The basal ganglia have the key function of directing our behavior in the context of events from our environment and/or our internal state. This function relies on afferents targeting the main input structures of the basal ganglia, entering bids for action selection at the level of the striatum or signals for behavioral interruption at the level of the subthalamic nucleus, with behavioral reselection facilitated by dopamine signaling. Numerous experiments have studied action selection in relation to inputs from the cerebral cortex.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe design of high-density non-volatile memories is a long-standing dream, limited by conventional storage "0" or "1" bits. An alternative paradigm exists in which regions within candidate materials can be magnetized to intermediate values between the saturation limits. In principle, this paves the way to multivalued bits, vastly increasing storage density.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe subthalamic nucleus (STN) is classically subdivided into sensori-motor, associative and limbic regions, which is consistent with the involvement of this structure in not only motor control, but also in cognitive and emotional tasks. However, the function of the sensory inputs to the STN's sensori-motor territory is comparatively less well explored, although sensory responses have been reported in this structure. There is still a paucity of information regarding the characteristics of that subdivision and its potential functional role in basal ganglia processing and more widely in associated networks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study presents the influence of polymorphism on the magnetic properties of CoTeO. This compound with a spinel-like structure [Co][CoTe]O was synthesized into two polymorphs: one disordered within a cubic 3̅ structure, where Co and Te ions are randomly distributed on the octahedral B sites [the disordered polymorph can also be presented as an inverse spinel of the formula Co(CoTe)O] and the other ordered with a cubic 432 structure where Co and Te ions are ordered on the B sites. The macroscopic magnetic measurements showed that both polymorphs present a ferrimagnetic ordering, below ∼40 K, and a second transition is also observed at 27 K for the ordered polymorph.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF