Dendritic Synapse Location and Neocortical Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity

While it has been appreciated for decades that synapse location in the dendritic tree has a powerful influence on signal processing in neurons, the role of dendritic synapse location on the induction of long-term synaptic plasticity has only recently been explored. Here, we review recent work revealing how learning rules for spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) in cortical neurons vary with the spatial location of synaptic input. A common principle appears to be that proximal synapses show conventional STDP, whereas distal inputs undergo plasticity according to novel learning rules. One crucial factor determining location-dependent STDP is the backpropagating action potential, which tends to decrease in amplitude and increase in width as it propagates into the dendritic tree of cortical neurons. We discuss additional location-dependent mechanisms as well as the functional implications of heterogeneous learning rules at different dendritic locations for the organization of synaptic inputs

SOME COMMON ERRORS IN ENGLISH SPEAKING CLASS OF ENGLISH MAJORED FRESHMEN AT TAY DO UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

In the 21st century, speaking is considered to be one of the most important skills for language learners. However, it is so difficult for students to master this skill. It is so difficult for students to master this skill because they encounter in some common mistakes when speaking in class. Therefore, the purpose of this research aimed at finding out common errors in English speaking class of English majored freshmen at Tay Do University. Specifically, this study is done to figure out whether English majored freshmen at Tay Do University encounter regularly with some mistakes while speaking English in class. In this study, a questionnaire embraced 28 questions, including questions and statements which were used as the main instruments to collect the data. The participants in this study were 91 English majored freshmen in the 3 classes of English 14A, 14B, 14C at Tay Do University. The results of the study pointed out that the English-majored freshmen had some common errors and difficulties with vocabulary, pronunciation, psychology in English speaking class. It is hoped that this research can be helpful for both the English-majored freshmen and other non-majored English students at Tay Do University to realize their common errors in the process of improving and developing their speaking skill. Article visualizations

Scaling properties of a low-actuation pressure microfluidic valve

Using basic physical arguments, we present a design and method for the fabrication of microfluidic valves using multilayer soft lithography. These on-off valves have extremely low actuation pressures and can be used to fabricate active functions, such as pumps and mixers in integrated microfluidic chips. We characterized the performance of the valves by measuring both the actuation pressure and flow resistance over a wide range of design parameters, and compared them to both finite element simulations and alternative valve geometries

A nanoliter-scale nucleic acid processor with parallel architecture

The purification of nucleic acids from microbial and mammalian cells is a crucial step in many biological and medical applications1. We have developed microfluidic chips for automated nucleic acid purification from small numbers of bacterial or mammalian cells. All processes, such as cell isolation, cell lysis, DNA or mRNA purification, and recovery, were carried out on a single microfluidic chip in nanoliter volumes without any pre- or postsample treatment. Measurable amounts of mRNA were extracted in an automated fashion from as little as a single mammalian cell and recovered from the chip. These microfluidic chips are capable of processing different samples in parallel, thereby illustrating how highly parallel microfluidic architectures can be constructed to perform integrated batch-processing functionalities for biological and medical applications

Challenges and Lessons Learned in the Development of a Participatory Learning and Action Intervention to Tackle Antibiotic Resistance: Experiences From Northern Vietnam

Antibiotic use in the community for humans and animals is high in Vietnam, driven by easy access to over-the counter medicines and poor understanding of the role of antibiotics. This has contributed to antibiotic resistance levels that are amongst the highest in the world. To address this problem, we developed a participatory learning and action (PLA) intervention. Here we describe challenges and lessons learned while developing and testing this intervention in preparation for a large-scale One Health trial in northern Vietnam. We tested the PLA approach using community-led photography, and then reflected on how this approach worked in practice. We reviewed and discussed implementation documentation and developed and refined themes. Five main themes were identified related to challenges and lessons learned: understanding the local context, stakeholder relationship development, participant recruitment, building trust and motivation, and engagement with the topic of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Partnerships with national and local authorities provided an important foundation for building relationships with communities, and enhanced visibility and credibility of activities. Partnership development required managing relationships, clarifying roles, and accommodating different management styles. When recruiting participants, we had to balance preferences for top-down and bottom-up approaches. Building trust and motivation took time and was challenged by limited study team presence in the community. Open discussions around expectations and appropriate incentives were re-visited throughout the process. Financial incentives provided initial motivation to participate, while less tangible benefits like collective knowledge, social connections, desire to help the community, and new skills, sustained longer-term motivation. Lack of awareness and perceived importance of the problem of AMR, affected initial motivation. Developing mutual understanding through use of common and simplified language helped when discussing the complexities of this topic. A sense of ownership emerged as the study progressed and participants understood more about AMR, how it related to their own concerns, and incorporated their own ideas into activities. PLA can be a powerful way of stimulating community action and bringing people together to tackle a common problem. Understanding the nuances of local power structures, and allowing time for stakeholder relationship development and consensus-building are important considerations when designing engagement projects

