Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; The Real Story

“How do you pick up the threads of your old life, how do you go on, when in your heart, you begin to understand , there is no going back?” - Froto, The Lord of the Rings

All of us have either seen, read, or heard of The Lord of the Rings, and its’ author, J.R.Tolkien. However, few people know of Tolkien’s history and how he was victim of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of being a soldier in WWI. Veterans with PTSD is commonly heard of. In fact, it affects 31 percent of Vietnam veterans, as many as 10 percent of Gulf War (Desert Storm) veterans. 11 percent of veterans of the war in Afghanistan. The statement above made by one of Tolkien’s most iconic characters, Froto, is a great example of of what a lot of people with PTSD ask themselves on a daily basis.

So what is PTSD? According to Merriam Webster dictionary it is a physiological disorder generated by either witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. PTSD is usually heard only from war veterans, but it can also occur after losing a loved one, rape, attack, robbery, or even losing a job. In fact, 7% of all Americans have or have had PTSD, and at all times, 5% suffer from it. A lot of common side-effects from PTSD are nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance, fear, guilt, anxiety, depression, rage, insomnia, and unfortunately, substance abuse. There is a strong correlation between substance abuse and and PTSD, 2 in every 10 vets with PTSD struggle with substance abuse, and 1 in every 3 vets seeking help for substance abuse have PTSD .

A big question is; What going on in the brain during this time? The amygdala, which is responsible for our emotions, determines that danger exists. The brain then triggers the fight-or-flight chemical. The drive for survival takes over, and the person’s adrenaline is rushing. The brain thinks it is now in the middle of the dangerous event. It is not actually  looking in at the event taking place, but remembering its’ traumatic memory, and therefore, the entire system is not easily subject to rational control, as they only responding to their fight-or-flight response. The brain stops the horror of the event before it becomes a full real-time unattainable reality. It “walls off” the event, and in extreme cases induces amnesia. It is a very healthy survival technique. The limbic system then floods the body with a wave of stress hormone (Cortisol) which does things like like raising blood sugar, blood pressure and heart rate, and interfering with digestion.  

A normal brain Vs. A PTSD brain

If the trauma is prolonged, extreme or repetitive, it can actually physically injure the brain.  Neuroimagery actually suggests that trauma and the chemical processes that go with it might lead to damage or shrink the hippocampus, which is where all our memories are stored. It is almost as if the amygdala is stuck in the position described above. It keeps the person’s body from working properly. Neurotransmitters lose their ability to recover. Long after the original trauma ends, the person suffers from the symptoms. He or she lives and responds to reality as if it were a memory fragment from long ago. He or she cannot separate “now and safe” from “now and danger.” The amygdala keeps shutting them down. The PTSD sufferer is not able to tell if the situation they are in is safe or not, and are always afraid. almost everything seems like a threat to them.

Despite all of this, there is always hope, the individual can always channel their PTSD into something productive, much like what Tolkien did. This is called Post-Traumatic Growth. Post -Traumatic Growth is the positive changes resulting from the struggle with challenging circumstances and life crisis. Even though PTSD is a huge problem, it is important to remember that it can be overcome.

In my opinion PTSD is not looked upon as important enough. It is a serious issue that affects normal people and those who risked their lives to protect us. I chose this article because I have always been interested in physiological/neurological illnesses and how they affect normal people. It really gives us a perspective into the brain and how it can be manipulated by events. 

http://www.washacadsci.org/Journal/Journalarticles/V.93-3-Post%20Traumatic%20Stress%20Disorder.%20Sethanne%20Howard%20and%20Mark%20Crandalll.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=343ORgL3kIc&src_vid=343ORgL3kIc&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_2677887083

Binaural Beats and How They Work

What is a binaural beat? A binaural beat is the auditory brainstem response when the brain hears sounds of 2 similar, but different frequencies in each ear. For example, you are listening to a frequency of 100 Hz in one ear, and 104 Hz in the other ear. This will result in the brain creating a "binaural beat" of 4 Hz; the difference of the 2 frequencies. Additionally, after the binaural beat is created, the rest of the brain waves match this beat. So if using our example, the rest of your brain waves will function at an increase of 4 Hz.

