A common stress reliever you see people use is biting their nails. But who knew biting your nails could do more than just relieve your stress, the addicting habit could kill you.

John Gardener, 40-year-old British man died in 2014 from biting his The actually act of biting did not kill but he contracted a septicemia due to the fact that the skin around his fingernails were always cut open and exposed to the outside. This blood infection caused John to have a heart attack. Now if you knew your childish habit of biting your nails could cause a heart attack wouldn’t you make it apparent to stop?

So exactly are you biting?A study was conducted by Dr. Anthony Hilton at Birmingham’s’ Aston University and it consisted of 100 men and women nail clippings. Through the research conducted it was found that on 24% of the nail clippings contained harmful bacteria.  Dr. Anthony Hilton said that the bacteria found on the nail clippings was very concerning to him because these are the same bacteria that live in the gut of animals and humans. When people are ingesting these bacteria’s they are likely to cause gastroenteritis. I think that this study is beneficial for people who bite their nails because it is truly showing them what they potentially could be biting. I think a larger randomized controlled study should be done to further explore the bacteria found under people’s finger nails.

More than just a habit?

As the habit of nail biting spreads from person to person researchers are now taking a closer look at the science behind biting. Nail biting is now classified as “not otherwise classified” but soon the American Psychiatric Association is changing it to “obsessive compulsive disorder”.  Obsessive compulsive disorder is found to be associated with stress and anxiety and nail biting seems to co-inside with both.

With finals just around the corner do not let yourself use that as an excuse to bite your nails. Nail biting can lead to cuts and sore or even worse a heart attack.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/6926078.stm

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/man-dies-heart-attack-caused-nail-biting-habit-article-1.1717693

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2227357/Nail-biting-bad-habit-Experts-classify-addiction-mental-disorder.html

In 1945, my great grandfather was serving in World War 2 when a grenade went off in a truck that he was in. All he remembers is waking up in a church 2 days later and not being able to hear out of his left ear. The overwhelming sound of the grenade ultimately blew out his left ear. Everyday people around the world listen to music in a headset, and all I can wonder is how much more the human ear can take. I believe that listening to your music too loudly can indeed make the song better but can also ruin your hearing forever.

      WHO (World Health Organization) conducted a study and concluded that nearly 50% of those studied listen to unsafe loudness of music. In order to not damage your ears your music needs to be lower then a person talking. You should be able to hear everything around you while listening to your personal headset. 360 million people have not listened to their music properly and are suffering from moderate to serve hearing loss.

Hearing loss is categorized into three levels: Moderate, severe and profound. Moderate hearing loss is when you have difficulty keeping up with conversations, use of a hearing aid can help people to hear better. Severe hearing loss is when people need to rely on lip-reading even when using hearing aids. Profound hearing loss is wen a person needs to use sign language to be able to communicate.

Since technology has boomed significantly over the past 10 years we see the amount of people having hearing problems has also gone up. In 2006 1 in 5 children had haring problems, that is 30% more then children surveyed in 1988. Apple, the popular company known for releasing the iPod even has on their website “Permanent hearing loss might occur if you use headphones at a high volume. You can adapt over time to a higher volume of sound, which might sound normal but can damage your hearing. Set the volume to a safe level before that happens. If you experience ringing in your ears or speech sounds muffled, reduce the volume or stop using your headphones and have your hearing checked. The louder the volume, the quicker your hearing could be affected. Hearing experts suggest these tips to protect your hearing:

• Limit the amount of time you use headphones at high volume.
• Don’t turn up the volume to block out noisy surroundings.

Turn the volume down if you can’t hear people speaking near you.”.

Being that the number of children with hearing loss has increased and apple tells their customers to be careful when listening to music with headphones I believe a randomized study needs to be conducted to test the specific amount of time it takes to harm a person’s hearing. But for now when you are listening to music it is important to follow to instructions listed above to save your hearing forever.

