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There seems to be two recent topics that people have taken issue with.

First of all, I don't want this to be a heavily moderated community. I don't believe there's a need, and unless and until insults are thrown around or posts get wildly off topic, I will not get involved.

Yes, I consider a post on the possible ramifications of CNS warfare to be relevant enough for this community. No, I will not freeze the comments just because some readers don't think a relevant or useful conversation is happening, or could happen. If a reader doesn't consider the post to be of interest, or is not learning anything from it...then that reader could consider not returning to the post.

Or perhaps one could ask: WHY is a relevant discussion not happening? How could I add to this discussion? Do I know anything about the topic? What can I find out about the topic? Could this post be a starting point for a possible area of research for myself?

If one should determine that he or she has nothing to add, or if this all sounds too tedious, that's fair enough. Then leave it alone.

It is not okay to start name-calling in this community, no matter how one feels about the topic being posted, or about the person posting the topic.

The second issue is dealing with medical advice and opinions. This is not a community of medical professionals, and even if it was, we couldn't/wouldn't/shouldn't give specific advice over the internet. I will add a statement to this effect to the community's userinfo page.

However, it is acceptable to post general questions here about medical situations involving the brain. Those of us who have an interest or education in neuroscience have a broader range of knowledge to draw from than the average person does, and this community is a place to share this information.

It's terrific that some readers left comments that expressed compassion/sympathy for the original poster, included what they knew about the subject, and reminded the original poster that they/we are not medical professionals and cannot give medical advice. These were appropriate responses.

On a personal note, my twin brother was in a coma after a car accident several years ago, and I was relieved that I already knew a lot about the brain and what happens during recovery from a closed head injury. This situation can be devastating, confusing, terribly mysterious and incredibly emotional for the average person whose loved one is affected. Please remember, there are a lot of questions about whats going on, and people don't always know where to look or who to turn to for even general information. A referral to a useful resource from the knowledgeable members of this community can do a lot to help a person make sense of things.

What are we here for, if not to educate and inform each other?

I am open to feedback on my stances, if one should feel strongly about them one way or the other.
(My twin brother, by the way, is recovered and doing just fine!)

Finally, thank you to everyone involved in this community. I rarely have to step in to sort things out, and I deeply appreciate that you are all as respectful, intelligent, and passionate as you are.

or what would you do?

(other then go back to the corrupt government
which is activily trying to murder you
for what you know and have witnessed?)

*(to make this question clear to some people compelled by their own inner voices to respond without understanding the question or application)

can you think of any or do you as neuroscientists, know of any agencies or organizations or groups, that deal with chemical warfare crime, in a response or investigative function? ((duh))
as in websites, emails or research or agencies names, or specific people working on this?

ps -for the ignorant- suggesting that someone who has been exposed to chemical warfare wear a tinfoil hat, is no different then saying you want to murder or mentalicide them, as this would trap chemicals in the head and cook them, seriously, that is rude and nazi. suggesting that someone wear a tinfoul hat for protection against chemical warfare, shows that you know nothing about haz-mat protection or saftey gear or procedure.

please try, try and not respond as american neo-nazi, or someone being programed as american neo-nazi (or a medicated coward and liar), and remember this is a scientific query, and not a flame/troll war.

I can not check into my room until 3pm. The hostel let me rent a locker for a few hours, but I have my laptop and my camera on me. I dont want to fall asleep. All of the cafes were closed, so I went to the supermarket (why is the supermarket open at the crack of dawn but nothing else?) and got a couple of cans of Red Bull and some trail mix.

On the other hand, it´s 65 degrees and zero humidity.

if anybody could answer any/all of these questions as straightforward as possible i'd really appreciate it. i want to know some scientific facts about his condition so i can have a realistic assessment of it and so i don't get my hopes up too high.

just some background: my boyfriend has been in a coma for 3 weeks now, after attempting suicide with a cocktail of sleeping pills, alcohol, valium and morphine. he had died for 40 mins & had 2 heart attacks before the ambulance people revived him.