But why does this matter? Why is this interesting? Would it be better if I told you that the human's hearing range is from 20-20,000 Hz? That's right, binaural beats are sounds created outside of your normal hearing range!

Now, since the sounds you hear are out of your hearing range, they have various effects on your brain. Each frequency has a different effect of the brain, but overall, they allow your brain to invoke different desired emotional states, as well as deep meditative states. Here are the different types of sound waves created:

Beta (13-26 Hz) Alert concentration and problem-solving
Alpha (8-13 Hz) Alert relaxation
Theta (4-7 Hz) Deep relaxation and increased learning
Delta (1-3 Hz) Deep sleep

Therefore, binaural beats influence the brain, in ways other than just hearing. This phenomenon is known as the "frequency following response". This means that if one frequency is presented to the brainwaves, the rest of the brainwaves will move to function at an increase of this amount (like in the first example).

Binaural beats work best when using headphones, because it helps the frequencies to be separated. The effects may not work, or be as apparent when using loudspeakers. They are only effective when listened to at low volumes, and while having no distractions. Many forms of binaural beats are paired with music to increase relaxation. They create a "pulsing" sound, so it sounds like the noises are bouncing back and forth from ear to ear, but these are just the 2 different frequencies. The real binaural beat cannot be heard, since it being created by the brain. Here is a short sample of a binaural beat creating frequency pair [don't worry this has no effect on your brain, it just allows you to hear the pulsing :)]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Binaural_beat_lossless_new.wav

Article: http://www.mindmotivations.com/resources/articles/binaural-beats-what-are-they-amp-how-do-they-work

"Stem Cell Research Breaks Ground With Nearly 100% Boost In Production, Thanks To Vitamin C" by Rishitha Thambireddy

Imagine a world where a multitude of diseases, disorders, or injuries can be cured by a one treatment type. Stem cell research gives hope that this is a possibility in the future. New research has allowed scientists to greatly improve the production of stem cell using Vitamin C. Additionally, the first stem cell research on humans is planned to take place in 2015 in Denmark. With these exciting announcement is regenerative medicine field, stem cell treatment is becoming more of a reality.

In my opinion, stem cell research is a viable option for treatment in the future. Although it has had some halts due to the lack of financial support and opposition from people who find it morally wrong to use embryonic stem cells, it is making steady progress. With new research, scientist have been able to avoid the use of embryonic stem cells and reprogram adult stem cells to become induced pluripotent stem cells. If stem cell research is successful, it will forever change the field of regenerative medicine and humans will be able to accomplish remarkable things.

I chose this article because I thought that it was intriguing topic that other students might be interested in because of the mind-blowing potential of stem cells. I also think it gives a new perspective on how we look at medicine and technology to enhance natural human qualities. I found this article to be interesting personally because it is a field of science that I aspire to be in as an adult. It is a pertinent topic for me because it is something I want to be involved in. Moreover, I think it is a promising treatment option during my lifetime.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/stem-cell-research-breaks-ground-nearly-100-boost-production-thanks-vitamin-c-303812

"The Wild World of a Teen Brain" By, Shambhavi Mishra

The Wild World of a Teen Brain By, Shambhavi Mishra

TEENAGERS V.S. ADULTS

I’m sure I am not the only one who believes that being a teenager is not easy. It’s the end of your childish life and a head start into adulthood; the middle stage where everything changes. From staying attentive in our high school classes, running to after school clubs, pushing our limits on our sports teams, and having to make time for friends and family, we officially have the hardest life; but that’s the beauty of it. In our adolescence, the chaos that plays out in the real world is nothing compared with what’s going on in our heads. . Being as busy as we are, how are our brains coping with us? More importantly, how are they responsible for our rebellious behavior? 

