Quantum Zakharov Model in a Bounded Domain

We consider an initial boundary value problem for a quantum version of the Zakharov system arising in plasma physics. We prove the global well-posedness of this problem in some Sobolev type classes and study properties of solutions. This result confirms the conclusion recently made in physical literature concerning the absence of collapse in the quantum Langmuir waves. In the dissipative case the existence of a finite dimensional global attractor is established and regularity properties of this attractor are studied. For this we use the recently developed method of quasi-stability estimates. In the case when external loads are $C^\infty$ functions we show that every trajectory from the attractor is $C^\infty$ both in time and spatial variables. This can be interpret as the absence of sharp coherent structures in the limiting dynamics.Comment: 27 page

Existence of radial stationary solutions for a system in combustion theory

In this paper, we construct radially symmetric solutions of a nonlinear noncooperative elliptic system derived from a model for flame balls with radiation losses. This model is based on a one step kinetic reaction and our system is obtained by approximating the standard Arrehnius law by an ignition nonlinearity, and by simplifying the term that models radiation. We prove the existence of 2 solutions using degree theory

SHANK3 controls maturation of social reward circuits in the VTA.

Haploinsufficiency of SHANK3, encoding the synapse scaffolding protein SHANK3, leads to a highly penetrant form of autism spectrum disorder. How SHANK3 insufficiency affects specific neural circuits and how this is related to specific symptoms remains elusive. Here we used shRNA to model Shank3 insufficiency in the ventral tegmental area of mice. We identified dopamine (DA) and GABA cell-type-specific changes in excitatory synapse transmission that converge to reduce DA neuron activity and generate behavioral deficits, including impaired social preference. Administration of a positive allosteric modulator of the type 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors mGluR1 during the first postnatal week restored DA neuron excitatory synapse transmission and partially rescued the social preference defects, while optogenetic DA neuron stimulation was sufficient to enhance social preference. Collectively, these data reveal the contribution of impaired ventral tegmental area function to social behaviors and identify mGluR1 modulation during postnatal development as a potential treatment strategy

A subset of dorsal raphe dopamine neurons is critical for survival-oriented vigilance

SUMMARY Defensive behaviors are essential for survival, with risk assessment enabling organisms to evaluate and respond to potential threats. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), a key neuromodulatory center, is crucial for encoding motivational salience and regulating arousal and sleep-wake states through its diverse neuronal populations, including dopaminergic neurons (DRN DA ). While the roles of DRN DA neurons have been studied, their specific contributions to threat evaluation are less understood. Recent research identifies a distinct subset of DRN DA neurons that express vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and project to the central amygdala (CeA) and the oval nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (ovBNST). Together, these two regions comprise the central extended amygdala, a key network regulating adaptive responses to threats. We hypothesized that distinct DRN DA subpopulations exert diverging effects on sleep-wake regulation and that DRN VIP neurons play a pivotal role in coordinating activity between the CeA and ovBNST, thereby influencing risk assessment and defensive response. To test this hypothesis, we used a combination of in situ hybridization, immunochemistry, whole-brain mapping, electrophysiology, and cell-specific genetic tools in mice and non-human primates. Our findings reveal that DRN VIP neurons form a key DRN DA neuronal subset, uniquely positioned to regulate the central extended amygdala through a feedback loop. These neurons receive inputs from Protein Kinase C delta (PKC-δ) neurons in the ovBNST and CeA and send glutamate-releasing projections back to these regions, modulating PKC-δ neuron excitability. Selective ablation of DRN VIP neurons increases activity in both the BNST and CeA, disrupting active-phase sleep architecture and impairing risk assessment and defensive behaviors. Together, these findings suggest DRN VIP neurons control specific phases of sleep and orchestrate the central extended amygdala’s role in risk assessment and defensive responses. HIGHLIGHTS DRN VIP neurons form a subset of DRN DA neurons in mice and non-human primates. DRN VIP receive inputs from Protein Kinase C delta (PKC-δ) neurons in the ovBNST and CeA and project back to both. By releasing glutamate, DRN VIP neurons regulate PKC-δ neuron excitability in the ovBNST and CeA. Ablating DRN VIP neurons increases BNST and CeA activity, disrupts active-phase sleep architecture, and impairs threat responses. IN BRIEF DRN VIP neurons, a key subset of DRN DA neurons in mice and primates, are strategically positioned to influence the central extended amygdala via feedback loops. They regulate PKC-δ neuron excitability in the ovBNST and CeA through glutamate release, with their ablation heightening activity in these regions and altering active-phase sleep architecture, risk assessment and defensive behaviors