How Smart Is Your Right Foot?

[2011.10.05] 一封網路郵件，「How Smart Is Your Right Foot?」，是一則廣為流傳的訊息，但這是真的，細節參見：「How Smart Is Your Right Foot?」《Museum of Hoaxes》(2005)。

大致為：右腳順時針轉，畫圓，再用右手寫6，即逆時針轉，這時右腳會不由自主地跟著右手。

仍有人回應說他可以outsmart 他的右腳；

有一則回應說，他可以右手/腳逆行，但他是個左撇子，左手/腳則不行了~~

It's a bit like the old "pat your head while rubbing the stomach" trick.

[結論]：人們對於左右的理解與實際行為是完全依印象，並不細思其理由與手腳的功用。那麼更遑論是否左右腦有關。看完這則，我還是不瞭解大腦(或是其他部位)對於肢體的控制。

《》『』「」【】

人要注意三個半分鐘，三個半小時

[2011.04.28] 再回來丟東西。這些網路流傳的東西其實是需要整理的。經驗算不算是個科學的結果？也許是，但還要更多的驗證。就留著等得驗證吧。


倒是，這個說科學家強調的「人要注意三個半分鐘，三個半小時」，不知是什麼樣的科學家~~

科學家經常強調一句話：
「人要注意三個半分鐘，三個半小時。」 『三個半分鐘』不花一分錢. 
  很多人白天好好的，說晚上死了，有人說，昨天我還見過他，怎麼就死了呢？

原因是，他夜晚下床上廁所太快了，突然一起床，腦缺血。   那麼科學家怎麼提出三個半分鐘呢？
  因為我們在遙! 控心電圖監測時，發現好多人白天心電圖正常，

突然晚上老是心肌缺血，提前收縮，是什麼道理呢？
  因為，他突然一起床，一下子血壓低了，腦缺血心臟停跳了。
  科學家就提出了三個半分鐘：

1.  醒過來不要馬上起床，在床上躺半分鐘；
2.  坐起來後又坐半分鐘；
3.  兩條腿垂在床沿又等半分鐘。
  經過這三個半分鐘，不花一分錢，腦不會缺血，心臟不會驟停，減少了很多不必要的瘁死（突然死亡），不必要的心肌梗塞，不必要的腦中風。
  有一次我講完課，有位老人大哭，我說：『你哭什麼呢？』他哭得非常傷心地說：『唉！我就是兩年前夜晚上廁所，上得快了一點、上得猛了一點，頭暈，結果呢，第二天半身不遂，整整在床上躺了八個月，背上長起了褥瘡。我早聽這節課，就不致於半身不遂了，早知道三個半分鐘，我哪至於受八個月的苦。」
  三個半小時，就是 ：

1.早上起來運動半個小時，打打太極拳、跑跑步，但不超過 三公里 ，或者進行其他運動，但要因人而異，運動需適量。

2.中午睡半小時，這是人生物鐘需要，中午睡上半小時，下午上班，精力特別充沛。老年人更需要補充睡眠。因晚上老人睡得早，起得早，中午非常需要休息。

3.晚上6至7時  慢步行走半小時，可減少心肌梗塞，高血壓發病率。

MicroRNA expression and turnover are regulated by neural activity in the retina and brain

ScienceDaily (2010-06-01) -- Scientists in Switzerland have found that microRNAs, small RNA regulators of gene expression, are up- and down-regulated in the retina during light-dark adaptation and in response to synaptic stimulation in hippocampal and cortical neurons. This important discovery provides an unexpected function for microRNAs: it shows that they are able to regulate rapidly the expression of synaptic proteins, which are involved in synapse plasticity and memory formation.


瑞士的科學家發現microRNAs的作用在視網膜。
(該要細讀一下microRNAs在神經元的作用及神經元的功能)



Journal Reference:
Jacek Krol, Volker Busskamp, Ilona Markiewicz, Michael B. Stadler, Sebastian Ribi, Jens Richter, Jens Duebel, Silvia Bicker, Hans Jörg Fehling, Dirk Schübeler. Characterizing Light-Regulated Retinal MicroRNAs Reveals Rapid Turnover as a Common Property of Neuronal MicroRNAs. Cell, 2010; 141 (4): 618 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2010.03.039

Epilepsy surgery can have beneficial effect on memory, research suggests

ScienceDaily (2010-06-01) -- Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy run the risk of gradual deterioration in their cognitive abilities. Surgical treatment generally puts an end to seizures but can have a negative effect on memory. However, there is no further deterioration in memory, and some patients may even recover some of their memory capacity, new research from Sweden reveals.


