Depolarization-activated potentiation of the T fiber synapse in the blue crab

The blue crab T fiber synapse, associated with the stretch receptor of the swimming leg, has a nonspiking presynaptic element that mediates tonic transmission. This synapse was isolated and a voltage clamp circuit was used to control the membrane potential at the release sites. The dependence of transmitter release on extracellular calcium, [Ca]o, was studied over a range of 2.5-40 mM. A power relationship of 2.7 was obtained between excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) rate of rise and [Ca]o. Brief presynaptic depolarizing steps, 5-10 ms, presented at 0.5 Hz activated EPSP's of constant amplitude. Inserting a 300-ms pulse (conditioning pulse) between these test pulses potentiated the subsequent test EPSPs. This depolarization-activated potentiation (DAP) lasted for 10-20 s and decayed with a single exponential time course. The decay time course remained invariant with test pulse frequencies ranging from 0.11 to 1.1 Hz. The magnitude and decay time course of DAP were independent of the test pulse amplitudes. The magnitude of DAP was a function of conditioning pulse amplitudes. Large conditioning pulses activated large potentiations, whereas the decay time constants were not changed. The DAP is a Ca-dependent process. When the amplitude of conditioning pulses approached the Ca equilibrium potential, the magnitude of potentiation decreased. Repeated application of conditioning pulses, at 2-s intervals, did not produce additional potentiation beyond the level activated by the first conditioning pulse. Comparison of the conditioning EPSP waveforms activated repetitively indicated that potentiation lasted transiently, 100 ms, during a prolonged release. Possible mechanisms of the potentiation are discussed in light of these new findings.The blue crab T fiber synapse, associated with the stretch receptor of the swimming leg, has a nonspiking presynaptic element that mediates tonic transmission. This synapse was isolated and a voltage clamp circuit was used to control the membrane potential at the release sites. The dependence of transmitter release on extracellular calcium, [Ca]o, was studied over a range of 2.5-40 mM. A power relationship of 2.7 was obtained between excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) rate of rise and [Ca]o. Brief presynaptic depolarizing steps, 5-10 ms, presented at 0.5 Hz activated EPSP's of constant amplitude. Inserting a 300-ms pulse (conditioning pulse) between these test pulses potentiated the subsequent test EPSPs. This depolarization-activated potentiation (DAP) lasted for 10-20 s and decayed with a single exponential time course. The decay time course remained invariant with test pulse frequencies ranging from 0.11 to 1.1 Hz. The magnitude and decay time course of DAP were independent of the test pulse amplitudes. The magnitude of DAP was a function of conditioning pulse amplitudes. Large conditioning pulses activated large potentiations, whereas the decay time constants were not changed. The DAP is a Ca-dependent process. When the amplitude of conditioning pulses approached the Ca equilibrium potential, the magnitude of potentiation decreased. Repeated application of conditioning pulses, at 2-s intervals, did not produce additional potentiation beyond the level activated by the first conditioning pulse. Comparison of the conditioning EPSP waveforms activated repetitively indicated that potentiation lasted transiently, 100 ms, during a prolonged release. Possible mechanisms of the potentiation are discussed in light of these new findings.NS-07942 - NINDS NIH HHS; NS-13742 - NINDS NIH HH

Binding energies of hydrogen-like impurities in a semiconductor in intense terahertz laser fields

A detailed theoretical study is presented for the influence of linearly polarised intense terahertz (THz) laser radiation on energy states of hydrogen-like impurities in semiconductors. The dependence of the binding energy for 1s and 2p states on intensity and frequency of the THz radiation has been examined.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Directed percolation near a wall

Series expansion methods are used to study directed bond percolation clusters on the square lattice whose lateral growth is restricted by a wall parallel to the growth direction. The percolation threshold $p_c$ is found to be the same as that for the bulk. However the values of the critical exponents for the percolation probability and mean cluster size are quite different from those for the bulk and are estimated by $\beta_1 = 0.7338 \pm 0.0001$ and $\gamma_1 = 1.8207 \pm 0.0004$ respectively. On the other hand the exponent $\Delta_1=\beta_1 +\gamma_1$ characterising the scale of the cluster size distribution is found to be unchanged by the presence of the wall. The parallel connectedness length, which is the scale for the cluster length distribution, has an exponent which we estimate to be $\nu_{1\parallel} = 1.7337 \pm 0.0004$ and is also unchanged. The exponent $\tau_1$ of the mean cluster length is related to $\beta_1$ and $\nu_{1\parallel}$ by the scaling relation $\nu_{1\parallel} = \beta_1 + \tau_1$ and using the above estimates yields $\tau_1 = 1$ to within the accuracy of our results. We conjecture that this value of $\tau_1$ is exact and further support for the conjecture is provided by the direct series expansion estimate $\tau_1= 1.0002 \pm 0.0003$.Comment: 12pages LaTeX, ioplppt.sty, to appear in J. Phys.

