Study Tips for Exam Season?

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You’ve Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers!

Q: Any study tips as we approach exam season? A lot of the productivity stuff is based on working life, but I can’t be the only student!

A: We’ve got you covered:

  • Be passionate about your subject! We know of no greater study tip than that.
  • Find a willing person and lecture them on your subject. When one teaches, two learn!
  • Your mileage may vary depending on your subject, but, find a way of studying that’s fun to you!
  • If you can get past papers, get as many as you can, and use those as your “last minute” studying in the week before your exam(s). This will prime you for answering exam-style questions (and leverage state-dependent memory). As a bonus, it’ll also help ease any anxiety, because by the time of your exam it’ll be “same old, same old”!

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    • Huperzine A: A Natural Nootropic

      10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

      Huperzine A: A Natural Nootropic

      Huperzine A is a compound, specifically a naturally occurring sesquiterpene alkaloid, that functions as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. If that seems like a bunch of big words, don’t worry, we’ll translate in a moment.

      First, a nod to its origins: it is found in certain kinds of firmoss, especially the “toothed clubmoss”, Huperzia serrata, which grows in many Asian countries.

      What’s an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor?

      Let’s do this step-by-step:

      • An acetylcholinesterase inhibitor is a compound that inhibits acetylcholinesterase.
      • Acetylcholinesterase is an enzyme that catalyzes (speeds up) the breakdown of acetylcholine.
      • Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter; it’s an ester of acetic acid and choline.
        • This is the main neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system, and is also heavily involved in cognitive functions including memory and creative thinking.

      What this means: if you take an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor like huperzine A, it will inhibit acetylcholinesterase, meaning you will have more acetylcholine to work with. That’s good.

      What can I expect from it?

      Huperzine A has been well-studied for a while, mostly for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease:

      However, research has suggested that huperzine A is much better as a prevention than a treatment:

      ❝A central event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the accumulation of senile plaques composed of aggregated amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides.

      Ex vivo electrophysiological experiments showed that 10 μM of Aβ1-40 significantly decreased the effect of the AChE inhibitor huperzine A on the synaptic potential parameters. ❞

      ~ Dr. Irina Zueva

      Source: Can Activation of Acetylcholinesterase by β-Amyloid Peptide Decrease the Effectiveness of Cholinesterase Inhibitors?

      In other words: the answer to the titular question is “Yes, yes it can”

      And, to translate Dr. Zueva’s words into simple English:

      • People with Alzheimer’s have amyloid-β plaque in their brains
      • That plaque reduces the effectiveness of huperzine A

      So, what if we take it in advance? That works much better:

      ❝Pre-treatment with [huperzine A] at concentrations of 50, 100, and 150 µg/mL completely inhibited the secretion of PGE2, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β compared to post-treatment with [huperzine A].

      This suggests that prophylactic treatment is better than post-inflammation treatment. ❞

      ~ Dr. Thu Kim Dang

      Source: Anti-neuroinflammatory effects of alkaloid-enriched extract from Huperzia serrata

      As you may know, neuroinflammation is a big part of Alzheimer’s pathology, so we want to keep that down. The above research suggests we should do that sooner rather than later.

      Aside from holding off dementia, can it improve memory now, too?

      There’s been a lot less research done into this (medicine is generally more concerned with preventing/treating disease, than improving the health of healthy people), but there is some:

      Huperzine-A capsules enhance memory and learning performance in 34 pairs of matched adolescent students

      ^This is a small (n=68) old (1999) study for which the full paper has mysteriously disappeared and we only get to see the abstract. It gave favorable results, though.

      The effects of huperzine A and IDRA 21 on visual recognition memory in young macaques

      ^This, like most non-dementia research into HupA, is an animal study. But we chose to spotlight this one because, unlike most of the studies, it did not chemically lobotomize the animals first; they were and remained healthy. That said, huperzine A improved the memory scores most for the monkeys that performed worst without it initially.

      Where can I get it?

      As ever, we don’t sell it, but here’s an example product on Amazon for your convenience

      Enjoy!

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    • What’s Lurking In Your Household Air?

      10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

      As individuals, we can’t do much about the outside air. We can try to spend more time in green spaces* and away from traffic, and we can wear face-masks—as was popular in Tokyo and other such large cities long before the pandemic struck.

