Articles tagged with Learning Processes
A University of Missouri-Columbia researcher discovered over 50 new insect species in Thailand's mountainous streams and waterfalls. The newly identified species possess painful bites but serve no specific ecological purpose, feeding on other insects and small fish.
A two-stage model suggests that humans learn novel tasks by first processing stimulus shape and then discriminating between shapes to categorize objects. The study used fMRI to measure brain activity while participants learned to group cars into categories, revealing a complex interplay between lower and higher brain processes.
Scientists have successfully traced associative learning to early stages of the visual processing pathway, suggesting a more general property of the brain. By training monkeys to associate objects with specific signals, researchers found that neurons in the middle temporal area responded to both the original stimulus and the associated...
A series of articles provides tried-and-true advice on maintaining and manipulating flies, inducing mutations, harvesting and analyzing embryos, and characterizing proteins. These protocols are designed to be easy to use at the bench, with reagents, equipment, and recipe lists.
A University of Missouri-Columbia researcher is deploying sensors on a mid-ocean ridge to capture rare underwater data, providing valuable insights into volcanic activity and its effects on ocean chemistry. The project aims to improve our understanding of the Earth's oceans, which cover over 70% of the planet.
A study of internationally adopted children sheds new light on infant language development, showing that older children follow the same stages as infants when learning a new language. This challenges traditional theories and suggests that these stages are side effects of the processes children use to learn words and grammar.
A University of Illinois food scientist has discovered that certain solutions used by meat processors to extend shelf life actually do double duty as antimicrobial agents, killing E. coli 0157:H7. The study found that some shelf-life enhancers, such as sodium lactate and sodium diacetate, are effective at reducing bacteria growth.
A new program has been launched to make books and reading more enjoyable for Chinese children, building an intrinsic motivation for literacy. The shared book approach involves significant time spent reading stories with students, laying a foundation for reading and promoting oral language facility.
Researchers have discovered how wood ants use visual navigation strategies to find food, storing images of routes and landscapes in their memories. This study could lead to the development of autonomous robots by understanding how ants learn and navigate using visual cues.
A review of medical literature found that physicians' self-assessments are less accurate than external observations of their competence. The authors recommend shifting the focus from unguided physician self-assessment to processes that provide iterative feedback and support learning.
This special issue of Comparative Education Review delves into the world of Islam and education, from medieval to contemporary times. The articles examine diverse forms of Islamic education, challenge misconceptions, and explore the intersection of Islamic and Western educational systems.
The four science education kits developed by Brookhaven Lab and WARD'S Natural Science focus on environmental chemistry, bioremediation, protein expression, and protein purification. Students can safely conduct experiments to learn about these concepts, replicating research from the lab.
The report suggests that coal liquefaction could satisfy the country's energy needs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and costs. Global efforts to capture and sequester carbon dioxide could also mitigate environmental impacts.
A study published in NeuroImage found that alcohol selectively suppresses cognitive activity in the frontal and posterior parietal brain regions, leading to poor coordination. This suppression is due to impaired feedback processing in brain areas critical for updating mental models for motor action.
A new method by University at Buffalo engineers calculates the expected cost of managerial neglect in processes with variability, such as supply chains. The model can help managers justify investments for improvement and save up to 50% in costs over three years.
Researchers discovered that zebra finches store auditory memories of caregivers' songs in a specific part of the brain involved in hearing, which may underlie vocal learning in songbirds and provide clues to human speech acquisition. This finding supports independent evidence from Patricia Kuhl's work on infant language development.
Scientists have discovered that ion channels in dendritic membranes change during simulated learning tasks, requiring rapid protein synthesis. This finding supports the idea that learning involves changes in dendrites, which could lead to advances in understanding conditions like epilepsy and age-related memory loss.
Studies investigating subliminal learning have revealed a bottleneck in high-level processing that prevents unconscious, automatic learning during the attentional blink. However, subjects can learn from stimuli presented outside of this time window.
Scientists have successfully produced 10-carat, half-inch thick single-crystal diamonds at a rapid growth rate of 100 micrometers per hour using CVD. This achievement is approximately five times that of commercially available diamonds and marks a major breakthrough in diamond production.