具抗藥性的癲癇患者，有感知能力退化的危險。手術對記憶力而言可能會有負面的作用,但可停止其記憶的繼續惡化。甚至某些病人會回復其部份的記憶能力。(論文)

Epilepsy 癲癇



Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of Gothenburg, via AlphaGalileo.

What happens when we get angry?

ScienceDaily (2010-06-01) -- When we get angry, the heart rate, arterial tension and testosterone production increases, cortisol (the stress hormone) decreases, and the left hemisphere of the brain becomes more stimulated. This is indicated by a new investigation that analyzes the changes in the brain's cardiovascular, hormonal and asymmetric activation response when we get angry.

我們生氣時，心率(heart rate), 動脈張力arterial tension and 睾酮；睾丸素testosterone production 增加, 可體松,皮質醇cortisol (the stress hormone)降低, and the left hemisphere of the brain becomes more stimulated.大腦左半邊較受刺激。


Journal Reference:
Neus Herrero, Marien Gadea, Gabriel Rodríguez-Alarcón, Raúl Espert, Alicia Salvador. What happens when we get angry? Hormonal, cardiovascular and asymmetrical brain responses. Hormones and Behavior, 2010; 57 (3): 276 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.12.008

Natural self-repair mechanisms that kick in after spinal cord injury identified

ScienceDaily (2010-05-31) -- University of Alberta researchers have identified one of the body's natural self-repair mechanisms that kick in after spinal cord(脊髓) injury which could lead to the development of more effective treatments.
脊髓受傷後，其自然的自體修復機制被發現，將可導致更多有效治療的發展。


To help understand the discovery the researchers say it is important to first describe the neurons in the spinal cord that control muscle contractions. These neurons represent a fairly autonomous part of the nervous system that control many basic functions such as walking and bladder control. These neurons are brought into a state of readiness by a transmitter called serotonin. Serotonin originates in the brain and projects down the spinal cord where it binds to serotonin receptors on the neurons. This process turns a quiet neuron into one that's ready to respond to fast inputs from the brain.


University of Alberta's Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine 復建醫學系？(病殘人的)康復


Journal Reference:
Katherine C Murray, Aya Nakae, Marilee J Stephens, Michelle Rank, Jessica D'Amico, Philip J Harvey, Xiaole Li, R Luke W Harris, Edward W Ballou, Roberta Anelli, Charles J Heckman, Takashi Mashimo, Romana Vavrek, Leo Sanelli, Monica A Gorassini, David J Bennett, Karim Fouad. Recovery of motoneuron and locomotor function after spinal cord injury depends on constitutive activity in 5-HT2C receptors. Nature Medicine, 2010; DOI: 10.1038/nm.2160

New analysis reveals clearer picture of brain’s language areas

新研究現大腦語言區的圖像。

每日科學（2010年5月23日） - 語言是一個使我們人類之所以為人類的決定性要素。雖然有些大腦裡的區域已知與語言相關聯，但長久以來，即便使用大腦成像技術，神經科學家們仍難以清楚的瞭解這些語言區的實際運作。著有一個令人驚訝的困難時使用的，準確地了解這些'語言區'的做法。在一個新的研究發表在神經生理學雜誌，麻省理工學院神經科學家報告了一種新方法來分析大腦成像數據，可能更清楚的描繪出我們的大腦如何產生和理解的語言。

《原件：》

New analysis reveals clearer picture of brain’s language areas

ScienceDaily (2010-05-23) -- Language is a defining aspect of what makes us human. Although some brain regions are known to be associated with language, neuroscientists have had a surprisingly difficult time using brain imaging technology to understand exactly what these 'language areas' are doing. Neuroscientists now report on a new method to analyze brain imaging data -- one that may paint a clearer picture of how our brain produces and understands language. ... > read full article

Journal Reference:
E. Fedorenko, P. J. Hsieh, A. Nieto Castanon, S. Whitfield-Gabrieli, N. Kanwisher. A new method for fMRI investigations of language: Defining ROIs functionally in individual subjects. Journal of Neurophysiology, 2010; DOI: 10.1152/jn.00032.2010