      *The well-known mental health benefits aside (and contrary to British politician Amber Rudd’s famous assertion in a televised political debate that “clean air doesn’t grow on trees”), clean air comes mostly from trees—their natural process of respiration scrubs not only carbon dioxide, but also pollutants, from the air before releasing oxygen without the pollutants. Neat!

      See also this study: Site new care homes near trees and away from busy roads to protect residents’ lungs

      We are fortunate to be living in a world where most of us in industrialized countries can exercise a great degree of control over our home’s climate. But, what to do with all that power?

      Temperature

      Let’s start with the basics. Outside temperature may vary, but you probably have heating and air conditioning. There’s a simple answer here; the optimal temperature for human comfort and wellbeing is 20℃ / 68℉:

      Scientists Identify a Universal Optimal Temperature For Life on Earth

      Note: this does not mean that that is the ideal global average temperature, because that would mean the polar caps are completely gone, the methane stored there released, many large cities underwater, currently hot places will be too hot for human life (e.g. outside temperatures above human body temperature), there will be mass extinctions of many kinds of animals and plants, including those we humans require for survival, and a great proliferation of many bugs that will kill us. Basically we need diversity for the planet to survive, arctic through to tropical and yes, even deserts (deserts are important carbon sinks!). The ideal global average temperature is about 14℃ (we currently have about 15℃ and rising).

      But, for setting the thermostat in your home, 20℃ / 68℉ is perfect for most people, though down as far as 17℃ / 61℉ is fine too, provided other things such as humidity are in order. In fact, for sleeping, 18℃ / 62℉ is ideal. This is because the cooler temperature is one of the several things that tell our brain it is nighttime now, and thus trigger secretion of melatonin.

      If you’re wondering about temperatures and respiratory viruses, by the way, check out:

      The Cold Truth About Respiratory Infections: The Pathogens That Came In From The Cold

      Humidity

      Most people pay more attention to the temperature in their home than the humidity, and the latter is just as important:

      ❝Conditions that fall outside of the optimal range of 40–60% can have significant impacts on health, including facilitating infectious transmission and exacerbating respiratory diseases.

      When humidity is too low, it can cause dryness and irritation of the respiratory tract and skin, making individuals more susceptible to infections.

      When humidity is too high, it can create a damp environment that encourages the growth of harmful microorganisms like mould, bacteria, and viruses.❞

      ~ Dr. Gabriella Guarnieri et al.

      So, if your average indoor humidity falls outside of that range, consider getting a humidifier or dehumidifier, to correct it. Example items on Amazon, for your convenience:

      Humidity monitor | Humidifier | Dehumidifier

      See also, about a seriously underestimated killer:

      Pneumonia: Prevention Is Better Than Cure

      Now, one last component to deal with, for perfect indoor air:

      Pollution

      We tend to think of pollution as an outdoors thing, and indeed, the pollution in your home will (hopefully!) be lower than that of a busy traffic intersection. However…

      • The air you have inside comes from outside, and that matters if you’re in an urban area
      • Even in suburban and rural areas, general atmospheric pollutants will reach you, and if you’ve ever been subject to wildfire smoke, you’ll know that’s no fun either.
      • Gas appliances in the home cause indoor pollution, even when carbon monoxide is within levels considered acceptable. This polluting effect is much stronger for open gas flames (such as on gas cookers/stoves, or gas fires), than for closed gas heating systems (such as a gas-powered boiler for central heating).
      • Wood stoves/fireplaces are not an improvement, in fact they are worse, and don’t get us started on coal. You should not be breathing these things, and definitely should not be burning them in an enclosed space.
      • That air conditioning, humidifier, dehumidifier? They may be great for temperature and humidity, but please clean/change the filter more often than you think is necessary, or things will grow there and then your device will be adding pathogens to the air as it goes.
      • Plug-in air-freshening devices? They may smell clean, but they are effectively spraying cleaning fluids into your lungs. So please don’t.

      So, what of air purifiers? They can definitely be of benefit. for example:

      Air Purifiers & Sleep

      But watch out! Because if you don’t clean/change the filter regularly, guess what happens! That’s right, it’ll be colonized with bacteria/fungus and then be blowing those at you.

