Gay men smell better...to other gay men.

So, as the title suggests, todays blog will consist of an article I read a couple of days ago about pheromones and how they are differ between Homosexual men and Heterosexual men.

Alright, so, let's begin with defining what a Pheromone is. By simply Googling "Pheromone" we get this definition: "A chemical substance produced and released into the environment by an animal, esp. a mammal or an insect, affecting the behavior or physiology of others of its species."


I did the same for Homosexual: "A person who is sexually attracted to people of their own sex."

And for Heterosexual: "A person sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/05/0510_050510_gayscent_2.html

If you were to click the link above, you would be sent straight to the article that I read a couple of days ago about Pheromones. 

According to the article, pheromones are not only a key factor in what smells/people we are attracted to in heterosexual individuals, but also in homosexual individuals. In the study, participants were asked to smell normal everyday things such as lavender, and cedar to which the scientist noticed only the area of the brain that reacts to smells activated, there wasn't an indication that sexual arousal or behavior came from smelling these items.  

This is how they began the study: "The scientists exposed heterosexual men and women and homosexual men to chemicals found in male and female sex hormones. One chemical is a testosterone derivative produced in men's sweat. The other chemical is an estrogen-like compound in women's urine." 

This is the new factor that came into play in this study: "The scientists added a sexual-orientation element, which revealed a difference in the brain activity of gay and straight men."

And this is what happened: "The researchers found that the testosterone compound activated the hypothalamus in homosexual men and heterosexual women, but not heterosexual men. Conversely, the estrogen compound activated the hypothalamus only in heterosexual men."

So, basically it works like this....

	AND	EST
Straight men	Irritation	Sexual response
Gay men	Sexual response	Irritation
Straight women	Sexual response	Irritation
Lesbians	Irritation	Sexual response

AND=ANDROGEN-LIKE PHEROMONES FOUND IN MEN

EST=ESTROGEN-LIKE PHEROMONES FOUDN IN WOMEN

http://www.gayexplained.com/homosexuality-response-pheromones/

Click the link for a full explanation of the chart.

I found this study to be incredibly interesting because I never thought that our pheromones would be programmed to be attracted to individuals that fall under our sexual preference. Blog question for the week, have you ever noticed yourself (sexually) attracted to a specific person or sex because of their smell? Are you conscious of this now?

Dyscalculia

         This weeks topic we are studying in chapter 13.1 is Learning, Memory and Amnesia...personally, I didn't particularly find any of that interesting so, I'm going to dedicate today's blog about a learning disorder called Dyscalculia. Now, before you say this blog is irrelevant to this weeks designated chapter, let me tell you, one of the symptoms that a person with Dyscalculia is having trouble remembering facts and sequences, so HA!  (neener, neener!)

    Anyways, on with my scholarly face. Let's define what Dyscalculia is: wide range of lifelong learning disabilities involving math. First and foremost, there is NO SINGLE type of math disability, and it varies from individual to individual. Individuals who suffer from Dyscalculia have Visual-spatial difficulties, which result in trouble processing what the eye sees and language processing difficulties, which result in trouble processing and making sense of what the ear hears.

The following includes simple things such as counting money, telling time, organizing ideas, estimation, etc. that a person with Dyscalculia have a difficult time doing. One of the treatment of aiding difficulty with this disorder is memorizing a lot of thing, however, I find this to be silly being that one of the problems with this disorder is having trouble remembering and understanding patterns in numbers and such...it reminds me of the 10 Warning signs of Alzheimer's, in which the individual has trouble developing plans, ideas, keeping track of bills and such.

These are the 10 Warning signs of Alzheimer's

1) Memory loss that disrupts daily life

2)Challenges in planning or solving problems

3)Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure

4)Confusion with time or place

5)Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships

6)New problems with words in speaking or writing

7)Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps

8)Decreased or poor judgment

9)Withdrawal from work or social activities

10)Changes in mood and personality

I didn't really want to write about this, however, my boyfriend suffers from this and has a lot of trouble everyday with it. I'd say every day he suffers from 5-7 of these signs above due to the Dyscalculia. It wasn't until I started seeing the similarities...Do you think this disorder could be an indicator of early onset Alzheimer's? Do you think these symptoms are similar in the sense of memory?

Here is a link to aide you with more information on Dyscalculia:

http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/dyscalculia/what-is-dyscalculia

Here is a link with the 10 Warning signs of Alzheimer's:

http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_10_signs_of_alzheimers.asp

Here are a couple of short videos with a slight explanation of what it's like to have Dyscalculia:

broca's aphasia

Alright, guys, I want to start off with a video of a girl from the UK names Sarah Scott who suffered a stoke at 18. She has since had trouble remembering her age, and it seems to me that she struggles her name as well. She can't text or email someone without the assistance of her mother. I apologize, but Blogger wasn't able to find this link to imbed it into this blog, so I'm afraid it's going to be like last time...just click the link.

http://youtu.be/SFeFzm4GX6g

This is Broca Aphasia.