1. if someone's brain dies for 40 mins, is there any chance at all that they can make a full recovery? and does youth have any bearing at all on the chances for this to happen? (he is 19 years old)

2. if someone is in a coma and they open their eyes and smile at you, and respond to doctors requests (ie: stick your tongue out if you can hear me) does it mean they can hear you, or is that just a reflex action? can coma patients, at times, be mentally aware of their surroundings?

3. if someone is pronounced braindead, but MRIs show a few days later that there's a "little bit" of activity, does this mean the brain will continue to replenish itself? if a person is said to be braindead but then they start breathing of their own accord and moving around and responding to doctors, does this mean the diagnosis of "braindead' was wrong?

4. has there been any documentation of anybody who has been braindead for 40 mins waking up and saying hi like nothing happened? what is the best possible outcome for a person whose brain has lacked oxygen for so long?

5. is it true that  stimulation ie: music and speech can impact on the way the brain recovers after such trauma?

6. what are the indications that such a person will wake up in a permanent vegetative state? if a person in a coma physically reacts to stimuli, does this mean they will still become a 'vegetable'? what type of physical reactions in a coma are merely muscular reflexes, and what ones indicate the person is aware of things and there is some kind of cognitive recognition?

7. i was told that it takes 2 years of recovery period to get an accurate idea of how fully a person's brain  can recover. is this true?

8. if someone's pupils are different sizes in a coma (one is massively dilated, the other isn't), does this mean their sight will be permanently damaged if they do wake up?

I have run into one or two problems, though, and was wondering if any SPSS coders out there might be able to give me an answer to some questions.
( some questions, mostly regarding matrix manipulation )

Here's my question: Why does it do that? And what does it mean conceptually? (Okay, I lied about having a question--I actually had two.)

Thanks,

~Jenn

EDIT: One more question: What is the formula for calculating p-values for given z-scores by hand?

Current Mood:

intrigued

In the education sector, is a forward step for China to abolish fees for rural students, but free & compulsory education must also enforced to all people. In structural view, the free & compulsory education must not only from primary & secondary education, but from preschool until tertiary education & formal & informal sectors to create massive yet competent human resources as also, social justice. Don't forget to give affirmative rights to the students from disadvantaged economy and/or academic with cost subsidies, & special treatment for academically disadvantaged to enforce their independent but competent so they could compete equally with the advantaged one. Vocational education is a very vital sector of education to be developed to create skilled labor en mass, to buil d the economy. Entrepreneurship is also a vital value to be developed in th education system as the economic power house esp. when facing crisis. Job traning as we seen in Europe is very important to be developed by the govt & collectives to support the labor force. 

In separate ways, although China only assign selective conscription, & enforcing militarist caderization through youth organization, it's a good idea to abolish them all. It's also to respect the youth, & children's rights as we respect civil & human rights.

In the economic affair, it's not bad for China to enforce worker's self management system (collective) like in Yugoslavia & Latin America to enforce social justice via economic equality, creativity, innovativeness, responsibility, independence, & well moral among the people, esp. it's labor itself. But to keep China's image as a business center, don't forget to give investors/businesspeople some space to enforce businesspeople, labor, public, & government collaboration to create social justice. Free &/or low cost training center should be enforced esp by the govt to create massive & competent labors to build the economy. Incentives by the govt is truly necessary to develop the economic, not only in financial or regulatory, but also in R&D must be supported by the government too. 

The conclusion is, the development must be based on independece, competence, collectivism, emphasize social justice & civilized society.

Ethnicity issue has also been a sensitive issue, like Tibet, Xinjiang, etc., support them to emancipate in economic & cultural to create economic equality via incentives, tourism, & strategic industries as it would rose their income. The main cause of their dissatisfaction is the development gap between ethnic Han as the majority & the ethnic minorities & also the regions. Again, development/economic equality should help to reduce the matters. But once more, clean up the bureaucracy from corruption as it'll create development inefficiency, which leads to social gaps, then rebellions.

