From kirsch from bccn.uni-freiburg.de Wed Oct 7 03:26:36 2009 From: kirsch from bccn.uni-freiburg.de (Janina Kirsch) Date: Wed Oct 7 13:20:41 2009 Subject: [Neuroscience] PhD-Positions in Neuroinformatics, including Computational Neuroscience (Erasmus Mundus Program) Message-ID: The Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctoral Program "EuroSPIN " (European Study Programme in Neuroinformatics) is inviting applications from students having a solid background in mathematics, physics, computer sciences, biochemistry or neuroscience (on a master level or equivalent), in all cases with computer science skills. Documented interest in research like activities (e.g. demonstrated in the form of master thesis work, or participation in research related activities) is of large importance. Also fluency in English is requested. Neuroinformatics combines neuroscience and informatics research to develop and apply computational tools and approaches that are essential for understanding the structure and function of the brain. Four partners participate in EuroSPIN: - KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden - University of Edinburg (UoE), UK - National Centre for Biological Science (NCBS), India - Albert-Ludwigs-Universit?t Freiburg (ALUF), Germany These four partners are all research leaders in the Neuroinformatics field, but they have complementary strengths. In addition, two associated partners, the Honda Research Institute and Nordita, participate. Each student will spend most of the time at two of the partner universities, and also receive a joint (or double) PhD degree following a successful completion of the studies. The mobility periods, as well as the courses a student will follow, are tailored individually based on: a) the PhD students background; b) which constellations of partners that are involved, as well as c) the specific research project. During the PhD period each student has one main supervisor from each of the two universities that grant the PhD degree. During the application process, the students are asked to indicate their preferences with regard to constellations of partners, and also preferred project ideas/areas can be indicated and motivated. There are excellent scholarship opportunities for students accepted to an Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate programme. A stipend or employment contract will be given to all selected PhD students during the study time, which is between 3-4 years. If you are interested, go to our homepage: http://www.kth.se/studies/phd/eurospin?l=en_UK. Deadline for Application (non-EU students): December 15, 2009. Deadline for Application (EU students): about March 2009 (will be announced). From neurobadger from gmail.com Sat Oct 10 13:51:28 2009 From: neurobadger from gmail.com (Katharine Dickson) Date: Sat Oct 10 16:50:33 2009 Subject: [Neuroscience] Question from a student for the list Message-ID: I am an undergrad headed for graduate school to get my PhD. The question is what route I'm going to take. It is probable that I am going to end up going to graduate school overseas; my top programs, and indeed, most of the programs that actually do research in the area that I want to research, are located in England, Scotland, and Australia. Knowing how their degrees are structured (little to no graduate courses, per se, depending on whether you enter with a bachelor's degree or with a master's degree, and one can even have zero courses entering with only a bachelor's degree), which route do you recommend for maximizing the chance that I'll have success in finding a postdoctorate and faculty position afterward? If I elect to get a master's degree before beginning a PhD, I'll probably remain in the United States until I begin my PhD. 1) Straight to doctorate 2) Get a master's degree before starting my doctorate Any opinions or advice are welcome. Katharine Dickson From charlesgriffin from mypostoffice.co.uk Tue Oct 13 05:09:33 2009 From: charlesgriffin from mypostoffice.co.uk (charlesgriffin@mypostoffice.co.uk) Date: Tue Oct 13 08:39:10 2009 Subject: [Neuroscience] Maths student with much brain missing? Message-ID: <001a01ca4bed$4319ff30$2101a8c0@chas> Hello Neur-Sci members... I'm writing a book which involves, among other things, the brain/mind issue. Some 30 years ago I remember a report (possibly