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How sleep helps to process emotions

According to the researchers, the coexistence of both mechanisms is beneficial to the stability and survival of the organisms: “This bi-directional mechanism is essential to optimize the discrimination between dangerous and safe signals,” says Mattia Aime from the DBMR, first author of the study.

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Photo by Mpho Mojapelo from Unsplash.com

Researchers at the Department of Neurology of the University of Bern and University Hospital Bern identified how the brain triages emotions during dream sleep to consolidate the storage of positive emotions while dampening the consolidation of negative ones. The work expands the importance of sleep in mental health and opens new ways of therapeutic strategies.

Rapid eye movement (REM or paradoxical) sleep is a unique and mysterious sleep state during which most of the dreams occur together with intense emotional contents. How and why these emotions are reactivated is unclear. The prefrontal cortex integrates many of these emotions during wakefulness but appears paradoxically quiescent during REM sleep.

“Our goal was to understand the underlying mechanism and the functions of such a surprising phenomenon,” says Prof. Antoine Adamantidis from the Department of Biomedical Research (DBMR) at the University of Bern and the Department of Neurology at the Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern.

Processing emotions, particularly distinguishing between danger and safety, is critical for the survival of animals. In humans, excessively negative emotions, such as fear reactions and states of anxiety, lead to pathological states like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD). In Europe, roughly 15% of the population is affected by persistent anxiety and severe mental illness. The research group headed by Antoine Adamantidis is now providing insights into how the brain helps to reinforce positive emotions and weaken strongly negative or traumatic emotions during REM sleep. This study was published in the journal Science.

A dual mechanism

The researchers first conditioned mice to recognize auditory stimuli associated with safety and others associated with danger (aversive stimuli). The activity of neurons in the brain of mice was then recorded during sleep-wake cycles. In this way, the researchers were able to map different areas of a cell and determine how emotional memories are transformed during REM sleep.  

Neurons are composed of a cell body (soma) that integrates information coming from the dendrites (inputs) and send signals to other neurons via their axons (outputs). The results obtained showed that cell somas are kept silent while their dendrites are activated. “This means a decoupling of the two cellular compartments, in other words soma wide asleep and dendrites wide awake,” explains Adamantidis.

This decoupling is important because the strong activity of the dendrites allows the encoding of both danger and safety emotions, while the inhibitions of the soma completely block the output of the circuit during REM sleep. In other words, the brain favors the discrimination of safety versus danger in the dendrites, but block the over-reaction to emotion, in particular danger.

A survival advantage

According to the researchers, the coexistence of both mechanisms is beneficial to the stability and survival of the organisms: “This bi-directional mechanism is essential to optimize the discrimination between dangerous and safe signals,” says Mattia Aime from the DBMR, first author of the study.

If this discrimination is missing in humans and excessive fear reactions are generated, this can lead to anxiety disorders. The findings are particularly relevant to pathological conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorders, in which trauma is over-consolidated in the prefrontal cortex, day after day during sleep.

Breakthrough for sleep medicine

These findings pave the way to a better understanding of the processing of emotions during sleep in humans and open new perspectives for therapeutic targets to treat maladaptive processing of traumatic memories, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) and their early sleep-dependent consolidation.

Additional acute or chronic mental health issues that may implicate this somatodendritic decoupling during sleep include acute and chronic stress, anxiety, depression, panic, or even anhedonia, the inability to feel pleasure. Sleep research and sleep medicine have long been a research focus of the University of Bern and the Inselspital, Bern University Hospital. “We hope that our findings will not only be of interest to the patients, but also to the broad public”, says Adamantidis.

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Too much for some, just right for me – The truth about dating while plus-size

What is dating like for a plus-size woman? We don’t get the fairytale, the montage-worthy meet-cute in the bookstore, or the sweet swipe-rights with guys who use words like “connection” and “vibes.” What we get is a mixed bag of awkward encounters, accidental comedy, the occasional ghosting, and sometimes, someone who sees us as the whole damn package.

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By: A Curvy Queen Who’s Seen It All

Let me be real with you: dating as a plus-size woman isn’t for the faint of heart. We don’t get the fairytale, the montage-worthy meet-cute in the bookstore, or the sweet swipe-rights with guys who use words like “connection” and “vibes.” What we get is a mixed bag of awkward encounters, accidental comedy, the occasional ghosting, and sometimes, someone who sees us as the whole damn package—not just the size of it.

