Intermediate Levels of Hippocampal Activity Appear Optimal for Associative Memory Formation

Contains fulltext : 87971.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Dissociating the Neural Correlates of Intra-Item and Inter-Item Working-Memory Binding

Contains fulltext : 90165.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Background - Integration of information streams into a unitary representation is an important task of our cognitive system. Within working memory, the medial temporal lobe (MTL) has been conceptually linked to the maintenance of bound representations. In a previous fMRI study, we have shown that the MTL is indeed more active during working-memory maintenance of spatial associations as compared to non-spatial associations or single items. There are two explanations for this result, the mere presence of the spatial component activates the MTL, or the MTL is recruited to bind associations between neurally non-overlapping representations. Methodology/Principal Findings - The current fMRI study investigates this issue further by directly comparing intrinsic intra-item binding (object/colour), extrinsic intra-item binding (object/location), and inter-item binding (object/object). The three binding conditions resulted in differential activation of brain regions. Specifically, we show that the MTL is important for establishing extrinsic intra-item associations and inter-item associations, in line with the notion that binding of information processed in different brain regions depends on the MTL. Conclusions/Significance - Our findings indicate that different forms of working-memory binding rely on specific neural structures. In addition, these results extend previous reports indicating that the MTL is implicated in working-memory maintenance, challenging the classic distinction between short-term and long-term memory systems.8 p

Celebrities and Shoes on the Female Brain: The Neural Correlates of Product Evaluation in the Context of Fame

Celebrity endorsement is omnipresent. However, despite its prevalence, it is unclear why celebrities are more persuasive than (equally attractive) non-famous endorsers. The present study investigates which processes underlie the effect of fame on product memory and purchase intention by the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging methods. We find an increase in activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) underlying the processing of celebrity-product pairings. This finding suggests that the effectiveness of celebrities stems from a transfer of positive affect from celebrity to product. Additional neuroimaging results indicate that this positive affect is elicited by the spontaneous retrieval of explicit memories associated with the celebrity endorser. Also, we demonstrate that neither the activation of implicit memories of earlier exposures nor an increase in attentional processing is essential for a celebrity advertisement to be effective. By explaining the neural mechanism of fame, our results illustrate how neuroscience may contribute to a better understanding of consumer behavior

Justice and the Human Alarm System: The Impact of Exclamation Points and Flashing Lights on the Justice Judgment Process

Extending theory within the justice domain and work on the human alarm system, the current paper argues that the process by which justice judgments are formed may be influenced reliably by the activation of psychological systems that people use to detect and handle alarming situations. Building on this analysis, it is further proposed that if this line of reasoning is true then presenting alarm-related stimuli, such as exclamation points and flashing lights, to people should lead to more extreme judgments about subsequent justice-related events than not presenting these alarming stimuli. Findings collected using different experimental paradigms provide evidence supporting these predictions both inside and outside the psychology lab. Implications for the social psychology of justice and the human alarm system literature are discussed

Human in vivo neuroimaging to detect reprogramming of the cerebral immune response following repeated systemic inflammation

Contains fulltext : 234408.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access

Targeting CD44v6 for fluorescence-guided surgery in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an often highly invasive tumor, infiltrating functionally important tissue areas. Achieving complete tumor resection and preserving functionally relevant tissue structures depends on precise identification of tumor-free resection margins during surgery. Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS), by intraoperative detection of tumor cells using a fluorescent tracer, may guide surgical excision and identify tumor-positive resection margins. Using a literature survey on potential surface molecules followed by immunohistochemical validation, we identified CD44 variant 6 (CD44v6) as a constitutively expressed antigen in the invasion zone of HNSCC lesions. The monoclonal anti-CD44v6 antibody BIWA was labeled with both a near-infrared fluorescent dye (IRDye800CW) and a radioactive label (Indium-111) and dual-modality imaging was applied in a locally invasive tumor mouse model. BIWA accurately detected human HNSCC xenografts in mice with a tumor uptake of 54 ± 11% ID/g and invasion regions with an accuracy of 94%. When dissected under clinical-like conditions, tumor remnants approximately 0.7 mm in diameter consisting of a few thousand cells were identified by fluorescence imaging, resulting in reliable dissection of invasive microregions. These data indicate that CD44v6 is a suitable target for reliable near-infrared detection and FGS of invasive HNSCC lesions in vivo.</p

