bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ANALYSIS OF FORMING OF STATE EDUCATION CONTROL SYSTEM DURING SOVIET PERIOD: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Тюрина Юлия , Tyurina Yuliya
Published: December 2013

The article considers the analysis of education control

system in Russia during Soviet period. That allows to get an objective

and entire view about transformation of this institution during the

described period.
Service as a Key to Analyzing the Causes of Global Crisis
Authors: Федулин Александр , Fedulin Aleksandr , Багдасарян Вардан , Bagdasaryan Vardan
Published: December 2013

The authors of the article hypothesize that the global economic crisis is closely related to an evident misbalance in service development. Service is claimed to be ambivalent, operating both as a means of quality assurance and a risk capital segment. The authors suggest that the remedy for the crisis involves ensuring an optimum balance between real economy and service sustainment.
Tax Checks and Ways to Improve Efficiency and Performance of Check Procedures
Authors: Егорова Елена , Egorova Elena
Published: December 2013

The article focuses on tax checks — their types, general characteristics and structure. The author carried out a comparative analysis of different types of tax checks and substantiates the expediency of the tax authorities' initiating additional tax checks in order to secure greater efficiency and better performance of theprocedure.
Consulting Technologies as Employed by Agent Firms
Authors: Сульповар Лев , Sulpovar Lev , Богачева Татьяна , Bogacheva Tatyana
Published: December 2013

The article covers the issues of agent firms'resorting to trade-mediation-oriented consulting methods and technologies. The author classifies the current consulting technologies, which are viewed as a synergy of science and art, and considers the content and specifics of such major consulting technologies as those pertaining to marketing, logistics, advertising, branding, law, finance, investment, human resources, communication, information, soft management, project management, quality management, product and service standardization and certification, security, risk management and international business.
Soviet Outbound Tourism Breaking New Ground (1955—1964)
Authors: Орлов Игорь , Orlov Igor
Published: December 2013

According to the author, a number of archive documents recently made available for general scientific study give a new insight into the «cold war» period, namely, individual countries as well as whole regions being included into the two Super Powers' scope of interest through tourism relations established, developed and maintained. The article at hand studies the initial period ofVAO Intourist's outbound tourism activity in the USSR. The author analyses VAO Intourist's documentation —public documents, meeting records, employees' and chaperones' reports and memoranda — and reconstructs the geography, the capacity and the peculiarities of outbound tourism as well as the criteria for short-listing the potential outbound tourists. The author also assesses the culture shock which Soviet tourists suffered when faced with completely different Western lifestyle patterns.
The Political Temperature of Society´ as a New Monitoring Index in the State Management of Sustainable Development
Authors: Сулакшин Степан , Sulakshin Stepan
Published: December 2013

The author introduces a new category into the system of social sciences, namely, that of 'the political temperature of society' and demonstrates its potential and capability in terms of prognostics and state management. The author provides synchronic and diachnoric gauges of the political temperature of Russian society, tracing a dependency of statewide catastrophies on fluctuations in the political temperature of society.
Primary stability of two uncemented acetabular components of different geometry: hemispherical or peripherally enhanced?
Authors: Antoniades G. , Smith E. J. , Deakin A. H. , Wearing S. C. , Sarungi M.
Published: December 2013

Objective

This study compared the primary stability of two commercially available acetabular components from the same manufacturer, which differ only in geometry; a hemispherical and a peripherally enhanced design (peripheral self-locking (PSL)). The objective was to determine whether altered geometry resulted in better primary stability.

Methods

Acetabular components were seated with 0.8 mm to 2 mm interference fits in reamed polyethylene bone substrate of two different densities (0.22 g/cm3and 0.45 g/cm3). The primary stability of each component design was investigated by measuring the peak failure load during uniaxial pull-out and tangential lever-out tests.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference in seating force (p = 0.104) or primary stability (pull-out p = 0.171, lever-out p = 0.087) of the two components in the low-density substrate. Similarly, in the high-density substrate, there was no statistically significant difference in the peak pull-out force (p = 0.154) or lever-out moment (p = 0.574) between the designs. However, the PSL component required a significantly higher seating force than the hemispherical cup in the high-density bone analogue (p = 0.006).

Conclusions

Higher seating forces associated with the PSL design may result in inadequate seating and increased risk of component malpositioning or acetabular fracture in the intra-operative setting in high-density bone stock. Our results, if translated clinically, suggest that a purely hemispherical geometry may have an advantage over a peripherally enhanced geometry in high density bone stock. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2013;2:264–9.
Design management education and work-based learning
Authors: Norman Caroline , Jerrard Robert N.
Published: December 2013

This article explores the high level of design management skills that can be acquired through work-based learning. Design domain work-based learning in business environments is described from the authors’ research and experience in operating work-based learning contracts within a master’s degree in Design Management at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. The authors’ research was based on a sample of (work-based, learning contract) students’ experiences over five years and involved the analysis of work submitted for assessment, with a view to evidencing the level of acquisition of key design management skills. A quantitative analysis of students’ achievement is described, followed by a qualitative description of work-based learning within their companies. From the research evidence, a core of design management skills was detected within the work-based experience.
Videoscanning (in) an art school community: Pivotal creative tool becomes a medium of collective (self)reflection and curriculum development
Authors: Purg Peter
Published: December 2013