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Every two weeks I go to the nail salon and get a manicure. Without my nails perfectly painted and colored I feel incomplete. Every two weeks when I step into the nail salon I instantly smell the strong nail polish and chemicals that are being applied to customers nails across the store. Then I began thinking, are these strong fumes bad for the workers to be inhaling all day?

            The strong smell of nail polish remover is mainly made up of Acetone, Ethyl Acetate and Butyl Acetate. Acetone is known to be toxic to humans, both on the skin and to breathe in. Nail Polish remover can cause your nails to be brittle or even irritate your skin while using it. Some workers at nail salons have acetone poisoning and are not even aware of it. Acetone positioning is when there is more acetone in your body then the live can breakdown. Even though acetone positioning most likely will not cause death, it can cause liver damage.

Asian health services and cancer prevention institute of California conducted a randomized controlled study on 20 nail salon workers and owners. Through this study they discovered that half of 74 salons had poor methods for ventilations, this is a huge issue because this allows workers to inhale a lot more poisons then they should. The study also reported that 80% of workers reported health concerns due to work such and 50% of workers reported acute health symptoms (headaches, dizziness, difficulty breathing, skin irritations.) This study provided some information but I think by increasing the sample size of nail salons visited it would be a better study. I also think it is worth mentioning that these acute health symptoms could be a result of outside factors such as living conditions at home.

Other then acute health risks some studies have reported a link between miscarriage and salon work. Esther John, Ph.D conducted a study at the university of North Carolina at Chapel Hill school of public health. His results were based on a survey and concluded, “ we found association between spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) and the number of hours worked per day in cosmetology, the number of chemical services performed per week, the use of formaldehyde-based disinfectants, and work in salons where nail sculpturing was performed by other employees.” Being that this is the first of many studies to follow I am going to conclude that correlation might not equal causation. I think a study needs to be conducted to measure the levels of toxins being ingested by salon workers.

Not only has the concern of salon workers health be mentioned for concern but the health of people like me who go to the salon every 2 weeks and get a “gel manicure”. Gel manicure came out to please customers by guaranteeing the polish would last for 2 weeks. When applying gel you place your hands under UV lights to allow the gel polish to set properly. Setting your hands under UV lights brought concern for many people. UV lights tend to cause cancer and these lights were no exception. A recent study conducted by a few doctors at the Medical College of Georgia concluded that even with numerous exposures to these lamps, the risk for developing cancer is small. The study also showed that it would only take 11 visits over two years to reach the levels of exposure that would cause sun damage. After hearing this information many salons switched over to non- UV lamps.

All in all, salon workers are putting themselves at a high risk everyday that they go to work and this needs to be explored more through studies and research.

http://www.nailsmag.com/article/92848/study-shows-correlation-between-hairdressing-miscarriage-risk-to-nail-technicia

http://www.chemistryislife.com/the-chemistry-of-nail-polish-remover

http://www.healthline.com/health/acetone-poisoning#Symptoms3

http://www.latimes.com/fashion/alltherage/la-ar-gel-manicures-cancer-study-20140529-story.html

Since the winter weather has finally set in and we are facing below freezing temperatures daily, UGG season has officially started. I have been wearing these comfy, but ugly shoes for almost 10 years now and this year all of sudden they brought along with them back aches, sore knees and even foot cramping. It got me thinking, are my favorites comfortable shoes bringing me pain?

UGGS is a monopoly of unisex sheepskin boots and slippers. Although they are by far the most comfortable shoe you have ever put on your foot maybe they are not the best for your feet. In fact, UGG boots have zero support for your foot and ankle; many people have complained of pain while/after wearing the shoe.  By wearing shoes with limited to no support doctors claim that this could lead to swollen ankles, foot pain and even arthritis.

James Woodburn, Sharon Barker, and Philip S Helliwell conducted a randomized controlled study to investigate if placing orthotics in people’s shoes would prevent them from continuing on the track to get arthritis. They had a control group of 48 received foot orthoses and demonstrated an immediate clinical improvement. The results continued to improve over a 30-month period and the trial concluded that custom designed foot reduced foot pain by 19.1%.