Researchers find that TV shows with excessive visual elements lead to a 10% decrease in viewers' ability to remember facts. Cleaned-up screens allow for better comprehension of central messages.
The CCEN team will investigate how social, emotional and cultural factors influence learning, as well as the mechanisms of human learning across contexts. The center aims to carry out basic research on how people learn and connect scientists with practitioners to effect meaningful change in the lives of students.
A recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that the brain can be retrained to process sound in an alternative way, allowing for improved hearing sensitivity. This new system enables neurons to selectively fire at specific volume levels, making it more responsive to subtle changes in loudness.
The NSF has launched three Science of Learning Centers to study the foundations of learning across various situations, from cellular to complex processes engaging different brain areas. The centers will support interdisciplinary research and develop new methods for improving human learning and developing intelligent machines.
Boston University has been awarded $20.1 million to establish a Science of Learning Center, which aims to develop a model of how the brain learns. The center will bring together educators, scientists, and technologists from four institutions to investigate the foundations of learning across various situations.
Researchers recorded neuronal activity in primary motor cortex and dorsolateral striatum of mice during different phases of motor-skill learning. They found that cortico-striatal neural circuits undergo substantial changes, differing between fast and slow learning phases.
Researchers found that students can quickly learn and recognize words in a new language, with brain activity showing rapid changes after just 14 hours of instruction. This contradicts the common notion that learning a second language is difficult and time-consuming.
Researchers found that gradual exposure to frequency-shifted sounds improved subject's ability to comprehend speech in cochlear implants. Brain scans revealed systematic changes in cortical responses after several hours of exposure.
Researchers found that dynamic pricing strategies outperform fixed prices in environments with high market uncertainty. Optimal prices adjust continuously over time and jump upward at the point of sale. Companies can benefit from proactively setting prices to impact revenue and learn from sales observations.
Researchers found that specific cells in the bird's brain become 'tuned' to what the bird is learning, responding strongly to familiar songs and motifs. The study suggests that experience modifies the brain to highlight important motifs, allowing birds to recognize individual songs.
The Wake Forest Problem-Based Learning Center has received a $539,352 grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to support teacher professional development. The center's program, which uses problem-based learning to engage students in real-world science and math projects, has shown remarkable success, with 97% of tracked students ...
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine reveal the crucial last step involved in long term depression, a process thought to underlie learning and memory. By blocking this step, they created a mouse with weakened connections that didn't affect behavior, paving the way for studying GluR2's role in motor skills.
Researchers genetically altered a protein to prevent phosphorylation, resulting in mice that could learn but not remember spatial locations. This discovery sheds light on the role of neuronal plasticity in learning and memory.
A Rutgers researcher has made a groundbreaking discovery that the brains of dyslexic children can be rewired to improve reading skills through intensive training. Dyslexia, affecting 5-10% of Americans, is characterized by difficulties in processing language.
A new study at Stanford University found that dyslexic children's brains begin to function more normally after participating in an eight-week training program. The program helped participants better understand rapidly changing sounds, leading to improved reading scores and brain activity.
A study by Karel Svoboda's team found that new connections form and dissolve in the adult brain as mice take in sensory information. The total number of synapses stayed relatively constant, but individual connections often changed, with some sticking around for only a few days.
The study found that athletes' wives develop 'control work' as a coping mechanism, focusing on fulfilling their husbands' emotional needs, managing the family, or demonstrating domestic mastery. This helps them feel loved, needed, or validated.
A new study found that error encouragement training improves performance for individuals with higher intelligence, openness to experience, and conscientiousness. In contrast, those with lower abilities benefit from error-avoidance training, which leads to higher self-confidence and better performance.
The American Geophysical Union has selected its 26th Congressional Science Fellow, OHSU student Amerson, who will spend a year working in Congress. She aims to apply her expertise in environmental science to inform sound public policy.
A study by University of Houston researchers suggests that levels of transport molecules for glutamate increase during learning, indicating an important role in the process. This molecular cleaning crew helps clear away excess neurotransmitters, allowing effective transmission and a non-toxic environment in the brain.
Researchers found that severe head injury survivors can learn implicitly, despite impaired explicit learning and memory. This discovery holds promise for new approaches to remediation for CHI survivors, who often struggle with cognitive impairments.