Since 1991, the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md. have been performing a project by testing teenage brains to determine how the brain develops from childhood into adolescence and on into early adulthood.  Using MRI’s to peek at kids’ brains, Dr. Jay Giedd, project manager, observes physiological changes that account for adolescent behaviors such as our emotional outbursts, recklessness, and rule-breaking. Since our brains are already 90%-95% of their adult sizes at age 6, and we are born equipped with most of the neurons our brain will ever have- it’s been believed that the remaining neuron growth occurs during our late teens and affects some of our highest mental functions. 

Our brains grow in stages, starting from the back and ending in the front. The first stages are easy to develop, but it’s the last stage, the stage that completes an adult, the stage of maturity. Our motive for making bad decisions, daring our lives, and being crazy teenagers mainly starts from our lack of maturity. Other than the fact that the brain is still developing, another key component to the reason of our behavior is our hormones. The hormones being very active in the brain create a “tinderbox of emotions”. This specific system of the brain, the limbic system, causes us to trust our emotions to find an answer rather than our practical intellect.  We rely heavily on the amygdale, a structure in the brain associated with emotional reactions, which makes our feelings reach a flash point more easily as if becoming a very sensitive time bomb. Once it explodes then our bizarre actions and bad decisions come into play.

Our parents know about the limited character of our teenage brain, but what they don’t know is that making mistakes is part of how our brains will grow. So next time you attempt to do something crazy, you can say that you're not an adult yet; being wild is part of your world!

I chose this article, “Teen Brain" because it was an article that everyone could relate to, us being teenagers going through a life, literally at two entirely different crossroads. This article was very informative and I found it very interesting because I personally love brain studies. The fact that it explained about how our “wild” teen minds work was an appealing perspective.

Source:TIME Magazine,Your Brain:A User’s Guide, “Teen Brain” by, Claudia Wallis.(pg 62-65)

   

The Miracle Fruit

The Miracle Fruit

The Miracle Berry (Synsepalum dulcificum)

There is a fruit, native to West Africa that tricks your taste buds. This fruit has been indigenous to West Africa since the 18th century, but only recently been used in the United States of America. The miracle berry, also known as the Synsepalum dulcificum can make any sour, or bitter taste sweet. For example, one person tasted lemon sorbet, and said that it tasted exactly like a chocolate milkshake. This works because of a protein called miraculin, which causes a reaction with your taste buds, which then binds your taste buds to cause a sweet tasting reaction. Another example is s0meone drinking tabasco sauce, and it tasted exactly like a doughnut glaze.In addition, goat cheese tastes like cheesecake, and vinegar tastes like apple juice. With such sweet properties, the pricing comes to about $2.50 a berry. This comes to about $90 for 30 berries. Although this exotic fruit makes sour things delectable, the berry itself is indubitably bitter, and something that you do not want to eat on a regular business. Although, scientists have shown that it does not have any dangerous properties, it is not something that you would like to consume on an everyday basis.

 Based on this article,  I conclude that this  could be especially helpful for children who do not like to eat their vegetables, or any other foods. I believe this could also be used for foods that are healthy, yet no one wants to eat because it is disgusting. This fruit has so much more potential for science, and much more can be discovered about the miracle berry. For example, someone used the berry for his diabetic friend, as he enjoyed sweets, but had to stay in his limitations. But with the miracle berry he can enjoy sweet flavors, with normal food. Restaurants are also testing to see if they can input this into their foods, but is being tested to see if it is alright. This is a major scientific discovery and much more is yet to be discovered with the miracle berry. So think about this, "Can a single berry, revolutionize how we see food?"

I think that this berry will revolutionize our taste buds and can work for the good or bad for the world, depending on how we utilize it. I thought this was very interesting, especially since our human brains can be tricked into doing anything, and this berry is the perfect example of that. This relates to my life, because there are many foods that I detest, and could help me consume these foods. 

I chose this article because, I find it intriguing how a berry can make anything taste deliciously sweet, and how it does that. I also believe that this can relate to many other students, in which they despise a certain food, and I believe that this berry could help, and others would also find this interesting.