I thought this was a really good study and highly suggested that we should not just continue to walk in our non-supportive UGGS but we should put orthotics in them so that we can prevent ourselves from having foot pain later on. I think increasing the sample size and trying to control for the confounding variables could improve this trial. The variables I would try and control for would be; activity level, age, gender.  However, despite looking at the roomy shoe as the cause for the feet problems, one could blame other shoes with a lack of support for the issues as well for the majority of people’s pain.  Also, it is important to note the arch is non-existent, affecting many as arches vary.

After researching more I found that Taylor Carroll of SC200 in 2012 wrote an article called “the Truth about UGGS”. She suggested that we do not have to give up on these comfortable shoes but we can modify them to not damage your feet with every step you take. Carroll brought up the point of excessive sweating in UGGS because they are installed with fur. She mentioned adding powder to your socks to provide your foot with extra protection. Protection from what exactly? Foot Fungus.

Considering UGGS barley gives your foot the ability to breathe this is a perfect opportunity for fungus to grow and make your feet itch. Dr.Gregg Cohen is in agreement with this statement and adds that the UGG boot “traps in heat and moisture”.  The best way to prevent foot fungus from growing in UGGS is to wear socks and get over the counter medicine if you find your feet are starting to itch.

Through all of my research I have not found sufficient evidence to convince me to stop wearing my favorite shoes. I believe that a controlled randomized study needs to be conducted of a large sample size of both men and women, old and young to compare the effect UGGS have one a person’s feet. I believe that after a study like that is conducted we will be able to find more convincing evidence as to whether we need to kick our favorite boots to the curb.

A common phrase used today is “I am so hungry I am going to die”. I always wondered is that true? How do you possibly know that you are so hungry that next you are going to die?

Matter of fact humans can go without food for a long time. They do indeed need water; a human can survive on just water for almost 8 weeks! Although your stomach would be rumbling and you would have crazy craving you would not die! This is always a good thing to know because I got locked somewhere and only had water I know I would be okay.

The reason that your body can survive without is quite interesting. Every time you eat the food contains carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The body stores these to later breakdown for energy. First the body will breakdown all of its carbohydrates, this would take an average body about a day, after that they will run out. After the carbohydrates are gone the body will start to get energy from storage of fats. The body’s stored fats can take about 4-6 before the body uses it all for energy. After all of the fats are gone the body will then turn to protein, protein however can only last for about 3 weeks. After all the protein is gone the body will no longer have anything to get energy from and that is when you will be so hungry you will die.

Not eating for many hours is never a good thing and you may feel dizzy or even faint after a while but you will not die. Many people do not realize that our bodies are made to go days without eating, years ago hunters were not lucky enough to have food daily so their stored carbs, proteins and fats would help them survive until they could hunt more food. So just know next time you are hungry you can about 8 weeks without the meal you are craving!

http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/one-cannot-live-water-alone

Waking up after a long night up studying is never a great way to start the day. As I started college just a few weeks ago I have realized that I have just been getting more and more tired as the days. I am up late studying or binge watching Netflix. With feeling more and more tired the way I dress has drastically started to change. In the beginning of the semester I would wake up 40 minutes for class and do my hair and make up and get dressed into society approved clothing. Now I wake up 20 minutes before class and practically roll out of bed throwing on the sweatshirt and sweatpants I put next to my bed the night before. I have noticed my quiz and homework grades have started to drop. Could all of things be side effects to not getting properly dressed in the morning?

I have heard rumors for years that getting dressed nicer with help you stay more motivated, now researchers are saying that the better you dress the better work you do. A new study was conducted where a random group of people from all different professions but on lab coats that were known as a lab coats for scientists and doctors but smocks for artists and writers. The people with lab coats for scientists and doctors scored higher on conducted tests then artists and writers. This study showed that when thinking of what you are wearing as powerful you tend you do better work.

Not only does what you wear affect your own work it affects everyone else around you. As you look around the office and see people in jeans and t-shirts it reminds you of your house on the weekends a very relaxing and not hard-working environment. But when looking around at everyone in business casual attire you think work and that allows employees to work hard and more efficient.

