Sandusky drawing Much-needed Attention to Personality Disorder...

(This post is continuing to evolve.  Please feel free to add comments and discussion...  Note that Dr. J (not a medical doctor, so see your medical doctor if needed)
One good arising out of the public horror at the Sandusky trial is attention to personality disorders (See, for example, http://thedailyreview.com/news/sandusky-evaluated-for-personality-disorder-1.1331252 (Accessed July 3, 2012).  In my opinion, there is a great need to do more research on personality disorder.  Many people are hurt by people with personality disorders.  These victims often get blamed instead of the abusers...Why didn't they see the, "red flags."  Only a small percentage of populations have personality disorders.  The set of personality disorders is difficult to diagnose and cures are not certain.  So, few researchers work in this tiny field.  Those that do may themselves be sucked into the drama of the person with "personality disorder.  They, too, in addition to other victims, are conned.  Yet, people with personality disorders are able to hurt streams of people as they gratify themselves.  Still, they often see themselves as perfect and not as having any mental illness.

One of the better-known personality disorders is, "narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)."  Let's take a look at "NPD.".

People with narcissistic personality disorder show, a "persistent pattern of grandiosity, hypersensitivity to the evaluation of others, and lack of empathy that begins early in adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts," and they exhibit a variety of symptoms:

•        react to criticism with feelings or rage, shame or humiliation
•        take advantage of others to achieve own goals
•        have a grandiose sense of self-important

•        hold a belief that his/her problems are unique and can only be understood       .      by other special people

•       have a preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, beauty,   intelligence, or ideal love 

•       have unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment

•       require constant attention and admiration
•       be unable to recognize and experience how others feel
•       be preoccupied with feelings of envy

Yet, "The cause of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is unknown at this time," (Source: 

http://nyp.org/health/psychiatry-narciperso.html.   Accessed July 3, 2012). 

Let's look at that again, the, "cause of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is unknown at this time," (Source:  http://nyp.org/health/psychiatry-narciperso.html.   Accessed July 3, 2012).  Eek!  Doesn't that make you feel sorry for the victims and also for the perpetrators...  No help for them in sight.  A video about this disorder is found at http://evl.vcsd.k12.ny.us/safevideos/Video.aspx?id=FFgoGtt7wu4, and it states that people with this disorder often fail to go get help because they think they are so special and wonderful already.  In actuality, they tend to hurt a lot of people, have a hard time forming relationships, and, they also have a fragile sense of self (Source:  http://evl.vcsd.k12.ny.us/safevideos/ Video.aspx?id=FFgoGtt7wu4. Accessed 1 Oct 2012).

How about other personality disorders?  Consider, "...there are very few empirical data about histrionic character disorder but a vast literature on antisocial personality disorder,"  (Source:  Davison, Gerald, C. and John M. Neale, 2001.  Abnormal Psychology.  "Personality Disorders."  P. 359).   Sure, there are a few that work with people with personality disorders, like NPD, antisocial personality disorder, histrionic character disorder, or other personality disorders, but, not many.  Much of what has been available on the internet is either anecdotal evidence, people's own stories, or earlier studies, such as those of Karen Horney.  Although the terminology  and groupings of what is now called, "personality disorder," have changed since Karen Horney's book, I believe she truly understood the disorders and that her classic book on human growth is well worth reading.  You may have to read each page several times, but, there is a treasure trove of information on each page.

The state of the knowledge base on personality disorders (previously called, "character disorders") indicates a need for research that is not always linked to immediate profit.  It also indicates a need for health insurances to better handle mental disorders, for longer periods of time.  Would your insurance cover more than five sessions, for example, if you needed them?  Someone with Borderline Personality Disorder or Narcissism might not even reveal his or her problems during that time (Source:  Davison, Gerald, C. and John M. Neale, 2001.  Abnormal Psychology.  "Personality Disorders."   Pp. 357-379 ).   Can we find out if levels of divorce and crimes are related to personality disorders?  Can we prevent tragedies like Sandusky's and of the many victims who knew him if we study more of these disorders?

So what are other personality disorders and how do we go about studying them?  Do we see people with personality disorders in the technical literature?  Do we see them in the literature of language arts? 

How about other personality disorders?                

There are different categories or clusters of personality disorders:

• Odd/Eccentric, 
• Dramatic/Erratic, and,
• Anxious/Fearful  (Source:  Davison, Gerald, C. and John M. Neale, 2001.  Abnormal Psychology.  "Personality Disorders."  Pp. 357-379).

Let us look briefly at each of these clusters in turn.  These are not complete lists, so, use them as starting points for further research into personality disorders.

