A review of the research literature relating to ICT and attainment

Summary of the main report, which examined current research and evidence for the impact of ICT on pupil attainment and learning in school settings and the strengths and limitations of the methodologies used in the research literature

Neural Substrates of Reliability-Weighted Visual-Tactile Multisensory Integration

As sensory systems deteriorate in aging or disease, the brain must relearn the appropriate weights to assign each modality during multisensory integration. Using blood-oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging of human subjects, we tested a model for the neural mechanisms of sensory weighting, termed “weighted connections.” This model holds that the connection weights between early and late areas vary depending on the reliability of the modality, independent of the level of early sensory cortex activity. When subjects detected viewed and felt touches to the hand, a network of brain areas was active, including visual areas in lateral occipital cortex, somatosensory areas in inferior parietal lobe, and multisensory areas in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS). In agreement with the weighted connection model, the connection weight measured with structural equation modeling between somatosensory cortex and IPS increased for somatosensory-reliable stimuli, and the connection weight between visual cortex and IPS increased for visual-reliable stimuli. This double dissociation of connection strengths was similar to the pattern of behavioral responses during incongruent multisensory stimulation, suggesting that weighted connections may be a neural mechanism for behavioral reliability weighting

Neural Substrates of Sound–Touch Synesthesia after a Thalamic Lesion

Neural plasticity induced by stroke can mediate positive outcomes, such as recovery of function, but can also result in the formation of abnormal connections with negative consequences for perception and cognition. In three experiments using blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined the neural substrates of acquired auditory-tactile synesthesia, in which certain sounds can produce an intense somatosensory tingling sensation in a patient with a thalamic lesion. Compared with nine normal controls, the first experiment showed that the patient had a threefold greater BOLD response to sounds in the parietal operculum, the location of secondary somatosensory cortex. We hypothesized that this abnormal opercular activity might be the neural substrate of the patient\u27s synesthesia. Supporting this hypothesis, the second experiment demonstrated that sounds that produced no somatosensation did not evoke a BOLD response in the operculum, while sounds that produced strong somatosensations evoked large BOLD responses. These abnormal responses may have resulted from plasticity induced by the loss of somatosensory inputs. Consistent with this idea, in the third experiment, BOLD responses to somatosensory stimulation were significantly weaker in the patient\u27s operculum than in normal controls. These experiments demonstrate a double dissociation in the patient\u27s secondary somatosensory cortex (increased responses to auditory stimulation and decreased responses to somatosensory stimulation), and suggest both that stroke-induced plasticity can result in abnormal connections between sensory modalities that are normally separate, and that synesthesia can be caused by inappropriate connections between nearby cortical territories

Human MST But Not MT Responds to Tactile Stimulation

Previous reports of tactile responses in human visual area MT/V5 have used complex stimuli, such as a brush stroking the arm. These complex moving stimuli are likely to induce imagery of visual motion, which is known to be a powerful activator of MT. The area described as “MT” in previous reports consists of at least two distinct cortical areas, MT and MST. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we separately localized human MT and MST and measured their response to vibrotactile stimuli unlikely to induce imagery of visual motion. Strong vibrotactile responses were observed in MST but not in MT. Vibrotactile responses in MST were approximately one-half as large as the response to visual motion and were distinct from those in another visual area previously reported to respond to tactile stimulation, the lateral occipital complex. To examine somatotopic organization, we separately stimulated the left and right hand and foot. No spatial segregation between hand and foot responses was observed in MST. The average response profile of MST was similar to that of somatosensory cortex, with a strong preference for the contralateral hand. These results offer evidence for the existence of somatosensory responses in MST, but not MT, independent of imagery of visual motion

The Vehicle, Fall 1993

Table of Contents 7/10ths SynthesisPeter F. Essigpage 5 Aug 1992 (My Small Catechism)Jon Montgomerypage 6 Chaos Is-J. Dylan McNeillpage 7 UntouchedTraci Williamspage 8 The JustificationJohn C. Carminepage 8 LincolnJon Montgomerypage 9 Untitled (Photo)Nicole Niemanpage 10 Park PoemJohn Brillhartpage 11 SmokeJulia Ann Canhampage 12 Warming the BenchAnn Moutraypage 12 Cereal KillerJay Harnackpage 13 The Dutiful SonsTom McGrathpage 14 UntitledCatherine DeGraafpage 17 7-up bottleWalt Howardpage 17 BreedDan Trutterpage 18 An Argument Against LoveTony Martinezpage 19 UntitledT. Scott Laniganpage 19 Glassblowers BallStephanie Franzenpage 20 Portrait of a Young GirlJohn C. Carminepage 20 Untitled (artwork)Dan Trutterpage 21 Death of a FriendLizabeth Kulkapage 22 Submission BluesMartin Paul Brittpage 23 To the Fourteen Year Old SuicideScott Langenpage 23 The Flabby PilgrimTom McGrathpage 24 The Fall of ImmortalityBrian Wheelerpage 25 Merging with AirThom Schnarrepage 26 UntitledCatherine DeGraafpage 27 Tree FishSandra Beauchamppage 28 Country SlumberJ. Dylan McNeillpage 29 Untitled (artwork)Dan Trutterpage 33 Authors\u27 Pagepage 34https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1060/thumbnail.jp

Control of anterior GRadient 2 (AGR2) dimerization links endoplasmic reticulum proteostasis to inflammation

International audienceAnterior gradient 2 (AGR2) is a dimeric protein disulfide isomerase family member involved in the regulation of protein quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Mouse AGR2 deletion increases intestinal inflammation and promotes the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although these biological effects are well established, the underlying molecular mechanisms of AGR2 function toward inflammation remain poorly defined. Here, using a protein-protein interaction screen to identify cellular regulators of AGR2 dimerization, we unveiled specific enhancers, including TMED2, and inhibitors of AGR2 dimerization, that control AGR2 functions. We demonstrate that modulation of AGR2 dimer formation, whether enhancing or inhibiting the process, yields pro-inflammatory phenotypes, through either autophagy-dependent processes or secretion of AGR2, respectively. We also demonstrate that in IBD and specifically in Crohn's disease, the levels of AGR2 dimerization modulators are selectively deregulated, and this correlates with severity of disease. Our study demonstrates that AGR2 dimers act as sensors of ER homeostasis which are disrupted upon ER stress and promote the secretion of AGR2 monomers. The latter might represent systemic alarm signals for pro-inflammatory responses