Inconsistent sleep can lead to forgotten memories

According to sciencenews.org , a new study has been done which shows that broken up sleep can lead to forgotten memories. The study was done on mice. Their normal amount of sleep was broken up into one minute intervals. This broken up sleep led to them forgetting where toys were or even what the toys were in the first place.

This case study shows just how important sleep really is. Many people don't realize just how gravely our bodies need sleep. Memories are one of the most important things in life and without sleep, memories may not be attainable.

Heat Wave

This year we have broken records when it comes to temperature all around the country. This has affected humans and the environment as a whole. The great phenomenon, “heat wave”.
In the summer in warm climates, an area of high pressure with little or no rain or clouds, the air and ground easily heats to excess. A static high-pressure area can impose a very persistent heat wave. Large desert zones and dry areas are more likely to get extreme heat because there is rarely any high cloud cover with very low humidity.

Heat waves can also come from air originating over tropical seas penetrating far into the middle latitudes heating further overland, as often occurs in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. The heat created by dense urbanization of large cities only exacerbates heat waves because of the weakness of nighttime cooling.

Heat can kill by pushing the human body beyond its limits. Under normal conditions, the body's internal thermostat produces perspiration that evaporates and cools the body. However, in extreme heat and high humidity, evaporation is slowed and the body must work extra hard to maintain a normal temperature. Elderly people, young children, and those who are sick or overweight are more likely to become victims of extreme heat. Because men sweat more than women do, they are more susceptible to heat illness because they become more quickly dehydrated.

The duration of excessive heat plays an important role in how people are affected by a heat wave. Studies have shown that a significant rise in heat-related illnesses happens when excessive heat lasts more than two days. Spending at least two hours per day in air conditioning significantly cuts down on the number of heat-related illnesses.

It is more important to limit strenuous exercise and reduce the amount of time spent outside when there is a heat wave. When indoors use air conditions and fans when possible. Always remember to keep the body hydrated.

Harrison's Cave

Harrison’s Cave

A unique phenomenon of nature, Harrison's Cave is an amazing gallery of stalactites hanging from the roof of the cave, and stalagmites that emerge from the ground, with streams of crystal-clear running water that drop from breathtaking waterfalls to form deep emerald pools. The stalactites and stalagmites were formed over thousands of years and in some places the stalactites have reached down to the stalagmites and a spectacular pillar has been formed.

It is a massive stream cave system at least 2.3 kilometers/ 1.4 miles long, with its largest cavern, the Great Hall measuring 15 meters/ 50 feet high. The cave’s interior temperature is an average 27 degrees Celsius/ 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Named after Thomas Harrison who owned much of the land in the area in the 1700s, Harrison’s Cave was officially opened to the public in 1981. Because it is the most popular tourist attraction on the island of Barbados (bringing in busloads of tourists from visiting cruise ships especially), is it advised to book in advance and purchase tickets online to avoid lines and delays.

Overall, this article is a glimpse of the wonderful beauty this island possesses. This cave in Barbados is one of nature’s gift to mankind. When one witnesses this cave firsthand he/she learns to appreciate the little wonders of the world.

I visited this cave over twenty years ago and it was beautiful then. I have read and heard about all the upgrading done so that visitors can have an even better viewing experience.

Visible Organs

I read an article in Science Daily.com about how scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University developed a new fluorescent protein that would allow them to visibly see the internal organs inside living animals. The protein is derived from a bacterial phytochrome that not only detects light, but it also emits light.

The scientist that produced this fluorescent protein targeted the liver as their organ of choice to experiment with since the liver is hard to visualize because it has a high blood content. The concluded that their product was at it's peak on the 5th day after it was taken by the specimen. They also concluded that it was a non-toxic product.

I thought this article was very interesting since this would mean it would eliminate CT scans and MRI's, since it does not use any radiation. They can use this product to detect tumors, and other harmful subjects in a person. This product would also eliminate contrasting agents, since it is so vibrant that there would be no use for any contrasting agents.

Origional Article found at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110718101208.htm

Picture from: Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University

Fragmented Sleep "Harms Memory"

http://drmikewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Sleep-inertia-image.jpg

Based on the findings of the National Academy of Science, "broken sleep affects the ability to build memories." A UK sleep expert claims that our brain evaluates the day's event and information is "saved" in our memory during our deep sleep. When our sleep is interrupted, not lack of, the "memorizing" process is disrupted. Researchers ran tests on mice. They found that mice, whose sleep has been disrupted, did not remember objects they have encountered previously. Researchers believe that these findings may explain why those who suffer from sleep apnea or Alzheimer experience memory lost, but there are no evidence to prove this. Additionally, I did some research and found that there is a connection between sleep and memory. I found that "sleep itself has a role in the consolidation of memory, which is essential for learning new information."

I found this article interesting because I know my sleep always get interrupted by my phone going off in the middle of the night or when I get only a couple hours of sleep on some nights and my alarm goes off.  I find that on these days, my performance is less adequate than the days that I get a sufficient amount of uninterrupted sleep. This article may motivate people to become more attentive to their sleep patterns, especially college students like myself whose memory should be topnotch when finals come around.


Citations:
For some unknown reason, the first link is not "clickable" even though I linked the URL and tested the link. Therefore, here are both website URLs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14279123
http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/learning-memory

eating a healthy breakfast will help you to lose weight

When looking for an article, I found a video on MSNBC Health about how eating a healthy breakfast in the morning will help you to lose weight. Since it was just a video, I did some looking around and found a similar article from The Mayo Clinic.

This article states that eating a healthy breakfast will help to reduce hunger throughout the day, help you to make healthier choices and give you more energy through the day. Skipping breakfast can actually increase your chances of obesity because when you skip breakfast you are prolonging fasting and that causes your body to increase its insulin response which increases fat storage and weight gain. The article also states that skipping breakfast is also associated with a decrease in physical activity throughout the day.

People often feel like to lose weight, they should skip meals..eating less calories = putting on less weight. However, this article shows us that this is not the case and that making healthy choices is more important than skipping out on meals all together.

Researchers complete first genome mapping of DNA modification

U.S. researchers have completed the first genome-wide mapping of a DNA modification code 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in embryonic stem cells.

The molecule is predominantly found in genes that are turned on, or active, according to the researchers from the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at University of California, Los Angeles.

The finding may prove to be important in controlling diseases like cancer, where the regulation of certain genes plays a role in disease development. Human embryonic stem cells were used because it had been shown previously that the molecule is abundant in those cells, as well as in brain cells.

In the study, the researchers found that 5hmC was associated with genes and tended to be found on genes that were active. The study also revealed that 5hmC was present on a type of DNA regulatory element, called enhancers, which help control gene expression. In particular, 5hmC was present on enhancers that are crucial for defining the nature of the human embryonic stem cells.The results suggest that 5hmC plays a role in the activation of genes. This is opposite of the role of the more well studied 5mC ( DNA methylation), which is involved in silencing genes. his relationship is in line with the view that 5hmC is created directly from 5mC.

If we can understand the function of 5hmC, that will lead to greater understanding of how genes are turned on and off and that could lead to the development of methods for controlling gene regulation, therefore helping control cancer and other human diseases.

5hmC is formed from the DNA base cytosine by adding a methyl group and then a hydroxy group. The molecule is important in epigenetics - the study of changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the DNA sequence - because the newly formed hydroxymethyl group on the cytosine can potentially switch a gene on and off. The molecule 5hmC was only recently discovered, and its function has not been clearly understood, Until now, researchers didn't know where 5hmC was located within the genome.

The study appears in the July issue of the journal Genome Biology.