in the New Scientist) about a maths? student at the University of Birmingham, UK, who, as I recall, passed his exams, but then became unwell. An x-ray found that he had only a cortex, and very little or no other brain matter. I remember that the report contained what seems to have been the x-ray picture of a more or less empty head. I moved house some 25 years ago, and the article has got hopelessly lost. Can anybody help me, please? What I would like most would be an ecopy of the original article. Failing that, any pukka information or route to investigate. Thanks very much indeed for your time. All best wishes Chas Griffin From jalegris from sympatico.ca Wed Oct 14 21:52:07 2009 From: jalegris from sympatico.ca (J.A.Legris) Date: Thu Oct 15 09:47:24 2009 Subject: [Neuroscience] Re: Maths student with much brain missing? References: Message-ID: <8eb3a56e-f6a5-4f71-826e-eccf2d726392@z2g2000yqm.googlegroups.com> On Oct 13, 6:09?am, wrote: > Hello Neur-Sci members... > > I'm writing a book which involves, among other things, the brain/mind issue. > > Some 30 years ago I remember a report (possibly in the New Scientist) about a maths? student at the University of Birmingham, UK, who, as I recall, passed his exams, but then became unwell. An x-ray found that he had only a cortex, and very little or no other brain matter. I remember that the report contained what seems to have been the x-ray picture of a more or less empty head. > > I moved house some 25 years ago, and the article has got hopelessly lost. > > Can anybody help me, please? What I would like most would be an ecopy of the original article. Failing that, any pukka information or route to investigate. > > Thanks very much indeed for your time. > > All best wishes ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Chas Griffin A little more recently: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12301-man-with-tiny-brain-shocks-doctors.html -- Joe From connelly.bill from gmail.com Thu Oct 15 17:01:36 2009 From: connelly.bill from gmail.com (Bill) Date: Thu Oct 15 19:55:46 2009 Subject: [Neuroscience] Re: Question from a student for the list References: Message-ID: <840ee416-d74c-4740-ae49-5896790e679c@f18g2000prf.googlegroups.com> In the UK and Australia if you enter a PhD they are going to expect you are research ready. That you understand the topic and the methods (though you don't have to have practicle experience). 99% of the people in the PhD stream with you will have already done a years (either full or part time) worth of research. If that sounds intimidating, then it sounds like you should do a masters, and if I were you, I would do my masters in the same lab you plan to do your PhD in. On Oct 11, 7:51?am, Katharine Dickson wrote: > I am an undergrad headed for graduate school to get my PhD. ?The > question is what route I'm going to take. > > It is probable that I am going to end up going to graduate school > overseas; my top programs, and indeed, most of the programs that > actually do research in the area that I want to research, are located > in England, Scotland, and Australia. ?Knowing how their degrees are > structured (little to no graduate courses, per se, depending on > whether you enter with a bachelor's degree or with a master's degree, > and one can even have zero courses entering with only a bachelor's > degree), which route do you recommend for maximizing the chance that > I'll have success in finding a postdoctorate and faculty position > afterward? ?If I elect to get a master's degree before beginning a > PhD, I'll probably remain in the United States until I begin my PhD. > > 1) Straight to doctorate > 2) Get a master's degree before starting my doctorate > > Any opinions or advice are welcome. > > Katharine Dickson From jopower from yahoo.com Fri Oct 16 16:00:55 2009 From: jopower from yahoo.com (polly jo) Date: Fri Oct 16 17:39:15 2009 Subject: [Neuroscience] Re: Question from a student for the list In-Reply-To: <840ee416-d74c-4740-ae49-5896790e679c@f18g2000prf.googlegroups.com> Message-ID: <40261.586.qm@web65702.mail.ac4.yahoo.com> On the other hand, if you're a smart 'un you'll be wasting time doing a masters. Coz, you could essentially get the hang of "research" in about 6 months, even rocket science is not as difficult as is made out to be. Then again, perhaps it is a good idea to go for masters, in case you decide after two years that getting a doctorate is a super waste of time (which sometimes it is), you have a degree that allows you credibility and land an equally good job. :) Good luck! Polly --- On Fri, 10/16/09, Bill wrote: > From: Bill > Subject: [Neuroscience] Re: Question from a student for the list > To: neur-sci@magpie.bio.indiana.edu > Date: Friday, October 16, 2009, 3:31 AM > In the UK and Australia if you enter > a PhD they are going to expect > you are research ready. That you understand the topic and > the methods > (though you don't have to have practicle experience). 