text:
Overview of Chinese mathematics
|Chinese Mathematics
|History Topics Index
Several factors led to the development of mathematics in China being, for a long period, independent of developments in other civilisations. The geographical nature of the country meant that there were natural boundaries (mountains and seas) which isolated it. On the other hand, when the country was conquered by foreign invaders, they were assimilated into the Chinese culture rather than changing the culture to their own. As a consequence there was a continuous cultural development in China from around 1000 BC and it is fascinating to trace mathematical development within that culture. There are periods of rapid advance, periods when a certain level was maintained, and periods of decline.
The first thing to understand about ancient Chinese mathematics is the way in which it differs from Greek mathematics. Unlike Greek mathematics there is no axiomatic development of mathematics. The Chinese concept of mathematical proof is radically different from that of the Greeks, yet one must not in any sense think less of it because of this. Rather one must marvel at the Chinese approach to mathematics and the results to which it led.
Chinese mathematics was, like their language, very concise. It was very much problem based, motivated by problems of the calendar, trade, land measurement, architecture, government records and taxes. By the fourth century BC counting boards were used for calculating, which effectively meant that a decimal place valued number system was in use. It is worth noting that counting boards are uniquely Chinese, and do not appear to have been used by any other civilisation.
Our knowledge of Chinese mathematics before 100 BC is very sketchy although in 1984 the Suan shu shu Ⓣ dating from around 180 BC was discovered. It is a book written on bamboo strips and was found near Jiangling in Hubei province. The next important books of which we have records are a sixteen chapter work Suanshu Ⓣ written by Du Zhong and a twenty-six chapter work Xu Shang suanshu Ⓣ written by Xu Shang. Neither of these texts has survived and little is known of their content. The oldest complete surviving text is the Zhoubi suanjing Ⓣ which was compiled between 100 BC and 100 AD (see the article on The Ten Classics). It is an astronomy text, showing how to measure the positions of the heavenly bodies using shadow gauges which are also called gnomons, but it contains important sections on mathematics. It gives a clear statement on the nature of Chinese mathematics in this period (see for example [2]:-
The method of calculation is very simple to explain but has wide application. This is because a person gains knowledge by analogy, that is, after understanding a particular line of argument they can infer various kinds of similar reasoning ... Whoever can draw inferences about other cases from one instance can generalise ... really knows how to calculate... . To be able to deduce and then generalise.. is the mark of an intelligent person.The Zhoubi suanjing Ⓣ contains a statement of the Gougu rule (the Chinese version of Pythagoras's theorem) and applies it to surveying, astronomy, and other topics. Although it is widely accepted that the work also contains a proof of Pythagoras's theorem, Cullen in [3] disputes this, claiming that the belief is based on a flawed translation given by Needham in [13].
In fact much Chinese mathematics from this period was produced because of the need to make calculations for constructing the calendar and predicting positions of the heavenly bodies. The Chinese word 'chouren' refers to both mathematicians and astronomers showing the close link between the two areas. One early 'choren' was Luoxia Hong (about 130 BC - about 70 BC) who produced a calendar which was based on a cycle of 19 years.
The most famous Chinese mathematics book of all time is the Jiuzhang suanshu or, as it is more commonly called, the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art. The book certainly contains contributions to mathematics which had been made over quite a long period, but there is little in the original text to distinguish the precise period of each. This important work, which came to dominate mathematical development and style for 1500 years, is discussed in the article Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art. Many later developments came through commentaries on this text, one of the first being by Xu Yue (about 160 - about 227) although this one has been lost.
A significant mathematical advance was made by Liu Hui (about 220 - about 280) who wrote his commentary on the Jiuzhang suanshu or Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art in about 263. Dong and Yao write [24]:-
Liu Hui, a great mathematician in the Wei Jin Dynasty, ushered in an era of mathematical theorisation in ancient China, and made great contributions to the domain of mathematics. From the "Jiu Zhang Suan Shu Zhu" and the "Hai Dao Suan Jing" it can be seen that Liu Hui made skilful use of thinking in images as well as in logical and dialectical ways. He solved many mathematical problems, pushing his mathematical reasoning further along the dialectical way.Liu Hui gave a more mathematical approach than earlier Chinese texts, providing principles on which his calculations are based. He found approximations to π using regular polygons with 3 × 2n sides inscribed in a circle. His best approximation of π was 3.14159 which he achieved from a regular polygon of 3072 sides. It is clear that he understood iterative processes and the notion of a limit. Liu also wrote Haidao suanjing Ⓣ (see the article on The Ten Classics) which was originally an appendix to his commentary on Chapter 9 of the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art. In it Liu uses Pythagoras's theorem to calculate heights of objects and distances to objects which cannot be measured directly. This was to become one of the themes of Chinese mathematics.
