Interactions between working memory and selective attention

Event-related potential (ERP) was used to examine the interactions between working memory and se- lective attention. We combined two unrelated tasks, one requiring working memory and the other se- lective attention, which were performed by some undergraduates. The ERP results revealed that both congruent and incongruent stimuli in the selective attention task evoked an N400 component, reaching the peak point at around 500 ms. The N400 evoked by incongruent stimuli was more negative than that of congruent, which indicated the difference of semantic N400. Furthermore, working memory load had a significant influence on the N400 evoked by selective attention task in parietal region. And working memory load showed difference in the ERPs of working memory retrieval in central and parietal regions. The ERPs of probe under high working memory load were more positive from 350 to 550 ms post-stimulus; however, stimulus type of selective attention had no influence on working memory re- trieval. The present study shows that working memory does not play a major role in the selective at- tention, especially in ignoring distracter, but it influences the performance of the selective attention as the background. The congruency of target and distracter in the selective attention task does not influ- ence the working memory retrieval.     

What are the memory sources of dreaming?

Investigators since Freud have appreciated that memories of the people, places, activities and emotions of daily life are reflected in dreams but are typically so fragmented that their predictability is nil. The mechanisms that translate such memories into dream images remain largely unknown. New research targeting relationships between dreaming, memory and the hippocampus is producing a new theory to explain how, why and when we dream of waking life events.     

An oscillatory neural network and dynamical associative memory

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ERP dissociation and connection between implicit and explicit memory

ERP dissociations between implicit and explicit memory have been confirmed by a large amount of evidence in theories of human memory. However, similarities between the two forms of memory have scarcely been studied. A possibility is that while implicit memory and explicit memory have independ- ent components, they might additionally have shared components. To explore this question, an ERP experiment was conducted with a study-to-test paradigm, in which participants performed a "shallow" (color) study task or a "deep" (pleasant) study task, followed by either a lexical decision (implicit) test (Section 1) or a recognition (explicit) test (Section 2). An interference task was performed concurrently with either the encoding or the retrieval phase of the memory task for encoding interference condition or retrieval interference condition. We compared ERP signatures of implicit and explicit memory as a function of depth of processing or interference. Under the action of the same variables, 300―500 ms old/new ERP effects of implicit and explicit memory showed the same trend. These effects maybe all link with a perceptual representational system. 500―700 ms old/new ERP effects of the two memories were dissociated. They may probably reflect voluntary and involuntary recollection respectively. These results suggested that implicit and explicit memories are not completely independent of each other, but have both independent and shared components.     

An event-related potential study of working memory in children

Working memory refers to temporary storage and manipulation of “on-line” information in the brain,which is central to a large range of cognitive capabili- ties[1]. Visual working memory involves processes such as maintaining, updating and manipulating b…     

A new area in the brain associated with learning and memory

A new subdivision, named marginal division (MrD)> consisting of spindle-shaped neurons, has been identified at the caudomedial margin of the neostriatum in the brains of the rat, cat, monkey and human. It is distinguishable from the rest of striatum by special neural connections and many intensely expressed neuropeptides and some monoamines in the fibers, terminals and neuronal somata. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the rat brain reveals that the MrD is a flat pan-shaped area between the neostriatum and globus pal-lidus. Chemical lesions of bilateral MrD in rats will result in severely impaired learning and memory functions, as was demonstrated by double blind Y-maze test. The function of MrD has been shown to be associated with learning and memory by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRl) technique in human brain in vivo . Functional neuronal connections are observed between the MrD and hippocampus, amygdala, as well as the basal nucleus of Meynert by chemically induced c-Fos immunohistochemical staining. MrD is a newly discovered part and a universal structure in the neostriatum of the mammalian brain. MrD might very possibly play an important role in processes of the learning and memory.     

Fabrication and characterization of Cu-Zn-Sn shape memory alloys via an electrodeposition-annealing route

Cu-Zn-Sn shape memory alloys (SMAs) with an average composition of 56.0at%, 36.1at%, and 7.9at% for Cu, Zn, and Sn, respectively, were successfully fabricated via an electrodeposition-annealing route. The produced SMAs were assessed for shape memory response in terms of percent displacement (martensite phase recovery) by subjecting the ternary alloys to flame tests and subsequently characterizing them via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The flame tests showed that the highest displacement was ca. 93%, with average austenite and martensitic start transformation temperature of 225℃ and 222℃, respectively. XRD analysis revealed that the intermetallic phases responsible for the observed shape memory properties have substitutional Zn in the lattice occupied by Cu and Sn, leading to the formation of Cu(Zn,Sn) and Cu₆(Zn,Sn)₅ variants. The formation of these variants was attributed to the faster interdiffusion of Cu into Sn, driven by an activation energy of 34.82 kJ·mol-1. Five cycles of repeated torching-annealing revealed an essentially constant shape memory response, suggesting that the fabricated SMAs were consistent and sufficiently reliable for their intended service application.     

