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Russia Extends Counter-Sanctions Against West for Another Year
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin has signed a decree authorizing the extension of counter-sanctions against the West for another year.
© AFP 2019 / ALEXANDER NEMENOV
Putin Announces Russian Counter-Sanctions to be Extended for One Year
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree authorizing the extension of counter-sanctions against the West for another year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.
"The presidential decree authorizing the extension of counter-measures has been signed. It has a list of goods under embargo [including food products] as an attachment, which has been formalized by the government and will be made public soon," Peskov told reporters in Moscow.
Peskov stressed that the extension of counter-sanctions for a year had been determined by Russia's economic interests.
The extension will come into force on August 6, the spokesman added.
In 2014, Russia introduced a one-year import ban on selected food products from the European Union, the United States and their allies, that earlier imposed sectoral economic sanctions on Russia, accusing it of interfering in Ukrainian crisis.
The list of banned products included meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy products, fruit and vegetables.
On Tuesday, Russian Minister of Agriculture Alexander Tkachev said the list of embargoed goods would not be significantly expanded.
EU Aims to Please US by Imposing Anti-Russia Sanctions
EU's Anti-Russia Sanctions 'Not Truly European Approach' - Greek Lawmaker
Russia to Consider Stance of Greece and Hungary When Answering EU Sanctions
anti-Russian sanctions, sanctions, Vladimir Putin, Russia
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Join E-mail List|Contact Us
Squared Away Blog
Financial Behavior: Work, Save, Retire.
Money Culture
Avoid Medicare Enrollment Mistakes
Mistakes made during initial Medicare enrollment can be costly.
Someone with on-the-job health care coverage who enrolls at age 65 may be paying Medicare premiums unnecessarily. Even worse, retirees who sign up too late incur a penalty for life.
“If you’re actively working, that’s the only reason you can enroll late in Medicare” without paying the penalty, Medicare trainer Andy Tartella says in the above video, “The ABCD’s of Medicare,” produced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Medicare has been around for exactly 50 years. But enrolling in the program is a new experience for every single American who turns 65. To navigate Medicare enrollment and the alphabet soup of Medicare programs, the following are other video tutorials produced by the federal government and other reliable sources – links are embedded at the end of the title:
“5 Common Medicare Mistakes” (produced by Kiplinger’s)
“Parts A & B –Alphabet Soup” (CMS)
“Enroll in Parts C and D” (CMS)
“Some Good Things to Know” (CMS)
“Enrolling in Medicare” (CMS)
“Medicare Plan Finder at a Glance” (CMS)
“Medicare Fundamentals” (Medicare Rights Center)
Future Squared Away blogs will explore other aspects of Medicare for the uninitiated, including Medicare Advantage plans. To sign up for our email list, which sends out one alert per week, click here.
tags healthcare|retirement
One Response to Avoid Medicare Enrollment Mistakes
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E-mail us at: crr@bc.edu
© 2011-2019 Trustees of Boston College, Center for Retirement Research|Terms of Use|Privacy Policy|Accessibility
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Pakistan, UK militaries hold talks
Led by Gen Bajwa and Gen Carter, two sides discuss bilateral issues, geostrategic environment
Lahore - Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa met his counterpart Chief of Defence Staff United Kingdom General Sir Nick Carter in London on Monday.
According to the ISPR, the leaders discussed the geostrategic environment and bilateral military cooperation between the two countries. A session of delegation level strategic dialogue was also held between the two sides.
The army chief, who is in Britain on an official visit for meetings with senior British civil-military leadership, was received at UK’s Ministry of Defence by General Sir Nick Carter.
The Pakistan Army's media wing said last week, “Gen Qamar [during the visit] will discuss matters of mutual interest including evolving geostrategic environment, [and] defence and security [issues].”
Gen Bajwa, who arrived in Britain on June 20 on an official visit, spoke at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London on Saturday.
In his speech, he said that Pakistan is on the cusp of achieving sustainable, irreversible, enduring peace and stability. “Improving security situation would attract foreign investment in Pakistan,” he added.
“International partnership, support and determination also hold importance to cope with regional challenges and foreign investment is key to regional contacts,” the army chief asserted.
On Sunday, Gen Bajwa went to the Lord’s stadium along with DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor to support Pakistan cricket team in their World Cup match against South Africa.
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and DG ISPR Lt-Gen Asif Ghafoor accompanied the Pakistan army chief to the cricket stadium. The match was won by Pakistan team.
The COAS last visited Britain in October last year.
ICJ to announce decision on Jadhav case today
Pakistan's nuclear weapons in safe hands: Mazari
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Silver Jubilee
1935 Airmail
1935 Pictorials
The first Airmail stamps had been issued on 10 November 1931 but received adverse comments regarding the design and production.
James Berry was requested to prepare a new design of an aircraft landing at Bell Block aerodrome, New Plymouth. The design was based on a photograph taken by A H Blennerhasset on 12 April 1934, of the first official air mail from Australia to New Zealand arriving at New Plymouth on the Faith in Australia.
New Zealand Post would like to acknowledge the following for their assistance and guidance in bringing together this stamp issue:
Historical information included on this page sourced from The Postage Stamps of New Zealand published by the Royal Philatelic Society of NZ. Their web site offers further information useful to those interested in the stamps and postal history of New Zealand. Link: https://www.rpsnz.org.nz/
Product Listing for 1935 Airmail
Single 1d 'Red' gummed stamp.
The first official air mail from Australia to New Zealand arriving at New Plymouth on the Faith in Australia. Printed in red.
Single 3d 'Violet' gummed stamp.
The first official air mail from Australia to New Zealand arriving at New Plymouth on the Faith in Australia. Printed in violet.
Single 6d 'Blue' gummed stamp.
The first official air mail from Australia to New Zealand arriving at New Plymouth on the Faith in Australia. Printed in blue.
J Berry, Wellington
Printers:
Government Printing Office, New Zealand
Stamp size:
Sheet size:
60 stamps per sheet
Recess printed - Intaglio
Cowan 'Esparto', unsurfaced, NZ and star watermark
The 1d stamp was withdrawn from sale on the 31 December 1931. The 3d and 6d stamps remained on sale until stocks were exhaused.
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Tag Archives: lagunita
Two New Mayan Cities Were Just Uncovered in the Jungles of the Yucatan
From about 2000 BC all the way up until the arrival of Europeans in the 16th and 17th century, the Mayan civilization thrived in the Yucatan peninsula of Central America.
The Maya were an extremely advanced society with a deep knowledge of science, mathematics and astronomy.
They had charted the movements of the moon and planets accurately enough to predict predict celestial events like eclipses hundreds of years before the heliocentric model was even accepted in Europe (in the 16th century).
A map of the two largest ancient civilizations in Central America. Click to enlarge
Now, a team of archaeologists from the Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts has uncovered the ruins of two new Mayan cities buried deep in the thick vegetation of the Yucatan jungle.
The first is technically a re-discovery. In the 1970s, American archaeologist Eric Von Euw stumbled upon the ruins of the ancient city of Lagunita while journeying through the Yucatan.
The city was marked by a massive facade entrance designed to look like the opening jaws of the traditional Mayan “earth monster”.
The facade entrance: “It represents a Maya earth deity related with fertility. These doorways symbolize the entrance to a cave and, in general, to the watery underworld, place of mythological origin of maize and abode of ancestors,” said expedition leader Ivan Sprajc. Click to enlarge (Photo: Ivan Sprajc)
Von Euw documented the facade along with a number of other stone monuments in a series of sketches, but unfortunately he didn’t keep an accurate log of his travels. Once he left, nobody was ever able to locate Lagunita again.
That is, until Ivan Sprajc (who led the recent expedition) and his team of archaeologists came upon a facade that seemed to match the one in Von Euw’s sketches.
After comparing the facade as well as other stone monuments in the area, the team confirmed that they had indeed re-discovered Lagunita.
Expedition leader Ivan Sprajc. Click to enlarge (Photo: INAH)
At the Lagunita site, the team found the remains of massive, palace-like buildings arranged around four courtyards. The site also included,
“A ball court and a temple pyramid almost 65 ft high also stood in the city, while 10 stelae (tall sculpted stone shafts) and three altars (low circular stones) featured well-preserved reliefs and hieroglyphic inscriptions,”
according to Discovery News.
Lagunita covered 54 acres across what is now the Mexican state of Campeche. Its large size suggests that the city served as a seat of government between 600-900 AD.
The remains of the temple, now overrun by vegetation. Click to enlarge (Photo: Ivan Sprajc)
Unlike Lagunita, the second city was a brand new discovery. The city was called Tamchen, which means “deep well” in the ancient Yucatec Maya language.
The name is fitting. Tamchen is pock-marked with more than 30 bottle-shaped underground chambers known as chultuns, used main to collect rainwater.
The opening to one of the chultuns. Click to enlarge (Photo: Ivan Sprajc)
Though Tamchen may have been founded a few years earlier, archaeologists say that both cities were probably thriving around the same time, making it likely that they regularly interacted with one another.
“Both cities open new questions about the diversity of Maya culture, the role of that largely unexplored area in the lowland Maya history, and its relations with other polities,”
said Sprajc.
Hopefully these new discoveries will give us a better understanding of what life was like in one of history’s most advanced ancient civilizations.
Read the full story from Discovery News here.
american indiansancient civilizationsaztec civilizationaztecscampecheCentral Americachultunsearth monstereric von euwEuropefacadegovernmentheliocentric modelivan sprajclagunitamayamayan civilizationmayan pyramidsmayansMexiconew mayan citiesnewly discovered mayan citiespyramidsresearch center of the slovenian academy of sciences and artsstelaetamchenyucatanyucatan peninsulayucatecyucatec languageyucatec maya language
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The Buzz around sports(Feb. 12)
thehudsonhornetsite February 19, 2018 basketball, College basketball, Football
Hey there! Welcome to another edition of weekly news and updates.
The Chiefs will let longtime linebacker Derrick Johnson enter free agency. Johnson would like to play more seasons in the NFL and will have to do so with a new team.
Chiefs are choosing to go in a different direction. With the trade of Alex Smith making way for talented rookie, Patrick Mahomes , this move is shocking to me as Johnson has been the face of the defense. The next roster decision obviously starts at the running back position. The Chiefs are getting their starter from two years ago back. Will there be a committee in Kansas City’s backfield or will they continue to ride Kareem Hunt and use Ware as a change of pace? I’m interested to see what other changes are made in KC.
The Cubs sign Yu Darvish
This move caught me by surprise, not even going to lie. I have not been keeping up with MLB free agency and had no idea the Cubs were even pursuing Darvish. The move puts the Cubs right at the top of the contender list.
This signing may also push former Cy Young award winner, Jake Arrieta, out the door as well.
The Utah Jazz remained hot as they came back to beat the San Antonio Spurs for their 10th win in a row.
What has gotten into the Jazz? They have won 10 straight and are knocking on the door of the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoff race.
Donovan Mitchell is making a strong case for Rookie of the Year. He has been incredible for The Jazz making play after play and coming through for them late in games. He is a true star in the making and has helped Jazz fans cope with the loss of beloved star Gordon Hayward.
17-year-old Chloe Kim won Gold for USA in Snowboarding
The Olympics always introduces the World to new stars. The newest star is Chloe Kim. Chloe won The gold medal in the snow board half-pipe.
Not a huge fan of the Winter Olympics but there have been some amazing stories and this one caught my eye so I wanted to share it.
Villanova suffers second loss in three games
The Wildcats dropped another game to Providence Friars. Villanova is now 23-3 on the season. It looks like their injuries are catching up to them. Once considered one of the deeper teams in college basketball, Coach Jay Wright now finds himself using a rotation of eight players.
Villanova is really struggling shooting the ball, they only made three threes as a team and shot 15 % from deep. This is starting to look like a trend for the Cats as they look like a different team offensively.
The Cavs have won two straight after overhauling their roster.
Cleveland looks to have gotten the jolt they needed to make a push towards reaching another Finals.
The additions of Clarkson, Hill, Hood and Nance Jr. have returned positive results early. They now have beaten two of the top teams in The NBA, a group they’ve struggled with before the trade.
Rondo and Thomas ejected after a scuffle.
Isaiah Thomas seems like a target for many in the NBA. Rajon Rondo seemed to take his match-up with IT personal last night as he played Thomas very physical and got involved with Thomas a few times before being ejected.
When asked about the altercation, Thomas said he was hit by Rondo three times in the face
Bogdon Bogdanovic won MVP in the Rising Stars game.
Bogdon has had a productive rookie season for Sacramento, but I’d be lying if I said I saw this coming with his performance. The rook scored 26 points, dished out six assists and knocked down seven three-pointers to help lead the World team to a 155-124 victory over the US team.
Jaylen Brown, from the Celtics, scored 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
The Sixers future is definitely bright as they had three players in the Rising Stars game and probably could have had four if Fultz had been healthy. Embiid only played nine minutes as he also will be participated in the All-Star game on Sunday. Simmons had 11 points, 13 assist, and six rebounds. Dario Saric scored 18 and dished out six assists.
The All-Star game was competitive, thanks to a change in format and increased winnings, along with having teams play for a charity of their choice
It was good to see a good competitive game with some defense from the NBA’s biggest stars. I had my doubts but The All-Star game is back to the way it’s meant to be and that will only help the league for years to come.
Lebron took home MVP honors as his team beat Team Steph’s 148-145. Jimmy Butler did not play as he was resting from illness.
I look forward to next year’s edition of the All-Star game as they hopefully televise the draft live, Should add more excitement to the format.
Quite an event week, check back for more news and updates! Have a great week!
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/22423126/kansas-city-chiefs-re-sign-long-star-derrick-johnson
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/13/17009040/utah-jazz-10-game-winning-streak
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/american-story-chloe-kim-daughter-immigrants-social-media-star-won-olympic-gold-094507770.html
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/matchup?gameId=400988612
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22445251/rajon-rondo-isaiah-thomas-luke-walton-all-ejected-new-orleans-pelicans-los-angeles-lakers-game
http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401018033
https://www.sbnation.com/2018/2/17/17022536/2018-nba-all-star-kings-bogdan-bogdanovic-mvp-rising-stars-celebrity-game-results
Chicago Cubs, Donovan Mitchell, Lebron James, NCAA, NCAA basketball, NCAA Scores, Sports, Winter Olympics
Previous Buzzing news of the past week(Feb.5)
Next Kansas v Oklahoma round 2 Will Trae Young and The Sooners bounce back?
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Theiapolis > Cinema > Titles > B... > Bl... > Bla... >
Blake of Scotland Yard1927
[+] Post a Message
| Quotes || Blake of Scotland Yard: DVD | Blu-Ray | Collectibles
Blake of Scotland Yard
Robert F. Hill
Released in the USA on August 15 of 1927, "Blake of Scotland Yard" is an Action film directed by Robert F. Hill . Hayden Stevenson and Grace Cunard are starring, alongside Herbert Prior, Gloria Grey, Monte Montague and Wilbur Mack.
Who is the director of "Blake of Scotland Yard":
Blake of Scotland Yard was directed by Robert F. Hill, a Canadian director, actor, and writer.
Before directing Blake of Scotland Yard, Robert F. Hill had directed The Return of the Riddle Rider, released in 1927, The Bar-C Mystery (1926), Wild West (1925), The Radio King (1922), The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1922), and The Adventures of Tarzan (1921). Since, he directed Haunted Island, released in 1928, Melody Lane (1929), Heroes of the Flames (1931), Spell of the Circus (1931), Love Bound (1932), and Inside Information (1934).
What was the release date of "Blake of Scotland Yard":
Blake of Scotland Yard was initially released on Monday, August 15, 1927, in the United States.. This was ninety-one (91) years ago.
It has been released on 1930 in Germany.
What is the casting of "Blake of Scotland Yard":
At the casting of Blake of Scotland Yard we find Hayden Stevenson, previously seen in ; Grace Cunard (The Return of the Riddle Rider (1927), Fighting with Buffalo Bill (1926)); Herbert Prior (The King of Kings (1927), The Man from Downing Street (1922)) [ more... ]
Grace Cunard and Monte Montague can be seen in Rustlers of Red Dog, released in 1935.
Grace Cunard and Monte Montague also appeared together in Heroes of the Flames, released in 1931.
What is the Storyline of "Blake of Scotland Yard":
Retired CID inspector Angus Blake tries to catch a jewel thief named The Queen of Diamonds from stealing a valuable ring (which, according to legend, carries a curse) from Lord Blanton.
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Blake of Scotland Yard ➤ Message Board
Hayden Stevenson
Grace Cunard
Herbert Prior
Gloria Grey
Monte Montague
Wilbur Mack
Blake of Scotland Yard ➤ Cast
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R.H. Bassett, 1930 movie Scotland Yard
3 messages - Another R.H. Bassett copyright music composition credit for the 1930 movie Scotland Yard. See at choiralleypress.com...
Photos of Blake Lively from "Savages", a film by Oliver Stone
1 message - Released on June 25 of 2012 in the USA, «Savages» is a Thriller film directed by Oliver Stone, and written by Shane Salerno, Don Winslow,...
Blake Lively to be in Oliver Stone's "Savages"
1 message - Blake Lively(Gossip Girl, Elvis and Anabelle) has reportedly been cast as "O", in Oliver Stone's production of "Savages"....
Sometimes Obsession Can Be Murder: "Basic Instinct 2" (2006), a film by Michael Caton-Jones
1 message - Starring Stan Collymore, Sharon Stone, Neil Maskell, David Thewlis, Jan Chappell and David Morrissey, «Basic Instinct 2» (also known as...
( 1963 )Scotland Yard jagt Dr. Mabuse
Directed by: P. May, starring P. van Eyck, S. Bethmann, D. Borsche, W. Peters...
( 1967 )Fantômas contre Scotland Yard
Directed by: A. Hunebelle, starring J. Marais, L. de Funès, M. Demongeot, F. Christophe...
( 2006 )The Last King of Scotland
Directed by: K. Macdonald, starring F. Whitaker, J. McAvoy, K. Washington, G. Anderson...
Resources: Universal Pictures, Wikipedia and contributions from movie fans. Anyone can submit additionnal information and corrections, you can post a message into the forum, or you can contact me by e-mail. Information and materials are submitted by users and thus may not always contain up-to-date and correct information, so do not hesite to report mistakes, and submit corrections.Thank you!. Direct editing is no longer available, sorry.
Due to health issues, this site has been maintained on and off during the last few years. Some information is outdated, and I am trying to fix things progressively. Thank you in advance for your indulgence -The Webmaster-
Messages posted at this site are the sole opinion and responsibility of the poster. In no way will Theiapolis.com be liable or responsible for their content. If you believe something is inappropriate please do not hesitate to report it.
Information available at this site are based on the contributions submitted movie fans (visitors, registered members). I cannot guarantee the validity, accuracy or reliability of the information found here. If there are mistakes, or outdated information, I truly apologize. You can use the contact form to submit additional information. Thank you!
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theiapolis CINEMA
Theiapolis
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Policy Matters: Nabil Ali
Nabil Ali July 8, 2019
Issue Areas International Development
Name and organization: Nabil Ali, International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF)
Although IDRF works in several continents, our programs in Canada that support newcomers, minorities, young women, and at-risk youth are a critical part of our mission to improve people’s social and economic circumstances.
There are limited newcomer integration programs that support families and individuals long-term as they plan their futures in Canada. Programs that support at-risk youth and minorities across Canada have taken cuts, which has reduced economic opportunities and, in some neighbourhoods, led to an increase in crime and violence. NGOs and community groups need financial support to help steer vulnerable kids away from violence and foster resiliency.
We must bring more attention to the gender disparity in our labour force. The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) sector is primarily dominated by men, as too many women are either reluctant or not encouraged to enter the field. Minority groups comprise a low representation as well. As a diverse country, many workplaces and boardrooms do not reflect Canadian multiculturalism.
Canada must also emerge as a global leader for the Sustainable Development Goal of Gender Equality. Millions of women and children face gender-based violence, discrimination, and female genital mutilation every day. We must continue to combat these challenges.
Empowering women and girls and gender equality, Global Affairs Canada
National Diversity and Inclusion Benchmarking Study, Dalhousie University in partnership with the Canadian Center for Diversity and Inclusion
Canada’s response to conflict, crises and disasters, Global Affairs Canada
Nabil Ali is Director of Programs at the International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF).
Advocacy And Lobbying For Policy Change In Zimbabwe: Women’s Lobbying For A Gender-sensitive Constitution
Netsai Mushonga, 2011
New Series: Canadian Charities Working Internationally
Malcolm D. Burrows, 2015
A Chilly Time for Charities: Audits, Politics and Preventing Poverty
Gordon Floyd, 2015
Foreign Activities by Canadian Registered Charities: Challenges and Options for Reform
Andrew Valentine, 2016
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#37: ESCAPE
Isamu Sawa: Without Water
Georgina Reid
| November 4, 2016
It’s a far cry from photographing cars to dead flowers but for acclaimed Melbourne photographer Isamu Sawa it’s all in a day’s work. Issey took his first photo (of a duck!) as a 10-year-old and he’s been unstoppable since then. After studying photography at RMIT, he began his professional career in 1996, and soon found himself specialising in cars. About a year ago whilst in search of a creative side-project Issey started snapping left over flowers from his wife’s floristry studio. The resulting series, called Without Water, is spectacular. I recently caught up with Issey to find out more.
