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IMAGE: Mechanics is key to whisker tactile sensation. When a whisker is deflected, its deformation profile within the follicle determines the activity of different groups of mechanoreceptors. view more
Credit: Northwestern University/Nadina Zweifel
We know your cat s whiskers are handsome but you can t even see the cool part.
The base of the whisker, which is responsible for sending touch signals to the brain, is hidden inside the follicle, a deep pocket that embeds the whisker within the skin. Because this section of the whisker is obscured, understanding precisely how whiskers communicate touch to the brain has been a longstanding mystery.
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We ve all heard the adage, If at first you don t succeed, try, try again, but new research from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh finds that it isn t all about repetition. Rather, internal states like engagement can also have an impact on learning.
The collaborative research, published in
Nature Neuroscience, examined how changes in internal states, such as arousal, attention, motivation, and engagement can affect the learning process using brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. Findings suggest that changes in internal states can systematically influence how behavior improves with learning, thus paving the way for more effective methods to teach people skills quickly, and to a higher level of proficiency.
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IMAGE: Klaudia Wojtaszek (IFJ PAN) prepares samples for placement in the measurement chamber at the XAS research station of the SOLARIS synchrotron. view more
Credit: Source: IFJ PAN
Few compounds are as important to industry and medicine today as titanium dioxide. Despite the variety and popularity of its applications, many issues related to the surface structure of materials made of this compound and the processes taking place therein remain unclear. Some of these secrets have just been revealed to scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. It was the first time they had used the SOLARIS synchrotron in their research.
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IMAGE: The scientists found elevated levels of cell drinking, or macropinocytosis (green) in the stromal cells exposed to a low-nutrient environment (right), compared to normal nutrient levels that surround healthy tissue. view more
Credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute demonstrated for the first time that blocking cell drinking, or macropinocytosis, in the thick tissue surrounding a pancreatic tumor slowed tumor growth providing more evidence that macropinocytosis is a driver of pancreatic cancer growth and is an important therapeutic target. The study was published in Now that we know that macropinocytosis is revved up in both pancreatic cancer cells and the surrounding fibrotic tissue, blocking the process might provide a double whammy to pancreatic tumors, says Cosimo Commisso, Ph.D., associate professor and co-director of the Cell and Molecular Biology of C
The authors are Rakesh Pilkar, PhD, Kamyar Momeni, PhD, Arvind Ramanujam, Manikandan Ravi, Erica Garbarini, and Gail F. Forrest, PhD, affiliated with the Center for Mobility and Rehabilitation Engineering Research and the Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation at Kessler Foundation.
sEMG is a noninvasive technology that detects, records, and interprets the electrical activity of muscles. The quantifiable information on myoelectric output recorded by sEMG is extremely useful in assessing impairment and potentially determining patient-specific and effective interventions for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, while sEMG is commonly used in neurorehabilitation research, its integration into clinical practice has been limited, according to lead author Dr. Pilkar, senior research scientist at the Center for Mobility and Rehabilitation Engineering Research.