Low Redshift QSO Lyman alpha Absorption Line Systems Associated with Galaxies

In this paper we present Monte-Carlo simulations of Lyman alpha absorption systems which originate in galactic haloes, galaxy discs and dark matter (DM) satellites around big central haloes. It is found that for strong Lyman alpha absorption lines galactic haloes and satellites can explain ~20% and 40% of the line number density of QSO absorption line key project respectively. If big galaxies indeed possess such large numbers of DM satellites and they possess gas, these satellites may play an important role for strong Lyman alpha lines. However the predicted number density of Lyman-limit systems by satellites is \~0.1 (per unit redshift), which is four times smaller than that by halo clouds. Including galactic haloes, satellites and HI discs of spirals, the predicted number density of strong lines can be as much as 60% of the HST result. The models can also predict all of the observed Lyman-limit systems. The average covering factor within 250 kpc/h is estimated to be ~0.36. And the effective absorption radius of a galaxy is estimated to be ~150 kpc/h. The models predict W_r propto rho^{-0.5} L_B^{0.15} (1+z)^{-0.5}. We study the selection effects of selection criteria similar to the imaging and spectroscopic surveys. We simulate mock observations through known QSO lines-of-sight and find that selection effects can statistically tighten the dependence of line width on projected distance. (abridged)Comment: 23 pages, 9 postscript figures; references updated, minor change in section

Watermarking FPGA Bitfile for Intellectual Property Protection

Intellectual property protection (IPP) of hardware designs is the most important requirement for many Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) intellectual property (IP) vendors. Digital watermarking has become an innovative technology for IPP in recent years. Existing watermarking techniques have successfully embedded watermark into IP cores. However, many of these techniques share two specific weaknesses: 1) They have extra overhead, and are likely to degrade performance of design; 2) vulnerability to removing attacks. We propose a novel watermarking technique to watermark FPGA bitfile for addressing these weaknesses. Experimental results and analysis show that the proposed technique incurs zero overhead and it is robust against removing attacks

Axisymmetric Dynamic Response of Spherical and Cylindrical Shells

Axisymmetric dynamic response of spherical and cylindrical shell

Development of learning objectives for neurology in a veterinary curriculum: part I: undergraduates

Background With an increasing caseload of veterinary neurology patients in first opinion practice, there is a requirement to establish relevant learning objectives for veterinary neurology encompassing knowledge, skills and attitudes for veterinary undergraduate students in Europe. With help of experts in veterinary neurology from the European College of Veterinary Neurology (ECVN) and the European Society of Veterinary Neurology (ESVN) a survey of veterinary neurologic learning objectives using a modified Delphi method was conducted. The first phase comprised the development of a draft job description and learning objectives by a working group established by the ECVN. In the second phase, a quantitative questionnaire (multiple choice, Likert scale and free text) covering 140 learning objectives and subdivided into 8 categories was sent to 341 ESVN and ECVN members and a return rate of 62% (n = 213/341) was achieved. Results Of these 140 learning objectives ECVN Diplomates and ESVN members considered 42 (30%) objectives as not necessary for standard clinical veterinary neurology training, 94 (67%) were graded to be learned at a beginner level and 4 (3%) at an advanced level. The following objectives were interpreted as the most important day one skills: interpret laboratory tests, perform a neurological examination and establish a neuroanatomical localization. In this survey the three most important diseases of the central nervous system included epilepsy, intervertebral disc disease and inflammatory diseases. The three most important diseases of the peripheral nervous system included polyradiculoneuritis, myasthenia gravis and toxic neuropathies. Conclusions The results of this study should help to reform the veterinary curriculum regarding neurology and may reduce the phenomenon of “Neurophobia”.</p

Further development of a method for computing three-dimensional subsonic viscous flows in turbofan lobe mixers

Procedure for computing subsonic, turbulent flow in turbofan lobe mixers was extended to allow consideration of flow fields in which a swirl component of velocity may be present. Additional, an optional k-lambda turbulence model was added to the procedure. The method of specifying the initial flow field was also modified, allowing parametric specification or radial secondary flow velocities, and making it possible to consider initial flow fields which have significant inlet secondary flow vorticity. A series of example calculations was performed which demonstrate the various capabilities of the modified code. These calculations demonstrate the effects of initial secondary flows of various magnitudes, the effects of swirl, and the effects of turbulence model on the mixing process. The results of these calculations indicate that the initial secondary flows, presumed to be generated within the lobes, play a dominant role in the mixing process, and that the predicted results are relatively insensitive to the turbulence model used