Photo by @canweallgo from Unsplash.com

I’m 33, a size 20, and I live in a city where everyone seems to be on a green juice cleanse or training for a marathon. My idea of a perfect day includes a cheese board, a crime documentary, and wearing something soft and oversized. I’ve been dating online for years now—Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, even a brief stint on Bigger Lover (don’t judge). I’ve had first dates that turned into second dates, and others that ended before the appetizer even came. But through it all, I’ve learned some hard truths about dating while plus-size.

The Fetish Factor

Let’s start with the obvious: there are guys out there who fetishize plus-size women. They love our bodies—but only in private. They send you those thirsty DMs like, “I’ve always had a thing for thick girls.”

I used to think that was a compliment. But it’s not, not when it’s the first thing they lead with, not when you realize they don’t care about your name, your career, or your sense of humor. Just your body.

I once met a guy off Tinder who spent our entire date talking about how much he “loved curves” and how he’d “never dated a big girl before.” He kept asking if I was into feederism (I had to Google it when I got home). I never heard from him again, which was fine—I didn’t need to be someone’s body experiment.

The Grateful Gambit

Then there’s this weird idea that plus-size women are supposed to be grateful for attention, as if someone choosing to date us is some charitable act. It’s subtle sometimes, but oh, it’s there.

I had a guy once tell me, over drinks, “I like girls who are a little bigger. They try harder, you know? They’re just more appreciative.”

I blinked. Tried harder at what? Breathing through my rage?

I wanted to ask him if he’d ever considered that maybe I’m not grateful to be on a date with him either. But instead, I left.

Online Dating – A Love-Hate Situation

The apps are their own beast. My profile is cute, funny, and unapologetically me. I mention that I love bookstores, brunch, and body positivity. I always include full-body pics, because I refuse to trick anyone—but I also refuse to hide.

And still, I get messages like: “You’re actually really pretty for a big girl.”

Sir, would you be willing to grow a personality for someone you really liked?

But it’s not all trash. I’ve had some sweet, genuine conversations and some fun dates. Not every guy is clueless. Some are kind, open, and emotionally intelligent.

The good, the bad, and the big truth

Dating while fat is exhausting. You have to weed through people who want to fix you, people who want to hide you, people who only want to sleep with you, and people who see you as their emotional support girlfriend.

But I’ve also never been more sure of who I am. I’ve learned to ask better questions, to take up space, and to walk away when someone doesn’t see my worth.

I’ve cried after bad dates, yes. I’ve called friends from bathroom stalls and whispered, “Why is this so hard?” But I’ve also danced in my kitchen with someone who made me feel radiant, kissed under streetlights, and been told, with complete sincerity, “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”

The truth is, being plus-size in the dating world means you see people for who they really are, faster. It forces you to develop an inner filter. You learn to walk away without guilt. And when you do meet someone who loves you not in spite of your size but as a part of your magic? It’s that much sweeter.

So to every plus-size woman out there who’s ever felt invisible, unworthy, or too much: you’re not too much. You might just be too real for the wrong person.

Keep showing up. Keep swiping. And keep loving yourself like you deserve to be loved—because trust me, you absolutely do.

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More than 70% of young women suffer from itching, irritation, pain, other symptoms in genital area

Although these symptoms negatively affect quality of life and sexual health, they have largely been normalized.

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A study conducted by researchers from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) found that 72.5% of young Brazilian women suffer from symptoms such as itching, discharge, and pain during intercourse. The study, which included 313 volunteers in their 30s, showed that, although these symptoms negatively affect quality of life and sexual health, they have largely been normalized. The data were published in the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy.

According to Ana Carolina Beleza, one of the authors of the article, there is still a strong taboo surrounding the subject. This leads many women to underestimate the impact of these symptoms on their health, daily life, and sex life. The research noted the contradiction between the prevalence and consequences of vulvovaginal problems. This is because, in addition to asking the participants if they had the symptoms, the questionnaire included scores on how they impacted different aspects of life.

