#3
march 19 ,2016
first issue in cooperation with:
From hooks to robotics! How the new era of limb bionics is approaching
THIRD ISSUE - MARCH 2016
14 6 TRAPPED IN A HORROR MOVIE Explaining why you might wake up feeling dead or sleep paralyzed.
20 POWER NAPS! Struggling to stay alert and energetic at college or work? A power nap could be the solution.
10 ENGINEERED ANTIBODIES NEUTRALIZE EBOLA VIRUS Recruiting engineered antibodies in the fight against Ebola.
26 THE HEALING HARMONIES When music and medicine team up to improve the quality of life for patients.
14 FROM HOOKS TO ROBOTICS! Breaking the limitations for people with limb deficiencies.
30 ZIKA RETURNS Now that it has awakened, What do you need to know about Zika Virus?
المقال الذي لن تقرأه !أبدا أساليب فعالة للمذاكرة وتنظيم الوقت ستغير من .عاداتك الدراسية لألفضل
40
! الزائدة لم تعد زائدة42 ال ليس كما اعتقدت! الزائدة !ليست عضو عديم الفائدة
! آينشتاين يعود44 نسلط الضوء عىل نسبية آينشتاين بعد حدث اكتشاف .الموجات التثاقلية الكبير أكثر من مجرد, الكارتون52 !تسلية ليس مجرد تسلية ألطفالك .ولكن أكثر من ذلك بكثير
COVER STORY
The evolution of bionic limbs and the most recent advances in its technology!
A STUDENT MAGAZINE COMMITTED TO DELIVER LATEST SCI-TECH STORIES
SOME OF THE INCLUDED OPINIONS DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE RECAP'S OPINION
evolve! March 19 ,2016
E
From the
Editors
mahmoud a. eladl editor-in-chief
EVOLVE, that's the keyword upon which we act and work. Our strategy, to begin with, was to keep the Recapper proud, and to keep astonishing the crowd! That's how we do business, and we all work really hard for this. You've probably seen/heard about our first physical campaign to participate in, but you have no idea how important this one was, I'll have to admit that I didn't expect that much, such spirit and teamwork makes oneself so proud to be a part of such a team. Every issue we discover new amazing talents and new capabilities for every member in this team and that's—for me—the best thing we could have by being a part of The Recap. Now, let's introduce to you our third issue, the first blossom in 2016's spring, we'll have a glimpse about the Neutrino Mystery, the most recent viral outbreaks threatening the world "Zika and Ebola", we'll review Einstein's theory revival and we'll reveal the healing powers of "Music"! This very issue shall mark a great agreement of association between "The Recap" and Benha Students' Scientific Society "BSSS", a beginning of a whole new level of performance and a promising future for us both.
Mahmoud a. Eladl
the
REcappers
Editor-in-chief: Mahmoud A. ElAdl
Managing Editor: Mohammed Ehab Design Editor: Mohammed ElMeligy English Proofreader: Mary Karam
Writers:
AbdElrahman Khaled Arabic Proofreader: Ahmed Medhat Mostafa abdelmajeed Aya Saeid Kandeel Human Resources: basma abbas Esraa abouzeid Abdelhamid ahmed Gehad Madkour Hossam M. Ibrahim
Islam bayoumi Mariam AbdAllah Mariam khaled ibnel-walid Mayar Tamer Mennah ElRefaey Nada Hesham Omar Mustafa
Sandi Adel Sara Rabie Shaker Hindawy Sherif Islam
Trapped in a horror movie 6
THE RECAP MARCH 2016
Imagine being awake with eyes wide open, unable to move your arms and legs, body, and head, or even speak! And may be seeing some aliens or monsters before you or hearing some whisperer: "Do you see me?"
By Basma Abbas
IT'S NOT A HORROR MOVIE, NOR I AM NARRATING SOME DEMONS OR SPIRITUAL POSSESSIONS STORIES TO YOU, IT'S ACTUALLY «SLEEP PARALYSIS», WHICH WE ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH IN THIS ARTICLE. People have been trying to explain "This mysterious sleep-time paralysis and the accompanying feeling of horror" for centuries now, its symptoms have been described in many ways and often associated with an "evil" presence like unseen night demons in ancient times, alien abductors, etc... Almost every culture throughout history has had stories of shadowy evil creatures that terrify helpless humans at night.
SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS SLEEP PARALYSIS?
Sleep paralysis is the disorder of being conscious but unable to move, speak or react. It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep. During these transitions, you may be unable to move or speak for a few seconds up to a few minutes. Some people may also feel pressure or a sense of choking. Sleep paralysis may accompany other sleep disorders such as Narcolepsy (Narcolepsy is an overpowering need to sleep caused by a problem with the brain's ability to regulate sleep) It happens when the brain and the body aren't on the same page; like the mind is awake, but the body is dead. The patients describe it saying: "I woke up dead." They come to awareness, but their bodies are trapped. Also, it's believed that there's no way to pull yourself out of it. You just have to wait it out. This phenomenon is quite scary, but now knowing that it is not because of supernatural powers but a natural disorder and up to as many as four out of every 10 people may have sleep paralysis. Most of
the people have at least one episode at some point in their lives but aren't even aware of it.
WHO COULD SUFFER FROM SLEEP PARALYSIS?
This phenomenon is common and often first noticed among teens, but men and women of any age can have it. Sleep paralysis may run in families. Other factors that may be linked to sleep paralysis include: -Sleep deprivation -History of mental illness
WHEN DOES SLEEP PARALYSIS OCCUR?
-When falling asleep (called "hypnagogic or predormital") -When waking up from sleep ("hypnopompic or postdormital")
WHAT HAPPENS WITH HYPNAGOGIC SLEEP PARALYSIS (WHEN FALLING ASLEEP)?
As you fall asleep, your body slowly relaxes. Usually, you become less aware, so, you do not notice the change. However, if you remain or become aware while falling asleep, you may notice that you cannot move or speak.
about 90 minutes. During NREM, the body relaxes and becomes "completely turned off". When NREM ends, REM starts, in which the eyes move quickly but the body is still "turned off" due to "Atonia" (muscle weakness or paralysis) and some attribute the "turned off" state of the body to preventing the sufferers from acting out their dreams (Could you imagine what would happen if one's
“It’s so quiet, but everyone is screaming. I scratch myself, but I think I am dreaming. I don’t feel anything, but I am bleeding . I am running, but I am not leaving.”
feels like being completely trapped and furthermore those who suffer from "sleep paralysis" could see hallucinations of really scary scenes, which could be visual, tactile, auditory, or other sensory events, usually brief, but occasionally prolonged. These hallucinations are still not well understood, but could be due to a hyper-vigilant state or emergency response activated in the midbrain when a person feels vulnerable to an attack. This heightens the activity of the nerves, so, the paralysis - and, therefore, helplessness - appears to cause increasingly vivid effects. The patients narrate really weird stories, here are some of the patients quotes: "It's so quiet, but everyone is screaming. I scratch myself, but I think I am dreaming. I don't feel anything, but I am bleeding. I am running, but I am not leaving." This is some patient's hallucinations written with rhyme in a poetic way.
IS SLEEP PARALYSIS DANGEROUS?
Research has shown that sleep paralysis is not dangerous. It hallucinations really came to does not cause physical harm life by acting them?!) People to the body and there are often don't notice the paralysis no clinical deaths known to but if they became aware date. It is a completely natural before it is up, they will know phenomenon, so, no panic that they cannot move or is necessary. The important speak. We should differentiate WHAT HAPPENS WITH thing is to educate people not between dreams and to be afraid, in all likelihood, HYPNOPOMPIC SLEEP hallucinations; hallucinations they just need more rest and PARALYSIS (WHEN occur in the state between the knowledge of how to deal waking up and sleeping (the WAKING UP)? with this disorder, having person is considered to be During sleep, the body enough sleep and doing what alternates between REM (rapid technically asleep during relieves the anxiety which may these hallucinations though), eye movement) and NREM be causing the symptoms. If as opposed to dreams or (non-rapid eye movement) they get enough sleep and the lucid dreams, which occur sleep, this is caused by episodes continue with any while being asleep. In sleep "Parasomnia" (a disruptive regularity, then they should go paralysis, there are terrifying sleep disorder). One cycle of to a sleep disorder specialist. hallucinations: I could say it REM and NREM sleep lasts 7
Life wasn't always easy, right? You had your moments of glory and failure... you probably still remember that day you got your first prize or when you won your final football game or even when your mother said she was proud of you. Now you are smiling, good keep it up because the following lines can be a little rough. Success... What a heavy word! I mean, who doesn’t want to be successful? Of course, we all seek success, you must've tried everything; you stayed awake all night planning for your war strategy against those books on your desk, prayed before the exams, you even attended your lectures, but nothing really worked. So, you probably will kill me now if I said success is easy, I agree with you, it's "Easier said than done", but let's make a deal, continue reading and tell me your opinion at the end, deal? Ok. You've reached success many times, but what happened? Why didn't you keep it? The answer is easy; it is because you dealt with it in a straight way... Wrong! It's never been like that, it's a continuous journey, you saw how the top was like, but you just forgot why you were there in the first place. If you want to remember, follow the words PASSION: Have you ever loved what you do? -- Of course not, I mean, how can I love something I'm forced to do, I only do it for money... ▪ Then congratulations, after ten years, you will be at the same place. --Life is hard; there is no time to have passion for my work. ▪So, when was life perfect? It is just a race. Love your work, there must be something unique about it, just look closely. Now, believe me when I tell you that "if you do it for love, the money comes anyway." WORK: Make some effort, this is your life, control it and
down to
SUCCESS inspired by Richard St. john
By gehad madkour
8
THE RECAP MARCH 2016
work hard. What else are you here for! Don't be ordinary; Streets are crowded with those. Be "The One" in what you do, make it exceptional and special; let it express who you are. FOCUS: Drop everything from your mind, clear it, you don't need all these useless information. Your mind can't simply handle more than one thing at the same time... Focus. PUSH: You may reach the middle of your journey and your doubts grow "I can't do it...this is too hard" No, you got this! It is human nature to doubt and hesitate. Don't let it draw you down, instead, make it your fuel in the remaining half of your journey. SERVE: You won't feel how much you've achieved unless you see it in the eyes of people you serve. Trust me; that is your true success. IDEAS: improve your work, add new ideas. Don't stop searching. Just follow the steps: Listen Observe Be curious Ask questions Make connections Solve it Easy, isn't it? Remember, you promised! PERSIST: You got there, don't just let what you achieved go. Persist! Failure is your one and only enemy besides of course (criticism-rejection-pressure). Was it bad? Just try it, it might be just another stupid talk but who knows! It might work too. Let me now introduce to you some friends in case you want to be one of them ● Soichiro Honda: Never gave up The famous founder of Honda Company was rejected from Toyota for not being fit for the job, so he simply founded Honda! Thomas Edison: Failure never stopped him, although he failed 999 times. He pushed himself in his own way till he lit that darkness. Oprah Winfrey: She only followed her "Passion." She was fired for — as told— not being fit for TV. Now, she owns her own TV channels. Bill Gates: Only had an idea and made it real. He was rejected from the company, the interviewer threw paper in his face so, he just made Microsoft. Now that we've reached the end, after you finish this, just think about your life... Where is it? What do you need to make it the way you dream it to be? Then, make your choice. So, what is your choice?
LET'S MAKE YOU
SWEAT BY SARA RABIE
Sweat betrays our nervousness, leaves blotches on our clothes. Sure, it cools us when we overheat, but most of the time, we think of it purely as an inconvenience, but recently sweat took the attention of scientists in a way that it can replace blood tests in the future. "Human sweat contains physiologically rich information, thus making it an attractive body fluid for non-invasive wearable sensors," said investigator Ali Javey, professor of electrical engineering and computer science in Cambridge university. A sweat sensor is a flexible non-invasive wearable sensor that can measure metabolites and electrolytes in sweat, calibrate the data based upon skin temperature and sync the results to a smartphone. This advance opens the doors to wearable devices that alert users to health problems such as fatigue, dehydration and dangerously high body temperature. They used iontophoresis which stimulates the skin to produce sweat that contains electrolytes as sodium and potassium; metabolites such as lactate or lactic acid, creatinine, glucose, uric acid; and small molecules such as interleukins and tumor necrosis factor. In time, the researchers hope to incorporate more sensors that might provide a deeper picture of what’s happening in our body.
Creatinine and Urea
Sodium and Chloride
Higher than normal concentration of creatinine and urea indicate unhealthy kidneys
Measuring the levels of sodium and chloride in sweat is essential for diagnosing cystic fibrosis
Interleukins
They regulate cell growth, differentiation and motility. They are aslo indicators for the body's immune system activity.
Tumor Necrosis Factors They are monocyte-derived cytotoxins that have been implicated in tumour regression, ceptic shock and cachexia.
Lactate
The lactate level is a great indicator of a person’s ability to cope with rigorous exercise because when the body is not getting enough oxygen, it generates more lactic acid
9
ENGINEERED ANTIBODIES NEUTRALIZE
EBOLA VIRUS
SCIENTISTS EMPLOY A BROAD IMMUNOTHERAPY TECHNIQUE COMPOSED OF ANTIBODY COCKTAILS TO PREVENT FURTHER OUTBREAKS OF EBOLA.
BY: MAYAR TAMER
A
lmost a year ago, our news platforms were overtaken by the most widespread epidemic of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West African Countries. In particular Liberia with a total of 10,675 cases, and Sierra Leone with 14,122 cases 4,809 and 3,955 of which led to death respectively. Despite these figures, the average EVD case fatality rate is %50.
