that healthy adults with a average age of 45, had higher levels of impulsive behavior, hostility, and cynical ideas that were related to low levels of EPA. She reported that the levels of depression moved conversely to the levels of fatty acids, adding to the theory that fatty acids help mood. In a second study by Conklin, also reported in this article, 55 healthy male adults gave information regarding their daily omega-3 intake and had an MRI to determine the amount of “gray matter” in the anterior cingulate cortex, a brain area controlling emotion and mood and implicated in depression. The higher the intake of omega-3s, the larger the area of gray matter. Researchers then made adjustments for variables such as age, sex, race, total gray matter volume, smoking status, alcohol use, and IQ. As the rates of depression increased, the gray matter decreased. This allowed researchers to prove the role the anterior cingulate cortex plays regarding depression, but it also uncovered “a possible mechanism by which omega-3 fatty acids act as antidepressants”.  While the first study was purely correlation, the second study was able to show causation and a possible mechanism, but again like any scientific study, more studies should be done. Conklin continued, yet again, in a third study and found “low levels of DHA…were associated with poor cognitive performance on tests of delayed memory, logical memory, and ability to draw designs from memory”.

While the studies I found reported that omega-3s lessen symptoms of depression, I’m sure there are some studies out there that do not have conclusive evidence or do not support the hypothesis that omega-3 fatty acids help people with depression and improve cognitive function. It is important for college students, and anyone, to know about omega-3s and how essential they are in a person’s diet. Not only do they lessen symptoms of depression, but they also lessen impulsive behavior and hostility, things a college student definitely wants to avoid. Omega-3s can also improve a college student’s cognitive function, allowing them to remember more things or simply remember them more easily. While walnuts are not the only food source for omega-3s (various fish, dairy, and grain products are also good sources), they will still provide the necessary fatty acids. Remember, the food that looks like a brain, helps your brain!

Inspired by the new species Andrew showed us in class on Tuesday, I decided to do some research on other new species scientists have discovered in recent years. From microscopic organisms to monkeys, there are quite a number of interesting creatures that roam our planet, with many more waiting to be discovered. I found a somewhat newer species that was not only interesting to look at, but seemed applicable to SC200! Drum roll please… Centrolenidae! The glass frog! The most recent discovery (that I could find) was in 2004, by researchers from the University of Kansas, who found a new glass frog species in northwestern Ecuador.

 According to this article, these frogs live in forest, usually on mountains, above rainforests. These areas are called cloud forests. Depending on which specific glass frog it is (Pichincha, Nicaraguan, Fleischmann, to name a few) they can live anywhere from 200 feet to 7,800 feet above sea level. These areas get a large amount of rain, water being of great importance in a frog’s life, so they make their homes in trees and plants near streams. These slow streams are home to their tadpoles until they are old enough to leave the water.

So what makes these frogs so interesting? As you might have guessed, these frogs have almost completely transparent bodies. Their transparent undersides, as reported here, allow us to see their internal organs, bones, and blood vessels. The view from above the frog is not as telling of its inner workings, but in some kinds, it looks like frosted glass. Most of these frogs are green or brown, oftentimes with spots on its back and legs. Their translucency as well as their coloring allows them to hide from predators, and in most cases, researchers who just want to get a better look. Interestingly enough, some glass frogs have green bones, while others have white bones. Most males are smaller than females, but even then, both only range from 0.7 to 1.3 inches long.

Mudfooted reports conversationalists believe these frogs may be good bioindicators. A bioindicator , is a species that can help provide information about the environment it lives in. They report that as the world’s climate increases, the cloud forests will become too dry for these frogs. How do we know if such an event is occurring though? This site states that bioindicators can indicate the state of the environment due to their tolerance of environmental variability. If the cloud forests become too dry, the frogs may move down the mountain to other water sources. Likewise, if it is too rainy, they would not be present in the cloud forests because their fragile bodies can’t take heavy rain. In this case, a little rain can hurt somebody. This website continues by comparing traditional human measurements of the environment with those of a bioindicator. Humans measure the physical parameters of the environment at the time, whereas bioindicators can give information over a longer amount of time. A researcher’s chemical sample is only for the time it was taken, whereas the bioindicator’s lifespan or time in the area can tell the same if not more about the environment. Bioindicators can act as early warning signs of harmful events in a certain environment.

