28 março 2015
Diamond Rings and Baily s Beads
Near the March 20 equinox the cold clear sky over Longyearbyen, Norway, planet Earth held an engaging sight, a total eclipse of the Sun. The New Moon's silhouette at stages just before and after the three minute long total phase seems to sprout glistening diamonds and bright beads in this time lapse composite of the geocentric celestial event. The last and first glimpses of the solar disk with the lunar limb surrounded by the glow of the Sun's inner corona give the impression of a diamond ring in the sky. At the boundaries of totality, sunlight streaming through valleys in the irregular terrain along the Moon's edge, produces an effect known as Baily's Beads, named after English astronomer Francis Baily who championed an explanation for the phenomenon in 1836. This sharp composition also shows off the array of pinkish solar prominences lofted above the edge of the eclipsed Sun.
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neurosciencestuff: How the brain «remembers» painScientists...
How the brain «remembers» pain
Scientists from Berne have discovered a mechanism, which is responsible for the chronification of pain in the brain. The results of their study suggest new strategies for the medical treatment of chronic pain.
Chronic pain is a common disease state, which affects more than one million people in Switzerland. Unfortunately, in a lot of cases proper treatment strategies are missing. «The constant perception of pain severely influences the quality of life of the patients and represents an extraordinary emotional burden», Thomas Nevian from the Department of Physiology at the University of Bern says. «Thus, understanding the development of chronic pain is of outmost importance for neuroscience research.»
Together with fellow researcher Mirko Santello, Nevian has discovered a cellular mechanism in the brain of mice that contributes to the development of chronic pain. The findings of the two Bernese researchers resulted in the development of a novel pharmacological treatment strategy for chronic pain. The study was published in the scientific journal «Neuron ».
Traces of pain
Nevian and Santello investigated the modification of neurons by chronic pain in a brain region called Gyrus Cinguli, which is associated with the emotional aspects of pain. In this context the establishment of a «pain memory» plays an important role, as Thomas Nevian explains. «The neurons are constantly activated by a noxious stimulus, thus building a memory trace for pain that becomes irreversible. Our idea was to understand this mechanism better to derive potential new treatment strategies.»
Pain is perceived by electrical impulses in the neurons. Therefore, the two researchers were searching for changes in the electrical properties of neurons in the limbic system. They found that neurons were more excitable in the Gyrus Cinguli. This was attributable to a down regulation of a specific ion channel, a protein in the cell membrane that determines the electrical properties of the cell. This led to an increased number of nerve impulses in these cells and thus to an increased perception of pain.
Serotonin receptors can alleviate pain
Santello and Nevian tried to manipulate this ion channel to reestablish its functionality. By activating a specific receptor sensitive to the neuromodulator serotonin they succeeded in reestablishing a normal function of the neuron. This reduced the pain perception in an animal model. «It has been known for some time that serotonin can modulate pain perception and the function of some drugs is based on this», Thomas Nevian says. «Nevertheless, what is new in our study now is that we were able to identify a specific subtype of serotonin receptor that reduced the perception of pain more efficiently. This is an important result, which might help to treat chronic pain more efficiently in the future.»
Furthermore, the results of the study suggest a novel mechanism how established drugs of the tryciclic class of antidepressants work. So far it was assumed that these drugs act in the periphery on nociceptors and in the spinal cord. The two scientists demonstrated that these drugs can also act directly on the perception of pain in the brain. However, Thomas Nevian emphasizes that «even though we made an important step forward now, it will take some time before novel drugs will be designed based on our results».
(Image: Shutterstock)
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slightlyusedcucumber:medicine-nerd:ladymasryah:radicalbundy:Blood...
Blood vessels of a real person who dedicated their body to science for display
How are these so clean like WOw bruh scalpel game strong
This is a corrosion model eg something like liquid plastic gets inserted in the blood vessels and then put in an acid bath that destroys the body.
oh
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William Shakespeare, Honorary Psychologist. (Image by Beshef via...
William Shakespeare, Honorary Psychologist. (Image by Beshef via flickr CC BY 2.0)
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March 28th 1871: Paris Commune declaredOn this day in 1871,...
A barricade of the Paris Commune on March 18th 1871
Adolphe Thiers (1797 - 1877)
Celebrations greeting the proclamation of the Commune, March 28th 1871
The Rue de Rivoli after Bloody Week ended the Paris Commune
March 28th 1871: Paris Commune declared
On this day in 1871, following elections held two days prior, the Paris Commune was officially proclaimed. The Commune seized power in opposition to the election of a conservative National Assembly February 1871; republican Parisians feared that when they met in Versailles the royalist Assembly would restore the monarchy. When officials of Adolphe Thiers’s government tried to remove the city guard’s cannons as a precautionary measure on March 18th, the people rebelled. The city guard called municipal elections for March 26th, which saw victory for the revolutionaries, who established the Commune to govern the city of Paris. On March 28th, the new government held its first meeting and was formally declared. The Commune immediately set about enacting socialist policies, which included a ten-hour work day, abolition of the death penalty, end of military conscription, banning established religion, and promoting female suffrage. They adopted a plain red flag as the flag of the Commune, and envisioned that the situation in Paris would encourage a nationwide revolution; though ultimately, similar attempts across France failed. The Commune’s lack of internal organisation left them vulnerable to attack, but the catalyst for retribution came when Communard soldiers killed two French troops. On May 21st, national forces entered Paris through an undefended area, launching a violent campaign of street fighting known as ‘Bloody Week’. Around 20,000 insurrectionists were killed before the Commune fell on May 28th. The government treated the surviving Communards and their supporters ruthlessly - arresting around 38,000 and deporting another 7,000. The Commune became a symbol of socialist revolution in Europe and further abroad, with their supporters lamenting the martyrdom of the Communards.
“Warned that Paris in arms possesses as much calm as bravery, that it supports order with as much energy as enthusiasm, that it sacrifices itself with as much reason as energy, that it only armed itself in devotion to the liberty and glory of all: let France cease this bloody conflict”
- from the Manifesto of the Paris Commune, April 19th 1871
Jerningham Wakefield, a New Zealand politician , was such a...
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Via: http://ift.tt/19V5cyI ‘On This Day in...
Via: http://ift.tt/19V5cyI ‘On This Day in Psychology: A Showcase of Great Pioneers and Defining Moments.’
Documenting a significant person, event or landmark in the history of psychology every day of the year, you’ll find this book a thoroughly engaging read whatever your connection with psychology - student, educator, professional or general interest.