-Source http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/dining/28flavor.html?_r=0

The science behind swimming: From whales to larvae, common principles at work in swimming

The blue whale is the largest mammal on the planet, fish larvae are one of the smallest aquatic animals on the planet. The question is how do these two extremes both propel themselves through the same water. L. Mahadevan of the  Lola England de Valpine Professor of Applied Mathematics, of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, and of Physics and her team used simple hydrodynamics to develop a handful of principles to govern how virtually every animal propels themselves through water. This what Mahadevan had to say "What we wanted to investigate was how the speed of an organism changes as a function of how large it is, how quickly it moves and how much it moves," "To resolve that in detail, however, is very complex, because there is a great deal of differences in morphology and what parts of the body different creatures use to swim. The question is: Is there anything in common across all these organisms? The answer, we found, is yes." Steering away from the traditional route which is to accurately characterize a group based on experiments and simulations the team decided that theres no need for that since they all swim in the same water.

 Next came the biology factor which led to an algebraic equation to account for 50 years of experiments. The variables were: input variables -- namely the size of the organism, the amount an organism moves and how quickly it moves -- control the output variable, which is effectively the speed at which it moves. What this showed was the relationship can be explained with two limits. The first, which corresponds to creatures moving at intermediate speeds, describes situations where the bulk of the resistance is caused by skin friction, because water "sticks" to the organism's body. At faster speeds, Mahadevan said, the resistance organisms face largely comes from pressure that builds up in front of and around them, which is described by the second limit."While it wasn't a surprise that the resistance changed at organisms moved faster, the fact that those challenges could be so simply described was interesting and provocative, because we are talking about organisms that range in size from a few millimeters to the size of a blue whale," Mahadevan said  The researchers found that the swimming speed of virtually every organism, from fish larvae to frogs to birds, amphibians and even whales, could be described by one of the two equations. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140915102113.htm

The Physics of Changing the Earth's Rotation...

   "What happens when you line up every car on the planet and peg their throttles?"

   Newton's Third Law states that the torque that propels your car(no it doesn't) creates a reactionary force that acts on the Earth's surface. What if we launched every car on the planet together? Could their coordinated effort to accelerate substantially alter the speed of the Earth's rotation?

  If you're at the equator that means you're moving at a speed of approximately 1070 mph, but this isn't constant. The earthquake in Japan in 2011 redistributed enough mass on Earth to shorten the day by 1.8 microseconds(ONLY)! Every force on Earth has some effect on the Earth's rotation due to the conservation of momentum. If we want that change to be more than a microsecond, we'll need enormous forces due to the Earth's inertia. The number of road vehicles is estimated at 1 billion, but that was three years ago. Let us assume that the average vehicle produces 120 pound-feet of torque and has standard tires. To ensure the maximum reaction force possible, every car should be at the equator and driving due west.

  The sources gave me the math, but I can't show it. Its not mine. But I could conclude the math with a quote from the source:"In other words, a billion cars increase the Earth's rotational speed by just 0.00000000001(1 x 10 raised to the power of -10) mph. We can't permanently alter that rotation unless our 1 billion cars continue their westward acceleration. The forces that bring the cars to a stop slow the planet back to its original speed."

-Source:Car & Driver October issue(pg.26)

  "And What happens when all the people on Earth jump on spot at the same time?"

   What if all 7 billion of us humans gathered in one place and jumped? If all 7 billion of us populate a place with the same density that people live in New York City, we could all fit in the state of Texas! And if all of us stick really close, we could fit in Los Angeles! But what if we jump when we're together? If we all jump just 30 centimeters off the ground, we wouldn't even be able to shorten the day by a second, but the amount can still be calculated. Because, compared to the Earth's mass, 7 billion of us are nothing. And the same force that pulls us down will also bring the Earth back to its original speed. But we can still change the Earth's position in space by a tiny amount. "If you weigh 150 lbs, the Earth is pulling you with a force of 150 lbs. You are also pulling up on the Earth with a force of 150 lbs." Newton's Third Law states this. So the next time you jump, think about this:You are pushing the Earth the same amount as it is pulling you....

-Source: Vsauce (YouTube)