'Anthurium' from Without Water series by Isamu Sawa.
What inspired the Without Water series?
It actually started out as a technical exercise – I wanted to experiment with a process called ‘focus stacking’ and needed something small with a lot of texture and detail to photograph. I came across some discarded flowers in my florist wife’s studio and found them intriguing; somewhat alien but beautiful in their own unique way.
I was inspired to ‘rescue’ these withering flowers and give them another life even though they’d passed their traditional use-by date…
The images are incredibly detailed – I understand you used focus stacking to achieve this. Can you please tell us a little bit about how that works?
‘Focus stacking’ is a digital photographic process used to increase depth of field using powerful software. It is capable of combining multiple images taken at different focus distances to give a resulting image with greater depth of field than can be achieved with one single shot – this technique is particularly useful when it comes to macro-photography. I used a high-resolution 80-megapixel medium format camera made by Phase One and utilised the ‘focus stacking’ technique to capture the incredible texture and detail of the flowers. Some of the images for ‘Without Water’ were made up of over 25 shots and were displayed at over 2000% their original scale.
I understand Without Water is a side project of sorts? How do creative projects like it feed your commercial work?
‘Without Water’ started out as a personal project, which culminated into my first solo exhibition with the support of over a dozen amazing sponsors. The show was a resounding success for me personally, with tremendous media coverage both here and abroad including reviews in the UK and USA. With numerous Limited Edition print sales to date, it has certainly elevated my reputation as a photographic artist with a real flow-on effect to my commercial work due to the publicity. Since the show, I have secured several new commissions to create floral and plant art for new property development projects. I have also shot various advertising campaigns requiring the use of the ‘focus stacking’ technique.
Has the project changed the way you look at plants and flowers? If so, how?
It’s really interesting – for as long as I can remember I’ve never really been into plants and flowers that much, but now I have a renewed appreciation for their organic form and structure. It’s the macro detail that fascinates and intrigues me most; providing a view of nature that is dazzling for its intricate, sometimes strangely alien-like detail.
'Rose #5' from Without Water series by Isamu Sawa.
'Rose #3' and 'Bouvardia' from Without Water series by Isamu Sawa.
Can you give us some insight into your creative process?
It really depends on each individual project but obviously I need to be inspired – with personal projects and art commissions I need to be in the right headspace to potter and experiment. The subject matter usually leads me in a certain technical direction, which is a standout trait in my work. I am often told that my work has a level of precision and polish – I guess this aesthetic was instilled in me from a very young age due to my Japanese heritage and upbringing.
What is one lesson you have learnt from the natural world?
How calm and peaceful a natural world can be away from all the hustle and bustle…
What are you passionate about?
Outside of photography I have a passion for cooking, cars and an obsession for collecting vintage wristwatches.
What other artists/creatives do you admire?
Photographers Irving Penn, Albert Watson and Nick Knight.
My wife Basia and I would love to collaborate on a book one day.
What are you looking forward to?
I am really looking forward to increasing my profile as a photographic artist in the future. I have a few new projects on the go collaborating with other creatives with an aim for another exhibition or two in 2017. Watch this space…
If you were a plant, what would you be?
‘Bamboo’ – according to Wikipedia it represents ‘longevity, strength and grace’.
Limited edition prints are available to purchase via the WITHOUT WATER WEBSITE .
Check out Issey’s WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM
'Hydrangea' from Without Water series by Isamu Sawa.
'Tulip' and 'Rose #2' from Without Water series by Isamu Sawa.
'Rose #4' and 'Lisianthus' from Without Water series by Isamu Sawa.
Green Light: Photographic Nostalgia from the Garden
Green Light: Photographic Nostalgia…
You know those brilliant pics of your mum and dad in flares and crochet tops?… Read More
You know those brilliant pics of your mum and dad… Read More
#59: NOSTALGIA
The Dirt: Adam Moxon Simpson
A visit to lawyer Adam Simpson’s particularly particular moss garden in Sydney. Read More
A visit to lawyer Adam Simpson’s particularly particular moss garden… Read More
Sydney gardens
#68: LITTLE THINGS
Koji Makino: Ficus
Photographer Koji Makino gets up close and passionate with fig trees. Read More
Photographer Koji Makino gets up close and passionate with fig… Read More
#13: PASSION
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Sup. Romo West Introduces Resolution Requiring Notification of Attempts to Remove Homeless
Resolution Would Require Five-Day Notice of Removal; Referral of Homeless to Housing Division
By Sup. Peggy A. West - Jan 29th, 2016 01:29 pm
Milwaukee County Supervisor Peggy Romo West has introduced a resolution requesting that any Milwaukee County employee or agent attempting to remove homeless individuals from an area within Milwaukee County notify the Department of Health and Human Services Housing Division and the Milwaukee County Continuum of Care prior to removal in order for these agencies to offer care and assistance during the transition.
The resolution also requires five days of notice before homeless individuals and families are removed.
“On any given night in Milwaukee County there are 1,500 homeless people in need of shelter, and many times shelters in Milwaukee County are not capable of meeting the shelter needs of the homeless due to space limitations,” Romo West said.
Romo West said that from October 2013 to March 2014, County agencies received 3,006 calls from families requesting shelter and 2,339 of those shelter needs were unmet. She added that 200 families are currently on the County’s waiting list for shelter.
“Many homeless individuals and families have no choice but to seek shelter outdoors to provide at least some protection from the elements,” Romo West said. “It is inhumane to force homeless people to leave the meager outdoor shelters they have found for themselves, and we must provide at least some notice of removal as well as a referral to County agencies that can assist them.
“It is imperative that the Milwaukee County Housing Division and the Milwaukee County Continuum of Care are notified so that assistance and care can be offered.”
The resolution was approved by the Health and Human Needs Committee and will be sent to the full County Board for consideration.
“No one wants to be homeless, especially during the frigid winter months,” Romo West said. “It is incumbent upon the County to make sure that the homeless have access to services that will allow them to come in from the cold outdoors.”
People: Peggy West
Recent Press Releases by Sup. Peggy A. West
Supervisor Peggy West Calls for End to Mass Incarceration Policies
Mar 22nd, 2018 by Sup. Peggy A. West
"Mass incarceration policies have devastated our neighborhoods and disproportionately affect communities of color."
Supervisor Peggy West: Time to Hold Drug Makers Accountable
Mar 14th, 2018 by Sup. Peggy A. West
"I know the needless pain and suffering caused by this epidemic, because I have experienced it first hand as a family member of someone who overdosed."
2018 County Budget Calls for Exploration of AODA Treatment Pods at the Milwaukee County House of Correction
Nov 6th, 2017 by Sup. Peggy A. West
"It's time that we looked at providing AODA services differently than what we've been doing..."
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Daily Ratings & News for Citizens Financial Group
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Huron Consulting Group (NASDAQ:HURN) Rating Increased to Buy at BidaskClub
Citigroup Downgrades Citizens Financial Group (NYSE:CFG) to Neutral
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GW Pharmaceuticals PLC- (NASDAQ:GWPH) Director Sells $53,640.00 in Stock
Baytex Energy (NYSE:BTE) Rating Reiterated by Raymond James
Citizens Financial Group (NYSE:CFG) was downgraded by research analysts at Citigroup from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report issued on Friday, Marketbeat reports. They presently have a $35.00 price objective on the bank’s stock, down from their previous price objective of $40.00. Citigroup‘s target price would suggest a potential downside of 2.10% from the stock’s current price.
CFG has been the topic of several other research reports. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Willis Towers Watson from $202.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. ValuEngine upgraded shares of Alleghany from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Pinduoduo in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $20.48 price target on the stock. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of H&E Equipment Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 25th. Finally, Wedbush set a $13.00 price target on shares of SLM and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Citizens Financial Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $40.21.
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Shares of CFG opened at $35.75 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.67. Citizens Financial Group has a fifty-two week low of $27.62 and a fifty-two week high of $41.76. The company has a market capitalization of $16.39 billion, a PE ratio of 9.61, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.95.
Citizens Financial Group (NYSE:CFG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 18th. The bank reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.04. Citizens Financial Group had a net margin of 22.96% and a return on equity of 8.88%. The company had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.58 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.78 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Citizens Financial Group will post 3.8 earnings per share for the current year.
A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CFG. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its position in Citizens Financial Group by 35.9% during the fourth quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 28,082 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $835,000 after acquiring an additional 7,425 shares during the last quarter. Advisor Group Inc. increased its position in Citizens Financial Group by 25.7% during the fourth quarter. Advisor Group Inc. now owns 19,939 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $592,000 after acquiring an additional 4,080 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in Citizens Financial Group by 45.2% during the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 5,284 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $157,000 after acquiring an additional 1,646 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Citizens Financial Group by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,101,998 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $92,223,000 after acquiring an additional 103,295 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Neuburgh Advisers LLC increased its position in Citizens Financial Group by 26.1% during the fourth quarter. Neuburgh Advisers LLC now owns 25,568 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $760,000 after acquiring an additional 5,296 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.49% of the company’s stock.
Citizens Financial Group Company Profile
Citizens Financial Group, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Citizens Bank, National Association and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania that provides retail and commercial banking products and services in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking.
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Deutschland United States España France Magyarország Italia Nederland Polska Brasil Россия 中国
Local nameHorta de Sant Joan
LocationCatalonia, Spain
Horta de Sant Joan is a village in the Terra Alta of Catalonia, Spain.
The village of Horta de Sant Joan, sometimes called Orta, is located in a picturesque spot on a hill with a view of the landscape of the northwestern foothills of the mountain range called the Ports of Beceite. The Saint Salvador d'Horta monastery, also known as Convent of Angels, is located at the foot of Santa Barbara Mountain, a rocky hill of striking appearance.The spectacular rock formations called Benet's Rocks are located within Horta de Sant Joan's municipal area. Benet's Rocks form the most characteristic overall landscape in the northern section of the mountain range. Of the three large rock forms, the left-most one is referred to as the Dog's Head because when viewed from the side it strongly resembles that form.
Tags Village
Catalonia Terra Alta… @ Friviere
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horta_de_Sant_Joan
Official Website http://www.hortadesantjoan.cat/
Coordinates 40°57'12.617" N 0°19'1.546" E
Google Trips Alternative What to See in Europe What to See in Spain What to See in Catalonia What to See in Province of Tarragona Best Country Houses in Valderrobres Popular Holiday Homes in Beceite Popular Holiday Homes in L'Ampolla Best Villas in L'Ametlla de Mar Popular Holiday Homes in Morella, Castellón Popular Holiday Homes in Riumar Best Hotels with Free Wifi in Peniscola Best Villas in Mont-roig del Camp Popular Holiday Homes in Roda de Berà Best Country Houses in Fiscal, Aragon Best Guest Houses in Bielsa Best Hotels with Free Wifi in Broto Best Hotels with Free Wifi in Albarracín Best Hotels with Free Wifi in Sallent de Gállego Best Hotels with Free Wifi in Campan Popular Holiday Homes in Alp, Catalonia Best Villas in Sant Joan de Labritja Popular Holiday Homes in Benitachell / El Poble Nou de Benitatxell What to See in Queralbs Popular Chalets in Bolquère Best Hotels with Free Wifi in Camprodon
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Casper College
Energy Journal
Casper, WY (82601)
Sun and clouds mixed. High near 90F. WSW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..
Mostly clear. Low 58F. WSW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.
In 1986, 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School
On May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young entered Cokeville Elementary School with a gasoline bomb, a variety of rifles and handguns, David's philosophical writings and demands for $300 million in ransom. They held 154 students, teachers and staff hostage for three hours before Doris accidentally set off the bomb.
Many students were burned or suffered smoke inhalation, and one teacher was shot, but they all survived.
Photos from the Star-Tribune archives at Casper College's Western History Center. Read more about the bombing at WyoHistory.org
Cokeville Bombing
First-grader Jeremiah Moore is held by his father George Moore the week following a hostage situation at Cokeville Elementary School in May, 1986. Jeremiah was one of several children injured when a homemade bomb accidentally detonated during a hostage situation. (Bill Willcox, Casper Star-Tribune archives)
David Young's arsenal is put on display during the investigation of a hostage situation at Cokeville Elementary School on May 16, 1986. Young, and his wife Doris, died after his homemade bomb accidentally detonated. (Western History Center Casper Star-Tribune Archive)
Children's bikes rest in the grass outside of the Cokeville Elementary School on May 16, 1986 as police investigate the aftermath of a hostage situation that left the perpetrators dead and several children injured. None of the school staff or children were killed. (Casper College Western History Center Casper Star-Tribune Collection)
Cokeville Elementary School student Jamie King says the pledge during school the week following a hostage situation where a bomb was accidentally detonated on May 16, 1986. (Western History Center Casper Star-Tribune Archive)
The first-grade classroom is repaired the week following a hostage situation where a homemade bomb accidentally detonated at Cokeville Elementary School. (Bill Willcox, Casper Star-Tribune archives)
The body of Doris Young is removed by officials after the Cokeville Elementary School hostage situation on May 16, 1986. (Rick Sorenson, Casper Star-Tribune archives)
Students write the word 'help' in the soot left on the walls of their classroom the week following a hostage situation at Cokeville Elementary School on May 16, 1986. (Casper College Western History Center Casper Star-Tribune Archive)
Kareen Thornock, 7, peers into the soot-blackened room at Cokeville Elementary School during the first day of classes following the hostage situation on May 16, 1986. Chris Stewart, San Fransisco Chronicle via the Associated Press/Casper College Western History Center Casper Star-Tribune collection)
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You are here: Home / Articles / EQUALITY = LEGAL PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS?
EQUALITY = LEGAL PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS?
June 19, 2019 by Dr. Peter Jones
Progressives are constantly seeking ways to silence Bible-believing Christians. Their most recent is “The Equality Act,” which was passed by Congress with the help of eight Republican congressmen. According to James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, this Act will “spell disaster for Americans…[for it] is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt to finish off religious liberty in America once and for all,… and places Christians who believe in traditional marriage at grave legal and civil jeopardy.”[i]
If it is passed by the Senate, the Equality Act will amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 by adding to the categories protected by anti-discrimination laws “sexual orientation and gender identity” (SOGI). This new social category of LGBTQ rights would join categories such as race and religion, under the assumption that one’s subjectively defined sexual identity is as fundamental and as unchangeable as racial identity.
Such a law would ban sex discrimination in public accommodations, which are redefined to include retailers, banks, transportation, jury service, children’s education, Christian colleges and universities, federal programs, and credit and health care services. The religious component is staggering. It includes the proviso that no one may use the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to maintain religious and theological convictions that might keep them from coming into conformity with the Equality Act in any aspect of their interaction in public life. The RFRA was signed into law by President Clinton on November 16, 1993, to “ensure that interests in religious freedom are protected” by law.
How culture moves! Andrew T. Walker, senior fellow in Christian ethics at the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, calls the Equality Act “the most invasive threat to religious liberty ever proposed in America…. Its sweeping effects on religious liberty, free speech, and freedom of conscience would be both historic and also chilling.”[ii] If it passes, America will never be the same. We were assured many years ago that homosexuals merely wanted the freedom to follow their own desires, but the pressure intends to make Christians the shunned minority.
By excluding any religious consideration of sexual morality, the federal Equality Act imposes on an entire culture the unhealthy lifestyle of homosexual and transgender sexuality.
We must not be fooled. The term “Equality Act” is a clever use of language. Pro-gay politician Stacey Abrams is the grand marshal of the 2019 Atlanta Pride Parade. She is a master of clever language. Abrams states about the conservative governor who beat her in the last election: “We have an administration that is making life difficult for families wishing to adopt and patriots wishing to serve…and we have a man in Georgia’s governor’s mansion who still wants to sign discrimination into law.”[iii] Who wants to be in favor of discrimination? No one, of course. But Abrams is manipulating language. Everyone admires families who adopt and we all admire our patriotic military heroes. But can same-sex parents really give children a firm start in life with the complete absence of either a mother or a father? Does the presence of transgender and homosexual soldiers create no problems at all in the cohesion of a unit? Though we all want to avoid discrimination, good laws always discriminate against unlawful actions and, by necessity, against those who take part in such actions.
Could such a horrendous bill possibly pass the Senate? Nancy Pelosi’s prediction for the House has already come true: “we most certainly will pass it overwhelmingly in the House.”[iv] She did, with the help of 8 Republicans! Will the Senate stand firm? The Left has for some time eliminated any reference to God when taking political oaths and in their deepening promotion of abortion at any stage in pregnancy, they have eliminated any idea of a divine source of life. Startling as it may be, deceitful language has won the day among many witless and culturally naïve citizens, including, apparently, some House Republicans! According to the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) “nationally, support for a bill like the Equality Act topped 70%, which includes a majority of Democrats,” along with many Republicans, and Independents. “In addition, there is strong business support for non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people.….160 major companies with operations in all 50 states.”[v]
Just what can we expect?
Christian adoption agencies who refuse to send children to same-sex homes will be shut down.
Christian colleges will be obliged to accept LGBTQ students and provide them with their desired dormitory arrangements, otherwise government funds will be refused and the schools’ degrees and diplomas will not be accepted.
Christian businesses will be closed down.
Christian doctors will be fired from their posts in conforming hospitals.
Christian school teachers will be forced to comply with imposed curriculum and gender pronoun rules which are an attack not only on the English language, but on the biblical sexual binary.
These, and many other unimaginable consequences will quickly play out in our culture if this bill passes. In short, the Christian position, especially on gender and life issues, will be rejected as morally repugnant and Christians will be criminally prosecuted for hatred and bigotry. Even silence will be no protection. Already, according to the New York City Human Rights Commission, it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender identity and gender expression in the workplace, in public spaces and in housing. The commission released a list of thirty-one terms of gender expression and pronouns that business owners must use with their employees, tenants, customers, or clients. Businesses that violate this new law by not using these homosexual and transgender terms will be subject to fines up to $250,000.
The Equality Act seeks to transform American culture by eliminating the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution and by giving the LGBTQ community a free pass to control citizens’ lives with no concern for their earnestly held religious beliefs. Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel believes that the bill is nothing less than “a Trojan Horse used by the LGBT community to force acceptance of its agenda on society…This bill pushes the LGBT agenda on all people, and targets Christianity in every area of life–including the church.”[vi]
What must Christians do?
First, we must not take this eventuality lightly. We cannot retreat into a rose-colored Christian bubble. We must develop strong constitutional and civil arguments for the defense of religious freedom, for the sake of our children, our families and our communities. The Apostle Paul made free use of his Roman passport, even forcing city officials in Philippi to apologize publicly for the illegal arrest and beating of Paul and Silas. We Christians today have wonderful organizations such as the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Family Research Council, which are standing up in our courtrooms defending the constitutional rights of Christians. We must pray for them and support them and others like them, such as Christian Concern in the UK.
Second, we must show our culture, beginning with our friends and neighbors, that the spirit behind the Equality Act is just as religious as the Christianity it rejects. It represents the binary-denying Oneism that will not tolerate the Bible’s Twoist distinctions. The philosophy that upholds the Equality act affirms with great faith and no logical proof that human beings can create their own definition of marriage and their own sexual identity purely from their own thoughts as “free beings.” Where do they get such ability to think, to enjoy life, to make hypotheses? Why should we believe their ideas over against anyone else’s? Their view of sexuality has actually been the view of pagan religion throughout history. (See my article Androgyny: The Pagan Sexual Ideal.) There is nothing new under the sun, and everything is religious.
Third, we must do two things at once: ask God to make us courageous enough to accept whatever persecution comes our way. It should never take us by surprise, since Christ promised us that we, like our Master, will suffer. When Paul was converted, he was not only given a mandate to go to the Gentiles; he was told “how much he would suffer” for the sake of Christ. We must stand against an increasingly hostile culture. Yet we also take our stand while preaching the gospel of the Creator who became flesh to take on himself the sins of the world. This gracious God alone can make sense of life. Only he loves his rebellious creatures enough to die for them in the person of his Son. Only as we submit to God’s creational laws and receive his act of gracious salvation will we one day enjoy a life in which evil is defeated and we will live, perfected and delighted, in the company of the personal God, Father, Son and Spirit, in a transformed heaven and earth.
[i]Michael Haverluck, “Religious rights must bow to LGBT,” GOPUSA (April 5, 2019).
[ii]https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/equality-act-anti-christian/.
[iii]Greg Bluestein, “Abrams to be grand marshal in Atlanta Pride Parade,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution(6/7/19).
[iv] https://www.advocate.com/politics/2019/3/07/equality-act-will-be-introduced-next-week-nancy-pelosi-says.
[v]https://www.hrc.org/resources/the-equality-act.
[vi]Haverluck, “Religious rights must bow.”
Filed Under: Articles, Blog
by Dr. Peter Jones | June 19, 2019
Progressives are constantly seeking ways to silence Bible-believing Christians. Their most recent is “The Equality Act,” which was passed by Congress with the help of eight Republican congressmen. According to James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, this Act will “spell disaster for Americans…[for it] is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt to finish off religious […]
Cultural and Theological Stockholm Syndrome
by Joseph E Torres | May 6, 2019
Stockholm Syndrome can be defined as the “psychological response wherein a captive begins to identify closely with his or her captors, as well as with their agenda and demands.”[1] Much of the compromise we observe in orthodoxy are a result of what I call cultural and theological Stockholm Syndrome. Contemporary unbelieving culture is our captor. […]
What You Need to Know About truthXchange in 2018
| February 13, 2018
Reformation and Contemplative Spirituality pt 1
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Unfinished, 2003 TV series Season 2 episodes, Leonardo-focused episodes, Splinter-focused episodes
The Turtles open the portal.
