The anterior piriform cortex as a locus for early odor preference learning in rats

Early odor preference learning in rats has been localized to the physiological changes in the olfactory bulb. However, the role of the olfactory cortex (e.g. the piriform cortex) was unexplored. In this work, my experiments support a critical role of the piriform cortex in early odor preference learning. First, the anterior piriform cortex (aPCX) is a critical component of early odor preference learning circuitry. Transiently silencing cells using lidocaine or muscimol local infusions in the aPCX prevents odor learning and recall. Second, acquisition of early odor preference learning in the aPCX is dependent on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation both in vivo and in vitro. NMDARs are highly implicated in synaptic plasticity and critical in many forms of associative learning. Pups are unable to learn following local infusion of D-amino-5- phosphonopentanoate (D-APV) prior to odor conditioning. In vitro, D-APV prevents LTP induction. Third, β-adrenoceptor activation in the aPCX is required and sufficient for early odor preference learning. Stroking elicits natural norepinephrine release from the locus coeruleus to the olfactory structures including PCX. Pups cannot learn following propranolol infusions before odor conditioning. If stroking is replaced by isoproterenol infusions in the aPCX during novel odor presentations, animals will learn to prefer that odor. Fourth, odor plus stroking (OS⁺) training enhances phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (pCREB), a molecule highly implicated in intracellular signalling pathways involved in learning, expression in the trained hemisphere. Finally, learning induces NMDAR subunit expression changes. At 3 hr following OS+ training, there is a significant NR1 down-regulation and at 24 hr following OS⁺ training, NR1 displays a significant up-regulation from baseline expression levels

Lattice-spring modeling of graphite accounting for pore size distribution

Lattice models allow length scale dependent micro-structural features and damage mechanisms to be incorporated into analyses of mechanical behaviour. They are particularly suitable for modelling the fracture of nuclear graphite, where porosity generates local failures upon mechanical and thermal loading. Our recent 3D site-bond model is extended here by representing bonds with spring groups. Experimentally measured distributions of pore sizes in graphite are used to generate models with pores assigned to the bonds. Microscopic damage is represented by failure of normal and shear springs with different criteria based on force and pore size. Macroscopic damage is analysed for several loading cases. It is shown that, apart from uniaxial loading, the development of micro-failures yields damage-induced anisotropy in the material. This needs to be accounted for in constitutive laws for graphite behaviour in FEA of cracked reactor structures.</jats:p

Exploring communication between social workers and children and young people

A key issue for the social work profession concerns the nature, quality and content of communicative encounters with children and families. This article introduces some findings from a project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) that took place across the UK between 2013 and 2015, which explored how social workers communicate with children in their everyday practice. The Talking and Listening to Children (TLC) project had three phases: the first was ethnographic, involving observations of social workers in their workplace and during visits; the second used video-stimulated recall with a small number of children and their social workers; and the third developed online materials to support social workers. This paper discusses findings from the first phase. It highlights a diverse picture regarding the context and content of communicative processes; it is argued that attention to contextual issues is as important as focusing on individual practitioners’ behaviours and outlines a model for so doing

Multiple and multi-dimensional transitions from trainee to trained doctor: A qualitative longitudinal study in the UK

Objectives To explore trainee doctors’ experiences of the transition to trained doctor, we answer three questions: (1) What multiple and multidimensional transitions (MMTs) are experienced as participants move from trainee to trained doctor? (2) What facilitates and hinders doctors’ successful transition experiences? (3) What is the impact of MMTs on trained doctors? Design: A qualitative longitudinal study underpinned by MMT theory. Setting: Four training areas (health boards) in the UK. Participants: 20 doctors, 19 higher-stage trainees within 6 months of completing their postgraduate training and 1 staff grade, associate specialist or specialty doctor, were recruited to the 9-month longitudinal audio-diary (LAD) study. All completed an entrance interview, 18 completed LADs and 18 completed exit interviews. Methods: Data were analysed cross-sectionally and longitudinally using thematic Framework Analysis. Results: Participants experienced a multiplicity of expected and unexpected, positive and negative work-related transitions (eg, new roles) and home-related transitions (eg, moving home) during their trainee–trained doctor transition. Factors facilitating or inhibiting successful transitions were identified at various levels: individual (eg, living arrangements), interpersonal (eg, presence of supportive relationships), systemic (eg, mentoring opportunities) and macro (eg, the curriculum provided by Medical Royal Colleges). Various impacts of transitions were also identified at each of these four levels: individual (eg, stress), interpersonal (eg, trainees’ children spending more time in childcare), systemic (eg, spending less time with patients) and macro (eg, delayed start in trainees’ new roles). Conclusions: Priority should be given to developing supportive relationships (both formal and informal) to help trainees transition into their trained doctor roles, as well as providing more opportunities for learning. Further longitudinal qualitative research is now needed with a longer study duration to explore transition journeys for several years into the trained doctor role

Use of thermal imaging in dairy calves: exploring the repeatability and accuracy of measures taken from different anatomical regions

