Balancing Clashing Scholars’ Academic Freedoms

The paper analyzes the scope of scholars’ academic freedom and maintains that it is composed of two pillars. First, inclusion, which is subject to capacity, equality, and the provision of a pro-educational academic environment. Second, academic expression, which refers to teaching and research, freedom of opinion, political participation outside academia and freedom to receive academic materials. Scholars’ academic freedom is limited by professional standards and is subject to the respect of the rights of fellow scholars. The paper argues that scholars’ academic freedom is not confined to a scholar-state relation but is also relevant to scholar-scholar relations. Hence, scholars’ academic freedom can be breached by peers, for instance, by firing them on the basis of gender. The paper proposes three tests for balancing clashing scholars’ academic freedoms. First, the closer in nature the activity is to academia, the greater its weight (the relevance test). Second, “seclusion v. exclusion” test. According to this test, a “seclusive” exercise of academic freedom, namely one that does not interfere with peers’ rights, should override an “exclusionary” exercise of academic freedom, namely one that interferes with peers’ rights. Third, within academia, activities promoting pluralistic notions should override contrary endeavors (the virtue test). Finally, the paper applies its conclusions to a test case—the Campaign against Israeli academia, also known as the academic boycott of Israel. It concludes that teaching and research activities, performed in a seclusive manner that does not advance discriminatory notions should take priority over non-academic political activities

Cortical Visual Impairment in Childhood: ‘Blindsight’ and the Sprague Effect Revisited

From MDPI via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2021-09-24, pub-electronic 2021-09-27Publication status: PublishedThe paper discusses and provides support for diverse processes of brain plasticity in visual function after damage in infancy and childhood in comparison with injury that occurs in the adult brain. We provide support and description of neuroplastic mechanisms in childhood that do not seemingly exist in the same way in the adult brain. Examples include the ability to foster the development of thalamocortical connectivities that can circumvent the lesion and reach their cortical destination in the occipital cortex as the developing brain is more efficient in building new connections. Supporting this claim is the fact that in those with central visual field defects we can note that the extrastriatal visual connectivities are greater when a lesion occurs earlier in life as opposed to in the neurologically mature adult. The result is a significantly more optimized system of visual and spatial exploration within the ‘blind’ field of view. The discussion is provided within the context of “blindsight” and the “Sprague Effect”

Cognitive control, bedtime patterns, and testing time in female adolescent students: behavioral and neuro-electrophysiological correlates

IntroductionShorter and/or disrupted sleep during adolescence is associated with cognitive and mental health risks, particularly in females. We explored the relationship between bedtime behavior patterns co-varying with Social Jet Lag (SJL) and School Start Times (SST) and neurocognitive performance in adolescent female students.MethodsTo investigate whether time of day (morning vs. afternoon), early SSTs and days of the school week can be correlated with neurocognitive correlates of sleep insufficiency, we recruited 24 female students aged 16–18 to report sleep logs, and undergo event-related electroencephalographic recordings on Monday, Wednesday, mornings, and afternoons. Using a Stroop task paradigm, we analyzed correlations between reaction times (RTs), accuracy, time of day, day of week, electroencephalographic data, and sleep log data to understand what relationships may exist.ResultsParticipants reported a 2-h sleep phase delay and SJL. Stroop interference influenced accuracy on Monday and Wednesday similarly, with better performance in the afternoon. For RTs, the afternoon advantage was much larger on Monday than Wednesday. Midline Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) yielded higher amplitudes and shorter latencies on Wednesday morning and Monday afternoon, in time windows related to attention or response execution. A notable exception were delayed ERP latencies on Wednesday afternoon. The latter could be explained by the fact that delta EEG waves tended to be the most prominent, suggesting heightened error monitoring due to accumulating mental fatigue.DiscussionThese findings provide insights into the interaction between SJL and SST and suggest evidence-based criteria for planning when female adolescents should engage in cognitive-heavy school activities such as tests or exams

Evaluating preschool visual attentional selective-set: Preliminary erp modeling and simulation of target enhancement homology

We reanalyzed, modeled and simulated Event-Related Potential (ERP) data from 13 healthy children (Mean age = 5.12, Standard Deviation = 0.75) during a computerized visual sustained target detection task. Extending an ERP-based ACT–R (Adaptive Control of Thought–Rational) neurocognitive modeling approach, we tested whether visual sustained selective-set attention in preschool children involves the enhancement of neural response to targets, and it shows key adult-like features (neurofunctional homology). Blinded automatic peaks analysis was conducted on vincentized binned grand ERP averages. Time-course and distribution of scalp activity were detailed through topographic mapping and paths analysis. Reaction times and accuracy were also measured. Adult Magnetic Resonance Imaging-based mapping using ACT–R dipole source modeling and electric-field spiking simulation provided very good fit with the actual ERP data (R2 > 0.70). In most electrodes, between 50 and 400 ms, ERPs concurrent with target presentation were enhanced relative to distractor, without manual response confounds. Triangulation of peak analysis, ACT–R modeling and simulation for the entire ERP epochs up to the moment of manual response (~700 ms, on average) suggested converging evidence of distinct but interacting processes of enhancement and planning for response release/inhibition, respectively. The latter involved functions and structures consistent with adult ERP activity which might correspond to a large-scale network, implicating Dorsal and Ventral Attentional Networks, corticostriatal loops, and subcortical hubs connected to prefrontal cortex top-down working memory executive control. Although preliminary, the present approach suggests novel directions for further tests and falsifiable hypotheses on the origins and development of visual selective attention and their ERP correlates

