Brain-like computing on an organic molecular layer

Brain-like computing on an organic molecular layer: "One big advantage a brain's circuitry has always had over a computer's is its ability to evolve as it tackles complex problems. Now, scientists have created a tiny computing device with a brain-like 'evolutionary circuit.'"

This is really really cool technology.

Reasoning about social conflicts improves into old age [Psychological_And_Cognitive_Sciences-BS]

Reasoning about social conflicts improves into old age [Psychological_And_Cognitive_Sciences-BS]: "It is well documented that aging is associated with cognitive declines in many domains. Yet it is a common lay..."

Aging and wisdom PNAS article just out.

No gain from brain training

"The largest trial to date of "brain-training" computer games suggests that people who use the software to boost their mental skills are likely to be disappointed.

The study, a collaboration between British researchers and the BBC Lab UK web site, recruited viewers of the BBC science program "Bang Goes the Theory" to practice a series of online tasks for a minimum of ten minutes a day, three times a week, for six weeks. [More]"

No one would debate that the transfer of training on a specific task to another is meager. What is a better framework to understand this work, however, may be to ask what kinds of training affect what kinds of cognitive ability. One key may be how abstract a level of processing is involved...

Neural mechanisms of ageing and cognitive decline

Key review article just out in Nature.

Neural mechanisms of ageing and cognitive decline

Nature 464, 529 (2010). doi:10.1038/nature08983

Authors: Nicholas A. Bishop, Tao Lu & Bruce A. Yankner

During the past century, treatments for the diseases of youth and middle age have helped raise life expectancy significantly. However, cognitive decline has emerged as one of the greatest health threats of old age, with nearly 50% of adults over the age of 85 afflicted ...

Two views of brain function

Two views of brain function:

Publication year: 2010
Source: Trends in Cognitive Sciences, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 4 March 2010
Marcus E., Raichle

Traditionally studies of brain function have focused on task-evoked responses. By their very nature, such experiments tacitly encourage a reflexive view of brain function. Although such an approach has been remarkably productive, it ignores the alternative possibility that brain functions are mainly intrinsic, involving information processing for interpreting, responding to and predicting environmental demands. Here I argue that the latter view best captures the essence of brain function, a position that accords well with the allocation of the brain's energy resources. Recognizing the importance of intrinsic activity will require integrating knowledge from cognitive and systems neuroscience with cellular and molecular..."

A New Spin on Conductivity: Electric Signals Can Propagate through an Insulator

Possible inorganic myelin sheath?

A New Spin on Conductivity: Electric Signals Can Propagate through an Insulator:

An electric insulator, in the simplest terms, blocks the flow of electric current. So it would be a bit counterintuitive, to say the least, if a current on one side of an insulator could produce voltage on the other. [More]

Reduced Neural Selectivity Increases fMRI Adaptation with Age during Face Discrimination

Key project finally published! This took quite a while, but it was worth it.

[Link to article if you have journal access]
[Link to Pubmed abstract access]

By Joshua O., Goh , Atsunobu, Suzuki , Denise C., Park
Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA; Center for Vital Longevity, University of Texas, Dallas, TX, USA.

Ventral-visual activity in older adults has been characterized by dedifferentiation, or reduced distinctiveness, of responses to different categories of visual stimuli such as faces and houses, that typically elicit highly specialized responses in the fusiform and parahippocampal brain regions respectively in young adults (Park et al., 2004). In the present study, we demonstrate that age-related neural dedifferentiation applies to within-category stimuli (different types of faces) as well, such that older adults process less distinctive representations for individual faces than young adults. We performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging adaptation experiment while young and older participants made same-different judgments to serially presented face-pairs that were Identical, Moderate in similarity through morphing, or Different. As expected, older adults showed adaptation in the fusiform face area (FFA), during the Identical as well as the Moderate conditions relative to the Different condition. Young adults showed adaptation during the Identical condition, but minimal adaptation to the Moderate condition. These results indicate that older adults' FFA treated the morphed faces as Identical faces, reflecting decreased fidelity of neural representation of faces with age.

NeuroImage, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 6 February 2010

Origami and the Brain

Origami. The art of folding paper into shapes using a single sheet of paper without tearing or cutting. Perhaps, at an abstract level, this may be likened to what our brains do. We have one brain. We can't make big changes to it, like take one part of the brain and manually "connect" it to another part of the brain. Rather, we have to work within the limits of certain neural connection rules to establish a certain way to get to an end state.

For example, some rules may be related to the fact that our neurons have many short range local connections with neighboring neurons, as well as, some long range connections to more distant groups of neurons. Establishing and pruning these connections is dependent on time and stimulation from external as well as internal events. These events can be cognitive or biological or physical (e.g. the intention to retrieve a memory, or some neurotransmitter regulation, or some visual energy input, respectively). Within this system, our brains try to represent external information, and to generate certain actions or responses.