About fifty years after Liu's remarkable contributions, a major advance was made in astronomy when Yu Xi discovered the precession of the equinoxes. In mathematics it was some time before mathematics progressed beyond the depth achieved by Liu Hui. For example Sun Zi (about 400 - about 460) wrote his mathematical manual the Sunzi suanjing Ⓣ which on the whole provides little new. However, it does contains a problem solved using the Chinese remainder theorem, being the earliest known occurrence of this type of problem.
This text by Sun Zi was the first of a number of texts over the following two hundred years which made a number of important contributions. Xiahou Yang (about 400 - about 470) was the supposed author of the Xiahou Yang suanjing Ⓣ which contains representations of numbers in the decimal notation using positive and negative powers of ten. Zhang Qiujian (about 430 - about 490) wrote his mathematical text Zhang Qiujian suanjing Ⓣ some time between 468 and 486. Its 92 problems illustrate the formula for summing an arithmetic progression. Perhaps it is most famous for presenting the 'Hundred fowls problem' which is an indeterminate problem with three non-trivial solutions.
One of the most significant advances was by Zu Chongzhi (429-501) and his son Zu Geng (about 450 - about 520). Zu Chongzhi was an astronomer who made accurate observations which he used to produce a new calendar, the Tam-ing Calendar (Calendar of Great Brightness), which was based on a cycle of 391 years. He wrote the Zhui shu Ⓣ in which he proved that 3.1415926 < π < 3.1415927. He recommended using 355/113 as a good approximation and 22/7 in less accurate work. With his son Zu Geng he computed the formula for the volume of a sphere using Cavalieri's principle (see [25]). The beginnings of Chinese algebra is seen in the work of Wang Xiaotong (about 580 - about 640). He wrote the Jigu suanjing Ⓣ, a text with only 20 problems which later became one of the Ten Classics. He solved cubic equations by extending an algorithm for finding cube roots. His work is seen as a first step towards the "tian yuan" or "coefficient array method" or "method of the celestial unknown" of Li Zhi for computing with polynomials.
Interpolation was an important tool in astronomy and Liu Zhuo (544-610) was an astronomer who introduced quadratic interpolation with a second order difference method. Certainly Chinese astronomy was not totally independent of developments taking place in the subject in India and similarly mathematics was influenced to some extent by Indian mathematical works, some of which were translated into Chinese. Historians argue today about the extent of the influence on the Chinese development of Indian, Arabic and Islamic mathematics. It is fair to say that their influence was less than it might have been, for the Chinese seemed to have little desire to embrace other approaches to mathematics. Early trigonometry was described in some of the Indian texts which were translated and there was also development of trigonometry in China. For example Yi Xing (683-727) produced a tangent table.
From the sixth century mathematics was taught as part of the course for the civil service examinations. Li Chunfeng (602 - 670) was appointed as the editor-in-chief for a collection of mathematical treatises to be used for such a course, many of which we have mentioned above. The collection is now called The Ten Classics, a name given to them in 1084.
The period from the tenth to the twelfth centuries is one where few advances were made and no mathematical texts from this period survive. However Jia Xian (about 1010 - about 1070) made good contributions which are only known through the texts of Yang Hui since his own writings are lost. He improved methods for finding square and cube roots, and extended the method to the numerical solution of polynomial equations computing powers of sums using binomial coefficients constructed with Pascal's triangle. Although Shen Kua (1031 - 1095) made relatively few contributions to mathematics, he did produce remarkable work in many areas and is regarded by many as the first scientist. He wrote the Meng ch'i pi t'an Ⓣ which contains many accurate scientific observations.
The next major mathematical advance was by Qin Jiushao (1202 - 1261) who wrote his famous mathematical treatise Shushu Jiuzhang Ⓣ which appeared in 1247. He was the first of the great thirteenth century Chinese mathematicians. This was a period of major progress during which mathematics reached new heights. The treatise contains remarkable work on the Chinese remainder theorem, gives an equation whose coefficients are variables and, among other results, Heron's formula for the area of a triangle. Equations up to degree ten are solved using the Ruffini-Horner method.