Although neutral, both lived in a very diffrent policies. Yugoslavia is quite liberal & opened, while communist ideology still maintained in every aspects under the "Brotherhood & Unity" principles (e.g. collective economy with market influence). North Korea, became quite closed to the West & still repressive, although North Korea starting to open the relations with 3rd World countries. But in the 1950 & 1960s, both countries were very wealthy, although Yugoslavia still ejoy the boom until the 1970s.

The de-Stalinization campaign under Revisionism ideology truly helped all Communist states, also N. Korea to reform en mass to enjoy rapid economic & prosperity boom. But it don't lasted long when Khruschev were deposed, Brezhnev took control. Brezhnev seems to "re-Stalinize" Communist states, incl. North Korea. Since then, the boom were slowed, although the boom still lasts until 1970s. 

The nightmare begun in 1970s when the "re-Stalinization" campaign triggered the stagnation in Soviet allied Communist states, also N. Korea & USSR itself. Communist states were starting to be left-behind with the West, Japan, & the Asian Tigers as the emerging economy at the time.  

In North Korea itself, Kim Il-sung introduces the Juche ideology as the state ideology & launched the new constitution in 1972. The 1972 constitution, along with the Juche ideology, were clearly a Stalinism, which worsened the stagnation until today. North Korea were slowly been passed by the South as a wealthy country.

Talking about Stalinism in North Korea, it's a very destructive power. It paralyzed the economic activities & civil rights.
In the economic sector, the "military first" policy is the true form of Stalinism. Industries were forced to produce more military equipments which have low utility comparred with the consumer or capital goods. The industry were also hard to reform in order to compete because capital & consumer goods were unrecommended by the govt. Because of the low utility, the market paralyzed becuase the demand on consumer & capital good is higher than military equipments. The military first policy also affects the agriculture matter very seriously. The crop production shrinks due to lack incentives such as fertilizers, pesticides, supplements & its capital itself, while the food demand is always rising along with population growth. This sparked the new tragedy: famine. Poverty increased rapidly which also forced people to defect. Transportation, infrastructure, utilities & communications development were also paralyzed. In shortword, military-first policy has seriously crashed the civil economy, prosperity, & wealth in all forms. Also, they resists the civil technologial development.

Unfortunately, the economic nightmare also worsened with the iron-fisted, autarky regime. Freedom of expression, also religious & travelling were severely repressed. Gulags, torture has been a very serious fear for all the people if they dare to criticize, fight or defect the state or the govt. Inhumane, corrupt, & cruel. That's 3 words to describe the North Korean govts.

The economic & political backwardness made the North Korean people feel so frustrated, & desperate. They've been supressed, tossed out by the govt. This nightmare worsened the Communism image as "cruel, immoral, slow, & inhumane".

Despite of this worse nightmare, however, North Korea still have a chance to end up this nightmare. It's the time for the general rehersal to be enforced. The development vision & mission must be based on humanity & social welfare as the truly main vision of socialism, anarchism, communism, syndicalism, populism & progressivism. Corruption, nepotism, complicated-imeprialist bureaucracy is a dead price to be fighted. The autarky policies should be ended. Freedom of travel, expression, religion & faith, must be respected. 

Military-first policy must be lifted. In the economic, the industry must more focus on capital & consumer goods, which's very strategic to develop the economy. In order to maintain the economic humanism & the socialism itself, it's a good idea to develop a market-collective economy like in Yugoslavia, from command-collective economy, with the result, the economy is efficient yet humance (social), gurantees equality of wealth & prsoperity for all. To make North Korean industry & agriculture products were competitive, certainly, North Korea must develop a well Quality Control systems. Deming system is a very good model to be developed by North Korea. Japan, S. Korea, & Taiwan is a very good model for N. Korea to develop it's industry products' quality, but of course, in this matter, science & technology is very important key to develop it. Reflecting in China's modernization, N. Korea can switch the military industry & science & technologies into consumer/capital goods industry & technologies, like we seen in China, a previously artillery shell factory switched into a gas (LNG & LPG) container factory, despite maintaining the market-collective economy