In a similar manner, in origami, each fold is like an imprint of an event that happens. The effect of folding, however, is limited by the thickness, elasticity, and size of the paper, as well as the force of the folding. Folding could be a sharp strong crease, a light depression, or a curve. Folding also occurs along specific lines or regions on the paper at a time. Finally, folding has temporal order. Through a combination of these factors, the paper encodes what forces have been exerted on it, and represents all of that in a particular physical form. The end state.

The end state maybe be a meaningful shape, or it may have a meaningful function. We can transform a simple piece of paper into a form of a crane, or a box, or a really complex shape (origami experts have been able to do wonders!). We can even use the tension inherent in the folded paper as a spring with tremendous kinetic energy when released. We can also use folding to allow a large piece of material that ordinarily would not fit in specific area to conform to the shape and therefore fit in the area.

Likewise, the brain performs an interesting function in incorporating sensory information from the physical world and representing all the rich material within a single piece of organic tissue. This "folding" of information from one state to another may be a framework to understand neural function.

Consider that we can quantify the physical forces and characteristics of a piece of paper and its folds. Based on low level parameters, we can then determine what the origami will look like, what it can do, what properties its resulting form maintains. Applying a similar method to parameterize neural function may allow us to better describe how the properties of the brain relate to cognition and behavior. For example, the ease with which a paper folds may be dependent on the thickness of the paper (for a given material elasticity/rigidity/brittleness). This will in turn determine how much force must be applied to the paper to achieve a fold of a certain angle. In the same way, one property of the brain may be how strong the connections in a certain neuronal region may be. The stronger the connections, the easier it may be for a signal in one region to affect the activity in another. Another case in point, the brain maintains a certain level to generate new neurons in key parts of the cortex. Neurogenesis is known to occur even in late adulthood in the hippocampus and the peri-ventricular walls. Importantly, recent studies have shown that neurogenesis may be helpful in overcoming drug addiction. A possible mechanism might be that the new neurons enable the brain to represent existing addiction behaviors (information "folding"), in a new way that discourages addiction [link to relevant post]. Moreover, it is possible that different individuals have different rates, or ability, of neurogenesis, and external events or neurochemical interventions may also encourage neurogenesis. It is this rate of neurogenesis that might be a candidate parameter that determines how much a particular brain can fold.

Of course, this is all analogical. There is no necessary association between paper and brain. But, this presents an interesting way to approach the problem of quantifying brain function. Paper folding has been applied to several interesting real life problems. For example, the folding of solar-energy panels into a satellite so that large plates fit into a small structure for launching, and unfold in space to achieve maximum surface area for efficient energy collection. In addition, protein folding occurs according to the electro-chemical forces at the molecular level. Paper folding has been applied to understanding and even manipulating these forces to make protein molecules that achieve specific helpful biomolecular functions. Here's an example of applying origami to practical problem from an MIT group [link].

After all, the reason why origami is meaningful, is because we perceive cranes in a few simple folds.

The Automation of Science

Article from Science:

[REPORTS] The Automation of Science
"A robot scientist discovers orphan enzymes that take part in yeast metabolism."

This was published a while ago. But it may be worth mentioning because it could be the pivotal moment in AI.

Increasing neurogenesis might prevent drug addiction and relapse

Article from ScienceDaily:

Increasing neurogenesis might prevent drug addiction and relapse
"Researchers hope they have begun paving a new pathway in the fight against drug dependence."

This makes computational sense. Adding new neurons creates the possibility of forming new inhibitory connections, as well as de-potentiating the strength, or contribution, of existing ones. Such predifferentiated neurons serve as fresh unwritten computational space for which new behaviors and cognitions can be learned. In addition, old pathways which have been entrained and which are hard to change (because of prolonged experience or intensity) can have their effects counterbalanced.

Boston 2009

Click here to view these pictures larger

New Year Thoughts

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

"No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.

"If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also."

1 John 4:7-21

How difficult it is to love! How easy it is to know we have to do it, to say it. But it is next to impossible to do it. John gives a good reminder that inspires and defines for us what life we should be living. If we chase after anything, it should be love. For God is love. This is the contemplation on the eve of 2009.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Separation vs. Association

A key function of the brain is to first, process the fact that we are encountering different types of stimuli at every moment, and second, process the simultaneous fact that while there are these different types of stimuli, there are also many consistencies that reflect modifications of the same stimulus at a higher level of abstraction.

One way to evaluate what a cortical region may be doing with respect to this separation/association dichotomy may be to determine the number of neurons at the first level relative to the second level.