Surface nanostructures orienting self-protection of an orthodontic nickel-titanium shape memory alloys wire

Shape memory alloys (SMA) have been applied to a wide variety of applications in a number of different fields such as aeronautical applications, sensors/actuators, medical sciences as well as orthodontics. It is a hot topic to enhance the anti-corrosion ability of orthodontic wires for clinical applications. In this letter, a very nice fractal structure, micro-domains with identical nanometer sized grooves, was ob- tained on the surfaces of the orthodontic wires with an oxygen plasma and acid corrosion. The concave parts of the grooves were dominated by titanium and convex parts were the same as the bulk wires. The micro-nano fractal structure generated a hydrophobic surface with the largest contact angle to water being about 157°. The titanium dominated nanolayer and the hydrophobicity of the surface resulted in jointly the great improvement of the anti-corrosion ability of the orthodontic wires. Because the fractal structures of the wires were formed automatically when they immersed in acidic environment, hence, the self-protection of the oxygen plasma-treated orthodontic wires in acidic environment indicates their potential applications in orthodontics, and should be also inspirable for other applications of SMA materials.     

Updating verbal and visuospatial working memory： Are the processes parallel？

The current study compared the processes of updating verbal and visuospatial working memory （WM） and examined the roles of central executive and slave systems in working memory updating tasks, by changing the number of items updated simultaneously to manipulate the load on central executive. Experiment 1 used the verbal WM updating task, and the results validated the efficiency of the paradigm to manipulate the load on central executive. Experiment 2 employed the verbal WM updating task, with the articulatory suppression task to interfere with the phonological loop. The results supported the study by Morris and Jones, revealing that the central executive system played an important role in the updating component of verbal WM, while the phonological loop was responsible for the serial recall component. Experiment 3 employed the visuospatial WM updating task, with the spatial tapping task to interfere with the visuospatial sketchpad. The results suggested that the visuospatial sketchpad and the central executive together dealt with the updating component, while the visuospatial sketchpad was responsible for the serial recall component by itself. These results are consistent with the findings that visuospatial sketchpad has close links with central executive, while the phonological loop is separated from the central executive. It suggests that updating visuospatial and verbal WM are not two parallel processes.     

Can the memory of an object be enhanced by imagining its loss?

Previous investigations examining salient memories have demonstrated that personal memories that are important to individuals and contain emotional information are better remembered than neutral events.Using behavioral and brain-imaging experiments,the present studies explored whether the previous finding was applicable imagined loss.In a behavioral experiment,a free recall paradigm was used to compare the memory performance of individuals who imagined loss with that of individuals who imagined importance.The superior memory performance conferred by imagining loss was constrained to ordinary items of low to medium importance and did not generalize to vital items.Moreover,brain imaging evidence revealed that the activation in certain brain regions was stronger when participants were imagining the loss of ordinary items of low to medium importance compared to vital items.These brain regions included cognitive effort-related areas(such as the parietal cortex and middle prefrontal cortex) and areas related to emotional experiences and emotion-related memories(such as the amygdala,parahippocampal gyrus,and posterior cingulate gyrus).Our study provides a new way of exploring the superior memory performance when imagining loss and enriches the literature on memory enhancement by contributing to a deeper understanding of the psychological mechanisms related to the imagining of vital losses.     

Tailoring of microstructure and martensitic transformation of nanocrystalline Ti–Ni-Hf shape memory thin film

The amorphous Ti-Ni-Hf thin films with the specific compositions were prepared from single Ti-Ni-Hf alloy target by adjusting processing parameters of direct current magnetron sputtering deposition. Prior to the crystallization,a glass transition occurred in the present Ti-Ni-Hf thin films. The annealed Ti-Ni-Hf thin films were characterized by the nano-crystalline. With the annealing temperature increasing, the grain size firstly increased and then decreased owing to the presence of(Ti,Hf)_2Ni precipitate. Two endothermic and exothermic peaks corresponding to B19'■B2 martensitic transformation in heating and cooling curves were observed for the Ti-Ni-Hf thin films with the lower annealing temperature and shorter annealing time, which was closely related to the inhomogeneous composition. However, the Ti-Ni-Hf thin films annealed at higher annealing temperature and longer annealing time showed the single stage B19'■B2 martensitic transformation. In addition, the martensitic transformation temperatures firstly increased and then decreased with the annealing temperatures rising.     