Written by Michael Ryan
Story Editor: Mike Ryan
"Return of the Justice Force" "The Big Brawl, Part 2"
"The Big Brawl", Part 1 is the first part of the four-part episode (forty-ninth) of the animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which originally aired on May 15, 2004. It had 3.09 million views on the 4kids website as of 2007.
Murakami Gennosuke
Hamato Yoshi
Black Horde
D'Jinn (Eric Stuart)
Zat/Butterfly swords (Cameo)
Gom-Tai
Slontags
Splinter: The past is another country. They do things differently there. And yet, it seems that the past lives still, haunting us. But we need not fear the past. It is the future we must fear
The Battle Nexus
Open with Splinter training vigorously in the Turtle Lair. Upon finishing, the Sensei moves to a room where he packs readies a pouch and begins to leave the lair. Splinter informs the Turtles he will be gone for a few days and orders them not to leave the lair. Disobeying, the Turtles decide to follow him and they are lead to a dead end alley.
Splinter uses some chalk to draw a glyph on the wall and then begins to chant, creating a portal that he disappears into it. Donatello pulls out an ultra-violet lamp that illuminates the faded glyph and Raphael traces it with some chalk. Leonardo then begins to repeat the chant that Master Splinter had used - and the portal reopens! The Turtles enter and end up in a forest in some type of nexus between dimensions. They are met by four skinny, stick-like creatures (known as Gom-Tai) that attack them!
Leonardo's katanas are sheared in half during the battle. The TMNT realize that to defeat these foes, they'll have to get in close - and so they use various throws to defeat the Gom-Tai. After the skirmish, the Turtles are surprised to see the Gyoji float over, announcing them as a winner of the preliminary match (and calling them the Slontags). As the real Slontags appear through a portal, the confusion sets in as the Gyoji realizes that something is wrong. Taking the Slontags and Gom-Tai with him through a water portal, the Gyoji departs.
Still confused, the Turtles walk up a hill to see Splinter and a four-armed giant fighting. The TMNT advance to help their Sensei, but are stopped inside a force field by Gyoji. The mystical referee states that there can be no interference in the competition. As the Turtles stand helpless, they see Splinter about to be crushed!
Master Splinter dodges his opponent and then delivers some mighty kicks to win the fight. The Turtles are released and they rush to congratulate their Sensei - but are greeted with a scolding for disobeying his wishes. The giant arises and the Turtles prepare to defend their master, but Splinter angrily intervenes. Gyoji announces that Master Splinter is the victor in this round, and the giant, whose name is D'Jinn, bows to Master Splinter. It turns out the two are old friends. D'Jinn is happy to meet Splinter's sons, but he's shocked to discover that their Sensei hasn't explained the Battle Nexus to them, nor told them about how he won the competition. With that, D’Jinn explains how the Battle Nexus was created as an inter-dimensional tournament of fighters. The TMNT learn that Splinter’s sensei, Master Yoshi, was once the Battle Nexus champion, as was Splinter after he defeated Drako.
As D’Jinn continues, we discover that Drako and his four assassins were dishonorable and decided to attack the injured Splinter after the match. Luckily, a young Usagi Yojimbo was there to help defend the mutant rat. Unfortunately Usagi wasn’t enough help, as Drako was able to capture both of them. Fading out, we see Drako’s mouth about to chomp down on Splinter.
About to be chomped, Splinter and Usagi were saved by the Ultimate Daimyo, who blasted the evil dragon with his staff, forcing the villain to retreat.
Cut to present, where the Ultimate Daimyo appears with his son, the Ultimate Ninja. The ninja apologizes to Master Splinter for challenging Leonardo to a mortal duel in earlier days (episode 35)). The Daimyo invites the Turtles to join the tournament - at first Splinter is reluctant to allow this, but then he realizes that they are ready and gives them permission to fight. The Daimyo arranges for Gyoji to have Leo’s swords repaired.
The Daimyo then teleports the group to the next stage of the tournament and addresses all the fighters. After the ceremony, the Turtles are escorted to the Pavilion of Past Champions where the Ultimate Ninja shows them statues of Hamato Yoshi and Splinter. As the group departs, Leo asks to stay behind for a moment. Facing at the statues, Leo bows his head in respect and meditates for a moment - oblivious to the appearance of a group of Dark Ninja assassins. We fade out just as one assassin aims its crossbow at Leonardo's back...
Michelangelo: (talking about the wall) It's rock solid!
Raphael: Yeah, like your head.
Splinter-focused episodes
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Information published on 19 December 2017 in the UIC electronic newsletter "UIC eNews" Nr 578.
Kazakhstan: Modern warehouses will be built on the Special Economic Zone “Khorgos – Eastern Gates” by the end of 2018
News from UIC members
On 11 December 2017, at SEZ “Khorgos - Eastern Gates”, a capsule was laid on the site of construction of modern storage facilities.
The ceremony of laying the capsule was attended by the head of JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (Kazakhstan Railways) Kanat Alpysbaev, acting head of the Board of JSC National Managing Holding Baiterek Aidar Arifkhanov, vice-president of the investment fund Verno Capital Magzhan Kenesbai.
The project was financed by JSC National Managing Holding Baiterek. Acting head of the Holding’s management A. Arifkhanov noted the importance of “supporting projects for the further development of the country’s infrastructure potential in the context of linking the Nurly Zhol programme with foreign initiatives.”
According to the head of the JSC NC KTZ the project of construction of warehouse terminals is implemented within the framework of the Plan of the Nation “100 concrete steps” (65th step) and is aimed at further development of the terminal network of Kazakhstan.
He stressed that the project for the integrated development of the “Khorgos - Eastern Gates” became an impetus to stimulate investment in the region and implemented in 2016 as part of the Nurly Zhol programme. On the territory of the Special Economic Zone, a favourable business environment, an optimal taxation regime, a lack of customs duties, and a well-developed infrastructure have been created.
Great interest in the development of SEZ of international investors is confirmed by proposals for the implementation of investment projects in 2018 for a total of about 100 billion KZT. These are projects for the construction of warehouses, feed mill, food cluster, production of building materials.
“Today’s ceremony demonstrates the willingness of foreign companies to cooperate in the framework of our project and they believe in the future development of this region,” said the chief operating officer of Management Company of the SEZ “Khorgos - Eastern Gates” Hicham Belmaachi.
Heads of Verno Capital and PNK Group presented an investment project at the logistics zone of the SEZ “Khorgos - Eastern Gates”, which is part of a large project for the construction of more than 100 thousand square metres of warehouse and industrial premises of A class in the regions of Kazakhstan. These warehouses provide the needs of large manufacturers and carriers in high-quality premises. The financial group has experience in implementing projects in Russia, United States and Europe.
Further development of the SEZ “Khorgos - Eastern Gates” provides for the integration of global logistics services into the architecture and the integration of Kazakhstan transit corridors into the international logistics network.
(Source: KTZ)
China: Pilot run of Xi’an-Chengdu dedicated passenger railway begins CRITIS 2018: Save the date Hungary/Serbia: Tender has been published for Budapest-Belgrade rail upgrade Hungary: Establishment of the Executive Board of Amber Rail Freight Corridor Marc Guigon appointed new Head of the UIC Passenger Department Save the date: UIC’s “Global debate on mobility challenges for future society” to be held from 15 – 16 November 2018 in Warsaw Season’s greetings from UIC Station Managers’ Global Group (SMGG) met on 14 and 15 December 2017 in Rabat, Morocco United States: Amtrak in Norfolk Marks Five-Year Anniversary “Dream Stations – A Worldwide Odyssey” and a book on Belgian Railways presented at Train World in Schaerbeek
e-News articles with keyword Asia Pacific
Kazakhstan: Diagnosis of railway tracks in real time (16 July) China: Leshan-Yibin Section of Chengdu-Guiyang Railway opened to traffic (9 July) Kazakhstan: Agreements aimed at the growth of cargo traffic on the Trans-Caspian route were signed in Nur-Sultan city (2 July) Russia: Feasibility study of high-speed Indian rail stretch should be completed by autumn 2019 (18 June) Register Now for the UIC-KORAIL Training Session 2019 on Railway Public Service Obligation from 23 – 27 September 2019 in Seoul, Korea (18 June)
e-News articles with keyword News from UIC members
Kazakhstan: Diagnosis of railway tracks in real time (16 July) United Kingdom: Public invited to learn more about major accessibility upgrade at Mills Hill station (16 July) China: Leshan-Yibin Section of Chengdu-Guiyang Railway opened to traffic (9 July) United Kingdom: The Board of Eurostar appoints Mrs Dominique Reiniche as its new Chair (9 July) United States: Federal Railroad Administration announces more than $326 million in grants to support railroad infrastructure (9 July)
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Places to go / Bordeaux /
Boca, a mouth-watering new food court in Bordeaux
By Pascale Filliâtre , Published: 19 November 2018
© Boca FoodCourt — Located between the Garonne River and Gare Saint-Jean, Bordeaux’s new Boca FoodCourt is dedicated to culinary exploration.
Between the Garonne River and the Saint-Jean train station, where the old slaughterhouse used to be, Bordeaux’s new Boca Hall welcomes visitors on an extraordinary culinary adventure. Food shops and caterers from all over the world have set up shop in the refurbished hall, with big tables and beautiful terraces promising friendly encounters.
After two and half years of construction, the time has finally come to explore this new venue, located in the increasingly trendy Bordeaux-Euratlantique neighborhood.
Boca FoodCourt is a true renovation success story. Since 1938, on the southern banks of the Garonne, Paludate Quay was home to Debat-Ponsan Hall, the livestock market for the former Bordeaux slaughterhouse. It was partially destroyed in 1998, and finally transformed into Boca FoodCourt this winter.
© Pierre Planchenault — Under the main hall, La Boca offers a 1,300 m² trendy restaurant area.
The large hall with its nearly 200-meter-long (650 feet) concrete dome is truly spectacular—even more so now that it is flanked by three other halls, which look like hoisted sails. The space includes a Garden Hilton Inn four-star hotel with 140 rooms and offices. However, the main attraction remains the Boca FoodCourt, a one-of-a-kind marketplace in Bordeaux, only five minutes from the Saint-Jean train station.
The flavors of 14 independent restaurateurs
Not unlike New York’s Meatpacking District in the heart of Manhattan, Boca FoodCourt was designed to be attractive, lively, and trendy. And this, on a scale never before seen in France with 1,300m² (4,265ft²) of bars, restaurants, shops, and delicatessens. So far, 14 independent restaurateurs have moved into Boca’s common area, sharing their worldly cuisine with food lovers and foodies alike. It provides a dynamic, sensory space where families and groups of friends can come seven days a week, from 10am to midnight on weekdays and until 2 am on weekends.
© Pierre Planchenault — In the centre of Boca, a large cocktail bar.
From its Mexican and Asian corners, seafood counter, regional specialties and gluten-free options, Neapolitan pizzas and gourmet cuisine, everything at Boca is fresh and ready to eat. Depending on where their taste buds wish to travel, visitors can choose their own menus and sit wherever they like. There are large wooden tables and covered terraces, a self-service beer station and large central cocktail bar, making for a friendly, epicurean atmosphere. Guests can then continue the gourmet experience in the many surrounding food shops and boutiques.
An innovative checkout
For bill paying, everything is centralized. Boca FoodCourt uses the same model for festivals and certain sporting events.
Top up your account with a dedicated app or a reusable card valid for all Boca food vendors. This leaves visitors with more time to enjoy the important things and properly savor their culinary experience in Bordeaux.
Boca FoodCourt in Bordeaux (External link)
Plan your trip in Bordeaux (External link)
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Home > Memories > Broughs Store
Broughs Store
February 7, 2013 michael2210 Leave a comment Go to comments
My great grandad Matthew Dickinson is listed in various census as living in Station road the turn of the 20th century. His job was listed as grocers assistant, which at the time seems different from everybody else who seemed to work in mining. Having spoken to my uncle who has lived in Ushaw Morr all of his life, he told me that he worked in “Broughs Store” at the bottom of station road. I remember it being there when I was a kid, but does anybody out there know any history of the store. How long was it there? Was it always called “Broughs”? Does anyone out there know?
Categories: Memories Tags: broughs, shops
Broughs..all I remember is that it was there in the 1950’s, there were sides of bacon hanging up, a huge block of butter on the counter and it smelld lovely…of bacon and coffee.
Ushaw Moor Guru
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Denise :
Broughs..it smelld lovely…of bacon and coffee.
MMMM Lovely….:)
pat arckless
hi it was still there in late 1960 early 70s i was born 1963 and am now 50 so it was there a long tym i can remember as a kid going in and he used 2 deliver y groceries in them days x
It was certainly there just before 1914 and there is the well known photograph taken around that time.
The influence of Joseph Brough is still felt today! There is a Joseph Brough Charitable Trust Fund [unless it has very recently disbanded] and is administered through the Community Foundation – serving Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. The fund was established in 1940 and helps projects in Northumberland and Durham, with a special interest in Methodist causes. So it is reasonable to assume that he was a Methodist. Seemingly he was a man keen to help those in need as far as he could. Does anyone know more about him, or have memories of the store to add to those already on site?
My aunt Ethel worked there in the early 50s, if not a bit before and her future husband Arthur did a stint at the shop in WW2 and probably a bit afterwards.
Lovely old fashioned shop. They did deliveries to customers weekly by Broughs Lorry. The only lad that I knew that worked at Broughs was Alan Hope. The shop had a beautiful exterior at the front, highly glazed green tiles. It was situated to cater for the needs of customers from New Brancepeth (or Sleetburn) as well as from Ushaw Moor being built at the bottom of Station Road. When the shop was built there were a number of streets built in what was known as the Low Side which was situated below the Old Schools at New Brancepeth which was only a ten minute walk to Broughs The most memorable part of the shop was the compressed air system which took the bill and the money to the Cash Office and then the receipt and the change was returned to the assisant to be handed over to the customer. I was always fascinated by this apparatus. Happy days.
John Mc Garr
Up until the 1950’s, just as you entered the wood next to Broughs was, as far as I know, the only communal Air Raid Shelter in Ushaw Moor. It may never have been used for its intended purpose but kids at the bottom end of Ushaw Moor were fooled by their parents into believing that a Bogeyman named Sand Shoe Pete lived there. The threat that Sand Shoe Pete “might get you” was used (not always successfully) to kids in at night.
Sand Shoes were a cheap black canvass shoe really meant for indoor use but in those days were the year round footwear for many. As Brian Mc will remember they were also worn by Altar Boys At St Joes Church.
John Mc Garr,
A name from the past, delighted to hear from you. You were right about the altar boys but I was never an altar server. I have a query about the bottom end of Ushaw Moor which you may be able to help me with and I am going to enter a new post which regards the showfield which was on the gable end of your old terrace. However I cannot remember an Air Riad Shelter in the area of Broughs. Can you add some flesh to the bones and give the precise location. I think all kids in Ushaw Moor at that time was threatened with Sandshoe Pete.
I was an alter boy at St Josephs in about 1957/58. I remember wearing sand shoes – i also recall we nick named those – Pumps. We had to be as quiet as possible so i suppose the pumps helped minimise sound although if you didn’t pick your feet up when turning they could let out quite a squeak on the polished floor (thats when the priest gave you that almighty glare – ha.
Interested to know more about the whereabouts of the Ushaw Bomb shelter and why only one when we had two at Broompark.
We often walked the woods and the beck all the way to Ushaw and i recall once walking further on than Ushaw and came to an area where there was some remains of what seemed to have been a building. My mind is shady on this area but i seem to recall a high old wooden bridge that looked a bit scary and i think there was an old house on the other side of the bridge and a little old foot bridge going over a pond and unusual water plants. I think there is a picture on here somewhere of that bridge and i left a comment on it .
frank clarke
Ron sounds like Broadgate and the photographic image to which you refer was posted by my brother Peter ;It showed myself, my brother and my late sister Gloria and friends Regards Frank Clarke
terry fullard
there was a bomb shelter at the top of st josephs school yard
Olga Bradley nee Jones.
I used to play in a bomb shelter at the left hand side of the driveway up to the Catholic church. In the back street there used to be a fenced off bit of land just behind the first house over the back road.
Olga,
You are correct about the Air Raid Shelter on the driveway as you describe. This Shelter was for the Infants in the School. I can vividly remember being in the Infants when the Air Raid Warning was sounded and we were all lined up by the teachers, our gas mask in its brown box slung over our shoulders and marched across the schoolyard across the drive and into the Shelter. There were wooden seats around the walls and the lighting was provided by oil lamps carried by the teachers. It was wet, dark, very damp and claustophobic although I have never suffered from this complaint and I don’t suppose many people knew the meaning of the word in those days. The teachers, bless them, kept our minds occupied and the time seemed to pass quickly. Then came the All Clear siren and we would all troop back into our classes none the worse for the experience. We would sing hymns and songs whilst in the Shelter, anything to keep our minds fully occupied. On the far side of the shelter was an old wooden hut where the long distance travellers from Broompark, New Brancepeth and Bearpark used to dine at lunch time. It was freezing, cold and dirty and we would eat our sandwiches as quickly as possible and go out to play in the schoolyard.
The Air Raid Shelter for the rest of the school was situated in the wood adjacent to the gable end of the Catholic Club now stands. I was never in that Shelter.
The thing I can remember most about the shelter was the clanging of the reinforced steel door which closed us off from the outside world shortly after we were all accounted for after arriving in the shelter. I cannot remember how many times we used the shelter but it was more than once.
I am guessing we are again in different time frames here as i have no recollection of a drill for air raids. I wasnt at st Josephs for much more than a year. Also when i say i was an alter boy i should have said i was in training to be an alter boy. I cannot even remember this air raid/bomb shelter.
@ Frank ~ not the broadgate bridge. The bridge i am thinking of is a very high wooden Viaduct.?? There are no people in the photo i am talking about.
I think the bridge you are thinking about is the bridge which carried the railway over the beck at Ushaw Moor Colliery. This bridge was a high wooden structure. The coal trains would cross the bridge and then reverse into the sidings of the colliery where empty trucks were dropped off and full trucks formed into a train and then hauled back onto the main line and then onward to their final destination. After leaving the Ushaw Moor Colliery junction the main line continued up the valley and terminated at East Hedley Hope Colliery
There were another two bridges carrying the line over the road between Ushaw Moor and New Brancepeth. The concrete bases in which the timber uprights carrying the bridge were inserted are still in position in this area. I think there was a small low wooden bridge of the same design carrying the line over the beck near the junction for Esh Winning Colliery. I read somewhere that the design of these bridges were unique to the Deerness Valley line.
The old ruined house that Ron mentions I think was the 16th. century house which stood at the top a small bank overlooking the beck on the path that led up to Hankeys Farm. This house was reputedly built by a knight named Redpath who was said to one of the three men that murdered Thomas a Becket the Archbishop of Canterbury in his own Cathedral. It was again reputedly built as a chapel. He was supposed to have built it to atone for the murder he had taken part in. There was a date, I think it was 1697 cut into the lintel above the front door of the house
Another item of interest in that area was what we called the “plank”. It was a length of timber of the same dimensions of the timbers in the bridge and was used a footbridge over the beck. The was a steel frame slung from the underside of the “plank “. I could never fathom out its usefulness. If you followed the path up and under the bridge, crossed the rails in the sidings and followed the path up the field you arrived at Deerness View on the Esh Winning road.
I was down that area a few years ago and the plank has been replaced by a footbridge, the old house was demolished and the triangle formed by the railway embankment and the continuation of the bank on which the old house was built has been filled in with the spoil heap from New Brancepeth Coke Works. To cap it all the beck is only half of what it was as in those days as millions of gallons of water was pumped into the beck daily from the pits further up the Valley. I hope Ron this answered a couple of your queries. There are photos of some of these bridges in the Gallery on this site.
Superb account Brian.. -) The building can be seen in this photo.. possibly:-) https://ushawmoormemories.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/harwood-photos-of-ushaw-moor-colliery/1935-durham-4/
Thanks Brian, the bridge i recall was massive looking up at it from below. Of course i am seeing it 1n around 1959 to 1962 ? and from a 9 to 11 year olds view.
We were too scared to walk under it because one of the other kids saw some timber on the ground and said it might be going to collapse.
I found a photo of it on one of the Ushaw sites and it also showed a small footbridge in the fore ground going over this section of water where i remember the plants did not seem to be native to the beck and might have been planted years before by whoever lived there.
Possibly some sort of water lilly.?
Trying to find the photo.
Still cannot find the photo i am looking for but these pictures in Gallery 5 tell a story.