OVERCOMING A COMPLEX DEFENSE SYSTEM
When Ebola virus enters a body, it attacks the immune system. Some of the first cells it takes over are the dendritic cells, responsible for processing and presenting antigen material to the T-cells of the immune system. It enters the cell by binding to receptors for membrane transport. Once inside the cell, Ebola virus dissolves its outer envelope and releases its genetic material and its enzymes into the dendritic cell leading to the cell's defense mechanisms to be disabled and to malfunction. At this stage, a small structure like the Ebola Virus is able to overtake the dendritic cell leading it to produce Ebola viruses itself. It becomes an "Ebola Virus Factory". Once the dendritic cell is saturated 10 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
”
that cause Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The most promising experimental immunotherapy now in development against Ebola virus is a combination of three monoclonal In addition to the damage made antibodies together called Zmapp. to dendritic cells, the Ebola virus However, the Zmapp antibodies are is able to negatively impact only compatible with Zaire Ebola specialized immune system cells virus (EBOV) and not with the other into ending their life. Leading two strains, those are the Sudan to the destruction of the whole and Bundibugyo Ebola viruses. complex defense system of a In a study by co-leader Jonathan human immune system. Lai, Ph.D., associate professor of Finally, the Ebola virus is able biochemistry at Einstein, and his to infect macrophages and colleagues, synthetic antibody monocytes signaling to the blood vessel cells to release blood engineering was used to create humanized antibodies against the fluids in the body. Due to this, Sudan Ebola Virus (SUDV). Those neutrophils all over the body are antibodies functioned by binding activated signaling an increase in to the surface glycoprotein of the the release of fluids from blood vessels. This ultimately leads to SUDV, hindering the viruses' ability to gain access into a host cell. internal bleeding. All this damage Again these antibodies were only occurs simultaneously in an compatible with SUDV, due to the affected human body leading to “A THERAPY LIKE fact that SUDV shared only %55 the death of cells and struggle for THIS COULD survival. of the amino acid sequence found BE USED in the EBOV glycoprotein hence, PROPHYLACTICALLY, the antibodies cannot bind and The Role of Engineered antibodies function as expected. In mid-January of this year (2016) TO PROTECT HEALTH WORKERS a scientific team from the Albert OR FAMILY Einstein College of Medicine and In a second study, Dr. Lai and his MEMBERS WHO colleagues engineered explicit The U.S. Army Medical Research COME INTO antibodies that contain the Institute of Infectious Diseases CONTACT WITH glycoprotein-binding sequence, (USAMRIID) has announced EBOLA VIRUS from both EBOV and SUDV their ability to engineer the first PATIENTS.” antibodies. The produced antibodies that can neutralize the antibodies effectively neutralized two deadliest strains of the virus with enough Ebola viruses, the cell membrane dissolves and millions of viruses are released into the body tissue.
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROGRAPH OF EBOLA VIRUS BUDDING FROM THE SURFACE OF A VERO CELL CREDIT: NIAID 11
JOSEPH GIVES A THUMBS UP AS HE WAITS TO BE SAFELY GUIDED THROUGH THE CAREFUL EXIT PROCEDURE FROM THE «RED ZONE» AT THE MAKENI EBOLA TREATMENT CENTRE IN SIERRA LEONE. PICTURE: JESSICA SELDON/DFID
12 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
into contact with Ebola virus patients." Finally, the last step from research to the patient is an intermediate station in a pharmaceutical company that shows interest in this finding.
EBOLA VICTIMS 14,122
3,804
provided to Ebola patients. If this next step produces positive results of being safe and effective, then a solution is in our hands. Not only can this immunotherapy be used for ill patients, in addition, it is suited for preventing future THE NEXT STEP outbreaks. Dr. Lai claimed FORWARD that "A therapy like this could As you probably are aware it is be used prophylactically, tremendously vital to proceed to protect health workers or with testing on animals family members who come before the treatment can be
10,675
EBOV and SUDV, additionally after being tested on mice exposed to lethal doses of EBOV and SUDV viruses, it was found to have provided high levels of protection.
Liberia Sierra Leone Guinea
Hold On, Once More Medicine Research Saved the Day!
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Mennah ElRefaey's
from hooks to robotics! Whether it happened during war or on the way to work, because of a neuroma, a frostbite or simply an infection that was ignored, some people have had the misfortune of having to lose one of God's greatest gifts; a limb. 14 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
15
N
In the Late 1500s, engineering modifications were made to prostheses to provide a kneeling fixed position, knee lock control and more features that are still used in today's bionics. And back in the 17th and until the 19th century, blueprints for today's highest developed prostheses were made, in 1800, a steel knee joint and an articulated foot that was controlled by catgut tendons—a catgut tendon is a tendon artificially made of the fibers found in the intestine of cattle—extending from the knee to the ankle, it was first made by an English man and later transferred to the States. Then in 1843, Sir James Syme discovered a new way for amputation of ankles without cutting at the thighs which meant a "Walking Start", modifications were made then to give a more natural appearance, THE LONG ROAD OF more smooth walking. Then artificial feet became multiWOOD AND METAL articulating, and as aluminum replaced steel, prostheses The onset of prosthetics finally became lighter. development and the long road to After that, the civil war started and it was the only the current bionic arms and legs reason the Americans started to enter the prosthetic actually started way back B.C, field and later after World War I, the "American Orthotic ever since then and until today & Prosthetic Association (AOPA)" was established and the trials and attempts to make it with more wars came more amputations and so, more more human-like never stopped. attention and money spent on prostheses development. You'd be pleased to know Egyptians took the lead in this field, 16 years ago in the year 2000, the world's first artificial toe was discovered on a mummy dating back to 1069-664 B.C, made of wood and fibers and surprisingly, it was functioning, making Egyptians the pioneers of prostheses. However, Researches showed that their prostheses seemed to be directed to a feeling of wholeness and cared more about appearance and were not exactly functioning. After the Egyptians, the industry was based on wood and iron. Then the dark ages witnessed a little more progress with hooks for a little more function in daily life, while in war, prostheses were simply for hiding injuries and holding armor. The early 1500s saw a little more technology, arms were controlled by a set of straps and strings— like the way puppets worked— and around 1512, an Italian surgeon recorded observations of an amputee who developed skills with his prosthetic arms to remove his hat by himself, open bags, and even sign his name. o doubt it's very hard to go through your life with an amputated arm or leg or even a finger, the emotional and physical suffering of being incapable of doing the simplest tasks like taking a simple walk or grabbing your own cup of coffee. But then science came in and provided us with prostheses in an attempt to compensate for the loss.
16 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
BIONICS AND ELECTRONICS TAKING OVER
A bionic arm is simply the most developed form of a prosthetic arm, a much more robotic, hi-tech form of the typical prosthetic; its development is directed mainly to reaching a very high level of control of the artificial limb, providing the amputee with an ability to perform delicate movements, coarse ones, and even a sense of touch. The term "Bionic" has a general meaning which is "a combination of electronic & mechanical devices to fully perform a biological function", its Greek origin consists of the two terms: (Bion) which means "life" and the suffix (-IC) means "like or in a manner of" together they mean "in a manner like life's"
BUT HOW DOES IT REALLY WORK? The whole idea of the bionic arm is based on the beautiful fact that sometimes during amputations, surgeons can spare some muscles and nerves that were previously responsible for moving the amputated part and with further development of medicine, the loss got smaller and smaller, in the past they had to dissect the whole shoulder and completely remove the upper or the lower limb even for a minor infection or a simple frostbite in one of the fingers but with time the amputation level became more under control and more depending on the type of injury or the infection, and how bad it is.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF AMPUTATIONS Fingers instead of the whole hand and even not the whole fingers it can be transphalangeal or trans-carpal depending on the injury (at the fingertips or deeper)
Complete cut through the wrist joint (wrist disarticulation)
A below-elbow cut (trans-radial amputation)
A complete cut through the elbow joint (elbow disarticulation)
Above-elbow cut (trans-humeral amputation)
A complete cut through the shoulder joint (shoulder disarticulation)
Bilateral amputation in extreme cases (both upper limbs are affected)
Intra-scapular Cut (removal of the whole shoulder girdle)
So, some muscles and nerves now remain intact, and the signals are still sent to them with the right orders because the motor cortex—which is a part of the cerebral cortex in the brain that produces those nerve impulses and signals—still has memories of the limb and is still carrying out its job producing the signals, while the muscles, although they receive it normally and contract, but they have no joints to move with their contractions, this was simply corrected by connecting an artificial bionic joint to the rest of the limb. The prosthetic bionic part has a socket, this socket has one or more sensors or electrodes fabricated inside it, they receive the orders and start moving the joint, the way machines with computers work but since the rest of the muscles that were responsible for moving the rest of the limb were amputated the movements can't be completely precise or smooth, since every single muscle has its own action that maybe be individual or part of a greater one. However, in cases like the shoulder girdle removal, there are no muscles left to perform any type of action, but surgeons don't necessarily remove all of the nerves that were responsible for controlling those muscles, only parts and branches of it, so the nerves are still carrying information and orders but with no muscles to send them to. So what surgeons did was that they reconnected these nerves to a working muscle group, so when the brain sends orders and signals for a particular movement, for example, when you order your brain to "hold a cup", the motor cortex sends the signals to the targeted nerves, these signals are exactly the same like they were before the amputation but the recipient muscles are different. The replacing muscles can be any close working muscle group, for example, the pectoral or the back muscles. The surgery of redirecting the nerves, of course, is very complicated, you can imagine how hard it can be to move a group of previously cut delicate nerves, and going completely against your body’s nature and specific order, but it worked and the surgery was named by the surgeon who initially developed the procedure: "Targeted muscle
reinnervation". That was one way to do it; to completely cover the movements issue and for a while amputees could move their artificial limbs but without any sensation, this represented the next goal, "Restoring sensation" Feeling what you're holding in your hand or what you are touching is what controls your firm but delicate grip of it, it's responsible for not crushing an egg in your hands or completely squeezing a fruit. In order to restore their natural sense and control their grips, patients had to feel the weight of what they are carrying or touching and its shape and then leave the rest for the brain to control. However, that wasn't the only suffering of the amputees with the prosthetic limb, but there was also "Phantom Pain". Phantom pain is defined as pain resulting from an absent limb or organ, it's something that at least %80 of the amputees suffer from at one point or another in their lives, some even experience it forever, for sure it makes it hard to move on with their lives if there's physical pain that reminds them of it all day, every day. But whether this pain was a priority to doctors or not, medicine just didn't stand still...
GETTING RID OF THE PAIN SCAR AND REACTIVATING SENSORY RESPONSES
Their main goal was restoring sensation for now. First it was simple, more electrodes were placed in the bionic arm or leg and connected to the remaining sensory nerves the way they did with motor nerves. In trials, they worked fine technically, but the amputees said the sensation was more of "pins and pricks" and not anywhere close to the natural feeling, they could feel they were holding something, but couldn't really control their grip and what was more important to them, the pain was still there. Still, it was a step forward in the prosthetic industry. The reason that the feeling was more robotic than human is that the brain received nothing in return, the prosthetic 17
limb received the stimulus from the nerves and that caused the sensation of tingling and pins, but the brain, it got nothing, so the feeling was neither translated nor smooth. What makes sensation different from actions and movements is that sensation is received from the outer environment so it needs to be sent to the brain which translates it in the sensory cortex and then sends orders back, while actions, they are direct orders from inside, so when the doctors first connected the electrodes to the nerves and the motor cortex, it worked fine and the amputees moved their limbs in a relatively natural way but that didn't work with sensation because they don't work the same way. So a group of scientist at DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) thought about reversing what they did with the motor cortex, they planted the electrodes into the sensory & motor cortex along with the ones in the prosthetic limb, this was first performed in trial on a bionic hand, not a complete arm, the experiment showed promising results, they blindfolded a 28–year old man who had lost his hand earlier, the amputee was able to identify which parts of his new hand were touched with %100 accuracy from fingertips to palm without
Human
18 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
seeing anything, this showed that the brain communicated directly with the hand. And although scientists probably never put in their mind the goal of getting rid of the phantom pain because most of that pain is psychological more than physical, but developed versions of the bionic arm and hand which came with a sense of touch also showed signs of treating the phantom pain for some patients, this might be because of restoring most of the functions of the lost limb, patients were now able to feel and move their new limb which even looked less unnatural with the artificial layers of skin which covered the wires and electrodes. At the press conference held by the agency, Bensmaia, one of the scientists on the project reported that "On the short term, you want to know whether you are touching an object, and how much pressure you are exerting on it, those basic things that you need to hold things" but, she also revealed some exciting news about how in the future, the prosthetic hand and electrodes might even start to identify textures and temperatures. Although all of this looks very amazing and promising research at DARPA— which was in mid–2015—explained how it's not yet suitable for the current
time and it needs further development probably because, for the electrodes to be implanted in the brain scarring around it had to take place, this for sure is going to affect its efficiency at collecting and sending signals and affect the brain itself too and the last thing we would want is further damage. Breakthroughs though didn't stop at that 2015 &ended with the most unusual one...
TRYING OUT A NEW PART OF THE BRAIN; "THE POSTERIOR PARIETAL CORTEX"
A person's posterior parietal cortex is located on the side of the head near the ear, its job is being the boss of the motor cortex , it plans out all the fine smooth details of the movement that you are going to perform and sends the plan to the motor cortex which then translates it into signals, all previous experiments for the prostheses—as explained above— focused on being connected to the motor or pre-motor cortex , connecting the electrodes to the parietal cortex instead of the motor meant controlling everything not just the muscles, instead of just grabbing the cup in any way possible,
Robotic
the new connection meant being able to smoothly place your fingers one after the other with the right angles to hold the cup in a correct %100 natural way (which is something that we do unconsciously). Erik Sorto was the one who tested it for the first time, in a video of his trial, Sorto was perfectly and smoothly able to serve himself a drink and sip it all the way through, no help needed, nothing spilled, it was a true victory. Prostheses, bionics, artificial limbs & electrodes, represent revolutionary steps in the world of medicine, in 2008 statistics showed that about 10 million people of the 6.7 billion living in the world have had one or more limbs amputated, thus 10 million lives were deprived of their independence. Breakthroughs and experiments in this field mean changing everything for them.
the timeline of prostheses 1069-664 B.C
early middle ages
1500s
egyptians check in with the first artificial toe made of wood and fibers.
the dark ages add nothing new by sticking to hooks and accessory prostheses to hide injuries.
engineering modifications are made to prostheses to provide a kneeling fixed position, knee lock control and more features that are still used in today's bionics.
blueprints for today's highest developed prostheses are made. 17th & 18th centuries
the "American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA)" is established. 1917
! 5 1 20
Trying out a new part of the brain; "The Posterior Parietal cortex" 19
Thomas Edison takes a nap under a tree while camping with President Harding in the Blue Ridge Mountains, July, 1921.
So yeah, I can see you rolling your eyes at me‌ and wondering how can she expect me to nap when it takes me 30 minutes to fall asleep? Well, the answer is easy, napping isn't sleeping! Plus, it needs practice, and you know what they say "Practice makes perfect." et's see if napping isn't sleeping, then what exactly is it? Well, to benefit from a refreshing power nap, you don't have to fall asleep. All you need to do is relax and let your thoughts drift off, even if you're still awake. Before we get into the types of naps and how you can benefit from them, let's see what each stage of sleep does for your mind and body. Usually, we pass through five stages during sleep and they're: 1, 2, 3, 4 and REM (rapid eye movement). We cycle through them repeatedly as we sleep or nap as follows: 1, 2, 3, 4, 2, REM, 2, 3 4, 2, REM and so on. The first cycles each night have short REM and long periods of deep sleep, But as the night goes on, REM periods lengthen and deep sleep time decreases, and each cycle lasts 90-100 minutes.