To describe Broca Aphasia in the simplest way would be to say it is an aphasia in which expression of speech by writing or speaking is severely impaired. This occurs when an individual has a stroke that damages the frontal regions of the left hemisphere of the brain. This is the side of the brain in which language occurs, so, you can only guess what would happen if this part of your brain were damaged.

Individuals suffering from Broca have trouble completing sentences, understanding them, confusing directions, and confusing word order in a sentence. 

http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/LifeAfterStroke/RegainingIndependence/CommunicationChallenges/Types-of-Aphasia_UCM_310096_Article.jsp

This link offers a vast amount of information on Broca's and Wernicke's aphasia. 

Some suggest speech therapy ASAP on stroke victims to reduce the severity of the language impairment. The therapy includes extensive reading, writing, repeating sentences spoken to them, reading directions, etc. Studies show that the younger the victim of a stroke, the less severe the damage is...generally the victim tends to recover most of his/her language skills with therapy and time. 

Yes...it's another MJ blog....

I want to start off by saying this blog is about Cannabinoids being used to treat symptoms of a stroke. 

Okay, so, what is a stroke? A stroke is the lack of blood flow to the brain that causes the loss of rapid brain function. A stroke can be one of two types (I don't think someone has actually suffered from the two types...not at the same time at least, that would be absolutely horrid). Type one (it is not actually called "TYPE 1" like in Type 1 Diabetes, I'm simply saying there are two types of strokes) causes internal bleeding of the brain and it is known as a Hemorrhage. The second is known as a ischemic stroke that is caused by a blockage of blood flow somewhere in the body. 

I don't currently have the book with me, but I recall it saying that they tried using cannabis within 10 minutes of the actual stroke and it helped the patient with the symptoms. In the link I will post, it says there have been studies that show cannabis can be used up to 3 hours after the initial stroke has happened. 

http://www.truthonpot.com/2013/04/18/medical-marijuana-and-stroke/

It also says that the cannabis reduces inflammation (I'm assuming of the brain) and increases the survival rates of neurons that normally cause brain damage caused by the stroke. 

If a small dosage could do so much help, why isn’t this being conducted on human yet? So far they’ve only been conducted on animals which, of course, is helpful to the animal suffering –unless the strokes are being induced by scientists, then that’s another story—but imagine the prospects for us. It could mean saving thousands of lives and helping the quality of those suffering.

In this video I’m going to share the video link  (sorry, guys, I didn’t look on youtube this time) I found on the same sight I found this info on…this Dr. suggests you EAT the marijuana plant to receive the benefits from the plant. In studies done on animals there’s been a 50% decrease of severity of stroke in the rats being tested.

http://vimeo.com/65762664

(p.s. you have to copy and paste the link to the address bar...sorry about that)

I won’t have a question this week, but I’m going to let you tell me what you think about this idea about eating or using MJ to help treat stroke…

okay….GO!

Antabuse...the abuser!

This week's blog is going to be about Antabuse--a medication used to treat alcoholism. 

Okay, so, I had absolutely no idea there was a medication to treat this disorder. I thought the individual had the sole option of going into rehab where he/she would receive therapy and detoxing, oh and one mustn't forget AA for moral support. I find this to be very, very interesting...especially after doing some research on some of the restrictions one must have when taking an Antabuse medication. For example, one must remove all items from ingestion: aftershave, mouthwash, cough syrups,  vinegar (I'm assuming this included Tabasco and hot sauces with vinegar in them...this would be a big concern for me if I were taking this medication...Texan girls NEED their hot sauce) and chocolate (ay, me muero!) Even the smallest amount of ingestion of anything that contains alcohol could have a great deal of consequences such as, shortness of breath, vomiting, nausea...and many more ill-feeling effects. 

The woman in this video describes what happened to her when she was on Antabuse meds, and what NOT to do.

                   

I was also reading that the effectiveness of this pill depends on the use of the medication, i.e., daily (and correct use) of medication. There are patients who stopped taking the Antabuse med and started drinking a few days later...so it's best to stay on it. It also does not alcohol withdrawal symptoms...that's just something the individual has to endure on his/her own or with therapy, etc. The point of the medication is basically make the ingestion of alcohol intolerable to the point where it makes you sick. So, after repeated use of alcohol on this medication makes you sick...what's going to happen? You stop drinking...or...you stop taking the medication and drink to your hearts (dis)content. 

Question of the week: Do you think rehab including therapy and detoxing, but excluding Antabuse would be better than using Antabuse on its own? 

Thank you WebMD for this valuable information. Click the link for more details, if you please.

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-6676-Antabuse+Oral.aspx?drugid=6676&drugname=Antabuse+Oral

Alcohol vs Cannabis

This weeks blog will be about Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a common disease among Alcoholics.

