The number of connections between nerve cells in the brain can be regulated by an immune system molecule, according to a new study from UC Davis. The research, published Feb. 27 in the journal Nature Neuroscience, reveals a potential link between immunity, infectious disease and conditions such as schizophrenia or autism.
The researchers looked at a protein called Major Histocompatibility Complex type 1 (MHC type I). In both rodents and humans, these proteins vary between individuals, and allow the immune system to distinguish between 'self' and 'non-self.' They play a role, for example, in rejecting transplanted organs and in defending against cancer and virus infections.
In this and another recently published study, McAllister's group found that MHC type I molecules are present on young brain cells during early postnatal development. To test their function, they studied mice lacking MHC type I on the surface of neurons, as well as isolated neurons from mice and rats with altered levels of MHC type I. They found that when the density of these molecules on the surface of a brain cell goes up, the number of connections, or synapses, it has with neighboring brain cells goes down. The reverse was also true: decreased MHC expression increased synaptic connections.
"But these immune proteins don't just regulate synapse density, they also determine the balance of excitation and inhibition on young neurons -- a property critical for information processing and plasticity in young brains."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-02/uoc--imr022511.php
28.2.11
Second language acquisition
Learning a language is about hearing it, reading it, and speaking it.
You learn about the sounds, the vocabulary and the structure by hearing it and reading it. This is how students learn their English in the traditional way, in school. They know a lot of vocabulary. They know a lot about grammar. But they cannot say it.
You internalize those knowledge into your own database by using it. Bring in action, games and activities to encourage learners to use the language they are learning. This is why enrolling your child in the English and Putonghua program in Le Beaumont is so important. Le Beaumont creates a language environment for people to interact in the target language.
Read to them, get them to read. You can do this at home. Show them movies, play them songs. You can also do this at home.
Let them play with each other in that language. You need a language environment. You need a facilitator. You need to bring your child to Le Beaumont, 2 to 3 times a week.
Costs a lot of money? You get more in return. Language is a learning tool. Your child becomes a much more confident and motivated learner. It improves the overall efficiency in learning in school.
You learn about the sounds, the vocabulary and the structure by hearing it and reading it. This is how students learn their English in the traditional way, in school. They know a lot of vocabulary. They know a lot about grammar. But they cannot say it.
You internalize those knowledge into your own database by using it. Bring in action, games and activities to encourage learners to use the language they are learning. This is why enrolling your child in the English and Putonghua program in Le Beaumont is so important. Le Beaumont creates a language environment for people to interact in the target language.
Read to them, get them to read. You can do this at home. Show them movies, play them songs. You can also do this at home.
Let them play with each other in that language. You need a language environment. You need a facilitator. You need to bring your child to Le Beaumont, 2 to 3 times a week.
Costs a lot of money? You get more in return. Language is a learning tool. Your child becomes a much more confident and motivated learner. It improves the overall efficiency in learning in school.
Models of Language Acquisition and Development
By ElizabethL, eHow Contributor
updated: February 22, 2011
How children learn to speak is the subject of much study.
Understanding how we learn language is an interesting and useful topic to study. There are many theories about how we acquire language, each with different strengths and weaknesses; some complement each other. The behaviorist, innateness, cognitive and social constructivist theories are four of the oldest and most widely discussed of the many available theories of language acquisition.
Behaviorist Theory
The behaviorist theory was developed by American psychologist B.F. Skinner (1904-1990), who studied the effects of punishment and reinforcement on behavior. His theory is simple: Babies begin babbling and cooing, and when they make noises that sound like words, the adults around them give them praise and attention, thus reinforcing the behavior and encouraging the child to make more noises that sound like words. This model, however, does not explain how or why older children rapidly acquire a large vocabulary and develop complex grammar skills. Although pure behaviorism has declined in recent times, the principles of the theory are still studied and have an impact on current behavioral theories.
Innateness Theory
The innateness theory was developed by the well-known American philosopher, linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky (b. 1928). It states that the ability to acquire language is innate in children. This is accomplished through a device called the language acquisition device (LAD) although what exactly this device might be is unknown. There is some evidence to support this theory in that there are universal features found in every language, such as nouns and verbs. The ability of children to acquire language rapidly, most being competent with creating complex sentences by the age of five or six, is one of the strongest supports for the theory. However, there are many other factors that influence language acquisition, such as feedback from others and environmental influences.
Cognitive Theory
The cognitive theory was developed by the Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980). It blends aspects of the behaviorist and innateness theories. Cognitive theory argues that children must experience a concept before they are able to link a word to it. As an example, a child must see and watch a cat before they are able to associate the word "cat" with the cat. This also explains why milestones for a child, such as first words and first steps, often coincide since the child must be able to move about and experience concepts before they are able to discuss them. This theory is well-regarded but has some flaws, including the inability to test the theory and the fact that paralyzed children or children with intellectual impairments still acquire language.
Social Constructiveness Theory
The social constructiveness theory, or social interactionist theory, was greatly influenced by the work of Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934). This theory argues that a child develops language because it is necessary for communicating wants and needs; a baby is able to communicate through crying, laughing, facial expressions and other physical displays but can't communicate complex thoughts. This theory is supported by the fact that adults change their vocabulary, pitch and speed of speech when talking to infants and young children--called baby talk--and children prefer listening to baby talk than the normal language used by adults. This indicates that language requires a teaching aspect. Social interaction is considered essential to language development in this theory.
http://www.ehow.com/info_7954105_models-language-acquisition-development.html
updated: February 22, 2011
How children learn to speak is the subject of much study.
Understanding how we learn language is an interesting and useful topic to study. There are many theories about how we acquire language, each with different strengths and weaknesses; some complement each other. The behaviorist, innateness, cognitive and social constructivist theories are four of the oldest and most widely discussed of the many available theories of language acquisition.