The aim of this mixed-media contribution that includes the article text and an online video, is to interpret the school-cum-online community practice of ‘videoscanning’ as a social as well as creative (eco)system, and discuss it briefly against selected media theory. The first part of the article embeds this explorative practice (of editing short video-reflections on learning events) within the school’s pedagogical setting; to subsequently reveal its potential for curriculum development, as a community-embedded process of research-based innovation; and finally to reflect the practice within selected theoretical coordinates. The multi-layered interplay of theory and practice, between text and video, proves that only positive and creative interactions can secure self-reflection and improvement in social (learning) systems. If designed as communicative (eco)systems, it is especially in pedagogical settings that social media can prove most important – not only as playgrounds and marketplaces of ethical decisions, but also as platforms of aesthetical innovation.
Reviews
Authors: Shreeve Alison , Stevenson Alison , Souleles Nicos
Published: December 2013

Artist, Researcher, Teacher: A Study of Professional Identity in Art and Education, Alan Thornton (2013) Bristol: Intellect, 147 pp., p/bk, ISBN: 9781841506449, £15.95, $25

University Libraries and Space in the Digital World, Graham Matthews and Graham Walton (eds) (2013) UK: Ashgate, 248 pp., h/bk, ISBN 978-1-4094-2382-9, £54, eBook £37

Digital Dieting: From Information Obesity to Intellectual Fitness, Tara Brabazon (2013) Farnham: Ashgate Publishing Limited, pp. 333, ISBN: 9781472409379, h/bk, £35.00
Get-in-the-groove music: Rhythmicking with young children
Authors: Howard Karen , Morford James B. , Campbell Patricia Shehan
Published: December 2013

The expressive capacities of young children in music are understood to develop naturally from infancy, and are home-grown in families where music is valued and present. The act of ‘rhythmicking’, which is engagement in some manner of rhythmic behaviour, is one of children’s expressive features long before they are introduced to musical study in some formal or systematic manner. With a conscious attention to the application of a community music sensibility, an early childhood programme was designed that nurtured children’s playful yet powerful musical engagement, shored up their rhythmicking capacities, and fostered family time for sharing music that was collaboratively made and listened to. Facilitating musicians co-constructed musical experiences with kindergarten children, and efforts were put forward to involve parents and siblings with kindergarten children in an enticing rhythm-driven programme.
Voices from the ‘ghetto’: Music therapy perspectives on disability and music (A response to Joseph Straus’s book Extraordinary Measures: Disability in Music)
Authors: Tsiris Giorgos
Published: December 2013

In 2011 Joseph Straus published the book Extraordinary Measures: Disability in Music. Adopting a sociocultural approach, Straus explores the relationship between disability and music by focusing on how music not only reflects, but also constructs different disability narratives. After providing an overview of the book content and themes, this article focuses on what I perceive as being Straus’s misunderstood guest, that is, music therapy. Writing from my own perspective as a music therapy practitioner-researcher, and in relation to Straus’s characterization of music therapy as a ‘ghetto’, I respond to certain ideas developed in the book and offer some different perspectives regarding music therapy as well as its contribution to the study of disability in music. These perspectives are drawn from practices and theories emerging from music- and culture-centred, as well as resource-oriented and community approaches to music therapy. This response article aims to instigate interdisciplinary exchange and dialogue between different music-related disciplines within the wider field of disability studies.
On the importance of circumlocution in the Spanish language classroom
Authors: Arteaga Deborah  , Llorente Lucía
Published: December 2013

Arteaga and Llorente (2009) argue for the importance of addressing lexical regional variety in the Spanish language classroom. They advocate teaching students a dialectally neutral term that will be understood across dialectal zones. One problem with this approach, however, is the difficulty of identifying words that have the most currency among dialects. This paper argues for supplementing the use of neutral terms by the skill of circumlocution, which has been argued to be a valuable skill for second language learners in general (Rubin, 1975, Oxford and Nyikos, 1989, Schweers, 1999), although it must be taught explicitly. Model exercises that foster the use of circumlocution, while also emphasizing neutral terms, are given. This combination will allow students to communicate effectively with speakers of a wide variety of dialects.
Análisis del léxico empleado en los titulares de la prensa popular colombiana
Authors: Martínez Valencia Eliana
Published: December 2013

El objetivo principal de este trabajo es analizar el léxico empleado en los titulares de prensa de uno de los periódicos Colombianos más populares llamado “Q’hubo”. Con este fin, se recopiló un corpus de titulares correspondientes a los años 2008, 2009 y 2010. El análisis se sustenta en los trabajos de Van Dijk (1983, 1988 y 1997), Sunkel (2001, 2003 y 2006) y Checa (2003).
Sobre la traducción fraseológica
Authors: Timofeeva Larissa
Published: December 2013

En este artículo presentamos un panorama general de la problemática de la traducción de los fraseologismos. La tradicional complejidad asociada a este ámbito traductológico deriva de la propia naturaleza de la significación fraseológica. Por ello, cualquier acercamiento interlingüístico a la fraseología ha de partir de una reflexión previa en torno a cómo las unidades fraseológicas (UF) realizan su función significativa. Como mostramos en este trabajo, los enfoques adoptados en este ámbito hasta ahora no indagan en toda la gama de aspectos que despliega la UF en su comportamiento comunicativo, por lo que la traductología fraseológica muestra la necesidad de una profunda reformulación de sus métodos. Dicha reformulación ha de adoptar, a nuestro juicio, el marco de la pragmática con el fin de dar cuenta del comportamiento fraseológico, tanto en el nivel del significado convencionalizado como el discursivo.
Los EMIRECS audiovisuales en la propuesta de uso del video: “Un minuto por mis derechos” de la Fundación KINE en Argentina
Authors: Laiglesia Maestre Lorena , Marta Lazo Carmen
Published: December 2013

Hablar de Educación para/con/en los medios en la Sociedad del Conocimiento es hacer referencia a la influencia de los medios de comunicación como posibles vehículos de trasmisión de estereotipos en la cultura actual. En el presente artículo, reflexionaremos acerca de la importancia de una Educación en medios como forma de integrar en los procesos educativos los medios de comunicación dada su fuerza mediática, garantizando su máximo aprovechamiento. Como trabajo de campo, presentaremos una propuesta de uso de los videos “Un minuto por mis derechos” de la Fundación KINE, incluidos en el espacio del Canal UNED, como forma de aprovechar estos contenidos audiovisuales en el medio digital, como medio de difusión social. El propósito de este análisis es contemplar el video como recurso, así como sus potencialidades educativas en su dimensión digital. La metodología de investigación presenta dos técnicas, una de carácter cuantitativo, consistente en el análisis de contenido de los videos seleccionados y, otra cualitativa, mediante la realización de cuatro grupos de discusión con jóvenes de edades comprendidas entre 14 y 18 años y un quinto grupo de entre 30 y 45 años. El objetivo es comprobar desde la práctica del diseño y producción de estos contenidos audiovisuales, la importante función de los EMIsores–RECeptores (EMIRECs), como trasmisores de valores en otras prácticas y experiencias educomunicativas.
Redes sociales en el entorno radiofónico: el uso de Twitter como fuente periodística en la Cadena SER
Authors: Ramos del Cano Fátima
Published: December 2013

La incorporación de Twitter al ámbito de la comunicación ha supuesto una serie de cambios en el entorno periodístico que afectan no sólo a la distribución de las noticias, sino también a la identificación de fuentes, tendencias y noticias de alcance. El objetivo de esta investigación es determinar la estrategia de utilización periodística de Twitter como fuente informativa por parte de la Cadena SER. La metodología empleada es el análisis de contenido del perfil de Twitter de los cuatro programas informativos más representativos de la emisora durante los meses de julio a diciembre de 2012. Los resultados apuntan la prevalencia de esta plataforma como mecanismo de interconexión con el sistema mediático, frente a su posible uso como espacio en el que identificar e incorporar a su audiencia como fuente potencial.
The Biopsy of Boar Testes Using Ultrasonographic Examination
Authors: Liepa Laima , Bruveris Zigmunds , Mangale Mara , Duritis Ilmars , Antane Vita , Auzans Alberts
Published: December 2013

The biopsy of live animal testes is an important clinical manipulation to control spermatogenesis and reproductive system pathologies. The aim was to develop a method of boar testes biopsy using a biopsy gun with ultrasound guidance and to investigate the influence of this procedure on the boar testes parenchyma and quality of ejaculate. The biopsy was carried out in six 8-month-old boars. Fourteen days prior to and 21 days after biopsy, the quality of ejaculate was examined (weight of ejaculate; concentration and motility of spermatozoa) with a seven-day intervals. Ultrasound images of the testes parenchyma were recorded three times: directly before and 15 minutes after the biopsy, then 21 days after the procedure. The testes biopsies of generally anesthetized boars were performed with the biopsy gun for needle biopsy with a 12cm long, disposable 16-gauge needle 1.8mm in diameter (Vitesse) through 1cm skin incision in the depth of 1.2-1.6cm of parenchyma. Fifteen minutes after the biopsy, macroscopic injures of the parenchyma of all the boar testes were not detected in the ultrasound image. Twenty one days after biopsy, the hyperechogenic line 0.1-0.2cm in diameter was seen in the testes parenchyma of six boars in the depth of 1.2-1.6cm. The biopsy of boar testes did not influence the quality of boars ejaculate. The ultrasonographic examination of boar testicles before the biopsy reduced possibilities to traumatize large blood vessels of the testes. A perfect boar testicular biopsy was easy to perform using ultrasonographic examination in the pigsty conditions.
Determinants of Research Production at Top US Universities
Authors: David Quentin
Published: December 2013