I was curious to find more information about glass frogs as a specific bioindicator, however, I only found the same general information. I wanted to know if the environment affects the frog’s physical appearance, or if their residence in an area is what makes them bioindicators. Perhaps after studying these frogs more closely, researchers will find different physical traits between glass frogs in different environments, but only time will tell. For now, we can only settle with the idea that the level of moisture in cloud forests correlates with the number of glass frogs in the area. If any of you find more information of these cool creatures, please let me know!

Like many of you, I try to write my blogs about things that are apparent in the lives of college students. In this blog I am going to focus on the idea of exercise as a form of stress relief. As college students in the midst of midterms, it is easy (and understandable) for us to spend all of our time studying and changing our schedule to accommodate our workload. We have all read different statistics about how much time we should spend on our class work and how much time we should set aside for non-academic related activities. However, I can’t help but wonder if those non-academic activities, namely exercise, cause us to perform better as students. After all, it’s nearly impossible to spend ALL of our time studying, even though we like to let our parents and professors think that.

In a article from Health Guide, various benefits of exercise are listed. They report that exercising not only benefits your physical well-being, but also your mental well-being. Exercising allows a person to take control of their stress or anxiety, or merely distract them from it for a short time. They report that exercise releases endorphins that, in short, provide energy and a greater ability to concentrate. Endorphins are neurotransmitters, which transmit electrical signals to the nervous system. In this article, it discusses how endorphins interact with opiate receptors in the brain and reduce our levels of pain. The term opiate may sound familiar in regards to drugs and addiction, but in this sense endorphins are not addictive. However, even though drugs are not used in this case, a similar euphoria can be reached through the release of endorphins. This is referred to as a “runner’s high”. This shows that exercise, and subsequently endorphins, is a healthy way of dealing with stress as opposed to finding relief in drugs or alcohol. The same “painless” feeling can be reached, but there are other numerous benefits from this form of stress relief.

So how does exercise actually affect us as students? The Mayo Clinic lists various ways exercise can be beneficial to anyone, but as you are about to see, it can certainly have an effect on us as college students.

1. Exercise controls weight. This is an incredibly well-known fact, but we have to fight the Freshman 15 somehow, right?
2. Exercise combats health conditions and diseases. Not only can exercise help prevent things such as a stroke, various types of cancer, and diabetes, but it can also help keeps our cardiovascular system healthy, therefore, keeping us generally healthy. Can’t be a good student if you’re stuck in your room with a sickness!
3. Exercise improves mood. Bringing back the endorphin topic, exercise can make you generally happier and relaxed, allowing you to perform better academically.
4. Exercise boots energy. By improving our cardiovascular system and delivering oxygen to our tissue, exercise gives us an energy boost to get through a tough day, or even a tough week.
5. Exercise promotes better sleep. Regular exercise can help a person fall asleep faster and sleep deeper. What college student doesn’t like sleep?

All in all, if you don’t want to exercise for the sheer fact that it takes time out of your day or that you don’t think you are the “athletic type”, remember that even the slightest bit of exercise, such as taking the stairs or the long way back to your dorm, can have multiple positive effects on your life and your grades as well! Just think about stimulating your entire body as well as your brain! Exercise equals endorphins and endorphins equal happiness and concentration, the two of the things college students struggle with the most!

More often than not, college students listen to music while they do work. We see it all the time in the HUB, the library, or even in their rooms. Is this merely to block out outside noise? Most of the time, yes, but it makes me wonder if certain music could help or hinder a person’s study techniques. Do they tend to focus on their work more and drown out the music, or does it distract them and they find themselves singing along or dancing?

