Workshops of the Sixth International Brain–Computer Interface Meeting: brain–computer interfaces past, present, and future

Brain–computer interfaces (BCI) (also referred to as brain–machine interfaces; BMI) are, by definition, an interface between the human brain and a technological application. Brain activity for interpretation by the BCI can be acquired with either invasive or non-invasive methods. The key point is that the signals that are interpreted come directly from the brain, bypassing sensorimotor output channels that may or may not have impaired function. This paper provides a concise glimpse of the breadth of BCI research and development topics covered by the workshops of the 6th International Brain–Computer Interface Meeting

Hormones in perinatal rat and spiny mouse: relation to altricial and precocial timing of birth

Rat (Rattus norvegicus) and spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) are closely related murine species that, due to their altricial (rat) and precocial (spiny mouse) modes of development, differ in the developmental timing of birth. A comparison between the developmental profiles of plasma glucagon, insulin, thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and glucocorticosteroid hormone was carried out to elucidate the question to what extent these hormonal profiles were related to the timing of birth. Although corticosterone is the major circulating glucocorticosteroid in rat, only cortisol was found in the spiny mouse. The onset of increases in glucocorticosteroid and thyroid hormone levels occurred at the same developmental time points in both species. A neonatal increase in triiodothyronine levels was observed in the spiny mouse only. In both species the immediate perinatal period was characterized by decreases in the ratio of insulin and glucagon levels and the level of glucocorticosteroids. The observed developmental patterns of hormonal levels were found to be consistent with the observed developmental pattern of enzymic maturation in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract, which play a critical role in the adaptation to the extrauterine environmen

Organic and Macromolecular Films and Assemblies as (Bio)reactive Platforms: From Model Studies on Structure–Reactivity Relationships to Submicrometer Patterning

In this contribution we review our recent progress in studies that aim at the understanding of the relationship between structure and surface reactivity of organic thin films on the one hand, and at the micro- and nanofabrication of bioreactive or biocompatible platforms on the other hand. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of n,n′-dithiobis(N-hydroxysuccinimidyl-n-alkanoate) exposing NHS reactive ester groups were studied as model systems for immobilization reactions of DNA, proteins, and receptors. Reaction kinetics and activation energies were determined quantitatively at length scales ranging from millimeters down to nanometers using, for example, surface infrared spectroscopy and in situ inverted chemical force microscopy (iCFM), respectively. The increase in conformational order with increasing alkane segment length was found to result in reduced reactivity due to steric crowding. This drawback of highly organized monolayer architectures and the inherently limited loading can be circumvented by utilizing well-defined macromolecular thin films. Using amine-terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers immobilized via soft lithography, as well as scanning probe lithography (SPL) approaches (dip-pen nanolithography, DPN) on NHS ester surfaces, robust micrometer and submicrometer patterned (bio)reactive surfaces, which allow one to achieve high molecular loading in coupling reactions for chip-based assays and sensor surfaces, were fabricated. Covalent coupling afforded the required robustness of the patterned assemblies. Finally, we address micro- and nanopatterned bilayer-based systems. SPL was applied in order to fabricate nanoscale biocompatible supramolecular architectures on solid supports. The adsorption of vesicles onto lipid bilayers was spatially controlled and directed in situ with nanometer-scale precision using SPL. This methodology, which provides a platform for research on proteins incorporated in the lipid bilayers comprising the vesicles, does not require that the vesicles are chemically labeled in order to guide their deposition

Aberrant splicing of androgen receptor mRNA results in synthesis of a nonfunctional receptor protein in a patient with androgen insensitivity.

Androgen insensitivity is a disorder in which the correct androgen response in an androgen target cell is impaired. The clinical symptoms of this X chromosome-linked syndrome are presumed to be caused by mutations in the androgen receptor gene. We report a G----T mutation in the splice donor site of intron 4 of the androgen receptor gene of a 46,XY subject lacking detectable androgen binding to the receptor and with the complete form of androgen insensitivity. This point mutation completely abolishes normal RNA splicing at the exon 4/intron 4 boundary and results in the activation of a cryptic splice donor site in exon 4, which leads to the deletion of 123 nucleotides from the mRNA. Translation of the mutant mRNA results in an androgen receptor protein approximately 5 kDa smaller than the wild type. This mutated androgen receptor protein was unable to bind androgens and unable to activate transcription of an androgen-regulated reporter gene construct. This mutation in the human androgen receptor gene demonstrates the importance of an intact steroid-binding domain for proper androgen receptor functioning in vivo