Behaviorist Theory
The behaviorist theory was developed by American psychologist B.F. Skinner (1904-1990), who studied the effects of punishment and reinforcement on behavior. His theory is simple: Babies begin babbling and cooing, and when they make noises that sound like words, the adults around them give them praise and attention, thus reinforcing the behavior and encouraging the child to make more noises that sound like words. This model, however, does not explain how or why older children rapidly acquire a large vocabulary and develop complex grammar skills. Although pure behaviorism has declined in recent times, the principles of the theory are still studied and have an impact on current behavioral theories.
Innateness Theory
The innateness theory was developed by the well-known American philosopher, linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky (b. 1928). It states that the ability to acquire language is innate in children. This is accomplished through a device called the language acquisition device (LAD) although what exactly this device might be is unknown. There is some evidence to support this theory in that there are universal features found in every language, such as nouns and verbs. The ability of children to acquire language rapidly, most being competent with creating complex sentences by the age of five or six, is one of the strongest supports for the theory. However, there are many other factors that influence language acquisition, such as feedback from others and environmental influences.
Cognitive Theory
The cognitive theory was developed by the Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980). It blends aspects of the behaviorist and innateness theories. Cognitive theory argues that children must experience a concept before they are able to link a word to it. As an example, a child must see and watch a cat before they are able to associate the word "cat" with the cat. This also explains why milestones for a child, such as first words and first steps, often coincide since the child must be able to move about and experience concepts before they are able to discuss them. This theory is well-regarded but has some flaws, including the inability to test the theory and the fact that paralyzed children or children with intellectual impairments still acquire language.
Social Constructiveness Theory
The social constructiveness theory, or social interactionist theory, was greatly influenced by the work of Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934). This theory argues that a child develops language because it is necessary for communicating wants and needs; a baby is able to communicate through crying, laughing, facial expressions and other physical displays but can't communicate complex thoughts. This theory is supported by the fact that adults change their vocabulary, pitch and speed of speech when talking to infants and young children--called baby talk--and children prefer listening to baby talk than the normal language used by adults. This indicates that language requires a teaching aspect. Social interaction is considered essential to language development in this theory.
http://www.ehow.com/info_7954105_models-language-acquisition-development.html
Parent–Infant Synchrony
Biological Foundations and Developmental Outcomes (1 Dec 2007)
Synchrony—a construct used across multiple fields to denote the temporal relationship between events—has been applied to the study of mother–infant interaction and is suggested here as a framework for the study of interpersonal relationships. Defined as the temporal coordination of micro-level social behavior, parent–infant synchrony is charted in its development across infancy from the initial consolidation of biological rhythms during pregnancy to the emergence of symbolic exchange between parent and child.
Synchrony is shown to depend on physiological mechanisms supporting bond formation in mammals—particularly physiological oscillators and neuroendocrine systems such as those involving the hormone oxytocin. Developmental outcomes of the synchrony experience are observed in the domains of self-regulation, symbol use, and the capacity for empathy across childhood and adolescence. Specific disruptions to the parameters of synchrony that may be observed in various pathological conditions, such as prematurity or maternal affective disorder, are detailed.
A time-based, micro-analytic behavioral approach to the study of human relationship may offer new insights on intersubjectivity across the lifespan.
Synchrony—a construct used across multiple fields to denote the temporal relationship between events—has been applied to the study of mother–infant interaction and is suggested here as a framework for the study of interpersonal relationships. Defined as the temporal coordination of micro-level social behavior, parent–infant synchrony is charted in its development across infancy from the initial consolidation of biological rhythms during pregnancy to the emergence of symbolic exchange between parent and child.
Synchrony is shown to depend on physiological mechanisms supporting bond formation in mammals—particularly physiological oscillators and neuroendocrine systems such as those involving the hormone oxytocin. Developmental outcomes of the synchrony experience are observed in the domains of self-regulation, symbol use, and the capacity for empathy across childhood and adolescence. Specific disruptions to the parameters of synchrony that may be observed in various pathological conditions, such as prematurity or maternal affective disorder, are detailed.
A time-based, micro-analytic behavioral approach to the study of human relationship may offer new insights on intersubjectivity across the lifespan.
27.2.11
Tweeting teenage songbirds reveal impact of social cues on learning
Sat, 02/26/2011
Social cues are well known to powerfully influence the processing and production of human speech. A 2003 study by Michael Goldstein and colleagues showed that, in the presence of their mothers, babies' babbling improves. The current study underscores the usefulness of songbirds as a model for understanding the brain mechanisms underlying social modulation of language learning and other motor skills.
http://machineslikeus.com/news/tweeting-teenage-songbirds-reveal-impact-social-cues-learning
Social cues are well known to powerfully influence the processing and production of human speech. A 2003 study by Michael Goldstein and colleagues showed that, in the presence of their mothers, babies' babbling improves. The current study underscores the usefulness of songbirds as a model for understanding the brain mechanisms underlying social modulation of language learning and other motor skills.
http://machineslikeus.com/news/tweeting-teenage-songbirds-reveal-impact-social-cues-learning
Brain Development Science Sheds Light on Teen Driving
By Laurence Steinberg, Ph.D.
In 2010, I chaired the National Academies Committee on the Science of Adolescence, and the main focus of our work was on adolescent risk taking. Not surprisingly, we spent a good deal of time talking about reckless driving, and how to prevent it.
Before the development of brain-imaging technology, scientists could only speculate about the workings of the adolescent brain. Now, however, using the same scanners that identify torn ligaments and tumors, researchers are able to see inside adolescents’ brains and watch what happens when they think. We now know that, other than the first three years of life, no period of development is characterized by more-dramatic brain changes than adolescence. The specific nature of these changes helps explain why adolescents may be especially inclined toward risky behavior.
A chemical in the brain called dopamine is responsible for the feeling of pleasure. When something enjoyable happens, we experience what some scientists have called a “dopamine squirt,” which leads to the sensation of pleasure. It makes us want whatever elicited the squirt, because the feeling of pleasure it produces is so strong.
