Relationship science and interventions: Where we are and where we are going

Relationship distress and divorce often have profound effects on couples and their children. Relationship science has long sought to prevent and alleviate relationship distress; this chapter is a summary of many important recent developments in the field. Ongoing challenges in studying and assisting intimate relationships are also discussed

Projection neurons in lamina III of the rat spinal cord are selectively innervated by local dynorphin-containing excitatory neurons

Large projection neurons in lamina III of the rat spinal cord that express the neurokinin 1 receptor are densely innervated by peptidergic primary afferent nociceptors and more sparsely by low-threshold myelinated afferents. However, we know little about their input from other glutamatergic neurons. Here we show that these cells receive numerous contacts from nonprimary boutons that express the vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2), and form asymmetrical synapses on their dendrites and cell bodies. These synapses are significantly smaller than those formed by peptidergic afferents, but provide a substantial proportion of the glutamatergic synapses that the cells receive (over a third of those in laminae I–II and half of those in deeper laminae). Surprisingly, although the dynorphin precursor preprodynorphin (PPD) was only present in 4–7% of VGLUT2 boutons in laminae I–IV, it was found in 58% of the VGLUT2 boutons that contacted these cells. This indicates a highly selective targeting of the lamina III projection cells by glutamatergic neurons that express PPD, and these are likely to correspond to local neurons (interneurons and possibly projection cells). Since many PPD-expressing dorsal horn neurons respond to noxious stimulation, this suggests that the lamina III projection cells receive powerful monosynaptic and polysynaptic nociceptive input. Excitatory interneurons in the dorsal horn have been shown to possess IA currents, which limit their excitability and can underlie a form of activity-dependent intrinsic plasticity. It is therefore likely that polysynaptic inputs to the lamina III projection neurons are recruited during the development of chronic pain states

Mapping the Evolution of "Clusters": A Meta-analysis

This paper presents a meta-analysis of the “cluster literature” contained in scientific journals from 1969 to 2007. Thanks to an original database we study the evolution of a stream of literature which focuses on a research object which is both a theoretical puzzle and an empirical widespread evidence. We identify different growth stages, from take-off to development and maturity. We test the existence of a life-cycle within the authorships and we discover the existence of a substitutability relation between different collaborative behaviours. We study the relationships between a “spatial” and an “industrial” approach within the textual corpus of cluster literature and we show the existence of a “predatory” interaction. We detect the relevance of clustering behaviours in the location of authors working on clusters and in measuring the influence of geographical distance in co-authorship. We measure the extent of a convergence process of the vocabulary of scientists working on clusters.Cluster, Life-Cycle, Cluster Literature, Textual Analysis, Agglomeration, Co-Authorship

Testing the Impact of a Freshwater Wetland Restoration on Water Table Elevation and Soil Moisture using a Parametric Groundwater Modeling Approach

Wetlands are now recognized for the many social, environmental, ecological, and economic benefits they provide. They improve water quality, support biodiversity, abate floods and storms, and provide local recreational areas. Historically, many wetlands have been drained or altered for residential, commercial, or agricultural use. Effective wetland restoration projects reestablish ecosystem services and mitigate legacy effects of land use change to create self-sustaining systems. However, a persisting lack of scientifically-vetted methodological and evaluation guidelines in the field of restoration ecology has caused many restoration efforts to fail to restore natural wetland hydrologic conditions. By definition, wetlands must be saturated, permanently or seasonally, for durations long or frequent enough to support hydrophilic vegetation. It is therefore critical in planning restoration projects to focus on creating shallow water table conditions and adequate soil moisture retention in the vadose zone. This study quantitatively assesses the efficacy of a process-based ecological restoration technique that has been implemented at a retired cranberry bog in Manomet, Massachusetts. This restoration approach involved the creation of microtopography, ditch filling, and redistribution and mixing of the shallow substrate. The restoration goal for these actions was to bring the water table closer to the surface, increase soil moisture in the root zone, and increase habitat variability at the site. I examined the potential impact of these restorative techniques on groundwater and soil moisture dynamics. I conducted a parametric study using variably saturated groundwater flow modeling, examine the influence of specific restoration parameters (the near surface mixing ratio, anisotropy, and microtopographic geometry) on the restoration outcome. I tested the sensitivity of the water table and soil moisture to alterations in the near surface geologic structure resulting from a pit-and-mound restoration. I hope these findings will inform and optimize these practices for future restoration projects

Processes influencing visual awareness during motion-induced blindness

Visual illusions, such as motion-induced blindness, arise when the visual system, balancing speed and efficiency, summarizes the information it receives to form a percept. Motion-induced blindness (MIB) is characterized as the disappearance of a salient target when surrounded by a moving mask. Efforts to determine the mechanism have focused on the role of target characteristics on perceived disappearance by a coherently moving mask. In this dissertation, I take another approach, paying specific attention to the role of motion characteristics of the mask. In Experiments 1, 2, 3, and 4, I investigate whether the property of common fate influences target disappearance by manipulating coherence of the mask elements. Results showed that as mask coherence increased, perceived target disappearance decreased. This pattern was unaffected by the lifetime of the moving dots, the dot density of the motion stimulus, the target eccentricity, or the number of motion trajectories contained in the mask. The finding that motion coherence preferentially affected MIB prompted Experiments 5, 6, 7, and 8. Specifically, these experiments sought to investigate the spatial influence of mask motion on target disappearance. MIB was measured during conditions where opposing areas of motion coherence were confined locally surrounding the target or in more global areas across the display. The results revealed that motion coherence at more global locations, particularly at the area of fixation, had more influence on target disappearance compared to the coherence in proximity of the target and may reflect inability of the visual system to form a global motion pattern. The possibility that global motion may give rise to MIB, motivated the final research avenue. Experiment 9 addressed the possibility that variability in motion processing of the mask affects target disappearance. Specifically, the strength of motion processing was measured using the motion aftereffect. Results showed a strong connection between the amount of motion processing dedicated to the mask and the amount of MIB. As a whole, the findings show that motion processing, particularly during MIB, may be a driving force in our ability to perceive other objects in our environment