Picture: Vincent Laforet, The New York Times/Redux Pictures

Read the Article in Arabic

Moving between different time zones confuses the biological clock in the human brain, so how can we avoid these effects caused by travel?

Air travel across different time zones leads to the occurrence of jet lag, which is characterized by temporary sleep disturbance, due to the confusion and irregularity of the body clock with the hours of the day, night, and meal times.

You may feel like sleeping through lunchtime on your first day in London or find yourself unable to sleep on your first night in Japan. "Our bodies have a natural rhythm," says Vivek Jain, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at George Washington University. But you don't have to cancel your flight, for example, because of jet lag. "Why is your sleep disturbed and how can you fix it? If you plan your trip well, you can cope with the symptoms of jet lag before you travel," says Chris Winter, a neuroscientist, and author of The Sleep Solution. For example, you can adjust your exposure to light, sleep, naps, snacks, and caffeine intake to seamlessly enter the new time zone. There are new inventions that can help you, electronic equipment, and safe drugs that you can benefit from.

Blocking out light is a necessary component of sleeping on an overnight flight. So you can wear sunglasses or cover your eyes with a sleep mask before you fall asleep because the brain responds to darkness by producing melatonin, the chemical that induces sleep. A study found that fear of the time difference symptoms exacerbated these symptoms. So we invite you to take advantage of your comforting and calming items, because they may trigger “placebo” symptoms, which are stronger than the actual effects of the time difference, according to “Jamie Zitzer”, associate director of the “Sleep Center” at Stanford University.

These experts recommend taking a circular travel pillow, a hammock (you can attach it to the back of the seat in front of you), or earplugs to block out sounds and provide complete quiet. Also, taking a drug containing melatonin helps the body to relax and enter the new time, on the plane or at the destination of travel. It also does not numb the body for long periods of time as prescription sleep medications do. You can also get up in the daytime hours and have caffeine at your destination. Exposure to the sun also adjusts the body clock, says sleep coach Christian Hansen. It is recommended to start these preparations before the trip, by adjusting sleep times, light exposure, and caffeine doses. Smartphone applications are available to help you with these plans, including "Timeshifter" and "Stop Jet Lag".

The Body Museum... A living laboratory to see the organs of the human body

You Can Read the Article in Arabic

Khalifa University of Science and Technology announced the opening of the "Body Museum" at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences on the university's campus in Abu Dhabi, affirming its keenness to provide world-class education and strengthen the health care system through research and discovery. . The Body Museum at Khalifa University is the fruit of the outstanding success of the first international body exhibition of its kind in the region, which was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Khalifa University. , in September 2019 on the main campus of the university. Lasting six months, it was a traveling display of human cadavers and organs that had been dissected and subjected to annealing processes.

The Body Museum focuses on displaying human anatomy from healthy adults, and includes a section highlighting the impact of lifestyle diseases and diseases of other human organs. Dr. Aref Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President at Khalifa University, said: “The Body Museum is a rich addition to the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Khalifa University, an institution of higher education and research that continues to rank first in the world. The United Arab Emirates. The university is committed to developing knowledge that will improve the lives of individuals, and to enhancing the legacy and culture of Khalifa University that enables it to lead, innovate and transform. Al Hammadi added, "The Body Museum is in line with the UAE's focus on establishing a world-class healthcare system that ensures the provision of health care to those in need, and contributes to the education process by developing and training medical professionals, and providing them with the necessary skills." Dr. John Rock, Founding Dean of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Khalifa University, said: “Based on the endeavors of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Khalifa University, to achieve continuous progress in the field of human capital development, this museum contributes a pivotal role in raising awareness of medical education in the UAE and the region, And encourage all members of society to leave the daily habits harmful to the body, as this museum represents a simple lesson in anatomy, combining the education of visitors and satisfying their desire to explore.Dr. Dietrich Lorck, founding chair of the Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology at the university, expressed his appreciation to the senior management for its prominent role In providing students with these distinguished educational tools, and in providing the opportunity for members of society to understand the functions of the body, stressing that "the presented collection of annealed samples is unique in the world."

The Body Museum, a non-profit initiative, aims to motivate visitors and residents of the UAE to lead a healthy lifestyle, taking into account the study of medicine and health sciences. Through annealing processes, it is possible to see what is inside the body permanently, in an aesthetically interesting way, especially since these samples are non-perishable, which facilitates the process of benefiting from them in training future students to study medicine, and to teach members of society the mechanisms of functioning of the human body’s organs from the inside. .

Source: Abu Dhabi Media Office