We now know there is a rapid increase in dopamine activity in early adolescence — in fact, there is more dopamine activity in the brain’s reward center in early adolescence than at any other time of life. Because things feel especially pleasurable during early adolescence, young adolescents go out of their way to seek rewarding experiences. At all ages we seek out things that make us feel good, of course. But the push to do this is much more intense in early adolescence than before or after.
The urge to seek out rewarding and pleasurable experiences is a mixed blessing. On the plus side, it’s part of what makes it so much fun to be a teenager. But sometimes this drive is so intense adolescents can exhibit a sort of reward “tunnel vision.” They are so driven to seek pleasure they may not pay attention to the associated risks. To a teenager, the anticipation of driving fast can feel so good thoughts about a speeding ticket (or worse) don’t even make it onto the radar.
http://www.autoobserver.com/2011/02/brain-development-science-sheds-light-on-teen-driving.html
In 2010, I chaired the National Academies Committee on the Science of Adolescence, and the main focus of our work was on adolescent risk taking. Not surprisingly, we spent a good deal of time talking about reckless driving, and how to prevent it.
Before the development of brain-imaging technology, scientists could only speculate about the workings of the adolescent brain. Now, however, using the same scanners that identify torn ligaments and tumors, researchers are able to see inside adolescents’ brains and watch what happens when they think. We now know that, other than the first three years of life, no period of development is characterized by more-dramatic brain changes than adolescence. The specific nature of these changes helps explain why adolescents may be especially inclined toward risky behavior.
A chemical in the brain called dopamine is responsible for the feeling of pleasure. When something enjoyable happens, we experience what some scientists have called a “dopamine squirt,” which leads to the sensation of pleasure. It makes us want whatever elicited the squirt, because the feeling of pleasure it produces is so strong.
We now know there is a rapid increase in dopamine activity in early adolescence — in fact, there is more dopamine activity in the brain’s reward center in early adolescence than at any other time of life. Because things feel especially pleasurable during early adolescence, young adolescents go out of their way to seek rewarding experiences. At all ages we seek out things that make us feel good, of course. But the push to do this is much more intense in early adolescence than before or after.
The urge to seek out rewarding and pleasurable experiences is a mixed blessing. On the plus side, it’s part of what makes it so much fun to be a teenager. But sometimes this drive is so intense adolescents can exhibit a sort of reward “tunnel vision.” They are so driven to seek pleasure they may not pay attention to the associated risks. To a teenager, the anticipation of driving fast can feel so good thoughts about a speeding ticket (or worse) don’t even make it onto the radar.
http://www.autoobserver.com/2011/02/brain-development-science-sheds-light-on-teen-driving.html
26.2.11
Early childhood education vital
Breakfast speakers
February 25, 2011 - Amanda Alexander
Ninety percent of brain development occurs before a child turns 5, and the effects of quality education in the early years are far-reaching.
Dr. Richard Dowell, clinic director at the Children's Devleopment Center, believes the United States needs to shift its focus from teaching to learning. The health of a society is reflected in its dedication to education, Dowell said, and the United States has declined to No. 17 in the world despite spending more money on education than any other country. Dowell said teachers need to understand more about the way children's brains work to maximize their learning potential.
The first three years of life are an "astronomical growth phase" as brain cells are frantically making connections, Dowell said. That proliferation of connections is pruned by the brain; connections that go unused are cut, while those that are stimulated stay strong. That's why it's important to work with a child and play mentally stimulating games - it strengthens those connections.
Dowell said one of the most important aspects of child brain development is the fight-or-flight response. Once this becomes activated, the child has difficulty focusing and isn't able to learn as quickly. Children need to feel safe and secure to learn at their best. That's why Dowell said teachers need to emphasize organization and planning, while parents need to show consistency in discipline, which allows the child to have structure.
Timothy Gage, vice president of human resources for Brodart Co., spoke on the effect early childhood education has on the surrounding community.
When a community invests in early childhood education, he said, they are building a future workforce. Demands for education in the work force continue to increase, he said. The United States is falling behind in global competition, he said, because it does not invest in early childhood education.
"We invest the least amount (of money) during the most critical years," he said, adding: "Children who start behind too often stay behind."
During the early years, children learn to read; but from age 8 onward, they read to learn. Gage said if a child has not developed adequate literacy skills by that stage, the child will continue to fall behind.
[Sam: In the first 2 years, children learn to communicate. If a child has not developed adequate verbal communication skills, the child will continue to fall behind, for life.] Pay adequate attention to the early years.
http://www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/560720/Breakfast-speakers--Early-childhood-education-vital-to-workforce.html?nav=5011
February 25, 2011 - Amanda Alexander
Ninety percent of brain development occurs before a child turns 5, and the effects of quality education in the early years are far-reaching.
Dr. Richard Dowell, clinic director at the Children's Devleopment Center, believes the United States needs to shift its focus from teaching to learning. The health of a society is reflected in its dedication to education, Dowell said, and the United States has declined to No. 17 in the world despite spending more money on education than any other country. Dowell said teachers need to understand more about the way children's brains work to maximize their learning potential.
The first three years of life are an "astronomical growth phase" as brain cells are frantically making connections, Dowell said. That proliferation of connections is pruned by the brain; connections that go unused are cut, while those that are stimulated stay strong. That's why it's important to work with a child and play mentally stimulating games - it strengthens those connections.
Dowell said one of the most important aspects of child brain development is the fight-or-flight response. Once this becomes activated, the child has difficulty focusing and isn't able to learn as quickly. Children need to feel safe and secure to learn at their best. That's why Dowell said teachers need to emphasize organization and planning, while parents need to show consistency in discipline, which allows the child to have structure.
Timothy Gage, vice president of human resources for Brodart Co., spoke on the effect early childhood education has on the surrounding community.
When a community invests in early childhood education, he said, they are building a future workforce. Demands for education in the work force continue to increase, he said. The United States is falling behind in global competition, he said, because it does not invest in early childhood education.
"We invest the least amount (of money) during the most critical years," he said, adding: "Children who start behind too often stay behind."
During the early years, children learn to read; but from age 8 onward, they read to learn. Gage said if a child has not developed adequate literacy skills by that stage, the child will continue to fall behind.