Another reason it helps your work productivity to get dressed up for work is because then you establish when you are “off work”. By being off work it allows your brain to have time to rest and relax rather then constantly be spinning the office ideas through your brain at the dinner table. By allowing yourself to have “work mode” and “off mode” you are able to put more energy into just “work mode”.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ruchikatulshyan/2013/10/17/is-casual-dress-killing-your-productivity-at-work/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-leadership/post/new-study-what-you-wear-could-affect-how-well-you-work/2011/04/01/gIQAssHomR_blog.html

Every family isn’t complete without a furry friend running around. Even though animals use your house as a bathroom, eat food that smells up the room and need constant attention, they bring endless love for everyone. Almost 70% of households in the United States own a dog or a cat. When deciding to add a furry friend to your family, you have to decide between tons of adorable kittens and vast amounts of adorable puppies. It is important to establish what you are looking for before deciding between a cat and a dog.

Cats:

If you are looking for an animal that pretty much takes care of itself a cat is for you. These cute animals come in many different colors and sizes so you can defiantly find the one that fits your taste. Once you bring this tiny kitten to your home, you will simply show the kitten its litter box and it will never forget again. They never need to be taken outside to use the bathroom; you just need to make sure you change the litter once a week! In addition to changing the litter you will need to make sure you feed your kitten 2-3 times a day so they can grow to be big strong cats. Your new kitten will love to cuddle so make sure you show it your favorite blanket to snuggle up with you. Your favorite blanket will soon turn to the cats new favorite blanket because they sleep between 14-18 hours a day.

On the down side it will be nearly impossible for you to teach your cat how to sit or any other simple command. If you have a family member with allergies a cat is not going to fit in well. A cat sheds a lot. Take it from a fashionista point of view, black will no longer be your favorite color! Cats attack their prey with their long claws that only come out when they feel threatened. Your cat may feel scared or threatened when they hear loud noises or are picked up; this may lead to a painful cat scratch.

Dogs:

If you are looking for a new family member that will bring endless love but need tons of attention a dog is most likely for you. These fun-loving 4-legged animals are best friend material. Dogs are very loyal and stay by their owners through it all. Puppies are like babies; they need help doing pretty much everything. When getting a puppy you are pretty much never off the clock. To potty train a puppy you need to take it out every 30-60 minutes for about 3-4 months, this is until the dog realizes that they are too pee and poop outside and not in your home! Other then potty training you need to teach them what to eat and what not to eat. My dog enjoyed my moms new leather boots instead of his food. A puppy is not ready to be left home alone and not in a crate until they are about 18 months old.

Once completing the first year or so with your new puppy they will turn to be your best friend. Dogs are very smart animals they can learn commands such as sit, lay down, paw, I know one dog that gets the owner tissues when she sneezes. Other then being your best friend they are very good at protecting their owners, they will bark whenever a stranger is around and they feel threatened.

After deciding that a dog is for you, it is time to decide what size and what color and breed. Many different breeds come with many different perks. Some have better memories, some need more exercise, and some even have longer life spans. Their weight can range between 5-150 lbs. Some dogs will shed and some will not. Dogs range in many different colors. Some have short hair and some have long hair. To maintain a good smell and a good fur length, many dogs will need to be groomed monthly. Dogs overall take a lot more time, care and attention.

Either:

Both dogs and cats will make a great attention to your family, but you first have to decide what you are looking for. Both dogs and cats will need to be taken to the vet once a year for an annual check-up and given vaccines. Both animals can bring happiness to many people’s lives and they are easily a human’s best friends. Cats and dogs sometimes do not get along so it is important that if you want to try both a dog and a cat that they get along!

https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Statistics/Pages/Market-research-statistics-US-pet-ownership.aspx

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/01/04/differences-between-pet-cats-and-pet-dogs.aspx

Growing up I always had a vivid imagination that took me to my favorite places, but sometimes the imaginations would turn to realities. This was practically true when it came to rainbows. Whenever I imagined a happy place it always consisted of blue sunny skies and rainbows of course! Once in a while I would be lucky enough to see a rainbow in person. As I got older I started to realize that rainbows all were the sweet ending to a rainstorm or sun shower. Being children my friends and I would always run around in the sun showers on hot sunny days. Once the water stopping coming from the sky our eyes were always drawn to the sky to try and find the rainbow. We would each see these magically rainbows and shout out the order of colors we saw and where it started and ended. The colors we saw and the place in the sky we saw it never matched up with each other, our parents thought we were crazy to all be seeing different magically rainbows. So why did we all see different rainbows?