In this article, I analyze the determinants of research production by higher education institutions in the US. I use four measures to build an index of top-level academic research production. I show that it is important to account for the presence of outliers in both dimensions (X and Y axes) and that most top-ranked institutions can be considered outliers. I find that university income, the share of income devoted to research expenses, and faculty size significantly increase the ability of an institution to produce top-level academic research. I also show that the relationship between average professor quality (proxied by salary) and the production of research is U-shaped, with a significant share of institutions located on the decreasing part of the curve.
Anticipated Regret or Endowment Effect? A Reconsideration of Exchange Asymmetry in Laboratory Experiments
Authors: Ratan Anmol
Published: December 2013

In simple exchange experiments, participants have been reported to trade their endowments with similar objects less frequently than predicted by the neoclassical demand theory. Recent research has indicated that the experimental support for exchange asymmetry is fragile in alternative environments. In this article, we report an environment which is different from all other environments previously known in which exchange asymmetry is not observed. In this environment, participants knew at the time of making exchange decisions that they will have an opportunity to reverse their decisions. We find significant differences in exchange asymmetry in this environment, and an environment in which exchange decisions were final. Such differences suggest that anticipated regret theory provides an adequate explanation for exchange asymmetry which is often reported in the laboratory experiments. Our results underscore the importance of careful design for testing theories in the laboratory experiments.
Interfacial properties of magnesium phosphate ceramics and sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
Authors: Chi Hengxuan , Englund Karl R.
Published: December 2013

The interfacial shear strength (τ
i) between magnesium phosphate ceramics (MPC) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) has been evaluated by means of a pullout test method. The binder system monopotassium phosphate (MKP) and magnesium oxide (MgO) resulted in the highest τ
i at a MKP/MgO ratio of 3:1. The influence of the levels of MPC binder and aggregates on the interfacial properties has been observed based on a mixture design model. The aggregates were Portland cement (PC), wollastonite (WO), and vitrified calcium aluminosilicates (VCAS). The MPC binder level was the primary factor influencing τ
i, while WO and VCAS can mutually promote τ
i. However, τ
i is decreased when PC is mixed with the two other aggregates. The environmental durability of VCAS-based MPC (V-MPC), PC-based MPC (C-MPC), and WO-based MPC (W-MPC) was assessed by treatments at conditioning (90% relative humidity) and water immersion. The V-MPC/maple has very poor moisture performance, while the C-MPC/maple and W-MPC/maple had reduced interfacial shear stresses but still maintained bond integrity unlike the V-MPC.
Stress concentration around a central hole as affected by material nonlinearity in fibrous composite laminated plates subject to in-plane loading
Authors: Abu-Farsakh Ghazi A. , Almasri Amin H. , Qa’dan Dana H.
Published: December 2013

The distribution of stresses in laminated composite plates with a central circular hole and having various stacking sequences, different geometric dimensions and subjected to in-plane axial tensile loading was investigated. The ANSYS computer program was utilized using the finite element method to study the linear and nonlinear material effects. A new method was proposed for the purpose of incorporating the material nonlinearity model into the ANSYS computer program using the secant modulus material model. The aim of the authors is to analyze the effect of D/b and a/b ratios (where D is hole diameter, b is plate width, and a is plate length) on stresses induced in such plates. Analysis was carried out for angle-ply, four-layered symmetric laminated rectangular plates with various stacking sequences [±θ]s.
Parenthetische Teilsätze in mittelfranzösischen Texten des 14. und 15. JahrhundertsEine erste Version dieses Aufsatzes wurde im September 2011 in Berlin im Rahmen der SektionZwischen Satz und Text: Diskursmarker und Informationsstruktur in romanischer Diachroniedes 32. Romanistentages vorgetragen. Ich danke den Sektionsteilnehmern für ihre Anmerkungen und Anregungen. Martin Hummel und Ulrich Wandruszka, denen ich an dieser Stelle ebenfalls danken möchte, haben weitere Versionen des Textes gelesen und kommentiert.
Authors: Schneider Stefan
Published: December 2013

En ce qui concerne l’origine et le développement des clauses parenthétiques, il y a pour l’essentiel trois scénarios possibles: les clauses subordonnantes, les clauses subordonnées et les phrases indépendantes. Dans ce qui suit, ces scénarios sont examinés à la lumière des données du moyen français.
Dendritic Arborization and Spine Dynamics Are Abnormal in the Mouse Model ofMECP2Duplication Syndrome
Authors: Jiang Minghui , Ash Ryan T. , Baker Steven A. , Suter Bernhard , Ferguson Andrew , Park Jiyoung , Rudy Jessica , Torsky Sergey P. , Chao Hsiao-Tuan , Zoghbi Huda Y. , Smirnakis Stelios M.
Published: December 2013