Li Zhi (also called Li Yeh) (1192-1279) was the next of the great thirteenth century Chinese mathematicians. His most famous work is the Ce yuan hai jing Ⓣ written in 1248. It contains the "tian yuan" or "coefficient array method" or "method of the celestial unknown" which was a method to work with polynomial equations. He also wrote Yi gu yan duan Ⓣ in 1259 which is a more elementary work containing geometric problems solved by algebra. The next major figure from this golden age of Chinese mathematics was Yang Hui (about 1238 - about 1298). He wrote the Xiangjie jiuzhang suanfa Ⓣ in 1261, and his other works were collected into the Yang Hui suanfa Ⓣ which appeared in 1275. He described multiplication, division, root-extraction, quadratic and simultaneous equations, series, computations of areas of a rectangle, a trapezium, a circle, and other figures. He also gave a wonderful account of magic squares and magic circles.
Guo Shoujing (1231-1316), although not usually included among the major mathematicians of the thirteen century, nevertheless made important contributions. He produced the Shou shi li Ⓣ, worked on spherical trigonometry, and solved equations using the Ruffini-Horner numerical method. He also developed a cubic interpolation formula tabulating differences of the accumulated difference as in Newton's forward difference interpolation method.
The last of the mathematicians from this golden age was Zhu Shijie (about 1260 - about 1320) who wrote the Suanxue qimeng Ⓣ published in 1299, and the Siyuan yujian Ⓣ published in 1303. He used an extension of the "coefficient array method" or "method of the celestial unknown" to handle polynomials with up to four unknowns. He also gave many results on sums of series. This represents a high point in ancient Chinese mathematics.
The decline in Chinese mathematics from the fourteenth century was not by any means dramatic. The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art continued to be the model for mathematical learning and new works based in it continued to appear. For example Ding Ju published the Ding ju suan fa Ⓣ in 1355, He Pingzi published the Xiangming suan fa Ⓣ in 1373, Liu Shilong published the Jiu zhang tong ming suanfa Ⓣ in 1424, and Wu Jing published the Jiu zhang suan fa bi lei da quan Ⓣ in 1450. Wu Jing was an administrator in the province of Zhejing and his arithmetical encyclopaedia contained all the 246 problems of the Nine Chapters. Again Cheng Dawei (1533 - 1606) published the Suanfa tong zong Ⓣ in 1592 which is written in the style of the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art but provides an even larger collection of 595 problems.
The books we have just listed show mathematical activity, but they did not take forward the methods of polynomial algebra. On the contrary, the deep works of the 13th century ceased to be even understood much less developed further. Xu Guangqi (1562 - 1633) certainly recognised exactly this and offered possible explanations including scholars neglecting practical computational tools and an identification of mathematics with mystical numerology under the Ming dynasty. Other factors must be that the books describing the advanced methods were, in the Chinese tradition, very terse, and without teachers to pass on an understanding it became increasingly difficult for scholars to learn directly from the texts. Xu Guangqi was the first native of China to publish translations of European books in Chinese. Collaborating with Matteo Ricci he translated Western books on mathematics, hydraulics, and geography. Certainly this does not mark the end of the Chinese mathematics tradition, but from the time of Matteo Ricci and other Western missionaries China was greatly influenced by other mathematical traditions.
It is impossible in an article of this length to mention many of the numerous contributions from this period on. Let us mention one important family, however, namely the Mei family. The most famous member of this family was Mei Wending (1633-1721) and his comment on the golden section is typical of the sensible attitude he took towards Western mathematics (see for example [9]):-
After having understood how to make use of the golden section, I began to believe that the different geometrical methods could be understood and that neither the missionaries attitude of considering this simple technique as a divine gift, nor the Chinese attitude of rejecting it as heresy is correct.Mei chose not to take a government post as most mathematicians did, but rather decided to devote himself to mathematics and its teaching. He travelled widely throughout China and gained great fame leading to many people becoming his pupils. Two of his brothers, Mei Wenmi and Mei Wennai, worked on astronomy and mathematics. Mei Wending was assisted later in his life by his son Mei Yiyan. Mei Juecheng (1681-1763), who was Mei Wending's grandson, was asked in 1705 by Emperor Kangxi to be editor-in-chief of the major mathematical encyclopaedia Shuli jingyun Ⓣ (1723). Mei Juecheng also edited his grandfather Mei Wending's work producing the Meishi congshu jiyao Ⓣ in 1761.
