Problem-solving governs how we process sensory stimuli

Public release date: 25-Jun-2013
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Contact: Fritjof Helmchen
helmchen@hifo.uzh.ch
41-446-353-340
University of Zurich

This news release is available in German.

Various areas of the brain process our sensory experiences. How the areas of the cerebral cortex communicate with each other and process sensory information has long puzzled neu-roscientists. Exploring the sense of touch in mice, brain researchers from the University of Zurich now demonstrate that the transmission of sensory information from one cortical area to connected areas depends on the specific task to solve and the goal-directed behavior. These findings can serve as a basis for an improved understanding of cognitive disorders.

In the mammalian brain, the cerebral cortex plays a crucial role in processing sensory inputs. The cortex can be subdivided into different areas, each handling distinct aspects of perception, decision-making or action. The somatosensory cortex, for instance, comprises the part of the cerebral cortex that primarily processes haptic sensations. The different areas of the cerebral cortex are intercon-nected and communicate with each other. A central, unanswered question of neuroscience is how exactly do these brain areas communicate to process sensory stimuli and produce appropriate behav-ior. A team of researchers headed by Professor Fritjof Helmchen at the University of Zurich's Brain Research Institute now provides an answer: The processing of sensory information depends on what you want to achieve. The brain researchers observed that nerve cells in the sensory cortex that con-nect to distinct brain areas are activated differentially depending on the task to be solved.

Goal-directed processing of sensory information

In their publication in Nature, the researchers studied how mice use their facial whiskers to explore their environment, much like we do in the dark with our hands and fingers. One mouse group was trained to distinguish coarse and fine sandpapers using their whiskers in order to obtain a reward. Another group had to work out the angle, at which an object a metal rod was located relative to their snout. The neuroscientists measured the activity of neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex using a special microscopy technique. With simultaneous anatomical stainings they also identified which of these neurons sent their projections to the more remote secondary somatosensory area and the motor cortex, respectively.

The primary somatosensory neurons with projections to the secondary somatosensory cortex pre-dominantly became active when the mice had to distinguish the surface texture of the sandpaper. Neurons with projections to the motor cortex, on the other hand, were more involved when mice needed to localize the metal rod. These different activity patterns were not evident when mice pas-sively touched sandpaper or metal rods without having been set a task in other words, when their actions were not motivated by a reward. Thus, the sensory stimuli alone were not sufficient to explain the different pattern of information transfer to the remote brain areas.

Impaired communication in the brain

According to Fritjof Helmchen, the activity in a cortical area can be transmitted to remote areas in a targeted fashion if we have to extract ('filter') specific information from the environment to solve a problem. In cognitive disorders such Alzheimer's disease, Autism, and Schizophrenia, this communi-cation between brain areas is often disrupted. "A better understanding of how these long-range, inter-connected networks in the brain operate might help to develop therapies that re-establish this specific cortical communication," says Helmchen. The aim would be to thereby improve the impaired cognitive abilities of patients.

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Public release date: 25-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Fritjof Helmchen
helmchen@hifo.uzh.ch
41-446-353-340
University of Zurich

This news release is available in German.

Various areas of the brain process our sensory experiences. How the areas of the cerebral cortex communicate with each other and process sensory information has long puzzled neu-roscientists. Exploring the sense of touch in mice, brain researchers from the University of Zurich now demonstrate that the transmission of sensory information from one cortical area to connected areas depends on the specific task to solve and the goal-directed behavior. These findings can serve as a basis for an improved understanding of cognitive disorders.

In the mammalian brain, the cerebral cortex plays a crucial role in processing sensory inputs. The cortex can be subdivided into different areas, each handling distinct aspects of perception, decision-making or action. The somatosensory cortex, for instance, comprises the part of the cerebral cortex that primarily processes haptic sensations. The different areas of the cerebral cortex are intercon-nected and communicate with each other. A central, unanswered question of neuroscience is how exactly do these brain areas communicate to process sensory stimuli and produce appropriate behav-ior. A team of researchers headed by Professor Fritjof Helmchen at the University of Zurich's Brain Research Institute now provides an answer: The processing of sensory information depends on what you want to achieve. The brain researchers observed that nerve cells in the sensory cortex that con-nect to distinct brain areas are activated differentially depending on the task to be solved.

Goal-directed processing of sensory information

In their publication in Nature, the researchers studied how mice use their facial whiskers to explore their environment, much like we do in the dark with our hands and fingers. One mouse group was trained to distinguish coarse and fine sandpapers using their whiskers in order to obtain a reward. Another group had to work out the angle, at which an object a metal rod was located relative to their snout. The neuroscientists measured the activity of neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex using a special microscopy technique. With simultaneous anatomical stainings they also identified which of these neurons sent their projections to the more remote secondary somatosensory area and the motor cortex, respectively.