L
20 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
What happens in those stages is a little complicated, but let's crack it up. Stage 1: It lasts for 2-5 minutes; it's the state of drifting to sleep. Stage 2: Lasts 20 minutes. You are in light sleep. Your heart rate slows and your body temperature drops. So, the body is getting ready for deep sleep. Your energy and stamina are strengthened and senses sharpened. We spend 50% of our sleep in stage 2. Stage 3: It is a transitional period between light sleep and a very deep
By sandi Adel
POWER NAPS
sleep. Stage 4: You've reached deep sleep, and it lasts for 30 minutes. Sleep disorders like sleepwalking and bed-wetting usually happen by the end of this stage. In these stages (3&4) you slide into deep sleep. What happens then is that your body stops secreting cortisol, and extra amount of growth hormone start working by lowering stress and repairing tissues. Also, your mind is cleared; memories that aren't being used are deleted, strengthening what is left and making room for new information that you've recently learned, such as the formulas for an upcoming biochemistry test. Stage 5 (REM): In this stage breathing becomes rapid and shallow, eyes move rapidly (hence the name), limb muscles are paralyzed for a short time, blood pressure rises, heart rate increases. Brain waves in this stage reach levels experienced when a person is
Image By Foam.
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon.” Image by: Jessica Cross
completely awake. Also, in this stage most dreams occur, and, if woken during REM sleep, a person can remember the dreams. Also, recently made memories are moved from their short term holding place in the hippocampus to long-term storage. So, the information becomes permanent; meaning that if you sleep after a study session, sleeping will prevent forgetting what you've studied. We usually experience 3-5 intervals of REM sleep each night, spending nearly 20% of your sleep in REM.
Now, how can we use this information to create a perfect nap for each situation? Okay, so there're four types of naps: a)The 10-20 min •Boosts energy and alertness. •No REM, so easier to wake up. b)The 30–min •The worst type as it leads to sleep inertia (which is known as sleep hangover) that often appears as the feeling of grogginess and being sleepy that reduces your ability to perform even simple tasks because part of your body is still in a kind of sleep state. 21
c)The 60–minute •Improves short memory. •Some grogginess upon waking up. d)The 90–minute (best thing ever discovered) •Full cycle of sleep. •No sleep inertia or grogginess and way easier to wake up. •Improves creativity and emotional status as well. I know I know, this is not what you're here for, you're here to know how can naps help you pull an all-nighter, ace a test or just boost your energy.
Okay, so to pull an all-nighter what you need to do is just take a 90–minute nap in anticipation, which is way more effective than just drinking can after can of Red Bull, and note that the effects of this nap only last 8-10 hours. Nothing can keep your brain from starting to mix stuff up if you abandoned sleep for two nights in a row. Need to ace an exam? Just take a 90–minute nap before your exam. Stage 2 will increase your alertness, stages 3 and 4 will clear your mind of unnecessary nonsense, solidify the things you just studied, and lower your
stress.
nap more effective.
Need an immediate boost of energy? Try the "Coffee Nap." Researches done at Loughborough University tested several ways to improve the alertness of drivers and found it to be the most effective method. How can you do it? Easy, you just down a cup of coffee or any caffeinated beverage and nap for 15-20 minutes and no longer than that to avoid the sleep hangover. How does it work is quite interesting; caffeine clears your body from adenosine (A): a chemical that makes us feel sleepy, and it takes a while for the caffeine to kick in so it doesn't affect your nap. Plus, its effect appears just as you wake up thus making the
My personal favorite type is the coffee nap because when you have tons to do, and you have no time to waste, it'll prevent you from turning the 20–minute nap into 90, and you wake up like you have slept an entire day.
22 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
So, what you need to know now is "What are the benefits?" let's see... 1) Increases alertness: When tiredness takes over, and you're not doing your best work, make time for a nap and then go back at it. Studies have shown that pilots who were allowed to take naps (while the co-pilot took over!) made fewer errors during takeoffs and landings. They
also didn't nod off as often as their nap-deprived peers (five times less to be exact). Studies have also shown that breaking up your day with a nap will make you as alert and energetic for the second part of your day as you were for the first. So, in case you have an event planned for after work, nap before going out. And remember, a 20–minute nap is always more effective than either caffeine or exercise. 2) Improves learning and working memory: In a 2010 Harvard study, volunteers learned to navigate a complex maze, then during a break, some took a 90–minute nap while others didn't. When they tackled the maze again, only those who dreamed about it during their naps did better, meaning that dreaming may reorganize or reactivate recently learned material. 3) Time and money saver (that is the dream, isn't it?): Studies have shown that working extra hours without rest may reduce your productivity. So, taking a 30–minute nap and returning back to work can be better for your time. Also, take a nap and refresh your energy the natural way instead of just buying energy drinks or coffee. 4) Increases creativity (Sign me up, right?): According to Dr. Sara C. Mednick, a famous nap scientist and author of "Take a Nap! Change Your Life", napping improves your sensory perception (the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses) as effectively as a night of sleep, which means that after a good nap, life becomes brighter.
5)Improves health and mood: Sleep deprivation leads to accumulation of the hormone cortisol in the body. Cortisol helps us deal with the fight or flight responses, but excess cortisol increases abdominal fat and glucose intolerance, weakens the muscular and immune systems, and decreases levels of growth hormone and testosterone in our bodies. These harmful effects can lead to diabetes and heart disease. When you sleep, growth hormone is released, which boosts your immune system, improves the sexual function, reduces the levels of stress and anxiety, and helps in muscle repair and weight loss. So basically, napping is perfect since it gives a chance for your brain to rest and your body to heal. A Greek study discovered that taking a 30–minute nap three times a week reduces the risk of dying from heart-related diseases by 37%, also the risk of death was reduced by 64% among working men! So don't just dance like Zorba the Greek, nap like him, too. Serotonin (a neurotransmitter which regulates mood, sleep, and appetite) is also produced, making you feel happier and just lightens your mood. During stress, serotonin is used in huge amounts, and the release of more is blocked, leading to anxiety, depression and the feeling of being overwhelmed. Dr. Mednick points out that "Napping bathes your brain in serotonin, reversing these effects and creating a more positive outlook," And I think these are enough reasons to start napping, my friend, and if not, remember that a wise man once said: "Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon." 23
When things fall into place...
24 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
IS TOBACCO SMOKING REALLY
DANGEROUS? BY ISLAM BAYOUMI
I
will discuss what is called "The Silent Killer" which kills hundreds, thousands, even millions of people all over the world. We all wonder about those people, who refuse to live a happy and healthy life, they choose to live a miserable life! They want to commit slow suicide, you may ask yourself who they are, they are "Smokers". Tobacco smoking is the most preventable cause of heart disease, pulmonary disease, and cancer. There are many forms of tobacco which are lifethreatening as cigars, pipes and smokeless tobacco such as chewing tobacco and snuff. Smoking one or two cigars daily doubles the risk for oral and esophageal cancers; three or four cigars daily increase the risk of oral cancers more than eightfold and esophageal cancer fourfold.
EFFECTS OF TOBACCO SMOKING
these injury sites and may become large enough to narrow the arteries and severely reduce blood flow resulting in atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis strangle the arteries that supply the heart, thereby reducing the supply of oxygen to the smoker's heart muscle and increasing their risk for coronary heart diseases as angina pectoris and myocardial infarction. Smoking also raises the risk of blood clots because it causes platelets in the smoker's blood to clump together. Smoking increases their risk for peripheral vascular disease due to atherosclerotic plaques which block the large arteries in your arms and legs. Smoking can also increase the risk of developing
“
With every cigarette smoked, toxic gases pass into the smoker's lungs, then into their bloodstream, where they spread to every organ in their bodies. A cigarette is made using the dried tobacco leaf which contains nicotine, the addictive factor in the cigarette, and a variety of other compounds. As the tobacco and other compounds burn, they release thousands of dangerous chemicals as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide, as well as some of the cancercausing radioactive particles which are known to cause cancer, pulmonary or cardiovascular diseases. When nicotine flows through the smoker's adrenal glands, it stimulates the release of adrenaline, a hormone that raises blood pressure. In addition, nicotine and carbon monoxide can damage the endothelial lining of the inner walls of the arteries of the smoker. Fatty deposits can accumulate at
CIGARETTE SMOKE ALSO CAN DAMAGE SMOKER’S ALVEOLI CAUSING PULMONARY FIBROSIS WHICH MAKES IT HARDER FOR OXYGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE TO EXCHANGE WITH HIS/HER BLOOD.
an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is a localized swelling or weakening of the abdominal aorta. Cigarette smoke also can damage the smoker's alveoli, causing pulmonary fibrosis which makes it harder for oxygen and carbon dioxide to exchange with their blood. Over time, so little oxygen can reach their blood that they may develop emphysema, a condition in which they must gasp for every breath and wear an oxygen
tube under their noses in order to breathe. Smoking can also cause problems with fertility in both men and women. Smoking during pregnancy exposes the baby to the cigarette's poisonous chemicals, increasing the possibility of low birth weight, miscarriage, preterm delivery, stillbirth, infant death, and sudden infant death syndrome.
QUITTING SMOKING: POSSIBLE OR IMPOSSIBLE!
There is a fact saying that during early quitting smoking, smokers suffer from some kind of dementia as smoking is thought to be an activator of brain functions as it increases its blood supply so this fact explains why it can be difficult to quit smoking once and for all. So, all smokers should be patient after smoking cessation till they completely give up smoking. To get motivated, you need a powerful reason to quit. It may be to protect your family from secondhand smoke or lower your chance of getting lung cancer, heart diseases, and other diseases, or to look and feel younger. There's more to it than just tossing your cigarettes out as smoking is an addiction and the brain is hooked on nicotine. Without it, you'll go through withdrawal. When you stop smoking, nicotine withdrawal may give you headaches, affect your mood, drain your energy and even trouble your sleep. So, you should use a replacement therapy which can hold down these urges as nicotine gum, lozenges, and patches. Finally, I dream that such bad habit will be erased in the upcoming years.
25
THE HEALING 'HARMONIES' DISCUSSING THE POWER OF MUSIC IN TREATING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DISORDERS. BY MARY KARAM
IMAGE BY: ELLIOT BILLINGS
26 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
MUSIC MEETS MEDICINE
W
e're all familiar with the effect of music on our moods, it's one of the tools we use to relax after a long, tiring day; or to put our little ones to sleep; or to motivate us while exercising, but has it ever crossed your mind that music might have an impact on mental and even physical health? Music therapy, which is the use of music to address physical, psychological and cognitive problems, is becoming one of the methods that medicine uses to help patients dealing with pain, stress, and possibly even some incurable diseases like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's. Human beings are rhythmic; our heartbeats, breathing, and brain waves are all forms of rhythm. In fact, babies begin to respond to music in the womb by the third trimester of pregnancy, and if they like the music they hear, they react by moving to it! This is why ocean sounds and lullabies are often played in neonatal intensive care units for premature babies to soothe them and improve their sleeping and eating patterns.
One of the most devastating The levels of anxiety and stress in patients undergoing surgeries complications of stroke or traumatic brain injury is the are often sky-high, consequently, this increases their need for sedatives and anesthesia; but when these patients listened to loss of speech, usually due their favorite playlists before entering the operating room, their to the damage of Broca's area; the left-brain region anxiety levels tremendously dropped. Additionally, listening to music after surgery reduced their requirement for painkillers and responsible for speech, but since singing ability originates managed to speed up their recovery. This anti-stress effect of music is most likely to be emphasized in the right side of the brain, patients can bypass the injury in patients who have recently suffered a heart attack as it significantly lowers their blood pressure, heart rates, breathing in the left side of their brain by first singing their thoughts and rates, and their hearts' oxygen demands. then gradually dropping the Various studies prove this heart-healing power of music. In melody. a study from Hong Kong, elderly hypertensive patients who A study done by a group of listened to music for 25 minutes every day for 4 weeks had a researchers in Finland shows 12 mmHg decrease in their systolic blood pressure and a 5 mmHg decrease in their diastolic blood pressure, these results that after three months of music therapy added to the are similar to those achieved by the administration of strong standard stroke care, the blood pressure medications! patients' verbal memory improved by 60%, music also THE BRAIN'S ORCHESTRA helped with their balance and To understand how music exerts its healing effects, let's take a coordination. look at the brain while listening to music, fMRI and PET scans On the other hand, many suggest that neural networks in different parts of the brain studies report that musical analyze different properties of music. For instance, a small area rhythm in Parkinson's disease in the right temporal lobe is essential to detect pitch; which treatment can enhance forms the basis of melody, chords, and harmony. The "little movement, limbs coordination, brain", which is the cerebellum, processes rhythm, and the postural control, and balance. frontal lobes, interpret the emotions within the music. Music radically improves
“WHEN MEDICATIONS FAIL, THE DOCTORS PRESCRIBE MUSIC� Moreover, researchers discovered that the processing of musical pulse recruits motor areas in the brain, reinforcing the idea that music and movement are related and explaining how music enables patients with Parkinson's disease to move and walk faster. Music that's powerful enough to be "spine-tingling" can stimulate the brain's "reward center". In conclusion, music lights up the entire brain! As a matter of fact, it is one of the few things that process information in both sides of the brain at once. Some scientists theorize that music acts on the autonomic nervous system by initiating reflexive brainstem responses such as heart rate and blood pressure.