Here is a study I found that deals with the effect of music on college students while taking a reading comprehension exam. With 16 male and 16 female students, the researchers asked each of them to bring in music that they prefer. According to this experiment, all research on this topic until this point dealt with music chosen by the experimenter. In this study they wished to test whether music chosen by the experimenter was harmful or beneficial. The second reason was to test the distraction level of familiar sounds versus unfamiliar sounds. The subjects had to read a passage for ten minutes then answer five questions all while there was no music playing. The process was repeated, this time with music. Researchers varied the passages so they would be read during the music time frame half the time and they also varied it for each sex. The study found that the results during the music portion were 6.9 for males and 6.6 for females. Without music it was 6.6 for males and 8.6 for females. Thus, music interfered with women and not males. The researchers then looked at the results of who typically study with music and found that 11 out of 16 males study with music, whereas only 6 females study with music. This shows that though they enjoy the music they were listening to, the females were distracted by it. This is a rather old study, so I continued my search to find relevant and more current research on the topic considering studying with music is incredibly prevalent in our lives today.

Though the previous experiment showed music had a negative affect on women during a test, this research proves otherwise. This study deals with the effects of classical music on test anxiety, something we have all dealt with or may be currently dealing with because our second SC200 test is tomorrow! In this randomized control trial, 38 nursing students, all of the same age, were assigned to either a round of music followed by silence or vice versa. State anxiety, examination anxiety, finger temperature, and pulse rate were all tested prior to the exam. The following image shows the path of the experiment.

The students, due to their same sex and age, were their own controls. The results showed that there was a great difference between those who listened to music during the exam and those who did not. Researchers stated,”It is clear that lento music that is appreciated by the students is able to improve the students’ relaxation and reduce their anxiety”. Because this study used people with similar characteristics and tested for pulse rate, finger temperature, and different anxiety levels both before and after the exam, it allows them to have a broader understanding of the results. This test proves that classical music can reduce test anxiety significantly, however, those in the silent workplace also had lower anxiety, it was just less significant. A reduction in anxiety could lead to better results on the exam, however, that information was not released.

So while these two studies slightly contradict each other, the first stating that music is distracting, while the other states music reduces anxiety, there are still great differences between the two, so nothing is definitive. The first experiment allowed those being tested to bring in music they enjoyed; we can assume that it probably was not classical music. The second experiment was music the researchers provided, but those being studied were still familiar with it. This leads me to wonder that maybe classical music is the way to go; oftentimes it is calming and the lack of words allows us to focus on our work, rather than the lyrics. If it indeed is calming, that also serves as an added benefit. In short, if you typically study with music and continue to perform well academically, keep doing what you are doing. If your grades have been lacking, try classical music instead; it will drown out outside noise without providing too much of a distraction. Lastly, if you study without music and are doing well, there really isn’t a reason to change a thing!

It is a common fact that cancer is a huge problem in society. With various types and degrees, it seems like everyone has the potential to be diagnosed. According to the American Cancer Society there will be an estimated 1,658,370 new cancer cases in 2015 and 589,430 cancer related deaths. However, Pennsylvania alone has an estimated 260,650 people with 1-5 year survival rates. We know that people can be in remission, but that does not always mean they are 100% healthy. Which leads me to wonder what precautions they must take, the statistics behind cancer survival, and how that compares to a “regular, healthy” person.

According to the Mayo Clinic, with a doctor’s permission, survivors are encouraged to return to a healthy lifestyle like any other person. By eating right, working out, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding tobacco use, and consuming alcohol in moderation, they can leave cancer in the past. However,  this article dives deeper into specific foods, drinks, and actions cancer survivors can take that might help or hinder them. As far as foods go, they list fiber, flaxseed, fruits, vegetables, organic foods, and small portions of red meat as important to include in a healthy diet for those who are currently undergoing treatment or are in remission. However, this article includes brief references to experiments about food and cancer, which are confusing and potentially misleading for some people. They repeatedly mention that each particular food may be beneficial for a healthy life, but results vary and more tests need to be done. They claim in some studies, alcohol has been linked to cancer and cancer reoccurrence, but others show neither positive or neutral results. As expected, they believe exercise is beneficial, but they admit it cannot be proven to help prevent a relapse. The obvious assumption can be made that a healthy, well-balanced life can help cancer patients, but the lack of scientific proof is worrisome and fairly shocking.