If the ratio of neurons at the first relative to second level is large, then the function of the second level is probably to associate. This is a many-to-few limitation. So various permutations and combinations at the first level are funneled into the reduced dimensionality of the second level. Therefore, some combinations are subsumed.

If the ratio of neurons from first to second levels is small, then there is the potential for expansion. The problem becomes a few-to-many scenario. The same combination at the first level may elicit several possible outcomes at the second level. There is information expansion.

...

Slicing up HM's brain

Watch HM's brain being documented, slice by slice.

Click here for live link. At the time of this posting, they are already at the occipital structures. So they may finish soon. Not sure what will happen to the link or the video once this entire process is done.

HM was a famous epileptic patient who had much of his medial temporal structures removed as a treatment for the epilepsy. The result of this operation rendered HM unable to form new long-term memories. This finding was instrumental in the notion that the medial temporal structures, such as the hippocampus, is important for memory. Since his operation, HM has been heavily studied. HM passed away on the 8 Dec 2008 due to respiratory failure. [More about HM]

PhD Degree

Got my degree today in the mail. This has got to be the hardest sheet of paper to obtain in your lifetime!

Boston 2009

This is my first time to Boston, the beginning of America. The brief history is that the revolution of early settlers began here against the British colonialist at the time. It was a bunch of people living in Boston Commons, who held radical views of freedom, that banded together and stood up to the military authorities at the time. Today, Boston is full of history...and oysters.

In fact, Charlene and I are here for the Psychophysiological Society annual meeting. This is the 50th anniversary of the conference and there was much to celebrate. This was my first time to attend this conference, and I was a little unsure of what to expect. Of course, this is not a neuroscience conference, so I did not expect to see the usual crowd. But to my surprise, I actually met a lot of old friends here. A bunch of people from the cognitive aging group, some people from Singapore, some friends from Japan, and a lot of people from Illinois! It felt good that this conference was, to me, more about meeting people than it was explicitly about the posters and talks, although some of those were interesting.

Back to the oysters. Have I ever told you that Boston oysters (which are actually mostly from Maine or at least, further out at sea and are so technically not from Boston), are awesome? You can taste the sea in them. Basically, you should eat these raw. Don't even bother with the lemon, and don't drown yourself in oysters. Have a few, like 3 or 4. And stop. And let the ocean water that was sucked up by the oysters cleanse your body as it permeates your mouth. Seriously, that's really what its like.

Fortuitously, we also met an old Singaporean friend who brought us to an awesome place farther out from Boston (Chung Shin Yuan) for the best bowl of 牛肉面, 豆漿 and 油條 that I have had in a long time.

And now...back home! Yay!

Berlin 2009

After participating for a week in a conference in Chicago (Society for Neuroscience, 2009), Charlene and I headed towards Europe. She was attending another conference (Society for Psychophysiological Research, 2009) and I was attending a vacation.

The origins of this trip to Europe for me, began with quite a lot of trouble. Namely because at the time of thinking about going for this trip, I was caught up in writing my dissertation, flying about between labs, worrying about data, and the future, and about spending money, and going home. But things happened, and I thought that this would be worth it, with the pleasant company (of course that alone is enough!), the seeing of new places, and the partaking of glorious beer and sausages. Besides, some people reflected to me that Berlin is a donut of a place.

This was my first time to Berlin, and my first time to Europe, actually. And I have to say, it was more than worth it. The culture alone is enough to leave a novel thought in my head. And that is saying something! One is reminded of reality, and its depth, which brings a sense of peace. But, enough of such philosophical nonsense. Here's a sample of the most impressionable experiences.

While Charlene was hard at work in the SPR conference meetings, I took a walk around Alexanderplatz and Museum Insel. For those of you who are well informed, Alexanderplatz is where Jason Bourne arranged to meet Nicki, "kidnapped" her in front of a bunch of snipers surrounding the area, brought her to one of the station underground service rooms, interrogated her and frightened the socks of of her to find out some secret info. This photo shows the world clock that is at Alexanderplatz.

We met Koki there and his friend, Goran, works at the Max Planck Institute (which I also visited). Goran mentioned this rather hole-in-the-wall place that sold the famous curry wurst. It is called Konnopke's Imbiss, and is at Eberswalderstrasse. The shop is basically a trailer underneath the train tracks. There is apparently always a long line of people waiting to buy the curry wurst, along with a large family of pigeons. Careful while standing there! The curry wurst is probably not anything special...but in the cold of the Berlin autumn weather, standing around with friends, and with a Berliner Pilsner, any sausage instantly transforms into a gourmet satisfaction.