99% > of the > people in the PhD stream with you will have already done a > years > (either full or part time) worth of research. > > If that sounds intimidating, then it sounds like you should > do a > masters, and if I were you, I would do my masters in the > same lab you > plan to do your PhD in. > > On Oct 11, 7:51?am, Katharine Dickson > wrote: > > I am an undergrad headed for graduate school to get my > PhD. ?The > > question is what route I'm going to take. > > > > It is probable that I am going to end up going to > graduate school > > overseas; my top programs, and indeed, most of the > programs that > > actually do research in the area that I want to > research, are located > > in England, Scotland, and Australia. ?Knowing how > their degrees are > > structured (little to no graduate courses, per se, > depending on > > whether you enter with a bachelor's degree or with a > master's degree, > > and one can even have zero courses entering with only > a bachelor's > > degree), which route do you recommend for maximizing > the chance that > > I'll have success in finding a postdoctorate and > faculty position > > afterward? ?If I elect to get a master's degree > before beginning a > > PhD, I'll probably remain in the United States until I > begin my PhD. > > > > 1) Straight to doctorate > > 2) Get a master's degree before starting my doctorate > > > > Any opinions or advice are welcome. > > > > Katharine Dickson > > _______________________________________________ > Neur-sci mailing list > Neur-sci@net.bio.net > http://www.bio.net/biomail/listinfo/neur-sci > From kirsch from bccn.uni-freiburg.de Mon Oct 19 07:14:01 2009 From: kirsch from bccn.uni-freiburg.de (Janina Kirsch) Date: Mon Oct 19 10:35:09 2009 Subject: [Neuroscience] PhD-Position "Investigation of activity-dependent signal integration in neocortical neurons" at the Bernstein Center Freiburg Message-ID: Phd-Position ?Investigation of activity-dependent signal integration in neocortical neurons? Our lab uses combined intra- and extracellular recordings in rat V1 in vivo, as well as dynamic photo stimulation of acute brain slices to study network dynamics in V1 and the influence of dynamical states on the integration of synaptic input in pyramidal cells. The offered position is funded by the EU FACETS program (http://facets.kip.uni-heidelberg.de), and should, therein, contribute to the aspect of experimental characterization of cortical cells and networks in vivo and in vitro. The goal of our work is to link the obtained electrophysiological data, in close collaboration with other groups at the BCCN and within FACETS, to new models of neocortical networks, aimed to better understand the mechanisms underlying network dynamics in the cortex. The phd position is available immediately for 3 years. We are looking for experimentalists with a solid background in electrophysiological recording techniques and interest in computational neuroscience. Please apply via the online application form: http://www.bccn2.uni-freiburg.de/p hd _applications/index.php (Project-ID: FACETS) -- Dr. Janina Kirsch -- Coordinator for the Teaching & Training Programs Bernstein Center Freiburg Albert-Ludwig University of Freiburg Hansastr. 9a D - 79104 Freiburg Germany Phone: +49 (0) 761 203-9575 Fax: +49 (0) 761 203-9559 Email: kirsch @bcf.uni-freiburg.de Web: www.bcf.uni-freiburg.de _____ From anaruiznuno from yahoo.es Thu Oct 22 07:47:52 2009 From: anaruiznuno from yahoo.es (=?iso-8859-1?Q?Ana_Ruiz_Nu=F1o?=) Date: Thu Oct 22 11:52:42 2009 Subject: [Neuroscience] Rv: LTP mouse in submerged chamber Message-ID: <237500.41982.qm@web27205.