[Sam: In the first 2 years, children learn to communicate. If a child has not developed adequate verbal communication skills, the child will continue to fall behind, for life.] Pay adequate attention to the early years.
http://www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/560720/Breakfast-speakers--Early-childhood-education-vital-to-workforce.html?nav=5011
23.2.11
生命的最初两年大脑发展是最活跃 Childhood development and education
The FINANCIAL -- Prenatal care and the quality of life experienced in the early years from birth to the first six years affect physical and brain development of children, and lay the foundation for cognitive and socio-emotional development in subsequent stages of their lives.
Investing in early childhood development and education yields high economic returns, is the most cost-effective strategy to break the inter-generational transmission of poverty, and improves productivity and social cohesion in the long run, says a World Bank study released here on February 22.
http://finchannel.com/category/Banking_Services_in_Georgia/
世界银行驻华代表处李莉
电话：86-10-5861 7850
Lli2@worldbank.org
2011年2月22日，北京：世界银行今天发布的新报告指出，产前护理和生命最初6年（0-6岁）的生活质量会影响儿童的身体和大脑发展，为以后人生各阶段的认知和社会情感发展奠定基础。对儿童早期发展和教育的投资可以获得高经济回报，因而是最具成本效益的投资策略，能够打破贫困的代际传递，从长远看提高社会生产力和促进社会融合。
这份标题为《中国的儿童早期发展和教育：打破贫穷的代际传递与改善未来的竞争力》的报告是由世界银行与国家人口计生委联合研究和撰写的，旨在为如何通过投资儿童早期发展和教育以促进中国人口的全面发展提供建议。报告回顾了0-6岁儿童的发展现状，评估了公共财政投入和民间投入对于获得均等服务的影响，探究了为未能获得服务的儿童提供服务的政策选择。报告中的数据来自于中国相关部委和国际权威组织机构，以及在湖南完成的入户调查，以此对照发展水平，识别差距和评估相关政策。
国家人口计划生育委员会副主任赵白鸽指出: “中国每年约有1600万新出生人口，0-6岁的儿童总人数约1亿。这1亿儿童，是民族的未来，是每个家庭的寄托与希望。儿童时期是人生发展的关键时期，儿童早期生活的经历和体验对其智力、性格及社会行为形成有重大影响。如果错过人生早期阶段呈现出来的机会窗口，就时间和资源而言，未来要建立一个成功的生命历程的成本和难度都越来越大。”
负责此研究项目的世行中国局首席教育专家邬建冰说：“在生命的最初两年大脑发展是最活跃的，提供营养、保健和早期激励可以极大地加强儿童未来的身体和认知发展。”
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTCHINESEHOME/EXTNEWSCHINESE/0,,contentMDK:22838538~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:3196538,00.html
Investing in early childhood development and education yields high economic returns, is the most cost-effective strategy to break the inter-generational transmission of poverty, and improves productivity and social cohesion in the long run, says a World Bank study released here on February 22.
http://finchannel.com/category/Banking_Services_in_Georgia/
世界银行驻华代表处李莉
电话：86-10-5861 7850
Lli2@worldbank.org
2011年2月22日，北京：世界银行今天发布的新报告指出，产前护理和生命最初6年（0-6岁）的生活质量会影响儿童的身体和大脑发展，为以后人生各阶段的认知和社会情感发展奠定基础。对儿童早期发展和教育的投资可以获得高经济回报，因而是最具成本效益的投资策略，能够打破贫困的代际传递，从长远看提高社会生产力和促进社会融合。
这份标题为《中国的儿童早期发展和教育：打破贫穷的代际传递与改善未来的竞争力》的报告是由世界银行与国家人口计生委联合研究和撰写的，旨在为如何通过投资儿童早期发展和教育以促进中国人口的全面发展提供建议。报告回顾了0-6岁儿童的发展现状，评估了公共财政投入和民间投入对于获得均等服务的影响，探究了为未能获得服务的儿童提供服务的政策选择。报告中的数据来自于中国相关部委和国际权威组织机构，以及在湖南完成的入户调查，以此对照发展水平，识别差距和评估相关政策。
国家人口计划生育委员会副主任赵白鸽指出: “中国每年约有1600万新出生人口，0-6岁的儿童总人数约1亿。这1亿儿童，是民族的未来，是每个家庭的寄托与希望。儿童时期是人生发展的关键时期，儿童早期生活的经历和体验对其智力、性格及社会行为形成有重大影响。如果错过人生早期阶段呈现出来的机会窗口，就时间和资源而言，未来要建立一个成功的生命历程的成本和难度都越来越大。”
负责此研究项目的世行中国局首席教育专家邬建冰说：“在生命的最初两年大脑发展是最活跃的，提供营养、保健和早期激励可以极大地加强儿童未来的身体和认知发展。”
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTCHINESEHOME/EXTNEWSCHINESE/0,,contentMDK:22838538~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:3196538,00.html
20.2.11
Irish language: not just a Gaeltacht issue
Is Fine Gael’s proposal to make Irish an optional Leaving Cert subject a liberation from schoolroom misery or a fast track to oblivion for the national language? Either way, it provokes strong views
It is as simple as this: if you don’t have to do a subject for your Leaving Cert, you aren’t going to study it. And Irish is a subject where some parents can’t help.
“So the language is going to suffer. This is not solely a Gaeltacht issue. People look at the economic implications, the 672 houses in the country, but Irish has a huge economic impact: the colleges bring €60 million per annum into one of the most economically deprived areas in the country. And it supports a way of living in the country. We do feel that this is central to our own national identity. A lot of people who come to the Gaeltacht are very enthusiastic about the language. We call them ‘repeat offenders’. But most of these kids come with a real grá for the language from home. Gaeltacht kids come there for the summer, too.”
[Sam: an interesting case of a language struggling for survival.]
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2011/0219/1224290260211.html
It is as simple as this: if you don’t have to do a subject for your Leaving Cert, you aren’t going to study it. And Irish is a subject where some parents can’t help.