Obviously, those who have had cancer will try their very best to avoid a relapse and to move on with their lives. At this point, they probably don’t care if a certain food is proven to be beneficial. A study from the British Journal of Cancer was done to address the lifestyle behaviors of childhood cancer survivors and to compare them with the lives of either siblings or other controls. In this cross-sectional study, they took data from 178 childhood cancer survivors between the ages of 18 and 30 and compared it to same sex and age controls and siblings. The researchers focused on addictive actions such as alcohol consumption, cigarette use, and recreational drug use. They found that cancer survivors had lower alcohol consumption rates, were less likely to smoke, and were significantly less likely to use recreational drugs than their matched controls. This experiment further added to information that “long-term survivors of childhood cancer are leading healthier lifestyles” and practice more preventive health behaviors than the rest of the population.

In conclusion, I believe it is clear that cancer survivors are more cautious in their lives post-treatment in order to not relapse, thus setting great examples for the rest of us. Cancer patients already inspire many people with their strength and courage during treatment, but when treatment is over, we should continue to look for inspiration from them. At one point in time we may have been healthier than them, but inevitably they will be healthier than us. Obviously, every case is different, third party variables may be present, and there’s always chance, but starting a healthy lifestyle sooner rather than later can be beneficial to anyone.

As we trudge across campus with our rain boots and umbrellas, I can’t help but  wonder if weather really does affect our mood. I also wonder if people in various locations around the world are happier or worse off due to the climate of their area.

In a German study presented here, researchers examined the effects of six different weather patterns on mood. They initially hypothesized that individual differences in weather sensitivity exist. 1,233 German respondents provided information about themselves that could be linked to weather in their area. The ages ranged from 13 to 68 and the majority of the participants were women. Participants had to first take a pretest questionnaire, they were then required to fill out daily questionnaires that dealt with their mood. The scales of emotion were randomized on every questionnaire, so participants did not form a habit of answering the same way. Weather data was used from the German Weather Institute and researchers decided to use temperature, sunlight, and wind power as factors in their analysis. After a multilevel analysis, they found that daily weather had no significant effects on positive mood. The affects of temperature, wind power, and sunlight on negative mood were found, however. They concluded that their experiment goes against “common stereotypes about the link between weather and mood”.

After taking Andrew’s class, we have the ability to form our own ideas about the casualty of this experiment. Obviously, mood cannot affect weather unless perhaps you are a celestial being, and third variables are practically impossible to find. The researchers included this in their paper to draw better conclusions. They stated that weather was an external variable that could not be influenced by a person or a third variable. They were fully aware that their experiment design did not establish causality, but their “findings are highly consistent with a causal model that flows from weather to mood”.

Now can this prove that people who live in certain climates are happier? These researchers reference a study by Lansdowne and Provost, which can be seen here, that states that decreased sunlight and vitamin D3 could lead to negative effects and tiredness. However, more research still needs to be done on that subject to prove such a thing. Those who live in warmer climates will naturally be exposed to more sunlight, however, that does not necessarily mean they will be happier. In the German study, they found that weather sensitivity is independent of other personality traits, so grumpy people living in the Arctic may simply be grumpy.

I believe that other variables can affect a person’s mood, which by chance, could correlate with the weather. Many people can choose to believe the stereotype due to personal experience or what they have been told, but scientifically, it is not proven. So next time the weather is crappy (tomorrow and the rest of the week), remind yourself that you do not have to feel crappy as well.

There is a whole section of psychology that studies how colors affect people and what responses they can evoke. Certain advertisements may utilize different colors to lure you in, others may use colors to get their message across. They may use red to show power or anger, or they may use yellow to show happiness. This makes me wonder if certain colors can have a positive effect on students.

Amy Morin, a columnist for Forbes, questioned whether colors can have an influence on people in the workplace in this article. She interviewed Sally Augustin, Ph.D., to learn about the psychology of color. Augustin claims that color can change a person’s perception of temperature or evoke emotional responses as I said before. If a room is painted with warm colors, people may convince themselves that the room is a few degrees warmer or vice versa. As far as the emotional responses go, she claims there “aren’t always universal truths about color… Despite exceptions, there are basic generalities”. These exceptions may be a past experience that people associate with a certain color. I will always associate bright orange with my high school and how my soccer team looked like carrots in our uniforms. I’m sure all of you have a certain color that you associate with things, both positively and negatively.