Publication history: Accepted - 15 November 2018; Published - 18 November 2018.Three experiments were undertaken to 1) quantify the repeatability and reproducibility of thermal imaging across day and operator experience and 2) assess the correlation between descriptive infrared (IR) temperature parameters from different anatomical areas and core body temperature in dairy calves under 12 wk of age. In experiment 1, a single operator captured 30 replicate images of both the left and right eyes (defined as the whole eye + 1 cm margin) and the rectal area (defined as the anus +1.5 cm margin) from each of 16 calves. In experiment 2, three operators of varying experience captured images from both the left and right eyes and the rectal area of each of 12 calves. In experiment 3, a single operator captured images of the right eye and rectal area for a period of 5 consecutive days for each of 205 calves. All images were captured between 0900 and 1300 h. Core body temperature, obtained via rectal thermometer, was recorded every day for each of the 205 calves following completion of IR image capture. Ambient temperature and relative humidity were adjusted for each thermal image prior to manual extraction of maximum, minimum, and average temperature parameters. In experiment 1, lowest error variance was found within the maximum temperature parameter and the right eye was determined as the most repeatable anatomical area, with 80.48% of the total proportion of variance attributed to the calf. Results indicated that capturing at least three replicate images would provide the precision required to identify ill-health in calves. In experiment 2, operator variance was low across anatomical areas, with values of ≤0.01°C2 for the right and left eyes and ≤0.04°C2 for the rectal area. In experiment 3, day to day variation of thermal image measurements and core body temperature were minimal across anatomical areas with values of ≤0.008°C2. Correlations ranging from 0.16 to 0.32, and from 0.31 to 0.47 were found between maximum eye and core body temperature and maximum rectal area and core body temperature, respectively. Results of the present study indicate a low level of variability and high level of repeatability within IR temperature measurements in calves under 12 wk of age, particularly within maximum temperature parameters. Providing operators of varying abilities with a basic standardized protocol is sufficient to limit between-operator variation. Further research is required to investigate whether correlation between IR and core body temperature can be improved.This study was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and formed part of G. Scoley’s PhD project which was cofunded by AgriSearch

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I responsiveness and signalling mechanisms in C2C12 satellite cells: effect of differentiation and fusion

AbstractIn proliferating C2C12 myoblasts, serum and physiological concentrations of insulin and IGF-I stimulated protein synthesis and RNA accretion. After fusion, the multinucleated myotubes remained responsive to serum but not to insulin or IGF-I, even though both insulin and type-1 IGF receptor mRNAs increased in abundance. Protein synthetic responses to insulin and IGF-I in myoblasts were not inhibited by dexamethasone, ibuprofen or Ro-31-8220, thus phospholipase A2, cyclo-oxygenase and protein kinase C did not appear to be involved in the signalling mechanisms. Neither apparently were polyphosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C or phospholipase D since neither hormone increased inositol phosphate, phosphatidic acid, choline or phosphatidylbutanol production. Only the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, and the 70 kDa S6-kinase inhibitor, rapamycin, wholly or partially blocked the effects of insulin and IGF-I on protein synthesis. 2-deoxyglucose uptake remained responsive to insulin and IGF-I after fusion and was also inhibited by wortmannin. The results suggest that the loss of responsiveness after fusion is not due to loss of receptors, but to the uncoupling of a post-receptor pathway, occurring after the divergence of the glucose transport and protein synthesis signalling systems, and that, if wortmannin acts at a single site, this is prior to that point of divergence

Combined extracellular matrix cross-linking activity of the peroxidase MLT-7 and the dual oxidase BLI-3 is critical for post-embryonic viability in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>

The nematode cuticle is a protective collagenous extracellular matrix that is modified, cross-linked, and processed by a number of key enzymes. This Ecdysozoan-specific structure is synthesized repeatedly and allows growth and development in a linked degradative and biosynthetic process known as molting. A targeted RNA interference screen using a cuticle collagen marker has been employed to identify components of the cuticle biosynthetic pathway. We have characterized an essential peroxidase, MoLT-7 (MLT-7), that is responsible for proper cuticle molting and re-synthesis. MLT-7 is an active, inhibitable peroxidase that is expressed in the cuticle-synthesizing hypodermis coincident with each larval molt. mlt-7 mutants show a range of body morphology defects, most notably molt, dumpy, and early larval stage arrest phenotypes that can all be complemented with a wild type copy of mlt-7. The cuticles of these mutants lacks di-tyrosine cross-links, becomes permeable to dye and accessible to tyrosine iodination, and have aberrant collagen protein expression patterns. Overexpression of MLT-7 causes mutant phenotypes further supporting its proposed enzymatic role. In combination with BLI-3, an H2O2-generating NADPH dual oxidase, MLT-7 is essential for post-embryonic development. Disruption of mlt-7, and particularly bli-3, via RNA interference also causes dramatic changes to the in vivo cross-linking patterns of the cuticle collagens DPY-13 and COL-12. This points toward a functionally cooperative relationship for these two hypodermally expressed proteins that is essential for collagen cross-linking and proper extracellular matrix formation