“So the language is going to suffer. This is not solely a Gaeltacht issue. People look at the economic implications, the 672 houses in the country, but Irish has a huge economic impact: the colleges bring €60 million per annum into one of the most economically deprived areas in the country. And it supports a way of living in the country. We do feel that this is central to our own national identity. A lot of people who come to the Gaeltacht are very enthusiastic about the language. We call them ‘repeat offenders’. But most of these kids come with a real grá for the language from home. Gaeltacht kids come there for the summer, too.”
[Sam: an interesting case of a language struggling for survival.]
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2011/0219/1224290260211.html
18.2.11
Fetal neurons show firing patterns
Science News
February 16, 2011
Nerve cells from developing brains as young as 20 weeks old fire in a pattern that persists into adulthood, researchers report February 15 in the Journal of Neuroscience. The research provides a glimpse into the behavior of extremely young brain cells and could help scientists understand what happens when brain development goes awry.
Cells from the cerebral cortices of 20- to 21-week-old fetuses exhibit bursts of electrical activity interspersed with periods of quiet, researchers from the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington found. When the adult brain is sleeping, or under anesthesia, it also displays this busy-then-quiet firing pattern, suggesting it may be an intrinsic property of human brains.
The cerebral cortex deals with sensory information, thinking, emotion and consciousness. But even when not receiving input from the outside world, the nerve cells, or neurons, in this region oscillate between firing and resting.
http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2011/02/16/brain-cells-start-sending-signals-early
February 16, 2011
Nerve cells from developing brains as young as 20 weeks old fire in a pattern that persists into adulthood, researchers report February 15 in the Journal of Neuroscience. The research provides a glimpse into the behavior of extremely young brain cells and could help scientists understand what happens when brain development goes awry.
Cells from the cerebral cortices of 20- to 21-week-old fetuses exhibit bursts of electrical activity interspersed with periods of quiet, researchers from the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington found. When the adult brain is sleeping, or under anesthesia, it also displays this busy-then-quiet firing pattern, suggesting it may be an intrinsic property of human brains.
The cerebral cortex deals with sensory information, thinking, emotion and consciousness. But even when not receiving input from the outside world, the nerve cells, or neurons, in this region oscillate between firing and resting.
http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2011/02/16/brain-cells-start-sending-signals-early
Delivery Early May Mean Developmental Delays
US News, Science
February 17, 2011
"There's a reason why normal gestation is 40 weeks," said Dr. Marty Ellington Jr., chairman of the department of pediatrics at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "If a child needs to be delivered for a maternal or infant medical condition, care has advanced where those children can do quite well. But we should never discount the importance of those two to four weeks. If we have a choice, we would want the child to go to term."
Woythaler said more research is needed to determine how to best help preterm babies suffering developmental delays reach the same level as their peers carried to term.
"Very premature infants automatically get referred to early intervention," she said. "Not these infants. Not all of these infants are doing poorly -- a lot are doing well and normally. Once we can pinpoint which infants can benefit from early intervention, that's the point we can do something."
Ellington pointed out that gender and medical issues that contribute to developmental delays in this group can't be changed, but "the social component is modifiable with respect to early intervention programs."
"When put into a whole, [the delays] can significantly impact a child's performance, particularly as they reach school age," he said. "They compound each other and make it difficult for a child to function in a normal classroom."
[Sam: Create a warm, interactive environment rich in language stimulation, whether your baby is born full term or early, but especially if born early.]
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/womens-health/articles/2011/02/17/delivery-even-a-bit-early-may-mean-developmental-delays
February 17, 2011
"There's a reason why normal gestation is 40 weeks," said Dr. Marty Ellington Jr., chairman of the department of pediatrics at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "If a child needs to be delivered for a maternal or infant medical condition, care has advanced where those children can do quite well. But we should never discount the importance of those two to four weeks. If we have a choice, we would want the child to go to term."
Woythaler said more research is needed to determine how to best help preterm babies suffering developmental delays reach the same level as their peers carried to term.
"Very premature infants automatically get referred to early intervention," she said. "Not these infants. Not all of these infants are doing poorly -- a lot are doing well and normally. Once we can pinpoint which infants can benefit from early intervention, that's the point we can do something."
Ellington pointed out that gender and medical issues that contribute to developmental delays in this group can't be changed, but "the social component is modifiable with respect to early intervention programs."
"When put into a whole, [the delays] can significantly impact a child's performance, particularly as they reach school age," he said. "They compound each other and make it difficult for a child to function in a normal classroom."
[Sam: Create a warm, interactive environment rich in language stimulation, whether your baby is born full term or early, but especially if born early.]
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/womens-health/articles/2011/02/17/delivery-even-a-bit-early-may-mean-developmental-delays
13.2.11
Importance of Early Childhood
Research has shown that healthy emotional, social, and intellectual brain development in young children is a critical foundation for later success in school and in life. By investing in our State’s young children and their development, we invest in our future. With a solid early childhood, a child is more likely to grow up to become part of a solid community and contribute to society.
Environmental factors – not just genetics – impact early childhood brain development. When young children experience prolonged stress, their early brain development is jeopardized. However, early brain development thrives when parents, families, and communities nurture young children through stimulating, safe, and stable environments.
http://keccs.org/guiding_principles.html
Environmental factors – not just genetics – impact early childhood brain development. When young children experience prolonged stress, their early brain development is jeopardized. However, early brain development thrives when parents, families, and communities nurture young children through stimulating, safe, and stable environments.
http://keccs.org/guiding_principles.html
10.2.11
Better English Writing
The King's English, Fowler, 1906
Prefer the familiar word to the far=fetched.
Prefer the concrete word to the abstract.
Prefer the single word to the circumlocution.
Prefer the short word to the long.
Prefer the Saxon word to the Romance.
* * * * *
Politics and the English Writing, George Orwell
1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive when you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything barbarous.