THE LI FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP OF NEW YORK to honour the memory of Dr Lu Gwei-djen

A visiting Fellowship tenable at the Needham Research Institute in Cambridge,England,is offered by the Li Foundation of NewYork.The fellowship will run for the academic yearfrom October 2007 to June 2008,and the successful applicant should be free to arrive inCambridge at the beginning of October.The objective of this fellowship is to enable a Chinesescholar from mainland China,Taiwan,Hong Kong or Singapore to conduct research in a sub-ject relevant to the concerns of the Institute,i.e…     

Protein synthesis inhibition in the basolateral nucleus of amygdala facilitates extinction of auditory fear memory

It is known that consolidation of fear conditioning requires de novo protein synthesis in the amygdala. However, there is controversy about the role of protein synthesis in post-retrieval extinction of fear memory. The present study investigated the effect of protein synthesis inhibition (PSI) in the baso- lateral nucleus of amygdala (BLA) on post-retrieval extinction of auditory fear memory. Intra-BLA infu- sion of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin ‘0’ h post-retrieval facilitated the extinction, but was ineffective if the memory was not retrieved. Anisomycin had no effect on the extinction when it was infused 6 h post-retrieval. The present results suggest that there exists a protein-synthesis-dependent mechanism in the BLA that retards extinction of auditory fear memory.     

Microwave sintering effects on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-51at%Ni shape memory alloys

Ti-51at%Ni shape memory alloys (SMAs) were successfully produced via a powder metallurgy and microwave sintering technique. The influence of sintering parameters on porosity reduction, microstructure, phase transformation temperatures, and mechanical properties were investigated by optical microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), compression tests, and microhardness tests. Varying the microwave temperature and holding time was found to strongly affect the density of porosity, presence of precipitates, transformation temperatures, and mechanical properties. The lowest density and smallest pore size were observed in the Ti-51at%Ni samples sintered at 900℃ for 5 min or at 900℃ for 30 min. The predominant martensite phases of β2 and β19' were observed in the microstructure of Ti-51at%Ni, and their existence varied in accordance with the sintering temperature and the holding time. In the DSC thermograms, multi-transformation peaks were observed during heating, whereas a single peak was observed during cooling; these peaks correspond to the presence of the β2, R, and β19' phases. The maximum strength and strain among the Ti-51at%Ni SMAs were 1376 MPa and 29%, respectively, for the sample sintered at 900℃ for 30 min because of this sample's minimal porosity.     

Microwave sintering effects on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–51at%Ni shape memory alloys

Ti–51at%Ni shape memory alloys(SMAs) were successfully produced via a powder metallurgy and microwave sintering technique.The influence of sintering parameters on porosity reduction,microstructure,phase transformation temperatures,and mechanical properties were investigated by optical microscopy,field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),compression tests,and microhardness tests.Varying the microwave temperature and holding time was found to strongly affect the density of porosity,presence of precipitates,transformation temperatures,and mechanical properties.The lowest density and smallest pore size were observed in the Ti–51at%Ni samples sintered at 900°C for 5 min or at 900°C for 30 min.The predominant martensite phases of β2 and β19′ were observed in the microstructure of Ti–51at%Ni,and their existence varied in accordance with the sintering temperature and the holding time.In the DSC thermograms,multi-transformation peaks were observed during heating,whereas a single peak was observed during cooling;these peaks correspond to the presence of the β2,R,and β19′ phases.The maximum strength and strain among the Ti–51at%Ni SMAs were 1376 MPa and 29%,respectively,for the sample sintered at 900°C for 30 min because of this sample's minimal porosity.     

Phase transition , structure and shape memory effect of Ni47Ti43Hf10 alloy

A Ni₄₇Ti₄₃Hf₁₀ high temperature shape memory alloy is fabricated. The martensitic transformation temperature (TT) is obtained by differential scanning calorimetry and four-probe electrical resistivity measurements. The effect of thermal cycling is investigated and it is found that the TT tends to be stable quickly, which is of benefit to practical applications. The martensite structure is determined to be B19' monoclinic by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. One-way and two-way (which is seldom reported before) shape memory properties are studied by tensile and bending tests. The cycling number of two-way shape memory effect is tested for more than 20000 times.     

What is the most important in development of theory of mind?—The roles of EF, verbal and arithmetic ability, and working memory

The present study examined the contributions of age, verbal ability, arithmetic ability, working memory, and executive function (EF) to the development of theory of mind (ToM). The results showed that age, arithmetic ability, working memory, and EF were significant predictors of the development of ToM, while verbal ability did not. And results from the hierarchical regression analysis suggested that, compared to EF, arithmetic ability and working memory were more important in predicting the development of ToM.     

What is the most important in development of theory of mind?—The roles of EF, verbal and arithmetic ability, and working memory

The present study examined the contributions of age, verbal ability, arithmetic ability, working memory, and executive function (EF) to the development of theory of mind (ToM). The results showed that age, arithmetic ability, working memory, and EF were significant predictors of the development of ToM, while verbal ability did not. And results from the hierarchical regression analysis suggested that, compared to EF, arithmetic ability and working memory were more important in predicting the development of ToM.