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Category: neuroscience – Page 289

Are you captivated by the enigma of consciousness? Intrigued by the complexities of the human mind? Or perhaps, you’re just a seeker, thirsty for knowledge that lies beyond conventional wisdom? As a futurist, evolutionary cyberneticist, and philosopher of mind, I invite you on a mind-bending, soul-stirring expedition with a just-released remastered version of my documentary film Consciousness: Evolution of the Mind (TV-PG). Watch it now in its entirety on YouTube (Ecstadelic Media channel)!

#consciousness #evolution #mind #documentary #film

Consciousness: Evolution of the Mind (2023 | Remastered)

IMDb-accredited film, rated TV-PG

Director: Alex Vikoulov.

Narrator: Forrest Hansen.

Continue reading “Watch Consciousness: Evolution of the Mind (2023” | >

In the future, it could facilitate an even greater fusion between retinal implants and the human body.

A multinational group lead by Francesca Santoro, a researcher at Jülich, has created an intelligent biochip that effectively mimics the human retina, opening up new possibilities in bioelectronics.

The retina is a layer of neural tissue located at the back of the eye that plays a crucial role in the visual process. This key part of the eye is in charge of translating light into electrical signals that are transmitted to the brain, enabling us to see and understand images. It is this process that the new biochip recreates.

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They look like storm clouds that could fit on the head of a pin: Organoids are three-dimensional cell cultures that play a key role in medical and clinical research. This is thanks to their ability to replicate tissue structures and organ functions in the petri dish. Scientists can use organoids to understand how diseases occur, how organs develop, and how drugs work.

Single-cell technologies allow researchers to drill down to the molecular level of the cells. With spatial transcriptomics, they can observe which genes in the organoids are active and where over time.

The miniature organs are usually derived from . These are cells that haven’t differentiated at all, or only minimally. They can become any kind of cell, such as heart or kidney cells, , or neurons. To make stem cells differentiate, scientists “feed” them with growth factors and embed them in a nutrient solution.

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An excellent short review on structure and function of the hypothalamus, one of my favorite regions of the brain! Link: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adh8488 #neuroscience #biology

The hypothalamus (“hypo” meaning below, and “thalamus” meaning bed) consists of regulatory circuits that support basic life functions that ensure survival. Sitting at the interface between peripheral, environmental, and neural inputs, the hypothalamus integrates these sensory inputs to influence a range of physiologies and behaviors. Unlike the neocortex, in which a stereotyped cytoarchitecture mediates complex functions across a comparatively small number of neuronal fates, the hypothalamus comprises upwards of thousands of distinct cell types that form redundant yet functionally discrete circuits. With single-cell RNA sequencing studies revealing further cellular heterogeneity and modern photonic tools enabling high-resolution dissection of complex circuitry, a new era of hypothalamic mapping has begun. Here, we provide a general overview of mammalian hypothalamic organization, development, and connectivity to help welcome newcomers into this exciting field.

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Researchers led by a team at UT Southwestern Medical Center have developed a device that can isolate blood flow to the brain, keeping the organ alive and functioning independent from the rest of the body for several hours.

The device, tested using a pig brain model and described in Scientific Reports, could lead to new ways to study the human brain without influence from other bodily functions. It also could inform the design of machines for cardiopulmonary bypass that better replicate natural blood flow to the brain. The findings build on previous research by study leader Juan Pascual, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues.

This novel method enables research that focuses on the brain independent… More.

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Using nanoparticles administered directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a research team has developed a treatment that may overcome significant challenges in treating a particularly deadly brain cancer.

The researchers, led by professors Mark Saltzman and Ranjit Bindra, administered to mice with medulloblastoma a treatment that features specially designed drug-carrying nanoparticles. The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, showed that mice who received this treatment lived significantly longer than mice in the control group.

Medulloblastoma, a that predominantly affects children, often begins with a tumor deep inside the . The cancer is prone to spread along two protective membranes known as the leptomeninges throughout the , particularly the surface of the brain and the CSF.

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