* * * * *
Strictly English, Simon Heffer, 2010
1. Playing by the rules.
2. Economy is the best policy.
3. Short sharp sentences.
4. Breaking things up.
5. Killer (emphatic) noun is better than the adjective.
6. Fewer repeats.
7. A logical order of words.
8. No showing off.
9. Mind your idioms.
10. Keep your metaphor fresh.
11. A persuasive tone.
12. Time for a laugh.
Prefer the familiar word to the far=fetched.
Prefer the concrete word to the abstract.
Prefer the single word to the circumlocution.
Prefer the short word to the long.
Prefer the Saxon word to the Romance.
* * * * *
Politics and the English Writing, George Orwell
1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive when you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything barbarous.
* * * * *
Strictly English, Simon Heffer, 2010
1. Playing by the rules.
2. Economy is the best policy.
3. Short sharp sentences.
4. Breaking things up.
5. Killer (emphatic) noun is better than the adjective.
6. Fewer repeats.
7. A logical order of words.
8. No showing off.
9. Mind your idioms.
10. Keep your metaphor fresh.
11. A persuasive tone.
12. Time for a laugh.
Study: Why Language Has More to Do with Math than You Think
Research on child development shows that kids start by memorizing numbers as an ordered list. They can recite the numbers from 1 through 10, but if you ask them to give you three apples, they're just as likely to give you five or seven.
The age at which kids start connecting their ordered list to numbers of things depends a lot on how much reinforcement they have from adults. Some children learn to count by age two; others, usually from disadvantaged households, arrive at school not knowing what "two" means. The homesigners represent those disadvantaged kids taken to the extreme.
"Language input is important for everybody's representation of number, and how counting works," Spaepen told Wired. "This isn't something you just get for free because you're human. It depends on the quality and amount of input you get. If you're not getting it in your language, you're not going to just come up with it on your own."
[Beaumont Gifted Babies Program would strengthen maths training through games.]
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/02/09/study-why-language-has-more-to-do-with-math-than-you-think
The age at which kids start connecting their ordered list to numbers of things depends a lot on how much reinforcement they have from adults. Some children learn to count by age two; others, usually from disadvantaged households, arrive at school not knowing what "two" means. The homesigners represent those disadvantaged kids taken to the extreme.
"Language input is important for everybody's representation of number, and how counting works," Spaepen told Wired. "This isn't something you just get for free because you're human. It depends on the quality and amount of input you get. If you're not getting it in your language, you're not going to just come up with it on your own."
[Beaumont Gifted Babies Program would strengthen maths training through games.]
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/02/09/study-why-language-has-more-to-do-with-math-than-you-think
9.2.11
WORKING PAPER #11, National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Ages 3 to 5
WORKING PAPER #11, National Scientific Council on the Developing Child
Ages 3 to 5: Development of Executive Function
Being able to focus, hold, and work with information in mind, filter distractions, and switch gears is like having an air traffic control system at a busy airport to manage the arrivals and departures of dozens of planes on multiple runways. In the brain, this air traffic control mechanism is called executive functioning, a group of skills that helps us to focus on multiple streams of information at the same time, and revise plans as necessary. Acquiring the early building blocks of these skills is one of the most important and challenging tasks of the early childhood years, and the opportunity to build further on these rudimentary capacities is critical to healthy development through middle childhood and adolescence.
A range of tests measuring different forms of executive function skills indicates that they begin to develop shortly after birth, with ages 3 to 5 providing a window of opportunity for dramatic growth in these skills. Growth continues throughout adolescence and early adulthood; proficiency begins to decline in later life.
Children's social play is believed to be an important practice ground for the development of executive function skills. Le Beaumont is applying this dimension to its highly interactive “Budding Genius” program for children from 3 to 5 in all languages.
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/library/reports_and_working_papers/working_papers/wp11/
Ages 3 to 5: Development of Executive Function
Being able to focus, hold, and work with information in mind, filter distractions, and switch gears is like having an air traffic control system at a busy airport to manage the arrivals and departures of dozens of planes on multiple runways. In the brain, this air traffic control mechanism is called executive functioning, a group of skills that helps us to focus on multiple streams of information at the same time, and revise plans as necessary. Acquiring the early building blocks of these skills is one of the most important and challenging tasks of the early childhood years, and the opportunity to build further on these rudimentary capacities is critical to healthy development through middle childhood and adolescence.
A range of tests measuring different forms of executive function skills indicates that they begin to develop shortly after birth, with ages 3 to 5 providing a window of opportunity for dramatic growth in these skills. Growth continues throughout adolescence and early adulthood; proficiency begins to decline in later life.
Children's social play is believed to be an important practice ground for the development of executive function skills. Le Beaumont is applying this dimension to its highly interactive “Budding Genius” program for children from 3 to 5 in all languages.
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/library/reports_and_working_papers/working_papers/wp11/
7.2.11
Brain Development Basics
MAKING CONNECTIONS
A child is born with over 100 billion neurons or brain cells. These neurons make connections with each other to make up the wiring of the brain. The brain physically grows as these connections are made. It is primarily experience that influences the creation of these connections.
EARLY EXPERIENCES
The brain has to have experiences to develop. After eight months of experiences, an infant may already have 1,000 trillion connections created. Because the brain adapts to the environment it is exposed to, it will make connections based on either repeated negative experiences or repeated positive experiences.
CREATING ABILITIES
The brain develops through a "use it or lose it" process: connections that are frequently used are retained. Other connections that are not repeatedly used will be pruned or eliminated so the active connections can become stronger. Abilities are are developed through this process.
Opportunities to play and explore with real objects is the way strong connections and abilities are developed best. Computer games and flashcards are not ideal ways to develop healthy brains. Physical activity, time spent outdoors, good nutrition, plenty of sleep, safe environments, regular routines, and predictable loving relationships all contribute to optimal brain growth.
LEARNING LANGUAGE
Early adult-child interactions have a dramatic impact on brain development. Researchers have shown that when parents spoke to their infants often, children learned almost 300 more words by age two than did children whose parents rarely spoke to them.