“Even women who reported pain during sex rated the problem as having a low impact on their lives. The scores used to measure the impact of this and other symptoms were much lower than expected, revealing a worrying normalization. It’s important to note that experiencing pain during sex isn’t normal and should be investigated through clinical approaches. The tendency to normalize vulvovaginal symptoms underscores the need for more intimate health education, whether in schools or in healthcare,” argues Beleza, who coordinates the Center for Studies in Physiotherapy in Women’s Health (NEFISM) at UFSCar.

This study, supported by FAPESP, is the first to demonstrate the prevalence of vulvovaginal symptoms in young Brazilian women. According to the results, the most commonly reported symptoms were vaginal discharge (63%), itching (54%), burning (31%), vaginal dryness (30%), vaginal odor (28%), irritation (27%), and pain during intercourse (20%). Fewer than 30% of the participants reported having none of these problems.

The reported issues can have various causes, such as infections, as well as hormonal, dermatological, or muscular changes. While treatable, they can negatively affect emotional well-being, sexual function, self-confidence, and social life.

“This is an issue that requires a more global view, as it involves other aspects that go beyond health, such as cultural and emotional questions and a lack of knowledge about one’s own health,” says Clara Maria de Araujo Silva, the first author of the article and a researcher at NEFISM-UFSCar.

The taboo surrounding vulvovaginal symptoms is reflected in the limited number of studies on the subject. “This is the first one carried out in Brazil and for this age group. Even so, it was a surprise to see the high prevalence of vulvovaginal symptoms among young women. In this age group, symptoms such as pain and burning aren’t expected, since there are no hormonal changes associated with menopause, for example,” says Beleza.

Social determinants of health

The study suggests that, although symptoms are prevalent across all social and educational strata, they may be even more prevalent among women with lower incomes and education levels.

“This opens up a series of questions that we can investigate in future studies. We want to identify other factors, such as income, education, employment, housing conditions, and access to health services, that could influence the occurrence of symptoms. Based on this understanding, it’ll be possible to devise measures to reduce this prevalence and strategies so that these symptoms are no longer normalized,” predicts Beleza.

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Coffee too weak? Try this!

The thick water jets typical of standard gooseneck kettles are ideal for achieving this necessary height and laminar flow. Strong — but focused — water jets create an avalanche in the coffee grounds. Displaced grounds recirculate as the water digs deeper into the coffee bed, allowing for better mixing between the water and the grounds, and thus, results in a stronger coffee with fewer beans. If the water jet is too thin, it cannot adequately create this interaction to achieve a desirable strength and sensory experience.

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Tens of billions of kilograms of coffee are consumed around the world each year. However, due to its very specific agricultural needs, coffee can be difficult to cultivate, and ongoing climate change threatens its growth.

To efficiently meet the high demand for coffee grounds, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania worked to optimize their use in pour-over coffee. They presented their suggestions in Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing.

“What we recommend is making the pour height as high as possible, while still maintaining a laminar flow, where the jet doesn’t break up when it impacts the coffee grinds,” said author Ernest Park.

In particular, the group found the thick water jets typical of standard gooseneck kettles are ideal for achieving this necessary height and laminar flow. Strong — but focused — water jets create an avalanche in the coffee grounds. Displaced grounds recirculate as the water digs deeper into the coffee bed, allowing for better mixing between the water and the grounds, and thus, results in a stronger coffee with fewer beans. If the water jet is too thin, it cannot adequately create this interaction to achieve a desirable strength and sensory experience.

“If you have a thin jet, then it tends to break up into droplets,” said author Margot Young. “That’s what you want to avoid in these pour-overs, because that means the jet cannot mix the coffee grounds effectively.”

The dark color of coffee beans — and of coffee itself — makes it hard to demystify. Along with creating pour-over drinks with actual coffee grounds, the scientists supplemented their study with laser-illuminated transparent particles in a glass funnel to help thoroughly visualize the mixing dynamics and understand how the liquid jet affects the grains.

Though the group does not plan further studies related to coffee, they say there are many other parameters left to explore, such as the impacts of the size of the coffee grounds on the interplay between the physics and chemistry of the brewing process. When it comes to easy, accessible kitchen science, the researchers have some unorthodox advice: Do try this at home.

“We can really learn something from both the chemistry and physics point of view by looking at the kitchen,” said author Arnold Mathijssen. “It leads to new science where you didn’t expect it.”

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