Odd/Eccentric

• Paranoid Personality Disorder
• suspicious of others
• unjustified doubts about trustworthiness of others
• Schizoid Personality Disorder
• do not appear to enjoy  nor desire relationships with others
• experience few pleasurable activities
• indifferent to praise, criticism and sentiments of others
• appear aloof
• are loners
• Schizotypal Personality Disorder
• may have odd beliefs or magical thinking
• may believe they are clairvoyant or telepathic
• may have unclear use of words
• suspicious
• may be paranoid
• may have illusions
• may occur with other personality disorders (narcissistic, avoidant, borderline, paranoid)

Dramatic/Erratic

• Borderline Personality Disorder
• impulsivity and instability in relationships, mood, and self image
• emotions are erratic and can shift abruptly
• very hard to live with
• unpredictable
• cannot bear to be alone
• have fears of abandonment
• demand attention
• undeveloped sense of self  
• remain unclear about their values, loyalties, and choices
• transient psychotic symptoms
• may have relatives with schizophrenia or schizotypal personality disorder
• likely to also have an  Axis I mood disorder
• comorbidity with other personality disorders is likely (For example, with narcissism)
• addictive (sex, or drugs,or alcohol, or other addictive behaviors) 
• often depressed with feelings of emptiness 
• living from one emotional disaster to the next
• crave intimacy but repel it when they find it
• perhaps had inconsistent love and attention during childhood or other adverse childhood experiences (parents may be high in neuroticism).
• dysregulation and invalidation, diathesis for emotional dysregulation (child abuse (sexual and non-sexual), wants and feelings are discounted and disrespected.
• fragile egos
• frontal lobes do not metabolize glucose well (research shows increasing serotonin helps)
• split their world into all good, all bad dichotomies failing to integrate positive and negative aspects 
• has intolerable anxiety and fear
• About 50% of people with this disorder can get well...They have to want to get well.
• Histrionic Personality Disorder
• overly dramatic and attention seeking
• draw attention to themselves with clothes, make-up, or other external features
• may be unable to give supporting details to back up ideas
• emotionality and seductiveness may have been encouraged by parental seductiveness
• parents may have thought sex was dirty yet to be desired and conveyed this to the child
• exxagerated displays of emotion
• need to be the center of attention
• pre-occupation with sex

• Narcissistic Personality Disorder
• have a grandiose view of their own uniqueness and abilities
• self-centered (an understatement)
• expect others to do special favors for them without giving back a fair shake
• have extreme reactions to criticism
• lack of empathy
• Antisocial Personality Disorder and Psychopathy
• conduct disorder
• continued antisocial behavior in childhood
• 
  

Anxious/Fearful

• Avoidance Personality Disorder
• 
  
• Dependent Personality Disorder
• 
  
• Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder  
• 
  

(Source:  Davison, Gerald, C. and John M. Neale, 2001.  Abnormal Psychology.  "Personality Disorders."  Pp. 357-379 ). 


Our way of dealing with life's challenges...  our style of relating to other people...  Fluctuations in personality  occur, however, when these patterns of personality are long-standing, pervasive, dysfunctional, and concerned with bolstering the ego, rather than being honest and deep patterns of interacting with others,  then, a personality disorder might be determined to exist (Source:  Davison, Gerald, C. and John M. Neale, 2001.  Abnormal Psychology.  "Personality Disorders."  P. 358).

Ability to diagnose personality disorders is improving as diagnostic criteria are refined and structured interviews are developed (P. 359).  Since people with personality disorders are often experts at lying and conning people, including therapists and counselors and doctors, friends and family, they are hard to diagnose in the time frames allowed by courts and by insurance companies.  Many slip through the cracks and go on to hurt more and more people.  Symptoms of some personality disorders are not stable over time.  For example,  person with borderline personality disorder adapts his cunning nature as situations change (Pp. 359 and 362).

Here are links some with borderline personality disordered individuals in their lives, either self or other loved ones,  might find beneficial:  

• http://www.toddlertime.com/dx/borderline/when.htm
• http://theborderlineexperience.com/tag/authentic-self/
• A video is found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AWI_MlwO5WM.

Personality Disorders and Literature

In literature, characters may share traits with individuals with personality disorders. Shallowness, failure to bond, lying often, betrayal, trail of victims...  Here are some examples with links to the books.

Narcissus (Νάρκισσος)  ...  Greek Myth


Sources:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramapp/131945049/.  Accessed July 3, 2012;

Source:  http://en.wikipedia.
org/wik/Narcissus_
(mythology).  Accessed July 3, 2012 

.