Also, in the energy sector, which also fitted with political interests, North Korean nuclear program is very dualist. In one hand, nuclear program is a strategic path to build-up the armament, which's recognized as very dangerous, but in other hand, "civilized" nuclear program can be very useful for science & technology development, not only in armaments, but also in agriculture, industry, medical, & lots more. The matter is, the de-nucelarization process of N. Korea (within the destruction of Yongbyon reactor) is full with political interests. North Korea have lost their chance to develop further cvil science & technologies (such as agriculture, industry, health, etc.). Although Korean peninsula's soil is still considered fertile, this' not volcanic soil as we seen in Japan! Of course, the productivity is practically lower, & even, he North Korean geography is very mountainous, which's mostly have less arable land compared with the plain land (South Korea has more plains). But in the mineral resources, it's an ace for N. Korea because of its rich deposits which made N. Korean were easily industrailized since Japanese occupation & recover easily after the Korean War, along with Eastern Bloc aid.  BTW, industry was also supported by R&D facilities, so collaboration between govt & collectives is highly couraged to support technology development esp. for industry. Besides, gots R&D is highly needed to assists the science & technoloical development for all economy, & even more, life sectors.

No doubt, North Korean military manpower is one of the largest in the World, esp. its Army. Again, the technological baackwardess, esp. in the Navy, still made N. Korean military focused in conventional wars, but in this technological age, IT has played an important role in all aspects of life, incl. the military, although engineering also played an important rule in military equipments as the reflection of its performance. However, in the manpower, both Korean states has conscription. The matter is, there's no alternatives in conscription except imprisonment. N. Korea must ease the conscription rule into alternative services which have an equal period as military service, and/or, abolish the conscription & replace it with "character building" program to build up good character & to turbocharge their vocational skills (besides informal job training facilities) before they enter the labor world or continuing to tertiary education. But once again, any militarist touch (like in scouting as "mini conscription") is totally discouraged. As we seen in most communist states before, in the youth world, since in elementary schools, they've enforced scouting activities (like Komsomol or Pioneers, although they don't mention as scouting as we seen like "Hitler's Youth" in Nazi Germany era), as most of them is like a some sort of "mini-conscription"  to seek the young Communist Parties' cadres.  It's also militarist, though, so it'll be better to be abolished, & scouting were just remains as regular extracurricular, & not mandatory.

Humanitarian matters also holds a serious effects for the economic & political life. Eduation should be compulsory & free at all level, from pre-school to tertiary, neither formal or informal, to all people, neither North Koreans & foreigners & the method must develop a humane, independent, efficient, & durable human resources. Thinking critically, but practical & assertive is a key factor to develop a humane yet sturdy people. So that's why, the human rights must be enforced. Skilled labors & entreprenurship is a key factor to build the economy. Vocational education is a very strategic & important to be developed in the secondary & even teritary education. Job training facility as an informal education also important to create skillfull labor, so it must be also enforced, like we seen in Europe. Labor laws & unions is a vital ke as they were the "icon" of syndicalism. Never ever practice outsourcing system as it will hurtb  the Communist & Juche principle! Last but not least, entrepreneurship is very imortant too be enforce, esp. from education, to not only create skilled labor, but also visionary to power innovation, & creativity as an important factor in present-day economy & science & technology.

Within this way, I believe that North Korea would transform into a libertarian socialist state, promoting humanity, justice, equality, independence, & establishment for all. This would crank up the socialist-communism image as "humane, independent, neutral, & sturdy". Modifying N. Korea as a liberal-democratic socialist state like Titoist Yugoslavia would strengthen the political & economic dominance in Korean Peninsula.

Poll #1225909 Worth the hassle?
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

What should I do with the check?