MECP2duplication syndrome is a childhood neurological disorder characterized by intellectual disability, autism, motor abnormalities, and epilepsy. The disorder is caused by duplications spanning the gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein-2 (MeCP2), a protein involved in the modulation of chromatin and gene expression. MeCP2 is thought to play a role in maintaining the structural integrity of neuronal circuits. Loss of MeCP2 function causes Rett syndrome and results in abnormal dendritic spine morphology and decreased pyramidal dendritic arbor complexity and spine density. The consequences of MeCP2 overexpression on dendritic pathophysiology remain unclear. We usedin vivotwo-photon microscopy to characterize layer 5 pyramidal neuron spine turnover and dendritic arborization as a function of age in transgenic mice expressing the humanMECP2gene at twice the normal levels of MeCP2 (Tg1; Collins et al., 2004). We found that spine density in terminal dendritic branches is initially higher in young Tg1 mice but falls below control levels after postnatal week 12, approximately correlating with the onset of behavioral symptoms. Spontaneous spine turnover rates remain high in older Tg1 animals compared with controls, reflecting the persistence of an immature state. Both spine gain and loss rates are higher, with a net bias in favor of spine elimination. Apical dendritic arbors in both simple- and complex-tufted layer 5 Tg1 pyramidal neurons have more branches of higher order, indicating that MeCP2 overexpression induces dendritic overgrowth. P70S6K was hyperphosphorylated in Tg1 somatosensory cortex, suggesting that elevated mTOR signaling may underlie the observed increase in spine turnover and dendritic growth.
Different Calcium Sources Control Somatic versus Dendritic SK Channel Activation during Action Potentials
Authors: Jones Scott L. , Stuart Greg J.
Published: December 2013

Small-conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channels play an important role in regulating neuronal excitability. While SK channels at the soma have long been known to contribute to the medium afterhyperpolarization (mAHP), recent evidence indicates they also regulate NMDA receptor activation in dendritic spines. Here we investigate the activation of SK channels in spines and dendrites of rat cortical pyramidal neurons during action potentials (APs), and compare this to SK channel activation at the soma. Using confocal calcium imaging, we demonstrate that the inhibition of SK channels with apamin results in a location-dependent increase in calcium influx into dendrites and spines during backpropagating APs (average increase, ∼40%). This effect was occluded by block of R-type voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs), but not by inhibition of N- or P/Q-type VDCCs, or block of calcium release from intracellular stores. During these experiments, we noticed that the calcium indicator (Oregon Green BAPTA-1) blocked the mAHP. Subsequent experiments using low concentrations of EGTA (1 mm) produced the same result, suggesting that somatic SK channels are not tightly colocalized with their calcium source. Consistent with this idea, all known subtypes of VDCCs except R-type were calcium sources for the apamin-sensitive mAHP at the soma. We conclude that SK channels in spines and dendrites of cortical pyramidal neurons regulate calcium influx during backpropagating APs in a distance-dependent manner, and are tightly coupled to R-type VDCCs. In contrast, SK channels activated by APs at the soma of these neurons are weakly coupled to a variety of VDCCs.
DNA Methylation and Methyl-Binding Proteins Control Differential Gene Expression in Distinct Cortical Areas of Macaque Monkey
Authors: Hata Katsusuke , Mizukami Hiroaki , Sadakane Osamu , Watakabe Akiya , Ohtsuka Masanari , Takaji Masafumi , Kinoshita Masaharu , Isa Tadashi , Ozawa Keiya , Yamamori Tetsuo
Published: December 2013

Distinct anatomical regions of the neocortex subserve different sensory modalities and neuronal integration functions, but mechanisms for these regional specializations remain elusive. Involvement of epigenetic mechanisms for such specialization through the spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression is an intriguing possibility. Here we examined whether epigenetic mechanisms might play a role in the selective gene expression in the association areas (AAs) and the primary visual cortex (V1) in macaque neocortex. By analyzing the two types of area-selective gene promoters that we previously identified, we found a striking difference of DNA methylation between these promoters, i.e., hypermethylation in AA-selective gene promoters and hypomethylation in V1-selective ones. Methylation levels of promoters of each area-selective gene showed no areal difference, but a specific methyl-binding protein (MBD4) was enriched in the AAs, in correspondence with expression patterns of AA-selective genes. MBD4 expression was mainly observed in neurons. MBD4 specifically bound to and activated the AA-selective genes bothin vitroandin vivo. Our results demonstrate that methylation in the promoters and specific methyl-binding proteins play an important role in the area-selective gene expression profiles in the primate neocortex.
Altered Structural and Functional Synaptic Plasticity with Motor Skill Learning in a Mouse Model of Fragile X Syndrome
Authors: Padmashri Ragunathan , Reiner Benjamin C. , Suresh Anand , Spartz Elizabeth , Dunaevsky Anna
Published: December 2013