Here's a true little story to set the tone:

Picture it:  France, Mid July of 2009.  A family of 5 travel by mode of the ever swift, infamous onion-smelling Metro around the city. On one of the stops a man stumbled inside the train, the stench of drink trailed after him. He looked about the cart, eyeing some dude sitting down muttering under his breath. When the family caught his attention--assuming one of them was looking mighty fine--he reached into his pockets for his wallet, and showed them his money, and said, "I ...will pay-uh for sex...." The aunt giggles nervously...what are the chances this drunk buffoon is on the same train they were? Their silent rejection bruised his ego. "Bah! F**king Americans!" 

That's enough of that...so, anywho, it is not to my knowledge that this man was indeed an Alcoholic, however, I also do not have the knowledge to say he was not. This man was clearly drunk out of his mind, and the worst part is, he probably doesn't even remember what happened. My family and I are not so lucky...yes, twas I on that train. 

Many people think that being an Alcoholic means you’ve killed your brain cells. Specifically, they’re called neurons and that is a very big mistake. Alcoholism damages the tips (or ends) of your neurons. These are called dendrites. The (irreversible) damage of these sensitive beings causes memory loss or problems, confusion, paralysis of the eyes...etc. Though it isn’t the alcohol itself that causes damage to the dendrites; it is more often dehydration, and malnutrition.  

Here is some credit for the information they've gifted to me.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/10-brain-myths9.htm

                               Try picking up women looking like this: 

So, that being said....Here is a video on Marijuana use and its effect on memory on the elderly.

Imagine that? A restoration of memory in the elderly.....

This blog is not intended to promote the use of Marijuana, let's get this clear. I don't want the PO-PO somehow knocking at my door or anything...it is, however, a comparison of the effects between a socially accepted behavior (drinking) and an illegal behavior (smoking pot). 

Alcoholism also leads to the following: Cancer, Anemia, Cardiovascular Disease, Dementia, Depression, gout, seizures, high blood pressure, nerve damage..and many, many more.

The only bad effect I can see with the use of Marijuana is for the Psychiatrists' and the pharmaceutical companies who deal with patients with emotional/anxiety problems...they might not have jobs if there was a switch from prescribed meds to Marijuana. 

My first question to you is: Do you know anyone whose suffered from Alcoholism? If so, what details do you remember....specifically those to do with memory? The second is: are you for or against the use of medicinal Marijuana?

Can evolution be our downfall?

Professor, forgive me for my crudeness, but I felt this was the most accurate image I found that expresses my feelings.

Alright, so, I was at my boyfriends house a few weekends ago. My boyfriend and his father were watching some football game that was going on (GO, BLAH BLAH! WOOT WOOT! SCORE!) and I, of course, was bored out of my mind (sorry if you ever read this, love) so I began to read the first chapter of this course (Module 1.1 The Biological Approach to Behavior). It's fairly towards the beginning of the chapter so you might think "Oh, yeah, she found this SUPER interesting...it was only interesting 'cause she didn't have to read much after that." Sorry, "friend" but no, this is not why I felt this was the most interesting of topics at hand. I came across the four types of Explanation: Physiological Explanation, Ontogenetic Explanation, Evolutionary Explanation and Functional Explanation and I had an idea about evolution. 

           For as long as I can remember I've been under the impression that the term "evolution" was always, and I mean ALWAYS connected with natural selection. It didn't occur to me it would just be an act (or idea) on its own without the stigma of dying weak members of a given species relentlessly dragging their useless bodies to some sort of life force. In the link I posted, it explains the term evolution simply means change. Funny how my idea of evolution evolved after watching it, huh? 

             Anyways, I was most keen on Evolutionary Explanation if it isn't obvious already. According to the book, Evolutionary Explanation is the, "Reconstruct[ion] [of] evolutionary history of a structure or behavior. The characteristic features of an animal are almost always modifications of something found in ancestral species (Shubin, Tabin, & Carroll, 2009).  Here is what I want to talk about: "Evolutionary Explanation also call attention to features left over from ancestors that serve little or no function in the descendants." 

Click the link for examples of Vestigial Traits humans possess. (Sorry, guys, you just don't need 'em!)
 http://io9.com/5829687/10-vestigial-traits-you-didnt-know-you-had

My question is: Are (Physical) Evolutionary Vestigial Traits the only traits we have acquired through time/change? Has society inadvertently bonded behaviors such as watching TV(this includes ads),  drinking, using drugs (that are not grown from the ground i.e., LSD, Heroin) using cell phones, lack of human contact due to technology being more easily accessible into what it is to be "human"? If it hasn't, can it?  

 This is a video about a new technology that could possibly control the products we buy by means of mind control. Advertising to a whole new level.

I find this so interesting because I notice, even with my own family that the quality of relationships has become quite lackluster and I question if it’s because of what society has molded us into. We have all of these techy devices enabling CONSTANT communication, but when did our thumbs become our voices? When did having a few drinks become the only way to be honest or drugs give us outer body experiences? Have we relied so much on outside sources to make us “feel alive” that we forgot to? We’ve done something to ruin the meaning of humanity…can we fix our “evolution”?