Các yếu tố tác động đến độ thỏa mãn về chất lượng dịch vụ khoa khám chữa bệnh theo yêu cầu tại bệnh viện Thống Nhất TPHCM

Việc đánh giá chất lượng khám chữa bệnh dưới góc độ bệnh nhân mới được chú trọng một cách bài bản trong những năm gần đây. Bài nghiên cứu phân tích đánh giá độ thỏa mãn của bệnh nhân tại khoa khám chữa bệnh theo yêu cầu tại bệnh viện Thống Nhất TPHCM. Bài nghiên cứu vận dụng bộ thang đo KQCAH (The Key Quality Characteristics Assessment for Hospitals) có điều chỉnh cho phù hợp với tình hình dịch vụ y tế Việt Nam nói chung, và dịch vụ khám chữa bệnh theo yêu cầu tại bệnh viện Thống Nhất TPHCM nói riêng. Bài nghiên cứu sử dụng phần mềm SPSS để kiểm định thang đo bằng hệ số tin cậy Cronbach’s Alpha, phân tích EFA, phân tích tương quan hồi quy. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy 3 yếu tố chính tác động đến độ thỏa mãn về chất lượng dịch vụ khám chữa bệnh theo yêu cầu tại bệnh viện Thống Nhất TPHCM: sự tôn trọng và chu đáo, thông tin, và hiệu quả việc tính tiền viện phí. Bài nghiên cứu cũng đề xuất một số giải pháp đáng lưu ý đến Ban quản lý bệnh viện

Asymmetric Temporal Integration of Layer 4 and Layer 2/3 Inputs in Visual Cortex

Neocortical neurons in vivo receive concurrent synaptic inputs from multiple sources, including feedforward, horizontal, and feedback pathways. Layer 2/3 of the visual cortex receives feedforward input from layer 4 and horizontal input from layer 2/3. Firing of the pyramidal neurons, which carries the output to higher cortical areas, depends critically on the interaction of these pathways. Here we examined synaptic integration of inputs from layer 4 and layer 2/3 in rat visual cortical slices. We found that the integration is sublinear and temporally asymmetric, with larger responses if layer 2/3 input preceded layer 4 input. The sublinearity depended on inhibition, and the asymmetry was largely attributable to the difference between the two inhibitory inputs. Interestingly, the asymmetric integration was specific to pyramidal neurons, and it strongly affected their spiking output. Thus via cortical inhibition, the temporal order of activation of layer 2/3 and layer 4 pathways can exert powerful control of cortical output during visual processing

Tourists satisfaction towards Bao Loc city, Vietnam

Bao Loc City is the new tourism destination in Lam Dong province, Vietnam, where more and more tourists have been drawn to pay a visit. This study aims to test the correlative impact of tourism service quality factors on satisfaction of the tourists who have visited Bao Loc City. The key theory used in this study is SERVQUAL scale. The survey sample consists of 350 tourists who stayed overnight in Bao Loc City in the last quarter of 2019; 315 valid survey questionnaires could be used for the analysis. The research applied Cronbach’s Alpha, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation modeling (SEM), and bootstrap test. The results show that the satisfaction of the tourists who have visited Bao Loc City has been affected statistically by three factors: (1) Responsiveness; (2) Reliability; and (3) Empathy, which were ranked by descending importance. Surprisingly, the research found that Tangibles and Assurance do not have an impact on tourists’ satisfaction towards Bao Loc City. The research formulates some suggestions to the city policy-makers and the tourism businesses management in Bao Loc City in order to enhance tourists’ satisfaction through improving the tourism service quality at Bao Loc City

A comparison of striatal-dependent behaviors in wild-type and hemizygous Drd1a and Drd2 BAC transgenic mice

Studies of striatal physiology and motor control have increasingly relied on the use of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice expressing fluorophores or other genes under the control of genetic regulatory elements for the dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) or dopamine D2 receptor (D2R). Three recent studies have compared wild-type, D1R, and D2R BAC transgenic mice, and found significant differences in physiology and behavior, calling into question the use of these mice in studies of normal circuit function. We repeated the behavioral portions of these studies in wild-type C57BL/6 mice and hemizygous Drd1a-td Tomato (D1-Tmt), Drd1a-eGFP (D1-GFP), and Drd2-eGFP (D2-GFP) mice backcrossed into the C57BL/6 background. Our three laboratories independently found that open-field locomotion, acute locomotor responses to cocaine (20 mg/kg), locomotor sensitization to 5 d of daily injections of cocaine (15 mg/kg) or amphetamine (3 mg/kg), cocaine (20 mg/kg) conditioned place preference, and active avoidance learning to paired light and footshock were indistinguishable in these four mouse lines. These results suggest that while it is crucial to screen new transgenic mouse lines for abnormal behavior and physiology, these BAC transgenic mouse lines remain extremely valuable tools for evaluating the cellular, synaptic, and circuit basis of striatal motor control and associative learning