Narcisism is found in many examples in the literature.  Here are some examples modified from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_ (mythology)#Narcissus_in_literature, Accessed July 3, 2012).  If you go to that site, you can also find references to examples from film and music.  (Note:  In addition, advertisements to these books, and other related works, are included, purchases from which support the development and continuation of this blog on science literacy.  Using the overlap of science and literature can  increase the love of science among more people.)

• In Stendhal's novel Le Rouge et le Noir (1830), find a classic narcissist in the character of Mathilde, "She looks at herself instead of looking at you, and so doesn't know you. During the two or three little outbursts of passion she has allowed herself in your favor, she has, by a great effort of imagination, seen in you the hero of her dreams, and not yourself as you really are," (Page 401, 1953 Penguin Edition, trans. Margaret R.B. Shaw, as cited by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_(mythology)#Narcissus_in_literature, Accessed July 3, 2012).
• André Gide's study of the myth, Le traite du Narcisse by Rejean Robidoux
 ('The Treatise of the Narcissus', 1891, Le traite du Narcisse) 

• Novel by Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray   is the classic "selling of the soul" story, but, remind students that originally the mental illnesses were often understood from a religious context as there was not the science known to understand them otherwise.  As knowledge is revealed, we understand more, thus the change of name of the disorder from , "character," to , "personality," disorder.
• Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist starts with a story about Narcissus.   The Alchemist
• Rainer Maria Rilke visits the character and symbolism of Narcissus in several of his poems.
• Seamus Heaney references Narcissus in his poem "Personal Helicon"in "Death of a Naturalist":
• Harry Potter character Narcissa Malfoy, the mother of Draco Malfoy, was named after Narcissus, and was described as being incredibly vain and arrogant.
• William Faulkner's character "Narcissa" in "Sanctuary (novel)", sister of Horace Benbow, was also named after Narcissus. 
• Hermann Hesse's character "Narcissus" in "Narcissus and Goldmund" shares several of mythical narcissus' traits, based on his intellect rather than  physical beauty.
• A. E. Housman refers to the 'Greek Lad', Narcissus, in his poem Look not in my Eyes from
• A Shropshire Lad "...variety of daffodil, Narcissus Jonquilla, which like Narcissus looks sadly down into the water"   

Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_(mythology)#Narcissus_in_literature, Accessed 3 July 2012.  

Another book is The Mask of Sanity by Cleckley which has featured a person with psychopathy (Source:  Davison, Gerald, C. and John M. Neale, 2001.  Abnormal Psychology.  "Personality Disorders."  P. 366).

Another resource on narcissism is by Alice Miller: The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self.  "This book could also have been named The Trauma of the Gifted Child. This sort of home environment often produces people with Borderline Personality Disorder."  Source: http://bachdevelopment.com/bach22.html, Accessed 14 Sept 2012.  

Karen Horney mentions additional examples in literature of other character disorders which we now classify as personality disorders, removing the religious concept of selling one's soul to the devil, from the name of the disorders where, often, the people with these disorders lie, even to themselves, and without full consciousness.

   

Personality Disorders in the 
Technical Literature

Let's look now for the technical literature on personality disorders.  Here are some names and dates to get you started:

• Kohut 1971; 1977
• Gunderson, Golb, and Austin 1981
• Herman et al. 1989
• Modell 1984 “survivor guilt”
• Beck and Freeman 1990
• Millon and Davis 1996
• Jellema 2000
• Akhtar and Thomson 1982
• Hollander et al. 1993
• Dimaggio et al.  2002
• Kernberg 1975
• Key et al. 1968
• Ross et al. 1998
• Spitzer, Endicott and Gibbon 1979
• Wagner, Linehan, & Wassan 1989
• Zarnarini et al.  1998

Giancarlo Dimaggio has advanced the studies on personality disorder.  He has many journal articles and books.  Here are some of his books:

 

Here are some abnormal psychology books including Davison, Gerald, C. and John M. Neale, 2001.  Abnormal Psychology.  "Personality Disorders," referenced above :

Link on Reddit is http://redd.it/117uo5

(c)2012  J S. Shipman .  All rights reserved.  All blog posts on this blog are copyrighted.

This post is dedicated to mcbmbrebjbgb and to any individuals with personality disorder(s).

msisak@citizensvoice.com

Smile...

Here's one reason why! :-)

Evaluate---> Create

Here's a post on teaching higher order thinking skills: http://www1.chapman.edu/univcoll/faculty/piper/2042/essential.htm

Use it and use the HOT Skills wheel as you read it. Use your background knowledge and your value system to evaluate what it says. You can do the entire post, or, just a paragraph. But, try to probe deeply into the ideas presented. Relate them to teaching/learning science.

