Influence of genetics on cannabis dependence in adolescent females

Researchers have identified that a variant in a particular gene, that is found in about one-third of people, increases vulnerability to THC in females. It also has a large-scale impact on brain regions and pathways responsible for processing reward.

The brain's endocannabinoid system regulates the activity of cannabinoids that are normally produced by the body to influence brain development and regulate mood as well as those from external sources, such as the psychoactive ingredient THC, also known as D9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which is found in cannabis.

An enzyme called fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) breaks down a cannabinoid called anandamide that is naturally found in the brain and is most closely related to THC, helping to remove it from circulation.

In the study which was published in 'Science Advances,' the researchers examined mice harbouring a human gene variant that causes FAAH to degrade more easily, increasing overall anandamide levels in the brain.

From the preclinical research by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators, they discovered that the variant resulted in an overactive reward circuit in female--but not male adolescent mice--that resulted in a higher preference for THC in females.

Dr. Caitlin Burgdorf, recent doctoral graduate from the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and the lead author said "Our study shows that a variant in the FAAH gene, which is found in about one-third of people, increases vulnerability to THC in females and has large-scale impact on brain regions and pathways responsible for processing reward."

"Our findings suggest that genetics can be a contributing factor for increased susceptibility to cannabis dependence in select populations," Caitlin added.

The result showcased that female mouse with the FAAH variant showed an increased preference for the environment in which they'd been exposed to THC over a neutral environment when they were exposed to the substance during adolescence, and the effect persisted into adulthood. 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement 

Making Art Is Good For Your Health. Mke it a habit

Whether it's woodworking, sewing or sculpting teeny cupcakes out of bright purple clay, making art is good for your mind and body.

The act of creation can reduce stress and anxiety and improve your mood, says Girija Kaimal, a professor at Drexel University and a leading researcher in art therapy. And flexing our creative side can give us a stronger sense of agency — the ability to solve problems by imagining possible solutions. 

Making art can also feel pretty awesome, she says. Engaging in any act of visual expression activates the reward pathway in your brain, "which is perceived as a pleasurable experience."

Artists say they often feel those positive vibes when they work. Trinidad Escobar, a Filipino American graphic novelist and poet based in Oakland, Calif., says that drawing "feels like a superpower." And Liana Finck, a cartoonist for The New Yorker, says sharing her art with an audience is "the most cathartic thing in the world."

But you don't have to be a full-time artist to get in on those health benefits, says Kaimal. All you need to do is just make art. And the more you do it, the better. Here are six things you need to know to kick-start your creative art habit.

1. You don't need to be an artist with a capital "A"
We tend to think that only people who are very skilled at art can call themselves artists, but really, anyone can be an artist, says Kaimal.

"Everyone is capable of creative expression," she says. In fact, her own research has shown that there are no differences in health outcomes between those who identify as experienced artists and those who don't. So that means that no matter your skill level, you'll be able to feel all the good things that come with making art. 

Christianne Strang, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, promises that if you stick with it, you'll enjoy it. In her 30-year career as an art therapist, she has found that "99% of the time, people find that if they give up the idea that they're not good enough, if they give up the judgment, making art actually feels good."

2. Figure out your mode of creative expression
Start with what you enjoy — maybe something you've done before, maybe something you loved as a kid. But keep an open mind.

"Anything that engages your creative mind — the ability to make connections between unrelated things and imagine new ways to communicate — is good for you," says Kaimal.

You can do that through myriad activities: finger painting, cooking, baking, collaging, oil painting, weaving, knitting, crocheting, writing screenplays, scrapbooking — the sky's the limit. And don't feel like you have to stick to one thing, say the art therapists. Mix it up — do whatever you're in the mood for. 

3. Focus on the making, and let go of expectations

Once you have your art materials, here comes the fun part. Mess around! Let yourself get lost in the process and just play. Because it's the physical act of making art, says Kaimal, that induces those feelings of stress relief and positive energy — not what you make or how you make it.

Kaimal says you don't even need to complete a project or like what you're making to feel those health benefits.