MELODIES AS REMEDIES
Music therapists paired with neurologists aim for using the power of music to treat stroke victims, people with Parkinson's disease, dementia, and even those living with chronic illnesses like cancer.
memory too, it elicits astonishing reactions in people with dementia, some patients who had been unable to speak, began singing and dancing as soon as the music started and others were able to relate to the music and remember when and where they had listened to it. The case with cancer was even more fascinating; Music therapy not only helped cancer patients cope with their negative emotions but also relieved symptoms such as anxiety, pain, and side effects of chemo and radiation therapy. Truly, music is a healing art. 27
s
y o n i u r l h Just l e a a because something seems real to
i
t a i f h w it
d?
you, doesn't necessarily mean that it exists. How can you prove that the place you are sitting in right now is not just a formation of your own imagination? What if the world is not external to your mind and it is just an interpretation of some sensations. Perception! Is your world different than mine? You now think that this is crazy. You have the right to do. The philosophical idea stating that: a person's self is the only thing that exists, and that the world is just a creation of one's own mind is called solipsism. Solipsism is pretty perplexing. I don't know if the thought of life being nothing but a long, consistent dream has ever crossed your mind. Yet, I can assure you that someone is thinking of this as we speak. On one hand, this thought might be a passerby and goes off his/her mind as spontaneously as it came on. On the other hand, it might stay, grow and make him/her believe that it is true. Obsessing over the idea of solipsism is never too far. Once solipsism has found a way into your head, as a possibility for interpreting events and not as a philosophical theory that has never been proven by science, all becomes an illusion to you. Even the existence of your beloved ones becomes an illusion. Believing that it is all you and nothing else is real causes you to feel alone and unsafe. Soon enough, the chances of panic and madness increase significantly. In this case, solipsism, the philosophical theory causes a psychological syndrome that requires intervention. Usually, people recover from such a syndrome, but the period during which a subject experience the syndrome differs from a person to another. We can always blame art for this: Films like "The Matrix", and books based on complicated philosophical ideas (kidding). But seriously, how come quantum physics, Greek mythology, music, and cooking are inventions of a person's own mind? Biochemistry, for instance, has to be true. No matter how sick my by ma mind might be, it can't ever make ri am such a thing up. Come on! kh
28 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
al ed
ib
ne lw a li d
“We'll paint it red
to fit right in.�
29
ZIKA RETURNS BY Mariam Abdallah
20,297 confirmed cases in Colombia; more than 2,100 of them are pregnant women. This is certainly worth the attention.
Let's begin with the name Zika; it was named after the Zika forest of Uganda where the virus was first discovered in a rhesus monkey in 1947. The first human case was reported in 1952 in the United Republic of Tanzania. Yap Island in the Pacific reported it in 2007. Then in 2013, it was reported in French Polynesia (a French island). Finally, in late 2015 the outbreaks were reported in Brazil, Colombia and other 13 countries and it continues to spread widely till now.
Zika virus is a type of the flavivirus family with RNA as its nucleic acid. Zika virus is transmitted to people via the bite of Aedes mosquito mainly Aedes Aegypti in tropical regions. This type of mosquitoes usually bites during the day The Aedes albopictus mosquito can also transmit the virus. This mosquito can hibernate and survive cooler temperature regions. About one of each five people infected with the virus develops Zika (becomes ill). Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis (red eye), headache and muscle pain. The illness is usually weak with mild symptoms which may be absent. If present, they can last for several days or up to a week, then these symptoms are relieved. Deaths are rare. Zika virus disease is diagnosed via PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Pregnant women are at risk the most as the virus interrupts the normal growth of the brain in unborn babies. Usually, babies from infected women are born with microcephaly which is a neurological condition in which the infant's head is smaller than the heads of other children of the same sex and age. 30 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
We should note that Zika virus isn't the only cause of microcephaly as it's associated with many neurological abnormalities. COMPLICATIONS OF MICROCEPHALY Some children with microcephaly are of normal intelligence and development, even though their heads will always be small for their age and sex. But depending on the cause and the area affected in the brain, complications may include: •Developmental delays, such as in speech and movement •Difficulties with coordination and balance •Dwarfism (short stature) •Facial anomalies •Hyperactivity •Mental retardation •Seizures (a condition in which there is abnormal electrical activity in the brain) Until this moment, there are neither vaccines nor medications available to prevent or treat Zika infections. Only treat the symptoms: •Take medications to relieve fever and pain. •Get plenty of rest. •Drink fluids to avoid dehydration. •Talk to your health care provider.
During the first week of infection, the virus can be found in the patient's blood and could be transmitted by mosquitos, so the patient should avoid mosquito bites to prevent the spreading of the virus. Cover your skin with long sleeves and pants. Avoid travelling to countries with outbreaks of the disease. Get rid of any plants that attract mosquitoes. Provide these protections for babies and elderly people. Finally, keep insect repellent within reach and take care. 31
the problem with
Teaching in the university stage in egypt
By hossam ibrahim
T
his article discusses the deficiencies of the traditional learning methods in Egyptian universities, the problems that face students and the vicious circles that lead to seeking private lessons. It also gives insight into the concept of self–learning to overcome these difficulties and promote your academic level and experience. I can label the university stage with the quote "From great expectations to reality and adaptation." Why am I saying this? All of us who were in general secondary certificate think that we have finished this tiring year to go to the best faculties in Egypt as faculties of medicine and engineering. Of course I am against the description that these faculties are the best fields of study as they are called "top colleges"; however, we have been raised with these thoughts since childhood. It is the Egyptian culture that must be changed, but I think talking about this issue is beyond the scope of this article. Back to the university, where you start your first days with high expectations about the teaching aspect and the scientific knowledge you will gain, it is shocking to find relatively big learning contents and traditional lectures. You find the same approach of your high school study, the same style of memorizing and not understanding, the same fears about grades and exams; however, you must adapt and here comes the main problem. You seek private sessions which are just a flashback of your high school education. You end up repeating the same mistakes which are caring too much about your grades, forgetting concepts and deep understanding of the material studied and hence, comes the deterioration of the educational process. Traditional lectures are responsible for this, and I think that the main problem with Egyptian lecturers is that they do not prepare the scientific material for the lecture in a proper way, and some do not prepare for it at all. Therefore, the concepts are delivered in an unorganized way or might not even be delivered to students. There
32 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
is a great deficiency in the learning process, and since no one seems to care, students escape to private sessions to save the semester and their grades. Private sessions only teach you how to pass the exams; they do not provide you with an understanding of the scientific material. They only care about exams and grades and that environment will not create good learners or scientists at all. However, everyone stays silent and adapts and some students even succeed and get high grades. This might be considered a success, but not in learning. It is a success in adapting to the miserable Egyptian educational process. The conceptual meaning of learning is deteriorated with private lessons that aren't a suitable environment for absorbing the material in a proper way. In order to analyse what leads to this deterioration in the educational process, light must be shed on the high school educational system which nowadays witnesses the lowest rankings in the world. What causes this catastrophe in our society is when our roots are embedded deeply in the soil of private lessons, no improvements can be made to change the style of education that depends on grades and examinations. No one can deny that this environment resembles the school environment and lacks the spirit of true learning. Nowadays, when searching for public schools in Egypt, you could return massively disappointed from their current states. The classes regularly contain between forty and fifty children and have poor facilities that make students abandon these schools; the consequences of this abandonment and seeking private lessons creates a lack of awareness of true learning in all levels from childhood to university. The concept of true learning is significant enough to be introduced in this article to help us reassess our thoughts about education and learning in the university. True learning is seeking
„
from great expectations to reality and adaptation
the information and knowledge in references and valuable resources not notes or summaries from private sessions. True learning is feeling what you learn and thinking in a way that adds to the current areas of research. It is not to put the information learnt in exams. True learning is understanding equations, laws and theories and seeing the beauty in them in order to interpret the universe. True learning is studying for the sake of understanding not memorising; for the sake of science, not exams. Nowadays, our traditional learning falls behind these ambitions and most of us fall into the trap of exams and grades. I believe that no new ‘Einsteins' will be made in an environment that kills innovation. Having science in our lives and thinking scientifically to solve our problems is the target of a beneficial educational process, but we have strayed from this path. The concept of self-learning comes with the belief that online resources and courses are a gift from the science community to humans to have equal rights for a better education. Online learning is the key and the crux of building an educational process with high quality. Watching videos of lectures from universities abroad gives you the spirit of true learning as it is a great solution for students who are not satisfied with their current education. In order to make this article more realistic and beneficial, search for MOOC on Google and you will find something that will impress your scientific curiosity. Online learning enriches the concept of selflearning which is of great significance for individual awareness as you could have a life full of science from all kinds of online sources instead of imprisoning yourself in a frustrating environment. Self-learning is the solution for an individual to promote his level and spread the
idea of "I will learn and read by myself." which is crucial for education at universities. "I will learn and read by myself for the sake of science." is the true meaning of learning, but this does not mean forgetting exams and university evaluations since you are part of a system and doing your best to get high grades is a matter that is non-negotiable. True learning does not mean being careless towards what you learn in your university as your success in these environments adds to the success of adaptation. I would like to finalise with Nilsson Mandela's famous quote: "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." My message to all of you now is that it's a kind of fighting. Life may become complex and frustrating sometimes, and when you find success in your academic circle, and this satisfies you to some level, so you look at the other aspects of your life, you will be shocked with their current states, political circles, economy circles, social circles... You are not participating at all. You are just watching the deterioration of all aspects of your life with your hands paralyzed. How do we change Egypt when it now becomes clear that optimism and a child's hope will not make a difference? It is not a revolution or enthusiastic speeches that are going to cause change nor my article. It hasn't been a social or political battle; it has been the battle of changing Egyptians' minds and their awareness. It is education that is going to make this change. It is the next generations that can achieve our hopes and this should be our target; to build a generation that could change what can't be changed now. Invest in the next generation to reach your hopes. This is the most logical solution and the most challenging for us. How do we build this generation with a proper and improved education? What can we do? And what is your role?!
33
MOOD SWINGs
Do you know when you feel happy and full of energy, but suddenly you become sad and depressed? This is called "Mood swing" or "Mood change". It is a rapid change in mood that can happen to a lot of us. It varies from just being short periods in our lives to becoming a depressive disease. Its duration also differs; it may last a few hours or extend over days. Mood swings lead to changes in a person's energy level, sleep patterns, self-esteem, and concentration. Drug and alcohol use can be signs of an oncoming mood disorder.
BY ESRAA ABoUZEID
34 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
T
he causes of these swings may be simple, as unhealthy diet or lifestyle, drug abuse, hormonal imbalance, lack of sleep, or stress and anxiety as in financial struggles, exams, or family problems. You might get these swings if you remembered someone you are missing, listened to a certain song, saw a photo that brought old memories back to you, saw someone who annoys you, spoke to someone who gives you negative energy, also dealing with an unexpected situation, or waiting for something to happen but it doesn't, etc... Mood swings causes can also be complex, such as diseases or disorders in the nervous system function, major depression, and others. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy and autism are three such examples. Patients with autism experiencing communication difficulties and neurochemistry changes have autistic mood changes called "Autistic Fits". Epilepsy, which is a serious neurological disorder causing the tendency to have seizures due to changes in the brain's electrical firing, may also lead to these swings. (ADHD) can be accompanied by forgetfulness and inattentiveness, so it causes short-lived mood swings. Diseases that lead to degeneration of the central nervous
system as Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis and changes in blood sugar can cause them too. According to our brain and its chemistry, the balance of neurotransmitters is crucial to have a good mood. Serotonin, which is one of the hormones of happiness, has a great effect on sleep, mood, and emotional state, while Norepinephrine, which is involved in memory and learning, can cause changes in our mood if their levels are abnormal.
Mood and Memory Mood and Memory are connected to some extent. Some recent researches have indicated that we process things differently depending on whether we are in a positive or negative mood, as scientists noticed that people in a good mood can make more and better connections between related items while who are in a bad mood generally focus on what's in front of them. So, we might remember different things depending on whether we are in a good or a bad mood. Mood can affect our memory in recalling word lists, personal experience and childhood flashbacks.
The question now is how to treat and overcome mood swings? It was the Greek philosopher Epictetus who said: "People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them." There are some people who always see things and life worse than reality, they may reach a condition where they hate everything around them without any causes. Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered the way they should follow to break these depressive mood swings.
Know when to walk away from what annoying you
Avoid overgeneralization of negative outcomes
Take a five minute break – counting to 10 to have time to think before your response
Be patient and encourage yourself
Walking and even running are very important in this case
Change environment and routine
Reading, watching T.V, listening to music are used to break depressive swings
Talk to a friend about what annoying you, it's very useful to find someone who can take care of you and help you in your difficult time.
Playing sports and yoga can be very helpful
Every one of us knows what makes them happy or sad; joyful or depressed. So, we have to protect ourselves from these swings as possible as we can. We need to have the culture of being optimistic and loving our lives. Mood swing is a normal condition that can happen to anyone of us, and we can easily overcome it, but if we ignored it and didn't take care of it, it might lead to very dangerous complications. 35
meet our
new partners!
recently has had an affliation with Benha Students' Scientific Society (BSSS). So, let's hear a word from them!
Benha Students’ Scientific Society (BSSS) was established in 1978 and joined in 1988 as a Full member in IFMSA-Egypt. Over 30 years of professional exchange & elective “research exchange” Benha Students’ Scientific Society has been working in collaboration with the International Federation of Medical Students’ Association under supervision of the World Health Organization.
36 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
is to offer future physicians a comprehensive introduction to global health issues. Through our programming and opportunities, we develop active, efficient and culturally sensitive students of medicine, intent on influencing the transnational inequalities that shape the health of our planet.
SCOPE, SCORE, SCOPH, SCORA, SCORP, SCOME. Confused? So, let's have a word about each one of these. The Professional Exchange program is a full educational program offering clerkships to medical students abroad. Since the very beginning, in 1951, it was evident that exchange of medical students would be one of the main fields of action in IFMSA. As early as 1952, a total of 463 students spent a period of practice abroad, and today, it continues to be the backbone of the Federation and constitutes its longest running project. Annually, more than 13.000 students from 90 countries travel around the world to discover new health systems, new cultures and to enhance their global health and intercultural understanding.
mission The aim of SCOPE is to promote cultural understanding and co-operation amongst medical students and all health professionals, through the facilitation of international student exchanges. SCOPE aims to give all students the opportunity to learn about global health, and attains this partly by having its exchanges accredited by medical faculties across the world.
Unfortunately, several times we don't have the opportunity as medical students to have a research experience while in the medical school. Research is essential for the development of medicine and without it, the medical fields could never have reached the stage they are right now with innovative methods of diagnosis and treatments. Join the experience of improving the research skills with an unforgettable cultural learning and you have the Standing Committee on Research Exchange (SCORE)!
mission Our mission is to offer future physicians an opportunity to experience research and diversity in countries all over the world. This is achieved by providing a network of locally and internationally active students that globally facilitate access to research exchange projects. Through our programming and opportunities, we aim to develop both culturally sensitive students and skilled researchers intent on shaping the world of science in the upcoming future.