Next, create something out of that reading and evaluation. Perhaps a video or a paper expressing key ideas and how you can use them to solve the, "No Child Left Behind," riddle. (Because as the NCLB stands, too many children are being left behind.) Or perhaps, you can create a painting or a ballet to convey a suggestion for public policy related to science education. Or, maybe, you have come up with a great lesson plan idea and you want to prepare a dynamic class for next week's science lesson.

Here are some ideas from the HOT Skills link above written earlier in this blog. You can use these ideas together with what you already know to help you evaluate the Chapman post and then create or synthesize your new ideas or ways of presenting based on what you read. What will you create?

Analysis: Do you see patterns? How are parts organized? Do you recognize any hidden meanings? Can you identify components?

Application: You can apply the data when you use information, methods, concepts,and theories in new situations. Solving problems by using required skills or knowledge is also, "application." For example, did you apply math skills that you already have to analyze the data.

Synthesis: Can you generalize from given facts, relate knowledge from several areas, predict, draw conclusions and use old ideas to create new ones? assess value of theories, make choices based on reasoned arguments, verify value of evidence, recognize subjectivity, compare and discriminate between/among ideas.

Remember to step through the thinking processes and be sure to use, "evaluation," and "creation." Have fun thinking deeply and being creative, too.

Differentiating "Primary Sources" from "Stories about Science"

Here's a link to an article on fat genes.

Can you tell if it is a "primary source" or not?

Who did the research? Did the person or people who did the research write this article?

How can you find primary source articles?

Where can you find them?

What format do they typically follow?

Is any of your work generating primary source information? Which work?

(c) 2008 J S Shipman

A Sampling of Topics to be Presented at Asian Association for Biology Education (AABE 22)

This post still under development. Please check back later.

A Sampling of Topics to be presented at
The 22nd Biennial Conference of the AABE
Program and Abstracts

ANA Gate Tower Hotel, Osaka, Japan
November 21-24, 2008

An Analysis of Skills for Use of Scientific Ability in the University Entrance Qualification
Examination Biology Test by Tomoko OHMORI
O-18
Standards for the Development of Certification Examinations for Secondary School Biology Teachers in Korea
by *Hae-Ae SEO, Ho-Kam KANG and Yong-Jin KIM
O-19
Examining Practices in an Inquiry-based, Work-oriented Science and Technology Classroom: Implications on Biology Education
by Jessamyn Marie O. YAZON
O-20
An Example of a Support to the Integrated Study of a Junior High School of Japan in the Local Community
by Mitsuo SAITOH
O-21
Development of Biology Audiovisual (CD) Teaching Material for Developing Experimental Basic Skills of Science Teacher on Developing Country
by *Namio NAGASU, Toshinobu HATANAKA and Nobuyasu
KATAYAMA
O-22
Multimedia Presentations on the Human Genome "Implementation and Assessment of a Teaching Program for the Introduction to Genome Science Using a Poster and Animations"
by *Kei KANO, Saiko YAHATA, Kaori MUROI, Masahiro
KAWAKAMI, Mari TOMODA, Koichi MIYAKI, Takeo
NAKAYAMA, Shinji KOSUGI and Kazuto KATO

Poster Presentations:

P-01
Diversity of Birds and Food Plants of Birds at Wiang-Kosai National Park, Thailand by Surakan PAYAKKHABUT

FYI (For your information): Wiang Kosai National Park P.O.Box 1 Amphur Wang Chin Phrae Thailand 54160 Tel. 0 5455 6763 (VoIP), 0 5450 9322 E-mail reserve@dnp.go.th

P-02
Cercarial Infections of Freshwater Snails Genus Bithynia Leach, 1818 in the Northeast of Thailand by *Duangduen KRAILAS, Chayada CHOTSRISUPPARAT,
Sirilak CHOTESAENGSRI and Tunyarut KOONCHORNBOON

