It’s that dreaded time of the semester again – finals week - and as we struggle to cram months worth of material into our brains for four cumulative exams, it is tempting to take amphetamines, such as Adderall, in order to stay focused. When used as prescribed by a physician, Adderall counteracts symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by increasing the body’s levels of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. This boosts alertness, attention, and energy levels. In addition, it increases heart rate and blood flow to muscles. While these factors would certainly boost one’s motivation and focus while studying, it is important to consider the dangerous short-term and long-term consequences of amphetamine use and abuse. While Adderall energizes and invigorates its users, it also suppresses their appetite, causes restlessness, and can even result in serious cardiac problems. For those who abuse Adderall, the feelings of euphoria are similar to those experienced by cocaine users. However, once this high wears off, one may feel fatigued, depressed, and no longer able to stay focused. In the long-term, Adderall can potentially result in depression, hostility, and paranoia due to the high levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. Those who continuously take Adderall become dependent on the drug, resulting in both psychological and physical consequences. Someone with a psychological dependence on Adderall may experience headaches when they are on not able to attain the drug. Physical dependence occurs when one becomes accustomed to the high levels of dopamine in the brain, which triggers serious withdrawal symptoms, such as depression and fatigue. One that experiences physical dependence on Adderall requires increasingly higher doses of the drug in order to feel its same effects, increasing both its side effects and the risk of overdose. So, next time you feel like you just can’t focus, drink a cold glass of water or a cup of coffee. The harmful consequences of Adderall use and abuse on your brain are simply not worth it.
~Samantha Worth
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With finals week upon us, a critical component of our hectic schedule is sleep (or lack there of). For most of us, sleep is just a ritualized part of our daily lives that we don’t put much thought into. But what is sleep really? How much do we need? The biggest factor in deciding on how much sleep you need is your age. The recommended sleep duration is longest for newborns and infants, a whopping 14-17 hours each day. This decreases as you grow older, with teenagers recommended to sleep 8-10 hours a day and adults 7-9 hours. However, age isn’t the only determinant to consider. It can also depend on genetic variation, our internal biological clock, and external factors such as sleep history, exercise, or illness. What if we don’t get enough? Sleep deprivation can have very serious consequences. Minor sleep loss can cause drowsiness, delayed reaction times, impaired memory, and slowed cognitive processing to just name a few. If this sleep deficit continues, you could end up with severe repercussions. These include depression, weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, weakened immune responses, and even hallucinations. So – make sure to get a good night’s rest and next time you think about forfeiting a couple hours worth of ZZZs, think again! ~ Erin
Climate change undoubtedly remains a controversial issue, but significant losses in Earth’s biodiversity serve as evidence to prove that it is in fact a serious issue. Temperature increases and changes in the amount of precipitation directly affect various species depending on their physiology and tolerance of environmental changes. This affects their food supply and reproductive timing, influencing their fitness. Amphibians have been rapidly declining for the past twenty years, and approximately 41% of species are now extinct or threatened with extinction. Habitat loss, disease, invasive species, overexploitation, and chemical pollution are just a few of the factors contributing to the great loss of amphibian species. Biologically, most amphibians are biphasic and thus require both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Their moist, permeable skin, which is used for respiration in species, such as Plethodon metcalfi, is extremely sensitive. In addition, amphibians are located right in the center of the food web and experience a constant risk from predation. These threats compounded with climate change have detrimental effects on these climate-sensitive creatures. Below, check out some key issues behind lossed in biodiveristy. What Causes This Loss in Biodiversity? The primary causes of species extinction and loss of biodiversity is human population growth, increasing per capita consumption, and climate change. What Species Are Most Affected? Dispersal-limited and rare species, as well as species that are sensitive to shifts in temperature and moisture, suffer the greatest consequences from climate change. This is due to their inability to change their distribution in order to find an environment more suitable. Thus, species that are widely distributed are more likely to be adaptive to a variety of environmental conditions. As a result, they have a greater chance of survival during climate change. What Can We Do To Prevent This? Conservative efforts are essential in preserving biodiversity. It is estimated that biodiversity losses in mammals, birds, and amphibians would be 20% greater without conservation efforts. It is apparent that our ignorance about species’ numbers, distributions, and threat level affects biodiversity. We must increase our knowledge about rare species that have small geographical ranges. Protected areas are necessary to reducing extinctions, as these regions do not experience much human pressure. Accurate, new statistical methods, photo-sharing technology, and social networking have greatly helped in identifying species as endangered. Scientific and technological advancements concerning loss of biodiversity are imperative in order for us to adequately protect our Earth. ~ Samantha Worth
