I always thought that #Google #Glass was most useful in these one-on-one research methodologies! Congratulations to the fellow Glass researchers!
Here is what we are reading today:
“I took my son Matthew to visit Ed Currie, a South Carolina pepper grower who now holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for hottest chili in the world. It’s called Smokin’ Ed’s Carolina Reaper. There is a lively and competitive subculture in the United States and around the world devoted to breeding ever-hotter chili peppers. Just in the past five years, the record has changed hands several times and the spiciest peppers are now twice as hot as they used to be. It’s quite a phenomenon. There’s no good biological explanation for why anybody likes chili heat – a form of irritation or pain. It’s more a matter of psychology, perhaps a form of thrill-seeking or so-called “benign masochism.” How far can it go? Are there physical limits to how much heat we’re willing to endure? ”
““This study raises the possibility that child executive functioning may require not only high-quality parenting, but also consistency in this quality. This is suggested by the association between the composite score of autonomy support and child executive function, as well as by the fact that the clearest group differences emerged between children experiencing consistently high versus consistently low degrees of autonomy support over time. Our findings raise interesting avenues for investigation as to how the relationship between scaffolding autonomy and executive functioning evolves as children develop.””
“The underlying mechanism, according to Robert K. Naviaux, MD, PhD, the new study’s principal investigator and professor of medicine at UC San Diego, is a phenomenon he calls the cellular danger response (CDR). When cells are exposed to danger in the form of a virus, infection, toxin, or even certain genetic mutations, they react defensively, shutting down ordinary activities and erecting barriers against the perceived threat. One consequence is that communication between cells is reduced, which the scientists say may interfere with brain development and function, leading to ASD.
Researchers treated a Fragile X genetic mouse model, one of the most commonly studied mouse models of ASD, with suramin, a drug long used for sleeping sickness. The approach, called antipurinergic therapy or APT, blocked the CDR signal, allowing cells to restore normal communication and reversing ASD symptoms.”
“”It is clear from our research that closing the eyes and building rapport help with witness recall,” said lead author Dr Robert Nash from the University of Surrey.
“Although closing your eyes to remember seems to work whether or not rapport has been built beforehand, our results show that building rapport makes witnesses more at ease with closing their eyes. That in itself is vital if we are to encourage witnesses to use this helpful technique during interviews.”
““It turns out that even a shared experience that is as superficial as playing a video game together can move people from the ‘stranger zone’ to the ‘friend zone’ and generate meaningful levels of empathy,” said Mogil. “This research demonstrates that basic strategies to reduce social stress could start to move us from an empathy deficit to a surplus.””
“The previous work of Dr. Boivin and her team showed that exposing workers to bright light at night tor adjusting work schedules can improve the synchronisation of the central biological clock to their atypical work schedule. This new scientific discovery opens the door to innovative therapies that could act on the different parts of the circadian system so that these rhythms can be adjusted to inverted sleep schedules. These studies have possible applications for travellers, night-shift workers, patients suffering from sleep disorders and circadian rhythm disorders, as well as people with various psychiatric disorders.”
“Although no U.S. sewage plants have followed suit, the new study adds to a growing push to rethink sewage as a valuable commodity, says Jordan Peccia, a Yale University engineer who was not involved in the work. Approximately 8 million tons of biosolids—a dried derivative of sludge—are generated every year in the United States.
Today, about 60% of the sewage sludge in the United States is already spread on fields and forests as fertilizer. But there are concerns it poses contamination risks from toxic chemicals and pathogens, a subject Peccia’s lab studies. The remaining sludge is burned in incinerators or dumped in landfills.”
9 Comments
achris06 · January 24, 2015 at 11:26 am
I find it amazing that scientists have proven that ASD symptoms can be reversed in ASD-prone mice simply by taking a drug for sleeping sickness. This is exciting news and I wonder if clinical trials in humans will be held in the future. One question that is raised in terms of the safety/side effects of this antipurinergic therapy: Since APT blocks the cellular danger response, will this compromise the cell’s ability to evade infection/poison/mutation if so encountered? If so, then this therapy may need to be reconsidered, as inhibiting one of the body’s main methods of protection is quite risky and could lead to other diseases, some potentially even life-threatening.
melissaenunez · January 24, 2015 at 11:44 pm
As a student, I have found that when studying for a test it helps me to repeat things with my eyes closed. This is why I found “Does closing your eyes boost memory?” an interesting study. But it had never crossed my mind that building a rapport with who is testing you could have somewhat an effect on the level of comfortability. Thinking about it, it makes sense that those who had a build a rapport with the interviewer felt more comfortable than those that didn’t.