Is that other bridge the one at the bottom of the main street in Ushaw.?? I did not think that viaduct was right there at the bottom of town.
http://ushawmoor.awardspace.info/history/railways5.htm
Yes the first wooden viaduct from Ushaw Moor heading west, was at the very bottom of station road, http://is.gd/NbPrUs
You can see the site as it looks now http://twitpic.com/c08yap
Thanks, i obviously didn’t splodge too far up the beck did i.??You don’t even have a bridge now. Makes sense as the River Deerness or Beck as we called it was nothing more than a strong stream at the best of times.Easier to just put pipes under a road and forget about bridges.Some suggest that the river was much stronger due to the coal mines pumping water into it.~~??? Where the F were the coal mines producing it from
If nature turns around and that valley is flooded it could be a different situation, but we seem to have the weather under control~ or it has US under pressure LOL.
I recall all the kids from Broompark and Ushaw getting together and Damming the beck just east of the Broompark bridge (can still see the location on google earth) and making our own swimming pool where we could dive into the water. Going back the next weekend it had some big catfish in there and some were too scared to swim. Google earth and google maps still give us a second chance of photos both Arial and street view of places demolished such as Ushaw Moor infant school and any other buildings as Google earth seems to be around 2009 with their photography.
Hi Ron, the road bridge is still there at the bottom of Ushaw Moor connecting it to New Brancepeth but yes the railway bridge has long since gone.
Also, where Google Earth/Maps show the land where the school was…well new houses have sprung up there now! Just little box houses, like many of the new ones are now. I think the development is just about finished now, Theyve squeezed 29 houses onto the site! Link here: http://www.gleeson-homes.co.uk/interactive-siteplans/index.php?id=41 Another bit of history gone!
westaus
Found more pics of the viaduct here ~http://www.flickriver.com/search/ushaw+moor/
along with lots more old Ushaw photos. Also found some photos of an old ushaw moor pump station. Is this still standing.
Hi Ron. There is still one building standing. I’m not sure what it is but i think it might have been to do with a pumping station, yes. I was out walking a few months ago and had a look near it, it had (i think) and old National Coal Board sign on it, and a newer one on there now but i can’t remember what it said.
If the building in question has an unusual rounded roof and double doors at the gable end nearest Ushaw Moor and is built of red brick then then that is the original pump house. I never saw or heard the pumps in operation. There were two cast iron pipes of about 24″ diameter left the pump house and went up the hill at the rear and went underground just short of the top of the hill. Looking back these pipes may have carried water from the beck to the New Brancepeth Colliery Coke Ovens which were built around the end of the 19th or beginning of the 20th century. They were a German design and the Manager at the Coke Ovens was named Scwartz. Could be a coincidence. When the coke was pushed out the oven by a massive ram it fell onto a tram where the coke was immediately doused by thousands of gallons of water to cool it down before the tram was hauled away up a ramp and the coke was transferred to railway trucks for its onward journey
This post has diversed from the original query by Michael about his great grandfather Matthew Dickinson. Would Matthew have been the grandfather of Dennis and Tom Dickinson who lived in Whitehouse Court? The children of my family and the Dickinson family were very close as we were all childhood friends.
Also Paul you are correct that the little house in middle of the picture was indeed the house I wrote about. We called the house LANESES, why I don’t know. The last family I can remember living in the property was named Doran Brian and Michael Doran went to St. Josephe school at Ushaw Moor and they moved from there just after the Second World War to the prefabs which had just been built on the Braunspath (?) Estate at New Brancepeth.
Hi Brian, i’ve found a pic of what i believe is the building i saw, and the only building left as far as i could see. It’s here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41238313@N00/2340723661/in/pool-1415306@N20 There are other photos of the surrounding pipework/pumps including one taken of the inside the building. Such a shame this is the only building left.
nobody seems interested in the pump house as i also noticed there is still a small pump in there which is just rusting and a coat of paint would make it look better. That pump would most likely have been to prime the bigger pumps as it is way too small to pump water from the beck through those pipes i saw as they are about a 6 inch pipe.
We have gone off topic and i suppose this should have been a new post titled Ushaw Moor pump house. Although we also went off topic with air raid shelter then the viaduct.
Is this pump house near the river.? Pumps push the water better than sucking it up so the suction is better close to the water source.
Hi Ron, this Pump House isn’t too far from the river a short slope straight into it. This as far as I know had been pum,ping mine water from the shaft into the River Deerness, had been operating for quite a while, you could see the Iron Oxide in the water flowing down into the river, I had seen an article about it on the WEB some years ago, stating it was being monitored.
There is mention of possible damage to environment if turned off, HERE
I haven’t been down there in a while but I guess it is now stopped pumping.
“clockworklozenge (56 months ago)
These pumps are inactive, i believe the water in the shaft may be slowly rising ,If so then a new outflow may be neccesary
Thanks for the photo but that is not the building I had in mind. The building that was the pump house was situated on the New Brancepeth side of the beck about 350 yards upstream from the road betwee the villages. That builing looks like one of the original buildings that were in Ushaw Moor Pit Yard
that sounds like the sight of the old coke ovens
Hello Terry,
The site of the Coke Ovens was on the left hand side of the railway walk and abour half a mile from the NewBrancepeth road. They covered a huge area and the air was always full of smoke of all hues as the ovens turned the coal into coke. Looking back now I presume these were actually gases given off in the coke making process. The men who worked the ovens would have been breathing in these gases all their working day.
I started off in working as a blacksmith. When using the forge we used a method called -rolling the coal. This is moving the coal in and out of the fire and often damping it with water. The object is to force the gases and other impurities such as sulfur out of the coal without actually letting the coal catch on fire. The result is you have a nice – Gas coke to work with. The smell is mainly the sulfur coming out of the coal, often seen as a yellow smoke and if you remember it often happened in your coal fire and often the yellow smoke often burst into flames.
I remember in Broompark all that was left of the collier was the pit head. Behind that toward the beck was a pipe quite a ways down the valley and it had amazing colours in the discharge. No pumps so i guess this was a natural leak from the shaft. I tasted the water once and it was very sweet but tangy. The water was crystal clear so i guess it was being well filtered from the levels of coal etc it was coming through.
I was intending to keep giving Blacksmithing exhibitions in retirement but the gas coke resources are lost and the coal here is crap as it is a brown coal not a black and doesnt produce coke and just crumbles.
Ushaw Moor : Paperback : Alain Soren Mikhayhu : 9786139252510 Bogey Cart Racing
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Thousands march through Vancouver to protest Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion
Nick Eagland
An estimated 5000 people march down Cambie Street from Vancouver city hall to downtown Vancouver Saturday, November 19, 2016 protesting the proposed expansion of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline. Jason Payne / PNG
Thousands of protestors cried betrayal Saturday during a massive march against Justin Trudeau’s anticipated approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
The federal government will make a decision by Dec. 19 on whether to allow Texas energy giant Kinder Morgan to twin its existing pipeline, which primarily carries bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands to the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby.
The expansion project would include about 987 kilometres of new pipeline, new facilities and the reactivation of 193 km of existing pipeline, and would see increased tanker traffic.
Saturday at noon, at least 3,000 protestors met outside Vancouver City Hall before marching downtown over the Cambie Street Bridge.
Mayor Gregor Robertson called the rally “the most important meeting at city hall that we’ve had in our history” before the march began.
“We’re going to walk the talk today from here into downtown to send a clear message to our prime minister, his cabinet, members of parliament, to say no to Kinder Morgan’s pipeline and oil tankers,” Robertson said. “We need to stand strong for these weeks ahead, the days ahead. The decision is coming.”
Tsleil-Waututh elder Amy George choked up as she called upon Trudeau to listen to the thousands of protestors who had gathered.
George said she witnessed first hand the enviromental impact of Alberta’s tar sands at “Dead Duck Lake” and said she spoke with residents of communities nearby who suffered negative health consequences and abysmal water quality.
“If Kinder Morgan gets to come through the Salish Seas in the Burrard Inlet, not if there’s a dump, when there’s a dump, it’s going to be there for 70 to 100 years and we’ll be breathing in seven dangerous, toxic gases,” George said.
Green Party leader Elizabeth May and Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs also attended the rally, where protestors lashed out at Trudeau for what they said was a failure to uphold Liberal platform promises to protect the environment and reconcile with Canada’s Aboriginal peoples.
“I’m worried that he’s back-pedalling,” said Vancouver resident Melanie Preston, who marched with her four-year-old niece Poppy. “He’s expressed interest in protecting the environment and so we’re here to make him accountable to that promise.”
Vancouver resident Bec Wonders carried a sign with a drawing of Trudeau that read “Harper 2.0.” Wonders believes Canadians would hold Trudeau accountable for breaking campaign promises if his government approves the project.
“Justin Trudeau needs to take reconciliation seriously and he needs to realize that in order to do so, he must listen to First Nations’ voices and recognize that they have not given consent to this pipeline,” she said. “He has to divest and give Canadians what they want, which is a green future.”
Kinder Morgan says twinning the Trans Mountain Pipeline will inject $6.8 billion into the Canadian economy through project spending while added production capacity will increase producers’ revenues by $73.5 billion over 20 years.
As well, the firm says federal and provincial governments would benefit from $46.7 billion in additional taxes and royalties from construction and two decades of operation, revenues and tanker traffic.
But the project has been met with fierce opposition by First Nations, groups such as Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Expansion and Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan.
If the project is approved, Kinder Morgan expects the Westridge Marine Terminal to serve 34 tankers per month, up from the current five.
neagland@postmedia.com
twitter.com/nickeagland
'It's what anyone would do:' Men rescue neighbour from burning house Burnaby RCMP investigate after shooting lands one man in hospital
Thousands march through Vancouver to protest Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion
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Interviewing and Negotiation
What it’s like to work at AfterShip
Founded in 2012, AfterShip’s mission is to automate eCommerce operations and help retailers provide the best customer experience after sales. Since winning the First Startup Weekend Hong Kong and the Global Startup Battle competitions, AfterShip has gone from strength to strength, with a reputation as a great place for developers, designers and product managers to work.
We talked to AfterShip’s team about the company’s culture, development opportunities and perks, and some all-important advice for job applicants.
You can check out AfterShip's employee interview in AfterShip’s Vanna profile.
People at AfterShip enjoy a supportive and friendly culture where product designers, product managers and software engineers all work closely together within scrum teams to deliver high-quality deliverables such as product enhancements or new product features in every two-week sprint.
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For Adam, a Senior Software Engineer who mentors more junior engineers, it’s openness that is key to everyone’s development, explaining that “the company is open to change whenever an engineer has found there’s a better solution or better tools to fix our product”. Recent examples include migrating AfterShip’s core database from MongoDB to Google Spanner.
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AfterShip office has a large, open-plan workplace with lots of natural light
AfterShip empowers their people to choose when, where and how they work best to deliver better results, offering flexible working hours and unlimited work-from-home. This focus on outcomes gets the best out of staff, says Tracy, who can “choose when and where and how I work the best”. However, AfterShip’s office is also a great place to be, with a large open plan workplace, unlimited food and drinks in the pantry and a games room.
Competition for jobs at AfterShip is high but Andrew, one of the startup’s co-founders, has some top interview tips for applicants. With an international client base and a global business, Andrew encourages applicants “to have an international mindset” and learn from the design and engineering trends around the world, including both in the US and China. In terms of attitude, Andrew encourages applicants to demonstrate that they are open to failure whilst showing that they can “keep finding the answer and resolve problems every single day”.
Do you want to understand more about what it's like to work for AfterShip and apply for their jobs? Well, you can check out their culture, office, interview tips and employee testimonials on AfterShip’s Vanna profile, right alongside their open job opportunities.
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A Look Inside Three Brothers Winery and Estate
By Kate Meyers EmeryMay 7, 2019 No Comments
Three Brothers Winery & Estate is a fun experience; with the key word here being experience. It isn’t just about tasting wine at a bar, it’s about having very different tastings at different locations across the estate, including three wineries, a brewery and a café. This includes everything from a classic tasting room at Stony Lonesome, featuring vinifera-based wine and jazz music, to the rockin’ shack in the woods at Bagg Dare that is pouring sweet wines with naughty names. There’s a feeling of fun and effortlessness to the place; like the owners are inviting you to different themed parties.
But behind the visage of effortless fun is a lot of hard work. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to sit down with owners Luanne Mansfield and Erin Paolcelli, marketing manager Katharine Warner, and winemakers Kim White and Paige Vinson. During our conversation, what impressed me was their attention to detail, their willingness to experiment, and their dedication to working together to realize their vision.
About Three Brothers Winery & Estate
In 2006, Dave and Luanne Mansfield purchased what used to the Newland Winery, a 50-acre property with a tasting room. The challenge with this location, found at the northern end of Seneca Lake, was that at the time it was fairly isolated from other wineries, meaning potential visitors would have to drive a ways off the wine trail to reach them. Their solution? Create an experience that would appeal to not only the wine drinkers, but casual tourists who weren’t necessarily up for the wine trail, and would provide guests with enough entertainment that it would be worth the drive.
It started with three wineries, themed around the personalities of Dave and his two brothers
Stony Lonesome is the old school, classic tasting room experience. Guests can sample European varietal based wines like Chardonnay and Merlot, along with some interesting varietals like Zweiglet and Barbera.
Passion Feet Vineyard is the laid back winery with a feminine twist, that features semi-dry and semi-sweet wines with names like Wanderlush, Eccentricity and Scandelicious.
Bagg Dare Wine, located in the woods behind the other locations, is the redneck winery whose sweet wines are a little on the raunchy side with 69 Ways to Have Fun and Skirt Lifter
Since opening, they’ve also established War Horse Brewing Co, a full scale brewery making a range of beers from sours to stouts as well as soda, and Iron Heart Cafe, which has their own cold brew coffee and a delicious menu.
Now, when guests arrive on site, they can literally spend the day. It’s a wine and beer trail in itself. Visitors have the option to purchase a $20 tasting pass, which gets them samples of wine at each of the three wineries, a beer flight at the brewery, and some discounts on merchandise.
What impressed me about the different locations on the estate was the attention to detail, and while talking with the co-owners, it became abundantly clear that each of these decisions was made with clear intention.
As you wander through each of the wineries, you notice that it isn’t just that the decorations and wines change with the theme- it’s all the little details as well, creating a completely different experience. At Stony Lonesome, when you’re clearing your palate, you have the option of classic oyster crackers, whereas this offering is crunchy crackers at Passion Feet and pretzels at Bagg Dare. It’s a small decision. The staff is even dressed differently, with the Stony Lonesome tasting person wearing a collared shirt and khakis, and the bartender at Bagg Dare in a black sweater and jeans. The menus even fit the locations, with descriptions of the wines varying to fit the level of engagement they are anticipating: longer notes about flavor and awards at Stony Lonesome, where there are quirky names and fun descriptions at Passion Feet.
Guests may not even notice some these differences, but it adds to the overall feeling of cohesion—the differences aren’t just a veneer, they are embedded within each location.
Winemakers Kim White & Paige Vinson
Tasting in the cellar with Three Brothers’ new winemakers, Kim and Paige, revealed that they’re not just making the standard wines that this place is known for—they are experimenting and playing around with their wine to share totally new creations. While chatting, we learned that the winery in general promotes experimentation, whether it’s testing out a new type of grape or finding interesting collaborations between the winemakers and brewers. This approach has been present from the beginning—when Dave and Luanne bought the property in 2006, they planted a number of obscure varietals for the region, like Barbera and Zweigelt, just to see what would happen!
Kim and Paige’s first experimental wine was released as part of the Pilot Series, a line of wines where they are free to play with what the vintage provides. This fun and playful wine, called Instant Gratification, is a Nouveau-ish style Zweigelt and Riesling blend that was released just after harvest. Now, they are experimenting with a Vidal Blanc aged on the lees for a year, producing a fascinating and nostalgia inducing Trix cereal type nose (milk included), and are planning to do more with yeast from testing new strains to wild ferments.
But it isn’t just the staff who’s experimenting, they want guests to have that experience as well, which is one of the reasons they are making different styles of wine at their different wineries. It gives visitors the opportunity to explore everything from a classic Merlot to a bourbon barrel aged Barbera to a sweet Cayuga perfect for picnics.
What was clear in every conversation we had, whether it was with the owners, winemakers or tasting room staff, was that people truly love being a part of the Three Brothers team and are dedicated to making it a better experience for their guests. Their enthusiasm for their work is contagious, it’s an authentic kind of excitement that makes you want to be a part of it.
You may not be a fan of sweet wine, or you may not love beer, but that’s the beauty of this place—there’s something for everyone. You can enjoy a classic dry oaked Chardonnay while your friend sips sweet Moscato and your child enjoys an orange soda (also made in house) over lunch in their café.
Tasting at Stony Lonesome
2018 Pilot Series Instant Gratification
Why this wine? It’s Kim and Paige’s first wine they’ve produced at Three Brothers, and also, it’s totally fascinating—Nouveau-style Zweigelt? You’ve got to try it!
Varietal: 97% Zweiglet and 3% Riesling
Appellation: Finger Lakes/Seneca Lake
Tasting Note: The nose begins with bright aromas of cranberry and fresh green herbs, with hints of orange peel. Ripe cherries, raspberry, and orange zest fill the palate, and its’ acidity is balanced out by a touch of sweetness.
2016 Stony Lonesome Zweigelt/Cabernet Sauvignon
Why this wine? Nearly every staff member told us we had to try this wine, and we are so glad we did. This is a great alternative to Meritage and Bordeaux blends.
Varietal: 70% Zweiglet and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Note: Jammy raspberry and cherry, with touches of fennel and licorice, make for an enchanting nose that is complemented by a blueberry and strawberry palate, with just enough tannin to leave you wanting more and a pop of acid to balance the full body.
2017 Wanderlush
Why this wine? Part of their Women of Distinction series whose labels are just divine, this is a super fun sparkling wine that is going to be great for summer entertaining.
Varietal: 100% Barbera
Tasting Note: Bright strawberry, citrus and peach pop on the nose and continue on the palate with clementine and lime. It’s effervescence offsets the sweetness, and there’s a lovely leafy green acidity.
Kate Meyers Emery Author
Kate Meyers Emery
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Playwrights Voiced: Wyoming Singer-Songwriters Concert with Excerpts of Play Readings by Relative Theatrics
LPCC Gryphon Theatre
710 E. Garfield St.
$10 General Admission; $8 Student/Senior; purchase of tickets for nights 1-3 include free admission to night 4 on May 25
Relative Theatrics
With partial funding from Wyoming Humanities and the Wyoming Art Council, Relative Theatrics and Wyoming Singer-Songwriters present the 5th Annual PLAYWRIGHTS VOICED FESTIVAL: Featuring New Plays with Original Music
Relative Theatrics and Wyoming Singer-Songwriters present the 5th Annual PLAYWRIGHTS VOICED FESTIVAL: Featuring New Plays with Original Music, May 22-25, 2019 at the LPCC Gryphon Theatre. The series features 3 nights of readings of new plays by developing playwrights and 1 night of music from Wyoming Singer-Songwriters, interspersed with theatrical scenes and artistic conversations. PLAYWRIGHTS VOICED returns for its fifth year as a successful festival of new works with a goal of developing contemporary playwriting and promoting local talent in directing and acting.
PLAYWRIGHTS VOICED features WYOMING SINGER SONGWRITERS, featuring play excerpts and artist conversations; Proctored by Caskey Russell
Wyoming Singer-Songwriters will pair a Wyoming musician with each play selected in Playwrights Voiced. The songwriters will compose music inspired by the play and perform original songs, blending elements of acting, songwriting, and storytelling into a unique experience with insight into the creative processes. This final night of the festival features full performances from all three songwriters, interspersed with excerpts from each play and conversations between the artists involved, highlighting the stories and the inspiration behind the songs.
*PLAYWRIGHTS VOICED features mature content and is recommended for adult audiences.
Relative Theatrics strives to present thought-provoking theatre that examines the joining qualities of the human race. We believe that theatre is a forum with the power to illuminate the binding qualities of humanity and reinforce the ideals that as a society we have values that pose as common ground and emotions that relate us to one another. Taking artistic risk, we provide a community gathering place where thoughts can be exchanged about society, culture, and the power of creativity.
Wyoming Singer-Songwriters assist artists from every Wyoming community to have access to a statewide platform to perform, share, sell, and practice their art. The organization provides professional support in recording and publishing music, enhances singer-songwriter exposure across the state, creates experience opportunities for singer-songwriters to practice their art, and connects musicians and songwriters throughout the state. The RT/WSS partnership is a collaboration that supports and promotes the arts in Wyoming on a national scale, enhancing WSS’ ability to fulfill its mission by providing new opportunities for songwriters to perform to different audiences and to have their work featured in different media.
PLAYWRIGHTS VOICED begins at the Laramie Plains Civic Center (LPCC) Gryphon Theatre Wednesday, May 22rd. Additional performances take place Thursday through Saturday, May 23-25. A different play is presented every night. All performances are at 7:30pm. Each reading is followed by an optional audience chatback with the playwright, actors, and artistic team. May 25th is a concert setting featuring full sets from the songwriters, interspersed with theatrical scenes and artist conversations.
Tickets: Single Tickets are $10 General Admission/$8 for Students/Seniors. Purchase of a ticket for nights 1-3 include free admission to night 4. They can be purchased online at www.gryphontheatre.org or by going into the LPCC office room 110 during business hours. Seating is limited to 50 tickets per performance on nights 1-3.
← Playwrights Voiced: Reading of SHINE DOWN ON US by Spencer Huffman with music by Jordan Smith
O’Reilly Auto Parts NO LIMITS MONSTER TRUCKS & THRILL SHOW →
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Appraisal: Nodder Sets, ca. 1900
Clip: Season 22 Episode 21 | 2m
Watch Noel Barrett's appraisal of Nodder Sets, ca. 1900, in Vintage Portland.
