844 research outputs found
Gravin orchestrates protein kinase A and 2-adrenergic receptor signaling critical for synaptic plasticity and memory
A kinase-anchoring proteins (AKAPs) organize compartmentalized pools of protein kinase A (PKA) to enable localized signaling events within neurons. However, it is unclear which of the many expressed AKAPs in neurons target PKA to signaling complexes important for long-lasting forms of synaptic plasticity and memory storage. In the forebrain, the anchoring protein gravin recruits a signaling complex containing PKA, PKC, calmodulin, and PDE4D (phosphodiesterase 4D) to the β2-adrenergic receptor. Here, we show that mice lacking the α-isoform of gravin have deficits in PKA-dependent long-lasting forms of hippocampal synaptic plasticity including β2-adrenergic receptor-mediated plasticity, and selective impairments of long-term memory storage. Furthermore, both hippocampal β2-adrenergic receptor phosphorylation by PKA, and learning-induced activation of ERK in the CA1 region of the hippocampus are attenuated in mice lacking gravin-α. We conclude that gravin compartmentalizes a significant pool of PKA that regulates learning-induced β2-adrenergic receptor signaling and ERK activation in the hippocampus in vivo, thereby organizing molecular interactions between glutamatergic and noradrenergic signaling pathways for long-lasting synaptic plasticity, and memory storage
Extended Superscaling of Electron Scattering from Nuclei
An extended study of scaling of the first and second kinds for inclusive
electron scattering from nuclei is presented. Emphasis is placed on the
transverse response in the kinematic region lying above the quasielastic peak.
In particular, for the region in which electroproduction of resonances is
expected to be important, approximate scaling of the second kind is observed
and the modest breaking of it is shown probably to be due to the role played by
an inelastic version of the usual scaling variable.Comment: LaTeX, 36 pages including 5 color postscript figures and 4 postscript
figure
A glassy contribution to the heat capacity of hcp He solids
We model the low-temperature specific heat of solid He in the hexagonal
closed packed structure by invoking two-level tunneling states in addition to
the usual phonon contribution of a Debye crystal for temperatures far below the
Debye temperature, . By introducing a cutoff energy in the
two-level tunneling density of states, we can describe the excess specific heat
observed in solid hcp He, as well as the low-temperature linear term in the
specific heat. Agreement is found with recent measurements of the temperature
behavior of both specific heat and pressure. These results suggest the presence
of a very small fraction, at the parts-per-million (ppm) level, of two-level
tunneling systems in solid He, irrespective of the existence of
supersolidity.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure
Glide and Superclimb of Dislocations in Solid He
Glide and climb of quantum dislocations under finite external stress,
variation of chemical potential and bias (geometrical slanting) in Peierls
potential are studied by Monte Carlo simulations of the effective string model.
We treat on unified ground quantum effects at finite temperatures . Climb at
low is assisted by superflow along dislocation core -- {\it superclimb}.
Above some critical stress avalanche-type creation of kinks is found. It is
characterized by hysteretic behavior at low . At finite biases gliding
dislocation remains rough even at lowest -- the behavior opposite to
non-slanted dislocations. In contrast to glide, superclimb is characterized by
quantum smooth state at low temperatures even for finite bias. In some
intermediate -range giant values of the compressibility as well as
non-Luttinger type behavior of the core superfluid are observed.Comment: Updated version submitted to JLTP as QFS2010 proceedings; 11 pages, 6
figure
A note on the minimum effort control problem
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/33486/1/0000891.pd
Channel diffusion of sodium in a silicate glass
We use classical molecular dynamics simulations to study the dynamics of
sodium atoms in amorphous NaO-4SiO. We find that the sodium
trajectories form a well connected network of pockets and channels. Inside
these channels the motion of the atoms is not cooperative but rather given by
independent thermally activated hops of individual atoms between the pockets.
By determining the probability that an atom returns to a given starting site,
we show that such events are not important for the dynamics of this system.Comment: 10 pages of Latex, 5 figures, one figure added, text expande
The geometry of spontaneous spiking in neuronal networks
The mathematical theory of pattern formation in electrically coupled networks
of excitable neurons forced by small noise is presented in this work. Using the
Freidlin-Wentzell large deviation theory for randomly perturbed dynamical
systems and the elements of the algebraic graph theory, we identify and analyze
the main regimes in the network dynamics in terms of the key control
parameters: excitability, coupling strength, and network topology. The analysis
reveals the geometry of spontaneous dynamics in electrically coupled network.
Specifically, we show that the location of the minima of a certain continuous
function on the surface of the unit n-cube encodes the most likely activity
patterns generated by the network. By studying how the minima of this function
evolve under the variation of the coupling strength, we describe the principal
transformations in the network dynamics. The minimization problem is also used
for the quantitative description of the main dynamical regimes and transitions
between them. In particular, for the weak and strong coupling regimes, we
present asymptotic formulas for the network activity rate as a function of the
coupling strength and the degree of the network. The variational analysis is
complemented by the stability analysis of the synchronous state in the strong
coupling regime. The stability estimates reveal the contribution of the network
connectivity and the properties of the cycle subspace associated with the graph
of the network to its synchronization properties. This work is motivated by the
experimental and modeling studies of the ensemble of neurons in the Locus
Coeruleus, a nucleus in the brainstem involved in the regulation of cognitive
performance and behavior
Nuclear Self-energy and Realistic Interactions
The structure of nucleon self-energy in nuclear matter is evaluated for
various realistic models of the nucleon-nucleon (NN) interaction. Starting from
the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approximation without the usual angle-average
approximation, the effects of hole-hole contributions and a self-consistent
treatment within the framework of the Green function approach are investigated.
Special attention is paid to the predictions for the spectral function
originating from various models of the NN interaction which all yield an
accurate fit for the NN phase shifts.Comment: 26 pages, 12 figure
Superscaling of Inclusive Electron Scattering from Nuclei
We investigate the degree to which the concept of superscaling, initially
developed within the framework of the relativistic Fermi gas model, applies to
inclusive electron scattering from nuclei. We find that data obtained from the
low energy loss side of the quasielastic peak exhibit the superscaling
property, i.e., the scaling functions f(\psi') are not only independent of
momentum transfer (the usual type of scaling: scaling of the first kind), but
coincide for A \geq 4 when plotted versus a dimensionless scaling variable
\psi' (scaling of the second kind). We use this behavior to study as yet poorly
understood properties of the inclusive response at large electron energy loss.Comment: 33 pages, 12 color EPS figures, LaTeX2e using BoxedEPSF macros; email
to [email protected]
- …