P-03
Trematode Infections Obtained from Freshwater Snail Melanoides tuberculata in the North Thailand
by *Duangduen KRAILAS, Wivitchuta DECHRUKSA, Namfon PATTARADUSSADEE, Suluck UKONG, Wasin INKAPATANAKUL
and Tunyarut KOONCHORNBOON
P-04
Sensitivity to Chemical Attractant of Diacetyl
after Pre-exposure to Diacetyl is Inversely Related
to Life-span of the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
by *Tetsuya MATSUURA, Seiko SUZUKI, Ayaka MUSASHINO
and Mitsuyuki ICHINOSE
P-05
The Study of Biosurfactant as a Cleaning Agent for
Insecticide Residue in Leafy Vegetable
by *Churdchai CHEOWTIRAKUL and Nguyen Dieu LINH
P-06
Variability in Acetylcholinesterase upon Exposure to
Chlorpyrifos and Carbaryl in Hybrid Catfish
by *Voravit CHEEVAPORN, Chawanrat SOMNUEK, Chutarat
SAENGKUL and F. William H. BEAMISH
P-07
Effects of Handling Processes on the Quality and
Biochemical Changes in Tissue of Mud Crab, Scylla
serrata, (Forskal, 1755) during Emersion Storage
by *Nongnud TANGKROCK-OLAN and Waritchon NINLANON
P-08
The Effects of Earthworm-formulated and Commercial
Feeds on the Growth and Development of Nile Tilapia
(O. niloticus)
by *Rosa Mistica L. HERMOSO, Blythe N. KE
and Samuel M. GO
P-09
Study on Actinomycetes Soluble Pigments for Suitable
Application
by *Rattanaporn SRIVIBOOL and Udomluck THITIRAKPANICH
P-10
In Vitro Effects of Some Thai Antihelmeinthic Plants
on Tegument Surface and Mortality of Stellantchasmus
falcatus (Trematoda: Heterophyidae)
by Kittisak PHUTTACHAT, Kittichai CHANTIMA, Chakkapong
TEUMMEE, *Siriwadee CHOMDEJ and Chalobol WONGSAWAD
P-11
Effect of IGF-2 Gene on Litter Size and Reproductive
Performance in Pigs
by Waranee PRADIT, Supamit MEKCHAY,
Korakot NGANVONGPANIT, and *Siriwadee CHOMDEJ
P-12
Sound Quality of Salor's Bow from Different Horsehair
Species
by Watcharapong NARABALLOBH, Chamnan TRINARONG,
Narit SITASUWAN and *Siriwadee CHOMDEJ
P-13
Microsatellite Primers in Ficus hirta and Erythrina
subumbrans for Applications
in Tropical Forest Restoration
by Wuttichai PHAIRUEANG, Bhanupong PHROMMARAT,
Prasit WANGPAKAPATTANAWONG, Stephen ELLIOTT,
Sutthathorn CHAIRUANGSRI and *Siriwadee CHOMDEJ
P-14
A Proposal of Recycling Club Model for Environmental
Education in Malaysia
by *Yap Pei SUAN and Shigeyoshi WATANABE
P-15
Investigation of Japanese Biology Curriculum in Primary
School which is Regarded Nature Observation as Important
by *Takayuki SATO and Ikumi ASAHARA
P-16
Creating a Field Biology Program for Your School:
Lessons from the PSHS-Main Campus Experience
by *Nino A. ESPINAS, Ma. Elena K.
DACANAY, Frederick T. TALAUE, and
Melanie Anne B. CHENG
P-17
Environmental Education with Reference to Biological
Aspects for Non-science Majors in Pre-service Teacher
Training Courses by Nobuyasu KATAYAMA
P-18
Effects of Fish Breeding Activity for College Students
Who Aim to Become a Elementary School Teacher
by Fumi NAKANISHI
P-19
Animal-assisted Education at Japanese Schools with Support
from Veterinarians
by *Mihoko NAKAGAWA, Yuka NAKAJIMA and Taro HATOGAI
P-20
Conservation Medical Education Performed by the Wild
Animal Medical Center (WAMC) in Rakuno Gakuen University
by Mitsuhiko ASAKAWA
P-21
Teaching-Materials of the "Rice Plant" in Biology Education
by *Kazuko IIJIMA, Ryuichi SAGO, Tomoko IIJIMA,
Masayoshi UESHIMA and Michinori KARIYA
P-22
Usefulness of Small Scale Biotopes in Kindergarten Education
in the Urban Area of Japan
by *Tsutomu OSAWA and Mitsuo MATSUKA
P-23
The Effectiveness of Using Data Which Have Been Obtained
by Students for Learning about the Human Environment in
Junior High School Science
by *Yasuhiro KANAIZUKA and Nobuyasu KATAYAMA
P-24
The Practice of Environmental Education in Japanese
Elementary and Junior High School Science Using Natural
Resources in Hokkaido Area
by Kiyoyuki OHSHIKA
P-25
The Current State of Myxomycete Collections in Museums