The primary somatosensory neurons with projections to the secondary somatosensory cortex pre-dominantly became active when the mice had to distinguish the surface texture of the sandpaper. Neurons with projections to the motor cortex, on the other hand, were more involved when mice needed to localize the metal rod. These different activity patterns were not evident when mice pas-sively touched sandpaper or metal rods without having been set a task in other words, when their actions were not motivated by a reward. Thus, the sensory stimuli alone were not sufficient to explain the different pattern of information transfer to the remote brain areas.

Impaired communication in the brain

According to Fritjof Helmchen, the activity in a cortical area can be transmitted to remote areas in a targeted fashion if we have to extract ('filter') specific information from the environment to solve a problem. In cognitive disorders such Alzheimer's disease, Autism, and Schizophrenia, this communi-cation between brain areas is often disrupted. "A better understanding of how these long-range, inter-connected networks in the brain operate might help to develop therapies that re-establish this specific cortical communication," says Helmchen. The aim would be to thereby improve the impaired cognitive abilities of patients.

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/uoz-pgh062513.php

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Students' device aims to avert repeated breast cancer surgeries

June 25, 2013 ? When a breast tumor is detected, many women opt to have a lumpectomy, which is surgery designed to remove the diseased tissue while preserving the breast. But during this procedure, doctors cannot learn right away whether all of the cancerous tissue has been removed, with no microscopic signs that cancer cells were left behind. Because of this delay, one in five of these women -- up to 66,000 patients annually in the U.S. alone -- must return for a second surgery to remove remaining cancer. These follow-up operations boost healthcare costs and can lead to delays in receiving other treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.

To reduce the need for these second surgeries, four Johns Hopkins graduate students have designed a device to allow pathologists to quickly inspect excised breast tissue within 20 minutes, while the patient is still in the operating room. If this inspection indicates that the tumor was not fully removed, additional tissue can then be removed during the same operation. Eliminating the need for a second operation could also curb some of the additional anxiety these patients face.

The device is still in its prototype stage, but the students say their goal is to give breast cancer patients the same rapid review that commonly occurs when tumors are removed from elsewhere in the body. The students learned about the second-surgery dilemma while observing medical procedures last summer as part of a year-long biomedical engineering master's degree program. In this program, students learn to design new medical tools and products that address urgent healthcare needs.

"We spoke to breast cancer surgeons," said Hector Neira of Silver Spring, Md., one of the student inventors. "They told us that they are desperate for something that will allow them to remove the tumor in its entirety the first time, so that the patient doesn't have to come back for a second surgery."

So far, the team's system has been tested on animal tissue and human breast samples from a tissue bank, but it has not yet been used on patients. Over the past year, however, the students' device design and market analysis have earned them more than $40,000 in college business plan prize money. In the recent Design Day event for Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering students, the team received the top People's Choice award. And, although all of the student inventors received their master's diplomas in May, two have received funding to remain at Johns Hopkins and continue refining the project over the coming year.

Although the financial support and recognition is helpful, "that's not our ultimate goal," said Anjana Sinha of Princeton, N.J., another one of the student inventors. "We're not doing it for the money. We want to improve healthcare practices and raise the standard of care for these breast cancer patients. Why can't they get the same type of quick results that people with other types of cancer receive?"

When most tumors, such as those in the liver, are removed, the pathology staff can quickly flash-freeze the tissue and slice off paper-thin samples for microscopic examination. If the pathologist sees that cancer cells extend to the outer edge or margin of a sample, the surgeon is advised to remove more tissue from the patient. But breast tissue poses a problem: it possesses a high fat content and does not freeze well, causing the samples to smear, form gaps and become unsuitable for a quick review. Instead, breast tissue must be preserved and analyzed in a more time-consuming process that requires the patient to return to the operating room if the first surgery appears to have left cancer cells behind.

To solve this problem, the graduate students brainstormed for an engineering solution. Their most promising and practical idea was a device that applies an adhesive film to the breast tissue before it is sliced. The film holds the delicate tissue together, preventing damage to the samples during the slicing process. The result, the students said, is a sample that can be clearly reviewed by a pathologist within 20 minutes of its removal, potentially eliminating the need for a second operation on another day.

The low-cost system includes a reusable applicator and a proprietary disposable film. The students said the need for their product is significant, citing the estimated 330,000 lumpectomies that are performed annually in the United States alone.