Augustin goes on to describe the various affects colors have on people. Green sparks creativity because people associate it with growth, blue is a widely accepted color because its familiar, yellow has a low acceptance, orange is often associated with good value, pink calms people, and white is sleek and clean, but can cause people to lose interest. While we may have already heard of some of these effects, she draws an interesting point on the color red and how it could affect students.

She states that when people see red their reactions become “faster and more forceful”, but that energy is short-lived causing a reduction in analytical thinking. She cited a study by Andrew Elliot, which can be found here, that showed that students did poorly on a test after being exposed to the color red. The research shows that red may help in trying to find a man, but not to concentrate on a test. So ladies, save the red lipstick for the weekends and not your 8 A.Ms.

As we think back to our years in grade school up until now in a college environment, there have been a variety of classroom colors. While most rooms are painted white or very  light plain colors, grade school teachers are likely to cover the walls with bright posters and decorations. I’m sure we all noticed that as we got older, the amount of posters may have decreased and the rooms became more bland. However, there are still plenty of those fun teachers that still spice up their rooms. In college, however, it seems like most of the rooms are plain and simple, probably due to the fact that the professors move rooms constantly and don’t have a claim on any particular one. However, Penn State might want to look into the psychology of color because Augustin reported that white causes people to lose focus. Whether we agree with this or not, there are a number of other variables that go into how well a person does in school, but nonetheless, the psychology of color is an interesting thing.

Ever heard of the saying that people from the south have thinner blood due to the temperature? Could it be true, and does that mean they are less likely to have heart and cardiovascular issues?

Thinner blood proves to be better than thicker blood for a number of reasons. In a Family Health Guide from Harvard Medical School, it is reported that thinner blood is better for your heart and circulatory system. They reported that some evidence shows that people with thicker blood tend to have higher chances of having heart disease, a heart attack, or a stroke. I’m sure you are all smart enough to realize that the thicker the blood, the harder it is to move around in your body. Just like an extra thick milkshake is difficult to drink through a thin straw.

They continue to point out that red blood cells have the greatest influence over a person’s blood viscosity, which is the thickness and stickiness of the blood. They also list blood fats, chronic inflammation, smoking, diabetes, and genes as other influences over the thickness of one’s blood. However, Richard E. Klabunde, PhD. in the article Viscosity of Blood, claims that temperature also affects the blood. He claims there is an “inverse relationship between temperature and viscosity”. According to the article, blood viscosity increases by 2% every degree centigrade the temperature decreases. This would be, roughly, an increase or decrease by 30 degrees on a Fahrenheit scale. Does this mean that those people who live in colder climates are more likely to have heart disease or vice versa? Considering this is such a large increase (or decrease) in temperature to have any effect on our blood, this leads us to believe that location does not contribute to heart disease.

In a professional opinion article from The Island Packet, Dr. Robert Vyge gives his opinion on the relationship between blood thickness and location of the person. His credentials can be seen here. When asked whether moving to a southern climate causes the blood to thin, he states that it is only a myth. If they feel colder, he suspects that it is purely due to the person’s previous tolerance to certain temperatures. Though he doesn’t cite scientific data to support these comments, maybe scientists have never seen a correlation or a dire need to look further into the topic. He does go on to point out an interesting fact though: altitude may affect viscosity. He states that high altitudes will cause the body to make more red blood cells and as we know from the Harvard article, red blood cells increase the thickness. Moving to lower altitudes could then in essence, thin the blood.

Though the Harvard article claims that research on the topic between blood viscosity and heart disease varies with inconclusive evidence, one can conclude that thicker blood could lead to health problems and there are ways to prevent it. However, the potential for cardiovascular issues should not keep someone from moving into a different area. There are too many variables that could account for these health issues and because the correlation between location and blood thickness has not been tested, one shouldn’t have anything to fear. Topics like these can be frustrating because there is no definite answer, but that’s what science is all about. Maybe some day we will have one.

Growing up in a household where your mother bakes for a living does one of two things: gives you a permanent sweet tooth and a constant friends. I can’t tell you how many times people have asked me if I have cookies in my purse (what my mom is known for) or whether she has them. Cue the stampede. It was always the family joke that my brother and I only had friends because my mother bribed them with sweets. People say her baked goods are addicting and maybe I’ve become immune to them, but I can’t help but wonder if maybe that addiction, or sweet tooth, is real.

