Odorant organization in the olfactory bulb of the sea lamprey

Skip to Next Section Olfactory sensory neurons innervate the olfactory bulb, where responses to different odorants generate a chemotopic map of increased neural activity within different bulbar regions. In this study, insight into the basal pattern of neural organization of the vertebrate olfactory bulb was gained by investigating the lamprey. Retrograde labelling established that lateral and dorsal bulbar territories receive the axons of sensory neurons broadly distributed in the main olfactory epithelium and that the medial region receives sensory neuron input only from neurons projecting from the accessory olfactory organ. The response duration for local field potential recordings was similar in the lateral and dorsal regions, and both were longer than medial responses. All three regions responded to amino acid odorants. The dorsal and medial regions, but not the lateral region, responded to steroids. These findings show evidence for olfactory streams in the sea lamprey olfactory bulb: the lateral region responds to amino acids from sensory input in the main olfactory epithelium, the dorsal region responds to steroids (taurocholic acid and pheromones) and to amino acids from sensory input in the main olfactory epithelium, and the medial bulbar region responds to amino acids and steroids stimulating the accessory olfactory organ. These findings indicate that olfactory subsystems are present at the base of vertebrate evolution and that regionality in the lamprey olfactory bulb has some aspects previously seen in other vertebrate species

Odorant organization in the olfactory bulb of the sea lamprey

Skip to Next Section Olfactory sensory neurons innervate the olfactory bulb, where responses to different odorants generate a chemotopic map of increased neural activity within different bulbar regions. In this study, insight into the basal pattern of neural organization of the vertebrate olfactory bulb was gained by investigating the lamprey. Retrograde labelling established that lateral and dorsal bulbar territories receive the axons of sensory neurons broadly distributed in the main olfactory epithelium and that the medial region receives sensory neuron input only from neurons projecting from the accessory olfactory organ. The response duration for local field potential recordings was similar in the lateral and dorsal regions, and both were longer than medial responses. All three regions responded to amino acid odorants. The dorsal and medial regions, but not the lateral region, responded to steroids. These findings show evidence for olfactory streams in the sea lamprey olfactory bulb: the lateral region responds to amino acids from sensory input in the main olfactory epithelium, the dorsal region responds to steroids (taurocholic acid and pheromones) and to amino acids from sensory input in the main olfactory epithelium, and the medial bulbar region responds to amino acids and steroids stimulating the accessory olfactory organ. These findings indicate that olfactory subsystems are present at the base of vertebrate evolution and that regionality in the lamprey olfactory bulb has some aspects previously seen in other vertebrate species

The Light-ion Pulsed Power Induction Accelerator for the Laboratory Microfusion Facility (LMF)

In order to initiate ignition and substantial energy yield from an inertial confinement fusion target (ICF), a light-ion pulse of ~700 TW peak power and 15-20 ns duration is required. The preconceptual design presented provides this power. The HERMES-III technology of linear inductive voltage addition in a self-magnetically insulated transmission line (MITL) is utilized to generate the 25-36 MV peak voltage needed for lithium ion beams. The 15-20 MA ion current is achieved by utilizing many accelerating modules in parallel. The lithium ion beams are produced in two-stage extraction diodes. To provide the two separate voltage pulses required by the diode, a triaxial adder system is incorporated in each module. The accelerating modules are arranged symmetrically around the fusion chamber in order to provide uniform irradiation onto the ICF target. In addition, the modules are fired in a preprogrammed sequence in order to generate the optimum power pulse shape onto the target. In this paper we present an outline of the LMF accelerator conceptual design with emphasis on the architecture of the accelerating modules

The acquisition of Sign Language: The impact of phonetic complexity on phonology

Research into the effect of phonetic complexity on phonological acquisition has a long history in spoken languages. This paper considers the effect of phonetics on phonological development in a signed language. We report on an experiment in which nonword-repetition methodology was adapted so as to examine in a systematic way how phonetic complexity in two phonological parameters of signed languages — handshape and movement — affects the perception and articulation of signs. Ninety-one Deaf children aged 3–11 acquiring British Sign Language (BSL) and 46 hearing nonsigners aged 6–11 repeated a set of 40 nonsense signs. For Deaf children, repetition accuracy improved with age, correlated with wider BSL abilities, and was lowest for signs that were phonetically complex. Repetition accuracy was correlated with fine motor skills for the youngest children. Despite their lower repetition accuracy, the hearing group were similarly affected by phonetic complexity, suggesting that common visual and motoric factors are at play when processing linguistic information in the visuo-gestural modality

Predictors of internalised HIV-related stigma: a systematic review of studies in sub-Saharan Africa