A new study published in Nature reveals that increased activity in one brain system is associated with decreased activity in another during learning of a simple skill. The findings suggest new strategies for dealing with learning disorders and diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, as well as a better understanding of brain plasticity.
A study published in The Lancet found that recovering hand control after nerve damage involves a learning process similar to acquiring a second language. Researchers identified an optimal age range below 5-10 years for sensory relearning, followed by rapid decline and leveling out after puberty.
Indiana University Professor David Shiffrin has been awarded the $100,000 Rumelhart Prize for his work on human memory and cognition. His findings have had a significant impact on the field of psychology, with many cited works continuing to influence research.
A team of scientists will explore the Gulf of Mexico's extreme environments, including brine pools and cold seeps, to better understand their role in global warming. They will collect samples and study microbial processes to gain insights into methane oxidation and nutrient concentrations.
A new study reveals that the amygdala plays a pivotal role in initiating memory storage by deciding which experiences are important enough to store based on emotional significance. The research uses male rabbits and temporarily disables the amygdala, leading to a breakdown of learning-related changes in other brain regions.
A study by Harvard Medical School researchers found that sleeping the first night improves task performance and memory consolidation. Despite two additional nights of sleep, those who stayed up all night initially showed no improvement.
Researchers found that the brain replays and reinforces initial learning events to create cell-to-cell connections for long-term memories. This process, called synaptic reentry reinforcement, may be crucial for maintaining stable information over time.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have found that target cells, such as muscle membranes, have long and dynamic process-like structures called myopodia. These myopodia cluster with axon filopodia, forming a connection between neurons and muscles, enabling synapse formation.
A new study by Brown University researchers provides evidence that learning uses LTP to produce changes in the connections between brain cells, necessary for acquiring and storing new information. The study also validates a theory proposing that synapses are constantly modifying and closely related to LTP.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions have identified key shapes and sizes used by the brain to build internal models of reality, enabling humans to learn and control movements. The study reveals fundamental limitations to what is learnable by the human brain, shedding light on how our brains 'think'.
The new Marshall Institute is a concept for delivering training to employees, based on a commitment to lifelong learning. It will feature a catalog of courses, an advisory council, and partnerships with industry and academia to keep employees abreast of the latest learning processes and technologies.
Top scientists from Harvard, Cornell, University of Dublin, and University of Colorado will discuss the molecular biology of IL-1 and its role in RA pathogenesis. They will also focus on new targets for treatment, such as bone degradation, and explore patient perspectives on quality of life.
Researchers at Texas A&M University have made groundbreaking discoveries about spinal cord plasticity, which enables the spinal cord to learn and adapt without brain input. This breakthrough could potentially lead to greater chances of recovery for victims of spinal cord injuries.
A new $100,000 prize has been established at UC San Diego to honor human cognition pioneer David Rumelhart. The prize will recognize significant contributions in the field of human cognition and be awarded biennially.
A Penn State researcher finds that churches in lower-income areas offer fewer opportunities for learning civic skills, despite their importance. Church members from upper-class congregations are more likely to develop these skills, but they are less common among lower-class individuals.
A team of neuroscientists, led by University of Chicago neurologist John Milton, partnered with LPGA professionals to investigate how the brain manages complex physical tasks. They used functional MRI to study how professional golfers prepare to swing a club and how their brains acquire new skills.
Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered that the growth-associated protein GAP-43 enhances learning and memory in the mammalian brain when overexpressed in a phosphorylatable form. This finding could lead to new treatments for memory loss and learning disorders.
The Biomedical Informatics Research Group created a Java-based Problem List Generator learning tool to help veterinary students develop higher-order thinking skills through case-based problems. The technology has shown success and is being funded by the US Department of Agriculture for further development.
Research finds that people typically focus on lower facial expressions when interacting with others, but these can be misleading. Studying brain activity, researchers discovered that the upper face is more closely tied to a person's true emotional state.
Researchers at MIT have discovered a key role for the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in fetal development of the respiratory system. The study found that abnormal activity of this receptor may lead to problems in newborns, such as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and breathing difficulties.