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited intellectual disability. FXS results from a mutation that causes silencing of the FMR1 gene, which encodes the fragile X mental retardation protein. Patients with FXS exhibit a range of neurological deficits, including motor skill deficits. Here, we have investigated motor skill learning and its synaptic correlates in thefmr1knock-out (KO) mouse. We find thatfmr1KO mice have impaired motor skill learning of a forelimb-reaching task, compared with their wild-type (WT) littermate controls. Electrophysiological recordings from the forelimb region of the primary motor cortex demonstrated reduced, training-induced synaptic strengthening in the trained hemisphere. Moreover, long-term potentiation (LTP) is impaired in thefmr1KO mouse, and motor skill training does not occlude LTP as it does in the WT mice. Whereas motor skill training induces an increase of synaptic AMPA-type glutamate receptor subunit 1 (GluA1), there is a delay in GluA1 increase in the trained hemisphere of thefmr1KO mice. Using transcranialin vivomultiphoton microscopy, we find thatfmr1KO mice have similar spine density but increased dendritic spine turnover compared with WT mice. Finally, we report that motor skill training-induced formation of dendritic spines is impaired infmr1KO mice. We conclude that FMRP plays a role in motor skill learning and that reduced functional and structural synaptic plasticity might underlie the behavioral deficit in thefmr1KO mouse.
Cholinergic Blockade Reduces Theta-Gamma Phase Amplitude Coupling and Speed Modulation of Theta Frequency Consistent with Behavioral Effects on Encoding
Authors: Newman Ehren L. , Gillet Shea N. , Climer Jason R. , Hasselmo Michael E.
Published: December 2013

Large-scale neural activation dynamics in the hippocampal-entorhinal circuit local field potential, observable as theta and gamma rhythms and coupling between these rhythms, is predictive of encoding success. Behavioral studies show that systemic administration of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonists selectively impairs encoding, suggesting that they may also disrupt the coupling between the theta and gamma bands. Here, we tested the hypothesis that muscarinic antagonists selectively disrupt coupling between theta and gamma. Specifically, we characterized the effects of systemically administered scopolamine on movement-induced theta and gamma rhythms recorded in the superficial layers of the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) of freely moving rats. We report the novel result that gamma power at the peak of theta was most reduced following muscarinic blockade, significantly shifting the phase of maximal gamma power to occur at later phases of theta. We also characterize the existence of multiple distinct gamma bands in the superficial layers of the MEC. Further, we observed that theta frequency was significantly less modulated by movement speed following muscarinic blockade. Finally, the slope relating speed to theta frequency, a correlate of familiarity with a testing enclosure, increased significantly less between the preinjection and recovery trials when scopolamine was administered during the intervening injection session than when saline was administered, suggesting that scopolamine reduced encoding of the testing enclosure. These data are consistent with computational models suggesting that encoding and retrieval occur during the peak and trough of theta, respectively, and support the theory that acetylcholine regulates the balance between encoding versus retrieval.
Cortical Pitch Regions in Humans Respond Primarily to Resolved Harmonics and Are Located in Specific Tonotopic Regions of Anterior Auditory Cortex
Authors: Norman-Haignere Sam , Kanwisher Nancy , McDermott Josh H.
Published: December 2013

Pitch is a defining perceptual property of many real-world sounds, including music and speech. Classically, theories of pitch perception have differentiated between temporal and spectral cues. These cues are rendered distinct by the frequency resolution of the ear, such that some frequencies produce “resolved” peaks of excitation in the cochlea, whereas others are “unresolved,” providing a pitch cue only via their temporal fluctuations. Despite longstanding interest, the neural structures that process pitch, and their relationship to these cues, have remained controversial. Here, using fMRI in humans, we report the following: (1) consistent with previous reports, all subjects exhibited pitch-sensitive cortical regions that responded substantially more to harmonic tones than frequency-matched noise; (2) the response of these regions was mainly driven by spectrally resolved harmonics, although they also exhibited a weak but consistent response to unresolved harmonics relative to noise; (3) the response of pitch-sensitive regions to a parametric manipulation of resolvability tracked psychophysical discrimination thresholds for the same stimuli; and (4) pitch-sensitive regions were localized to specific tonotopic regions of anterior auditory cortex, extending from a low-frequency region of primary auditory cortex into a more anterior and less frequency-selective region of nonprimary auditory cortex. These results demonstrate that cortical pitch responses are located in a stereotyped region of anterior auditory cortex and are predominantly driven by resolved frequency components in a way that mirrors behavior.
Essential Thalamic Contribution to Slow Waves of Natural Sleep
Authors: David François , Schmiedt Joscha T. , Taylor Hannah L. , Orban Gergely , Di Giovanni Giuseppe , Uebele Victor N. , Renger John J. , Lambert Régis C. , Leresche Nathalie , Crunelli Vincenzo
Published: December 2013