Rainbows aren’t actually so magically when it comes to the way scientists explain why they occur. Sunlight is a mixture of colors. When the sunlight is bent it is called a spectrum. Sunlight passes through a raindrop the same way it passes through a prism and that is what actually presents us with a commonly known thing as a rainbow. Rainstorms tend to promote rainbows because the rainbow appears when the sunlight breaks through the clouds.

The concept of rainbows is quit simply and less magically then most children believe. Without even realizing I made my own rainbow! One day I was watering the flowers and all of a sudden a rainbow appeared, I was so happy that I could make this magical thing happen with just a hose. Blasting water on the blacktop allows sunlight to reflect through the water and produce a rainbow!

Interesting enough no two people see the same rainbow. This is in fact because of the way the raindrops fall so quickly. This is the explanation as to why all my friends and me always saw different things in the sky. Being that only you will ever see the rainbow that is in front of you that is the magically thing about rainbows! Enjoy the next rainbow you see because it is only for you.

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Weed, Pot, Tree, Skunk, and many other names are home to a drug that we all know of as marijuana. According to a source, 44% of Americans have smoked pot but it is still illegal. In fact in states that have not legalized marijuana, you could be charged the same way for having this common substance, as you would be if you had heroin. The Federal Government of the United States recognizes marijuana as a Narcotic. Yet the leader of our free world has admitted to using this drug so clearly using marijuana is not going to stop people from being successful.

On a daily basis people drink the legal substance of alcohol and that causes a lot more issues then marijuana ever will. Every 51 minutes someone dies from an alcohol related accident in the United States, and very few accidents have been reported to be caused by weed-impaired drivers. Along with motor vehicle accidents, everyday people die from over-dosing on alcohol and it is nearly impossible to overdose on marijuana. It is still confusing as to why this substance is illegal in most places in the United States.

Other then deaths and injuries alcohol has a very negative effect on the body and brain. When you drink even if it is a small amount it majorly affects many parts of your body one being the immune system. The immune system is weakened drastically by alcohol; it makes it hard for the body to fight off germs and bacteria. Some heaver drinkers have increased risks of getting pneumonia or tuberculosis and even some forms of cancer. Other then getting sick more often alcohol has a really harsh effect on the brain. The alcohol that is not broken down by the liver is then disturbed to all parts of the body including the brain. By alcohol reaching the brain it can decrease memory, speech, decision-making and even movement.

However marijuana has fewer effects on the body and brain. For starters there is no evidence that marijuana negatively affects the immune system. Marijuana is even used to help AIDS patients with hunger issues and allows them to be less nauseous. Marijuana does indeed have an effect on the brain, this causes you to have a drug induced euphoria which most people call being “high”. The effects that marijuana has on your brain are far from negative and harmful. Marijuana lessens eye pressure for patients with glaucoma; it also helps patients have less spasms and seizures. The medical benefits are only plus side to legalizing marijuana.

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Hi! My name is Taylor Mitchell and I am from Lafayette Hill, PA. I am so excited to be starting at Penn State this year! I spent my summer here and met so many great people, I can not wait to meet so many more.

I decided to take this course because I was signed up for a Earth science class and after reading through the syllabus I realized I had zero interest in that topic of study. Then I found this class and read about it and read about Andrew and felt it would be a really great class to take.

I am 100% not ever going to be a science major because I hope to never take Physics, Chem or Bio again. Those were the classes that I dreaded going to everyday and struggled in!

When I am not studying I love to look at this website.It has really cute Dogs.