The Interleukin 3 Gene (IL3) Contributes to Human Brain Volume Variation by Regulating Proliferation and Survival of Neural Progenitors

One of the most significant evolutionary changes underlying the highly developed cognitive abilities of humans is the greatly enlarged brain volume. In addition to being far greater than in most other species, the volume of the human brain exhibits extensive variation and distinct sexual dimorphism in the general population. However, little is known about the genetic mechanisms underlying normal variation as well as the observed sex difference in human brain volume. Here we show that interleukin-3 (IL3) is strongly associated with brain volume variation in four genetically divergent populations. We identified a sequence polymorphism (rs31480) in the IL3 promoter which alters the expression of IL3 by affecting the binding affinity of transcription factor SP1. Further analysis indicated that IL3 and its receptors are continuously expressed in the developing mouse brain, reaching highest levels at postnatal day 1–4. Furthermore, we found IL3 receptor alpha (IL3RA) was mainly expressed in neural progenitors and neurons, and IL3 could promote proliferation and survival of the neural progenitors. The expression level of IL3 thus played pivotal roles in the expansion and maintenance of the neural progenitor pool and the number of surviving neurons. Moreover, we found that IL3 activated both estrogen receptors, but estrogen didn’t directly regulate the expression of IL3. Our results demonstrate that genetic variation in the IL3 promoter regulates human brain volume and reveals novel roles of IL3 in regulating brain development

Survey-feedback ter versterking van de invoering van procesgericht werken

Veeleisende klanten met steeds wijzigende behoeften, kleiner wordende reactietijden, korter wordende productlevenscycli en veeleisende personeelsleden leggen tegenwoordig een grote druk op bedrijven. Er kan een veelheid aan redenen zijn waarom een organisatie een kanteling maakt van een functioneel naar een (meer) procesgerichte manier van werken en organiseren. De organisatie bestaat niet langer uit op zich staande activiteiten, maar uit bedrijfsactiviteiten die georganiseerd zijn rondom processen waar de klant een centrale plaats krijgt. De omslag naar een procesgerichte organisatie en het invoeren van procesgericht werken is geen serie trucs en tools uit de kast halen en inzetten, maar moet als een veranderingsproces worden gezien. Er treden veel veranderingen op die diep ingrijpen op het handelen, denken en de bedrijfsvoering van de organisatie. Prestaties worden zichtbaar, werkzaamheden inzichtelijker en medewerkers en proceseigenaren worden op het functioneren van processen aangesproken. De invoering van een procesgerichte organisatie en procesgericht werken wordt veelal vanuit een ontwerpmatig perspectief benaderd. Vanuit veranderkundig oogpunt lijkt ook een ontwikkelmatig benadering van de invoering van procesgericht werken interessant. In het bijzonder om in te spelen op knelpunten die in het veranderingsproces optreden en die lastig op te lossen blijken met bestaande projectmanagement gereedschappen en implementatiemethodieken die gehanteerd worden door consultancyorganisaties. Teneinde een concretere invulling te geven aan deze ontwikkelmatige benadering en organisaties te ondersteunen bij de invoering van procesgericht werken in dit onderzoek een raamwerk voor een survey-feedback interventie ontwikkeld. Een eerste ontwerp van dit raamwerk is ingezet in een tweetal praktijksituaties. Vervolgens is op basis hiervan het raamwerk herzien en zijn een aantal extra aandachtspunten voor inzet ervan ontwikkeld

MR imaging and MR spectroscopy to guide treatment selection for patients with tumours in the brain and head-neck region

Contains fulltext : 19235_mr__imanm.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) techniques allow us to investigate patients with tumours in a noninvasive way. These techniques can be used not only for tumour identification, but also for tumour characterisation. In this thesis, MRI and MRS have been applied to investigate tumour physiology and metabolism in patients with tumours in the head-neck region, patients with oligodendrogliomas, and patients with meningiomas. Identification and characterisation of these tumours could assist in prediction of treatment response and selection of the best therapeutical option for these patients138 p