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Summary: Researchers unveiled the most comprehensive connectome of the adult fruit fly nerve cord, analogous to the human spinal cord, providing an exceptional resource for the scientific community.

The connectome, constructed from about 23,000 neurons, reveals the intricate network controlling the fly’s motor functions. New insights have already emerged from the data, challenging previous theories on fly movement.

Continue reading “Researchers Release The Most Detailed Fruit Fly Nerve Cord Connectome” »

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2017.10.

Nishiyama et al. “Virus-Mediated Genome Editing via Homology-Directed Repair in Mitotic and Postmitotic Cells in Mammalian Brain.” Neuron (2017). doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2017.10.

Continue reading “Making CRISPR-Cas9 work in the brain” »

Bigger brains may not equate to higher intelligence after all, according to a remarkable discovery about an early hominin.

Homo naledi, a hominin discovered in the Rising Star cave system in Africa’s Cradle of Humankind in 2013, had human-like hands and feet but a brain a third of the size of humans — a characteristic researchers previously attributed to a marker of far less intelligence than its Homo sapien relatives.

But the assertion that bigger brains make for a smarter species may have been disestablished now that scientists have made a harrowing journey into the Rising Star cave and discovered that the species — which lived about 335,000 to 236,000 years ago — buried its dead and marked the graves. It is the first non-human species in history known to do so, paleoanthropologist and National Geographic Explorer in Residence Lee Berger told ABC News.

This study provides a new perspective on the relationship between the visual environment and cognitive performance, based on the results of path analysis (Supplementary Fig. 5). Regarding reading on a paper medium, moderate cognitive load may generate sighs (or deep breaths) and appears to restore respiratory variability and control of prefrontal brain activity. In contrast, reading on smartphones may require sustained task attention³⁴, and acute cognitive load may inhibit the generation of sighs, causing overactivity in the prefrontal cortex. Sighing has been found to be associated with various cognitive functions^13,27,28, and may reset respiratory variability^36,37. This reset may also be associated with improved executive functions¹⁴.

The current study has several limitations. First, our experiment did not entail any measurement of subjective cognitive load. Based on the differences in the number of sighs and brain activity between reading on smartphones and paper media, it is highly likely that there might have been a difference in cognitive load as well. In future, it is necessary to assess cognitive load indices and examine the relationship between breathing and brain activity. Second, we did not control the movements when turning pages or pointing movements to maintain the focus of attention on the text. These bodily movements may have had some influence on the present index. In the future, such physical limitations should be taken into consideration.

The results of this study suggest that reduced reading comprehension on smartphone devices may be caused by reduced sighing and overactivity of the prefrontal cortex, although the effect on electronic devices other than smartphones has yet to be confirmed. Recent reports indicate that the use of smartphones and other electronic devices has been increasing due to pandemic-related lockdowns, and there are indications that this is negatively influencing sleep and physical activity^38,39. The relationships among visual environment, respiration/brain activities, and cognitive performance detected in this study may indicate one of the negative effects of electronic device use on the human body. If the negative effects of smartphones are true, it may be beneficial to take deep breaths while reading since sighs, whether voluntary or involuntary, regulate disordered breathing³⁶.

According to psychologists, there are two types of confidence: Epistemic and social. Brain researcher and author Julia Galef breaks down both, and explains why some of the most successful and likable people, like Jeff Bezos, have more social confidence.

While there are many things that negatively affect bees, Hu says exposure to pesticides prevents them from feeding and sustaining the colony.

“The pesticides may prevent the bees from being able to do the daily functions of the hive,” Hu said. “So, for example, they might get lost on their way to finding food, or they might not be able to remember where the sites that they found food were and not be able to communicate to the other bees where the food was.”

At 11 years old, Hu found that tea polyphenols and caffeine could repair the honeybee’s learning and memory. Polyphenols are compounds that stimulate the brain. Hu is now 13 years old.

Human influences have the potential to reduce the effectivity of communication in bees, adding further stress to struggling colonies, according to new analysis.

Scientists at the University of Bristol studying honeybees, bumblebees and stingless bees found that variations in communication strategies are explained by differences in the habitats that bees inhabit and differences in the social lifestyle such colony size and nesting habits.

The findings, published today in PNAS, reveal that anthropogenic changes, such as habitat conversion, climate change and the use of agrochemicals, are altering the world bees occupy, and it is becoming increasingly clearer that this affects communication both directly and indirectly; for example, by affecting food source availability, social interactions among nestmates and their cognitive functions.

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems have long drawn inspiration from the intricacies of the human brain. Now, a groundbreaking branch of research led by Columbia University in New York seeks to unravel the workings of living brains and enhance their function by leveraging advancements in AI.

Designated by the National Science Foundation as one of seven universities serving as the headquarters for a new national AI research institute, Columbia University received a substantial $20 million grant to bolster the AI Institute for Artificial and Natural Intelligence (ARNI). ARNI is a consortium comprising educational institutions and research groups, with Columbia at the helm. The overarching goal of ARNI is to forge connections between the remarkable progress achieved in AI systems and the ongoing revolution in our understanding of the brain.

Richard Zemel, a professor of computer science at Columbia, explained that the aim is to foster a cross-disciplinary collaboration between leading AI and neuroscience researchers, yielding mutual benefits for AI systems and human beings alike. Zemel emphasized that the exchange of knowledge flows in both directions, with AI systems drawing inspiration from the brain while neural networks in turn bear loose resemblances to its structure.

A new drug that is in a phase 3 clinical trial has proven effective at preventing the growth of lower-grade brain tumors, with doctors saying nearly half of the patients in the trial haven’t needed chemotherapy or radiation years later. NBC News’ Lindsey Reiser has the details on the treatment.