Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
here's a look at what's coming up in the june two thousand thirteen issue of
JoVE, the journal of visualized experiments
since JoVE first launched in two thousand six we have periodically expanded our
scope
adding sections devoted to neuroscience
immunology and infection, clinical and translational medicine
bioengineering, applied physics and chemistry
we are now pleased to introduce JoVE behavior which explores the science
behind various behavioral aspects of humans and animals
these include addiction
learning and memory
social interaction
and emotion
one article in this new section addresses a phenomenon where things
become more likeable if they look more like humans
for example
this robotic vacuum cleaner
is less appealing than these beloved robots
however
when they're almost but not quite human-like
robots suddenly become repulsive before becoming likable again
this sudden drop is the focus of the uncanny valley hypothesis
our authors examined this hypothesis by generating a continuum of images
morphing from human cases to avatar cases then using volunteers to judge
which images represent humans or avatars our authors define category boundaries
and use neuroimaging to identify brain regions sensitive to category change
another article in JoVEW behavior features magneto encephalopathy or m e
g
which can record brain activation in real time
combining this technique with high resolution functional magnetic resonance
imaging or f MRI
our authors model the sources of the meg signal
to show neural activation and regions of interest in the brain during learning
tasks
and behavioral neuroscience human learning and speech can be modeled with
bird song
our authors present a method for performing blood oxygen level dependent f MRI or bold f MRI on
zebra finches although fMRI is especially challenging in these tiny animals
this method allows successful imaging of neural substrates of auditory stimuli in
the zebra finch brain
a lot of behavioral research is done in rats using the morris water maze
in which the rats must find an escape platform in a pool of water however
unlike the classic sewer rat mice evolved in dry areas and aren't
always spectacular swimmers like rats. therefore our authors use the oxford
paddling pool which has shallow water and thus less stressful than the classic
water maze
it also has the escape hatch on the side of the pool which is a more natural escape
route the paddling pool model can be adapted to other behavioral testing
setups such as the Y maze. these shallow water tests can provide more
ideal systems for testing learning and memory and mice
by now you're probably behaving day excitedly about a new behavior section
but don't forget the other subjects covered in jove
in one video article our authors make embroid bodies from human induced plury
protend stem cells or ipscs
and use them as a source of cardiomyocytes that express cardiac
specific markers
In JoVE bioengineering we focused on the placenta
which is the interface between a developing fetus and the mother
the placenta separates the fetal and maternal circulation systems the sub
drugs and chemicals can cross the barrier
Our authors demonstrate a method for studying the transport of compounds in an actual
placenta using and ex vivo perfusion model
you've just had a preview of the few highlights for the month of june
visit the website to see the full length articles
plus many more in JoVE the journal of visualized experiments