Modulation of auditory responses by modality-specific attention in rat primary auditory cortex

How does attention modulate sensory representations? In order to probe the underlying neural mechanisms, we established a simple rodent model of modality-specific attention. Here we describe results of experiments in freely moving rats in which we have used tetrodes to record neural responses in primary auditory cortex (area A1) while subjects performed this behavior.

Subjects were first trained to perform distinct auditory and olfactory two alternative forced-choice (2AFC) tasks. Training and testing were conducted in a custom three-poke computer-controlled behavioral apparatus. Subjects initiated trials with a center-poke, which triggered presentation of a tone (either 5 or 15 Hz), an odor (either R(-)-2-Octanol or S(+)-2-Octanol), or both. Subjects responded moving to the left or right poke. Correct responses were rewarded with water. Auditory and olfactory blocks (of 50 trials each) were interleaved in a single session. In auditory blocks, pure tones were either presented with or without a null odor (caproic acid, n=2 and 3 respectively), and subjects were cued to perform the task based on auditory stimuli. In olfactory blocks, both odors and pure tones were presented simultaneously, and subjects were cued to perform the task based on olfactory stimuli.

After subjects reached consistent performance on the interleaved blocks, tetrode drives were implanted in primary auditory cortex of the left hemisphere. Single unit responses to tones were heterogeneous, and included transient, sustained, and suppressed. Among 304 responsive units recorded, 19% (58 units) showed modality-specific attentional modulation of at least one of the tone-evoked responses; in most cases, the responses to a particular auditory stimulus was enhanced in the auditory block (or, equivalently, suppressed in the olfactory block). In addition, we also observed modality-specific attentional modulation of the spontaneous activity in similar proportion of units (61 units). 

Our results suggest that shifting attention from audition to olfaction and back can modulate the activity of single neurons in primary auditory cortex

Neural Mechanisms of Selective Auditory Attention in Rats (Dissertation)

How does attention modulate sensory representations? In order to probe the underlying neural mechanisms, we established a simple rodent model of modality-specific attention. Rats were trained to perform distinct auditory two-tone discrimination and olfactory odor discrimination in a two alternative choice (2AC) paradigm. 
To determine auditory cortex’s role in this frequency discrimination task, we used GABA-A receptor agonist muscimol to transiently and reversibly inactivate auditory cortexes bilaterally in rats performing simple interleaved auditory and olfactory discrimination. With olfactory discrimination performance serving as internal control for motivation and decision making capability, we found only auditory two-tone discrimination was selectively impaired in these rats. This shows the auditory cortex is involved in this two-tone discrimination task.
To investigate the neural correlate of modality-specific attention in the auditory cortex, we trained rats to perform interleaved auditory and olfactory blocks (of 50~70 trials each) in a single session. In auditory blocks, pure tones were either presented with or without a neutral odor (caproic acid, n=2 and 3 respectively), and subjects were rewarded for discriminating auditory stimuli. In olfactory blocks, both task odors and pure tones were presented simultaneously, and subjects were rewarded for discriminating olfactory stimuli. We recorded neural responses in primary auditory cortex (area A1) in freely moving rats while subjects performed this behavior. Single unit responses to tones were heterogeneous, and included transient, sustained, and suppressed. We found 205 of 802 units recorded responsive to the stimuli we used. Of these 205 units, 18.5% showed modality-specific attentional modulation of the anticipatory activity before tone onset. In addition, we also observed in smaller proportion of units (11.2%) modality-specific attentional modulation of the tone-evoked responses; in most cases, the responses to a particular auditory stimulus was enhanced in the auditory block (or, equivalently, suppressed in the olfactory block). Attention increased choice probability of the population in the auditory block. We have also observed significant behavior choice probability in small proportions of units. 
Our results suggest that shifting attention between audition to olfaction tasks can modulate the activity of single neurons in primary auditory cortex

Fast kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of strained heteroepitaxy in three dimensions

Accelerated algorithms for simulating the morphological evolution of strained heteroeptiaxy based on a ball and spring lattice model in three dimensions are explained. We derive exact Green's function formalisms for boundary values in the associated lattice elasticity problems. The computational efficiency is further enhanced by using a superparticle surface coarsening approximation. Atomic hoppings simulating surface diffusion are sampled using a multi-step acceptance-rejection algorithm. It utilizes quick estimates of the atomic elastic energies from extensively tabulated values modulated by the local strain. A parameter controls the compromise between accuracy and efficiency of the acceptance-rejection algorithm.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Proceedings of Barrett Lectures 2007, Journal of Scientific Computin

Microeconometric Models of Rationing, Imperfect Markets, and Non-Negativity Constraints

This paper provides a theoretically consistent approach to estimating demand relationships in which kink points occur either in the interior or on the vertices of the budget set. There are important classes of problems in developing countries which demonstrate such kinked budget sets including binding non-negativity constraints. This paper also extends these methods to the estimation of production structures. As an application a translog cost function for three energy inputs is estimated from cross-sections of individual Indonesian firms.Political Economy,

Differential angiogenic roles of serum amyloid A 1 (SAA1) isoforms in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)

Molecular and Cellular Biology - Poster Presentations - Proffered Abstracts - Poster Presentations - Tumor Suppressors 2: abstract no. 1550This journal suppl. entitled: Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014 ...Esophageal Caner (EC), a highly metastatic and fatal cancer, is ranked the eighth in mortality rate in Hong Kong cancer patients (Hong Kong Cancer Registry, Hospital Authority, 2010). Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) is the predominant type comprising more than 90% of EC. Using a functional complementation approach, SAA1 was identified as one of the tumor suppressor gene candidates. SAA1 is located at chromosome 11p15.1 and is expressed as a secretary protein in liver, human cultured smooth muscle cells, monocyte-macrophage cell lines, and in histologically-normal human epithelial tissues. Genetic polymorphisms of SAA1 have been identified as a risk factor of diseases such as amyloidosis. Three SAA1 isoforms with two ...postprin