      And no, not all of them will be visible to the naked eye:

      Is Unnoticed Environmental Mold Harming Your Health?

      Taking a holistic approach

      The air is a very important factor for the health of your lungs (and thus, for the health of everything that’s fed oxygen by your lungs), but there are more things we can do as well:

      Seven Things To Do For Good Lung Health!

      Take care!

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    • Is stress turning my hair grey?

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      When we start to go grey depends a lot on genetics.

      Your first grey hairs usually appear anywhere between your twenties and fifties. For men, grey hairs normally start at the temples and sideburns. Women tend to start greying on the hairline, especially at the front.

      The most rapid greying usually happens between ages 50 and 60. But does anything we do speed up the process? And is there anything we can do to slow it down?

      You’ve probably heard that plucking, dyeing and stress can make your hair go grey – and that redheads don’t. Here’s what the science says.

      Oksana Klymenko/Shutterstock

      What gives hair its colour?

      Each strand of hair is produced by a hair follicle, a tunnel-like opening in your skin. Follicles contain two different kinds of stem cells:

      • keratinocytes, which produce keratin, the protein that makes and regenerates hair strands
      • melanocytes, which produce melanin, the pigment that colours your hair and skin.

      There are two main types of melanin that determine hair colour. Eumelanin is a black-brown pigment and pheomelanin is a red-yellow pigment.

      The amount of the different pigments determines hair colour. Black and brown hair has mostly eumelanin, red hair has the most pheomelanin, and blonde hair has just a small amount of both.

      So what makes our hair turn grey?

      As we age, it’s normal for cells to become less active. In the hair follicle, this means stem cells produce less melanin – turning our hair grey – and less keratin, causing hair thinning and loss.

      As less melanin is produced, there is less pigment to give the hair its colour. Grey hair has very little melanin, while white hair has none left.

      Unpigmented hair looks grey, white or silver because light reflects off the keratin, which is pale yellow.

      Grey hair is thicker, coarser and stiffer than hair with pigment. This is because the shape of the hair follicle becomes irregular as the stem cells change with age.

      Interestingly, grey hair also grows faster than pigmented hair, but it uses more energy in the process.

      Can stress turn our hair grey?

      Yes, stress can cause your hair to turn grey. This happens when oxidative stress damages hair follicles and stem cells and stops them producing melanin.

      Oxidative stress is an imbalance of too many damaging free radical chemicals and not enough protective antioxidant chemicals in the body. It can be caused by psychological or emotional stress as well as autoimmune diseases.

      Environmental factors such as exposure to UV and pollution, as well as smoking and some drugs, can also play a role.

      Melanocytes are more susceptible to damage than keratinocytes because of the complex steps in melanin production. This explains why ageing and stress usually cause hair greying before hair loss.

      Scientists have been able to link less pigmented sections of a hair strand to stressful events in a person’s life. In younger people, whose stems cells still produced melanin, colour returned to the hair after the stressful event passed.

      4 popular ideas about grey hair – and what science says

      1. Does plucking a grey hair make more grow back in its place?

      No. When you pluck a hair, you might notice a small bulb at the end that was attached to your scalp. This is the root. It grows from the hair follicle.

      Plucking a hair pulls the root out of the follicle. But the follicle itself is the opening in your skin and can’t be plucked out. Each hair follicle can only grow a single hair.

      It’s possible frequent plucking could make your hair grey earlier, if the cells that produce melanin are damaged or exhausted from too much regrowth.

      2. Can my hair can turn grey overnight?

      Legend says Marie Antoinette’s hair went completely white the night before the French queen faced the guillotine – but this is a myth.

      Painted portrait of Marie Antoinette with elaborate grey hairstyle.
      It is not possible for hair to turn grey overnight, as in the legend about Marie Antoinette. Yann Caradec/Wikimedia, CC BY-NC-SA

      Melanin in hair strands is chemically stable, meaning it can’t transform instantly.

      Acute psychological stress does rapidly deplete melanocyte stem cells in mice. But the effect doesn’t show up immediately. Instead, grey hair becomes visible as the strand grows – at a rate of about 1 cm per month.

      Not all hair is in the growing phase at any one time, meaning it can’t all go grey at the same time.

