Parallel computing for brain simulation

[Abstract] Background: The human brain is the most complex system in the known universe, it is therefore one of the greatest mysteries. It provides human beings with extraordinary abilities. However, until now it has not been understood yet how and why most of these abilities are produced. Aims: For decades, researchers have been trying to make computers reproduce these abilities, focusing on both understanding the nervous system and, on processing data in a more efficient way than before. Their aim is to make computers process information similarly to the brain. Important technological developments and vast multidisciplinary projects have allowed creating the first simulation with a number of neurons similar to that of a human brain. Conclusion: This paper presents an up-to-date review about the main research projects that are trying to simulate and/or emulate the human brain. They employ different types of computational models using parallel computing: digital models, analog models and hybrid models. This review includes the current applications of these works, as well as future trends. It is focused on various works that look for advanced progress in Neuroscience and still others which seek new discoveries in Computer Science (neuromorphic hardware, machine learning techniques). Their most outstanding characteristics are summarized and the latest advances and future plans are presented. In addition, this review points out the importance of considering not only neurons: Computational models of the brain should also include glial cells, given the proven importance of astrocytes in information processing.Galicia. Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; GRC2014/049Galicia. Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; R2014/039Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI13/0028

Revisiting remyelination: Towards a consensus on the regeneration of CNS myelin.

The biology of CNS remyelination has attracted considerable interest in recent years because of its translational potential to yield regenerative therapies for the treatment of chronic and progressive demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Critical to devising myelin regenerative therapies is a detailed understanding of how remyelination occurs. The accepted dogma, based on animal studies, has been that the myelin sheaths of remyelination are made by oligodendrocytes newly generated from adult oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in a classical regenerative process of progenitor migration, proliferation and differentiation. However, recent human and a growing number of animal studies have revealed a second mode of remyelination in which mature oligodendrocytes surviving within an area of demyelination are able to regenerate new myelin sheaths. This discovery, while opening up new opportunities for therapeutic remyelination, has also raised the question of whether there are fundamental differences in myelin regeneration between humans and some of the species in which experimental remyelination studies are conducted. Here we review how this second mode of remyelination can be integrated into a wider and revised framework for understanding remyelination in which apparent species differences can be reconciled but that also raises important questions for future research.We thank Sarah Neely, University of Edinburgh, for generating the schematic figure. Work in the Franklin lab is supported by UK Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Adelson Medical ResearchFoundation, and a core support grant from the Wellcome and MRC to the Wellcome-MedicalResearch Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. , in the Frisen lab by Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Cancer Society, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, Knutoch Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse and the ERC, and in the Lyons lab by the Wellcome Trust, the UK Multiple Sclerosis Society, the MRC, and Biogen

Rising Tide 2017

Research and scholarship highlights from University of New England community members. This issue highlights student and faculty research and projects within UNE\u27s College of Arts and Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Westbrook College of Health Professions, College of Pharmacy, College of Dental Medicine, and projects and research from UNE\u27s Centers of Excellence.https://dune.une.edu/risingtide/1006/thumbnail.jp

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 187

This supplement to Aerospace Medicine and Biology lists 247 reports, articles and other documents announced during November 1978 in Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports (STAR) or in International Aerospace Abstracts (IAA). In its subject coverage, Aerospace Medicine and Biology concentrates on the biological, physiological, psychological, and environmental effects to which man is subjected during and following simulated or actual flight in the earth's atmosphere or in interplanetary space. References describing similar effects of biological organisms of lower order are also included. Emphasis is placed on applied research, but reference to fundamental studies and theoretical principles related to experimental development also qualify for inclusion. Each entry in the bibliography consists of a bibliographic citation accompanied in most cases by an abstract

Investigating the mechanisms regulating retrograde transport and signalling of neurotrophin receptors in neuronal cells

