Clipmarks | GeDeGe's clips

Placebo effect caught in the act in spinal nerves

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:44:22 GMT

clipped by: Socratoad
clipper's remarks: indeed, the biggest obstacle to establishing the spinal cord's role in placebo pain relief was measuring its activity with fMRI scanning, says Falk Eippert, a neuroscientist at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, who led the study.

FMRI scanning has long been used to image the brain, but the part of the spinal cord that Eippert's team was interested in – the dorsal horn – is minuscule in comparison, and so is harder to image. It also swims around in cerebrospinal fluid, further complicating real-time measurement.

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

The placebo effect is not only real; its ability to deaden pain has been pinpointed to cells in the spinal cord. That raises hopes for new ways of treating conditions such as chronic pain.

The researchers who made the discovery scanned the spinal cords of volunteers while applying painful heat to one arm. Then they rubbed a cream onto the arm and told the volunteers that it contained a painkiller – but in fact it had no active ingredient. Even so, the cream made spinal-cord neural activity linked to pain vanish.

"This type of mechanism has been envisioned for over 40 years for placebo analgesia," says Donald Price, a neuroscientist at the University of Florida in Gainesville, who was not involved in the new study. "This study provides the most direct test of this mechanism to date."

Virus Is Found in Many With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:24:07 GMT

clipped by: Socratoad

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome are infected with a little known virus that may cause or at least contribute to their illness, researchers are reporting.

An article published online Thursday in the journal Science reports that 68 of 101 patients with the syndrome, or 67 percent, were infected with an infectious virus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus, or XMRV. By contrast, only 3.7 percent of 218 healthy people were infected. Continuing work after the paper was published has found the virus in nearly 98 percent of about 300 patients with the syndrome, said Dr. Judy A. Mikovits, the lead author of the paper.

XMRV is a retrovirus, a member of the same family of viruses as the AIDS virus. These viruses carry their genetic information in RNA rather than DNA, and they insert themselves into their hosts’ genetic material and stay for life.

Central Europeans were first adults to drink milk

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:23:55 GMT

clipped by: Socratoad

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

The earliest adult milk drinkers came from central Europe – a finding which overturns the notion than sun-starved Scandinavians got there first.

Unlike more than half of the world's people, most northern Europeans can digest milk, thanks to a gene that enables lactose digestion throughout adulthood. It was thought this gene first arose in Scandinavia, where lactose tolerance is most common, because it is a way of getting vitamin D in places with little sunshine, says Mark Thomas of University College London.

His team have now narrowed down the emergence of the gene to a tribe of cattle herders living around 7500 years ago between the Balkans and central Europe.

♫ Anton Bruckner: "Dem lieben Gott"

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:07:49 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G
clipper's remarks: Playlist (59'35'').

↗Overview

Partitur | Score:
International Music Score Library Project

Information:
9. Sinfonie (Bruckner) – Wikipedia (DE)
Symphony No. 9 (Bruckner) - Wikipedia (EN)

Clip Source: johammonia2.blogspot.com

[Video]

Anton Bruckner, 9. Sinfonie
NDR-Sinfonieorchester unter Günter Wand
Dom zu Lübeck, 1988
(Playlist)

Tags: anton bruckner, neunte sinfonie

Mathematischer Löwenfang

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:40:06 GMT

clipped by: GeDeGe

Clip Source: users.physik.tu-muenchen.de

Die HILBERTsche oder axiomatische Methode. Man stellt einen Käfig in die Wüste und führt folgendes Axiomensystem ein:
Axiom 1: Die Menge der Löwen in der Wüste ist nicht leer.
Axiom 2: Sind Löwen in der Wüste, so ist auch ein Löwe im Käfig.
Schlußregel: Ist p ein richtiger Satz, und gilt „Wenn p, so q“, so ist auch q ein richtiger Satz.
Satz:Es ist ein Löwe im Käfig.