smorri07 · January 25, 2015 at 9:57 pm
I found the article on resetting your biological clock extremely interesting and relevant because there are so many jobs today which require long, night hours and graveyard shifts. Thus far, this type of shift in a person’s biological clock usually is not the healthiest and can result in negative side effects both mentally and physically. I was very surprised to read that some of these negative effects can be as critical as cancer. Due to such negative consequences, it is critical to continue to expand on the research being done in regards to the possibility of resetting a person’s biological clock. If such a small adjustment as exposure to bright light can make such a difference, maybe some of the UV-blue lights used in very cloudy cities to prevent depression could also be utilized in this line of work.
najavier · February 1, 2015 at 5:01 pm
The research on empathy and sewage caught my attention. The segment on empathy was another reminder of how we humans are social creatures who tend to enjoy being around others. When I hang out with family or friends, it honestly doesn’t matter what we do. I find myself in a happy mood and having fun because I get to spend time with them. So, relating back to Mogil’s findings, ice breakers to study groups can be outlets to transition from the “’stranger zone ‘” to the “’friend zone’”. Doing a variety of activities with others can bloom a friendship. The segment on sewage increased my concern for the future. Getting rid of waste by putting it into oceans, rivers, piling it underground, etc. seems our way to push the growing problem aside or make more invisible. At the same time, how do we combat the problem of waste and sludge? The numbers by Peccia reveal a scary reality. I hope in the near future we can see a change for the better.
jwatso02 · February 7, 2015 at 4:05 pm
I think shared experiences, however insignificant they may seem, are actually so effective in facilitating empathy because we begin to see ourselves in relation to that individual. I am researching how to decrease implicit racial biases for my senior project by promoting empathy, and the most successful studies seem to follow a theme. Viewing yourself as an ally (or in some relation) to a group seems to be the main determining factor in predicting whether or not you will assist this group in the future. People tend to act according to the way they view themselves; for example, a man who sees himself as an LGBT ally is more likely to stand up for an LGBT individual he sees being harassed than someone who does not view themselves to be an ally. The latter person wouldn’t experience cognitive dissonance as intensely as the former because there’s less conflict with their beliefs and actions, whereas a self-proclaimed LGBT ally feels the responsibility to act according to his/her self-identity and belief system.
amartcp · February 16, 2015 at 11:04 pm
I read the article “Taste Shapes Who We Are”. People’s preferences in taste have always fascinated me. I would say that I am not a very picky eater. I am pretty much willing to try anything put in front of me! Most of my friends are the opposite and live off of bland foods like plain pasta, rice, and crackers. I have found that I get almost annoyed when they are not open to even try something new, and I have always wondered if this is biological or something learned.
Growing up, my parents always had me try things at least 3 times before I could decide whether or not I liked something. Many times, the first time I tried it, I could not stand it. But, after some time, I liked many of the things!
I found it interesting in the article when he said cooking meats and such made them more palatable. I was on a primal diet for a number of years where I only ate raw foods, including meats, dairy, eggs, etc. In the beginning, it was pretty disgusting, but over time, I began to crave them prepared raw. I do eat cooked things now, but there are still days where I just crave a raw egg or a raw steak. I wonder why this is!!!
rspatric · February 28, 2015 at 10:27 am
I read the article about empathy. It interests me in how little time it takes for a stranger to stop instigating the flight or fight response. Fifteen minutes doesn’t seem like much to get comfortable around someone, but perhaps the lightheartedness of playing video games makes bonding easier. I don’t feel that I am usually nervous around strangers, but I can see that it would be harder to feel empathetic towards someone you don’t know. A close friend you care about, you would never want them to hurt themselves or be in pain, but for a stranger, it is harder to care about their feelings because you don’t care about them. I wonder how drastic the difference is in feeling empathy towards a close friend or family member, compared to that of just an acquaintance that you know but not well.
kmmcnult · February 28, 2015 at 2:10 pm
I thought the article about memory and closing your eyes was fascinating. The idea that something as simple as closing your eyes could boost your memory is absolutely amazing. I thought that closing your eyes being effective regardless of whether rapport had been built or not is important to know especially when using eye witness testimony. By combining rapport and this new closing eye data, eye witness testimony can as concrete as possible. I would like to see this experiment repeated and see others with the same data to see better memory with the closing of the eyes. I may have to think of some new studying habits if it works well.
elliehirahara · March 10, 2015 at 9:43 pm
The article about taste and how it shapes who we are was very interesting and insightful. I would have never thought that the tastes we have acquired are evolutionary and biological. For example, when he describes how the shape of the human head changes, so do our taste preferences and the foods that we eat. It also is very interesting how our brains “allow flavor to tap into a range memories, thoughts, emotions and associations”. Although certain smells and sounds trigger memories, I would have never thought that a certain taste would trigger such things in our brain.