Signalling by target-derived growth factors called neurotrophins (NT) is essential for the development of the nervous system and its maintenance throughout life. Neurons have very complex morphology, reaching up to a metre in length in humans, and strongly rely on fast axonal transport for the efficient delivery of biological molecules to ensure their homeostasis. It is therefore not surprising that perturbations connected to long-range trafficking and signalling are associated with neurological conditions. Although the transport of NT and their receptors (NTRs) is a well-characterized process, the molecular mechanism controlling the somatic sorting of activated NTRs towards a specific destination, such as recycling or degradation, is not completely understood. Recently, our laboratory demonstrated that the dynein motor adaptor, Bicaudal D1 (BICD1), is a main regulator of NTR sorting towards lysosomal degradation. Following the identification of protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 23 (PTPN23) in the BICD1 interactome, I characterized their interaction using biochemical approaches and confocal microscopy. PTPN23 is a non-canonical member of the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) family, which in non-neuronal cells mediates the turnover of transmembrane receptors, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). By silencing PTPN23 expression and using an anti-NTR-antibody accumulation assay, I highlighted its novel role in NTR sorting in neuronal cells. The long-range trafficking machinery is also essential for effective responses to environmental insults, such as oxidative stress, which in healthy cells, including neurons, results in the formation of stress granules (SGs). In the second part of this project, I characterized BICD1 as a novel component of neuronal SGs, following a previous report identifying this molecule as a factor necessary for SG assembly. Furthermore, I demonstrated that oxidative stress decreases the sensitivity of neurons to NTs, revealed by the specific downregulation of NTR trafficking and signalling in response to BDNF stimulation

Bulletin of the University of Nebraska: Annual Catalog of the College of Medicine, 1998-1999

•Governance of the University of Nebraska •College of Medicine Administration •The University of Nebraska •General Information •Curriculum •Learning Facilities •Admission •Academic Calendar 1998-1999 •Scholastic Evaluation Committee Guidelines •Graduation Requirements •General Policies •Absence Policies •Student Body and Student Organizations •Fees and Expenses •Student Health Services •Multicultural Affairs Office •Curriculum Calendar •Cores/Credit Hours •Integrated Clinical Experience Core (ICE) •Problem-Based Learning (PBL) •Universal Goals and Objectives for Clerkshipshttps://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/bulletin_com/1085/thumbnail.jp

The role of steroid hormone receptors in prostate cancer. A study of estrogen- and progesterone receptors in adenocarcinoma of the prostate

Steroid hormones and their receptors are vital for numerous physiological processes in the human body, but also related to the development of several malignancies. One such receptor strongly associated with prostate cancer, is the androgen receptor. Other steroid hormone receptors are also implicated in prostate cancer, their role, however, remains to be defined. Using immunohistochemistry and tissue microarray technology, we sought to examine the tissue distribution of a selection of steroid hormone related biomarkers in radical prostatectomy specimens from our cohort of 535 prostate cancer patients. Further, we investigated the association with marker expression and patient outcome. The included biomarkers were the progesterone receptor and its isoforms, A and B, the estrogen receptor- alpha and beta and aromatase, the enzyme converting androgens to estrogen. In prostate cancer, a great challenge remains in separating patients with indolent disease from those with an aggressive cancer. This has motivated the search for prognostic biomarkers that can aid patients risk stratification and guide treatment decisions. In our research, a significant and independent prognostic value was observed for all investigated biomarkers. Based on these observations, we propose a role of these steroid hormone related receptors and enzyme in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. With further validation, they could have potential as prognostic biomarkers, and possibly a value in future prostate cancer treatment

Women in Science 2015

Women in Science 2015 summarizes research done by Smith College’s Summer Research Fellowship (SURF) Program participants. Ever since its 1967 start, SURF has been a cornerstone of Smith’s science education. In 2015, 162 students participated in SURF (153 hosted on campus and nearby eld sites), supervised by 60 faculty mentor-advisors drawn from the Clark Science Center and connected to its eighteen science, mathematics, and engineering departments and programs and associated centers and units. At summer’s end, SURF participants were asked to summarize their research experiences for this publication.https://scholarworks.smith.edu/clark_womeninscience/1002/thumbnail.jp