Certain people from the eighteenth century onwards did an excellent job in recording the Chinese tradition so that much of it is still accessible to us today. For example Dai Zhen (1724 - 1777) became an editor for the Siku quanshu Ⓣ which was a project set up by Emperor Qianlong in 1773. He edited a new edition of the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art after copying the complete text as part of this project. Ruan Yuan (1764 - 1849) produced his famous work the Chouren zhuan Ⓣ containing biographies of 275 Chinese and 41 Western "mathematicians". Many biographical details of Chinese mathematicians recorded in this Archive are known through this work. Li Rui (1768 - 1817) assisted Ruan Yuan. He was a highly productive mathematician who died when at the height of his abilities. His most important work is Lishi suan xue yi shu Ⓣ.
It is to the credit of Chinese mathematicians that they did not let their mathematical tradition be replaced by the western tradition. For example Li Shanlan (1811-1882) is important as a translator of Western science texts but he is most famous for his own mathematical contributions. He produced his own versions of logarithms, infinite series, and combinatorics which did not follow the style of western mathematics but his research naturally developed out of the foundations of Chinese mathematics. There were many other efforts to promote Chinese mathematics, and in particular a mathematics journal, the Suanxue bao, was set up in 1899. The editors wrote:-
Western methods should not be adulated and Chinese methods despised.Western mathematicians began lecturing in China during the early years of the twentieth century. For example Knopp taught there between 1910 and 1917, and Turnbull between 1911 and 1915. Chinese students began to study mathematics abroad and in 1917 Minfu Tah Hu obtained a doctorate from Harvard. China was represented for the first time at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Zürich in 1932. The Chinese Mathematical Society was formed in 1935.
Article by: J J O'Connor and E F Robertson


text:
We use cookies to make your experience better.
To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent to set the cookies.
Learn more.
Items 1-9 of 13
Select the Pick Up in Store option during checkout to have the discount applied. We will then send you an email as soon as your order is ready to collect. See our opening hours and how to find us on the About Us page.
The offer is only valid for orders placed online at knitwithattitude.com.
If you haven't noticed already we have had a massive explosion of Hedgehog Fibres in Knit With Attitude this week. Glorious tonal solids and crazy speckled skeins of Merino DK and Twist Sock are now hanging happily in the ...
Read more
"I'm not a shawls person" is clearly a lie I've been telling myself forever. After making a humongous DK weight shawl a couple of years back (the Askews Me! by Stephen West) and having worn it constantly since then, maybe not through the worst summer heat wave ...
There is something exciting about a new year. It's full of anticipation for what the year ahead has in store for us. New friends we will make, and new things to discover and learn. What better time of year to set ...

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Toys for Tots
New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily through Dec. 21 at Anne Arundel Community College's Central Services Building on the Arnold campus, 101 College Parkway. Toys may also be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily at the security desks in the front lobbies of AACC's facilities at the Glen Burnie Town Center, 101 Crain Highway North, and Arundel Mills, 7009 Arundel Mills Circle in Hanover. Information: 410-777-2729.
Baysox holiday party
The Bowie Baysox host a free holiday party from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, at Prince George's Stadium, 4101 Crain Highway in Bowie. Louie's Locker Room will be open for shopping, and there will be discounts on selected items. In addition, the Baysox will be selling holiday ticket packages and there will be children's activities, including craft stations and inflatable games. Children can meet Santa and enjoy holiday music, hot chocolate and cookies. Information: 301-464-4880.
Theater production
Anne Arundel Community College presents "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" through Saturday, Dec. 15, in the Robert E. Kauffman Theater of the Pascal Center for Performing Arts on the Arnold campus, 101 College Parkway. Barbara Robinson's play tells what happens when the Herdman kids — the worst children in town — take over the annual Christmas pageant. Shows are at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9. Tickets are $15; $12 for seniors, students, AACC faculty and staff, active military, and groups; $7 for AACC students with ID. Information: 410-777-2457.
