Positive Technology Journal

Via Science Daily

Science and Consciousness Review has interviewed brain researcher Sara Lazar on how meditation affects the brain. Lazar is the author of a recent study, in which magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess cortical thickness in 20 participants with extensive Insight meditation, a technique that involves focusing attention on internal experiences. Findings showed that brain regions associated with attention, interoception and sensory processing were thicker in meditation participants than matched controls, including the prefrontal cortex and right anterior insula. According to Lazar and her colleagues, these results provide preliminary evidence for experience-dependent cortical plasticity associated with meditation practice.

Via STS Italia 

First National Conference of STS Italia – Italian Society for Science and Technology Studies

9th-10th June 2006

Tiscali Auditorium, Cagliari (Sardinia)

Organizing Committee: Davide Bennato (Università di Roma “La Sapienza”), Alessandro Mongili (Università di Cagliari), Federico Neresini e Giuseppe Pellegrini (Università di Padova), Giuseppina Pellegrino (Università della Calabria).

Scientific Advisory Board: Davide Bennato (Università di Roma “La Sapienza”), Massimiamo Bucchi (Università di Trento), Luca Guzzetti (Università di Genova), Alessandro Mongili (Università di Cagliari), Federico Neresini (Università di Padova), Giuseppe Pellegrini (Università di Padova), Paolo Volontè (Università di Bolzano).

Sponsored by: Regione Autonoma della Sardegna – Assessorato per gli Affari generali, Dipartimento di Ricerche Economiche e Sociali dell’Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Banco di Sardegna, Tiscali SpA.

Exploring spike transfer through the thalamus using hybrid artificial-biological neuronal networks.

J Physiol Paris. 2004 Jul-Nov;98(4-6):540-58

Authors: Debay D, Wolfart J, Le Franc Y, Le Masson G, Bal T

We use dynamic clamp to construct "hybrid" thalamic circuits by connecting a biological neuron in situ to silicon- or software-generated "neurons" through artificial synapses. The purpose is to explore cellular sensory gating mechanisms that regulate the transfer efficiency of signals during different sleep-wake states. Hybrid technology is applied in vitro to different paradigms such as: (1) simulating interactions between biological thalamocortical neurons, artificial reticular thalamic inhibitory interneurons and a simulated sensory input, (2) grafting an artificial sensory input to a wholly biological thalamic network that generates spontaneous sleep-like oscillations, (3) injecting in thalamocortical neurons a background synaptic bombardment mimicking the activity of corticothalamic inputs. We show that the graded control of the strength of intrathalamic inhibition, combined with the membrane polarization and the fluctuating synaptic noise in thalamocortical neurons, is able to govern functional shifts between different input/output transmission states of the thalamic gate.

Tadiran LifeCare, an Israeli company, has presented a compact wearable mobile communication and safety device (SKeeper™)  for the elderly. The device

9, 10 and 11 October 2006, at the 10th International Conference on Knowledge-Based & Intelligent Information & Engineering Systems:

This special session will focus on Artificial Intelligence techniques, essential for implementing AmI systems, complementing past workshops, which are generally oriented towards computer vision for the AmI paradigm.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

- multi-agent methods,
- multi-sensor fusion,
- intelligent human-environment interaction,
- advanced human-computer interaction,
- conventional and embedded robotics solutions,
- ambient representation and innovative sensors

IST Mobile Summit 2006 is taking place 4-8 June 2006, in Myconos, Greece

Visit the event's web site for more information

The aim of this prize is to reward the presentation of strong methodological studies at the Cybertherapy conference. The recipient has to be a researcher who is new to the field of cyberpsychology. It is open to both oral / symposium or poster presentations and to researchers from all countries and disciplines.

The award is delivered by Stéphane Bouchard, chairholder of the Canada Research Chair in Clinical Cyberpsychology. It includes a certificate and a check of 1 000 $ US.

Details of the award and its rules are described in the attached document and on the Conference web site

Effects of age and timing of augmented feedback on learning muscle relaxation while performing a gross motor task

Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2006 Feb;85(2):148-55; quiz 156-8

Authors: van Dijk H, Hermens HJ

OBJECTIVE: To examine the combined effect of age and timing of augmented feedback on learning muscle relaxation. Performing a gross motor task, subjects had to lower their trapezius muscle activity using the electromyographic signal as visual myofeedback. DESIGN: Healthy subjects (16 young adults: 20-35 yrs; and 16 older adults: 55-70 yrs) were randomly assigned to one of two timing conditions of myofeedback: concurrent (feedback was provided immediately during the trial) and terminal (feedback was provided delayed after the trial) condition. RESULTS: The results indicated that young adults had a higher level of motor performance (i.e., lower muscle activity) compared with older adults when myofeedback was provided. These effects persisted during short- (after 10 mins) and long-term retention (after 1 wk) when no myofeedback was provided. In contrast to young adults, older adults did not improve their performance throughout the experiment. There were no interactions of age with the timing conditions of myofeedback during acquisition and retention. CONCLUSIONS: Either timing condition of augmented feedback was equally helpful to young adults, whereas neither was helpful for older adults in learning muscle relaxation.