One reason behind this starts before any of us were born. In Shape magazine, Gina Roberts-Grey ran an article explaining a sweet tooth. She writes that amniotic fluids transfer flavors from various foods that the mother has eaten to the fetus. However, the fetus swallows these flavors at different rates, leading some of these to stick with us after we are born. Ever hear your mom say she used to eat or crave a certain food while she was pregnant and now you like that food too? That’s exactly what this means.

She uses Joseph Pinzone, M.D., an endocrinologist and medical director of AMAI to add to her points. He claims that the more receptors (tastebuds) you have, the stronger like or dislike you will have towards certain foods. However, he goes on to say that childhood experiences can cause us to develop a sweet tooth or perhaps a salty tooth. If we repeatedly had a certain food and associated it with positive emotions, then the greater chance of us liking that food for the rest of our lives or even “becoming addicted to it”.

However, I am still left to wonder if sweet foods can be proven to be addictive. In a study found in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers took twelve overweight or obese men and in a “randomized, blinded, cross-over designed” experiment, to see whether certain foods created a greater reaction in the nucleus accumbens part of the brain. In short, this part of the brain plays an important role in addiction. For a more detailed analysis of this part of the brain look here. These researchers hypothesized that higher glycemic index foods will cause greater reaction in the nucleus accumbens. They concluded that a high GI-meal compared to an isocaloric low GI meal, “decreased plasma glucose, increased hunger, and selectively stimulated brain regions”.

Mark Hyman, M.D., analyzed this experiment and derived two things, that the body responds to different calories even if other ingredients remain the same, and foods that spike blood pressure are addictive. He says that out of the 600,000 processed foods in the marketplace, 80% have added hidden sugar. He believes that instead of blaming our personal addictions on obesity, we should be looking into what addictive ingredients are actually in our foods.

So in conclusion, a person can have an addiction to sweeter foods depending on the ingredients used. If they find themselves having an extreme craving, maybe they should think about the potential harm they are doing to themselves. Otherwise, they just tend to enjoy certain foods over any others, and maybe those foods contain addictive ingredients. This doesn’t disprove the “childhood association” theory, but it makes people aware of the hidden sugars those foods may have that could have caused their “sweet tooth”. I’m not saying throw away the cookies your mom sent in a care package (because I’m not), but instead think about the potential effects those “magical” cookies may have on you!

Regular, Decaf, Grande, Skinny, Caramel, Vanilla, Venti… any size, any flavor, coffee is all around us, epecially as college students. Whether you wait in the endless Starbucks line in the HUB or make your daily cup with your Keurig, you need your coffee, right? Is coffee that much of a necessity or has it just become routine? According to Havard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health,  54% of Americans over the age of 18 drink coffee daily.

Joseph Stromberg from the Smithsonian website describes how caffeine in coffee is addictive. Caffeine, the world’s most psychoactive drug, is absorbed through the small intestine and dissolved into the bloodstream. Due to its water and fat solubility, it can penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Thus, sending it into your brain where it causes those lovely reactions. Those reactions are from the caffeine acting like an adenosine molecule, which over time can produce tiredness. The caffeine blocks these molecules and BAM: energy and alertness. As the brain gets used to this amount of caffeine on a daily basis is begins producing more adenosine; the more adenosine the caffeine has to block, the higher the tolerance, thus answering our question as to whether or not it is a necessity. People like Stephen R. Braun, who is also mentioned in that Smithsonian article, believe caffeine isn’t a stimulant on its own, but rather “enables other stimulants to run wild” as he says here.

So how can Decaffeinated, with less caffeine as told by it’s name, be as effective in keeping people alert? University of California at Berkeley states that decaf coffee 97% less caffeine than regular coffee. With only 3% of the caffeine obviously the jitters are nearly eliminated from those who are accustomed to coffee. However, if these coffee drinkers have built a tolerance to regular coffee, decaf will surely not match that level. Like any addiction, it would be difficult for them to cut it out of their lives completely. Those with a high tolerance find that they are less attentive if they switch to decaf coffee. Does this mean decaf is merely acting as a placebo because it has such a low amount of caffeine?