Bowie Community Theatre will hold auditions for "In the Heat of the Night" at 7:30 p.m. Dec.17-18 at the Bowie Playhouse, White Marsh Park, Route 3 South. Show dates are March 15-30, with rehearsals beginning the first week of January. Cold readings from the script and director-provided readings will be used during the auditions. For more information, email the director, Estelle Miller, at email@example.com
'Garden of Lights'
Brookside Gardens' winter walk-through holiday lights display with more than 1 million twinkling LED lights shaped into forms of flowers, animals and other natural elements is on view through Jan. 6 at 1800 Glenallan Ave. in Wheaton. There will be nightly musical performances as well as refreshments and shopping. Hours are 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; and until 9 p.m. New Year's Eve. Admission is $20 per car/van Monday-Thursday; $25 per car/van Friday-Sunday. Advance tickets are $20 and good for any night. Only cash is accepted at the entrance; the last car is admitted 30 minutes before closing. Group tours must book and pay in advance. Information: 301-962-1453 or brooksidegardens.org.
Free parking
Two hours of free parking are offered to Annapolis shoppers at all two-hour metered parking spots through Jan. 1. Spaces on Main Street, Francis Street, West Street, Maryland Avenue, Prince George Street, City Dock and Market Space, as well as the Donner lot adjacent to the former Fawcett's on Compromise Street, are available. Motorists are not allowed to leave their car in one spot all day.
Fingerprinting service
The Annapolis Police Department will resume fingerprinting services to the public Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 199 Taylor Ave. The services are available from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the first Saturday of the month. For fees and more information, call 410-268-9000 or go to http://www.annapolis.gov/policehttp://www.annapolis.gov/police.
New website
Fort Meade, in partnership with the Fort Meade Community Covenant Council, has launched a new website designed to help the community take advantage of the resources in the region. For more information, go to http://www.ftmeade.army.mil/community.
Holiday food drive
Donations of nonperishable food items will be collected at the Chesapeake Hearing Centers' six locations until the end of the year. The centers' goal is 1,000 pounds of food. In exchange for donating, a free pack of hearing aid batteries will be given. For more information or to find a drop-off location, call 410-647-7795 or go to helpyourhearing.com.
Rotary gala
The Rotary Club of Annapolis' annual "Black Tie and Diamonds" event will be held from 6 p.m to 11 p.m. March 9 at the Loews Annapolis Hotel on West Street in Annapolis. The gala includes a cocktail hour, silent and live auctions, a raffle, dinner and dancing to the music of NightLife. Tickets are $1,500 for a table of 10 and are on sale now. Individual tickets at $150 per person go on sale after Jan. 1. To purchase a full table, contact Rebecca Tingle at 410-267-7877, ext. 6, email email@example.com, or call Ron Baradel at 410-268-6600. Information: 877-333-9667 or annapolisrotary.org.
Tax season
Volunteers are needed to assist with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program to help seniors and low-income adults with their 2012 tax returns. Participants will be trained by the IRS and the Maryland Comptroller's Office. They will help only with simple 2012 income tax returns, which will be filed electronically. Volunteers do not do tax returns involving partnerships or corporations, self-employed persons or rental properties. Volunteers are not required to have a financial background, but certified public accountants, attorneys, bookkeepers and those with financial training are encouraged to volunteer. Volunteers will be stationed at one of the county's senior activity centers and will be available by appointment between Feb. 4 and April 5. For more information, call 410-222-6717.
Human relations panel
The county Human Relations Commission is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy. The 11-member commission is a volunteer body established to promote fairness, eliminate discrimination and harassment in public and private sectors, and advance understanding and effective communication among people of different backgrounds and cultures. Applicants must be at least 18, county residents and able to attend evening meetings on the third Wednesday of the month. Legal experience is desirable but not required. Applicants should send a resume and letter of intent to: Johnelka Stafford, 44 Calvert St., Room 330, Annapolis 21401. Information: 410-222-1234.
'Operation Paperback'
This nonprofit organization collects used books nationwide and sends them to American troops deployed overseas. Since 1999, more than a million books have been shipped to military personnel around the world. Organizing the effort in this area is Sandy Marron of Annapolis. She can be contacted at email@example.com. Put "books" in the subject line. More information: operationpaperback.org.
Resource guide
The Anne Arundel Volunteer Center has released a Youth Resource Guide, with information about nonprofit and faith-based organizations in the county. A free copy is at volunteerannearundel.org. Printed copies can be purchased at the center, 2666 Riva Road, Suite 130, for $5 each. Information: 410-897-9207.