Current Location:	1818 Emery St., Eau Claire, WI
Current Mood:	amused
Current Music:	Penny Lane by The Beatles from 1

Fortunately, it's going to be in the 60s in Stockholm next week. I scheduled this conference before I knew I was going to London - it was going to be my summer vacation. It will be a fantastic conference, so I probably would have gone anyway, but Temple only gives me $1k per conference, and this is going to end up costing me something like $2300 in total. The IAMCR conference fee is quite high - just over $700 - and that's after they lowered the price when there was an outcry. At least they feed us lunch and coffee breaks every day, and the fee covers a couple of receptions with dinner. I booked a private double room at a fancy hostel. The price was pretty good, but I was hoping to find someone among the 950 other conference-goers to share it with me. I wrote the conference organizers to see if there was an e-mail list or online forum for conference-goers where one could post such a request, and they wrote back to tell me that they would set up a bulletin board on the conference Web site. They never did. I just have to wonder who the wealthy academics are who can afford both the steep conference fees and the $250-a-night hotel rooms. The only other person who is going from Temple is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, so you know he is getting his ride fully funded....

When I come back from Sweden I have a couple of weeks before I have to go to AEJMC in Chicago. I found package that includes a direct flight from Philadelphia to Chicago at reasonable times - ie after dawn and before midnight - and four nights at the Holiday Inn Express Magnificent Mile for $910. Fortunately the price includes breakfast and free Internet access, for the conference registration is another $300. Remember, they only give me $1k.

There are a pair of conferences in London that I would like to go to this fall. I have to get accepted. of course, but then I will get the credit for attending a pair of international conferences without having to pay through the teeth for the privilege.

Speaking of Jessica, she's in the cities (i.e. Minneapolis-St. Paul) to practice her pairs routine with her skating coach in preparation for an event this weekend. She left at 5 a.m. and won't be back until 7 p.m. or so. I put the bunnies out in the yard pen, tilled the garden and thinned the radishes. I was going to make an apple pie, but we don't have shortening and it's going to rain soon and I don't have the car. After this I'll finish transferring stuff from our old file cabinet to our new one and then figure out what else to do today.

Bee on the UIUC campus, Urbana, IL April 6, 2008

Current Location:	203 N Barstow St, Eau Claire, WI
Current Mood:	tasty
Current Music:	TWiT 150: Hello 206.220.43.92 [by] Leo Laporte and the TWiTs [from] this WEEK in TECH - MP3 Edition

You guys should watch this documentary.  It's incredibly eyeopening, and has some of the most haunting images I've ever seen.  I don't even know how to begin to describe it.

"So, tentatively speaking, when should we get married?"

We know we're getting married. This isn't the first marriage talk we've had. He's informed me that he doesn't want me to have a "shitty ring." I've firmly stated that he isn't allowed to ask until I've met the children. (This is a whole complicated story. Yes, we've been together for a long time, but I've lived in South Carolina and there are all sorts of wackiness....) So, wedding talk is not unheard of.

"Well, I'm throwing my Single Girl Shower to stick it to my friends if I'm not married by the time I'm 35. Since I'm 33, we'd have to marry next year."

"Right. So March or the latter part of August because I have lots of family obligations throughout that time period," he replied.

"How about September?" I asked.

So, no date has been set and we aren't officially engaged. Except we know when we're getting married. *laugh*

Oh, and in other news....I got my nose pierced. It hurt only for a bit. Now, it just itches like I'm some sort of cokehead. Ugh. (But it looks cute.)

A.

Current Mood:

flirty

Synaptotagmin V is targeted to dense-core vesicles that undergo calcium-dependent exocytosis in PC12 cells
Authors: SAEGUSA Chika ; FUKUDA Mitsunori ; MIKOSHIBA Katsuhiko
The Journal of biological chemistry
Year 2002, vol. 277, no. 27, p. 24499-24505

And this paper?

Neuropeptide Y and dynorphin-immunoreactive large dense-core vesicles are strategically localized for presynaptic modulation in the hippocampal formation and substantia nigra
Authors: Virginia M. Pickel *, June Chan, Erol Veznedaroglu, Teresa A. Milner
Synapse
published online: 12 Oct 2004
Volume 19, Issue 3, Pages 160 - 169

thanks in advance!
mimesis AT livejournal DOT com