Die funktionalanalytische Methode. Die Wüste ist ein separabler Raum. Er enthält daher eine abzählbare dichte Menge, aus der eine Folge ausgewählt werden kann, die gegen den Löwen konvergiert. Mit einem Käfig auf dem Rücken springen wir von Punkt zu Punkt dieser Folge und nähern uns so dem Löwen beliebig genau.

Die logische Methode oder die Methode des tertium non datur. Man stelle einen offenen Käfig in die Wüste und lege ein Brett mit Leim daneben. Beides biete man dem Löwen zum Betreten an. Der Löwe sagt dann: „Nein, auf den Leim gehe ich nicht!“ Nach dem tertium non datur muß er in den Käfig gehen.

Tags: mathematische scherze

Mathematische Genesis

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:30:33 GMT

clipped by: GeDeGe
clipper's remarks:

Und Adam faßte sich ein Herz und dividierte durch 0. Da wurden ihre Augen aufgetan, und sie erkannten, daß sie nackt waren. So machten sie sich Schürzen aus abgewickelten Oberflächenintegralen. Da trieb Gott Adam und Eva aus dem mathematischen Paradies und sprach zu ihnen: "Weil Du durch 0 dividiert hast, sei deine Arbeit verflucht. Im Schweiße deines Angesichts sollst du dein Leben lang differenzieren, integrieren und logarithmieren. Nie sollst du eine Zahl unendlich erreichen und für π und e genaue Werte finden. Du wirst für den Sinus von zwei verschiedenen Zahlen den gleichen Wert erhalten und nie einen exakten mathematischen Text hervorbringen."

Clip Source: users.physik.tu-muenchen.de

Am Anfang schuf Gott Adam und Eva. Und Adam war wüst und leer, und es wollte nicht Licht werden im Kasten seines Gehirns, wo Finsternis und Chaos herrschten. Und Gott sprach: "Es werde eine Feste in der Wirre der Gedanken und Begriffe und ihr Name sei Mathematik." Und es geschah also. So ward aus plus und minus der erste Tag.

Und Gott formte die Erde mit Groß- und Kleinkreisen, mit Längen- und Breitenkreisen, mit Meridianen und Vertikalen und gab ihr einen Platz im Mittelpunkt der Himmelskugel mit Horizont, Zenit und Nadir, mit Äquator, Nord- und Südpol, und er setzte auf diese Kugel Gestirne, deren Lage durch Höhe, Deklination und Stundenwinkel bestimmt war. Und Gott betrachtete sein Werk mit Wohlgefallen. So ward aus Längenzeit und Zeitgleichung der fünfte Tag.

Die listige Schlange aber sprach zu Eva: "Wer durch 0 dividiert, wird lernen, was richtig und falsch ist." Und das törichte Weib sprach zu Adam: "Dividiere und die Gleichung wird viel einfacher werden."

Tags: mathematische scherze

Pina Bausch, German choreographer and dancer, dies

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:31:09 GMT

clipped by: Mohir
clipper's remarks: According to a statement on Tanztheater Wuppertal's official website, Bausch took her last bow on the Wuppertal stage the Sunday before last.

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Leading light of modern dance Pina Bausch has died at 68, five days after being diagnosed with cancer

The German choreographer and dancer Pina Bausch died this morning at the age of 68, five days after being diagnosed with cancer.

Bausch was the artistic director of the Tanztheater Wuppertal, which she founded in 1973. She had a formidable international reputation as one of modern dance's greatest innovators. Her dance-theatre works include the melancholic Café Müller (1978), in which dancers stumble around the stage crashing into tables and chairs, and a thrilling Rite of Spring (1975), which required the stage to be completely covered with soil. Nelken (2005) was performed on a floor covered in flowers, while Palermo Palermo (1989) featured a line of dancers with apples balanced on their heads. Another of her works, Kontakthof (1978), was performed by an ensemble aged between 58 and 77.