Disability issues
The Anne Arundel County Commission on Disability Issues has added an email notification feature to its website that provides information on disability issues. Sign-up and information: http://www.aacounty.org/aging/disabledadults/commdis.cfm.
Tours of historic house
The Ann Arrundell County Historical Society has opened the historic Benson-Hammond House and North Browse and Buy Shoppe at Aviation Boulevard and Andover Road in Linthicum for the season. Tours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 3 p.m. Sundays. Group tours are by appointment.
Historical research
The Kuethe Library's Historical & Genealogical Research Center, 5 Crain Highway S.E., operated jointly by the historical society and the Anne Arundel Genealogical Society, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays all year. Information: 410-760-9679.


text:
An Act relative to safer neighborhoods
By Ms. Benson of Lunenburg, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1200) of Jennifer E. Benson and Cory Atkins for legislation to require police departments in cities and towns to provide information to residents of the location of certain sex offenders. The Judiciary.
Bill Information
Bill Information
- Presenter:
- Jennifer E. Benson
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The General Court provides this information as a public service and while we endeavor to keep the data accurate and current to the best of our ability, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.


text:
Lab animals show improved hippocampal spatial memory and fear-conditioning performance post-transplantation
Patients receiving cranial irradiation treatment for brain cancer may find the treatment life-saving, but often suffer progressive and debilitating cognitive detriments, including spatial learning and memory deficits. The cognitive deficits are a contributing factor to the often significant adverse impacts on the surviving patients' quality of life after radiation therapy. In an effort to improve post-irradiation cognitive impairment, scientists at the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues at Neuralstem, Inc. (Rockville, MD), have transplanted fetal stem cells into laboratory animals with radiation-induced cognitive impairments and found that this led to a number of cognitive improvements. The study appears as an early e-publication for the journal Cell Transplantation, and is now freely available on-line at https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/pre-prints/ct1048acharya.
"Multiple mechanisms contribute to disrupted cognition following irradiation for patients with central nervous system malignancies. These include the depletion of radiosensitive populations of stem and progenitor cells in the hippocampus," said study co-author Dr. Charles L. Limoli of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of California, Irvine. "Interventions to combat long-term brain damage resulting from toxic radiation and chemotherapies therapies have yet to be developed. However, stem cell replacement strategies may provide a much needed intervention."
The researchers explored the potential beneficial impact of intra-hippocampal transplantation of fetal-derived human neural stem cells by transplanting the cells into laboratory rats a month after the animals were subjected to cranial irradiation with resulting cognitive deficits. The stem cells were FDA-approved human, fetal-derived neural stem cells provided by Neuralstem, Inc.
"Engrafted stem cells underwent extensive neuronal differentiation, formed new synaptic contacts, released neurotrophic factors, and showed an advanced degree of structural integration into the motor circuitry," reported the research team.
They found that the test animals showed improved hippocampal spatial memory and hippocampal-related "fear conditioning performance" when compared to a control group of irradiated animals that did not receive stem cell transplantation. The engrafted cells also migrated and differentiated into neural and glial subtypes in areas of the hippocampus.
"The engrafted stem cells survived and differentiated throughout an area of the hippocampus and significantly ameliorated cognitive dysfunction as shown at a one-month follow-up on the irradiated animals," said Dr. Limoli. "While it is premature to presume efficacy in the absence of human data, our efforts to thwart cognitive dysfunction by cell replacement therapy with fetal stem cell transplantation may provide an experimental backdrop for a potential treatment for cranially irradiated patients who developed cognitive dysfunctions."
"Cognitive dysfunction is an unfortunate side effect of the therapeutic use of radiation therapy for brain cancer and the identification of ways to ameliorate the dysfunction, such as the application of stem cell transplantation, is a significant area of research" said Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, distinguished professor at the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.
"This study is an important step towards the development of a clinical therapy, though further research is still required."
Source: EurekAlert


text:
My favorite salon. I've been going here for the past 3-4 years and I was never disappointed. Fair And Lovely Beauty Parlour are awesome. I do my cut and highlights here are I'm always happy with the result. They are always so friendly and cheerful.
Excellent blend of the best technology with very personal service. Dr.Henry Issac is wonderful -- caring, attentive and very skilled. Everyone at the office goes out of their way to make sure that what is usually a pretty trying experience (in my case a dental crown) is as pleasant as possible.