Exposure to language through television or DVDs does not provide benefits. Infants need to interact directly with others. Children need to hear people talk to them about what they are seeing and experiencing throughout the day for their brains to fully develop language skills.
[Share this with your friends]
http://braininsights.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-06%3A00&updated-max=2012-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=19
A child is born with over 100 billion neurons or brain cells. These neurons make connections with each other to make up the wiring of the brain. The brain physically grows as these connections are made. It is primarily experience that influences the creation of these connections.
EARLY EXPERIENCES
The brain has to have experiences to develop. After eight months of experiences, an infant may already have 1,000 trillion connections created. Because the brain adapts to the environment it is exposed to, it will make connections based on either repeated negative experiences or repeated positive experiences.
CREATING ABILITIES
The brain develops through a "use it or lose it" process: connections that are frequently used are retained. Other connections that are not repeatedly used will be pruned or eliminated so the active connections can become stronger. Abilities are are developed through this process.
Opportunities to play and explore with real objects is the way strong connections and abilities are developed best. Computer games and flashcards are not ideal ways to develop healthy brains. Physical activity, time spent outdoors, good nutrition, plenty of sleep, safe environments, regular routines, and predictable loving relationships all contribute to optimal brain growth.
LEARNING LANGUAGE
Early adult-child interactions have a dramatic impact on brain development. Researchers have shown that when parents spoke to their infants often, children learned almost 300 more words by age two than did children whose parents rarely spoke to them.
Exposure to language through television or DVDs does not provide benefits. Infants need to interact directly with others. Children need to hear people talk to them about what they are seeing and experiencing throughout the day for their brains to fully develop language skills.
[Share this with your friends]
http://braininsights.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-06%3A00&updated-max=2012-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=19
The more languages a person learns, the higher the intelligence
Researchers found that students who know two languages have an easier time gaining command of a third language than students who are fluent in only one language.
Bilinguals find it easier to learn a third language, as they gain a better aptitude for languages, a new study from the University of Haifa reveals.
Prof. Salim Abu-Rabia and Ekaterina Sanitsky of the Department of Special Education, who conducted the study, set out to examine what benefits bilingualism might have in the process of learning a third language. They hypothesized that students who know two languages would have an easier time gaining control over a third language than would students who are fluent in only one language.
For this study, two groups of 6th grade students in Israel were chosen to represent a sample of students studying English as a foreign language. The first group comprised 40 students, immigrants from the FSU whose mother tongue is Russian and who speak fluent Hebrew as a second language. The second group comprised 42 native Hebrew-speaking students with no fluency in another language, besides the English being studied in school as a foreign language.
After comparing and merging the results of these tests, the researchers were able to conclude that those students whose mother tongue was Russian demonstrated higher proficiency not only in the new language, English, but also in Hebrew.
They found that the total average between the tests of the two groups was above 13% in the Russian-speakers' favor. Some of the specific tests showed particularly wide gaps in command of English, the Russian speakers achieving the higher scores: in writing skills, there was a 20% gap between the scores; in orthographic ability, the gap reached up to 22%; and in morphology it soared as high as 35%.
In the intelligence test (the Raven Progressive Matrices test), the gap was over 7% on the side of the Russian speakers. According to the researchers, these results show that the more languages a person learns, the higher his or her intelligence will be.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/bilinguals-find-it-easier-to-learn-a-third-language
Bilinguals find it easier to learn a third language, as they gain a better aptitude for languages, a new study from the University of Haifa reveals.
Prof. Salim Abu-Rabia and Ekaterina Sanitsky of the Department of Special Education, who conducted the study, set out to examine what benefits bilingualism might have in the process of learning a third language. They hypothesized that students who know two languages would have an easier time gaining control over a third language than would students who are fluent in only one language.
For this study, two groups of 6th grade students in Israel were chosen to represent a sample of students studying English as a foreign language. The first group comprised 40 students, immigrants from the FSU whose mother tongue is Russian and who speak fluent Hebrew as a second language. The second group comprised 42 native Hebrew-speaking students with no fluency in another language, besides the English being studied in school as a foreign language.
After comparing and merging the results of these tests, the researchers were able to conclude that those students whose mother tongue was Russian demonstrated higher proficiency not only in the new language, English, but also in Hebrew.
They found that the total average between the tests of the two groups was above 13% in the Russian-speakers' favor. Some of the specific tests showed particularly wide gaps in command of English, the Russian speakers achieving the higher scores: in writing skills, there was a 20% gap between the scores; in orthographic ability, the gap reached up to 22%; and in morphology it soared as high as 35%.
In the intelligence test (the Raven Progressive Matrices test), the gap was over 7% on the side of the Russian speakers. According to the researchers, these results show that the more languages a person learns, the higher his or her intelligence will be.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/bilinguals-find-it-easier-to-learn-a-third-language
5.2.11
Gut Bacteria Influences Brain Development
On February 1, 2011, in Medical Science, by Christopher Fisher, PhD
A team of scientists from across the globe have found that gut bacteria may influence mammalian brain development and adult behavior. The study is published in the scientific journal PNAS, and is the result of an ongoing collaboration between scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the Genome Institute of Singapore. Check the end of this report for a link to download the full-text original study while available.
The research team compared behavior and gene expression in two groups of mice – those raised with normal microorganisms, and those raised in the absence of microorganisms (or germ-free mice). The scientists observed that adult germ-free mice displayed different behavior from mice with normal microbiota, suggesting that gut bacteria may have a significant effect on the development of the brain in mammals.
The adult germ-free mice were observed to be more active and engaged in more ‘risky’ behavior than mice raised with normal microorganisms. When germ-free mice were exposed to normal microorganisms very early in life, as adults they developed the behavioral characteristics of those exposed to microorganisms from birth. In contrast, colonizing adult germ-free mice with bacteria did not influence their behavior.