Tags: dance, art, pina bausch

Goebbels' Sportpalast-Rede (didaktisches Material)

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:33:43 GMT

clipped by: GeDeGe

Clip Source: www.lehrer-online.de

Thema der Unterrichtseinheit:	Goebbelsrede: "Wollt Ihr den totalen Krieg?"
Autor:	Wolfgang Currlin
Zielgruppe	Sekundarstufe II
Referenzniveau	DaF C1/C2
Technik	Computer, Mikrofon, u.U. Kassettenrecorder
Zeitraum	5-8 Stunden je nach Wahl der Aufgabe, davon ca. 3 Stunden für die Analyse

Die Unterrichtseinheit untersucht die berühmte Goebbelsrede am 18. Februar 1943 im Berliner Sportpalast auf Form und rhetorische Mittel.

Über die reine Analyse hinaus soll aber handlungsorientiert wahlweise eine Hörfunksendung oder ein Zeitungsartikel erstellt werden. Der historische Hintergrund der Rede wird durch eine kleine Internetrecherche erschlossen. Die Einheit kann im größeren thematischen Rahmen "Politische Rede" behandelt werden. Die Zusammenarbeit mit dem Fach Geschichte bietet sich an.

goebbelsrede_aufgabe.rtf

Dieses Arbeitsblatt können die Lernenden direkt bei der Arbeit am Cmputer nutzen, es enthält Links für die Online-Recherche.
Dateigröße: 36 KB

Tags: demagogie, rhetorik, politische rede, goebbels, nationalsozialismus, zweiter weltkrieg

Mausohr legt Autobahn-Ausbau lahm

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:15:25 GMT

clipped by: GeDeGe

Clip Source: www.heute.de

A 44

Umstrittener Abschnitt zwischen Kassel und Eisenach - BUND-Klage

Dieses Mal ist es das kleine Mausohr. Ohne es zu ahnen, sorgt die nicht einmal sieben Zentimeter große Fledermaus in Hessen für erneuten politischen und juristischen Streit und verhindert eine ganze Autobahn: die A 44. Zumindest vorerst.

Nach einer Klage des Bundes für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) zugunsten von "Myotis blythii" hat das Bundesverwaltungsgericht in Leipzig den Bau eines der elf Abschnitte der Autobahn von Kassel nach Eisenach gestoppt. Die eigentliche Entscheidung über Bau oder Nichtbau steht allerdings noch aus.

Der Bürgermeister von Hessisch Lichtenau, 20 Kilometer südöstlich von Kassel, gilt als einer der eifrigsten Kämpfer für die 64 Kilometer lange Autobahn. Dafür legt sich der Sozialdemokrat gern mit dem BUND und notfalls auch mit der eigenen Partei an. "Wir brauchen die Autobahn. Die Gurkerei über enge Sträßchen ist nicht nur gefährlich und unökologisch, sie ist schlicht auch unwürdig."

Tags: fledermaus, naturschutz, mausohr, autobahn

The History of Colour Systems

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:47:50 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: bibliodyssey.blogspot.com

"The law of proportion according to which the several colours are formed,
even if a man knew he would be foolish in telling, for he could not give any
necessary reason, nor indeed any tolerable or probable explanation of them."
Plato Timaeus

Pythagoras ~550BC

Aristotle ~350BC

Aron Sigfrid Forsius 1611

Athanasius Kircher 1646

Sir Isaac Newton 1704

Ignaz Schiffermüller 1772

Tobias Mayer 1775

Philipp Otto Runge 1810

Michel Eugène Chevreul 1839

Albert Henry Munsell 1915

Michel Albert-Vanel 1983

The above illustrations come from The Colour Museum (in english, french and german) which gives a reasonably detailed overview of the history of the human conceptualization of colour. Many of their images are originals but it's a little hard to be sure at times. I suspect the contents of the site doesn't rise to the level of 'scholarship' but it is actually pretty fascinating nonetheless.
The University of Mannheim have a modest selection of original book illustrations on this subject.
Wikipedia on color.