The AVM team is amazing! Everyone here is friendly and knowledgeable and they truly want to help. I've experienced what I thought was simply low back pain for years, but when I went to AVM I discovered that, in addition to back issues, I had separated my pelvis and it had healed incorrectly. They also identified that one of my legs is shorter than the other. Between offices show full
I've been searching for a dental practitioner since I moved here 2 years back. My companion alluded me to Tharayil Dental Clinic and I couldn't be more joyful with the experience. The office is present day and clean, yet I was for the most part awed with the flawless staff. Everybody was so neighborly and influenced me to feel good. I've been alluding everybody here show full
Excellent collection of mental health professionals. Depression, social anxiety, spousal abuse, obsessive procrastination, anorexia, grief, et al. They provide tools to help clients grapple with all of these issues. If I could offer more than five stars, I would attach as many as possible to this review. Outside of their counseling expertise, they have great administrative staf show full
Today tried to take two baby sparrows who were thrown out of their nest due to the winds. Note there is only a sign and a trail. The sanctuary is a misnomer. I was able though to get assistance of two park attendants who flagged down a ranger who said he'd help the birds. For that I'm grateful.
Double your sales, increase your customers and grow your business with zoompo business directory and marketing solutions


text:
On behalf of the Irish Military Vehicles Group, I would like to thank all who came to our show and helped make it the outstanding success that it was.
We have already booked the venue again for next year so keep the 20th and 21st of June free !
Hope you all had a great weekend.


text:
Not on Exhibit
Animal Facts
Scientific Name
Physeter macrocephalus
Animal Type
prefers squid but also eats bottom fish, including sharks
males: to 60 feet in length (18.3 m) and up to 60 tons (54,431 kg) in weightfemales: to 48 feet in length (14.6 m) and up to 27 tons (24,494 kg) in weight
orcas, narwhals, dolphins; Class: Mammalia; Suborder: Odontoceti (toothed whales)
Natural History
Largest of the toothed whales, sperm whales are unique and easy to identify. They have unusually large heads (one-third their body length); narrow, almost hidden lower jaws and off-center blows. Their dark brown to dark gray skin often includes narrow white markings around their mouths and the skin on the back of the whale is usually knobby, giving them a prunelike appearance. That bulging forehead (melon) contains spermaceti, a semi-liquid white oil. Early whalers thought the oil was sperm, hence the sperm whales'common name.
The male and female sperm whales differ greatly. Males are typically 30 to 50 percent larger than females and weigh about twice as much. Males' lower jaws have 20 to 30 pairs of large (up to 10 inches long) cone-shaped teeth that are designed for grasping slippery prey such as squid, rather than cutting. Females have smaller and fewer teeth.
In the past, whalers hunted sperm whales for spermaceti, fine oil used to make high-quality candles and lubricants. Estimates vary widely regarding the present population of sperm whales. The American Cetacean Society states, "Most recent estimates suggest a global population of 300,000 animals, down from about 1,100,000 before whaling." The sperm whale population is slow to recover because these animals mature late and have few offspring. Sperm whales are listed on the U.S. Endangered Species List. Hunting of sperm whales is banned nearly worldwide.
Cool Facts
The sperm whale was celebrated as the "great white whale" named Moby Dick in Herman Melville's novel of that name.
It is hypothesized that the sharp beaks of consumed squid lodged in the whale's intestine leads to the production of the waxy substance called ambergris. Lumps of ambergris are found in the intestines of dead sperm whales or as flotsam on the sea or sea coast. When fresh, it has a foul smell, but when dried, it has a strong, musklike odor. Its primary use was as a fixative in fine perfumes, and ambergris was once worth its weight in gold. Today it's illegal to possess, buy or sell ambergris in the United States.
Sperm whales "see" in the dark depths of the ocean by using sonar or echolocation. The melon focuses sound waves toward objects and prey. When sound waves echo back, they tell the whales the objects' positions, distances and sizes. Authorities believe that sperm whales can produce a powerful sonic blast by using the spermaceti organ as an amplifier. A strong blast stuns squid, which allows whales to swallow squid whole. (Giant squid may reach 60 feet in length.) Whalers have found sperm whales with no teeth or with broken jaws, yet they have a belly full of squid. Were the squid stunned by a sonic blast?
Sperm whales can dive to 9,850 feet (3000 m) and stay under water for up to two hours.