On the last night of our time there, Charlene and I caught some Berlin Opera in authentic diaphragmatic German. Ich lieber du, Ich lieber du! The Rosenkavalier was the opera. Again, worth watching for its beauty. After that, we strolled down the famous Unter de Linden and saw the famous Brandenburger Tor (not the alcoholic burger, but the Brandenburg gate). Before seeing this, I thought, its just a gate. After seeing it, I thought, wow...a lot of things happened here. Incidentally, there is really a U2 train station here, in coincidence with the U2 band, which played here during the celebration of the fall of the wall.

We also managed to pass by the wall without taking a photo of it...so too bad. This is because the wall is really gone. Nuff said.

Finally, we ended our trip with a belly full of Eisbein (the famous Berlin pork knuckles) and the famous Berlin meat balls. In the famous Berlin restaurant called Standig Vertretung. Which is located at Friedrichstrasse. Incidentally, Friedrichstrasse is where Jason Bourne dashes out from the hotel (also in Berlin, Berliner Zeitung), runs to the train station to evade the cops, jumps onto a boat under the station (which is over the Spree river), climbs back up on the other side of the bridge, and gets into another train and escapes.

Berlin...Ich glauber sie haben mein beir, vergessen!

More photos [here]

Developments after...

This has got to be the wettest year ever. The rains got so bad this year that snow aphids snowed down on our small little town of Champaign. Winter rears its cold face around the corner now.

The reason why I am posting this now, is because I have just returned from a series of inspirational events. Traveling north and south between Champaign and Dallas takes its toll at times. You get up early at 6am, clean up, and get on the 7.30am flight (2 hrs). Reach DFW. Get onto the shuttle for the rental car mall of the airport (takes 15min). Get the car, drive to the Dallas lab (20min). Work. Check-in to Embassy Suites (which is an awesome hotel!). And on trips back, leave the lab by 4pm. Return the rental car, take the shuttle to terminal B of DFW. Pass security. Have a beer and a burger at TGIF in the airport before getting on the 6.50pm flight back to Champaign, and be picked up by a familiar face.

Do this 20 times.

Recently though, work has been progressing. Papers are being submitted. Finally. And hopefully accepted! But I think the most inspiring event happened yesterday. Instead of going south, I headed north and gave talks at Northwestern. The data seems well received and everyone seems so interested and in agreement. I felt glad. It was worthwhile to drive up 3hrs and back 3hrs for that one day of wonderful meetings and interactions.

Now, the main concern are next steps. Where to go after this one year of post-doctoral research? Another post-doctoral position? Faculty? Tough decisions with too many factors that plague my mind, that give no clear direction. No amount of grad school prepares you for this! For life!

One can only dive in.

PhD

Well, it is the start of the first weekend after defending. How was the defense? It was utterly fun. How often can you squash 5 brilliant minds in one room and have them talk about your work? How often can you debate with them and have them listen to your thoughts on things? How often can you hear them agree or even disagree with you in the most honest sense of it all? I would wish this on anybody who dares to try.

No one knows it all. But the defense is about stating what you know, and what you know you don't know. It is about being honest, and seeking truth. If what you find is real, it will bear itself. If what you think is true, you will find it. Sound familiar?

After the defense, we all went to Jim Gould's to have dinner. And it was, how shall I put it, fun! I think I felt it, that warmth of accomplishment. So that food tastes better. Sweetness has a fragrance, salt floods with depth, sour comes with juiciness, and bitter? There is no bitter.

Soon after, we watched an amazing movie - Inglorious Basterds! What a choice right? Brad Pitt was brilliant. Incidentally, Brangelina was in my defense.

The next day, I cleaned up the mess that was my apartment. It felt good to exert mindless sweat. The day after, we watched Mamma Mia. Tomorrow, BBQ!

That's what PhD is about, what happens before and after.

On the road to Permanent Head Damage

It is just one more week to the final defense. The big D day literally. I have submitted my dissertation draft, after reading it for the hundredth time, re-crunching the numbers for the thousandth, and clicked the save button on Word for the millionth time. After sending the document off, and the first thought that came to mind was how stupid I was. Really. After devoting a whole month of intense thought on the data, I realize that that's all I really knew. And the other things around me took on their own life, grew up, and now, I don't recognitize them. So its going to take a while to reintegrate back into reality.

Now, its just one more powerpoint to go, and then...the same-o same-o. I sure hope all this is worth it! So far, it seems to be. If not for anything then just because life becomes a little clearer as we find out a little more, each step.

I like Douglas Adam's thought: Someone somewhere theorized that the minute a human being sits down and figures out how the universe works, it would immediately be replaced by another more complex universe...some say that this has already happened. Really, what I think about all this is that everything is like a donut. Nuff said.