"I think the students have been incredibly creative in their development of this concept, and they are addressing a very real need in the field of breast cancer surgery," said Melissa Camp, a Johns Hopkins assistant professor of surgery who worked with the team. "Accurate assessment of margin status during the initial operation will lead to fewer re-operations, and this will be beneficial for patients in many respects. I look forward to their continued work!"

At Johns Hopkins, the pathology device was developed under the supervision of the university's Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design. The center teams students with faculty researchers, physicians and others who help them understand healthcare needs and guide them as they propose solutions, then build and test prototypes. CBID operates within the Department of Biomedical Engineering, which is shared by the university's School of Medicine and its Whiting School of Engineering.

Along with Neira and Sinha, the student inventors of the breast cancer device were Qing Xiang Yee of Singapore and Vaishakhi Mayya of India. Sinha and Mayya will remain at Johns Hopkins during the coming year to continue working on the project with David Shin of Seattle, another recent graduate of the CBID master's program. The students also will continue collaborating with advisers from the School of Medicine, including Ashley Cimino-Mathews, an assistant professor of surgical pathology, and James Shin, a surgical pathology research specialist. Jason Benkoski, a senior materials scientist from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, will serve as a technical adviser to the team. The Wallace H. Coulter Foundation is providing funding for these students to continue working on the project this year.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/W03UTDCZgwA/130625161900.htm

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Particle Pals: Neutrino Experiment Shows Protons and Neutrons Pairing Up

The first physics results from MINERvA shed light on subtle nuclear behavior

By John Matson

NEUTRINO CATCHER: MINERvA co-spokesperson Deborah Harris in front of the detector. Image: FNAL

• 

  We?ve long understood black holes to be the points at which the universe as we know it comes to an end. Often billions of times more massive than the Sun, they...

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Neutrinos are notoriously antisocial, nearly always slipping past atoms of matter without so much as a ?how do you do.? But new research indicates that on the rare occasion a neutrino and an atomic nucleus do make contact, the interaction is surprisingly involved.

By training a beam of neutrinos on a plastic target, researchers at the MINERvA experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Ill., have found that when a neutrino collides with an atom it often knocks free not just one proton or neutron, but two. Some of the particles within the atomic nuclei, it appears, are pairing up rather than moving about independently, only to be sprung free in twos when a neutrino strikes. The results will have implications for precision neutrino measurements, which often rely on carefully reconstructing the physics of rare collisions between neutrinos and atoms.

MINERvA, an apparatus about the size of a bread truck, is parked in the path of a Fermilab neutrino beam, nearly all of which passes cleanly through the detector and into another neutrino experiment called MINOS. MINERvA?s detector contains a variety of different materials, including layers of lead and iron fronting the hydrocarbon plastic material of the inner detector. ?It?s chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside,? says Deborah Harris, a Fermilab physicist and co-spokesperson for the MINERvA collaboration. ?One of the goals is to measure the neutrino interaction on several different nuclei.? Now the experiment has produced its first physics results, an analysis of neutrino interactions with carbon nuclei in the plastic portion of the detector.

In two new studies that will appear in the journal Physical Review Letters, the MINERvA collaboration reports on several months of experimental operation in 2010 and 2011. The analyses focus on so-called quasi-elastic scattering, which in the simplest case involves a neutrino colliding with a neutron in one of the carbon atoms. The interaction of those two electrically neutral particles yields two oppositely charged particles, a positively charged proton and a negatively charged muon, which scatter outward like billiard balls struck by a cue ball. ?It spits out a proton, and leaves the rest of the nucleus basically undisturbed,? Harris says. ?Some fraction of the time, it looks like more than just one proton comes out.?

The appearance of an extra proton alongside a neutron-turned-proton indicates that neutrinos tend to strike particle pairs. ?Twenty-five percent of the time, with some errors, protons are traveling around with neutrons,? Harris says. The physicists observed a similar trend in analogous reactions involving antineutrinos?the particles? antimatter counterpart. ?Let?s say that the carbon nucleus was really just six pairs of protons and neutrons? rather than a dozen independent particles, Harris explains, ?so whenever you hit a proton you?re also hitting a neutron. That?s kind of an extreme view of what might be going on in the nucleus.?