Subsequent gene profiling in the brain identified genes and signaling pathways involved in learning, memory, and motor control that were affected by the absence of gut bacteria, which highlights the profound changes in the mice that developed in the absence of microorganisms. This suggests that, over the course of evolution, colonization of the gut by microorganisms (in total 1.5 kilograms) in early infancy became integrated into early brain development.
“The data suggests that there is a critical period early in life when gut microorganisms affect the brain and change the behavior in later life”, says Dr. Rochellys Diaz Heijtz, first author of the study.
“Not only are signal substances like serotonin and dopamine subject to regulation by bacteria, synapse function also appears to be regulated by colonizing bacteria”, continues Prof. Sven Pettersson, coordinator of the study. “However, it is important to note that this new knowledge can be applied only to mice, and that it is too early to say anything about the effect of gut bacteria on the human brain.”
http://www.bmedreport.com/archives/22726
A team of scientists from across the globe have found that gut bacteria may influence mammalian brain development and adult behavior. The study is published in the scientific journal PNAS, and is the result of an ongoing collaboration between scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the Genome Institute of Singapore. Check the end of this report for a link to download the full-text original study while available.
The research team compared behavior and gene expression in two groups of mice – those raised with normal microorganisms, and those raised in the absence of microorganisms (or germ-free mice). The scientists observed that adult germ-free mice displayed different behavior from mice with normal microbiota, suggesting that gut bacteria may have a significant effect on the development of the brain in mammals.
The adult germ-free mice were observed to be more active and engaged in more ‘risky’ behavior than mice raised with normal microorganisms. When germ-free mice were exposed to normal microorganisms very early in life, as adults they developed the behavioral characteristics of those exposed to microorganisms from birth. In contrast, colonizing adult germ-free mice with bacteria did not influence their behavior.
Subsequent gene profiling in the brain identified genes and signaling pathways involved in learning, memory, and motor control that were affected by the absence of gut bacteria, which highlights the profound changes in the mice that developed in the absence of microorganisms. This suggests that, over the course of evolution, colonization of the gut by microorganisms (in total 1.5 kilograms) in early infancy became integrated into early brain development.
“The data suggests that there is a critical period early in life when gut microorganisms affect the brain and change the behavior in later life”, says Dr. Rochellys Diaz Heijtz, first author of the study.
“Not only are signal substances like serotonin and dopamine subject to regulation by bacteria, synapse function also appears to be regulated by colonizing bacteria”, continues Prof. Sven Pettersson, coordinator of the study. “However, it is important to note that this new knowledge can be applied only to mice, and that it is too early to say anything about the effect of gut bacteria on the human brain.”
http://www.bmedreport.com/archives/22726
日本官民与美国记者争论钓鱼岛主权
日本各大传媒周五（1月28日）纷纷报道了美国《纽约时报》周四刊登了日本政府反驳该报最近刊登一名专栏记者的文章说，中国拥有强有力的钓鱼岛（日本叫尖阁诸岛）主权根据的观点。日本网民也再次掀起了激烈谴责声浪。
名记者的观点
日本这篇反驳文章是外务省发言人佐藤悟对《纽约时报》的投稿。文章中说：“日本政府在1895年1月确认了尖阁诸岛没住民、不受任何国家支配下，正式编入本国领土”，强调钓鱼岛是日本的固有领土。
日本传媒周五纷纷指出，日本政府是为了反驳《纽约时报》1月20日刊登专栏记者尼古拉斯· 纪思道（Nicholas Kristof）的文章投了稿。
这实际上是日本政府与纪思道争论的持续，不过因为争论持续和公开化，使得论战更受瞩目，并向更广泛的国际空间扩大。
曾经出任《纽约时报》东京分社长、两次获得美国记者最高荣誉的普利策奖（Pulitzer Prize）的纪思道首次发表同类观点，是在去年9月10日的《纽约时报》专栏。他分析中日关系时，说他个人觉得钓鱼岛可能是中国的领土。
日本官民的反弹
在日本传媒哗然中，日本驻纽约领事馆说明9月17日该领馆公关负责人川村泰久把日本政府的反驳文直接交给了纪思道。
但9月20日纪思道在专栏里重申了他的观点，并形容“日本政府善于篡改历史”。他还分析中日如争夺钓鱼岛发生冲突时，美国不可能动用《日美安全保障条约》来维护日本。
纪思道周四的专栏主要是分析中国的货币、人权和领土政策，他指出中国具有攻击性，但也重申他个人认为中国拥有钓鱼岛的主张有强有力的历史依据。
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/world/2011/01/110128_japan_china_usa.shtml
名记者的观点
日本这篇反驳文章是外务省发言人佐藤悟对《纽约时报》的投稿。文章中说：“日本政府在1895年1月确认了尖阁诸岛没住民、不受任何国家支配下，正式编入本国领土”，强调钓鱼岛是日本的固有领土。
日本传媒周五纷纷指出，日本政府是为了反驳《纽约时报》1月20日刊登专栏记者尼古拉斯· 纪思道（Nicholas Kristof）的文章投了稿。
这实际上是日本政府与纪思道争论的持续，不过因为争论持续和公开化，使得论战更受瞩目，并向更广泛的国际空间扩大。
曾经出任《纽约时报》东京分社长、两次获得美国记者最高荣誉的普利策奖（Pulitzer Prize）的纪思道首次发表同类观点，是在去年9月10日的《纽约时报》专栏。他分析中日关系时，说他个人觉得钓鱼岛可能是中国的领土。
日本官民的反弹
在日本传媒哗然中，日本驻纽约领事馆说明9月17日该领馆公关负责人川村泰久把日本政府的反驳文直接交给了纪思道。
但9月20日纪思道在专栏里重申了他的观点，并形容“日本政府善于篡改历史”。他还分析中日如争夺钓鱼岛发生冲突时，美国不可能动用《日美安全保障条约》来维护日本。
纪思道周四的专栏主要是分析中国的货币、人权和领土政策，他指出中国具有攻击性，但也重申他个人认为中国拥有钓鱼岛的主张有强有力的历史依据。
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/world/2011/01/110128_japan_china_usa.shtml
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