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The Standing Committee on Public Health (SCOPH) brings together medical students from all over the world to learn, build skills, cooperate, explore and share ideas when it comes to addressing all issues related to public health, including global health issues, health policies, health promotion and education, activities.
vision The Standing Committee on Public Health aims to become a reference as training and learning pillars for medical students, in order to create future public health qualified leaders who are equipped with the knowledge, skills and values to work on a local and an international level.
mission The Standing Committee on Public Health promotes the development of medical students worldwide regarding public health issues through an international sharing knowledge network, projects management, community-based learning, capacity building, advocacy and access to external learning opportunities.
Standing Committee on Sexual and Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS is gathering passionate individuals who are committed to promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights and are passionate about creating positive change in their local communities.
vision A world where every individual is empowered to exercise their sexual and reproductive health rights equally, free from stigma and discrimination.
mission To provide our members with the tools necessary to advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights within their respective communities in a culturally respected fashion. This has been accomplished through building the skills and the knowledge about, providing trainings on Comprehensive Sexuality Education other respective reproductive health issues, exchanging ideas and projects, as well as drafting policies and working with our external partners in order to create change in local, regional and international level.
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The Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace unites students who strive to create an equal and peaceful world, and believe in international, intercultural as well as interpersonal solidarity. We believe in everybody's responsibility as well as ability to contribute to creating this world, as human rights can only exist when it applies to all humans.
vision SCORP has a vision of a world where the all individuals are entitled to full and equal access to their human rights, where no one is left alone in a disaster and where the entire society, including medical students and health workers, unite to help the most vulnerable people.
mission The mission of SCORP is to empower and motivate medical students to actively promote and protect human rights and peace, and to introduce the members to different forms of humanitarian action through capacity building, field project opportunities and cooperation with external organizations.
Medical Education should be a concern of every medical student as it shapes not only the quality of future doctors, but also the quality of healthcare. The International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) has a dedicated organ which aims to implement an optimal learning environment for all medical students around the world the Standing Committee On Medical Education (SCOME). Through all our joint efforts we work to create sustainable changes around the world, for ourselves as medical students, for the generations to come and for our future patients and our communities who are in fact the final beneficiaries of our education.
vision Medical students attain an optimal professional and personal development to reach their full potential as future doctors for better health care worldwide.
mission Our mission is to be the frame in which medical students worldwide contribute to the development of medical education. Students convene in SCOME to share and learn about medical education in order to improve it as well as benefit the most from it on a personal and professional basis.
For more information about BSSS and its Standing Committees, stay tuned for the upcoming issues of The Recap.
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يف ورقة خارجية تحتفظ بها لغرض المراجعة ,وال تقلق من األجزاء التي لم تتذكرها بشكل كامل. راجع-: قم بمراجعة األجزاء التي ال تتذكرها حتى تستطيع تسميعها غيبا بسهولة ,وقم بعمل مراجعة شاملة سريعة, تأكد من وضعك خطوط تحت العناوين والنقاط األساسية كما تأكد من فهمك الجيد للموضوع ولكل ما قرأته. يفضل المراجعة المستمرةعىل فترات متباعدة لتفادي النسيان. أدى استخدام هذه الطريقةإىل ارتفاع ملحوظ يف كمية المعلومات التي تذكرها الشخص بعد قراءة كتاب أكثر من قرائته بالطريقة التقليدية لذا ابدأ باستخدام هذا األسلوب من اآلن والحظ زيادة درجة تذكرك لما تقرأ أو تذاكر.
الصورة لطالب يذاكر الرياضيات .بواسطة :ستيفن س.
واحدة فقط. مدة كل “ ”Pomodoroليستثابتة فيمكنك تغييرها لما يناسب احتياجك ,ولكن احرص أال تزيد عن 50دقيقة حتى ال تفقد التركيز. يمكنك القيام بضبط الوقتعىل الطريقة التقليدية عن طريق ساعتك أو هاتفك ولكن توجد بعض التطبيقات الرائعة التي تساعدك عىل ذلك عىل سبيل المثال-: Pomodoro Keeper Free for iOS Clear Focus for Android هذه الطريقة ليست للدراسةفقط ,إنما لكل مناحي الحياة, ابدأ باستخدامها اآلن وستفاجئ من مقدار المهام التي تستطيع تنفيذها يف وقت قصير وإحساس الرضا عن النفس بعد ذلك.
SQ3R طريقة رائعة أخرى ,ولكن هذه المرة مخصصة للقراءة العامة التثقيفية أو للدراسة عموما, خصوصا المواضيع الكبيرة وخطواتها كالتايل: تصفح -: قم بقراءة فهرس الكتاب أو
مقدمة الفصل واطلع عىل العناوين الرئيسية وما كتب عىل الصور والرسومات البيانية ومالحظاتك الخاصة بهدف أخذ فكرة عامة عن الموضوع ككل. األسئلة-: اطرح العديد من األسئلة عن محتوى المادة التي تدرسها أو تقرأها ,وذلك عن طريق عن تحويل اسم الفصل والعناوين إىل أسئلة ,واستخدام األسئلة يف نهاية كل فصل ,أو أسئلة اإلمتحانات السابقة إن وجدت, واكتب هذه األسئلة يف هامش الكتاب بحيث تغطي معظم المادة العلمية المطروحة. اقرأ-: ابدأ بقراءة المادة العلمية بتركيز ,وسجل مالحظاتك وركز عىل إجابة األسئلة التي طرحتها يف الخطوة السابقة, اقرأ –بتركيز -بيانات الصور والرسومات البيانية وقم بتظليل المعلومات المهمة وحاول حفظها. سمع-: بعدما انتهيت من القراءة قم بتسميع إجابات األسئلة التي قمت بوضعها ,وتلخيص النقاط الهامة والعناوين الرئيسية ,يفضل أن يكون ذلك
طريقة قصر الذاكرة
من أساليب وطرق التذكر للكثير من األشياء بدون شرط وجود رابط حقيقي قوي بينها, استخدمت هذه الطريقة منذ زمن بعيد بعد وضعها من قبل الشاعر اإلغريقي سيمونديس, تعتمد عىل حقيقة أننا جيدون يف تذكر األماكن التي نعرفها جيدا ,كلمة قصر الذاكرة يقصد بها أي مكان نعرفه جيدا ويسهل علينا تذكر تفاصيله ,والقدرة عىل تخيل أنفسنا نمشي ونتحرك يف هذا المكان ولتوضيح هذه الطريقة لنستخدم هذا المثال البسيط-: لنقل أنك تريد تذكر قائمة المشتريات الخاصة بك والمكونة من مثال (خبز-بيض-لبن-تفاح ) تقوم باختيار مكانك المفضل, وليكن مثال منزلك الذي تعيش فيه ,وتتخيل أنك عندما دخلت من الباب وجدت رغيف خبز يجلس عىل كرسي وبيضة تسقط عىل األرض وكلب يشرب اللبن يف الصالة وشجرة تفاح كروت الذاكرة يف المطبخ! اآلن قم بمراجعة طريقك داخل المنزل مرة أخرى أسلوب بسيط يعتمد عىل والحظ سهولة تذكرك لجميع استخدام بطاقات وكتابة عناصر قائمة مشترياتك ,قد أسئلة عىل جهة من البطاقة تظنها طريقة سخيفة كما وكتابة إجابات هذه األسئلة ظننتها أنا يف البداية ,ولكن يف عىل الجهة أخرى ,واالحتفاظ الحقيقة يه من أهم وأفضل بهذه البطاقات الستخدامها الطرق لتذكر العناصر المتعددة يف المراجعة السريعة الدورية الكثيرة ,حيث يقال أن الشاعر كل فترة ,هذه الطريقة عيل بساطتها الشديدة فقد أثبتت سيمونديس استطاع تذكر 2000 شخص كانوا يجلسون يف قصر أنها من أفضل أساليب التذكر بترتيبهم وأماكن جلوسهم والحفظ عىل اإلطالق. بعض المالحظات لعمل أفضل عن طريق تخيل شكل الممرات والغرف داخل القصر. البطاقات: نصائح ألفضل استفادة من هذه قم بتظليل أهم المعلوماتالطريقة:- لعمل بطاقات لها. أحسن اختيار المكان بحيثاستخدم األلوان وقمتعرفه جيدا وتستطيع تخيله بتخصيص لون معين لكل بسهولة. مادة. تأكد من وضوح الخط وكبره -كلما كانت الصورة أكثر مرحاكلما ترسخت المعلومة أكثر واستخدام االختصارات لتوفير وأسهل ،أضف للمعلومات المساحة. استخدم الصور كلما كان ذلك الكئيبة شيء من المرح.استخدم الرموز لالختصار,ممكنا. فليس من الضروري أن تضع يمكنك استخدام تطبيقاتالهواتف للقيام بذلك وتحميل المعلومة كاملة ,يكفي أن تشير الكثير من البطاقات الموجودة إليها برمز أو صورة. استكشف قصرك بعد وضعمسبقا مثل: العناصر فيه للتأكيد عىل Ankidroid, StudyBlue, Quizlet المعلومات ومراجعتها وتذكرها وبذلك توفر عناء حمل بشكل أفضل. البطاقات وعملها الذي يستهلك الوقت ,وتوجد معك -راجع قصرك كل فترة عن طريق عىل الهاتف فيمكنك مراجعتها تخيل الصورة التي رسمتها يف عقلك وأضف معلومات جديدة بكل سهولة يف أي مكان. كل ما توافرت لك عن نفس الموضوع. شيد قصورا جديدة لكلالمواضيع وقم بمراجعتها دائما وسيفاجئك مقدار تذكرك لهذه األشياء.
41 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
أساليب فعالة للمذاكرة وتنظيم الوقت ستغير من عاداتك الدراسية لألفضل
المقال الذي لن تقرأه أبدا!
بقلم :مصطفى عبدالمجيد
بما
أنك قد قمت بتحميل مجلتنا العزيزة -أشكرك عىل هذا- فإنك عىل األغلب تبحث عن نوع من الترفيه واالبتعاد عن الدراسة التي صارت محور حياة الكثير منا ,فبالتايل ال أتوقع أن تقدم عىل قراءة مقال يتحدث عن نصائح للدراسة ,ولكن دعنا نواجه الواقع الحايل ,الدراسة أصبحت واقعنا ومستقبلنا لفترة ليست بالقليلة ولكني لست هنا ألعطيك بعض من تلك النصائح المملة التي يعرفها الجميع مثل أن تجلس يف مكان هادئ وتنام جيدا وتتناول أطعمة صحية, وغيرها من النصائح المعروفة مسبقا ولن تقدم لك أي جديد ولكني سأعرض عليك هنا أربعة من األساليب الفعالة ,ذائعة الصيت, الثابتة منافعها يف تطوير أسلوب التعلم ,وربما تغير أسلوب حياتك عموما لألفضل ,ولنعط األمر فرصة أخرى ربما حين نعرف ونستخدم هذه األساليب بدال من أساليبنا القديمة التي لم تعد تجدي نفعا ربما ألنها خاطئة أو ببساطة ال تجدي يف كل األحوال, من الطبيعي أن تكره لعبة أنت ال تعرف قواعدها ومن الطبيعي أيضا أال تتقنها ,يجب عليك أن تبذل بعض الجهد يف تعلم قواعد اللعبة حتى تتقنها ,وربما تحبها وتصبح لعبتك المفضلة فمن يدري؟ ربما تتحول الدراسة لنشاط يومي ممتع ,أو عىل األقل لنشاط أكثر سهولة وفعالية مما يه عليه اآلن لذا دعنا نتطرق مباشرة إىل هذه األساليب.
طريقة البومودورو من أهم الطرق لتنظيم الوقت والتركيز ومنع التشتت ,من تقديم اإليطايل "فرانشيسكو سيريلو" يف أواخر الثمانينيات عن طريق تقسيم الوقت إىل فترات زمنية ,تسمى الواحدة منها بومودورو يتخللها فترات من الراحة. بكل بساطة خطوات هذه التقنية كاآلتي: -1حدد قائمة مهامك لليوم واكتبها يف ورقة. -2اختر مهمة لتبدأ بها. -3اضبط ساعتك عىل مؤقت لمدة 25دقيقة. -4ابدأ يف المهمة وقم بالتركيز عليها فقط طوال هذه المدة حتى يرن جرس المؤقت. -5احصل عىل فترة راحة قصيرة لمدة 5دقائق. -6احصل عىل راحة طويلة كل أربع فترات Pomodoroمن 30-15 دقيقة. بعض المالحظات :- التقنية هدفها األساسي هوإبعادك عن المشتتات الخارجية والتركيز يف مهمة محددة
40
إن
اللحظة التي يسلم فيها العلم بالصحة المطلقة لشيء ما يكون العلم قد مات ،فنحن إن قلنا أن قوانين نيوتن صحيحة صحة مطلقة لما فكر آينشتاين بعبقريته أن يخرج لنا بالنظرية النسبية التي تعد أفضل الثورات العلمية عيل مر التاريخ.
دعونا نتعرف أوال عىل الزائدة الدودية ؛ يه جزء صغير ىف الجهاز الهضمى عند اإلنسان مرتبطة بجزء يف بداية األمعاء الغليظة يسمى األعور « ، »Caecumويه أنبوبية الشكل مفتوحة من نهاية واحدة من النهايتين ،وهذه األنبوبة رفيعة لتشبه الدودة الملتصقة عىل األعور. هذه الزائدة من أكثر المناطق المعرضة لاللتهاب يف الجسم وذلك لعدة أسباب، أهمهم وأولهم أنها مفتوحة من نهاية واحدة فقط ،وكونها أنبوبة ضيقة يجعل احتمالية تعلق أجزاء من الطعام بها وصعوبة التخلص منها أمر وارد جدا. تكمن خطورة التهاب الزائدة يف كونها محاطة بالغشاء البريتوني "، "Peritoneum وهو غشاء شفاف يغطي معظم محتويات البطن يف اإلنسان ،ولهذا عند التهابها وإهمال هذا االلتهاب لدرجة معينة قد تنفجر هذه الزائدة ،وقد يتسبب هذا يف التهاب للغشاء البريتونى بالكامل والتهاب األعضاء التي يغطيها ،وقد يتسبب هذا يف الموت إذا لم يتم تدارك األمر بالتدخل الجراحي السريع يف الوقت المناسب. ربما تملك اآلن صورة عن هذه الزائدة ،فلنعد لبداية الكالم لنعرض التساؤل مرة أخرى ،ما الفائدة من عضو دودي(العدل) الشكل يلتهب وتتم إزالته بسرعة قبل أن يتسبب يف الموت؟
" الزائدة ظلت موجودة لمدة تقرب من ثمانين مليون سنة ،وهو أكثر بكثير مما فرضه داروين يف نظريته عن التطور ،إذا افترضنا صحة هذه النظرية " األبحاث العلمية الحديثة أثبتت وجود فائدة ال يستهان بها لهذا العضو ،حيث أن أبحاث بروفيسور ويليام باركر -العالم يف جامعة ديوك بامريكا -وفريقه أثبتت أن هذه الزائدة يه مكان لنمو وتكاثر وتخزين لبعض أنواع البكتيريا النافعة المتواجدة يف االمعاء الغليظة تسمى بكتيريا فلورا ،والتي تتخذها مسكن لحين اإلنطالق وقت احتياجها ،وهذا الملجأ هو مكان إختباء الباكتيريا النافعة يف حاالت اإلسهال العنيفة ،والتي قد تؤدي لفقد هذه البكتيريا مع البراز.