Funding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance, Ancestry, and Consumer Cellular. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.
Appraisal: German Alpine Zither, ca. 1900
Appraisal: German Alpine Zither, ca. 1900, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Kister Swivel Head Porcelain Doll, ca. 1855
Appraisal: Kister Swivel Head Porcelain Doll, ca. 1855, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Swiss Watch, ca. 1860
Appraisal: Swiss Watch, ca. 1860, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Penobscot "Root" Club, ca. 1920
Appraisal: Penobscot "Root" Club, ca. 1920, in Vintage Portland.
Clip: S22 Ep21
Appraisal: French Cameo Glass Vase, ca. 1910
Appraisal: French Cameo Glass Vase, ca. 1910, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: 1903 Immigrant Art
Appraisal: 1903 Immigrant Art, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Forgery by Eugene Field, Jr., ca. 1920
Appraisal: Forgery by Eugene Field, Jr., ca. 1920, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: S. S. Stewart Philadelphia Banjo, ca. 1885
Appraisal: S. S. Stewart Philadelphia Banjo, ca. 1885, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Sino-Tibetan Kapala, ca. 1975
Appraisal: Sino-Tibetan Kapala, ca. 1975, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Waltham Railroad Watch, ca. 1910
Appraisal: Waltham Railroad Watch, ca. 1910, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: French Landscape Painting, ca. 1840
Appraisal: French Landscape Painting, ca. 1840, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Etched Cobalt Glass, ca. 1935
Appraisal: Etched Cobalt Glass, ca. 1935, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Vintage Cheese Box, ca. 1935
Appraisal: Vintage Cheese Box, ca. 1935, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Lithographed Tin Horse Race Game, ca. 1930
Appraisal: Lithographed Tin Horse Race Game, ca. 1930, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Viennese Bronze Bird Figure, ca. 1900
Appraisal: Viennese Bronze Bird Figure, ca. 1900, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Late 19th-Century Chelsea-style Figurines
Appraisal: Late 19th-Century Chelsea-style Figurines, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: 1879 Augustus St. Gaudens Relief Plaque
Appraisal: 1879 Augustus St. Gaudens Relief Plaque, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Massachusetts Painted Chair, ca. 1800
Appraisal: Massachusetts Painted Chair, ca. 1800, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: English Lap Desk & Contents, ca. 1835
Appraisal: English Lap Desk & Contents, ca. 1835, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Elias Pelletreau Silver Teapot, ca. 1750
Appraisal: Elias Pelletreau Silver Teapot, ca. 1750, in Vintage Portland
Appraisal: Lehmann Swing Windup Toy, ca. 1890
Appraisal: Lehmann Swing Windup Toy, ca. 1890, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: KPM Porcelain Coffee Service, ca. 1815
Appraisal: KPM Porcelain Coffee Service, ca. 1815, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: English Inlaid Box, ca. 1865
Appraisal: English Inlaid Box, ca. 1865, in Vintage Portland.
Appraisal: Three In One Oil Co. Bottle, ca. 1920
Appraisal: Three In One Oil Co. Bottle, ca. 1920, in Vintage Portland.
Season 23 Season 22 Season 21 Season 20 Season 19 Season 18 Season 17 Season 16 Season 15 Season 14 Season 12
Uncover an animal attraction to this collection of critters and creatures, plus a
Celebrating Latino Heritage
Items that speak to Latin American history & culture, including a $1.2M-$2.2M find!
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Celebrate Halloween with thrilling and chilling finds!
Junk in the Trunk 8
Experience all-new and previously unaired Season 22 appraisals
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Discover if Golden Gate City treasures still shine as we revisit appraisals from 2003.
Vintage Oklahoma City
Revisit updated appraisals from 15 years ago, including a treasure that doubled in value!
Vintage Birmingham
Discover memorable finds appraised back in 1999, including a $20,000 treasure.
Vintage Chicago
Learn which Windy City appraisals have soared and which have sunk since 2003.
Vintage Portland
How much has the antiques market evolved? Find out with revisited appraisals from 1998.
Vintage Savannah
Travel back to 2003 for memorable finds including one treasure appraised for up to $50,000
Vintage Omaha
Uncover how appraisals from 14 years ago have held up, including an $80,000-$120,000 find.
Newport, Hour 3
Celebrate as ROADSHOW wraps up its visit to Rosecliff Mansion with a $100,000 find!
See the Infamous Corned Beef Sandwich
A few crumbs can go a long way. Learn what happened when one astronaut snuck a popular lunchmeat onto the Gemini III in 1965.
See the SandwichSee the Sandwich
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IT & TelecommunicationsTechnology
Technology News Saint Kitts And Nevis
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IT & TelecommunicationsSoftware
Anton Cabral
Anton Cabral is partner and managing executive at LRMG Digital Agency. He began his career in computer-related positions after completing a BSc in Mathematical Sciences (computer science andinformatics).
Evan-Lee Courie is Group Editor at Bizcommunity.com..
Garth Williams works at the Technology Innovation Agency, an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology. He is a member of the Department of Science and Technology's FIR National System of Innovation Coordinating Committee..
Leigh Andrews (@leigh_andrews) AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality. She's also on the Women in Marketing: Africa advisory panel, and can be reached at
moc.ytinummoczib@hgiel
Peter Pedroncelli
I am a South African journalist with a passion for football..
Pine Pienaar is the Managing Director of Afiswitch, a role he stepped into in 2008, with the purpose of further entrenching his decades worth of biometric and AFIS experience into Afiswitch's service offering to the market..
Co-founder @DisruptAfrica. Tech and business journalist in Africa.
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« After Libya, an argument for nonviolent resistance in Syria
Last Friday of Ramadan »
August 27, 2011 by The Ajnabi
Al-Jazeera: The US’ war of words against Syria
New York Times: After Arab Revolts, Reigns of Uncertainty
The National: Syria opposition must learn from Libya’s council
The one lesson that Syrians must learn from Libya is this: set up a truly representative national council.
A national council including credible dissidents would convince many Syrians who currently sit on the fence to side with the protesters. By discussing post-Assad Syria, a council could also encourage the international community to move more aggressively against the regime. Military intervention is both unlikely and undesirable, but there is more to be done with smart sanctions and pressure.
In fairness, the opposition has little political or diplomatic experience, after decades of suppression. But although delay means more bloodshed, opposition figures are still disagreeing on lesser issues than the continuing killings. Some even pulled out of talks about starting a national council. If such discord continues, some in the opposition will bear some of the blame for a lack of success.
Shadow Government: The Alawis will determine Bashar’s fate
Foreign Affairs: How Iran keeps Assad in power
According to U.S. officials, as of April Iran was providing the Syrian security services with weapons, surveillance equipment, and training. Earlier this month, Ankara intercepted an arms shipment headed from Tehran to Damascus — the second such shipment it caught this summer.
The Iranian regime has also provided Assad with technology to monitor e-mail, cell phones, and social media. Iran developed these capabilities in the wake of the 2009 protests and spent millions of dollars establishing a “cyber army” to track down dissidents online. Iran’s monitoring technology is believed to be among the most sophisticated in the world — second, perhaps, only to China. Shortly after Iran shared its know-how with Syria this summer, Assad lifted restrictions on social networking Web sties, presumably to lure dissents out into the open.
In addition to sharing weapons and surveillance tools credible reports from Syrian refugees indicate that Tehran sent its own forces to Syria to quash the protests. A number of revolutionary guards from the elite Quds Force are also reported to be there, presumably to train Syrian forces. On May 18, the U.S. Treasury Department mentioned the role of the Quds Force directly, asserting that Mohsen Chizari, the Quds Force’s third-in-command, was training the security services to fight against the protestors.
Even if Assad should eventually fall, Iran will not stand idly by; Tehran will surely try to influence any successive government.
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Alberta’s NDP says Christian school cannot state that God’s authority supersedes human authority
Alberta’s NDP government has made the next move against religious schools in the province—and this time, they’ve dropped any pretence that their ongoing attacks on religious schools are anything short of crass bigotry. At the end of August, Education Minister David Eggen announced that funding would be pulled from Christian schools that refused to accept Gay-Straight Alliance Clubs. Now, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has released details of the changes that the government is demanding from Christian schools:
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms today released correspondence sent to independent schools by Curtis Clark, Alberta’s Deputy Minister of Education, threatening schools with defunding if they do not remove the following content from their “Safe and Caring” school policies:
“We believe men and women were created in the image of God, after His likeness, and therefore have transcendent, intrinsic worth.” (allegedly violates School Act because this is “unwelcoming, uncaring and/or disrespectful”)
As part of the school’s Personal and Social Value Commitments: “To develop godly attitudes toward marriage and the family along with the understanding and skills needed to establish a God-honouring home.” (allegedly violates School Act for being “unwelcoming, uncaring and/or disrespectful”)
“…parents have been given the responsibility to raise their children, and are the primary educators of their children. Therefore, the school will involve parents as appropriate and necessary regarding their children’s participation in school student groups in accordance with the usual practices of notification.” (allegedly violates the School Act)
“the unchangeable and infallible truth of the Word of God” (allegedly violates School Act requirement that “diversity” must be “respected”)
“Upon receipt of a request for a club or activity, the principal shall determine whether the requested club or activities would create a safe, caring, welcoming and respectful environment and is consistent with the vision and mission of the school.” (allegedly violates School Act for being “unwelcoming, uncaring and/or disrespectful”)
“God created mankind as male and female, equal in dignity and worth, yet with distinct and complementary roles” (allegedly contrary to School Act requirement for “welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment”)
“Proposals for student clubs and activities will be evaluated according to their promotion of the values, principles, mission and vision of the school” (allegedly contrary to the School Act)
“God’s institution of marriage, a covenant relationship between one man and one woman, is the sole environment within which sexual activity is permitted, and is the context in which children are to be raised.” (allegedly violates School Act requirement for “welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment”)
“Obedience to God’s law supersedes subjection to human authority” (allegedly contrary to the School Act)
“… the above doctrines will be taught as truth in our school.” (allegedly violates School Act by disrespecting “diversity”)
“All school groups, clubs and activities must teach, demonstrate and embrace the biblical perspective that is the foundation for all school activities” (allegedly violates the School Act)
“Names of student groups will be in harmony with the teachings of Scripture and the values and faith perspective of the school community” (allegedly violates the School Act)
“The school’s teachers and staff need not teach ethics or religious doctrines that are contrary to the school community’s faith/value commitments in a way that portrays them as equally credible or worthy of belief.” (allegedly violates School Act requirement to respect “diversity”)
“As appropriate, if a parent or student believes the faith and/or value commitment of the School and the parent’s or student’s faith and/or values are incompatible, and continuing to enroll the student in the School is not in the best interest of the student, then the School shall assist the parent or student to enroll in another school for the subsequent school year.” (allegedly contrary to the School Act as unwelcoming, uncaring and/or disrespectful)
As a requirement on a form for setting up a student organization: “Please explain how the formation of this club will help the school better achieve its mission and vision.” (allegedly violates School Act for being unwelcoming, uncaring and/or disrespectful)
Alberta Education states that failure to remove the above content from a school’s “Safe and Caring” policies “may result in funding implications … and the suspension or cancellation of accreditation.”
Schools in receipt of these demands and threats from Alberta Education, along with all schools in Alberta, had submitted their policies to David Eggen in March of 2016. Since March of 2016, in the past 2½ years, schools have not received a response from David Eggen as to whether he considered their policies to follow the School Act.
It was not until the week of September 4, 2018, that some schools finally received specific feedback about their policies from the Alberta Government, well after the start of the 2018-19 school year.
“By demanding that independent schools remove religious content from their safe-and-caring policies, David Eggen is attacking the welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment that these schools have in place,” stated lawyer John Carpay, President of the Justice Centre.
The Justice Centre represents parents and dozens of schools in a constitutional challenge to the Bill 24 secrecy provisions, which require withholding information from parents about their own children as young as five years old.
The NDP attacks on schools began as a radical progressive government forcing LGBT ideology into communities that did not want it, and have now metastasized into a blunt declaration by the government that schools cannot govern themselves according to their Christian beliefs. “Diversity” must be respected, by which the NDP means that a diverse array of religious schools must accept progressive ideology and accede to their demands or face further attacks from the government. This is no longer simply about Gay Straight Alliance clubs—the NDP is telling Christian schools that they cannot teach Christian doctrine, cannot state their belief that the Bible is God’s Word, cannot respect the primary role of parents in the education process, and cannot state that the biblical worldview is true.
And, most tellingly, the NDP had a problem with one school noting that God’s authority superseded man’s authority—because they do not believe that to be true. They believe that they are the final authority on everything, which is why they demanded that a Christian school remove acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty from their mission statement. The battle lines have been openly drawn now: Alberta’s NDP government wants to drive any acknowledgement of Christianity as true from the province’s education system. On this, they will not succeed.
For anyone interested, my book on The Culture War, which analyzes the journey our culture has taken from the way it was to the way it is and examines the Sexual Revolution, hook-up culture, the rise of the porn plague, abortion, commodity culture, euthanasia, and the gay rights movement, is available for sale here.
By Jonathon Van Maren September 28, 2018 84 Comments
Tags: Alberta NDPBill 24David EggenGay Straight Alliance ClubJCCFJonathon Van MarenNDP
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Looks like Canada is no longer a ‘free’ country!!!!! So so sad!!!!!
Sam Sotiropoulos says:
There is a simple solution: the schools can stop taking public funds. Problem solved. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.
A Lutz says:
In that case all Christians need to be able to opt out of paying school taxes.
Something fishy going on here. I agree, Christians should be given the option not to pay school taxes, then we can channel that money to Christian schools. How about that?
Jacob Schiff says:
The NDP are ideological Left Hand Path Marxist SATANISTS.
…In case anyone was wondering…
Concerned Canadian says:
Why do you care if parents want to teach their own children their values and have them attend a school that other agrees with them?? If you close these schools, the government and people of Alberta will stay PAY the SAME AMOUNT of money for the education of the children. We are Canadians! It is our RIGHT to have differing options and values! What makes YOUR ideas and beliefs so much more important than Christians, First Nations, or Muslims?
I would like to see them enforce these rules in a Muslim school. Egan’s head on a platter, anyone?
Very well said Sam, for years now we have been eating the fruit from a Judeo-Christian society. That day is coming to an end and we will have to adjust both our perspective and strategies. We are entering an hour where the majority of Christians throughout history have lived. Jesus said in John 15:18 – “If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me.”
Funding isn’t the entire issue. Accreditation is being taken away unless there is compliance by schools. If they don’t comply, the school is shut down by the government.
Actually, all educational institutions are unaccredited in Canada, except for one or two universities . They just go by reputation.
Peggy Anderson says:
I believe homeschoolers are subject to the same restrictions
In BC “traditional homeschoolers”, are not subject to those restrictions. Distance learners enrolled in courses at a public or independent school are.
MaryJane says:
Except that the government is making a claim that they are the highest authority. They believe they have a higher authority than parents over all school age kids. No matter your school, there are very scary laws in place now. Parental rights have been taken away in ALL schools. Are you ok with not knowing what is going on at your child’s school, just because the government knows better than you. They are intentionally withholding information from parents and now schools are not legally allowed to inform parents of certain activities, even when the parents inquire. This is for ALL SCHOOLS. We need to take a stand to protect all children, no matter what school they are in.
This is pre-Nazi government indoctrination happening.
People need to wake up.
This is very alarming, and the biggest reason why I disagree with what is happening. Government is trying to take control of people’s minds, in this case starting with your children. Exactly the youth societies of nazi germany. We denounce them, but are doing the same thing. The history is still in recent memory, and we are already repeating it. Where is Canada’s freedom of speach? Where is Canada’s freedom? This is not just about Christian belief. It is about anyone who has a different belief than the government. Non-Christians need to stand up for rights before it is too late for them too.
Who wants Rachel Notley controlling the minds of their children?
Palamas says:
Alberta is not the United States. Simply refusing state funding won’t do it. The province can still yank their accreditation if they don’t offer incense to Caesar.
Why can’t they take public funds. Much less is given per student then public schools. So if these schools shut down, it will actually cost the government much more for these students to go into the public system. PLUS all the parents still pay public school taxes AND thousands of dollars in school fees. And most are not rich. These are not hoity toity fancy private schools. So…. if funding is suggested to be removed, then in fairness taxes on these families should not be charged and burden the public system more.
no one is suggesting to shut these schools down, just that they need to accept govt guidelines and rules, both to receive govt (taxpayer) funding and to operate. pretty straightforward, actually
David Calvani says:
Are you really this stupid?
Being told to accept certain guideline in order to operate is a threat to be shut down for not accepting said guidelines.
Please: Engage your brain before commenting.
the schools have a choice: accept govt guidelines or lose govt funding and possibly be shut down. if they are shut down, it’s because of their own intransigence. doesn’t take a genius to realize that
No even if schools self fund the government will pull accreditation. This isn’t a matter of funding. It’s a matter of telling people what they can’t believe… a gross violation of ou r rights of freedom of conscience.
This used to be a plausible solution, but now government is threatening accreditation.
It’s not that simple, since they have rendered to Caesar but Caesar is not giving back. They have paid their taxes so maybe dont pay a double levy – to the government and then again to pay for a service that should be paid for by the goverment!
Rob Welte says:
Education is the pathway for cultural Marxists to your children. Diversity is our strength – if you think like us.
Doe says:
Then those with children should have the right to withhold school taxes. They pay those taxes whether they have children in school or not. That could be a very double edged sword.
Theresa Morton says:
Do these same rules apply to Muslim schools?
Taqiya
Preston Venzant says:
This has been tried before. It always seems to end in fire and death. One time it ended in water and death. But that was a long time ago.
Jamie Soles says:
Which means, as you know, they will not be able to function. Close their doors, and funnel their kids into schools that practice the thing their previous school could not do on religious grounds.
Or create a sharp rise in homeschooling. But, of course, as this govt. has already proven, it is against the law to not register your kids with a school board, and they tried real hard to shut down a homeschool-friendly board a couple years ago. They do not want Alberta funding to finance Christian education of any kind.
Either break the law by not registering your kids with a school board in Alberta, or quit insisting on Christian education.
Sounds like religious persecution to me.
Debora B. says:
Section 2: Fundamental Freedoms
Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
freedom of conscience and religion;
freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
freedom of peaceful assembly; and
freedom of association. NDP cannot limit or change these rights through manipulation or threats to withhold funding. They have the fundamental right in Canada to teach Christian views.
How do regular Canadians have freedom of conscience?
Background: the Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects from governmental interference with the rights.
Now, if each person has the right to their religion, can the government have or endorse one religion? The answer has to be no – giving special tax breaks to Christians would be discriminatory to Muslims, etc.
Now the question becomes can the government financially support religious schools? This is an interesting question and it must only be possible if the government funds all religious schools. The moment one religion is not added to the roster, there is discrimination and the government must either fund that school as well or cease funding all schools.
The provincial government is not limiting the conscience rights – Albertans are free to practice their religion. The provincial government is entitled to set education standards and require those standards be met (same as in Ontario).
The alberta act of 1905 is one of the reasons why alberta catholic schools are protected differently than say.. in British columbia. There is a cbc article that explains it well here : https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/why-alberta-saskatchewan-ontario-have-separate-catholic-schools-1.4614462 As an alberta resident who chose to send his kids to public school, i am thankful for the choices alberta parents have regarding education in alberta. More choice for parents is awesome.. afterall diversity is a strength… is it not?
They apply to all citizens. Rights are rights they can not be severed in diffeent buildinga.
If Christians believe all this nonsense, no one says they cant follow it. But as a student, you should have the ability to have all school departments rules and regulations being followed. Problems with that? Dont take our money.
James Linde says:
Well, actually, the NDP is saying they can’t follow it. These are specifically religious schools we are talking about. And if you think all religion is strictly private, you don’t understand religion.
Regarding whose money is going where, don’t forget that the parents of the students in these private schools are still paying taxes to support the public system.
Sorry Ken, but I pay taxes in Alberta, as do all of the Christians who live here. It’s our money too. And our Alberta Act allows for government funding of Christian schools but not government determining what Christianity is.
Luke Fevin says:
Sorry Jojo – but the Alberta Act says nothing of the sort.
Catholic separate education is protected – although it has being operating unconstitutionally for years and is just about to be reeled back in. There is ZERO mandate for public funding of religious schools in any piece of legislation beyond that.
IF that is so, Luke, then why are they being funded in the first place?
It ought to be a bedrock constitutional principle that a government cannot require any waiving of a constitutional right in order to receive a government benefit. It seems that the officials in Alberta want religious schools to do just this.
Of course, I’m an American. Perhaps Canadians don’t care about such things.
Eloise Dickie says:
Does it apply to Catholic Schools too. Or only Private Christian Schools.
Jonathon Van Maren says:
The Catholic schools in Alberta agreed to the government’s demands.
Mel Kozun says:
But an Islamic school can say that pedophile Mohammed and his false God is does – in a PUBLIC SCHOOL SETTING!!!
Tick-Tock …. May 31, 2019 cant come fast enough!!
