Identification of Spinal Circuits Transmitting and Gating Mechanical Pain

SummaryPain information processing in the spinal cord has been postulated to rely on nociceptive transmission (T) neurons receiving inputs from nociceptors and Aβ mechanoreceptors, with Aβ inputs gated through feed-forward activation of spinal inhibitory neurons (INs). Here, we used intersectional genetic manipulations to identify these critical components of pain transduction. Marking and ablating six populations of spinal excitatory and inhibitory neurons, coupled with behavioral and electrophysiological analysis, showed that excitatory neurons expressing somatostatin (SOM) include T-type cells, whose ablation causes loss of mechanical pain. Inhibitory neurons marked by the expression of dynorphin (Dyn) represent INs, which are necessary to gate Aβ fibers from activating SOM+ neurons to evoke pain. Therefore, peripheral mechanical nociceptors and Aβ mechanoreceptors, together with spinal SOM+ excitatory and Dyn+ inhibitory neurons, form a microcircuit that transmits and gates mechanical pain.PaperCli

An Assessment of the Current State of Cybercrime Scholarship

Computers and the Internet have become a vital part of modern life across the world, affecting communications, finance, and governance. At the same time, technology has created unparalleled opportunities for crime and deviance on- and off-line. Criminological research has expanded its focus over the last two decades to address the various forms of technology-enabled crime and the applicability of traditional theories to account for offending. There is, however, a need for careful consideration of the state of the field in order to identify issues requiring further study and analysis. This study examines the current literature on virtually all forms of cybercrime and the theoretical frameworks used to address these issues. In turn, we hope to give direction to refine our understanding of criminological theory and social policies to combat these offenses