“
وقد أضاف البروفيسور أيضا" :نحن ال نقول أن نظرية داروين يف التطور خاطئة ،ولكن فقط نقول أن داروين لم يكن لديه كم المعلومات التي نملكها اآلن ،أعتقد إذا كان لدى داروين المعلومات الموجودة لدينا اآلن ،وعلم بوجود هذه الزائدة الدودية يف العديد من الفصائل الحيوانية لم يكن ليظن أنها مجرد زائدة نتيجة التطور". وأضاف" :إذا وجد الطب الحديث طريقة لمنع التهاب الزائدة الدودية ،ربما تقل حاالت الحساسية، وأمراض جهاز المناعة".
بروفيسور
ويليام باركر
هو أستاذ جامعي بقسم الجراحة بالمركز الطبي و أثبتت األبحاث أهمية هذه الزائدة يف الجهاز المناعى للجسم بحيث تحتوي عىل يف جامعة ديوك. ""Lymphocytes المناعية الخاليا من كبيرة كميات تهاجم التي األمراض ومحاربة ، عمل باركر يف جامعة ظل يف منها التقليل أو إهمالها شكل بأي يمكن ال وظيفة ويه اإلنسان، جسم ديوك ألكثر من 20عاما، حان "ربما : باركر ويليام الباحث قال فكما العدوى، ومصادر الملوثات هذه كل وجود وتركيزه منصب عىل أنها عىل الدودية للزائدة تشير اليوم منها فالعديد العلمية، المراجع لتصحيح الوقت الجهاز المناعي ووظائفه. وظيفي". ال عضو عرف باركر الكتشافه الدارونيين وخصوصاالبعض نظر وجهة كانت لربما أنه الباحث أضاف قد و وظيفة الزائدة الدودية، يستأصلونها شخص عشرين كل من شخص أن يه التطور- بنظرية المتمسكين بينما يتمركز عمله الحايل الذين األشخاص أن إىل أشارت الدراسات بعض أن إال ملحوظة مشاكل من يعانون وال حول وصف الوظائف األعور. اللتهاب عرضة أكثر هم زائدة بال يعيشون المناعية الطبيعية خاليا إنتاج يف دور الزائدة لهذه وجدوا أنهم الشأن هذا يف أيضا األقدم األبحاث ومن وسبل إصالح الوظائف المناعة. يف الالزمة البيضاء الدم المناعية غير الطبيعية. و ردا عىل الدارونيين قال البروفيسور باركر" :الزائدة ظلت موجودة لمدة تقرب من ثمانين مليون سنة ،وهو أكثر بكثير مما فرضه داروين يف نظريته عن التطور ،إذا افترضنا صحة هذه النظرية". باإلضافة إىل أن رأي داروين يف هذا الشأن كان يفترض وجود الزائدة يف أنواع قليلة من الفصائل ،وهو ما أثبت العلم الحديث عكسه يف هذه األيام.
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الزائدة..
لم تعد'زائدة' بقلم :عبدالحميد أحمد 42
غالبا قد سمعت أن أحد أفراد أسرتك أو عائلتك قد قام بعملية استئصال للزائدة الدودية «»Appendix نتيجة التهاب قد أصابها ،والحل الجراحي األمثل هو االستئصال ،وربما تكون من األشخاص المهتمين بمعاني األسماء و البحث وراء أصل هذه األسماء، ومعرفة سبب التسمية ،وعندما استفسرت وجدت اإلجابة أنها زائدة ألنها عضو زائد عىل أجسام الكائنات الحية وغير مفيد وإزالته ال تسبب أضرار ،أما الشق الثانى من االسم وهو دودية ألنها تشبه الدودة يف شكلها، فهى عضو إسطوانى صغير يف الحجم مماثل للدودة يف الشكل.
صورة توضيحية للموجات الثقالية التي تنبأ بها آينشتاين يف يف فروض نظريته "النسبية".
يف
اآلونة األخيرة ,تم التأكيد ً عمليا عىل صحة أخر الفرضيات الرياضية التي جاء بها آينشتاين يف
هذه النظرية ,ويه الموجات التثاقلية. ولكن كما ذكرنا ,فالفيزياء ليست بفرع العلم الذي يستهان به ,ولفهمها البد من التعمق يف فهم نظريات رياضية كثيرة ,لذا لن يسعنا المقام يف تفسير شامل ,ولكن دعنا نأخذ بعض المواضيع ذات الصلة. سنبدأ بآينشتاين نفسه عندما كان يقف عىل سلم خشبي ذات مرة ,فاختل توازنه وسقط ,وكان ذلك السقوط كسقوط تفاحة نيوتن ,كلتا الحالتين غيرتا مسار العلم ,حينها أعلن آينشتاين خطأ مقولة (أن األجسام إذا سقطت فإنها تنجذب ألسفل نحو مركز الجاذبية) ,يف الحقيقة ليس هنالك شئ يدعي (أسفل) أو (أعيل ) إنما يه كلمات نسبية ,وكذلك الوقت ً فلكيا ,فالوقت الذي المقطوع نستخدمه عيل هذا الكوكب ما هو إال "توقيت محيل" ,فإذا أردنا أن نسافر لكواكب أخرى البد من مراعاة فرق التوقيت. انظر إىل ساعة الحائط اآلن ,وهب أنها السادسة ,اذهب لشرب كوب ماء يف دقيقة ,فإن عدت ونظرت إيل الساعة فستجدها السادسة ودقيقة ,تختلف هذه الحالة عن إذا بقيت الساعة يف مكانها كما يف الحالة األويل ورحت تتحرك أنت بسرعة مساوية لسرعة الضوء ,فتأكد عند محافظتك عيل تلك السرعة أن الزمن متوقف بالنسبة إليك وستظل الساعة السادسة إىل األبد ,لكن دعني يا صديقي أوضح ما يطلق عليه "البعد الرابع". إن الزمن المعروف بالساعة ,واليوم,
والشهر ,والسنة ,ما هو إال مصطلحات يف السادسة ووصلت الرياض بعد ترمز لدوران األرض حول نفسها وحول ساعة فترى أن الساعة هناك أصبحت الشمس ,أو بمعنى أدق (مصطلحات الثامنة ,فأين أضعت هذه الساعة من عمرك؟؛ إن ذلك يعتمد عىل ألوضاع مختلفة يف المكان). خطوط الطول بحيث تكون الساعة إذا صعدنا فكأننا هبطنا ,من أغرب الزمنية المحلية مقابلة 15درجة العناوين التي يمكن أن تقع عيناك ً ً وتأخيرا ,وأتفق عىل تحديد خط تقديما عليها ,يحكي أن جريدة قد تناولت ً للتوقيت الدويل وهو خط الطول 180 خبرا عن صعود رائد فضاء إيل القمر الواقع يف المحيط الهادئ ,وعبور يف مهمة ,وأخذ صورة فوتوغرافية من عىل سطح القمر وهو يقول (أيها اإلنسان هذا الخط مثال يف اتجاه ً يوما من الكوكب األرضي ما أروعك وأنت معلق الغرب المحيل يفقد اإلنسان زمنه ,فإذا كان األمر بهذه الغرابة يف يف هذه السماء!) للوهلة األويل قد نفس الكوكب ,ما بالك بما يحدث ترى أنه يتعجب من هذا المنظر خارج األرض؟ الباهر ,لكن أكثر من ذلك يف كلمة إن الزمن يتمشى مع الحركة,أي أنه "معلق" ,هل معنى ذلك أنه عندما عندما تتسع المسافات الضوئية فإن صعد إىل القمر نظر إىل األعىل ليرى الزمن ينكمش ,وعندما تنكمش األرض؟ هل يعقل أن يصعد الرجل إيل السماء المسافات الضوئية فإن الزمن يتمدد, لينظر إىل أعىل فيجد ما سبق وأن ما فكلما سافر اإلنسان يف الفضاء بسرعة أكبر قل الزمن الذي يقطعه, تركه أعىل منه؟! يف الحقيقة ,إنك لو ذهبت إيل القمر ولتفرض إنه إذا كنت يف التاسعة عشر من عمرك ولديك طفل عمره أو الكواكب أو مهما صعدت يف عام وسافرت إىل كوكب وعدت منه السماء وتجولت بين النجوم ,فإنك ً شيئا تحتك يف الكون ,فكل بسرعة الصوت عىل سبيل المثال لن ترى ً عاما, شئ سيبدو لك وكأنه فوقك ,فالظاهر يف مدة أرضية تقدر بعشرين هنا يختلف عن الباطن ,لذا فالبد أن فإن ابنك الرضيع سيكون يف الحادية والعشرين أما أنت يف العشرين ,كأن نعلم أن فوق وتحت مسألة نسبية الزمن مر عليك كعام واحد ,وعىل تتوقف عىل المكان الذي نقف فيه سكان األرض كعشرين ,يف هذه يف الفضاء ,كذلك الحال يف رؤيتنا لألرض منبسطة ومسطحة مع أنها الحالة فقد أبطأ الزمن عليك لسفرك بتلك السرعة العالية. كروية ,ومادامت األجرام السماوية ال داعي ألن تتخيل السفر بسرعة تقريبا كروية يه األخرى ودوارة ً الضوء ,فهذا مجرد افتراض نظري سطوحا مستوية ,فإن أي وليست شيق ,فما بالك إن تجاوزت تلك مخلوق يقف عىل أي منها ,فإن كل شئ سيبدو فوقه ال تحته كما نتصور .السرعة؟ ,فإنك يف اللحظة ذاتها قد ومن طرائف أن الزمن يرتبط بحركة اخترقت حاجز الزمن فتسافر اليوم , األرض حول الشمس وحول نفسها وتعود باألمس ,ما أروعها من رحلة إذا حالفك الحظ وقمت بها فال تنسي أن تلك الحادثة عند السفر لمسافات تنسانا. بعيدة ,كإذا سافرت من القاهرة
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دومـ ًـا أرى أنــه ّإذا ذكــر اســمه ,يأتــي إىل عقولنــا ذاك الشــعر األبيــض والشــارب العريــض ونتصور هيبة كتــب الفيزيــاء – التي نكاد أن ندرك أنهــا مــا خلقت إال لالحتــرام ورفعة العلم – إنه ألبرت آينشــتاين,عالم فيزيــاء ألمانــي المولــد ،سويســري وأمريكــي الجنســية ,وطالمــا جــاءت ســيرته فــا بــد وأن تأتــي معــه ســيرة "النظريــة النســبية".