and Future Prospects of the Utilization on Biological
Education
by *Yuka YAJIMA and Kiyoyuki OHSHIKA
P-26
Evaluation of Hypoglycemic Activity of Ardisia sp.
(Myrsinaceae): Mouse Model
by *Edna A. AMPARADO and Dennis D. RAGA
P-27
Evaluation of the Glycemic Effect of Telosma
(Asclepiadaceae) in Normal and Alloxan-induced Diabetic
Juvenile Mice (Mus musculus)
by *Lilibeth A. CAJUDAY and Edna A. AMPARADO
P-28
The Antioxidant Potential of Crude Leaf Extracts from
Selected Endemic Plant Species of the Philippines
by *Reynand C. CANOY, Jan Michael Jesse LOMANTA,
Paolo SIGUAN and Sonia D. JACINTO
P-29
Screening Plant Species for Assessing Cd and Neem
Extract Contamination
by *Vilaiporn BUNYAKITJINDA, Supanyika SENGSAI and
Nongnuch GAMLANGPAT
P-30
Evaluation of Genotoxic Effects of Residue Aza
Containing Neem Extract on Root Tip Cells of Allium cepa,
Zephyranthes rosea and Eucrosia bicolor
by *Wimol KWANKUA, Supanyika SENGSAI and
Nongnuch GAMLANGPAT
P-31
Factors Affecting Cadmium Adsorption
of Kirchneriella lunaris
by *Ptumporn MUANGPHRA, Waramanee PONGSAWAT and
Kanlaya SRIBUDDHACHART
P-32
Genotoxicity of Cadmium to Coelomocytes of Earthworms,
Pheretima peguana and Pheretima posthuma
by Ptumporn MUANGPHRA
P-33
Karyotype Studies of Freshwater Snails, Filopaludina spp.
by *Supanyika SENGSAI, Wimol KWANKUA,
Duangduen KRAILAS and Siriporn KAEWKLOM
P-34
An Application of Conventional and GISH Karyotypes
to Biological Education
―An Example of Compositae Plants―
by *Hisakazu OGURA, Shiguang GUO and Katsuhiko KONDO
P-35
A Validation Study of Shell Porosity Measurements
in Eggshells of the Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus)
by *Kampanat THARAPOOM and Ruedi NAGER
P-36
New Teaching Materials on "Life of Oceanic Sea
Skaters and Adaptation to Oceanic Environment"
by *Mika YOKOTA, Toshiki TAMURA, Takao
INOUE, Shiho TAKENAKA Takero SEKIMOTO,
Mitsuru NAKAJYO, Chihiro KATAGIRI and Tetsuo HARADA
P-37
Life Table of Springtail, Xenylla sp. (Hexapoda: Collembola)
by *Vacharobon THIRAKHUPT and Kasem KONGNIRUNDONSUK
P-38
Male Sterile Oxalis corniculata as Teaching Material
for Pollination and Fructification
by *Shigeaki ATSUMI and Megumi KASAHARA
P-39
Classroom Experiment for Studying the Response of
Organisms to Their Environment with the Unicellular
Green Algae Haematococcus pulvialis
by *Haruka MATSUMOTO and Nobuyasu KATAYAMA
P-40 Study on Teaching Materials of Creature in
Elementary School Science Textbooks
―Appropriateness of the Fact that Japanese Schools
begin in April―
by *Junko IWAMA, Shizuo MATSUBARA and
Takashi SHIMOJO
P-41
Close Analysis of Reading Inscriptions
in Biology Textbooks
by *JaeYoung HAN, Yong-Jin KIM,
Jung-In CHUNG, Seong Hey PAIK and
Young-Wook SONG
P-42
Changes of High School Students' Explanatory Hypothesis
Formation by the Anxiety Types of Cognitive Conflict
in Respiration Experiment Task
by *Young-Sik KWON and Kil-Jae LEE
P43
The Development and Application of Teaching-learning
Program utilizing Scientists' Research Papers for
Improvement of the Gifted-in Science Students' Problem
Solving Ability.
by *Hyun-Jung LEE and Kil-Jae LEE
P-44
Learning-related Brain Activation Changes
in High School Students: An fMRI Study
by *Yong-Ju KWON, Il-Sun LEE, Suk-Won KWON,
Il-Ho YANG and Myoung HUR
P-45
Brain-based Differences between Pre-service Science
Teachers' Causal Inference and Perception about
Biological Phenomena
by *Young-Joon SHIN, Jun-Ki LEE, Jung-Ho BYEON and
Dong-Hoon SHIN
P-46
An Exploratory Study on Emotional Factors in the
Elementary Science Instruction
by *Jaeyoung KIM, Chaeseong LIM, Gwangsam RYU
P-47
DVD Talks about the Human and Environment on the
Earth by *Ikuko SHIHIRA-ISHIKAWA, Yasufumi TSUCHIYA
and Atwushi MIYAWAKI
P-48
Space Educational Program - Implementation of
Sample Return Missions
by *Hideaki KOBAYASHI and Tsutomu YAMANAKA

