Researchers have identified a new potential weapon against Alzheimer’s: blocking a protein called PTP1B. In mice, this approach boosted memory and helped brain immune cells clear harmful plaque buildup. Since PTP1B is also linked to diabetes and obesity—both risk factors for Alzheimer’s—it could offer a broader treatment strategy.
The first report of in vivo extracellular recordings in the external segment of the globus pallidus (GPe) of awake monkeys described that most GPe neurons show high-frequency spiking activity, interspersed with pauses (high-frequency discharge with pauses, HFD-P), while a smaller proportion was said to show low-frequency discharge with bursts (LFD-B; DeLong, 1971). Similar patterns of pallidal discharge have been demonstrated by other authors, both in primates (Katabi et al., 2022) and rodents (Bugaysen et al., 2010; Benhamou et al., 2012).
There is evidence, however, that the HFD-P and LFD-B subtypes of GPe neurons are only the most recognizable extremes of a continuous spectrum of properties of GPe neurons. This view is supported by in vivo and in vitro recordings in rodents which found that the firing properties of the population of GPe neurons distribute along a continuum, with specific cells firing within more limited boundaries of firing rates and patterns (Abdi et al., 2015; Cui et al., 2021). Furthermore, observations in rodents showed that GPe neurons display a wide range of firing rates and patterns (Deister et al., 2013). The firing pattern heterogeneity in in vivo recordings may arise, at least in part, due to shifts in firing behavior of the same neurons, as has been reported in rodent studies (Deister et al., 2013). Such variations in firing patterns may only be detectable when recordings extend over long time periods (Elias et al., 2008).
The loss of nigrostriatal dopamine fibers associated with parkinsonism induces multiple alterations in GPe, where neuronal firing becomes slower, may show more frequent bursts, and becomes more synchronized (Galvan et al., 2015; Courtney et al., 2023). However, the stability of firing patterns of GPe neurons in the parkinsonian state has not yet been investigated.
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Join Mindy Brooks (VP, PM and UX, Android Platform), Dieter Bohn (Director, Product Operations), and Ruchi Bezoles (Director, Android Marketing) to see how we’re making Gemini Intelligence handle the busywork so you can get back to what brings you joy.
Watch the full show now to check out all of the innovations and breakthroughs coming soon to Android! → https://www.youtube.com/live/dXCCleAddEA
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Everyone is currently watching the major tech giants throw billions of dollars at the AI arms race, cheering for whichever foundation model happens to top the leaderboards this week.
It is an incredible spectacle to watch unfold, but focusing too closely on the tech itself might mean we are missing the actual business revolution happening right under our noses.
We have seen this exact economic shift before. The biggest winners of the internet era weren’t the ones who built the physical infrastructure or supplied the goods; they were the platforms that organized the supply and owned the user relationship. The same economic laws are now coming for artificial intelligence, actively turning “intelligence” into a basic, interchangeable utility.
The real value moving forward is no longer in the models themselves, but in the seamless interfaces that aggregate them. If you want to protect your business from vendor lock-in and position your team for ultimate flexibility, it is time to rethink your approach.
Read my full blog post to dive into why the future of AI belongs to the aggregators, and how your business can strategically capitalize on this shift.
We spend an enormous amount of time obsessing over the titans of the AI arms race. Every single week seems to bring a breathless new headline about OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, or Meta releasing a foundation model that edges out the competition on some obscure benchmark test. We find ourselves endlessly arguing over parameter counts, context windows, and raw reasoning capabilities, captivated by a multi-billion-dollar war unfolding in real-time.
Barrier organs that form boundaries between the body and the outside environment, such as the lungs, skin, and intestines, face a difficult balancing act. They must respond quickly to threats such as infection, but they also need to avoid triggering unnecessary inflammation that can damage the tissue. A new study led by Whitehead Institute member Pulin Li and graduate student in her lab Diep Nguyen reveals one way the lung manages that tradeoff.
Published in Cell Systems, the research found that immune sensitivity is not evenly distributed across the lung. Instead, it arranges in tiers: cells at the outer surface respond cautiously, while cells deeper in the tissue are more likely to sound the alarm when a threat breaks through.
“The central question was how tissues balance the benefits and harmful effects of immune activation when they face different degrees of danger or stress,” says Li, who is also a professor of biology at MIT. “Too little immune activation leaves the tissue unprotected, but too much can create inflammation and damage.”
What happens to the human mind if God exists? Louis Caruana argues that mind, soul, and body are not separate entities but dimensions of a single human individual — challenging both strong dualism and reductive materialism while reframing what could survive death.
0:00 Human Mind in a Theistic World.
1:22 Mind, Soul, and the Individual.
4:33 Theism and Human Dignity.
5:17 Why Death Remains Tragic.
6:36 Resurrection and the Immortal Soul.
Louis Caruana SJ is a Jesuit priest ordained in 1991 and holds degrees in science, philosophy, and theology. He obtained his PhD from the University of Cambridge, and is now Dean of Philosophy at the Gregorian University, Rome, and Research Associate of Heythrop College, University of London.
More from Louis Caruana on Closer To Truth:
https://closertotruth.com/contributor…