      3. Will dyeing make my hair go grey faster?

      This depends on the dye.

      Temporary and semi-permanent dyes should not cause early greying because they just coat the hair strand without changing its structure. But permanent products cause a chemical reaction with the hair, using an oxidising agent such as hydrogen peroxide.

      Accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and other hair dye chemicals in the hair follicle can damage melanocytes and keratinocytes, which can cause greying and hair loss.

      4. Is it true redheads don’t go grey?

      People with red hair also lose melanin as they age, but differently to those with black or brown hair.

      This is because the red-yellow and black-brown pigments are chemically different.

      Producing the brown-black pigment eumelanin is more complex and takes more energy, making it more susceptible to damage.

      Producing the red-yellow pigment (pheomelanin) causes less oxidative stress, and is more simple. This means it is easier for stem cells to continue to produce pheomelanin, even as they reduce their activity with ageing.

      With ageing, red hair tends to fade into strawberry blonde and silvery-white. Grey colour is due to less eumelanin activity, so is more common in those with black and brown hair.

      Your genetics determine when you’ll start going grey. But you may be able to avoid premature greying by staying healthy, reducing stress and avoiding smoking, too much alcohol and UV exposure.

      Eating a healthy diet may also help because vitamin B12, copper, iron, calcium and zinc all influence melanin production and hair pigmentation.

      Theresa Larkin, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, University of Wollongong

      This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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      • Freekeh Tomato Feast

        10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

        Fiber-dense freekeh stars in this traditional Palestinian dish, and the whole recipe is very gut-healthy, not to mention delicious and filling, as well as boasting generous amounts of lycopene and other phytonutrients:

        You will need

        • 1 cup dried freekeh (if avoiding gluten, substitute a gluten-free grain, or pseudograin such as buckwheat; if making such a substitution, then also add 1 tbsp nutritional yeast—for the flavor as well as the nutrients)
        • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
        • 1 2oz can anchovies (if vegan/vegetarian, substitute 1 can kimchi)
        • 1 14oz can cherry tomatoes
        • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, fresh
        • ½ cup black olives, pitted
        • 1 5oz jar roasted peppers, chopped
        • ½ bulb garlic, thinly sliced
        • 2 tsp black pepper
        • 1 tsp chili flakes
        • 1 sprig fresh thyme
        • Extra virgin olive oil

        Method

        (we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

        1) Place a heavy-based (cast iron, if you have it) sauté pan over a medium heat. Add some olive oil, then the onion, stirring for about 5 minutes.

        2) Add the anchovies, herbs and spices (including the garlic), and stir well to combine. The anchovies will probably soon melt into the onion; that’s fine.

        3) Add the canned tomatoes (but not the fresh), followed by the freekeh, stirring well again to combine.

        4) Add 2 cups boiling water, and simmer with the lid on for about 40 minutes. Stir occasionally and check the water isn’t getting too low; top it up if it’s getting dry and the freekeh isn’t tender yet.

        5) Add the fresh chopped cherry tomatoes and the chopped peppers from the jar, as well as the olives. Stir for just another 2 minutes, enough to let the latest ingredients warm through.

        6) Serve, adding a garnish if you wish:

        Enjoy!

        Want to learn more?

        For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

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      • Superfood Soba Noodle Salad

        10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

        This Japanese dish is packed with nutrients and takes very little preparation time, involving only one cooked ingredient, and a healthy one at that!

        You will need

        • 8 oz dried soba noodles
        • ½ bulb garlic, finely chopped
        • 2 tbsp avocado oil
        • 2 tsp soy sauce
        • ¼ cucumber, cut into thin batons (don’t peel it first)
        • ½ carrot, grated (don’t peel it first)
        • 6 cherry tomatoes, halved (you wouldn’t peel these, right? Please don’t)
        • ½ red onion, finely sliced (ok, this one you can peel first! Please do)
        • 1 tbsp chia seeds
        • 1 tsp crushed red chili flakes
        • Garnish: fresh parsley, chopped

        Method

        (we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

        1) Cook the soba noodles (boil in water for 10 mins or until soft). Rinse with cold water (which lowers the glycemic index further, and also we want them cold anyway) and set aside.

        2) Make the dressing by blending the garlic, avocado oil, and soy cauce. Set it aside.