آينشتـــ يعود بقلم :أحمد مدحت ahmedhatfa@hotmail.com 45
ــــاين
حقائق غذائية فيتامينات
معادن
لكل 100جم
Vitamin C 97.5 mg
لكل 100جم
Calcium
Vitamin A 408 IU
Potassium
274 mg
Magnesium
Vitamin B6 0.1 mg
56.1 mcg
97.5 mg
Folate
0.1 mg
Phosphorus Copper
Thiamin Energy
18.2 mg
38 mg
0.1 mg
Protein 1.5 gm
80.8 Calories
القيمة الوقائية
تساعد الموالح يف الوقاية من بعض األمراض المنتشرة مشاكل الوعي واالدراك تظهر مع التقدم يف السن ،إال أنها تقل بشكل ملحوظ لدى أولئك الذين يستهلكون الفواكه بكثرة خاصة الموالح ،حيث أظهروا كفاءة أعىل يف اختبارات الوعي واإلدراك
فقر الدم لما تحتويه من فيتامينات أهمها فيتامين ج والذي يسهم يف عملية تخليق الهيموجلوبين عن طريق تسهيل امتصاص الحديد
مشاكل األنبوب العصبي وجد أن نقص حمض الفوليك لدى األم يف مراحل الحمل األوىل قد يؤدي إىل خلل يف األنبوب العصبي، والذي يكون الجهاز العصبي فيما بعد
إعتام عدسة العين يحدث لدى كبار السن وتعمل مضادات األكسدة مثل فيتامين ج عىل تقليل حدوثه
السرطانات وجد أن معدل اإلصابة بالسرطانات بين من يستهلكون الموالح بانتظام يقل ،إال أنه لم يتبين حتى اآلن أي من المواد يه المسئولة عن هذا
أمراض القلب اإلكثار من الفواكه عموما والموالح خصوصا -مع تقليل الكوليستيرول والدهون -يعمل عىل تقليل نسبة الدهون البروتينية منخفضة الكثافة مما يطيل عمر الجهاز الدوري ويزيد من كفائته ،إال أن الكيفية ال تزال مجهولة حتى اآلن
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إعداد :محمود العدل
ظهرت أشجار الموالح يف البداية يف الصين والهند، أو انتشرت يف منطقة الشرق األوسط وأوروبا عن طريق فتوحات اإلسكندر األكبر ،كما ساهمت التجارة بين البلدان يف انتشارها ،بالطبع إىل جانب الوسائل الطبيعية مثل الرياح وبعض الحشرات التي تنقل حبوب اللقاح عبر البلدان
يف بدايات القرن الحايل قدر عدد أشجار الموالح حول العالم بحوايل مليار شجرة ،أي بمعدل شجرة واحدة لكل ستة أشخاص ،يبلغ متوسط عمر الواحدة منها حوايل 100عام
حمض الفوليك
حمض الفوليك
فيتامين "ج" أحد العناصر األساسية الالزمة لتكوين ألياف الكوالجين، والذي يعمل عىل تقوية معظم أنسجة الجسم فيتامين "ج" كاألربطة واألوتار والجلد والعظام ،ويساهم بدرجة كبيرة يف التئام الجروح وامتصاص الحديد من األمعاء الدقيقة
البوتاسيوم البوتاسيوم
أحد المعادن األساسية يف الجسم ،يعد من المسئولين عن الحفاظ عىل توازن المياه واألحماض بالجسم ،كما يعد عنصرا أساسيا يف عمليات التوصيل العصبي والعضيل
46
تقتصر زراعة الموالح يف مصر بشكل شبه كيل عىل أربعة أنوع أساسية برتقال %68 يوسفي %21 ليمون %9 جريب فروت %2
أحد الفيتامينات الموجودة يف الموالح ،يعد عنصرا أساسيا إلنتاج الخاليا الجديدة والعمل عىل نموها، كما يساهم يف عملية تخليق األحماض النووية، كما تعمل عىل إنضاج كرات الدم الحمراء ،مما يمنع حدوث فقر الدم
الكربوهيدرات
الكربوهيدرات
تحتوي أغلب الحمضيات عىل الكيماويات النباتية
الكيماويات النباتية Phytochemicals
مصطلح يطلق عىل مجموعة من المركبات الكيميائية الموجودة يف النباتات ،والتي تعمل عىل الوقاية من األمراض المزمنة مثل السرطان وأمراض القلب
أغلب السعرات الحرارية يف الحمضيات تعتبر مما تحتويه من الكربوهيدرات ومنها الجلوكوز والفروكتوز والسكروز ،لكن األهمية الغذائية األكبر تكمن يف محتواها من السكريات غير النشوية والتي تعمل عىل اإلحساس بالشبع وتقلل من امتصاص الجلوكوز يف نفس الوقت ،مما يجعلها مناسبة للحماية الغذائية ،أيضا تعمل عىل تقليل مستوى الكوليستيرول يف الدم، حيث أنها تتدخل يف عملية امتصاص العصارة الصفراوية
يف
انتصار علمي لفلسفة ديكارت ،تحدثت األبحاث المنشورة مؤخرا يف علم األعصاب أن اإليمان بالروح قد يكون مغروسا يف مخ اإلنسان وليس مجرد اختراع بشري ،األطفال يولدون غير مجيدي التحدث باللغات ولكن مخهم مهيأ لتعلم اللغات بوجود مناطق معينة يف المخ خاصة بتعلم اللغات فقط ،كذلك الدين، األطفال يولدون مؤمنين بالـله ولكن أبويهم هم من يحددون وجهتهم ،يقول عالم األعصاب شاهين الخان العالم يف جامعة كاليفورنيا-أنه بتطبيق تقنيات تصوير المخ الحديثة "” EEGو ""MRI و " "FMRIوجدوا أنه بفحص المخ أثناء ممارسة الصالة أو بعض التعاليم الروحية يف األديان ،فإن ذلك يغير من كيمياء المخ ،فيعمل عىل زيادة اإلمداد الدموي لبعض المناطق وتثبيط مناطق أخرى مما يشير إىل أن العبادات والتعاليم الروحية قد تكون مغروسة يف المخ البشري. حقا إن هلل خلقنا لعبادته يا إخواني ،وليست عبادته مجرد طقوس أو شعائر روتينية يؤديها المؤمنون فقط ،إنما عبادته تكون بمعرفته أوال ثم اإليمان بوجوده ثانيا ،ثم تقواه وإطاعة أوامره ثالثا ،إن الكثير منا قد ولد مؤمنا كما وجد أبويه ،ولكن القليل هم من آمنوا بقلبهم ،واألقل من ذلك هم من آمنوا بقلبهم وعقلهم ،ونحن هنا ال ننكر عىل أي هذه األطراف إيمانها فليس ذلك من حقنا أبدا ما دام قد بذل ما بوسعه يف البحث والمطالعة والتدقيق، ألن هلل هو العدل فال يظلم أحدا. ليس عجيبا أن نرى ظاهرة اإللحاد يف عصرنا الحديث؛ فبسيطرة الفلسفة المادية ،والطفرة العلمية والتكنولوجية التي شهدتها الحقبة األخيرة ،فضال عن جهل رجال الدين بالعلم
وضحالة ثقافة الكثير منهم، لم يجد الشباب من يستطيع أن يخاطب عقولهم ليصل بهم إىل بر األمان واإليمان، فبعضهم استسهل طريق اإللحاد ،وبعضهم اآلخر اجتهد يف البحث ولم يحالفه التوفيق ،وبعضهم تكبر وأخذته العزة باإلثم لينقاد خلف هواه. فسواء كان هذا الملحد ممن يتخذون العلم حجة لتبرير أن الكون قادر عىل تنظيم نفسه دون الحاجة إلله وأن الطبيعة يه مصدر الكائنات، أو كان ممن يلحدون رفضا لبعض الخالفات بين المتدينين رغبة منهم يف تحرير أنفسهم من األوامر الدينية ،فإن كال الطرفين يقر دون أن يشعر أنه عبد ،فاألول إتخذ الطبيعة إلها له والثاني إتخذ الهوى إلها له. إن الخطيئة الكبرى التي يرتكبها رجال الدين يف الرد عىل الملحدين هو محاورتهم بالدين ،فكيف تحاورونهم بما هم رافضون له من األساس؟ ،لن يزيدهم هذا إال تعنتا ،فإن ديكارت عندما دعاه المجمع الكنسي للرد عىل كبار الملحدين يف عصره ،قال بمنتهى الذكاء ،أن الرد عىل هؤالء هو إقناعهم بالفلسفة ،هو التغلغل إىل داخل عقولهم بالمنطق والحصافة ،وليس بالدين ،لذلك نجح ديكارت يف وضع برهان عقيل منطقي صارم جعله أبا الفلسفة الحديثة. ويف خضم كل هذا يقف الخطاب الديني عاجزا عن إيصال المعنى الحقيقي للدين ،عن الجوهر اإلنساني الذي قامت من أجله األديان، فتوقف فكر بعض رجال الدين عند حكم مصافحة الرجل والمرأة ،وحكم اللحية عند الرجال ،وحكم سماع األغاني ،وهم يف تلك الغيبوبة الفكرية ،يتطور العالم بسرعة مهولة ،ويزداد عدد الملحدين بسرعة أكبر. فلو أنهم عللوا مقصد الدين، فلو أنهم أشاروا إىل الغاية الروحية من الدين ،لما رأينا هذا التزايد يف معدل اإللحاد، إن هلل تبارك وتعاىل غني عن حركات يؤديها المؤمنون أو زكاة يدفعونها أو صيام عن الطعام ،وقد يسأل القارئ فلماذا شرع علينا عبادته إذا؟،
الجواب هو أننا من بحاجة إىل عبادته؛ ألننا بدون عبادته يف حكم األموات ،ألن هلل هو الحي الذي ال يموت ،فعبادتك للحي يه مصدر لحياتك، وبعدك عن مصدر الحياة هو بداية لوفاتك ،لذلك فإننا ندعو الملحدين لإليمان بالـله لنفعهم هم وليس نفعا لنا ولن يزيد أو يقل هلل سبحانه وتعاىل شيئا. إن السمة األساسية المالحظة يف الرسل واألنبياء يا إخواني هو ميلهم للتأمل والتساؤل والفهم واالقتناع، فإبراهيم -عليه السالم -كما ذكرت يف الحلقة الماضية قد آمن بعد تأمل فرفض أن يكون ربه الشمس أو القمر بل هلل الذي فطر السموات واألرض ،والنبي محمد -صىل هلل عليه وسلم -كان يتأمل يف غار حراء ،وإن تأملنا بعمق هذه الرسالة لوجدنا أننا ال معنى لنا بدون التأمل ،وال حياة لنا بدون التساؤل. إن تقدمنا العلمي والفكري يا سادة مرهون بتطور فكرنا الديني ،وتطور رجال الدين، فكما ذكرت آنفا أنه بتطور العلم أصبح عصي عىل رجال الدين اإلجابة عىل معظم التساؤالت التي يطرحها الملحد المتشبث بالعلم يف محاولة وضع العلم يف صدام مع الدين ،فإذا لم ندرب رجال دين مثقفين ،عىل دراية بالنظريات العلمية والطفرات التكنولوجية ،لن تقوم لنا نحن معشر المؤمنين-أي قائمة ال يف حاضرنا وال مستقبلنا .فإذا كان الرد عىل الملحدين البد أن يكون بالفلسفة ،ال بد وأن يوضع حدا لضحال الفكر والعقل ممن يحرمون الفلسفة، البد أن يتقاعد رجال الدين النمطيون ،البد أن يبتعد من يحرم القول بكروية األرض عن المشهد ،البد أن يفسحوا المجال لشباب متعلمين، مثقفين ،وواعيين. سيطرت عىل معظم عقول شبابنا تلك الفلسفة المادية حتى انتهى أي مفعول ممكن للروحانيات ،إن من األلغاز المحيرة التي يصعب عىل العلماء حلها حتى اآلن هو الوعي اإلنساني ما الذي يجعل اإلنسان ذكيا بهذه الدرجة غير المسبوقة عن غيره من الكائنات؟ ،ما يه االستجابات العاطفية التي
يظهرها اإلنسان بتميز عن غيره من الكائنات؟ ،إنها الروح أو النفس كما أسماها ديكارت ،فنحن لسنا مجرد آالت تحركها مجموعة من الجينات تتأثر بفعل الطبيعة، بل منحنا هلل قدرة اإلرادة وحرية اإلختيار. إن التفكير المادي يستخدمه العلماء دوما يف األبحاث والتجارب حتى يخلصوا إىل نتائج صحيحة وحتى يتخلصوا من الخرافات التي سيطرت عىل الوعي الجمعي للبشر ،فإذا أصيب اإلنسان بالصرع ،يتجه عقل الخرافة مباشرة إىل تبرير هذا بأنه عمل الجن ،أما العلم فيحيل هذا إىل اضطرابات نفسية ويعطيها العالج المناسب ،فهذا ال غبار عليه إذا ،ولكن كيف يمكنك أن تستخدم تلك الفلسفة المادية يف التعرف عىل وجود هلل وهو الذي ال يحده الزمان والمكان؟ ،فهو خالق كليهما ،ونحن قد أثبتنا خداع الحواس لنا كيف لنا أن نستدل بالحواس عىل وجود هلل؟ فالعين مثال ،كما أثبت العلم وجود بعض األشعة التي ال يمكن للعين رؤيتها كإشعاعات جاما مثال-وبعض الجسيمات التي ال يمكن للعين رؤيتها أيضا كاإللكترونات ،فكيف يمكنك أن ترى بعينك خالق السموات واألرض؟ إن هلل سبحانه وتعاىل يقول يف حديث قدسي "أنا يستدل بي ،أنا ال يستدل عيل". فإن تأملنا هذا الحديث لوجدنا أنفسنا نطبقه كل يوم ،فإن نظرنا إىل النحل ،من علمها أن تتجمع وأن تنتج الرحيق؟ ،وإىل النمل كيف يتعاون يف نظام شديد لتجميع غذائه، وكما حكى الدكتور مصطفى محمود يف كتابه "رأيت هلل" قصة األسد الذي كان يملكه مدرب السيرك الشهير محمد الحلو ،فذاك األسد بعد أن اغتال مدربه ،مر بحالة اكتئاب غريبة فرفض الطعام وعندما أقحموا عليه أنثى ضربها، حتى انتهى به المطاف إىل أنه أكل ذراعه التي قتل بها مدربه لشعوره بالذنب مما فعل حتى مات ،فمن غرس يف هذا الحيوان غير العاقل هذه الغرائس؟ ،من علمه هذا الوفاء؟ هو هلل.
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خارج اإلطار
م حم
ّ وجود لل العقل يثبت..
الحلقة الثالثة واألخيرة
بقلم
محمد إيهاب
الصورة :صورة "أبراج التخليق" الشهيرة الملتقطة بواسطة تليسكوب هابل وتوضح الغبار والغازات النجمية يف سديم النسر " "Eagle Nebulaعيل بعد 7000سنة ضوئية من األرض. 49
"األفكار الجريئة مثل قطع الشطرنج التي تتحرك لألمام. يمكنها أن تنهزم ،ولكن بوسعها أن تبدأ مباراة رابحة". —يوهان وولفجانج فون جوتيه
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5
لغز النيوترينو بقلم :محمد يسري
يف أوائل القرن العشرين وخصوصا يف أول عقدين ,كان النموذج التخييل للذرة أنها مجموعة من اإللكترونات تدور حول نواة من البروتونات فقط ،لكن مع اكتشاف ظاهرة التحلل اإلشعاعي ،والقنابل النووية وجد أن الذرة تخسر طاقة عىل هيئة إلكترونات ،لكن وجد أيضا أن طاقة اإللكترونات أقل من كمية الطاقة التي خسرتها الذرة عن طريق اإلشعاع وهنا ظهر اللغز ،إذ أن هذا ينايف قانون بقاء الطاقة الذي ينص عىل أن الطاقة ال تفنى وال تستحدث من عدم ,إذا أين بايق الطاقة التي فقدتها الذرة؟ ظل هذا السؤال قائما حتى 20يوليو 1956حين اكتشف العالم " ولفجانج بويل" "النيوترينو" الذي حصل عىل نوبل يف ،1995وتم تعريف النيوترينو عىل أساس أنه ال شحنة له وبال كتلة وبال طاقة وال يتأثر بالوقت وال يتأثر بالمجال المغناطيسي ويسير بسرعة الضوء وبعدها تم اكتشاف أن للنيوترينو ثالثة أنواع.
¯e
نيوترينو اإللكترون (ينتج بواسطة الشمس)
µ
نيوترينو ميون
النيوترينو
ΤT
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بليون
هو عدد النيوترينو التي تمر عيل األرض خالل سم مربع يف الثانية.
2015 هو العام الذي حصل فيه آرثر ماكدونالد وتاكايك كاجيتا عيل جائزة نوبل الكتشافهما ظاهرة تغير النيوترينو.
