Brain

Findings could aid research into how information presentation might prevent human error

A group of Tohoku University researchers has developed a theoretical model for a high-performance spin wave reservoir computing (RC) that utilizes spintronics technology. The breakthrough moves scientists closer to realizing energy-efficient, nanoscale computing with unparalleled computational power.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are tiny tattoos for fish scales, how jellyfish can inspire forensics, and our intrinsic affinity for music.

Magnetic nanorobots delivering nerve cells to targeted tissues could potentially be used to repair damaged brain tissue, as well as other organs.

Excessive anxiety can lead to psychiatric disorders, but it is an evolutionary trait that has helped us survive by alerting us to potential dangers. Researchers at Tohoku University have investigated how astrocytes within the habenula, a region of the brain associated with emotional processing, can tune anxiety levels.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are growing placenta organoids, a 90-million-year old fossil, and how COVID-19 can cause insomnia, but people were more relaxed during the emergency measures.

- DGIST Prof. Kim Sohee and team develop soft, flexible, and highly durable brain electrode technology. - Expected to be used in brain-machine interfaces without causing tissue damage, and to treat brain diseases.

Unleashing stem cells from dog urine, Electronic Tongue, Tapping into human motion energy, How neurons network, and A radical use for plastic bags. Plus Communicating science two decades on. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how a King Kongesque ape went extinct, how antibodies can make you dizzy, and a material that can break down harmful chemicals using the sun.

Much is known about the added complication to pregnancy when it comes to the age of the mother, but recent studies show that the age of the father can also heighten the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. A team of researchers has explored the impacts of paternal aging on microRNAs, the molecules that play a crucial role in regulating gene expression.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a dragon-like robot that can fight fires, how having a pet can avoid cognitive decline, and how an illusion can help us learn motor skills.

Researchers from Osaka University and Shenzhen Bay Laboratory found that neuronal activity induces gene expression at sites of acetylation by promoting the emergence of cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), CREB binding protein (CBP), and RNA polymerase II. These proteins are targeted to the appropriate sites by CBP-mediated histone acetylation at activity-dependent gene loci.

Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and their collaborators have come up with new methods to cultivate brain cells from stem cells to treat and study neurodegenerative diseases.

- A research team led by Professor Jang Kyung-in at DGIST developed a brain-implantable dopamine measurement sensor for applying a stable structure based on a three-electrode system. - The developed sensor facilitates a real-time dopamine concentration analysis by using only one flexible probe, increasing expectations for its application for developing customized probes for patients with degenerative brain diseases.

While anger and aggression are instinctive behaviors found across many species, leaving these emotions unchecked can lead to conflict and violence. In a recent study, researchers at Tohoku University demonstrated that neuronal-glial interactions in the cerebellum determine the degree of aggression exhibited by mice. This suggests that future therapeutic methods could adjust glial activity in the cerebellum to help reduce unwanted aggression.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are hungry, grumpy bears that don’t sleep, solving a 200-year-old mystery about dolomite, and how yoga can help people with epilepsy.

New study finds prior dengue antibodies substantially raise risk of microcephaly, foetal defects with Zika infection.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are parasites that borrow their hosts genes, how waste feathers can be used in hydrogen fuel cells, and a poor bird that was caught up in a powerful typhoon.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a previously unrecorded species of ant found in someone’s backyard, comparing traditional medicine to drugs for indigestion, and how breastfeeding can help babies develop a healthy gut.

- Research team led by Professor Minsik Kim at DGIST discovered the mechanism of autism spectrum disorder caused by the use of valproate in pregnant women through multi-institution joint research - Published in the world-renowned journal “Experimental & Molecular Medicine”

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a new species of fish that was spotted being sold at local markets, how humans almost went extinct, and an Earth-like planet that may be lurking in our solar system.

Capturing carbon dioxide, Shells go nuclear, Worms surf electric fields, Brain repair & Creating matter from light. Plus from our blog: Monitoring research for further impact. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

DishBrain reveals how human neurons work together to process information. Living model of brain could give insights into the mechanisms of how we understand and experience the world.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how melatonin can help us remember objects, drones that can assemble and disassemble in mid-air, and a new species of anemone.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are vegan 3D printed calamari rings, 4 000-year-old ceramic pipes and ditches, and how swirling stars make some rethink how gravity works.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are particle pollution linked to antibiotic resistance and microplastics being found in the body, fossils that show a marine reptile that used filter feeding, and how a connection in our brains compares our rewards to ones that others received.

Fruit fly neural stem cells emerge as an exciting new model for unravelling the mysteries of dormancy, reactivation and neuronal regeneration. New studies unlock molecular pathways that could stimulate endogenous brain repair in neurodegenerative diseases and ageing.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a way to avoid biopsies by catching free-floating DNA, a large dip in the Earth’s surface under the Indian Ocean, and how people who brush their teeth before bed seem to have healthier hearts.

A group of researchers at Osaka University used a noninvasive method to evaluate Cerebrovascular Autoregulation (CVAR) in patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The mortality rate increased significantly with the duration of time that CVAR was undetectable. It has been suggested that CVAR, a function that is normally present in the normal state, may be impaired after cardiac resuscitation. However, the relationship between CVAR function and patient prognosis has been unclear. The research examined CVAR over time, using the moving Pearson correlation coefficient calculated from regional cerebral oxygen saturation and mean blood pressure data, and performed a survival analysis using the presence or absence of CVAR as a time-dependent covariate. The findings of this study may first be useful in predicting neuroprognosis after cardiac resumption and may help avoid early withdrawal of treatment in those who may recover. In addition, they suggest that treatment and management that maintains proper CVAR after cardiac resumption may improve patient prognosis, which may be applied to the management of post-cardiac arrest resuscitation based on cerebral circulation to optimize treatment for each individual patient.

Have you ever studied hard for a test the night before, only to fail miserably the next day? Alternatively, you may have felt unconfident after studying the night before when, to your astonishment, you recall effortless the content on test day. This discrepancy may be down to the separate and independent way in which our brain processes short- and long-term memory, Tohoku University researchers have revealed.