This systematic review aims to synthesise evidence on predictors of internalised HIV stigma amongst people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used. Studies were identified through electronic databases, grey literature, reference harvesting and contacts with key researchers. Quality of findings was assessed through an adapted version of the Cambridge Quality Checklists. A total of 590 potentially relevant titles were identified. Seventeen peer-reviewed articles and one draft book chapter were included. Studies investigated socio-demographic, HIV-related, intra-personal and interpersonal correlates of internalised stigma. Eleven articles used cross-sectional data, six articles used prospective cohort data and one used both prospective cohort and cross-sectional data to assess correlates of internalised stigma. Poor HIV-related health weakly predicted increases in internalised HIV stigma in three longitudinal studies. Lower depression scores and improvements in overall mental health predicted reductions in internalised HIV stigma in two longitudinal studies, with moderate and weak effects, respectively. No other consistent predictors were found. Studies utilising analysis of change and accounting for confounding factors are necessary to guide policy and programming but are scarce. High-risk populations, other stigma markers that might layer upon internalised stigma, and structural drivers of internalised stigma need to be examined

Training primary care providers in opioid deprescribing and chronic pain management based on local guidance: a pre–post study of attitude change

Background. Local chronic non-cancer pain guidance recommends that general practitioners should consider opioid deprescribing and referral to multidisciplinary healthcare providers for behaviourally based treatments. We designed a training package called AIMM (Assess, Inform, Manage and Monitor) to reinforce this stewardship.Aim. To identify whether participation in AIMM training effectively aligned clinicians’ attitudes with local guidance for treating chronic non-cancer pain.Design and setting. In 2014–15, the AIMM training was tested using a pre–post-test non-randomised design at two sites in NSW, Australia. The primary outcome measure was an 11-item, study-specific, pain attitude questionnaire (PAQ).Method. Step one of AIMM training involved online completion of the PAQ and review of a specialist pain website. Step two involved attendance at two face-to-face, two-hour interactive workshops led by pain experts who addressed opioid deprescribing and switching to broader care. A repeat PAQ survey was completed at the conclusion of the second workshop.Results. Nineteen participants attended the workshops, including general practitioners (n = 7), nurses (n = 5), exercise physiologists (n = 2), a dietitian (n = 1), community pharmacists (n = 2) and psychologists (n = 2). Significant shifts in six attitudes occurred, including prescribing less pain medication, greater emphasis on social reconnection, increasing planned activity and adopting anti-inflammatory nutrition (p  .05). Responses to the item regarding expectations of a positive recovery was not aligned with local guidance and no significant attitudinal change was found. Four other attitudes were aligned with local guidance at baseline and did not change during the study.Conclusions. Online information and face-to-face training can achieve a change in healthcare provider attitudes towards non-pharmacological treatment of chronic non-cancer pain. Further work is needed to assess whether attitudinal changes are maintained and translate into behavioural change

Direct Observation of Martensitic Phase-Transformation Dynamics in Iron by 4D Single-Pulse Electron Microscopy

The in situ martensitic phase transformation of iron, a complex solid-state transition involving collective atomic displacement and interface movement, is studied in real time by means of four-dimensional (4D) electron microscopy. The iron nanofilm specimen is heated at a maximum rate of ∼10^(11) K/s by a single heating pulse, and the evolution of the phase transformation from body-centered cubic to face-centered cubic crystal structure is followed by means of single-pulse, selected-area diffraction and real-space imaging. Two distinct components are revealed in the evolution of the crystal structure. The first, on the nanosecond time scale, is a direct martensitic transformation, which proceeds in regions heated into the temperature range of stability of the fcc phase, 1185−1667 K. The second, on the microsecond time scale, represents an indirect process for the hottest central zone of laser heating, where the temperature is initially above 1667 K and cooling is the rate-determining step. The mechanism of the direct transformation involves two steps, that of (barrier-crossing) nucleation on the reported nanosecond time scale, followed by a rapid grain growth typically in ∼100 ps for 10 nm crystallites

Host specificity and species colouration mediate the regional decline of nocturnal moths in central European forests

The high diversity of insects has limited the volume of long-term community data with a high taxonomic resolution and considerable geographic replications, especially in forests. Therefore, trends and causes of changes are poorly understood. Here we analyse trends in species richness, abundance and biomass of nocturnal macro moths in three quantitative data sets collected over four decades in forests in southern Germany. Two local data sets, one from coppiced oak forests and one from high oak forests included 125K and 48K specimens from 559 and 532 species, respectively. A third regional data set, representing all forest types in the temperate zone of central Europe comprised 735K specimens from 848 species. Generalized additive mixed models revealed temporal declines in species richness (−38%), abundance (−53%) and biomass (−57%) at the regional scale. These were more pronounced in plant host specialists and in dark coloured species. In contrast, the local coppiced oak forests showed an increase, in species richness (+62%), while the high oak forests showed no clear trends. Left and right censoring as well as cross validation confirmed the robustness of the analyses, which led to four conclusions. First, the decline in insects appears in hyper diverse insect groups in forests and affects species richness, abundance and biomass. Second, the pronounced decline in host specialists suggests habitat loss as an important driver of the observed decline. Third, the more severe decline in dark species might be an indication of global warming as a potential driver. Fourth, the trends in coppiced oak forests indicate that maintaining complex and diverse forest ecosystems through active management may be a promising conservation strategy in order to counteract negative trends in biodiversity, alongside rewilding approaches