In fact, says Strang, that can be a positive thing. In her free time, she likes doodling, watercoloring and glass fusing. "Sometimes, when I don't like what I'm making, it frees me up to play and explore new ideas, because I've let go of expectations," she says.
 
4. Think about making art like any healthy habit, such as eating well or exercising

Just as you make time to work, exercise and hang out with family and friends, you should make time for your artistic endeavors, says Strang. "Creativity in and of itself is important for remaining healthy — remaining connected to yourself and remaining connected to the world," she says.

While there are no hard and fast rules for how much time you should devote to engaging in art, Strang has a suggestion: "as much as you can get away with."

Try to designate a special time in your week to devote to your practice, says Kaimal. She likes to set aside time on the weekends to work on her own art projects: mixed-media pieces inspired by nature. She calls it her "TGIS." "Thank God it's Saturday," she says. "It's my few hours of time to develop something I'm working on and really take that time for myself."

You don't even need a few hours. Escobar, the Oakland-based artist, teaches community art classes to people of color and members of the LGBT community. She says that doing just 10 minutes of art each day can do wonders.

Whatever you do, don't wait for creative inspiration to strike. "That's a myth that you'll create because you're in this altered state of mind and feeling free and loose," she says.

In addition to carving out time, carve out a physical space in your home for art, says Kaimal. She suggests setting up a corner table for your sketchbook and art supplies. If space is an issue, put it all in a basket or a plastic container that's easily accessible.

Your creative corner is "kind of like a reminder," she says. "It reinforces your commitment to invest in yourself and your well-being." 

5. Ride those waves of emotion
The more you're able to make art a regular habit, the more you're likely to get this great reward: this wonderful thing that happens when you're in the zone. Kaimal says that scientists have a word for it. It's called "flow."

"It's that sense of losing yourself, losing all awareness. You're so in the moment and fully present that you forget all sense of time and space," she says.

Escobar says she feels that flow when she's filling in lines with color, inking — which in the world of cartooning means tracing over pencil marks with ink — and when she's drawing aesthetically pleasing backgrounds, such as jungle or garden scenes.

"It feels meditative," she says, like things are "going well, smoothly, like the process is nourishing me."

6. Get yourself in the mood

Some days, you won't feel like making art. And that's OK, says Finck. As the author of several graphic novels, most recently Excuse Me: Cartoons, Complaints, and Notes to Self, she's used to juggling multiple projects.

"I get a lot of writer's block," she says. "It feels like stage fright when I sit down with a blank page."

To trick herself into drawing, Finck tells herself to think "that I'm just doodling," she says. "Then it flows freely."

If the block persists, she checks in with herself. What's stopping her from drawing? Is she anxious? Depressed? Worried?

"If you're too anxious to draw, address the anxiety. Go take a walk. Stand up from the couch. Go for a run. See a person," says Finck.

You can also try a breathing exercise, says Escobar. "Inhale for four seconds and hold for a second. Repeat that for about three minutes."

She does this with students in her art classes to help them reset and refocus after a long day at work — and it works, she says, like a charm. 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement 

Train your brain to form good habits through repetition

The researchers have created a model which shows that forming good (and bad) habits depends more on how often you perform an action than on how much satisfaction you get from it.

"Psychologists have been trying to understand what drives our habits for over a century, and one of the recurring questions is how much habits are a product of what we want versus what we do," said an Assistant Prof.

"Our model helps to answer that by suggesting that habits themselves are a product of our previous actions, but in certain situations those habits can be supplanted by our desire to get the best outcome," she  added.

For the study, the researchers developed a computer simulation, in which digital rodents were given a choice of two levers, one of which was associated with the chance of getting a reward.

The lever with the reward was the 'correct' one, and the lever without was the 'wrong' one.

The chance of getting a reward was swapped between the two levers, and the simulated rodents were trained to choose the 'correct' one.

When the digital rodents were trained for a short time, they managed to choose the new, 'correct' lever when the chance of a reward was swapped. However, when they were trained extensively on one lever, the digital rats stuck to the 'wrong' lever stubbornly, even when it no longer had the chance for a reward.