Slow waves represent one of the prominent EEG signatures of non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep and are thought to play an important role in the cellular and network plasticity that occurs during this behavioral state. These slow waves of natural sleep are currently considered to be exclusively generated by intrinsic and synaptic mechanisms within neocortical territories, although a role for the thalamus in this key physiological rhythm has been suggested but never demonstrated. Combining neuronal ensemble recordings, microdialysis, and optogenetics, here we show that the block of the thalamic output to the neocortex markedly (up to 50%) decreases the frequency of slow waves recorded during non-REM sleep in freely moving, naturally sleeping-waking rats. A smaller volume of thalamic inactivation than during sleep is required for observing similar effects on EEG slow waves recorded during anesthesia, a condition in which both bursts and single action potentials of thalamocortical neurons are almost exclusively dependent on T-type calcium channels. Thalamic inactivation more strongly reduces spindles than slow waves during both anesthesia and natural sleep. Moreover, selective excitation of thalamocortical neurons strongly entrains EEG slow waves in a narrow frequency band (0.75–1.5 Hz) only when thalamic T-type calcium channels are functionally active. These results demonstrate that the thalamus finely tunes the frequency of slow waves during non-REM sleep and anesthesia, and thus provide the first conclusive evidence that a dynamic interplay of the neocortical and thalamic oscillators of slow waves is required for the full expression of this key physiological EEG rhythm.
Stress Switches Cannabinoid Type-1 (CB1) Receptor-Dependent Plasticity from LTD to LTP in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis
Authors: Glangetas Christelle , Girard Delphine , Groc Laurent , Marsicano Giovanni , Chaouloff Francis , Georges François
Published: December 2013

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) exerts a coordinated modulation of the psychoneuroendocrine responses to stress. However, how acute stress impacts on BNSTin vivoplasticity is a crucial question that still remains unanswered. Here, neurons from the anterior portion of the BNST (aBNST) were recordedin vivoduring and after stimulation of their medial prefrontal cortical (mPFC) afferents. In C57BL/6N mice, a 1 h restraint stress induced a switch from long-term depression (LTD) to long-term potentiation (LTP) in the aBNST after a 10 Hz mPFC stimulation. This switch was independent from glucocorticoid receptor stimulation. Because the endocannabinoid system regulates aBNST activity, we next examined the role of cannabinoid type-1 receptors (CB1-Rs) in these changes. Mutant mice lacking CB1-Rs (CB1−/−mice) displayed a marked deficit in the ability to develop plasticity under control and stress conditions, compared with their wild-type littermates (CB1+/+mice). This difference was not accounted for by genetic differences in stress sensitivity, as revealed by Fos immunohistochemistry analyses. Local blockade of CB1-Rs in the aBNST and the use of mutant mice bearing a selective deletion of CB1-Rs in cortical glutamatergic neurons indicated that stress-elicited LTP involved CB1-Rs located on aBNST excitatory terminals. These results show that acute stress reverts LTD into LTP in the aBNST and that the endocannabinoid system plays a key role therein.
Internal and External Influences on the Rate of Sensory Evidence Accumulation in the Human Brain
Authors: Kelly Simon P. , O'Connell Redmond G.
Published: December 2013

We frequently need to make timely decisions based on sensory evidence that is weak, ambiguous, or noisy resulting from conditions in the external environment (e.g., a cluttered visual scene) or within the brain itself (e.g., inattention, neural noise). Here we examine how externally and internally driven variations in the quality of sensory evidence affect the build-to-threshold dynamics of a supramodal “decision variable” signal and, hence, the timing and accuracy of decision reports in humans. Observers performed a continuous-monitoring version of the prototypical two-alternative dot-motion discrimination task, which is known to strongly benefit from sequential sampling and temporal accumulation of evidence. A centroparietal positive potential (CPP), which we previously established as a supramodal decision signal based on its invariance to motor or sensory parameters, exhibited two key identifying properties associated with the “decision variable” long described in sequential sampling models: (1) its buildup rate systematically scaled with sensory evidence strength across four levels of motion coherence, consistent with temporal integration; and (2) its amplitude reached a stereotyped level at the moment of perceptual report executions, consistent with a boundary-crossing stopping criterion. The buildup rate of the CPP also strongly predicted reaction time within coherence levels (i.e., independent of physical evidence strength), and this endogenous variation was linked with attentional fluctuations indexed by the level of parieto-occipital α-band activity preceding target onset. In tandem with the CPP, build-to-threshold dynamics were also observed in an effector-selective motor preparation signal; however, the buildup of this motor-specific process significantly lagged that of the supramodal process.
Chronometric Electrical Stimulation of Right Inferior Frontal Cortex Increases Motor Braking
Authors: Wessel Jan R. , Conner Christopher R. , Aron Adam R. , Tandon Nitin
Published: December 2013

The right inferior frontal cortex (rIFC) is important for stopping responses. Recent research shows that it is also activated when response emission is slowed down when stopping is anticipated. This suggests that rIFC also functions as a goal-driven brake. Here, we investigated the causal role of rIFC in goal-driven braking by using computer-controlled, event-related (chronometric), direct electrical stimulation (DES). We compared the effects of rIFC stimulation on trials in which responses were made in the presence versus absence of a stopping-goal (“Maybe Stop” [MS] vs “No Stop” [NS]). We show that DES of rIFC slowed down responses (compared with control-site stimulation) and that rIFC stimulation induced more slowing when motor braking was required (MS) compared with when it was not (NS). Our results strongly support a causal role of a rIFC-based network in inhibitory motor control. Importantly, the results extend this causal role beyond externally driven stopping to goal-driven inhibitory control, which is a richer model of human self-control. These results also provide the first demonstration of double-blind chronometric DES of human prefrontal cortex, and suggest that—in the case of rIFC—this could lead to augmentation of motor braking.
Mouse Primary Visual Cortex Is Used to Detect Both Orientation and Contrast Changes
Authors: Glickfeld Lindsey L. , Histed Mark H. , Maunsell John H. R.
Published: December 2013