Martha smith says:
God will prevail! Who do these self imposed and impressed people think you are? Let the fight begin!
DrAGG says:
God will judge – and he warns all of us not to.
B.dal says:
The ndp are satans mouthpiece in alberta.. We need people to rise up and put a stop to their ludicrous stupidity. They can’t make any decisions let alone set themselves up to be a final authority. These boneheads along with their dipstick leader need to be completely disposed of along with all their immoral laws
Michael Tomalty says:
God has supremacy over all mankind! He has the power to give life and also take it away! Rachel Notley, God hears you and will make judgment based on your actions here. You will know what authority is very quickly when the Almighty dethrones you and casts you aside just like He did with so many other Kings and rulers.
You do not mess with the authority of our God!
God will always win no matter how hard you try to remove Him from our schools who make a choice to use His Name and teach their students about Him.
Robert Ward says:
Its time for persecution of a faiths to end. Christian or Non Christian Government should keep their noses and opinions out of our schools and homes. Its time for us to take back our individual and family rights and tell them to butt out.
Ernie Doble says:
Why does government think it’s ok to remove the rights of Christian families and impose their views. We seriously need a revolution or do we all let some morons dictate what our kids can be taught. I am personally very tired of left wing views being shoved down my throat.
Meus Black says:
In my opinion, in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it states, Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of GOD and the rule of law! Don’t these politicians read OR just follow the leader? Do not recall any of these problems a mere four years ago!!! THINK about it!
Lance Miller says:
Dear NDP part and Premier Rachel. I have been a public school board truste for 15 years, prior to the last election, and I am not of the catholic faith. I want to publicly state my utter disgust with your leftist gay indoctrination agenda of our children. I am not anti gay, I believe they have a right to choose and also a right to be respected and safe, but their choice is their business not my childrens. This anti Christian agenda is no different then our ugly education past of forcing first nations into out school systems to educate their heritage out of them. It ended in disaster then, as it will now. Your job is to educate kids on the core classes not to endocrinate public opinion or policy. We have a long way to go to say we are doing a good job just on the core subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic. How about we get that right and focus on that, rather than confusing children even more and pushing a leftist political issue on children who are not old enough to decide for themselves. Shame on you, shame on each of the members of our government for bringing children into a debate that adults can’t even understand. It is shameful that you would pray on our young to take christianity or Christian beliefs away from our kids and preach supremacy to parental rights. One of the founding principles that democracy is based on is the freedom to worship. Are their still instances of bigotry in the world? Yes, and no matter what we do their will always be idiots among us, but that does not give anyone the right to indoctrinate children on what is acceptable or not, that is a parent’s job, STAY OUT OF OUR RIGHTS AS PARENTS AND DO YOUR JOB TO EDUCATE ON READING, WRITING, AND ARITHMATIC. If you can’t even do that right then how the hell do you expect to get this right. We still have kids failing or not graduating, don’t you even attempt to preach supremacy to me that you know better for my kids. To my catholic friends and board members, I stand with you to defend your rights and anyone who doesn’t should be fearing what comes next. Id they can take religious freedom away, what can’t they take from society? Ask any first nations student how endoctrinating them turned out.
Laeinea says:
This… this is very well said. I really hope you have sent this to all members of the government and school boards, not just here.
jeannine fischler says:
thank you Mr Lance Miller,
These are the time we must stand strong for the right to our believe,,,,,,,, we have the right in CANADA of freedom of speech, /God keep our land glorious and free…… We cannot let the Politicians take our freedom away.
Gerilynn says:
Absolutely, you hit the nail on the head. Send to all MP’s, keep the pressure on.
well said Lance. I agree with you.
It is an interesting dilemma. The basics come down to this – if the belief is taught that God’s law supersedes that of the government, then you have the beginnings of a theocracy and/or a religious jihad. This is 100% wrong! So on a practical level, the Alberta Government is correct. And it appears that only the fanatics that are aping the American religious right are complaining about it.
How does it follow that because Christian’s believe in God’s supremacy, that society will turn into a theocracy?
Joe Rathwell says:
Even though she will be gone soon, It looks like Jason is getting soft and creeping up in her footsteps. To many sheep and none of them have teeth, How did we get here anyway. Time to REVOLT
BM says:
Sounds like we have a group of modern day heroes in BC. Check out the the west coast Christian accord.
It’s high time we stop allowing the minority to dictate and intimidate the majority.
This is ridiculous… Definitely not voting NDP come next election. This experiment has gone too far
Maurice Harting says:
The NDP has moved so far from its Christian roots it is insane. There are levels of authority and these are stacked with God Almighty on top and teachers under Him. By denying God as the supreme authority they are denying knowledge of God and who they are before Him. God will not be mocked … and hopefully they repent before facing His rage on Judgment Day!
I am afraid we are loosing our free CANADA ….a very sad day to come.
Well obviously in right wing thinking Alberta the NDP just wanted one term in government. This issue alone will swing the voters solid to the right.
Ok. So, all these groups have “rights”, but what about the Christians? Seems they have been stripped of their “rights” in this free country. Christians need to start coming out and standing up for their rights before it’s too late! Christians have just as much right to stand up for what they believe in, just as the LGBT groups and muslim groups. It is not right or fair for the government to say that these groups have any more rights than the Christian groups and what they believe in! Such a crime what this country has come to!
what rights have Christians been stripped of? only to not impose their beliefs (e.g. on abortion, on LGBTQ people) on others
Here you are again, writing without thinking.
A Christian school must be allowed to teach actual Christianity if it is to be such a school. This involves no forcing beliefs on anyone as attending such a school is not mandatory.
Your problem is you just don’t like what believing Christians actual believe. You should simply come out and say so.
and there you go again, not grasping the point
i’ll repeat it: “what rights have Christians been stripped of?”
Doug Hughes says:
who made her GOD?
Marilyn Welsch says:
I believe that the actions of this minister amount to bullying of the schools involved. We don’t allow bullying on our playgrounds but the Minister of Education can get away with it?
Re the headline: “Alberta’s NDP says Christian school cannot state that God’s authority supersedes human authority”
1. to which God (or Gods) are you referring?
2. even if there is a God (or Gods), it’s pretty fundamental that his/her/its/their authority (as interpreted by humans) does *not* supersede human authority. Neither Canada nor Alberta is a theocracy…. something that i “thank god” for
Christians and other faiths are welcome to preach their beliefs and tenets in their churches and in the privacy of their homes, but they don’t have carte blanche to do it in schools. i know this is hard for Alberta fundamentalists to grasp and accept this basic principle
Tih says:
What kind of “free country” bans Christian education? These NDP rabid communists are attempting to ban Christian education because it contradicts their twisted concepts of “tolerance”… Tolerance of evil! These demonized maniacs are saying that only schools which meet their ideological litmus tests will be permitted to exist. That’s an affront to a free society but you seem too deceived by your own liberal bias to see that.
What they want is their views on proper secular humanism being in control — of everything.
And here we have it! Steve is just BIGOTED against Christians.
Steve, my boy, whenever you read or hear the term “God” used without qualification, you can take it to refer to that which creates the world — regardless of any particular opinion on the subject.
As for God’s authority superseding state authority, that simply follows logically. God (the power that creates) supersedes ALL created things — including the authority of man-created governments.
To accuse people of trying to create a theocracy (do you even know what that term means, Steve) for wanting to uphold their spiritual and moral beliefs in the private schools they create is beyond absurd. It is the worst form of sophistry.
“Christians and other faiths are welcome to preach their beliefs and tenets in their churches and in the privacy of their homes, but they don’t have carte blanche to do it in schools”
Telling people that their freedom of religion only applies to their temples and homes is the destruction of said freedom! Freedom of religion means being able to practice and preach your religion without the government telling you when and where. I know it’s hard for anti-religion fundamentalists like yourself to grasp this basic principle, Steve, but it is true nonetheless.
I am not nor wish to be “your boy”
again, you fail to grasp the point. you don’t get to receive govt funding to advocate your religious beliefs in schools
“As for God’s authority superseding state authority, that simply follows logically. God (the power that creates) supersedes ALL created things — including the authority of man-created governments.” i guess you’re referring to human interpretation of God’s authority… unless he/she whispers it to you late at night?
our society is based on democratically-elected governments that create laws, and people can’t use their religious beliefs (of any kind) to ignore them
I wonder how those screeching for religious freedom in schools would respond to us teaching that Christianity is untrue, stupid & dangerous – & that Christians should be avoided & shunned for their obviously deluded ignorance in hundreds of publicly funded Albertan schools? I wonder how you’d like that religious freedom?
An interesting question. It might matter on whether or not said school was established specifically to be anti-Christian. They can hardly complain that a religious school of a non-Christian religion was teaching said religion’s beliefs.
However, I’m sure those supporting the string-attaching for religious schools would love that.
CLARIFICATION: By ‘that’ in the last sentence I mean the hypothetical that Mr. Fevin put forth.
It’s plain to see the hatred from the NDP Reds in their audacious demands, shaking their fists at God and demanding Christians swear fealty to their insane Marxist ideology.
Public schools are completely infested with insane sodomite abomination gender bender and unionist communist agendas. They even have mandatory sodomite clubs to stalk and recruit kids. What do you think the insane asylums passing as public schools today already tell the kids about Christians and God? The hypothetical example you put forward is really just a picture of what public schools already are.
what do public schools today tell the kids about Christians and Gods?
well, i hope that they, in Social Studies and History, teach that Christianity is one of the major religions in the world. talk about its history; i.e. how it was founded and grew, its major tenets and beliefs, the role that it played in the spread of Christianity and Colonialism in Canada and around the world. the good work that it has done, and also the major controversies (e.g. its involvement in residential schools, the abuse of children by its clergy).
you know… facts.
and also that most Christians are great people, but that there are also Christians who say and do terrible things, including accusing public schools of promoting sodomy
and i hope that schools also teach about the other major religions… Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism
Facts?
If requiring all schools to have sodomite “alliance clubs” that promote the highly dangerous, degenerate homosexual chosen deathstyle to kids and subsequently hide their involvement in said club from parents isn’t “promoting sodomy” then what is? If forcing sodomite gender bender derangement on small kids through bizarre curricula isn’t promoting sodomy then what is? The fact that the gay movement is actively infiltrating schools for the recruitment and grooming of kids is obvious to anyone with a functioning brain. Do you think they teach kids the facts about homosexuality? The HIV, suicide, donestic abuse, drug abuse and insanity that ravage those “communities”? I think you’ll find those facts strangely absent.
Abuse of kids by clergy? Not my clergy. I’m not a Romanist, and unmarried homosexuals can’t be church leaders according to 1 Tim 3. I have no part in Catholic sodomite peccadilloes. I believe in the Bible and true Christianity is found in the person of Jesus Christ only, not the sins of men. That’s a fact.
Where does hard core commie Eggen get the audacity to say that Christians have to go against their religious conscience and accept and promote sodomy and humanism? Where does he get off telling Christians to exchange the truth of God for a lie?
that you for so perfectly illustrating just how ignorant and intolerant some Christians are, and reinforcing the notion that we need to keep religion out of our schools, and to not use the Bible when making our laws
you can crawl back into your hole now. but be careful; there might be a homosexual in it
David Harrison says:
I have been asking God to bring a case before the Supreme Court of Canada which would validate the introductory clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which reads, “Recognizing the supremacy of God and the rule of law:”. This introduction is followed by a colon which means that this is provides the context for interpretating all that follows, that is, the entire Charter. I cannot believe Notley would have any hope of winning such an explicit challenge to the preeminence of God.
I hate to break it to you, but the introductory clause does not take precedence over the text, plus the freedom of religion clause means the government cannot support any religion.
As a result, the government must remain secular and cannot actually state God (especially when referring to the Christian God) is a superior authority to the country.
David O Harrison says:
The Colon and the Charter:
A colon is a punctuation mark used to identify a major division in a sentence; to indicate that what follows is an elaboration, summation, implication, etc., of that which precedes it.
There is a single introductory clause at the very beginning Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It reads, Whereas Canada is founded upon the principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law:
It is of the most critical significance that this controversial clause ends with a colon [ : ]. What this punctuation mark means is that this is not a completed sentence that ends at this point; rather this clause is the contextual introduction to the list which follows. Everything that follows these two small, vertically aligned dots must be read, evaluated, understood and acted upon in light of the words that precede them. Without the words that precede the colon the articles listed in the Charter have no context, e.g. one cannot enforce a section of the Charter without the recognition of the rule of law.
The introductory clause is often referred to as the preamble but this is to dilute the essence of what is written. This clause is the very heart of the Charter. The heading that precedes the the introductory clause reads, “CONSTITUTION ACT, 1982 (80) PART I CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS”.
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the recipient admits a limited (or inferior) status within the relationship, and it is within that sense that charters were historically granted, and that sense is retained in modern usage of the term. (ref: Wikipedia)
The controversy surrounding the introductory clause, with its all-important colon, almost exclusively appears in relation to recognizing the supremacy of God and [apart from anarchists] not to the rule of law. Here is the dilemma though, however controversial it might be, recognizing the supremacy of God is the most important and fundamental aspect of the Charter. God’s supremacy cannot simply be ignored because it is controversial. It simply is. If these three words are ignored the Charter is invalidated in exactly the same way as if one removed recognition of the rule of law. It is God’s supremacy that gives the rights listed within the Charter their context and it is the rule of law which upholds these same rights.
The supremacy of God is an indelible statement in the original document signed on behalf of all Canadians by the then prime minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau. The removal of God’s supremacy from the Charter would require cutting a physical hole in the document to remove it. Likewise, an amendment, even sanctioned by all the provinces and territories, would not erase it. It’s there in indelible printers’ ink. As long as there is a Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, God’s supremacy in its interpretation must remain. In 1999 NDP MP, Svend Robinson, proposed in the House of Commons that the mention of God be struck from the preamble and he was relegated to the backbenches for his efforts.
Some have suggested that recognizing the supremacy of God actually contradicts Section 2 of the Charter (which it does not) where it upholds freedom of thought, conscience, opinion and religion. The Charter specifically says that one has the right to freedom of religion – not freedom from religion. In the same vein, one is free to have the opinion that the Charter may be poorly constructed but not have the lawful right to ignore it. At the Alberta Court of Appeal, Justice Belzil, wrote “…the preamble to the Charter indicated Canada had a Christian heritage and thus courts should not use the Section 2 right to freedom of religion to eliminate the traditions of this heritage.”
The Supreme Court of Canada considered the preamble’s mention of the rule of law in reference to the case re Manitoba Language Rights (1985) and thus confirmed the Charter’s preamble’s importance by writing that “The constitutional status of the rule of law is beyond question.” One cannot simply negate one half of the preamble while endorsing the other.
Theologian Douglas Farrow noted: “The word ‘Whereas’, moreover, indicates all sections of the Charter should be read in light of the principle recognizing the supremacy of God. This includes the ‘rule of law’, which comes after the ‘supremacy of God’ in the preamble, and that the rule of law is hard to account for, to interpret, or to sustain without reference to the supremacy of God, as the rule of law developed from the religious backgrounds of Canada.” In other words, one cannot have a consistent moral law (or right) without a Moral Law Giver.
The Canadian Secular Alliance asks on their website, “If Canada officially recognizes the supremacy of one particular God, in what sense are Canadians free to choose their own religion and follow their own conscience?” In asking this question the Alliance misses the point that one is free to exercise and follow one’s religion [or lack thereof] and conscience within the confines of the Charter, e.g. one is free to practice witchcraft or Satanism but not to offer child sacrifices as an expression of it. The law recognizes the Biblical principle ‘You shall not kill [murder]’, Exodus 20:13, which obviously and reasonably places limitations on the rights of those who practice such cults.
Section 7 of the Charter states that: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.” And Section 15 states, “Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.”
Unfortunately, the Government of Canada still fails to recognize and include the unborn child in the ‘Everyone’ protected by the Charter; that they be given right to “life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof…” Unborn children are hugely discriminated by age (their rights are only recognized [typically] at the age of nine-months), sex (gender selective abortion) and by mental and physical disability (in Canada ninety percent of children diagnosed with Down syndrome are killed in the womb). And no, before you go looking, is there anywhere in the Charter that explicitly gives anyone the right to kill that which has been conceived in a woman.
God, who is supreme, says of the unborn child, “Before you were in the womb I knew you.” Jeremiah 1:5.
We would be a much more virtuous country if we took the Charter’s colon seriously (no pun intended).
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Katie Price’s website disappears offline after not being able to afford driving fine
By celeb 6 months ago
KATIE Price’s woes seem far from over after her website has now appeared to have been deactivated.
Katie Price’s website katieprice.co.uk seems to have vanished offline.
The 40-year-old’s official website, which promoted her work and public appearances for over a decade, can no longer be accessed.
Still being featured on her Facebook and Twitter profiles, Katie has yet to make comment as to its disappearance.
When her devotees or any online users click through to find out about the reality TV babe’s latest gossip the page just fails to load.
The only clue to what’s happened is an error message that reads: “Internal error – server connection terminated.”
A tech source told The Sun that it is likely the site is down due to the fact that Katie “failed to keep up with the monthly hosting payments”.
WEBSITE: Katie Price’s promotional website no longer appears to be running (Pic: KATIE PRICE/INSTAGRAM)
COURT: Things don’t appear to be going very well for Katie Price recently (Pic: GETTY IMAGES)
Despite the site being offline, the expert declared that the former I’m A Celeb contestant will still be able to keep control of the web address until April.
After that time, the mum-of-five could lose the domain name as it can then be sold to anyone who wants it.
Katie Price has been through some difficult times recently and faced court earlier this week.
FINE: Katie Price faced a three-month driving ban and a fine (Pic: GETTY IMAGES)
SELLER: Katie Price has been selling her clothes on eBay to help raise funds (Pic: KATIE PRICE/INSTAGRAM)
Pleading guilty to driving while disqualified and without insurance, the former glamour model was given a three-month driving ban.
The star was also fined a total of £1295, but Katie had to ask the court to give her more time to pay it off as she couldn’t afford it.
In recent months she has taken various steps to replenish some cash from putting her mansion up for sale, selling off some farmyard animals and flogging some of her clobber on eBay.
Tags: afford, Disappears, Driving, Fine, Katie, offline, Prices, website
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Get Ready To Ditch The SAT And ACT
April 20, 2016 By Robert Holland
Decades from now, education historians may observe Common Core (CC) provoked a wave of activism that resulted in decentralizing U.S. education.
That was not what the power elites intended when they concocted standards and assessments intended to apply to all students, teachers, and schools. Their objective was centralization. But their arrogance has activated a hornets’ nest of angry parents intent on reclaiming control over their children’s schooling.
The revolt is going beyond the widespread opt-outs from federally mandated Common Core-linked testing. Behind the scenes, hard work is proceeding on long-dreamed-of alternatives to the College Board’s century-old dominance of college-entrance testing. Impetus for that came when a key member of the Common Core cabal, testing consultant David Coleman, went straightway from writing the CC English standards to heading up the College Board on an explicit vow to align its SAT with Common Core.
Testing a New Test
Now, with the start of 2016 SAT testing, that has happened. However, the Vector Assessment of Readiness for College (ARC)—a budding SAT alternative—is happening, too. For four years, remarked company spokesman Julie West, “We spent a great deal of time researching entrance exams dating back generations, speaking with professors, retired educators, and professionals. Questions were developed, submitted, and reviewed. Sample questions were also sent to outside evaluators.”
‘Our assessment evaluates math skills through calculus, contains science through chemistry and physics, and contains questions regarding grammar and classic literature.’
ARC beta testing is underway, most recently at the Great Homeschooling Convention in Cincinnati during the first weekend of April. Homeschool families are a natural constituency because linking the SAT and other standardized tests to a de facto national curriculum places homeschoolers’ hard-won freedom from statist overreach and offensive standards in grave peril, but the ARC alternative also may prove to be useful for private and parochial schools, as well as public schools in states not plugged in to Common Core.
“Because the homeschool community is the only sector that has not experienced dramatic shifts in standards or curriculum over the past several years, we have focused on them during beta,” said West. “However, any student with an SAT/ACT or PSAT score may participate in beta testing.
“Because our assessment evaluates math skills through calculus, contains science through chemistry and physics, and contains questions regarding grammar and classic literature, we believe high-achieving students from private and public schools will also benefit from ARC,” said West. “Because we will not permit super scoring, much of the socioeconomic bias has been addressed. Finally, because we are not a timed test, those with special-needs students have been excited to learn about ARC.”
A Drive to Feed Students Substance
Super scoring is a dubious practice whereby students can take their highest scores from multiple SAT tests and piece them into one inflated outcome. Eliminating that kind of gaming would be a solid initial accomplishment for Vector ARC.
Alternatives to the powerhouse College Board, founded in 1900, have been a long time coming.
The Vector team states its assessment will “assess both proficiency of subject matter as well as overall cognitive abilities,” thus maximizing students’ opportunities “to present their strengths.”
At least one other alternative to the entrance-exam monolith is already available, offered through the Annapolis-based Classic Learning Initiatives, which started in 2015. Administered online at testing centers, the two-hour Classic Learning Test (CLT) draws on the works of some of the greatest minds in Western tradition, thinkers of the caliber of C.S. Lewis, Flannery O’Connor, G.K. Chesterton, Martin Luther King Jr., Plato, and Socrates. Several renowned liberal arts colleges, including St. John’s and Thomas Aquinas, accept CLT scores as an alternative to the SAT or ACT.