Via Brain Waves

May 18, 2006, Millbrae, California 
Westin San Francisco Airport

The Neurotech Industry Investing and Business Conference  is a business and investment conference for the neurotechnology industry including pharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics.

Keynotes presentations will focus on state of the neurotech industry, cutting edge company presentations, and panel discussions on a comprehensive selection of neurotech topics. 

Via Pasta and Vinegar

Via the Presence-Listserv 

(the following excerpt is from the original article published in the Observer)

Inspired by Star Trek's holodeck, a virtual reality theatre will be built for treatment and therapy purposes at the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center. The theatre is titled, "Immersive Virtual Reality Cave Simulator" (IVR-Cave).
Under the guidance of Stacy Willams, an assistant professor in communication services at Case, the construction on the theater will be complete by April 2006. Williams formulated the concept of the room with inspiration from Star Trek while she was working on her master's degree.

"I was intrigued by the whole holodeck concept, and at the time [when working on a masters degree], I was learning the importance of carry-over techniques, or generalizing what you learn in therapy to a natural environment," Williams said.

With this new simulator, therapists will get a chance to show patients real-life scenarios in a controlled environment, before they are out on their own in the real world...

Read full article 

Via the LLuna2 website

LLuna2 is designed to enable virtual presence on Web sites with animated avatars, video, bubble chat, private chat, and personal profiles through the Jabber[tm] protocol, integrated with Jabber based Instant Messaging and operable without additional server components.

Via Smart Mobs

The goal of the EU-funded SenseMaker project is to develop electronic architectures that embody the features of living perceptual systems and are able to merge sensory information obtained through different sensory modalities, into a unified perceptual representation of the environment. The architectural design of the SenseMaker machine will be based on biological principles of sensory receptor and nervous system function, inspired by experimental studies of several different sensory modalities.

The system will include higher cognitive levels modelled on psychophysical research paradigms, whose function will be to implement dynamic rules of cross-modal integration, activity and time-dependent algorithms for internal prediction, goal directed attention, and transitions between dominant or convergent sensory modalities according to changing environmental parameters.

Nicholas (Pasta and Vinegar) has announced that two postdoc positions are available at CRAFT (EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne):

Via Pasta and Vinegar 

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) presented a chip that is implanted in a user’s forearm to function as an audio signal transmission wire that links to an iPod. Many of the presentations featured devices that conserved power, though this chip goes a step further, harnessing the human body’s natural conductive properties to create personal-area networks. It is not practical to wire together the numerous devices that people carry with them, and Bluetooth connections fall prey to interference, leading scientists to explore the application of the human body as a networking cable. The Korean scientists augmented an iPod nano with their wideband signaling chip. When a user kept his finger pressed to the device, it transmitted data at 2 Mbps, at a consumption rate lower than 10 microwatts. Researchers from the University of Utah also presented a chip that scans brainwave activity by wirelessly streaming data through monitors in the hopes of creating prosthetics that quadriplegics could operate with their brain waves, though both projects are still in the preliminary research stages.
(…)
These chips are not something that will be included in one of Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs’ Macworld keynotes anytime soon.

ACM Technology News

Via Networked Performance

PerfectlyNormal is an interactive web-based video project that offers fourteen short video-based therapies. Depending on the "patients'" auto-description of their mental state, the web site automatically delivers one therapeutic video. According to the website disclaimer, the video-therapies were developed following principles of actual healing techniques derived from several different practices.

From the project's website:

Bringing a unique healing experience, PerfectlyNormal, provides you and your family with the best integrated mental health care model the internet has to offer. Receive a personalized video therapy from our collection, a virtual one-stop shop of the best conventional and alternative practices from a diverse and interesting range of modalities.

PerfectlyNormal is an easy to use healing site made to work with you in mind. Visit when you like, PerfectlyNormal is available to you 24 hours a day, everyday. Now, feeling normal is only a mouse click away. PerfectlyNormal, have a perfect day everyday. PerfectlyNormal comes to you courtesy of the PerfectlyNormal Therapeutic Cooperative Alliance (PNTCA), a prestigious international group of like-minded therapists who share an inclusive spiritual philosophy.

Thanks Regine 

MIXER 2006: International Workshop on the Design and Engineering of Mixed Reality Systems

5 June 2006, Bucharest, Romania

MIXER is an international workshop dedicated to the design and engineering of Mixed Reality Systems. Following on from the first work-shop, MIXER´2004, jointly organized with ACM-IUI´2004 and CADUI´2004, the primary  goal of MIXER´2006 is to bring together researchers in the area of Mixed  Reality (MR) systems (including augmented reality, augmented virtuality,  augmented video, and tangible systems) to identify and articulate key  research challenges for the design and engineering of MR systems. Also, in order to develop reliable theoretical foundations for MR systems, there is a need to gather the results of MR research and development to create a body of reusable knowledge for the design and construction of future systems. This body of knowledge may include: - MR design and engineering issues; - Research challenges for design methods and tools; - A corpus of applicable usability knowledge (e.g., guidelines, design heuristics).

MIXER´2006 solicits contributions that discuss: theoretical, methodological, technical or application-oriented considerations, relevant for: MR system design, MR system engineering / implementation, MR systems evaluation   - and application-oriented issues, especially arising from new devices, techniques or environments.