Parents harm children's development by keeping them safe

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 08:59:24 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

It is a scene that epitomises childhood: young siblings racing towards a heavy oak tree, hauling themselves on to the lower branches and scrambling up as high as they can get. Yet millions of children are being deprived of such pleasure because their parents are nervous about exposing them to any risks, new research has revealed.

Children are not being allowed many of the freedoms that were taken for granted when we were children

They are not enjoying the opportunities to play outside that most people would have thought of as normal when they were growing up.

Last year, almost three times as many children were admitted to hospital after falling out of bed as those who had fallen from a tree

transformed how they experience childhood

children ought to be taking risks

Risk-taking increases

resilience

helps them make judgments

fire-building, den-making, watersports, paintballing, boxing and climbing trees

should be encouraged

your heart is in your mouth and that is normal

The Landscape Vortex: Spectacular Earth and Culture Dialogs

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:45:20 GMT

clipped by: lekahe

Clip Source: www.cultcase.com

The Landscape Vortex: Spectacular Earth and Culture Dialogs

Robert Smithson: from Spiral Jetty to Amarillo Ramp

D.A.ST: 100,000 Square Meters of Desert Breath

Crop Circles: From Bower and Chorley to The Circlemakers

Tags: art, environment, masterpieces, review

Young Children and Testing

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:28:39 GMT

clipped by: GeDeGe
clipper's remarks:

Dr. Daniel: High quality early childhood programs assess children’s learning to ensure that the curriculum is meeting young children’s needs. Curriculum and assessment occur in a never-ending cycle that allows teachers and parents to gather evidence of a child's progress in skill development as well as the understanding of concepts.

If parents or teachers suspect developmental delays, a developmental screening can let them know if a further diagnostic evaluation is necessary. The input of a specialist combined with the observations of parents and teachers can be used to further individualize the child’s learning environment to maximize their growth and all around development.

No one test or assessment should be used to determine a young child's future involvement in educational activities. NAEYC feels that high-stakes testing should not be employed among young children prior to the third grade. Young children are not reliable test-takers.

Clip Source: www.tolerance.org

"Get your daughter tested," a friend recently advised. "You'll need the test results to make the school put her in the high-level classes!"

My daughter is 2-years-old and African American, and two years shy of eligibility for public pre-k. I had expected tests to enter our lives at some point, just not this soon.

Is testing appropriate for a young child like mine? How should schools -- and parents -- think about and use test results?

Jerlean Daniel, Ph.D., Deputy Executive of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Testing should not be used as a primary measure of school-entry decisions, or used as the sole basis for placing children in a specific education program. Parents should be seriously concerned about the degree to which such a place will see their child as an individual and the degree to which the program will assist them in the development of all aspects of their child’s development.

Tags: testing, curriculum

Welcome to Human Anatomy Online

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:43:21 GMT

clipped by: Socratoad

Clip Source: www.innerbody.com

Begin your tour by choosing a system...

Skeletal

Digestive

Muscular

Lymphatic

Endocrine

Nervous

Cardiovascular

Male Reproductive

Female Reproductive

Urinary

100+ Resources for Teaching Without Textbooks

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:25:42 GMT

clipped by: Socratoad

Clip Source: www.teachingtips.com

The Ultimate Guide to Special Needs Teaching: 100+ Resources and Links

100+ Resources for Teaching Without Textbooks

What would your classroom be like without your students cracking open their oversized textbooks everyday? Probably a lot more interesting, especially for the kiddies. There are so many other resources out there for teachers to use, online and off, that teaching without textbooks is becoming more and more acceptable. If you don’t believe us, scroll down this list of over 100 different resources — including websites, iPod lectures and field trips — that will encourage you to toss out your textbooks.

Understanding How Students Respond to Technology

Before you can toss out the textbook and replace it with technology tools, you’ll need to understand how your students — whatever their age — respond to and work with technology.