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Machine learning combines with multispectral infrared imaging to guide cancer surgery

A new technique combines machine learning with short-wave infrared fluorescence imaging to detect precise tumor boundaries with higher accuracy than traditional methods. The approach achieved a remarkable per-pixel classification accuracy of 97.5 percent and demonstrated robustness against changes in imaging conditions.

SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalJournal of Biomedical Optics·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 27, 2023

Progress in unlocking the brain's "code" for depression

Researchers collected electrophysiological recordings from prefrontal cortical regions in three human subjects with severe treatment-resistant depression. They found lower depression severity correlated with decreased low-frequency neural activity and increased high-frequency activity.

SourceElsevier·JournalBiological Psychiatry·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 16, 2023

How neuroimaging can be better utilized to yield diagnostic information about individuals

Researchers from Dartmouth and University Medicine Essen found that strong links between brain measures and traits can be obtained when machine learning algorithms are utilized. This approach allows for high-powered results from moderate sample sizes, opening up studies of many traits and clinical conditions previously inaccessible.

SourceDartmouth College·JournalNature·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateMar 14, 2023

How the Mongolian gerbil may help speed recovery of a rare inner ear problem

Researchers developed a testing model to understand cognitive challenges of superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD), a rare condition causing sound-induced dizziness and hearing abnormalities. The Mongolian gerbil model shows promise for accelerating recovery with reversible diagnostic findings characteristic of patients with SSCD.

SourceRutgers University·JournalFrontiers in Neurology·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 17, 2023

New technique maps large-scale impacts of fire-induced permafrost thaw in Alaska

A new technique maps the effects of fire-induced permafrost thaw in Alaska, revealing widespread topographic change and vegetation shifts. The study used a machine learning-based approach to quantify thaw settlement across 3 million acres of land, with results showing a significant loss of evergreen forest and shrubland encroachment.

SourceFlorida Atlantic University·JournalEnvironmental Research Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateFeb 14, 2023

All in the mind – decoding brainwaves to identify the music we are listening to

Researchers at the University of Essex have developed a new technique that uses non-invasive brain wave monitoring to accurately identify the music someone is listening to. The method has been successfully tested on a dataset of simple piano music and shows promise for decoding language signals from the brain in the future.

SourceUniversity of Essex·JournalScientific Reports·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 19, 2023

Inner ear has a need for speed

Researchers have discovered a unique, fast synapse in the inner ear that processes signals faster than any other in the human body. This breakthrough could lead to improved treatments for vertigo and balance disorders affecting millions of Americans over 40.

SourceRice University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 18, 2023

Fruit flies grow brainy on a poor diet

Researchers at Kyoto University found that a poor, low-yeast diet causes fruit flies' larvae to grow dendrites in an unexpected way. The hyperarborization phenotype is triggered by a simultaneous deficiency in vitamins, metal ions, and cholesterol, which increases the production of Wingless signaling molecules from body wall muscle.

SourceKyoto University·JournaleLife·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 17, 2023

How old is your brain, really? Artificial intelligence knows

A new AI model developed at USC accurately captures cognitive decline linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's much earlier than previous methods. The model analyzes MRI brain scans and detects subtle brain anatomy markers that correlate with cognitive decline, offering an unprecedented glimpse into human cognition.

SourceUniversity of Southern California·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeImaging analysis·DateJan 6, 2023

UCI-led study shows cognitively impaired degu is a natural animal model well suited for Alzheimer’s research

A UCI-led study reveals that outbred Chilean degu rodents exhibit robust neurodegenerative features, including hippocampal neuronal loss and altered parvalbumin staining, resembling human Alzheimer's Disease. This provides a practical model for studying sporadic AD.

SourceUniversity of California - Irvine·JournalActa Neuropathologica Communications·TypeObservational study·DateDec 19, 2022

Effects of antidepressants taken during pregnancy are poorly understood, scientists note

A review of over 100 scientific articles suggests that the safety of antidepressants during pregnancy is endorsed by science, but their effects on fetal neurodevelopment are poorly understood. Brazilian researchers propose using lab-grown mini-brains to investigate this impact and identify potential alterations.

SourceFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo·JournalSeminars in Cell and Developmental Biology·TypeSystematic review·DateDec 13, 2022

A novel multi-modal image retrieval system by researchers from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology

A novel multi-modal image retrieval system, DenseBert4Ret, has been developed by researchers from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) using deep learning algorithms. The system outperforms state-of-the-art models in retrieving images based on both image and text features.

SourceGIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology)·JournalInformation Sciences·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 8, 2022

Even fruit flies count

A new computational model based on fruit fly brain data may help explain how humans process memories and experiences. The model suggests that living organisms, including humans, use a similar '1-2-3-many' count sketch to track encounters with familiar sights and smells.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalNature Communications·DateOct 31, 2022

Deep learning with light

Researchers at MIT have developed a new method that uses optics to accelerate machine-learning computations on low-power devices. By encoding model components onto light waves, data can be transmitted rapidly and computations performed quickly, leading to over a hundredfold improvement in energy efficiency.

Illinois Tech researchers extract personal information from anonymous cell phone data using machine learning, raising data security and privacy concerns

A team of Illinois Tech researchers used machine learning to estimate the age and gender of individual users with high accuracy, raising questions about data security and privacy. The study highlights the need for better regulations and best practices to protect personal information from being misused.

Not so dumb: goldfish show a keen ability to estimate distances

Researchers at the University of Oxford discovered that goldfish can accurately estimate distances by processing visual cues. The study found that goldfish use 'optic flow' to estimate distance, unlike terrestrial animals which rely on changes in angle between their eye and surrounding objects.

SourceUniversity of Oxford·JournalProceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 12, 2022

Learning on the edge

Researchers developed a new technique that enables on-device training using less than a quarter of a megabyte of memory, reducing the need for powerful computers and central servers. This approach preserves privacy by keeping data on the device, making deep learning more accessible for low-power edge devices.

How the brain develops: a new way to shed light on cognition

A new neurocomputational model introduces a three-level information processing framework to understand brain development and cognition. The model focuses on Hebbian learning and reinforcement learning, highlighting two fundamental mechanisms for multilevel cognitive ability development in biological neural networks.

SourceUniversity of Montreal·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 20, 2022

Reverse-engineering the brain to decode input signals from output neuron firing

A team of researchers from Japan successfully reconstructed common brain input signals from the firing rates of neurons using a method called superposed recurrence plot. This breakthrough has significant implications for artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and potential treatments for mental health disorders.

SourceTokyo University of Science·JournalPhysical Review E·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 15, 2022

Machine learning gives glimpse of how a dog's brain represents what it sees

Researchers at Emory University used machine learning and fMRI to analyze a dog's brain activity while watching videos. The results show that dogs are more attuned to actions in their environment than to who or what is performing the action. This study offers proof of concept for decoding canine visual perception.

SourceEmory University·JournalJournal of Visualized Experiments·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 15, 2022

SUTD researchers develop new strategies to teach computers to learn like humans do

Researchers from Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have developed a new Brain-Inspired Replay model that enables continual learning in edge computing systems without storing data. This approach achieves state-of-the-art accuracy and high energy efficiency, overcoming the stability-plasticity issue in traditional models.

SourceSingapore University of Technology and Design·JournalAdvanced Theory and Simulations·DateAug 30, 2022

These neurons have food on the brain

A study from MIT neuroscientists has identified a population of neurons in the visual cortex that respond to images of food. The researchers found four previously known populations and a fifth, more surprising population that appears to be selective for food images. This finding may reflect the special importance of food in human culture.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalCurrent Biology·DateAug 25, 2022