Neutrinos and antineutrinos come in three flavors?electron, muon and tau?each of them associated with a charged elementary particle of the same name. But as a neutrino zips through space at nearly the speed of light, it oscillates between the three possible flavors, a phenomenon that several experiments around the world are currently investigating. The tendency toward nuclear pairings documented at MINERvA could inform the analysis of those neutrino-oscillation experiments. ?It is not accounted for in the standard kinds of simulations of how neutrinos interact in all these oscillation experiments,? Harris says. ?In order to predict what the neutrino energy was coming in, you have to make some assumptions about what was going on in the nucleus.?

Adds physicist John Arrington of Argonne National Laboratory, who did not contribute to the new research: ?You really have to understand those reaction mechanisms to know what?s going on? in experiments where neutrinos scatter off of atomic nuclei. ?That really just wasn?t possible with the types of neutrino-scattering experiments that have been done before.??

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=neutrino-minerva

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Man arrested over British family murder in French Alps

LONDON/PARIS (Reuters) - Police in Britain have arrested a man on suspicion of conspiracy to murder a British family of Iraqi origin who were killed in a high-profile murder in France last year, French public prosecutor Eric Maillaud said on Monday.

Saad al-Hilli, an Iraqi-born British engineer, was found shot dead in September 2012 with his wife and mother-in-law in their BMW car on a remote mountain road near the village of Chevaline, with the body of a cyclist, Sylvain Mollier, discovered nearby.

They were killed in what appeared to be execution-style murders, with at least two hits to the head from a semi-automatic pistol.

Speaking to Reuters, Maillaud identified Saad al-Hilli's brother Zaid as the man arrested.

"Several lines of questioning closed over time... The main theory today is linked to the family," he said.

"There seems to have been a real desire on Zaid's part to recover his father's wealth, to Saad's detriment, by any means necessary, including illegally."

Maillaud said there was no formal evidence, but that police now had enough elements to question Zaid as a suspect.

Hilli's two daughters survived the attack, despite the gunman trying to kill the eldest - 7-year-old Zainab - by beating her around the head after running out of bullets.

Four-year-old Zeena was found safe hiding beneath the legs and skirt of her dead mother in the backseat of the car.

The brutality and unexplained nature of the killings led to prominent coverage of the case in British media.

Investigators have said previously they were looking at various theories, including robbery, a family feud, a possible link to Hilli's work in the aerospace industry or his Iraqi origins.

(Reporting By Costas Pitas in London and Gerard Bon in Paris; writing by John Irish; editing by Stephen Addison and Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/man-arrested-over-british-family-murder-french-alps-104058627.html

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Boy Band Gangs? Aaron Carter Jumped By NKOTB Fans?

Boy Band Gangs? Aaron Carter Jumped By NKOTB Fans?

Singer Aaron Carter was reportedly involved in a skirmish by men that didn’t appreciate him being on NKOTB turf. WTF? The 25-year-old singer, who currently in the middle of his The After Party tour, uploaded pictures of his bruised face and knuckles following the altercation in Boston on Saturday night. Aaron Carter, the younger brother ...

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Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/06/boy-band-gangs-aaron-carter-jumped-by-nkotb-fans/

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Ken Duke wins Travelers Championship in playoff

Ken Duke watches his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, Conn., Sunday, June 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)

Ken Duke watches his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, Conn., Sunday, June 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)

Ken Duke celebrates, right, with his caddie after winning the Travelers Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, Conn., Sunday, June 23, 2013. Duke won the second playoff hole against Chris Stroud. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)

Ken Duke celebrates after sinking a birdie putt on the second playoff hole at the Travelers Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, Conn., Sunday, June 23, 2013. Duke won a playoff against Chris Stroud with the birdie. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)

Ken Duke holds the trophy after winning the Travelers Championship golf tournament in Cromwell, Conn., Sunday, June 23, 2013. Duke won the tournament with a birdie on the second playoff hole. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)

CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) ? Ken Duke needed 187 starts on the PGA Tour to get his first win, securing it at a tournament that is building a reputation for such breakthroughs.

The 44-year-old journeyman made a 2? foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole Sunday to beat Chris Stroud at the Travelers Championship.

Stroud, who also was looking for his first title, had chipped in from 51 feet on the 18th hole, to get to 12-under par and force the playoff.

But Duke made the better approach shot on the second extra hole, bouncing his ball in front of the flag and rolling it close.

"Yeah, it's been a long time," said Duke, who turned pro in 1994." I've been on the Canadian tour, the mini tours, Asian Tour, South American Tour, all of them; Web.com, and it's just great to be a part of this big family on the PGA Tour."

Duke, who came in ranked 144th in the world, is the sixth golfer in eight years to get his first PGA Tour win here, joining J.J. Henry (2006), Hunter Mahan (2007), Bubba Watson (2010), Fredrik Jacobsen (2011) and Marc Leishman last year.