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> To members to Neur-sci, ? I am setting up the LTP in mouse hippocampal slices (350 microns)?in a submerged chamber.? I get the LTP after 30 min?but I think I am still having problems with perfusion because I don't get the typical kinetics as you can see in the attachment. Some authors get good kinetics in mouse with 2-3ml/min as I got. Others use faster (5-6ml/min)?ones, but sometimes it is not very easy to get an equilibrium between perfusion and stability. There is another problem with the mouse slice. Although I place the stimulus and recording within 400-500 microms apart, sometimes you get bubbles after the tetanic stimulation and it takes time till dissapear and get the real effect. ? I am stimulating and recording in stratum radiatum of the CA1 region. I try to be consistent and the stimulating microelectrode was positioned in the ipsilateral Schaffer collateral-commissural pathway of CA3 area and the recording microelectrode was placed within the stratum radiatum of CA1 area 300-600 microns apart.?Synaptic responses were evoked by constant stimulus pulses (0.2 ms, 0.3-2 mA)?delivered by?bipolar Ni/Cr stimulating electrode.At the beginning of each experiment, test pulses that evoke 40-50% of the maximum EPSP slope.Tetanic stimulation (TS) was a 1-s 100-Hz pulse?for induction of LTP. The amount of LTP was quantified 30 min after the train, and was expressed as percent increases in the slope of field EPSPs.?Recording chamber at 3 ml/min at 30-32?C. I also put a piece of lense paper under the slice. Any suggestions for improving recordings?. Do you think?is a?reliable?recording for publication?. I attach a typical recording. Thank you for your time in this matter Ana From deniseingebo from gmail.com Thu Oct 22 17:01:12 2009 From: deniseingebo from gmail.com (Denise Ingebo) Date: Fri Oct 23 11:13:40 2009 Subject: [Neuroscience] Update available: impulsing in the nervous system at impulsing.org Message-ID: <33B5508D-F09E-4469-A5A1-CE6CA18B1FD3@gmail.com> Update available: impulsing in the nervous system at www.impulsing.org From exoticvini from gmail.com Sat Oct 24 00:02:31 2009 From: exoticvini from gmail.com (vini) Date: Sat Oct 24 10:57:51 2009 Subject: [Neuroscience] Adhesion of tissue slice onto a glass substrate Message-ID: <3c22b56c-9e31-450b-aeb3-7aef7cdb91f7@t11g2000prh.googlegroups.com> Hello, I am doing an extracellular recording from a mouse retina. I use planer metal electrodes on glass. However, the tissue when placed on glass and perfused, starts to float in the medium, whatever small the perfusion rate I keep. This is a big problem for me because for my recordings, I need to have tissue sticking properly on the glass.. I have tried using a filter paper carrier, it still floats :( Can someone help me in this regard? Thanks, Vini. From johnh from goawayplease.com Mon Oct 26 20:01:12 2009 From: johnh from goawayplease.com (John Hasenkam) Date: Mon Oct 26 20:40:13 2009 Subject: [Neuroscience] Re: Maths student with much brain missing? References: Message-ID: That sounds very much like one of John Lorber's patients. He was a British neurosurgeon who argued that in some cases there is evidence of massive neocortical loss without apparent behavioral anomalies. He makes specific reference to one maths student who had massive tissue loss. Lorber was generally laughed at for his views but a recent case from France has resurrected the issue. Raises interesting questions about cerebral organisation but not about the "mind body problem", whatever that is. John. wrote in message news:mailman.98.1255441164.1133.neur-sci@net.bio.net... Hello Neur-Sci members... I'm writing a book which involves, among other things, the brain/mind issue. Some 30 years ago I remember a report (possibly in the New Scientist) about a maths? student at the University of Birmingham, UK, who, as I recall, passed his exams, but then became unwell. An x-ray found that he had only a cortex, and very little or no other brain matter. I remember that the report contained what seems to have been the x-ray picture of a more or less empty head. I moved house some 25 years ago, and the article has got hopelessly lost. Can anybody help me, please? What I would like most would be an ecopy of the original article. Failing that, any pukka information or route to investigate. Thanks very much indeed for your time. All best wishes Chas Griffin