Learning intrinsic excitability in medium spiny neurons

We present an unsupervised, local activation-dependent learning rule for intrinsic plasticity (IP) which affects the composition of ion channel conductances for single neurons in a use-dependent way. We use a single-compartment conductance-based model for medium spiny striatal neurons in order to show the effects of parametrization of individual ion channels on the neuronal activation function. We show that parameter changes within the physiological ranges are sufficient to create an ensemble of neurons with significantly different activation functions. We emphasize that the effects of intrinsic neuronal variability on spiking behavior require a distributed mode of synaptic input and can be eliminated by strongly correlated input. We show how variability and adaptivity in ion channel conductances can be utilized to store patterns without an additional contribution by synaptic plasticity (SP). The adaptation of the spike response may result in either "positive" or "negative" pattern learning. However, read-out of stored information depends on a distributed pattern of synaptic activity to let intrinsic variability determine spike response. We briefly discuss the implications of this conditional memory on learning and addiction.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figure

Frailty and Spousal/Partner Bereavement in Older People: A Systematic Scoping Review Protocol

The aim of this project is to conduct a systematic review that will identify and collate published information relating to frailty and spousal/partner bereavement (i.e. the death of a life partner whether married or unmarried co-habiting) in older people (aged 60 years and above). The review will include all relevant national (UK) and international research. This review aims to identify any gaps in literature that can help inform future healthcare policies and models

Highest weight Macdonald and Jack Polynomials

Fractional quantum Hall states of particles in the lowest Landau levels are described by multivariate polynomials. The incompressible liquid states when described on a sphere are fully invariant under the rotation group. Excited quasiparticle/quasihole states are member of multiplets under the rotation group and generically there is a nontrivial highest weight member of the multiplet from which all states can be constructed. Some of the trial states proposed in the literature belong to classical families of symmetric polynomials. In this paper we study Macdonald and Jack polynomials that are highest weight states. For Macdonald polynomials it is a (q,t)-deformation of the raising angular momentum operator that defines the highest weight condition. By specialization of the parameters we obtain a classification of the highest weight Jack polynomials. Our results are valid in the case of staircase and rectangular partition indexing the polynomials.Comment: 17 pages, published versio

A Systematic Scoping Review of the Interventions Available During Care Crises for People with Learning or Intellectual Disabilities (LD) who are Cared for by an Ageing Carer within the United Kingdom.

The majority of individuals with learning disabilities within the United Kingdom (UK) are cared for by a family member, usually a parent. However, individuals with learning disabilities in the UK are now living longer than ever before [1] which means that the number of ageing family members providing care is also increasing. Furthermore, an increasing number of individuals with LD are now also outliving their parents [2]. Despite this, many adults with LD and their ageing carers do not make plans for their future [2], including periods of care crisis such as the serious illness or death of their ageing primary care provider

Communication interventions for families of pre-school deaf children in the UK

UK professionals use a range of intervention approaches to promote communication development in pre-school deaf children by influencing the familys’ interaction style. This investigation surveyed the approaches used and explored how these translated into specific practices. An online questionnaire was developed and reviewed by a panel of experts. Part 1 explored professional background and approaches used. Findings showed that the main approaches were: auditory verbal therapy, Hanen, ‘Parent–child interaction therapy’ (PCIT), and guidance from the Monitoring Protocol for deaf babies and children (GMP). Of the 158 professionals who completed Part 1, 142 used a combination of these approaches, with each approach selected at least ninety-three times. When participants were asked which approach or combination of approaches influenced their practice most strongly, over 25 per cent chose GMP (mainly teachers of the deaf) and over 25 per cent chose Hanen and/or PCIT (mainly speech and language therapists). Part 2, completed by 117 professionals, required participants to rate how frequently they suggested particular strategies to parents and how frequently they used particular methods to encourage parents to adopt those strategies. There was no evidence of an association between the approaches selected and methods used and very little evidence of an association between the approaches and strategies selected. Many professionals were recommending similar strategies and using similar methods but there was also some variation in practice. The overall findings suggest that future research comparing named approaches may be of less value than studies that seek to explore the potential effectiveness of particular strategies and methods

Advance telephone calls ahead of reminder questionnaires increase response rate in non-responders compared to questionnaire reminders only : The RECORD phone trial

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Vip3A Resistance Alleles Exist at High Levels in Australian Targets before Release of Cotton Expressing This Toxin

Crops engineered to produce insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have revolutionised pest control in agriculture. However field-level resistance to Bt has developed in some targets. Utilising novel vegetative insecticidal proteins (Vips), also derived from Bt but genetically distinct from Cry toxins, is a possible solution that biotechnical companies intend to employ. Using data collected over two seasons we determined that, before deployment of Vip-expressing plants in Australia, resistance alleles exist in key targets as polymorphisms at frequencies of 0.027 (n = 273 lines, 95% CI = 0.019–0.038) in H. armigera and 0.008 (n = 248 lines, 0.004–0.015) in H. punctigera. These frequencies are above mutation rates normally encountered. Homozygous resistant neonates survived doses of Vip3A higher than those estimated in field-grown plants. Fortunately the resistance is largely, if not completely, recessive and does not confer resistance to the Bt toxins Cry1Ac or Cry2Ab already deployed in cotton crops. These later characteristics are favourable for resistance management; however the robustness of Vip3A inclusive varieties will depend on resistance frequencies to the Cry toxins when it is released (anticipated 2016) and the efficacy of Vip3A throughout the season. It is appropriate to pre-emptively screen key targets of Bt crops elsewhere, especially those such as H. zea in the USA, which is not only closely related to H. armigera but also will be exposed to Vip in several varieties of cotton and corn

Characterising encapsulated nuclear waste using cosmic-ray muon tomography

Tomographic imaging techniques using the Coulomb scattering of cosmic-ray muons have been shown previously to successfully identify and characterise low- and high-Z materials within an air matrix using a prototype scintillating-fibre tracker system. Those studies were performed as the first in a series to assess the feasibility of this technology and image reconstruction techniques in characterising the potential high-Z contents of legacy nuclear waste containers for the UK Nuclear Industry. The present work continues the feasibility study and presents the first images reconstructed from experimental data collected using this small-scale prototype system of low- and high-Z materials encapsulated within a concrete-filled stainless-steel container. Clear discrimination is observed between the thick steel casing, the concrete matrix and the sample materials assayed. These reconstructed objects are presented and discussed in detail alongside the implications for future industrial scenarios.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

One- and two-proton transfer reactions with vibrational Nuclei

We extend a semiclassical model of transfer reactions to the case in which one of the collision partners is a vibrational nucleus. The model is applied to one- and two-proton stripping reactions in the 37Cl + 98Mo system, for which a rapid transition from normal to anomalous slope in the two proton transfer reaction at energies around the Coulomb barrier is experimentally observed. This behavior is satisfactorily reproduced by the present extension of the model.Comment: LaTeX, 10 pages, 1 figure (PostScript