The rodents preferred to stick to the repeated action that they were used to, rather than have the chance for a reward.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                         FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           

                                                                           FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                  https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

Scientists decode physical impact of smiles

Not all smiles express warmth and joy, but they can also be mean. 

Human bodies tend to react differently depending on the message a smile is meant to send, says a psychologists. 

The study showed that smiles meant to convey dominance are associated with a physical reaction "a spike in stress hormones" in their targets.

On the other hand, smiles intended as a reward, to reinforce behaviour, appear to physically buffer recipients against stress.

Researchers established three major types of smiles as dominance -- meant to convey status --, affiliation -- which communicates a bond and shows you are not a threat --, and reward -- the sort of beaming, toothy smile you would give someone to let them know they are making you happy.

"Our results show that subtle differences in the way you make facial expressions while someone is talking to you can fundamentally change their experience, their body, and the way they feel like you are evaluating them," said a psychology graduate.

For the study, the team stressed out male college students by giving them a series of short, impromptu speaking assignments judged over a webcam by a fellow student.

The speakers' heart rates and levels of cortisol -- a hormone associated with stress were measured.
"If they received dominance smiles, which they would interpret as negative and critical, they felt more stress, and their cortisol went up and stayed up longer after their speech," said co-author.

"If they received reward smiles, they reacted to that as approval, and it kept them from feeling as much stress and producing as much cortisol," the author added.

Participants with high heart-rate variability have shown stronger physiological reactions to the different smiles, while the variability is not innate and unalterable.

However, certain disorders like obesity, cardiovascular disease, anxiety and depression can drag down the heart-rate variability, which can make it difficult to recognise and react to social signals such as dominance and reward smiles, the author said.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.    

PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-                      
HTTP:GSEASYRECIPES.BLOGSPOT.COM/

FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                    

HTTP://KNEE REPLACEMENT-STICK CLUB.BLOGSPOT.COM/
FOR CROCHET DESIGNS
HTTP://MY CROCHET CREATIONS.BLOGSPOT.COM

10 ways to quit smoking

Keep in mind the benefits of quitting

Quitting has a number of positive effects. You just have to keep in mind those benefits each time you feel like smoking. Also remind yourself that quitting is not a difficult task. Find a replacement for your cigarette. Replace it with an apple or a chewing gum or something that you like more than a cigarette. Each time you feel like smoking, put that  favourite thing in your mouth.

Reduce smoking gradually

It's not necessary for you to stop suddenly in a day. Reduce smoking gradually. You can start by avoiding two, then three, then five and then an entire pack.

Exercise

Exercise helps people quit smoking. It helps in reducing the urge to smoke. Exercise can be in any form - 10 minutes of walking or cycling is sufficient enough for keeping yourself physically active and reducing the urge to smoke.

Read success stories

Everyday several people quit smoking and many people among them write their success stories. Read them. It will help in motivating yourself to quit smoking.

Tell people

Tell people around you that you're planning to quit. They'll surely encourage you. Spreading the word will also have a positive impact on others trying to quit. 

Keep a money box

You can save all the money you spend on cigarette packets, everyday. Keep the change in a box. Each time you remove money from your pocket to buy that one cigarette, don't buy it, instead put that money in a box. Save or donate to a charity of your choice. 

Throw your ashtray and lighter

Throw everything that reminds you of smoking - your ashtray, lighter and even cigarettes that you bought before quitting.

Reward yourself

Once you have successfully completed a week or a month of smoking - reward yourself. Not with a cigarette, but something else. For instance, reward yourself with a cheesecake, that one blueberry cheesecake that you were wanting to have since months but didn't get time for it. Purchase it with the money that you saved from quitting.

Try drugs that can help you quit

There are several prescribed drugs available at various pharmacies that can help you quit smoking. But don't forget to visit a doctor before you do.

Cut down on alcohol too

Alcohol is generally preferred with a smoke. So stay away from both.

ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

ps- those interested in recipes are free to view my blog-

http://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/

for info about knee replacement, you can view my blog-

http://Knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com/

for crochet designs

http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com/

I've not given details about designs, but those interested are free to mail me for the same.