Author: noorali

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Alcatraz – More Than Just An Abandoned Island

Alcatraz island as from San Francisco

Alcatraz island as from San Francisco

Prison hallway

Prison hallway

Welcome sign, reminder of brief Indian occupation

Welcome sign, reminder of brief Indian occupation

Famous inmates

Famous inmates

Sabiya and Noorali Bharwani on the island with San Francisco

Sabiya and Noorali Bharwani on the island with San Francisco

I find the island of Alcatraz very fascinating. I have visited the island three times. My last visit was about three months ago when my wife and I were in San Francisco for a conference of the American College of Surgeons. Recently, I noticed that there is a TV series called “Alcatraz”. And many Hollywood movies have been produced based on stories about the island and its famous inmates.

Alcatraz Island is located in the San Francisco Bay, 2.4 km offshore from San Francisco, California. The island is also known as “The Rock”. The size of the small island is 22 acres (89 030.8413 sq.m.) and reaches 121 feet (36.88 m.) above sea level. The island has no source of fresh water.

Most people know Alcatraz as an island for men too tough for any other prison. And these tough guys met their match on the windy, desolate, and inescapable Alcatraz. While the ghosts of the penitentiary continue to haunt the island, Alcatraz is more than just an abandoned prison.

Once upon a time, Alcatraz was home only to seabirds. In 1775,during the Gold Rush, the Spanish explorer Jose Canizares christened it La Isla de los Alcatraces. He was probably referring to the large population of black cormorants (alcatraceo) or the island’s pelicans.

In 1846, the Mexican Governor gave the island’s ownership to Julian Workman to build a lighthouse.

The US government got possession of the island in 1848 and began building a fort. A water tank was built. This was followed by a lighthouse and a foghorn. In foggy weather, it’s 1,000 pound bell was struck with 30 pound mechanical hammer every ten seconds. The garrison was completed in 1859 when 200 soldiers arrived to defend the port.

During the Civil War, Alcatraz held a number of Confederate sympathizers. In 1873, the island had Indian prisoners some of who refused to send their children to English only schools. Then came the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, when civilian prisoners were transferred to the island until the city’s jails could be rebuilt. In 1912, a three-story cell house was completed.

When did it become the the Federal Penitentiary?

In 1934, Al “Scarface” Capone was one of its first prisoners. After that many prisoners came to Alcatraz because they were too much trouble in other prisons. During World War II, inmates made khakis, fatigues and cargo nets for the war effort.

During its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed no prisoner had successfully escaped. A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts, two men trying twice; 23 were caught, six were shot and killed during their escape, and three escaped and were never found. The most violent escape occurred on May 2, 1946, when a failed escape attempt by six prisoners led to the Battle of Alcatraz. In 1963, Attorney General Robert Kennedy closed Alcatraz.

In 1969, 75 American Indians took over the island. The American Indian Foundation wanted legal control of Alcatraz under the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie. Some historical buildings caught fire and were destroyed so the US marshals forcibly removed the Indians, ending the occupation in 1971.

In 1973, Alcatraz became part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It has become a big tourist attraction. It now has over 1.4 million visitors a year. There are gardens, and the wild inhabitants in the form of animals have returned. Today, over 100 different bird species visit the island, including the endangered peregrine falcon and brown pelican.

Who were the notable inmates in Alcatraz?

In 1934, Al Capone arrived on Alcatraz. He served just four and a half years of his sentence there before developing symptoms of tertiary syphilis and being transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution at Terminal Island in Los Angeles.

George “Machine Gun” Kelly arrived on September 4, 1934. He was a model prisoner. Alvin “Creepy Karpis” Karpowicz arrived in 1936. He constantly fought with other inmates. He spent the longest time on Alcatraz island, serving nearly 26 years.

Robert Stroud, who was better known to the public as the “Birdman of Alcatraz”, was transferred to Alcatraz in 1942. One myth needs to be clarified. Contrary to the popular film released in 1962, Robert Shroud, was not allowed to keep any birds but he did publish two books on them. And there were many other inmates.

Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Pier 33, near Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. If you are in San Francisco, you cannot miss a trip to the Island.