The effect of massage on localized lumbar muscle fatigue

BACKGROUND: There is not enough evidence to support the efficacy of massage for muscle fatigue despite wide utilization of the modality in various clinical settings. This study investigated the influence of massage application on localized back muscle fatigue. METHODS: Twenty-nine healthy subjects participated in two experimental sessions (massage and rest conditions). On each test day, subjects were asked to lie in the prone position on a treatment table and perform sustained back extension for 90 seconds. Subjects then either received massage on the lumbar region or rested for a 5 minute duration, then repeated the back extension movement. The median frequency (MDF), mean power frequency (MNF), and root mean square (RMS) amplitude of electromyographic signals during the 90 second sustained lumbar muscle contraction were analyzed. The subjective feeling of fatigue was then evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). RESULTS: MDF and MNF significantly declined with time under all conditions. There was no significant difference in MDF, MNF or RMS value change between before and after massage, or between rest and massage conditions. There was a significant increase in fatigue VAS at the end of the 2(nd) back extension with rest condition. There was a significant difference in fatigue VAS change between massage and rest condition. CONCLUSIONS: A significant difference was observed between massage and rest condition on VAS for muscle fatigue. On EMG analysis, there were no significant differences to conclude that massage stimulation influenced the myoelectrical muscle fatigue, which is associated with metabolic and electrical changes

Autonomic impairment of patients in coma with different Glasgow coma score assessed with heart rate variability

Primary objective: The objective of this study is to assess the functional state of the autonomic nervous system in healthy individuals and in individuals in coma using measures of heart rate variability (HRV) and to evaluate its efficiency in predicting mortality. Design and Methods: Retrospective group comparison study of patients in coma classified into two subgroups, according to their Glasgow coma score, with a healthy control group. HRV indices were calculated from 7 min of artefact-free electrocardiograms using the Hilbert–Huang method in the spectral range 0.02–0.6 Hz. A special procedure was applied to avoid confounding factors. Stepwise multiple regression logistic analysis (SMLRA) and ROC analysis evaluated predictions. Results: Progressive reduction of HRV was confirmed and was associated with deepening of coma and a mortality score model that included three spectral HRV indices of absolute power values of very low, low and very high frequency bands (0.4-0.6 Hz). The SMLRA model showed sensitivity of 95.65%, specificity of 95.83%, positive predictive value of 95.65%, and overall efficiency of 95.74%. Conclusions: HRV is a reliable method to assess the integrity of the neural control of the caudal brainstem centres on the hearts of patients in coma and to predict patient mortality

Neuroscience in Education: A Bridge Too Far or One That Has Yet to Be Built: Introduction to the “Brain Goes to School”

There have been numerous detractors and supporters relating to attempts to merge the neurosciences and the knowledge base of related contributing disciplines with the field of education. Some have argued that this is a “bridge too far”. The predominant view is that the relationship between neuroscience and the classroom has been neither significantly examined, nor applied. What is needed is a specially trained class of professionals whose role it would be to guide the introduction of cognitive neuroscience into educational practice in a sensible and ethical manner. Neuroeducators would play a pivotal role in assessing the quality of evidence purporting to be relevant to education, assessing who is best placed to employ newly developed knowledge, as well as with what safeguards, in addition to investigating how to deal with unexpected consequences of implemented research findings. This special issue of the “The Brain Goes to School” aims to provide support for the development of training programs that truly integrate curriculum design and classroom instruction with the developmental cognitive neurosciences

On the Application of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience in Educational Environments

The paper overviews components of neurologic processing efficiencies to develop innovative methodologies and thinking to school-based applications and changes in educational leadership based on sound findings in the cognitive neurosciences applied to schools and learners. Systems science can allow us to better manage classroom-based learning and instruction on the basis of relatively easily evaluated efficiencies or inefficiencies and optimization instead of simply examining achievement. “Medicalizing” the learning process with concepts such as “learning disability” or employing grading methods such as pass-fail does little to aid in understanding the processes that learners employ to acquire, integrate, remember, and apply information learned. The paper endeavors to overview and provided reference to tools that can be employed that allow a better focus on nervous system-based strategic approaches to classroom learning

Neuroscience in Education: A Bridge Too Far or One That Has Yet to Be Built: Introduction to the “Brain Goes to School”

There have been numerous detractors and supporters relating to attempts to merge the neurosciences and the knowledge base of related contributing disciplines with the field of education. Some have argued that this is a “bridge too far”. The predominant view is that the relationship between neuroscience and the classroom has been neither significantly examined, nor applied. What is needed is a specially trained class of professionals whose role it would be to guide the introduction of cognitive neuroscience into educational practice in a sensible and ethical manner. Neuroeducators would play a pivotal role in assessing the quality of evidence purporting to be relevant to education, assessing who is best placed to employ newly developed knowledge, as well as with what safeguards, in addition to investigating how to deal with unexpected consequences of implemented research findings. This special issue of the “The Brain Goes to School” aims to provide support for the development of training programs that truly integrate curriculum design and classroom instruction with the developmental cognitive neurosciences