Workshop
W-01
A Simple and Useful Method for the Observation of
Somatic Cell Divisions Using Acetic Dahlia Solution
as a Staining Solution for Biology Class at the
Secondary School Level
by *Yoshihiko YONEZAWA and Hidehiro HANMOTO

Science Meeting Link

Here is a link to science meeting software. You may find it useful. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, so, if you are familiar with it, please leave a comment. Perhaps it is useful for arranging a science fair, or, keeping track of references for your research.

Thank you for any evaluations.

http://www.labmeeting.com/signin

A "flatworm" look at stem cells...

More information: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=8DCF4F40EB7848B4

Students present research as do senior faculty. Dr. J's community college students, 4-year college students, high school and even one elementary student have presented research at National scientific meetings. It started with presenting the research in the classroom. Try doing a lab and then holding a mini-meeting on the lab. The above example of a student's presentation on flatworm regeneration is also about a timely topic: stem cells.

Mark your Calendars

International Botanical Congress
http://www.ibc2011.com/ibc2011/

Writing? Science research might be important to your story.

Here's an article with some ideas about the research underlying writing. Try writing a story that requires some science research.

http://www.writeandpublishyourbook.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=435&Itemid=10263

Here's a post on "storytelling" and teaching science. It might be useful as you write your own sciencebased story.

http://www.backyardnature.com/cgi-bin/gt/tpl.h,content=124

How long do birds live? How many offspring do they have?

Hi! Recently I was asked questions on birds. The answer got truncated by the program handling the answer. I decided to re-create the answer here, thus, this post.

I am very excited to get your question. One reason is that my nephew is very interested in birds and we often watch them and talk about them. My mother, too, likes birds. My parents have a bird feeder and also go bird-watching. They are in their eighties. I think the birds help keep them young!

I imagine that the number of times a bird reproduces depends on the type of bird (chicken or robin, for example)and on the particular bird (Just like you like one kind of ice cream and your friend likes another, different birds might reproduce different numbers of times based on preference. Similarly, numbers of offspring and longevity vary among bird families and bird individuals just like they do among human families and individuals. The oldest woman I know is 115 years old, for example. The life span is now 160 for people. Some people die before reaching that age, because of accident or disease. The same kind of thing happens to birds: some live longer than others, some have more offspring than others. But, there are other answers...
I think I can help you find some answers.

Here is a diagram of a "typical" bird life cycle. Click here.
http://www.bird-friends.com/Life.html

There is a bird expert (scruthird@zoonewengland.com, ask for the, "bird expert.") at the Franklin Park Zoo (www.zoonewengland.org) and you can see some of "Bird World" too.

The National Zoo offers bird facts where you can find lots of information. The bald eagle, for example can live 48 years in captivity at zoos (less in the wild). It has two or three eggs a year and typically mates in the spring, but may mate more often.

Teaching printables can be found at: http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Life_Cycles/

Another part of the answer addressed the fact that women and men can both be scientists and the student (a girl) asking the question was encouraged to go on in science.

There is a bird game already posted. I'll put a link here: Click!

Well, I haven't recreated the entire answer, but I repeated the work that was lost as well as I could recall it at present.

Edited on 10-20-09:
See comments below for more information. Here is a quote from one of them showing a sample of the kind of information you can find there on many birds:

SPECIES	YR.-MO	SPECIES	YR.-MO.
Laysan Albatross	37-05	White-crowned Sparrow	13-04
Arctic Tern	34-00	House Sparrow	13-04
Great Frigatebird	30-00	Warbling Vireo	13-01

Source for the information on the albatross, tern, and frigatebird shown above: http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/How_Long.html Accessed 10-20-09. Notes: Copyright ® 1988 by Paul R. Ehrlich, David S. Dobkin, and Darryl Wheye,
from The Birder's Handbook (which covers birds of North America), note the date of the statistics (which are now 21 years old), the website data is limited to campus(Stanford) birds (in California) [Thanks to D. Wheye for these added clarifications in the above, "Notes."]

What can you learn from one plant?

Pick one plant, say potatoes, or chicory, or a tulip...or, any plant you like. What can you learn from that plant? Many subjects overlap with botany.

The selected plant: _______________________________________________________

Writing: Can you write an essay or a paper about your plant. Be sure to cite sources. Can you write a poem about your plant?