Alternatives to the powerhouse College Board, founded in 1900, have been a long time coming. The ACT became one such alternative in November 1959, and in 2011, it actually edged out the SAT in total test-takers. Richard Innes, an education analyst at the Bluegrass Institute, says some officials at ACT still believe its “traditional mission is to provide a quality college readiness test that is useful to college admissions offices.” However, Innes also said ACT’s recent joint venture with Pearson Publishing to create a Common Core-type test called Aspire appears to have introduced “mission confusion” at the company.
Then there is the freshly revised federal education law that lets school boards use the SAT and ACT as their federally mandated annual tests, even for students who don’t plan to go to college, saving money for local school districts and ensuring these education-testing giants have continuous access to a $700-million-per-year market. With big education and big testing continuing to feed off each other, the yearning for individualized alternatives is likely to grow.
Robert Holland is a senior fellow for education policy with The Heartland Institute.
Photo Lucky Business / Shutterstock.com
ACT Classic Learning Test College Board college entrance exams David Coleman SAT testing tests Vector ARC
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Trump Admin Finally Repeals ‘Gainful Employment’ Regulation, But Keeps Its Underlying Bad Idea
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Despite fierce opposition from teachers unions, the GOP legislature makes a small first step toward allowing parents and children to have more control over their futures.
Using U.S., Qatari Funding, Duke University Teaches K-12 Teachers Biased Info About Islam
Documents shed light on the workings of Duke University’s unique influence operation targeting the U.S school system with funds from a global terrorism supporter.
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VPR Archive (https://vprarchive.vpr.net/vpr-news/interview-incoming-vsc-chancellor-tim-donovan/)
Interview: Incoming VSC chancellor Tim Donovan
By Mitch Wertlieb | March 25, 2009
Later this year, Tim Donovan will become the new chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges.
Donovan currently heads one those colleges– the Community College of Vermont, so he’s well aware of the challenges facing the system, which also includes Johnson, Lyndon, Castleton State College, and the Vermont Technical College.
Donovan says these rough economic times will prompt parents and students to consider, in his words, "shopping locally" for higher education.
But the economy is also causing state officials to re-think the organization of the system. The idea has been floated to combine the Vermont State Colleges with the University of Vermont. Donovan says it’s not a bad idea to at least study the issue.
Click listen to hear the interview.
communitycollegeofvermont
people places
robertclarke
timdonovan
vermontstatecolleges
Community College head new chief of state system
The president of the Community College of Vermont is going to become the new chancellor of the Vermont State College system.
Applications to Vermont state colleges are up despite economic woes
Despite the economic downturn, applications to the University of Vermont and the Vermont State Colleges are up over last year.
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3rd WAO International Scientific Conference (WISC) 2014
Meeting abstract | Open | Published: 08 April 2015
Berberine reduce allergic inflammation in a house dust mite allergic rhinitis mouse model
Soo Whan Kim1
World Allergy Organization Journalvolume 8, pageA29 (2015) | Download Citation
Berberine (Ber), is widely used as an antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory drug, has been used as a gastrointestinal remedy for thousands of years in China. However, the direct evidence for the anti-inflammatory effects of Ber in allergic disease has remained elusive. The purpose of this study was to reveal whether Ber treatment reduces allergic inflammation in an AR mouse model and to elucidate the mechanisms.
BALB/c mice were divided into control, Derf, Ber, Ber + Anti-CD25 groups. All mice except for the control group were sensitized by an i.p. injection of Dermatophagoides farinae (Derf). After sensitization, the Ber and the Ber+ Anti-CD25 groups were treated with Ber intranasally after challenge. The Ber+ Anti-CD25 groups were injected intraperitoneally with 250μg of anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody (mAb) a day before the first challenge. Allergic symptom scores, eosinophil counts and serum Derf-specific IgE levels were measured. T-bet, GATA-3, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-10, IL-13 and Foxp3 mRNA expression were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells were assessed by flow cytometry.
Symptom scores, serum Derf-specific IgE levels, GATA-3 mRNA levels, T-bet mRNA levels and tissue eosinophil counts were decreased in the Ber than the Derf groups (all, p < 0.05). In Ber + anti-CD25 mAb group, symptom scores, serum Derf-specific IgE levels, IL-13 mRNA levels, and IFN-γ mRNA levels were increased than control group. In Ber + anti-CD25 group, serum Derf-specific IgE levels, IL-13 mRNA levels and GATA-3 mRNA levels were increased than Ber groups. In Ber + anti-CD25 groups, serum IL-10 levels were decreased than control, Derf and Ber groups. In Ber +anti-CD25 mAb groups, Foxp3 mRNA levels were decreased than control group. In Ber group, Foxp3 mRNA levels were increased than control group. In Ber group, percentage of CD4+CD25+FOXP3 levels were increased than Derf group. In Ber + anti-CD25 mAb group, percentage of CD4+CD25+FOXP3 levels were decreased than Ber group. The percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells were increased in the Ber than the Derf groups. And Foxp3 mRNA levels were increased in the Ber than control groups (all, p < 0.05).
In our studies, Ber significantly reduces allergic inflammation. And our studies suggest that the mechanism of Ber may be associated with CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells possibly through not only number but also the function.
The Catholic University of Korea, Korea
Soo Whan Kim
Search for Soo Whan Kim in:
Correspondence to Soo Whan Kim.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1939-4551-8-S1-A29
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Full House Season 7
Watch Full House Season 7 full episodes watch cartoons online.
When Danny Tanner’s wife dies, the San Francisco sportscaster gets support in the form of two new roommates: brother-in-law and party boy Jesse, and his stand-up comic friend, Joey. The duo helps out with raising the three Tanner daughters: D.J, Stephanie and Michelle.
Creator: Jeff Franklin
Stars: Bob Saget, John Stamos, Dave Coulier
Full House Season 7-episode-1-
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Steven Universe Season 3
Watch Steven Universe Season 3 full episodes online cartoons. Steven Universe synopsis: The Crystal Gems are a team of magical beings who are the self-appointed guardians of the universe. Half-human, half-Gem hero Steven is the “little brother” of the group. The goofball is learning to save the world using the magical powers that come from […]
Toxic Crusaders The Movie (1997)
Watch Toxic Crusaders: The Movie (1997) full movie watch cartoons online. Synopsis: Several episodes of the 1991 show edited together tell the story of Toxie and his hideously deformed super human mutant friends who fight insectoid alien Dr. Killemoff and his henchmen who use radioactive waste to take over the world. Directors: Bill Hutton, Tony […]
Postman Pat: The Movie (2014)
Watch Postman Pat: The Movie (2014) full movie online. Postman Pat: The Movie storyline: Success and fame threaten to tear Postman Pat away from his beloved Greendale. Meanwhile, a sinister plot emerges to replace him with legions of robots. Director: Mike Disa Writers: Annika Bluhm, Nicole Dubuc, 1 more credit. Stars: Jim Broadbent, Jane Carr, […]
Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle (1994)
Watch Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle (1994) full movie online. Synopsis: Leo the Lion, King of the Jungle, is estranged from his disaffected subjects. When he needs their help to rescue a young cub’s mother from hunters, they refuse to give it unless he promises to be a better king. The cub shames […]
Scooby Doo, Where Are You! Season 3
Watch Scooby Doo, Where Are You! Season 3 full episodes online cartoons. Synopsis: Brainiac Velma, jock Fred, fashionista Daphne, hippie Shaggy, and Shaggy’s highstrung, talking Great Dane, Scooby-Doo, climb into their green van, the Mystery Machine, and hit the road in search of weird phenomena to solve. And even when Scooby and the gang aren’t […]
Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose (1987)
Watch Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose (1987) full movie watch cartoons online. Synopsis: Yogi and the gang mistakenly board the famous Howard Hughes’ plane The Spruce Goose. They accidentally start the plane, so they decide to take it for a spin, helping animals and people along the way. Directors: Arthur […]
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where.ca > cabot trail
cabot trail
9 Fabulous Fall Hiking Trails
By MERLE ROSENSTEIN
One of our nine fabulous fall hiking trails: The Fundy Footpath (Photo: Dept. of Tourism & Parks, NB)
Head for the hills this fall and explore one of Canada’s many hiking trails, whether it’s tackling tough terrain on BC’s west coast or a slow sojourn on the Fundy Footpath (pictured). Well-trod trails accommodate any age or fitness level. Fall is an excellent time to get outside and capture the golden glow that softens the landscape. Proper hiking boots, water and snacks are a must. For organized outings with an experienced guide, contact cross-Canada hiking clubs or specific clubs in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies, Alberta and BC.
Start the slideshow of Canada’s fabulous fall hiking trails »
BC’s West Coast Trail is a protected park with an old growth forest, beaches, caves, hidden coves and cliffs. The trail is easily accessed from Victoria or Vancouver.<br /> <br /> <em>• BC's West Coast Trail, 2185 Ocean Terrace Rd., Ucluelet British Columbia, 250-726-3500, <a href="http://www.westcoasttrailbc.com/"> westcoasttrailbc.com</a></em>
(Photo: Rick McCharles)
West Coast Trail, British Columbia
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Ontario’s Bruce Trail, completed in 1967, extends from Niagara to the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. The peninsula's Grotto Area (pictured) is full of nooks and crannies for rock hounds to enjoy.<br /> <br /> <em>• Bruce Trail, The Bruce Trail Conservancy PO Box 857, Hamilton Ontario, 1-800-665-HIKE, <a href="http://brucetrail.org"> brucetrail.org</a></em>
(Photo: Derek Hatfield)
Bruce Trail, Ontario
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You can see sheep grazing in the tall grasses on the Green Gardens Trail in Gros Morne National Park. Varied scenery along the hike includes coves, beaches, meadows, boulders and seascapes.<br /> <br /> <em>• Gros Morne National Park, PO Box 130, Rocky Harbour Newfoundland, 709-458-2417, <a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nl/grosmorne/index.aspx"> </a></em>
(Photo: Natalie Lucier)
Green Gardens Trail, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland
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One of the most popular hikes in Banff National Park, Johnson Canyon and the Ink Pots showcases a limestone canyon carved by the power of raging water.<br /> <br /> <em>• Parks Canada, 224 Banff Ave., Banff Alberta, 403-762-1550, <a href="http://www.banff.com/hiking/johnston_canyon.shtml"> banff.com</a></em>
(Photo: D'Arcy Norman)
Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park, Alberta
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https://where.ca/blog/slideshow/9-fabulous-fall-hiking-trails/slide/05-johnston-canyon-alberta/
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(Photo: D’Arcy Norman)
The Fundy Footpath, a challenging wilderness trail, reaches for 41 km along the Fundy shore from the <a title="http://fundytrailparkway.com/" href="http://fundytrailparkway.com/">Fundy Trail Parkway</a> near Big Salmon River to <a title="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nb/fundy/index.aspx" href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nb/fundy/index.aspx">Fundy National Park</a>.<br /> <br /> <em>• Fundy Footpath, 229 Main St., St. Martins New Brunswick , 506-833-2019, <a href="http://www.fundytrailparkway.com/en/the_fundy_footpath/"> </a></em>
(Photo: Department of Tourism & Parks, NB)
Fundy Footpath, Fundy National Park, New Brunswick
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Look for caribou and moose on hikes in Gaspésie National Park, a landscape of mountains, coastline and sparkling waters. The <a title="http://www.sia-iat.com/" href="http://www.sia-iat.com/">International Appalachian Trail</a> runs through the peninsula, but you can also do short 1- to 17-km hikes.<br /> <br /> <em>• Gaspésie Hiking Trails, 1-800-665-6527,<a href="http://www.sepaq.com/pq/gas/index.dot?language_id=1"> sepaq.com</a></em>
(Photo: Joanne and Matt)
Gaspésie Hiking Trails, Quebec
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The Grey Owl Trail in the rugged Canadian Shield region of northern Saskatchewan takes in rolling hills, sandy beaches and depressions in the thick boreal forest. Hike part of the 20-km trail or do an overnight along the way for a chance to see the northern lights.<br /> <br /> <em>• Grey Owl Trail,<a href="http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Grey-Owl-Trail-near-Prince-Albert-Arpt-SK-961"> trailpeak.com</a></em>
(Photo: ducksarefun)
Grey Owl Trail, Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan
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Expansive views of coastline, coves and rugged cliffs abound from the highlands of the <a href="http://www.cabottrail.travel/">Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island</a>.<br /> <br /> <em>• Cabot Trail, 1-800-565-0000,<a href="http://www.novascotia.com/en/home/ourregions/scenic_travelways/cabot_trail/default.aspx"> novascotia.com</a></em>
(Photo: Nova Scotia Tourism)
Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia
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https://where.ca/blog/slideshow/9-fabulous-fall-hiking-trails/slide/cabottrail/
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The Trans Canada Trail, the world’s longest network of trails, stretches 16,500 km across Canada. Jump on at any point, and get hiking!<br /> <br /> <em>• Trans Canada Trail, 1-800-465-3636, <a href="http://www.tctrail.ca"> tctrail.ca</a></em>
(Photo: Sheri Terris)
Trans Canada Trail
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10 Amazing Canadian Fall Vacations
Okanagan Valley ©Tourism BC/JF Bergeron
Fall is the perfect time for forest hikes, Sunday drives, wine tours and tucking into autumn harvest meals. But did you know it’s also prime polar-bear-viewing season? From our favourite foliage tours to some unexpected adventures, we’ve rounded up the best fall getaways Canada has to offer. (more…)
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Harper drives in 5 runs, Phillies rally past Dodgers 9-8
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper hit a two-run double off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen with one out in the bottom of the ninth after pinch-hitter Matt Beaty hit a three-run homer off Philadelphia closer Hector…
CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Schwarber wasn’t thinking home run when he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning Tuesday night. That, he believes, was the key to success. Schwarber hit a…
Travis d’Arnaud hits 3 HRs, Rays rally to beat Yanks 5-4
NEW YORK (AP) — Travis d’Arnaud hit three home runs, including a three-run shot with two outs in the ninth inning off Aroldis Chapman, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 5-4…
Rays carry combined perfect game into 9th, beat Orioles 4-1
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays took a combined perfect game into the ninth inning before Hanser Alberto beat the shift with a leadoff single against Ryan Yarbrough, wrecking history in the making and…
Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association
Cubs hit 3 homers, beat Pirates 8-3 to complete 3-game sweep
CHICAGO (AP) — After struggling prior to the All-Star break, the Chicago Cubs have started the second half clicking on all cylinders. Jason Heyward, Albert Almora Jr. and Kyle Schwarber hit home runs and the…
Cubs edge Pirates 4-3 on Heyward’s hit, Bryant’s baserunning
CHICAGO (AP) — Jason Heyward and Kris Bryant rescued the Chicago Cubs with a clutch swing and some nifty baserunning. Heyward hit a tiebreaking RBI single with two out in the eighth inning, and the…
D’Arnaud homers in bottom of the 9th, Rays beat Yankees 4-3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Travis d’Arnaud hit a two-out homer off Chad Green in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Tampa Bay Rays past the New York Yankees 4-3 on Saturday. Aaron…
Lester pitches into 7th, Cubs beat Giolito, White Sox 6-3
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs have a chance to sweep their neighbors and head into the All-Star break feeling at least a little better. The way they’ve been struggling, they’ll take that. Jon Lester…
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Difference between revisions of "Libor Běhounek"
From ERCIM Working Group on Many-Valued Logics
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(Created page with "===Affiliation=== Institute of Computer Science Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Pod Vodárenskou věží 2 18207 Prague 8, Czech Republic Institute for Research ...")
(→Affiliation)
===Affiliation===
Institute of Computer Science
18207 Prague 8, Czech Republic
Institute for Research and Applications of Fuzzy Modeling
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Pod Vodárenskou věží 2
30. dubna 22, 701 03 Ostrava 1, Czech Republic
A note on natural extensions in abstract algebraic logic (with C. Noguera). To appear in Studia Logica.
A Henkin-style proof of completeness for first-order algebraizable logics (with C. Noguera). To appear in The Journal of Symbolic Logic.
Modal logics of uncertainty with two layer-syntax: a general completeness theorem (with C. Noguera). Logic, Language, Information and Computation - 21st International Workshop, WoLLIC 2014, Ulrich Kohlenbach, Pablo Barceló, Ruy de Queiroz (eds), Valparaiso, Chile, September 1-4, 2014, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Springer, pp. 124-136.
The quest for the basic fuzzy logic (with C. Noguera and R. Horčík). Petr Hájek on Mathematical Fuzzy Logic, chapter 12, F. Montagna (ed), Outstanding Contributions to Logic, vol. 6, Springer, 2014, pp. 245-290.
Non-associative substructural logis and their semilinear extensions: axiomatization and completeness properties (with C. Noguera and R. Horčík). The Review of Symbolic Logic 6 (2013) 794-423.
The proof by cases property and its variants in structural consequence relations (with C. Noguera). Studia Logica 101 (2013) 713-747.
A general framework for Mathematical Fuzzy Logic (with C. Noguera). Handbook of Mathematical Fuzzy Logic - volume 1, chapter II, P. Cintula, P. Hájek, C. Noguera (eds), Studies in Logic, Mathematical Logic and Foundations, vol. 37, College Publications, London, 2011, pp. 103-207.
Introduction to Mathematical Fuzzy Logic (with L. Běhounek and P. Hájek). In P. Cintula, P. Hájek, C. Noguera, editors, Handbook of Mathematical Fuzzy Logic - Volume 1, volume 37 of Studies in Logic, Mathematical Logic and Foundations. 1-101, London: College Publication, 2011.
Admissible rules in the implication-negation fragment of intuitionistic logic (with G. Metcalfe). Annals of Pure and Applied Logic 162 (2010) 162-171.
Implicational (Semilinear) Logics I: A New Hierarchy (with C. Noguera). Archive for Mathematical Logic 49 (2010) 417-446.
Distinguished algebraic semantics for t-norm based fuzzy logics: methods and algebraic equivalencies (with C. Noguera, F. Esteva, J. Gispert, L. Godo and F. Montagna). Annals of Pure and Applied Logic 160 (2009) 53-81.
Structural completeness in fuzzy logics (with G. Metcalfe). Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logic 50 (2009) 153-182.
Complexity issues in axiomatic extensions of Lukasiewicz logic (with P. Hájek). Journal of Logic and Computation 19 (2009) 245-260.
Relations in Fuzzy Class Theory: Initial steps (with L. Běhounek and U. Bodenhofer). Fuzzy Sets and Systems 159 (2008) 1729-1772.
Formal systems of fuzzy logic and their fragments (with P. Hájek and R. Horčík). Annals of Pure and Applied Logic 150 (2007) 40-65.
On theories and models in fuzzy predicate logics (with P. Hájek). Journal of Symbolic Logic 71 (2006) 863-880.
Weakly implicative (fuzzy) logics I: Basic properties. Archive for Mathematical Logic 45 (2006) 673-704.
From fuzzy logic to fuzzy mathematics: A methodological manifesto (with L. Běhounek). Fuzzy Sets and Systems 157 (2006) 642-646.
Fuzzy logics as the logics of chains (with L. Běhounek). Fuzzy Sets and Systems 157 (2006) 604-610.
Fuzzy Class Theory (with L. Běhounek). Fuzzy Sets and Systems 154 (2005) 34-55.
Product Lukasiewicz logic (with R. Horčík). Archive for Mathematical Logic 43 (2004) 477-503.
Advances in the LPi and LPi1/2 logics. Archive for Mathematical Logic 42 (2003) 449-468.
Retrieved from "https://wiki.ercim.eu/wg/ManyVal/index.php?title=Libor_Běhounek&oldid=63"
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South Sudan president, rival head to Vatican for spiritual retreat
Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban with AFP
South Sudanese president Salva Kiir and his main rival Riek Machar are expected to enter a spiritual retreat in the Vatican as part of efforts at achieving a durable peace.
The AFP news portal quoted the Holy See as confirming the latest move to save South Sudan from further security deterioration amid a political crisis.
“In the process, the divided Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement, SPLM, political pilgrims would be required to observe two of the seven sacraments; that is repentance and then they would be prayed for as they seek for forgiveness.
“This is consistent with the Catholic and Anglican Communion norms and teachings,” a report confirmed by the Vatican news outlet said. Their retreat according to reports will be shepherded by the Pope.
The current pope in March 2019 received Kiir at the Vatican with an expression of his wish to visit South Sudan two years after his planned trip was cancelled over security considerations.
#BREAKING: South Sudan leaders in 'spiritual retreat' in Vatican next week: Holy See. AFP
— AFP Africa (AFPAfrica) April 3, 2019
During the meeting, Francis “expressed the wish to ascertain the conditions for a possible visit to South Sudan,” a Vatican statement said. It added that he wanted to make the trip as “a sign of closeness to the population and of encouragement for the peace process”.
Oil-producing South Sudan, which became independent in 2011, descended into civil war in December 2013 when a dispute between Kiir and his sacked deputy Riek Machar sparked fighting, often along ethnic lines.
About 400,000 people have been killed, and more than a third of the country’s 12 million people uprooted by the civil war – a conflict punctuated by multiple rounds of mediation followed by renewed bloodshed.