One way for a person to get sick is to contract a bacterial infection. Bacterial infections are caused by tiny single celled bacteria that infect and attack the body. However, not all sicknesses are caused by bacteria, viruses can also cause infections in the body. Viral infections and bacterial infections have many similar symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and sore throat, though symptoms can vary among microbes. Below, is a picture of a virus (left) and a picture of bacteria (right). Despite the fact that their symptoms are similar, the treatments for the two types of infections are very different. Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics, which prevent the bacteria from completing processes necessary to reproduce and survive (e.g. transcription or translation). Viruses on the other hand, use different processes in order to replicate. Viruses hijack the body's own cells to replicate and cannot be treated by antibiotics, because the antibiotics lack a 'target'. Most viruses do not require special medication to treat because your body can fight them off within a week or two. In extreme cases, antiviral drugs can be given to help fight off the infection, but these drugs must be given within the first two days of infection to really be effective. So what happens if you give someone with a viral infection antibiotics anyways? In the short term, nothing happens. The antibiotics don't kill the virus you are infected with and you don't get better until your immune system is able to defeat the virus on its own. In the long term, you have just helped to proliferate antibiotic resistant bacteria. Even though you didn't have a bacterial infection when you took the antibiotics. There are always bacteria present in your body. By needlessly taking antibiotics you expose the present bacteria to selection favoring antibiotic resistance. Some bacteria naturally possess resistance to antibiotics, or resistance can develop through mutations. When a person takes antibiotics, the antibiotics kill the bacteria that are not resistant, while allowing the bacteria that are resistant to proliferate and reproduce. But wouldn't resistance to antibiotics increase in bacteria even when antibiotics are taken to treat an actual bacterial infection? Yes, which means it is essential that we are smart about the use of antibiotics and only use them when necessary. Widespread overuse of antibiotics promotes the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria creating 'superbugs'. A superbug is just a nickname for a particular bacterial infection that is difficult to treat. When a bacteria has developed resistance to antibiotics, doctors suddenly have much more limited treatment options. Before antibiotics were developed, bacterial infections could be fatal, something that is uncommon today in otherwise healthy people. If antibiotic resistance becomes widespread, bacterial infections will once again become more than just a nuisance that your doctor hands you a prescription for. How do we go about preventing the spread of antibiotic resistance? Determining whether you need an antibiotic is difficult, because a gray area exists where symptoms of viruses and bacteria overlap. However, there are a few things that you can do and be aware of to stop the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. First of all, it is important to know the symptoms that are generally more associated with bacterial infections. 1. Fever: Is typically associated with a bacterial infection (although it can be caused by the flu) 2. Mucous color: Although it may be gross to think about, checking the color of your mucus can actually help determine if you have a bacterial infection. Yellow mucus is within the acceptable range, although if your mucus turns a greenish color it may indicate that you have a bacterial infection. 3. Length of time you've been sick: Since your body can generally fight off viruses within about two weeks, if your sickness seems to hang on and not get better, it might be time for a trip to the doctor. 4. White spots on your throat: Most sore throats are caused by viruses, although white spots on your tonsils may indicate that you have strep throat (a bacterial infection). Overall, the only way to determine for sure that you have a bacterial infection is to get tested by your doctor, but keeping the information above in mind, may give you a better idea when it's worth your time to make a trip to see your doctor. Say you do have a bacterial infection, now what? TAKE YOUR ANTIBIOTICS AS PRESCRIBED It is important to take your whole dose of antibiotics even if you start to feel better midway through the treatment. If you haven't finished the full course of antibiotics, there are likely still some bacteria present. Not all bacteria have the same level of resistance to antibiotics naturally. Some may die with the first dose of antibiotics while others others may be able to survive the antibiotic treatment longer. By stopping your antibiotics early you increase the likelihood of creating antibiotic resistant bacteria.
So what I ask of you, is that you use antibiotics responsibly. Don't ask your doctor for antibiotics as a 'quick fix', there are not a placebo to be played with. Only consume antibiotics if you actually need them, and if you do actually need them, please, take the full course. ~Alexa References https://theweeklypaperblog.com/2013/03/27/how-bacteria-and-viruses-make-us-sick-an-introduction-to-pathogenesis/ https://www.thevaccinereaction.org/2016/02/viruses-always-the-easy-scapegoat/ https://www.novartis.com/files/cartoon-superbug-bigjpg https://www.pinterest.com/pin/187673509448755161/ A common misconception, is that coral is a type of rock or fossil made of mineral deposits, however, they are actually living marine animals whose exoskeletons are attached to rocks and other solid underwater surfaces like sunken ships. The Caribbean presents an ideal breeding ground for corals. They thrive in warm waters all year round and grow twice as fast when exposed to the strong sunlight there. Disappointingly, scientists have recently found a chemical that is responsible for the death of coral reefs around Hawaii and the Caribbean, and that chemical is oxybenzone, which is primarily found in sunscreen. Every year, people from all over the world migrate to the warm islands around the Caribbean and are unknowingly contributing to the death and deformation of coral reefs in the area. John Fauth, from the University of Central Florida, was quoted saying, “Coral reefs are the world's most productive marine ecosystems and support commercial and recreational fisheries and tourism. In addition, reefs protect coastlines from storm surge. Worldwide, the total value of coral reefs is tremendous. And they are in danger." Studies show that in recent years, the coral reefs in this area have decreased by over 80 percent! The oxybenzone works by deforming coral larvae DNA and trapping them in their own skeleton, making them un able to float with currents and disperse. This chemical is also responsible for coral bleaching, which is when the coral releases all algae that provide it with nutrition. In this way, oxybenzone starves the coral to death. Sunscreen is painted in a positive light because it benefits US, but at what cost? Teams of researchers have suggested that when diving, people should skip out on the sunblock and wear rash guards or scuba gear or invest in oxybenzone-free sunblock to protect their skin. |
The Slime Times is written by the Stress After Dark Creative Inquiry TeamScience isn't all white lab coats and ivory pillars, sometimes you just need to get slimy. Archives
August 2016
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