Art: Can you draw your plant? What colors are found in your plant? Is paper made from your plant?

History: Did the plant have an effect on human history? Does the plant have its own story?

Math? What is the growth rate of the plant? How big are the seeds? How big are the leaves? What is the range of sizes for leaves?

Classification and organization? How would you classify this plant? What characteristics would you use? How do other scientists classify it?

Geography: Where is the plant found in nature?

Biology: What lights affect the plant? Reds? Greens? Blues? White? Does day length affect the plant? What is the life cycle of the plant?

Chemistry: What chemicals are found in the plant? Does pH affect the plants growth? Does salt?

Music: Is the plant used to make musical instruments? Can you write a song or a symphony about your plant? Can you do a spring concert based on songs your class wrote about flowers?

(c) 2007 J S Shipman.

A Kew Gardens Story

A personal story from Dr. J...
I had a pen-pal (translation: pen-friend) back in the day (translation: Once upon a time) before e-mail, Skype, texting, who was from Dagenham. Among other "botany and touristy sites", he took me to Kew Gardens when I was young and we visited all the plants, an activity we both enjoyed immensely. I must admit, at the time I thought it was, "Q," Gardens.

Years later, in my first botany course, I read about Kew Gardens and saw a photo of the gardens in the botany text. I said, "I've been there." I was so excited. I didn't know it was so famous. That visit long ago began my love of Botanical Gardens. On returning to the States, I went to the New York Botanical Garden.

My pen-pal and I still contact each other and are familiar with four generations of family. He has done much conservation in the UK and Africa. He has worked for the British Government Soil Survey.

Here's a video from "Kew that shows more plant kinematics:

Kew Gardens: Mimosa pudica



Mimosa pudica references:
http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/Mimosa%20pudica.pdf
Мимоза стыдливая--- http://www.booksite.ru/fulltext/Aurobindo/flowers/m/mimosa.htm http://zipcodezoo.com/Plants/M/Mimosa_pudica.asp
http://www.bio.miami.edu/mimosa/mimosa.html
http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week147.shtml



Palicourea riparia references :
http://www.springerlink.com/content/h2406g4383k76812/
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0007-196X(196504)17:2%3C144:ATSOP(%3E2.0.CO;2-6

You might also be interested in this article from the New York Times:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/research/index.html?s=oldest&field=des&match=exact&query=FLOWERS%20AND%20PLANTS&offset=20

Can you write a paper on Rosalind Franklin?

FRANKLIN, ROSALIND ELSIE

Chemist/Biologist (1920 - 1957)

"Rosalind Franklin received her degree in Chemistry in 1951 from Cambridge University. It was while working as a research associate for James Randall at King's College that she was the first to recognize the helix shape of DNA." Source: http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/FRANKLIN.html

Tips on writing a biography can be found at :

1. http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/biograph/
2. http://www.infoplease.com/homework/wsbiography.html
3. http://homeworktips.about.com/od/biography/a/bio.htm
4. There are many other other sites on writing biographies. If you need more, use a search engine and look for, "writing a biography."
   

Post your biography in the comments if you like if your an adult or if your parent/guardian helps you.

Here's an extra assignment:
Many times, people pick on Wikipedia. Others like it very much. What do you think? How does the information found on Wikipedia about Rosalind Franklin compare and contrast with information on other sites or that you found in books or research papers? Have you read any of Rosalind Franklin's original publications?

Botany/Geography/Research: Highlighting Zaidi!

Mudassir Asrar Zaidi is a botanist in Pakistan. Can you find Pakistan on a map? Click on her name and read about her research.

• Zaidi has written a book entitled, Fresh water algae from Balochistan, and has organized more than 40 seminars/workshops on biodiversity and plant sciences in Quetta.
• Zaidi has received three of the world’s most prestigious research fellowships: Fulbright, Commonwealth and Alexander von Humboldt.
  
• As a Fulbright Post Doctorate, Zaidi worked with Dr. Sidney Crow at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
  
• At the University of London, the Commonwealth fellowship enabled Dr. Zaidi to work with Dr. Simon Gibbons in the School of Pharmacy.
  
• In London, Dr. Zaidi was also honored and elected as a fellow of Linnaean Society of London (FLS).
  
• Dr. Zaidi studied indigenous medicinal plants of Pakistan. These plants hold great potential of holding a cure for various diseases.
  

Dr. Zaidi says, "In my research on medicinal plants, I examine the bioactive plant extracts and purify, isolate and identify the biologically active compounds." Botanists like Zaidi help find new medicines to cure diseases. She has published her research results. Do you know how to use Google Scholar to find her papers?