Spike frequency adaptation affects the synchronization properties of networks of cortical oscillators

Oscillations in many regions of the cortex have common temporal characteristics with dominant frequencies centered around the 40 Hz (gamma) frequency range and the 5–10 Hz (theta) frequency range. Experimental results also reveal spatially synchronous oscillations, which are stimulus dependent (Gray&Singer, 1987;Gray, König, Engel, & Singer, 1989; Engel, König, Kreiter, Schillen, & Singer, 1992). This rhythmic activity suggests that the coherence of neural populations is a crucial feature of cortical dynamics (Gray, 1994). Using both simulations and a theoretical coupled oscillator approach, we demonstrate that the spike frequency adaptation seen in many pyramidal cells plays a subtle but important role in the dynamics of cortical networks. Without adaptation, excitatory connections among model pyramidal cells are desynchronizing. However, the slow processes associated with adaptation encourage stable synchronous behavior

Numerical investigation of endwall/casing treatment flow phenomena

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1989.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-52).by Andrew James Crook.M.S

Supporting families to stay together

Literature Review: The effectiveness of attachment-based interventions when used with maltreating families. This systematic review explores the effectiveness of attachment-based interventions when used with maltreating families. A literature search identified eleven papers testing attachment-based interventions. The results suggest that attachment-based interventions are effective at increasing parental sensitivity, enhancing attachment security and reducing rates of maltreatment, more so than non-attachment-based interventions. Strengths and weaknesses of the reviewed papers are considered and the implications of the findings are presented, in addition to suggestions for future research. Empirical Paper: Exploring the interplay between social workers' personal and professional experiences when discussing the competence of parents with intellectual disabilities. Parents with intellectual disabilities are over-represented in child care proceedings and it has been suggested professionals' assessments can be influenced by personal experiences. Ten social workers watched a video of parents with intellectual disabilities and were interviewed regarding their reactions to the video, to explore how they were influenced by their personal and professional experiences. Foucauldian Discourse Analysis revealed that participants drew on their experiences in a number of different ways, which are described in detail. The strengths and limitations of the research are discussed. Clinical implications and future research are suggested and recommendations offered

The theory behind corporate restructuring; The performance of UK reverse Leveraged buy-outs.

We compare the performance of UK reverse leveraged buy-outs to that of the AIM and FTSE 250 indexes during the period, 1990 - 2000. The mean performances of indexes and the equity sample are measured over two and four year periods, using the daily prices of the indexes and the market capitalisations of the equities. Significant differences in performance were not found to exist but the mean performance of indexes exceeded that of the reverse LBO sample with large effect sizes. Given the available literature the two main determinants of firm performance, level of managerial ownership and the level of debt leverage, are investigated and found to have insignificant effects. The proportion of variance that can be explained by the regression model is extremely small. We return to our literature and find the basis for our predictions to have been founded on US samples. Our results force us to conclude that the UK and US do not face the same principal-agent problem due to the differing nature of how the equities are held

All my rowdy friends: the effect of Super Bowl hosting on audit and financial reporting timeliness

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact hosting the Super Bowl has on audit completion and financial reporting timeliness for companies headquartered in Super Bowl hosting cities. Design/methodology/approach Using 16 years of financial reporting data, this study uses the Super Bowl and related activities, combined with required filings during “busy season,” as a natural experiment to examine how audit firms navigate short-term, exogenously imposed but anticipated, audit team capacity constraints. Findings Companies headquartered in a city hosting the Super Bowl, during busy season, have longer audit report lags (by approximately three days, in comparison to non-hosting busy season audits) and less timely securities and exchange commission (SEC) (10-K) filings. The authors find no evidence that Super Bowl hosting affects audit fees or earnings announcement timeliness. Practical implications When confronted with anticipated capacity shocks, audit firms take longer to complete the audit, absorbing the financial costs of the delay and maintaining audit quality, resulting in less timely financial reporting. Originality/value This study demonstrates the costs of Super Bowl-related inefficiencies and contributes to our understanding of how auditors navigate capacity shocks. This study provides evidence that auditors can effectively manage business risk and continue to facilitate providing timely and accurate information to financial statement users in the face of a capacity shock

NovaSAR and SSTL S1-4: SAR and EO Data Fusion

The NovaSAR and SSTL S1-4 satellites were launched into a 580 km sun-synchronous orbit on 16th September 2018. NovaSAR is an S-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) platform, and SSTL S1-4 hosts a multi-spectral (RGB, NIR) and panchromatic electro-optical (EO) high-resolution payload1. As the satellites are adjacent in orbit, with NovaSAR leading SSTL S1-4 by ~15 minutes, this provides an opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of using SAR and EO data together. The key demonstration principles are: to show the complementary nature of near-contemporaneous SAR and EO data, tipping and cueing opportunities of a tandem sensor, and to demonstrate the superiority of one technology for a specific application. The ability to undertake enhanced vessel detection using machine learning algorithms, to use bathymetry with EO and SAR imagery to get a more complete picture, and to detect oil spills in SAR imagery have been demonstrated. This proves the capability of the technologies, and their strengths as joint and separate data sources, helping to inform future mission concepts

Whole-genome sequencing shows that patient-to-patient transmission rarely accounts for acquisition of Staphylococcus aureus in an intensive care unit

BACKGROUND  Strategies to prevent Staphylococcus aureus infection in hospitals focus on patient-to-patient transmission. We used whole-genome sequencing to investigate the role of colonized patients as the source of new S. aureus acquisitions, and the reliability of identifying patient-to-patient transmission using the conventional approach of spa typing and overlapping patient stay. METHODS Over 14 months, all unselected patients admitted to an adult intensive care unit (ICU) were serially screened for S. aureus. All available isolates (n = 275) were spa typed and underwent whole-genome sequencing to investigate their relatedness at high resolution. RESULTS Staphylococcus aureus was carried by 185 of 1109 patients sampled within 24 hours of ICU admission (16.7%); 59 (5.3%) patients carried methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Forty-four S. aureus (22 MRSA) acquisitions while on ICU were detected. Isolates were available for genetic analysis from 37 acquisitions. Whole-genome sequencing indicated that 7 of these 37 (18.9%) were transmissions from other colonized patients. Conventional methods (spa typing combined with overlapping patient stay) falsely identified 3 patient-to-patient transmissions (all MRSA) and failed to detect 2 acquisitions and 4 transmissions (2 MRSA). CONCLUSIONS Only a minority of S. aureus acquisitions can be explained by patient-to-patient transmission. Whole-genome sequencing provides the resolution to disprove transmission events indicated by conventional methods and also to reveal otherwise unsuspected transmission events. Whole-genome sequencing should replace conventional methods for detection of nosocomial S. aureus transmission