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Learning a sense of community online

Researchers found that online learning communities like Think.com can promote children's learning by encouraging active engagement, digital literacy, and social skills. The teams assess how such systems support students in creating knowledge products and building a sense of identity and audience within the community.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Web Based Communities·DateJun 19, 2007

Associative memory -- learning at all levels

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...

SourceSalk Institute·JournalNeuron·DateMar 14, 2007

Using brain scans, researchers find evidence for a 2-stage model of human perceptual learning

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.

University of Illinois scientist helping processors keep E. coli out of meat

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.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalJournal of Food Science·DateNov 9, 2006

The price of managerial neglect

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.

SourceUniversity at Buffalo·JournalThe Engineering Economist·DateApr 7, 2006

Zebra finches remember songs dad sang

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.

SourceRutgers University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 9, 2006

Brain can be trained to process sound in alternate way, study shows

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.

SourceUniversity of California - San Francisco·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 10, 2004

Relearning to hear

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.

Name that tune

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.

Study describes brain changes during learning

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.

SourceBrown University·JournalScience·DateOct 18, 2000

Recovery from spinal injury

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.

SourceTexas A&M University·JournalJournal of Neurophysiology·DateOct 1, 2000