Olivia D. Songster in her state science fair experiment studied the effects of placebo with different forms of coffee. She took twenty subjects, made them do various tasks before and after they drank the “coffee”, and tested them twice a day on separate days. After the first tests were given, the participants were able to discuss how they were feeling; those with more caffeine began to have flushed faces and other symptoms. Soon, those who had decaffeinated claimed they felt the same way. This leads me to wonder if they actually felt those effects or believed they were feeling them only because the people around them were. They may feel that they should be happier and alert due to their caffeinated drinks, so they convince themselves they are.

While Stephen Braun believes coffee is an enabler, Olivia believes more in the Placebo effects of coffee. I’m left here wondering whether a third variable could be the cause of greater alertness or flushed faces. Maybe some people got a greater amount of sleep, others may be stressed about being experimented on, some might have other health issues that allow for those things to happen, I’m not sure. I’m not a doctor or a scientist, just a college student who wonders about coffee.

Our names never seem to be right.

Lymphoma, that rings a bell doesn’t it? At some point in time in your life you have probably heard this term; a term that represents a cancer.  Now, whether you’ve had personal experience with this cancer is a different matter in its own. This particular cancer is a cancer of the blood that occurs when lymphocytes become abnormal. Often times it is found in the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, and blood.

Like any cancer, whether you are personally dealing with it, know someone who is, or want to know more, many questions arise. What are the treatments? What is the survival rate? Can anyone be affected? Websites like The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and The Lymphoma Research Foundation can help us answer these questions.

The LLS (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) expected there to be 79,990 people diagnosed with lymphoma in 2014. In the following year, during these recent weeks, my younger brother became part of this statistic. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma. Luckily, it’s the most treatable.

Up until two days before his biopsy, Kyle was running an upwards of five miles a day with his cross country team then immediately went to band practice where he marched with his tuba. How can a seemingly healthy teenage boy have such a raging disease within him?

Non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma both have symptoms that include painless swollen lymph nodes in their armpits, neck, or groin. Most people, like Kyle, have affected lymph nodes in the upper part of their body. In his case, it was his thymus gland. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, tiredness, unexplained weight loss, all of which Kyle certainly did not have. To his doctors, he seems like an anomaly.

The LLS states, “Most people who have Hodgkin Lymphoma have no obvious risk factors as to why they developed the disease. Those with HIV, mononucleosis of the blood, or occasionally those with siblings or family members with the disease may have the potential to have the disease”. However, LLS claims the results of these listed studies are not definitive. Because Kyle again does not fall under any of these possible factors, his diagnosis was shocking. Had he not received an X-ray for his spine following a yearly check-up, we may not have caught the fact that he had an enlargement in his chest.

How can families, doctors, and even patients become more conscientious and recognize cancer symptoms? First and foremost, the easiest thing to do is be aware of the signs. Abnormal weight loss, tiredness, swollen nodes, and night sweats are all uncommon things that should raise a red flag about the person’s health. The most common (and logical) advice is to go see your doctor as soon as possible. The earlier you can determine the medical issue, the better it will be in the long run. We were lucky we caught Kyle’s cancer when we did, not everyone is as lucky. However, these symptoms may not be cancer related so don’t jump to conclusions. If my story can teach anything, it’s that cancer can happen to anyone. As with any situation, knowledge is the best tool to utilize. Be aware. Be smart. Be strong.

If you enjoy Andrew’s accent and want a more visual explanation of this cancer here is a video from a British professor with the Lymphoma Association.

Mole Day was always my favorite science holiday to celebrate in high school 

I’m Shannon McClain and I’m from Warren, OH. Not many people know where that is, but it’s about three hours away from here just inside the border between Pennsylvania and Ohio. I know what your next thought is, why didn’t you choose Ohio State? Maybe the real question is, why did I choose Penn State? Or even better, why would I even consider any other school, but Penn State?

I’m currently in the College of Communications for Advertising and Public Relations. Clearly, this is not a science-based major, but I always enjoyed the sciences in high school. The strange, intriguing facts about life and our world always sparked my interest. That’s why I’m taking this class. Now even though I find certain scientific topics interesting, I’ve always enjoyed the communication field a little more.

Doing experiments in high school was the part of class I always enjoyed, so if you want to see some cool simple experiments in an immature high school way, here you go!….