Canadian Graham DeLaet finished a stroke back in third place with a 269. Watson finished fourth, two shots behind, after making a six on the par-3 16th hole.

"You gotta believe in yourself in everything you do," Duke said. "That's why those guys at the top are winning week in, week out because they believe they can do it. It's kind of one of those things once you finally do it it might come easier the next time. That's kind of the way I feel."

Duke wouldn't have been in position to win at all had luck not intervened on the 10th hole, when his ball ricocheted off a tree and onto the green to about 5 feet from the pin, allowing him to make birdie.

After a 17-foot birdie putt on the next hole, he made a 45-footer on the 13th hole, a shot that looked as though it might go past the hole to the right, before falling in.

He battled Watson for the lead down the back nine, until the former Masters champion found trouble on the 16th.

Watson put his drive into the water and put his next shot over the green.

He finished two strokes back in fourth place.

"The wind affected the first shot, and the wind didn't affect the next shot," Watson said. "I flew it three feet past the hole, which you can't do right now because the greens are so firm."

Duke looked as though he had the tournament sewn up after saving par on 18, despite a tee shot that went well right and onto a hill, and a second shot that went just over the green. He used a putter to put the ball within 2 feet, then sank the putt as the crowd roared for what they thought was a winning shot.

It looked even more secure when Stroud's second shot hit near the stick, but then rolled well off the green. That just set up the dramatic chip shot.

Stroud hit his tee shot over the cart path and 94 yards from the hole on the first playoff hole, while Duke's first shot jumped out of a fairway bunker and into the rough.

Duke bounced his second shot onto the green. Stroud's went into a greenside bunker.

Stroud chipped to 8 feet but had to watch as Green almost sank a long putt that would have ended it.

The two both struck the ball well on the second playoff hole, but Stroud missed a 25-foot birdie putt, and Duke made his short putt.

"I had three shots from 94 yards on 18, the exact same yardage, and I could not figure out a way to stop that ball," Stroud said. "Regulation, luckily, I chipped it in."

Watson, Charley Hoffman and DeLaet began the day tied for the lead, but 21 other players were within five strokes.

Webb Simpson shot a 65 to finish at 271, then headed home immediately after his round despite being just a stroke behind the leaders at the time. He said he knew the score wouldn't be good enough to win.

"I'm itching to get to my family, so I'm going to head to the airport," he said.

Justin Rose followed his U.S. Open win by shooting 6-under par for this tournament. He was in contention, with two birdies on his first seven holes, but didn't get another until the final hole and made three bogeys. He said fatigue was a factor.

"I'm still able to put one foot in front of the other," he said. "I still feel OK, but my guess is there's just a little bit of sharpness that I might be lacking."

No player has gone back-to-back after capturing the U.S. Open since 1997, when Ernie Els won the Buick Classic at the Westchester Country Club in New York.

Rose plans to play next week at Congressional before taking two weeks off to prepare for the British Open.

DeLaet a native of, Weyburn, Saskatchewan, said his thoughts this week have been with the people of Alberta, where widespread flooding is blamed for at least three deaths and forced thousands to evacuate.

He had the words "For Alberta" written on his cap Sunday.

The 2009 Canadian Tour player of the year pledged to donate $1,000 for every birdie he made to help the relief efforts.

PGA Tour Canada, a bank and a Canadian businessman all agreed to match the donation. He finished with three birdies on Sunday and nine for the weekend.

"Hopefully it puts a small dent in what they need," he said. "But our hearts are still with them."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-23-Travelers%20Championship/id-d7eaefe474cc488291a8742a23d3ff71

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Kremlin says unaware of Snowden's plans

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said on Sunday that he was unaware of the location or plans of former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

The South China Morning Post reported that Snowden had left Hong Kong on a flight for Moscow and that his final destination may be Ecuador or Iceland.

Asked whether Snowden was en route to Moscow and whether he had ask for asylum, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said he did not know. A Russian Foreign Ministry official declined immediate comment.

Peskov said earlier this month that Russia would consider granting Snowden asylum if he were to ask for it and pro-Kremlin lawmakers supported the idea, but there has been no indication the fugitive American has done so.

U.S. authorities have charged Snowden with theft of U.S. government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence to an unauthorized person, with the latter two charges falling under the U.S. Espionage Act.

The United States had asked Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, to send him home.

(Reporting by Alexei Anishchuk; Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Lidia Kelly and Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kremlin-says-unaware-snowdens-location-plans-083140205.html

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