In mammals, the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and the superior colliculus (SC) are the major targets of visual inputs from the retina. The LGN projects mainly to primary visual cortex (V1) while the SC targets the thalamus and brainstem, providing two potential pathways for processing visual inputs. Indeed, cortical lesion experiments in rodents have yielded mixed results, leading to the hypothesis that performance of simple visual behaviors may involve computations performed entirely by this subcortical pathway through the SC. However, these previous experiments have been limited by both their assays of behavioral performance and their use of lesions to change cortical activity. To determine the contribution of V1 to these tasks, we trained mice to perform threshold detection tasks in which they reported changes in either the contrast or orientation of visual stimuli. We then reversibly inhibited V1 by optogenetically activating parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons with channelrhodopsin-2. We found that suppressing activity in V1 substantially impaired performance in visual detection tasks. The behavioral deficit depended on the retinotopic position of the visual stimulus, confirming that the effect was due to the specific suppression of the visually driven V1 neurons. Behavioral effects were seen with only moderate changes in neuronal activity, as inactivation that raised neuronal contrast thresholds by a median of only 14% was associated with a doubling of behavioral contrast detection threshold. Thus, detection of changes in either orientation or contrast is dependent on, and highly sensitive to, the activity of neurons in V1.
Progranulin Deficiency Promotes Post-Ischemic Blood–Brain Barrier Disruption
Authors: Jackman Katherine , Kahles Timo , Lane Diane , Garcia-Bonilla Lidia , Abe Takato , Capone Carmen , Hochrainer Karin , Voss Henning , Zhou Ping , Ding Aihao , Anrather Josef , Iadecola Costantino
Published: December 2013

Loss-of-function mutations of progranulin (PGRN) have been linked to frontotemporal dementia, but little is known about the effects of PGRN deficiency on the brain in health and disease. PGRN has been implicated in neurovascular development, inflammation, and Wnt signaling, a pathway involved in the formation of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Because BBB alterations and inflammation contribute to ischemic brain injury, we examined the role of PGRN in the brain damage produced by ischemia-reperfusion.PGRN+/−andPGRN−/−mice underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with monitoring of cerebral blood flow. Infarct volume and motor deficits were assessed 72 h later. Post-ischemic inflammation was examined by expression of inflammatory genes and flow cytometry. BBB structure and permeability were examined by electron microscopy (EM) and Evans blue (EB) extravasation, respectively. MCAO resulted in ∼60% larger infarcts inPGRN+/−andPGRN−/−mice, an effect independent of hemodynamic factors or post-ischemic inflammation. Rather, massive hemorrhages and post-ischemic BBB disruption were observed, unrelated to degradation of tight junction (TJ) proteins or matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). By EM, TJ were 30–52% shorter, fewer, and less interlocking, suggesting a weaker seal between endothelial cells. Intracerebral injection of platelet-derived growth factor-CC (PDGF-CC), which increases BBB permeability, resulted in a more severe BBB breakdown inPGRN+/−andPGRN−/−than wild-type mice. We describe a previously unrecognized involvement of PGRN in the expression of key ultrastructural features of the BBB. Such a novel vasoprotective role of PGRN may contribute to brain dysfunction and damage in conditions associated with reduced PGRN function.
Kisspeptin and energy balance in reproduction
Authors: De Bond Julie-Ann P , Smith Jeremy T
Published: December 2013

Kisspeptin is vital for the neuroendocrine regulation of GNRH secretion. Kisspeptin neurons are now recognized as a central pathway responsible for conveying key homeostatic information to GNRH neurons. This pathway is likely to mediate the well-established link between energy balance and reproductive function. Thus, in states of severely altered energy balance (either negative or positive), fertility is compromised, as isKiss1expression in the arcuate nucleus. A number of metabolic modulators have been proposed as regulators of kisspeptin neurons including leptin, ghrelin, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and neuropeptide Y (NPY). Whether these regulate kisspeptin neurons directly or indirectly will be discussed. Moreover, whether the stimulatory role of leptin on reproduction is mediated by kisspeptin directly will be questioned. Furthermore, in addition to being expressed in GNRH neurons, the kisspeptin receptor (Kiss1r) is also expressed in other areas of the brain, as well as in the periphery, suggesting alternative roles for kisspeptin signaling outside of reproduction. Interestingly, kisspeptin neurons are anatomically linked to, and can directly excite, anorexigenic POMC neurons and indirectly inhibit orexigenic NPY neurons. Thus, kisspeptin may have a direct role in regulating energy balance. Although data fromKiss1rknockout and WT mice found no differences in body weight, recent data indicate that kisspeptin may still play a role in food intake and glucose homeostasis. Thus, in addition to regulating reproduction, and mediating the effect of energy balance on reproductive function, kisspeptin signaling may also be a direct regulator of metabolism.