Cognitive Limits and the Beginning of Life

The question which moral status the embryo has is of great practical significance because the possibility to justify a governmental prohibition of a set of important therapeutical and scientific measures depends on a special and therefore legal protectable status of the embryo. The identity argument which is often used in this context cannot constitute this status due to its mere epistemic character under the condition of the determinism.health ethics, embryo, identity argument

The Ham Gram

A Ham Gram is an American-style pun-anagram crossword puzzle. Each clue sentence (of nine words or less) contains a concealed answer, as well as its overt synonym. In the examples below, the synonym is underlined, and the letters of the covert answer are capitalized; the answer is then given in parenthesis. Several varieties of clues can be distinguished

Ca2+-Mediated Interaction between Dextran Sulfate and Dimyristoyl-sn-Glycero-3-Phosphocholine Surfaces Studied by 2H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

AbstractThe binding of dextran sulfates (DSs) with varying chain lengths to phosphatidylcholine multilamellar vesicles was investigated as a function of polyelectrolyte, NaCl, and Ca2+ concentration. Attractive forces between negatively charged polyelectrolytes and zwitterionic phospholipids arise from the assembly of calcium bridges. The formation of calcium bridges between the sulfate groups on the dextran sulfate and the phosphate group of the lipid results in increased calcium binding in mixtures of DS and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC). At high NaCl concentration, the plateau adsorption of DS 500 is increased. The strength of dextran sulfate binding to DMPC is reflected in the changes of the 2H NMR quadrupolar splittings of the headgroup methylenes. Association forces increase with the number of calcium bridges formed. Low-molecular-weight DS does not bind to DMPC surfaces whereas longer-chain DSs strongly influence headgroup structure as a result of strong association. DS binding increases with increasing concentration; however, further association of the polyelectrolyte can be promoted only if negative charges are sufficiently screened. DS binding to lipid bilayers is a complicated balance of calcium bridging and charge screening. From our data we postulate that the structure of the adsorbed layer resembles a lattice of DS strands sandwiched between the bilayer lamellae

EEG-neurofeedback as a tool to modulate cognition and behaviour: a review tutorial

Neurofeedback is attracting renewed interest as a method to self-regulate one’s own brain activity to directly alter the underlying neural mechanisms of cognition and behaviour. It promises new avenues as a method for cognitive enhancement in healthy subjects, but also as a therapeutic tool. In the current article, we present a review tutorial discussing key aspects relevant to the development of EEG neurofeedback studies. In addition, the putative mechanisms underlying neurofeedback learning are considered. We highlight both aspects relevant for the practical application of neurofeedback as well as rather theoretical considerations related to the development of new generation protocols. Important characteristics regarding the set-up of a neurofeedback protocol are outlined in a step-by-step way. All these practical and theoretical considerations are illustrated based on a protocol and results of a frontal-midline theta up-regulation training for the improvement of executive functions. Not least, assessment criteria for the validation of neurofeedback studies as well as general guidelines for the evaluation of training efficacy are discussed