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نيوترينو تاو
وطبقا للتعريف المذكور ال يمكن أن يتغير نوع النيوترينو من نوع إىل أخر. حاول العالم "جون باكول" أن يحسب عدد النيوترينو التي تنتجها الشمس يف الثانية ,وجد أن يف الثانية الواحدة عىل األرض يمر 65بليون نيوترينو خالل سم مربع! حاول العالم "راي ديفيس" أن يحسب الرقم مستخدما حوض ممتلئ ب 600طن كلورين، وطبقا للمعادلة فمن المفترض أن تتحول 10ذرات من الكلورين إىل األرجون المشع حيث أن الكلورين يتفاعل مع اإللكترون نيوترينو فقط وهو ما تنتجه الشمس وهو المراد حسابه، وعىل مدار 20عاما من تكرار التجربة وجد أن ثالث ذرات فقط يه التي تتفاعل ,أي ثلث الرقم الذي تنبأت به المعادلة. أين الخطأ إذا؟ اكتشف العالم الياباني "تاكايك كاجيتا" أن النيوترينو يتأثر بالوقت وهنا ظهر خطأ يف تعريف النيوترينو ،يف نفس الوقت تقريبا اكتشف العالم الكندي "أرثر مكدونلد" أن للنيوترينو كتلة! وهنا انهار تعريف النيوترينو ،حيث ثبت أن هناك كتلة للنيوترينو ،وأيضا هناك زمن يتأثر به النيوترينو ,هذا يعني أن النيوترينو يمكن أن يتغير من نوع آلخر ,فإذا كانت الشمس تنتج فقط إلكترون نيوترينو عند وصوله إلينا يمكن أن يكون أحد األنواع الثالثة المذكورة سابقا حيث أصبح من الممكن أن يتغير نوع النيوترينو وبهذا يصير تنبؤ "جون باكال" حول العدد صحيحا وأيضا تجربة راي ديفيس صحيحة وهذا بفضل أرثر ماكدونلد وتاكايك كاجيتا اللذان اكتشفا ظاهرة تغير نوع النيوترينو أو " "Neutrino Oscillationوحصال عيل جائزة نوبل يف عام 2015مناصفة.
تتمتع الرسوم المتحركة بجمهور واسع من فئات عمرية مختلفة، بداية من األطفال مرورا بالمراهقين ووصوال للكبار ،الذين يشاهدونها كنوع من الترفيه أو التسلية ،ولكن هذا ليس غرض األطفال من المشاهدة؛ ألن عقل األطفال ملئ بالفضول لمعرفة الجديد ،ويجدون يف هذه الرسوم طريقة سهلة وممتعة للتعلم ،كما أنها ملفتة النتباههم بسبب طريقة الشخصيات الكرتونية الطريفة يف الحركة والكالم حيث تكون مميزة ومثيرة .
من
المهم توضيح أنه ليس كل الرسوم المتحركة نافع؛ فالبعض منها ضار حيث إن الكثير من األهايل تترك أطفالها أمام التلفزيون دون دراية بما يعرض أو بما يشاهده أطفالهم بسبب انشغالهم باألمور الحياتية. إن الرأي الشائع يف هذا الموضوع أن الكثير من الرسوم المتحركة تنشر العنف بين األطفال وغيرها من العادات السيئة ،لكن هناك إيجابيات كثيرة يجب أن تؤخذ بعين االعتبار، مع تفادي السلبيات المحتملة لتحقيق أقصى استفادة عن طريق أن نحسن اختيار ما نعرضه لهم بإتباع هذه الخطوات-: -1يجب أن نتأكد أنه ال يحتوي عىل ألوان متغيرة بسرعة كبيرة لتفادي حدوث نوبات الصرع. -2تجنب الرسوم المتحركة ذات المشاهد السريعة ألنها تضعف التركيز بشكل كبير ،ولتحديد الفرق، فإن الرسوم المتحركة التي يتغير فيها المشهد كل 11ثانية تعتبر ذات مشاهد سريعة مقارنة بالبطيئة التي يتغير فيها المشهد كل 34ثانية. -3اختيار الرسوم المتحركة الخالية من العنف ومشاهد الرعب و األفكار
المعقدة واالتجاه للرسوم الطريفة المفيدة ذات العادات الحسنة.
فوائد ال حصر لها...
وبذكر الفوائد نجد أن للرسوم المتحركة مميزات عديدة منها-: لغويا-: هناك العديد من الرسوم المتحركة التي تعرض باللغة العربية الفصحى، ومنها يتعلم األطفال الكثير من المصطلحات الصعبة ،والطريقة الصحيحة لنطقها وكذلك يف اللغة اإلنجليزية ،وهذا مما يعزز مجهودات األسرة يف تعليم أبنائهم اللغات بشكل صحيح. تطوير مهارات االستطالع
واالستكشاف-: إن عناصرالفضول واإلثارة الموجودة بالرسوم المتحركة تجعل الطفل يستكشف الشخصيات واألحداث، وتنمي مهاراته يف استكشاف البيئة المحيطة به ،فيبدأ يف استكشاف العالم الواقعي عن طريق العالم الخيايل. صحيا-: باإلضافة إىل الضحك الناتج عن األحداث الطريفة؛ والذي يعتبر من أهم عناصر الحفاظ عىل مناعة سليمة وتنشيط الدورة الدموية،
فهناك بعض الشخصيات التي تحافظ عىل صحتها وجسدها السليم مثل "باباي رجل البحار" الذي كان يتناول السبانخ كمصدر للطاقة ،فيتعلم من ذلك األطفال الحفاظ عىل صحتهم. نفسيا تؤدي إىل تقليل الضغط العصبي واالكتئاب ،كما أن الضحك أيضا يزيد من انتاج مادة اإلندورفين يف المخ وهو جزء من نظام تسكين اآلالم يف الجسم ،كما أنها تقلل من فرص اإلصابة بالسكتات القلبية. تعليميا-: إن مراكز تعليم األطفال يف السن الصغيرة قبل دخول المدرسة تستخدم الرسوم المتحركة لتعليم األطفال العديد من األشياء ،فهي تعلم األطفال بشكل أسرع ،فلقد ثبت علميا بأن التعلم البصري أكثر فعالية وثبوتا من طرق التعليم العادية ,فيمكن للطفل أن يتعلم أشياء كثيرة يف آن واحد بفضل األلوان الجذابة وحركة الشخصيات، فبالطبع هذا أفضل له من قراءة ما يف الكتاب بصورته الجامدة. وسيلة الكتشاف المواهب-: يمكن للطفل أن يحب آلة موسيقية ويهوى الموسيقى والغناء بسبب كارتون أو شخصية معينة ،فعندما يأتي عرض راقص أو غنائي يبدأ الطفل بالنهوض ومحاولة التقليد ،وبالطبع من عنده إخوة أو أقارب أطفال فال بد أنه شاهد هذا الموقف من قبل، وهذا بسبب أن هذا المشهد من الموسيقى والحركات يكون غير معتاد ومثير بالنسبة للطفل فيجذب انتباهه ألنه يريد أن يصبح مثل هؤالء األبطال.
53 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
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أحد مشاريع ناسا للبحث عن الطاقة المظلمة والكواكب الخارجية وكيف تشكلت المجرة ،ولكن ما يميز هذا المرصد الفضائي عن غيره هو تغطيته لمساحة هائلة ،فمجال الرؤية سيصبح 200مرة أوسع من نظيره مرصد هابل ،وسيتيح ذلك تغطية سماء أكثر يف عمق أكبر يف األشعة تحت الحمراء من أي مرصد من قبل. ميزانية المشروع 90مليون دوالر ،ومن المتوقع االنتهاء من المشروع بحلول عام .2018
)WFIRST (Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope
3D-Printed Ceramics السيراميك قوي وخفيف الوزن, ويمكنه التعامل مع الحرارة بشكل أفضل من العديد من المعادن, فهو يستخدم لصياغة أجزاء من الطائرات والصواريخ ,فعىل سبيل المثال الدرع الوايق عىل المكوك الفضائي من السراميك. ولكن يهدف العلماء إىل تطوير السيراميك وجعله أقوى وأكثر كثافة وبالتايل يمكن أن يتحمل درجات حرارة تصل إىل 1700درجة مئوية وهو أقوى 100مرة من أي مادة مماثلة. وهذا ما سوف يجعل المركبات الفضائية والطائرات أسرع بكثير ،ألن االحتكاك بين المركبة والهواء الذي يبعث حرارة سيقاوم بالسيراميك الذي تنتجه هذه الطابعة.
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ابتكارات قد تغير مستقبل علوم الفضاء
مشروع من قبل إدارة دراسة المحيطات والغالف الجوي الوطنية ,سيستخدم لدراسة تضاريس سطح المحيط بدقة أكبر ومراقبة مدى تأثير النشاطات البشرية عىل المحيطات ،وبالتايل المساعدة يف التنبؤ بشدة األعاصير وتشغيل عمليات المالحة البحرية، والجدير بالذكر أنه أطلق بواسطة الصاروخ "فالكون "9الذي كان أول صاروخ يقوم بالعودة إىل األرض مرة أخرى ،ولكن لألسف عندما عاد وقبل أن يستقر اختل توازنه وانفجر يف نصف المحيط ،ولكنه فتح أمامنا آفاق لعمل صواريخ تعود مرة أخرى وبالتايل توفير تكلفة بناء الصاروخ من جديد.
Mars Ice House
كاميرا الطاقة المظلمة
مستعمرة عبارة عن سفينة فضاء تهبط عىل سطح المريخ وتبدأ الطابعة ببناء الجدار الجليدي للمستعمرة وبذلك السفينة تصبح قلب المستعمرة ،وتم اختيار الجليد ألنه درع فعال ضد األشعة فوق البنفسجية وأشعة جاما الشمسية، وألن شفافيته تسمح لضوء الشمس بالمرور للمستعمرة للحفاظ عىل العمليات الحيوية ،كما أنه يعمل كمنارة ويضئ ً ليال.
ستسجل الكاميرا الضوء القادم المجرات البعيدة بشكل من ّ ّ متقطع وعىل مدى خمسة أعوام، ستصور خالل تلك الفترة حوايل 300 مليون مجرة يف النصف الجنوبي من الكرة األرضية ،وبواسطة حاسوب ستشكل قاعدة بيانات من المعلومات حول كل من السطوع، والموقع وغيرها من خصائص المجرات. ّ ستوضع هذه الكاميرا يف تشييل التي تبلغ دقتها 570ميجا بيكسل والبالغ سعرها 50مليون دوالر.
إعداد :شاكر هنداوي 55 THE RECAP MARCH 2016
كل شئ يظل مستحيال حتى يفعله شخص ما.
-بروس واين
االبتكار و تنمية الذكاء-: من منا لم يشاهد المحقق كونان؟ ،الذي كان يبحث دائما عن طرق حل القضايا و الجرائم ,فالتفكير يف الحلول ومشاهدة حل القضية يساعد الطفل وتجعله يبتكر يف حل المشاكل البسيطة ويصبح معتاد عىل التفكير تحت الضغط والتوتر. أخالقيا-: إن للرسوم المتحركة رسالة اجتماعية سامية ،البطل الذي يكون مقدار التركيز عليه كبير يف الخيردائما ينتصر والشر ينهزم ،وهذا يزرع يف األطفال نزعة حب الخير والسعي لهزيمة الشر. هناك العديد من الرسوم المتحركة التي تعلم األطفال الوفاء،حب األصدقاء ،احترام الكبار ،بر الوالدين ,التضحية من أجل اآلخر ،حب الوطن و االنتماء ،وتعلمهم الصبر واإلرادة والمثابرة وكيفية التفرقة بين الخير والشر. تقليل آالم األطفال أثناء التطعيمات :يف أبريل ،2015 أثبتت دراسة ايطالية أن مشاهدة الرسوم المتحركة يقلل األلم والقلق عند األطفال قبل وأثناء التطعيم ،فقاموا بإحضار مجموعتين من األطفال تحت سن السادسة ،يف المجموعة األوىل قاموا بوضع حاسب آيل محمول أمام كل طفل ليختار كل منهم فيلم معين إما سندريال أو Toy Storyو طلبوا منهم التركيز يف ما يشاهدون ،ولكن األطفال يف المجموعة الثانية كانت الممرضات تحاول لفت انتباههم و تشتيتهم بالطرق المعتادة وقاموا بتطعيم المجموعتين ،وكانت النتيجة كاآلتي: وجدوا أن المجموعة التي شاهدت الرسوم المتحركة شعروا بألم اقل بكثير من المجموعة التي تم تشتيتها بالطرق المعتادة ،فباستعمال مثل هذه الطريقة البسيطة السهلة واإلقتصادية تضمن للممرضات واألطباء أن يكون االتصال األول بين الطفل والخدمة الصحية اتصاال ايجابيا ،وتقلل توتر األطفال قبل إجراء التطعيم وأيضا تحمي الطفل من فوبيا اإلبر التي قد تجعل الشخص طوال حياته ينفر من اإلجراءات الطبية. كما أن استخدام الرسوم المتحركة مع أغاني األطفال تجعل الطفل أكثر ليونة و هدوءا مع استعمال الموجات الصوتية ،والتي تستخدم يف فحص أعضاء الجسم والعضالت واألوتار وخالفه ,فقد ثبت أن هذه الطريقة ناجحة بنسبة % 93يف هذا النوع من الفحص الطبي.إن مخ األطفال الصغار يعتبر صلصاال لم يتشكل بعد ،فهو يتعلم يف هذه المرحلة بالتأثر بما هو حوله ،ال يستطيع التفرقة بين المفيد والضار أو الصحيح والخاطئ ،إنه فقط يتبع كل ما يراه ويسمعه ،لذلك فدور األباء واألمهات هو متابعة ما يشاهده أطفالهم واختياره ،وذلك حتى نتفادى اآلثار السلبية ونستغل الفترة التي يقضيها األطفال يف مشاهدة التلفاز يف اكتساب المهارات والتعلم واالبتكار.
خدعوك فقالوا للصغار فقط
كما تفيد الرسوم المتحركة األطفال فإنها -وبال شك- تفيد الكبار أيضا ،فهي تقوي التركيز وتنمي الثقافة وذلك بمعرفة المزيد عن الحضارات األخرى ،وحين نصل إىل مرحلة من مراحل اإلكتئاب والتشاؤم من الحياة فهي تعطينا األمل وتجعلنا أكثر تفاؤال وأن نؤمن بأنه الزالت هنالك النهاية السعيدة التي نحلم بها جميعا. وال يستطيع أحد أن ينكر أن الرسوم المتحركة التي كنا نشاهدها عندما كنا صغارا باقية يف ذاكرتنا ،ومجرد تذكرها يجلب لنا البهجة والسعادة ويفتح مجاال كبيرا لتذكر أيامنا الطريفة المبهجة وسط تكدس المشاكل وأعباء الحياة.
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