        3) Assemble the salad by thoroughly but gently mixing the noodles with the cucumber, carrot, tomatoes, and onion. Add the dressing, the chia seeds, and the chili flakes, and toss gently to combine.

        4) Serve, adding the parsley garnish.

        Enjoy!

        Want to learn more?

        For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

        Take care!

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      • Is it OK to lie to someone with dementia?

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        There was disagreement on social media recently after a story was published about an aged care provider creating “fake-away” burgers that mimicked those from a fast-food chain, to a resident living with dementia. The man had such strict food preferences he was refusing to eat anything at meals except a burger from the franchise. This dementia symptom risks malnutrition and social isolation.

        But critics of the fake burger approach labelled it trickery and deception of a vulnerable person with cognitive impairment.

        Dementia is an illness that progressively robs us of memories. Although it has many forms, it is typical for short-term recall – the memory of something that happened in recent hours or days – to be lost first. As the illness progresses, people may come to increasingly “live in the past”, as distant recall gradually becomes the only memories accessible to the person. So a person in the middle or later stages of the disease may relate to the world as it once was, not how it is today.

        This can make ethical care very challenging.

        Pikselstock/Shutterstock

        Is it wrong to lie?

        Ethical approaches classically hold that specific actions are moral certainties, regardless of the consequences. In line with this moral absolutism, it is always wrong to lie.

        But this ethical approach would require an elderly woman with dementia who continually approaches care staff looking for their long-deceased spouse to be informed their husband has passed – the objective truth.

        Distress is the likely outcome, possibly accompanied by behavioural disturbance that could endanger the person or others. The person’s memory has regressed to a point earlier in their life, when their partner was still alive. To inform such a person of the death of their spouse, however gently, is to traumatise them.

        And with the memory of what they have just been told likely to quickly fade, and the questioning may resume soon after. If the truth is offered again, the cycle of re-traumatisation continues.

        older man looks into distance holding mug
        People with dementia may lose short term memories and rely on the past for a sense of the world. Bonsales/Shutterstock

        A different approach

        Most laws are examples of absolutist ethics. One must obey the law at all times. Driving above the speed limit is likely to result in punishment regardless of whether one is in a hurry to pick their child up from kindergarten or not.

        Pragmatic ethics rejects the notion certain acts are always morally right or wrong. Instead, acts are evaluated in terms of their “usefulness” and social benefit, humanity, compassion or intent.

        The Aged Care Act is a set of laws intended to guide the actions of aged care providers. It says, for example, psychotropic drugs (medications that affect mind and mood) should be the “last resort” in managing the behaviours and psychological symptoms of dementia.

        Instead, “best practice” involves preventing behaviour before it occurs. If one can reasonably foresee a caregiver action is likely to result in behavioural disturbance, it flies in the face of best practice.

        What to say when you can’t avoid a lie?

        What then, becomes the best response when approached by the lady looking for her husband?

        Gentle inquiries may help uncover an underlying emotional need, and point caregivers in the right direction to meet that need. Perhaps she is feeling lonely or anxious and has become focused on her husband’s whereabouts? A skilled caregiver might tailor their response, connect with her, perhaps reminisce, and providing a sense of comfort in the process.

        This approach aligns with Dementia Australia guidance that carers or loved ones can use four prompts in such scenarios:

        • acknowledge concern (“I can tell you’d like him to be here.”)
        • suggest an alternative (“He can’t visit right now.”)
        • provide reassurance (“I’m here and lots of people care about you.”)
        • redirect focus (“Perhaps a walk outside or a cup of tea?”)

        These things may or may not work. So, in the face of repeated questions and escalating distress, a mistruth, such as “Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon,” may be the most humane response in the circumstances.

        Different realities

        It is often said you can never win an argument with a person living with dementia. A lot of time, different realities are being discussed.

        So, providing someone who has dementia with a “pretend” burger may well satisfy their preferences, bring joy, mitigate the risk of malnutrition, improve social engagement, and prevent a behavioural disturbance without the use of medication. This seems like the correct approach in ethical terms. On occasion, the end justifies the means.

        Steve Macfarlane, Head of Clinical Services, Dementia Support Australia, & Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Monash University

        This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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