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Getting Enough Rest Can Promote Weight Loss

A young woman measuring her waist. (Photodisc)
A young woman measuring her waist. (Photodisc)

One month has gone by. How are you doing with your weight loss program? For those who continue to struggle, here is some good news.

A study published in Psychoneuroendocrinology says that getting enough rest promotes weight loss. Without enough deep sleep, fat accumulates.

Two hormones in our body, ghrelin and leptin, control our appetite. Ghrelin increases hunger and leptin promotes feelings of fullness. Researchers found that in chronic insomniacs there is a significant disruption of night time ghrelin levels and this increases their appetite during the day.

In addition, in chronic insomniacs, there is increase in the levels of stress hormone cortisol which increases cravings for high-carb, high-calorie foods. Furthermore, the brain secretes growth hormone during the deep-sleep phase, helping the body convert fat to fuel, says a report in the Scientific American Mind.

It is estimated that 10 to 40 per cent of people suffer from some sort of insomnia. This is only an estimate as nobody has yet defined what constitutes normal sleep.

Most adults sleep seven to eight hours a night. Newborns and children may sleep up to 16 hours a day. Older people may sleep only six hours a night. There is no magic number. If you are tired the next day or are yawning all the time then you need more sleep.

The quality of sleep you get is also important. The quality and quantity of sleep depend on many factors like your health, your lifestyle and your environment.

In a survey done in the United States, it was found that many patients with insomnia have other medical problems. Thirty per cent of the patients have depression, 20 per cent have other mental disorders, and 19 per cent have other illnesses. But 31 per cent of the patients have primary insomnia (i.e. they have no medical condition contributing to insomnia).

“The prevalence of insomnia has also been reported to be higher in women, women in minority groups, people who are unemployed or separated, lower socioeconomic groups and in those with medical or psychiatric (particularly substance abuse) disorders,” says an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Workaholics spend many sleepless nights to accomplish their tasks. They ask, “Why do we need to sleep?” Experts say we need sleep to rest. Sleep allows the brain and the body to recover and restore itself. So we can be fresh for the next task. Now we know we can lose weight as well.

It is very important that you consult your doctor if you have trouble falling asleep or cannot remain asleep for an adequate length of time. The cause of your insomnia could be stress, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, spastic bladder, arthritis, hyperthyroidism, congestive heart failure, obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome or lung disease. You may be overindulging in caffeine or alcohol. Or there may some other cause.

Your physician can help you sort some of these problems by recommending regular daytime exercise, avoiding large meals at night, avoiding caffeine, tobacco and alcohol; reducing evening fluid intake; maintaining a consistent wake-up time; avoiding or limiting daytime napping and avoiding bright lights (including television), noise and temperature extremes. In some circumstances he may recommend medications.

Remember, there are three things required to lose weight: a low calorie healthy diet, regular exercise and enough sleep.

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Sleep Cycle is Driven by Chemicals to Accomplish Many Functions

A woman sleeping. (iStockphoto)
A woman sleeping. (iStockphoto)

We have a 24-hour biological clock (circadian rhythm) that synchronizes a person’s sleep schedule with the changing amounts of light (day/night).

A tiny area of the brain, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), interprets light signals sent from the eyes through the optic nerves. The light triggers SCN to direct the brain’s pineal gland to release the hormone melatonin. There’s a big burst of melatonin into the body just as we go to sleep. Sleep researchers postulate that melatonin probably turns certain areas of the brain off and on as we transition into sleep mode.

Adenosine is another chemical thought to induce sleep. Adenosine levels increase during the day, making us sleepier the longer that we’re awake in an attempt to reach homeostasis (the body’s “steady state”). Once we fall asleep, adenosine levels drop, reducing the need for sleep and eventually prompting us to wake up.

Cortisol, known as a stress hormone, follows a different path. The blood levels of cortisol go down right before bedtime, allowing us to relax, but then increases throughout the night to encourage a fresh energetic start to the day.

While we are asleep, our body is working very hard to repair the internal damage done during the day.

Sleep helps heal tissues and restore them to its original form. Sleep is important for our immune system. Sleep deprivation impairs our ability to combat infection and stay healthy. It has been postulated that sleep effectively combat the accumulation of free radicals in the brain, by increasing the efficiency of our body’s antioxidant mechanisms.

Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd (unpaired) number of electrons and can be formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Free radicals have a capacity to cause cell damage (DNA), Cell damage can lead to cancer, aging, and a variety of diseases.
Antioxidants help us to prevent cell damage (DNA).

Although there are several enzyme systems within the body that scavenge free radicals, the micronutrient (vitamin) antioxidants are vitamin E, beta-carotene and vitamin C. The body cannot manufacture these micronutrients so they must be supplied in the diet (fruits and vegetables and pills).

Although it has not been proven, sleep helps with body growth by having some influence on the growth hormone. Studies investigating the effects of deprivation of active sleep have shown that deprivation early in life can result in behavioral problems, permanent sleep disruption and decreased brain mass.

Scientists have shown numerous ways in which sleep is related to memory. In one test, the average working memory span of the sleep-deprived group had dropped by 38 per cent in comparison to the control group.

Sleep researchers continue to work on the importance of sleep to keep us healthy and smart. So far the evidence shows that sleep does not harm us. In fact, without enough sleep we can look forward to lots of health problems in life. So, listen to your doctor and to your mother. Sleep well. Have sweet dreams. Wake up in the morning like a million dollar person and say, “Thanks, mom!”

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What happens to your body when you are asleep?

A tired man who did not wake up when someone drew a mustache on his face! (Ulrik Tofte)
A tired man who did not wake up when someone drew a mustache on his face! (Ulrik Tofte)

Going to bed and falling asleep is a gradual progression of stages in which body and brain activity changes. Scientists have been studying this for many years. Besides brain activity, sleep researchers study eye movements and muscle tension to observe a person falling asleep.

During sleep there is reduced or absent consciousness, relatively suspended sensory activity, and inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles. Our body goes into anabolic state when tissues found within the human body obtain energy for growth and maintenance of our immune and other systems. Anabolism requires energy to occur. Sleep is often thought to help conserve energy, but actually decreases metabolism by only about five to ten percent.

The purposes and mechanisms of sleep are only partially clear and are the subject of intense research. But here is what we know:

1. A night’s sleep has a typical pattern. It is broadly divided into two categories: Non-Rapid Eye Movement or NREM sleep which has four stages (N1 to N4) and Rapid Eye Movement or REM sleep.

2. Sleep proceeds in cycles of NREM and REM, the order normally being N1 → N2 → N3/4 → N2 → REM.

3. Each sleep cycle lasts from 90 to 110 minutes on average. Each stage may have a distinct physiological function. During an eight-hour-sleep, we go through NREM to REM cycle four to six times.

Are you confused? You are not alone. Stay awake and I will tell you more.

First, we undergo NREM sleep, which takes up 75 per cent of sleep time.

Stage 1 finds us dozing off, with our brain waves and muscle activity slowing down. This is light sleep. When woken during Stage 1 and asked if they were asleep, about 80 percent of people will say they were not.

Stage 2, this is an actual moment when you are asleep. Usually comprising about half of sleep time. There are calmer brain wave pattern and no eye movements. Breathing slows and body temperature drops slightly. A person loses touch with his surroundings but can easily be shaken awake.

By Stages 3 and 4, a person is in deep sleep and takes a bit to be woken. Breathing slows even more into a rhythm. Blood pressure and body temperature drop and muscles relax. These two similar stages are called “slow wave sleep,” with the slowest of all brain waves. Much of the body’s regenerative work, like protein building and hormone release, happens at this stage.

Then comes REM sleep. which is dream-heavy period. About 90 minutes after falling asleep, REM sets in. This is the slow wave sleep that is very close to being awake, with brain waves of the same speed or even faster. Most but not all dreams occur in this phase.

There is rapid heart bit, blood pressure rises, eyes move around and breathing becomes rapid and shallow. The body is more or less paralyzed; arm, leg and facial muscles might twitch, but the body won’t move. REM can last from five to 30 minutes.

After REM, NREM starts again. Almost every two hours we go through the whole cycle. As the night progresses, the time spent in REM increases and deep sleep decreases so that when your morning alarm goes off, it’s almost all Stage 1, Stage 2 and REM sleep.

Enough for today? There is a lot to absorb and sleep over. More about sleep next week.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!