Endocannabinoid–Dopamine Interactions in Striatal Synaptic Plasticity

The nigrostriatal dopaminergic system is implicated in action control and learning. A large body of work has focused on the contribution of this system to modulation of the corticostriatal synapse, the predominant synapse type in the striatum. Signaling through the D2 dopamine receptor is necessary for endocannabinoid-mediated depression of corticostriatal glutamate release. Here we review the known details of this mechanism and discuss newly discovered signaling pathways interacting with this system that ultimately exert dynamic control of cortical input to the striatum and striatal output. This topic is timely with respect to Parkinson’s disease given recent data indicating changes in the striatal endocannabinoid system in patients with this disorder

Study of an attitude control system for the astronaut maneuvering unit final report, dec. 1963 - jul. 1964

Attitude control system for astronaut maneuvering unit

Optical Gain from InAs Nanocrystal Quantum Dots in a Polymer Matrix

We report on the first observation of optical gain from InAs nanocrystal quantum dots emitting at 1.55 microns based on a three-beam, time resolved pump-probe technique. The nanocrystals were embedded into a transparent polymer matrix platform suitable for the fabrication of integrated photonic devices.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures. This second version is excactly the same as the first. It is resubmitted to correct some format errors appeared in the pdf file of the first versio

Case Reports : Topiramate, a concealed cause of severe metabolic acidosis

Severe metabolic acidosis is common among critically ill patients, and topiramate is a rare cause that may fail recognition. We report a lady with acute encephalopathy who had severe non-anion gap metabolic acidosis that served as the clue leading to suspicion and diagnosis of topiramate toxicity and was confirmed by elevated blood topiramate levels. Additionally, we provide a review of literature on all reported cases of topiramate toxicity. Keywords: Topiramate, metabolic acidosis, migraine, altered mental status, carbonic anhydrase.Includes bibliographical reference

Poling influence on the mechanical properties and molecular mobility of highly piezoelectric P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer

The calorimetric, dielectric, and mechanical responses of highly piezoelectric 70/30 P(VDF-TrFE) displaying homogenous d33 of 219 pC N21 are studied. This work aims at better understanding the influence of poling on the mechanical properties of this copolymer. To explain the one decade mechanical modulus drop observed across the Curie transition, a stiffening process of the amorphous phase due to the local electric fields in the ferroelectric crystals is proposed. In poled P(VDF-TrFE), these fields are preferentially aligned resulting in a more stable and higher modulus below the Curie transition. This hypothesis accounts for the lower dielectric signals obtained with the poled sample. Through the Curie transition, the vanishing of these local electric fields, stemming from progressive disorientation and conversion of ferroelectric crystals to paraelectric ones, releases the constraints on the amorphous phase, leading to a storage modulus drop typical of a viscoelastic transition

Grading Students with Significant Disabilities in Inclusive Settings: Teacher Perspectives

The present study describes teacher (K-12) opinions and practices related to grading and providing modified instruction, assignments, and assessments for students with low-incidence disabilities in inclusive settings. One hundred and thirty nine teachers working in K-12 inclusive schools in Arizona and California completed an on-line survey regarding modifications to the general education curriculum and grading practices. Findings of this study include: (a) general and special education teachers use different practices and have different preferences for grading students with disabilities; (b) General and special educators also reported differences in their level of comfort and training for grading, with special educators feeling more prepared to grade students with disabilities; (c) Elementary teachers were more likely to accept modified work than secondary teachers; and (d) Secondary teachers report using modifications to instruction less frequently than elementary school teachers. Implications and recommendations based on these findings are reported

Brucellosis Media Survey; Where Ohio Newspapers Get Agricultural News; A Media Survey Checklist

Three research briefs: Brucellosis Media Survey; Where Ohio Newspapers Get Agricultural News; A Media Survey ChecklistCattle brucellosis is a tough disease to conquer

Harnessing Mother Nature: Optimizing Genetic Algorithms for Adaptive Systems

AbstractMany adaptive systems require optimization in real time. Whether it is a robot that must maintain its gait regardless of the terrain or multicore systems needing proper scheduling, optimization is of utmost importance. With hundreds of processes created and evaluated every second, real-time performance optimization is a monumental task. Mother nature has proven that evolution is very effective form of adaptation. Through a stochastic search, i.e. GA, computers harness this power. GAs have been developed to utilize many different parameters, which have a significant effect on the efficiency and effectiveness of a GA. If a GA tasked to optimize these parameters, the result is a rapid and automatic optimization. To test our hypothesis we optimize a GA that solves common optimization functions. The GA's effectiveness is determined by the time it takes to find the solution. Cross validation is utilized, and shows an average 947% performance improvement on training sets and 440% on testing sets. This large improvement in the testing sets shows that an optimized genetic algorithm remains general enough to effectively solve similar problems