In 2017, Catholic Church leaders in the country said they had expected the pope would visit the capital, Juba, in the autumn of that year. The tentative plans were scrapped because of security concerns.
The original trip was to have lasted only one day for security reasons and the pope was to have flown in after spending a night in another African country.
The pope was to have made the 2017 trip to South Sudan with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the worldwide Anglican communion, in an effort to promote unity in the mostly Christian country.
The Pope last week concluded a two-day visit to Morocco with a triple trip planned for September 2019. He will visit Madagascar, Mozambique and Mauritius between 4 – 10 September.
Sudanese poet reflects in exile
South Sudan's Machar wants house arrest lifted
Embrace peace, our economy will thrive again: South Sudan president
Salva Kiir
Riek Machar
Peace deal
Ethiopia PM's security advisor elected new leader of Amhara region
A year after peace deal: Eritrea rooted on bad human rights record - HRW
Libyan rebel chief's base had US-made missiles owned by France
Ethiopia's Addis Ababa enforces motorcycle ban despite 'opposition'
One year anniversary of Eritrea-Ethiopia relations [The Morning Call]
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Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 97F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..
Partly cloudy skies. Low 74F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Tra Quan Dashawn Salley
Photo courtesy of the Aiken County detention center
Wagener man charged with attempted murder following shooting
By Lindsey Hodges lhodges@aikenstandard.com
Lindsey Hodges
Jul 9, 2019 Updated Jul 12, 2019
A Wagener man was arrested Monday after a shooting incident last month.
Tra Quan Dashawn Salley, 19, has been charged with six counts of attempted murder and six counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Salley drove up to a car with six people in it and acted like he was going to run into them, according to a report provided by the Aiken County Sheriff's Office. He then pointed a gun out of the window, fired three shots at the six, then sped off, the report states.
Salley then returned the borrowed car he was driving, the report says. Three .40-caliber shell casings were collected at Church Street and Lee Street in Wagener where the incident took place.
Salley turned himself in and was arrested Monday, July 8. He was still being held in the Aiken County detention center on Tuesday morning.
Lindsey Hodges is a general assignment reporter at the Aiken Standard and North Augusta Star. Follow her on Twitter at @LindseyNHodges.
Wagener Shooting
Tra Quan Salley
Aiken County Sheriff's Office
Aiken County Detention Center
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< Back to Case Studies
When an opposing team visits your high school’s gymnasium, you want to be proud of your facility and the court on which competition takes place. Bret Harte High School in Calaveras County, California, knew it was overdue for a sports flooring upgrade, but school officials needed to find an expert who could handle a unique project.
The school’s old basketball court consisted of synthetic flooring. While that can be a suitable option for certain applications, hardwood courts are usually preferred in high schools.
Matt Allen, vice president of Geary Floors, located just outside of San Diego, says visiting teams were complaining about Bret Harte High School’s gym because student athletes were used to playing on hardwood courts.
“Synthetic sports floors can be a great product,” says Allen. “But, when it comes to a higher level of competitive play, most coaches and athletes prefer hardwood maple, and that’s what Bret Harte High School needed.”
So, Geary Floors founder, Sean Geary, flew from San Diego to check out the situation. He was confident his team had the skills and partners to do the job despite aspects of the project that would require some creative problem solving and project management.
Photo Courtesy: Guy Dossi, Calaveras Enterprise
In most renovations, the old flooring is removed and a hardwood sports floor system is installed on top of the cement slab underneath. For this project, Geary Floors told the school it could find a way to install the new system on top of the existing synthetic floor.
While a benefit of polyurethane sports floors is, they can be resurfaced, tearing out the product can be time consuming, adding to the scope and budget of a renovation.
“We decided, why remove the floor that’s been there for so long if we can re-top it with hardwood and help save the client money, time, and the trouble of tearing it out and prepping the slab?” says Allen.
With that decision came two challenges directly related to the fact that the new floor would sit higher up than it would if it were installed on the slab. Geary Floors had to make sure entrances and exits complied with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and would need to find a way to reattach bleachers, which were anchored to the gymnasium walls.
“We knew we’d have to do something different at the doorways to get the floor ramped down and meet ADA standards,” Allen recalls.
The first step in addressing this factor was choosing a sports floor system with a minimal height profile and the desired performance attributes. For that, Geary Floors identified Action AnchorFlex LP from Action Floor Systems®.
“This sports floor system is FIBA-certified and has a low profile, making it ideal for the project,” explains Action Floors Western Regional Sales Rep Matt Lyman. “It’s made with MFMA northern hard maple, and the subfloor system includes a resilient foam layer, which provides uniformity and comfort for athletes.”
Action AnchorFlex LP from Action Floors
Although the system has a low height profile, the new sports floor still raised the surface of the gym floor by 1 ¾”, which meant an ADA compliant solution was necessary. The ADA states that any changes in surface levels greater than ½” require a ramp, creating a transition between surfaces and in doorways to provide ease of access for those using wheelchairs and others with disabilities. The ADA also requires that the least possible slope be used for any ramp, with a maximum slope of 1:12 or one foot of slope for every 1 inch of rise. (State and local requirements may differ)
Geary Floors worked with another key partner to ensure compliance was achieved. SafePath provided modular ramps that were the perfect solution for entrances and exits to the gym at Bret Harte High School.
“We took measurements and mapped out what we were going to do at the doorways, and then they fabricated rubber ramps, which could drop right into the transitions,” says Allen.
Besides partnering with Geary Floors, another thing Action Floors and SafePath have in common is the use of recycled rubber in our product offerings, which provides sustainable solutions that can contribute to a project’s LEED score.
The other challenge inside the gym was permanent bleachers, which were anchored to the walls. The height of the new flooring system meant the bleachers would be higher when re-installed. Plus, the crew from Geary Floors needed somewhere to put the bleachers during the installation. This required some smart project management.
Allen says his team first installed the subfloor and maple flooring up to the bleachers.
Then, they detached the bleachers and rolled them onto the new floor. Next, the crew installed, sanded, sealed, and finished the area under the bleachers.
Finally, they reattached the bleachers with a new anchor position and sanded, sealed, and finished the main portion of the gymnasium.
Despite the extra work moving things around, everything was ready for the start of the 2018-2019 school year, and the Bret Harte Bullfrogs volleyball team was the first to compete on the new hardwood maple court.
Photo Courtesy: Amber Pappé, Calaveras Enterprise
Allen says the entire sports floor renovation project took about six weeks to complete. Geary Floors also completed the paint job, adding game lines and an attractive logo at center court.
Action Floors recommended Geary Floors to the school and they were glad to find a sports flooring contractor who could work with them to find ways to comply with regulations and deliver an exceptional finished product that also fit within the budget.
“They’re very satisfied and say it turned out even better than they’d imagined,” says Allen. “They really like the third-grade maple and how it gave the floor a unique look.”
That was yet another way Geary Floors helped the school stay within a budget. While grades of maple have no impact on the quality or performance of a hardwood court, third grade maple has greater color variations than first or second. It also has a slightly lower cost.
“The school was happy to find it saved them a little bit of money while adding character to the gym,” says Allen.
Action Floors is proud to work with a network of sports flooring dealers who are problem solvers that bring project management and floor design advice to the table. You’ll find our versatile hardwood maple sports floors inside K-12 schools and colleges around the country.
Contact us with questions or to get help finding a sports flooring expert for your project.
Center Court logo on 3rd Grade Maple
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Drug Rehab and Treatment Centers Information Kirkville, Iowa
Looking for Drug Rehab and treatment centers in Kirkville, Iowa?
There are many alcohol and drug rehabilitation centers possibilities to individuals residing in the Kirkville region. You should recognize all the varieties of treatment choices that are available in Kirkville, AB., in order to find the ideal treatment option for yourself or a family member. Selecting the most appropriate drug and alcohol treatment facility in Kirkville is the central factor in the process of treating of substance abuse, drug addiction and alcoholism. This data will help you recognize your numerous rehabilitation possibilities so that you have the best chance of an effective end result.
Let's examine the different drug and alcohol rehab programs in Kirkville, Iowa choices that coincide with the condition of the individual in search of treatment.
Inpatient drug and alcohol treatment in Kirkville, AB. is really a treatment possibility ideal for those who need medical treatment in the course of rehabilitation or individuals with considerable substance abuse histories. Women and men will experience physical and mental dependence to drugs and alcohol even after a short time period, so inpatient alcohol and drug rehabilitation in Kirkville is among the most beneficial rehabilitation possibility in nearly all scenarios. Because of substance abuse and addiction, people will most likely be unable to make a full recovery using the limited services offered by outpatient rehabilitation programs in Kirkville, Iowa where alcohol and drugs remain easily obtainable when they leave the outpatient program. Likewise, men and women in treatment who take part in outpatient rehabilitation instead of inpatient drug and alcohol rehab in Kirkville continue to be vulnerable to detrimental relationships and circumstances that might cut across their process of recovery. If a person lives with an abusive partner or maintains associations which involve drug abuse, any rehab activities in outpatient rehabilitation will be in vain. For this reason in-patient drug and alcohol rehab in Kirkville, AB. will generate more tangible outcomes that may prove lasting in contrast to an outpatient alcohol and drug rehabilitation program where benefits are often very limited and acute.
In Kirkville there is both short-term and long-term inpatient drug rehabilitation. Short-term is often a 30-day center, while long-term inpatient alcohol and drug treatment in Kirkville, Iowa is significantly more intensive and rehab lasts 90-120 days generally speaking. This is an ideal environment for clients as it is a secure drug-free setting where they can heal both physically and mentally without distraction. Ideally, people will continue within a long-term in-patient alcohol and drug rehab facility in Kirkville for the optimum time period permitted, to enable them to handle anything which may cut across their abstinence when they leave rehab. Due to the fact detoxing and becoming physically stabilized can take two to three weeks alone, the 3 to 6 months in long-term in-patient alcohol and drug rehabilitation in Kirkville is going to be time spent well and a lot more effective than short-term facilities.
The main component of all if you or a loved one is struggling with a drug abuse or addiction concern is to get it resolved right away, make calls and seek advice from experienced addiction professionals and have an assessment and treatment options to guarantee the greatest opportunity for a recovery.
There are no local drug rehab listings for Kirkville, Iowa so we have provided the 6 closest treatment facilities arranged by distance from Kirkville:
Southern Iowa Mental Health Center
(Ottumwa is 10.1 from Kirkville)
Ottumwa, IA. 52501
Contact Southern Iowa Mental Health Center, by calling 641-682-8772.
Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs, Drug Treatment for Dual Diagnosis Clients, Drug Rehabs For Senior Citizens, Drug Rehab Programs For Hearing Impaired Clients, Drug Rehab Centers For Spanish Speaking Clients
Mahaska Behavioral Health
(Oskaloosa is 12.5 from Kirkville)
1229 C Avenue East
Oskaloosa, IA. 52577
Contact Mahaska Behavioral Health, by calling 641-672-3159.
Drug and Alcohol Rehab, Drug And Alcohol Detox Programs, Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs, Drug Treatment for Dual Diagnosis Clients, Drug Treatment For DUI and DWI Offenders, Drug Rehab Programs For Hearing Impaired Clients
Mahaska Health Partnership
Contact Mahaska Health Partnership, by calling 641-672-3159.
Drug and Alcohol Rehab, Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs, Drug Treatment for Dual Diagnosis Clients, Drug Rehabs For Women, Drug Treatment Centers For Men, Drug Treatment For DUI and DWI Offenders, Drug Rehab Programs For Criminal Justice Clients, Drug Rehab Programs For Hearing Impaired Clients
Crossroads of Pella
Contact Crossroads of Pella, by calling 641-676-4060.
Drug and Alcohol Rehab, Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs, Drug Rehab Centers For Teens and Adolescents, Drug Treatment for Dual Diagnosis Clients, Drug Rehabs For Senior Citizens, Drug Rehabs For Women, Drug Treatment Centers For Men, Drug Rehab Programs For Criminal Justice Clients
Self Pay Drug Rehab Programs, Drug Rehabs That Accept Medicaid, Drug Treatment Programs That Accept Medicare, Drug Rehabs That Accept Private Health Insurance, Drug Rehabs With Sliding Scale Fees
Community Health Center of Southern IA
(Albia is 18.8 from Kirkville)
12 Washington Avenue West
Albia, IA. 52531
Contact Community Health Center of Southern IA, by calling 641-932-2065.
Self Pay Drug Rehab Programs, Drug Rehabs That Accept Medicaid, Drug Treatment Programs That Accept Medicare, Drug Rehabs That Accept Private Health Insurance, Drug Treatment Centers That Accept Military Insurance, Drug Rehabs With Sliding Scale Fees
Sieda Behavioral Health and Treatment
1801 South B Street
Contact Sieda Behavioral Health and Treatment, by calling 641-932-5960.
In 2009, rates of substance dependence or abuse for persons aged 12 or older were similar by region, with 9.5 percent in the West, 8.6 percent in the South, 9.1 percent in the Midwest, and 8.8 percent in the Northeast. Rates for substance dependence or abuse among persons aged 12 or older in 2009 were similar among large metropolitan counties (9.0 percent), nonmetropolitan counties (8.5 percent), and small metropolitan counties (9.1 percent).
Youths aged 12 to 17 were asked a number of questions related to the extent of support, oversight, and control that they perceived their parents exercised over them in the year prior to the survey. In 2008, among youths aged 12 to 17 enrolled in school in the past year, 79.3 percent reported that in the past year their parents always or sometimes checked on whether or not they had completed their homework, and 70.2 percent reported that their parents limited the amount of time that they spent out with friends on school nights. Both of these rates reported in 2008 were similar to those reported in 2007 and remained statistically unchanged from the rates reported in 2002. However, in 2008, 80.0 percent reported that their parents always or sometimes provided help with their homework, which was similar to the rate in 2007 (80.9 percent) but was lower than the rate in 2002 (81.4 percent).
Among people aged 12 or older who needed but did not receive illicit drug use treatment and felt they needed treatment (based on 2005-2008 combined data), the most often reported reasons for not receiving treatment were (a) no health coverage and could not afford cost (37.2 percent), (b) not ready to stop using (29.5 percent), (c) concern that receiving treatment might cause neighbors/community to have negative opinion (15.4 percent), (d) not knowing where to go for treatment (15.3 percent), (e) possible negative effect on job (13.0 percent), and (f) being able to handle the problem without treatment (12.0 percent).
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Community mourns death of former Moutbellew principal Br Michael Burke
Galway Advertiser, Thu, Aug 25, 2016
Mountbellew is mourning the loss of Franciscan Brother Michael Burke who made a great contribution to the parish and community through his involvement in many clubs and committees.
Br Michael died following a road traffic accident in Co Offaly on Thursday August 18 after the car he was driving collided with a truck on the N62 at Cloghan. Br Michael had a long history of involvement with the Franciscan Agricultural College in Mountbellew until he was promoted in the Franciscan order almost two years ago when he became Minister General of the Franciscan Brothers at Mountbellew. He was heavily involved in the campaign to keep Mountbellew Agriculture College open in 2011.
A native of Gortroe, Corrandulla, Co Galway, where he attended national school, Br Michael attended the VEC in Fr Griffith Road, and worked in Galway before going to St Anthony’s College, Clara, Co Offaly. He made his first profession as a Franciscan Brother in 1974. He was a student at Mountbellew Agricultural College and Warrenstown Agricultural College until 1977 when he returned to Mountbellew as a livestock specialist.
In 1981 he joined the Franciscan Mission in Kenya, East Africa, where he served as principal of the Baraka Agricultural College, Molo, until he returned to Ireland in 1985. From that time until he retired in 2015, he had numerous roles in Mountbellew Agricultural College, including, dean of students, vice-principal and principal of the college for one year 1989-1990.
He pursued further studies, completing a BA in public administration and a master's in rural development at NUIG, and on his retirement, he was elected minister general of the Franciscan Brothers. As well as numerous other duties over the past year, Michael spent time in the Franciscan Missions in Kenya and Uganda, encouraging and supporting the work of the Brothers there.
From a strong sporting family, Br Michael played football for Annaghdown, Clara GAA Club, the Agricultural College Mountbellew, and he won an All-Ireland medal with Warrenstown Agricultural College in 1975/1976 as full back. His brother Paddy Joe won All-Ireland medals in minor and U21 in the early 1970s with Galway.
He was deeply involved with the Corrandulla and Galway County Ploughing Association, and had recently been a judge at the Tullamore Show.
Michael was the son of Sarah Burke and the late John Burke and was one of 11 children. A great family person and involved in all the varied family events, he was known amongst his family as the “chief organiser”.
He will be greatly missed by all his family, and particularly his mother Sarah who is in her 92nd year and to whom he gave special care and attention over the last few years.
Burke Ireland Minister Galway County judge Clara Co Kenya Uganda John Burke Michael Burke East Africa Br Michael Paddy Joe livestock specialist Mountbellew Agricultural College Baraka Agricultural College Clara GAA Club Mountbellew Agriculture College Sarah Burke Franciscan Mission in Kenya Warrenstown Agricultural College judge at the Tullamore Show Franciscan Agricultural College Corrandulla Co St Anthonys College Br Michael Burke Franciscan Brother Michael Burke dean of students Minister General
Unveiling of plaque in memory of Ardrahan
Full steam ahead for Mountbellew Vintage Rally steam
Men who give a damn support local charities
Corribdale fair keeps the show going in Oughterard
Points rise in GUI Galway as CAO first round offers released
St Mary’s hosts annual school of hurling
Galway Hospice holds eleventh annual memorial walk
New plans for Glenamaddy wastewater treatment plant
Galway’s young coders use digital skills to protect the world’s oceans
More Galwegians turning to homeless charity
Students’ Union launches practical training for students
Growing numbers of families struggle to pay school costs
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To provide you with the best experience, Alexandros Hotel uses its own and third-party cookies on its website for technical, analytical and marketing purposes. By continuing to browse our site, you're agreeing to our use of cookies. Please consult our Cookie Notice for more information.
Leptokarya, 60063
Alexandros Hotel is set in Leptokarya, 49 km from Larisa. Elatochori is 38 km from the property. Free WiFi is available throughout the property.
A refrigerator and kettle are also provided.
Paralia Katerinis is 24 km from Alexandros Hotel, while Litochoro is 7 km away. The nearest airport is Thessaloniki Airport, 63 km from the property.
Alexandros Hotel View Attractions
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More councils introduce random drug testing
May 7, 2019 | Drug Testing
West Lothian is the latest council to introduce random drug testing and a zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy for its employees. The random tests are intended for safety critical roles, which include HGV drivers, bus drivers and employees who operate heavy machinery. About 1500 staff will be affected.
A spokeswoman for West Lothian Council said the testing for staff in designated safety critical roles would be on a with-cause basis. This form of screening may be used as part of a drug and alcohol policy when there are reasonable grounds to suspect that there is a misuse of drugs or alcohol in the workplace. This form of testing is sometimes also referred to as for-cause testing. Reasonable grounds to suspect individuals could be based on a belief that an employee is under the influence at work, following a workplace incident, when there’s been a complaint or whistle-blowing incident, or indeed when drugs or alcohol are found somewhere in the workplace.
Drugs routinely tested for include cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines (including ecstasy) and barbiturates. Action taken following a non-negative screening result would depend on the circumstances, which would be investigated as part of a disciplinary investigation.
However, unions are concerned that some staff are being unfairly targeted. Pat Tedford for the Unite union said: “Why are they singling out only a certain percentage of employees when we state that there is a zero-tolerance policy? Zero tolerance means zero tolerance for everyone. Random testing acts as a deterrent for everyone.”
Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick, said there would be further consultations with the unions before the policy was implemented in September adding: “There is no distinction here between blue collar and white collar rules.”
With-cause drug screening
This brings the total to five councils in Scotland that currently operate a with-cause drug screening policy, while five local authorities in England have adopted, or are considering adopting, testing.
Walsall announced plans last summer to drug test council employees after finding drugs paraphernalia in staff areas. The council says it has called in police sniffer dogs four times in the past 2 years; and in all, seven incidents involving drugs or alcohol have been reported during the last 3 years. A number of service areas have requested the implementation of the testing policy. Roles that will be affected include those that involve property supervision, chemical handling or supervision of children.
Mike Bird, Conservative leader of Walsall council said: “We have to make sure that the people who are working for the council, especially in the areas where people are operating machinery, are safe”.
“The way the world has gone, drugs seem to be acceptable in certain areas but certainly not in the council structure”, he continued.
“We get needles, we get cannabis… we’re following the lead of other local authorities, if you’ve got a policy, you can enforce it, but if haven’t got anything in place you’ve got nothing to enforce.”
Birmingham City Council has also adopted random testing, while Wolverhampton, Sandwell and North Warwickshire Councils are considering introducing it.
AlphaBiolabs can help
Drug and alcohol misuse can aggravate a destructive behaviour. Drugs or alcohol that are available in any workplace may pressurise individuals into taking them, while others may feel victimised as a result. Employees will resent the need to cover for unwell or absent colleagues. The end product is a spiralling dysfunctional culture of increased risks, loss of profits and long-lasting damage to a company, or council’s, reputation.
A drug and alcohol testing policy can raise awareness of any concerns. It can encourage individuals to take action to correct any problems they have. By reducing problems at work the knock-on effect is less illness and staff turnover and increased productivity.
“Not only does a drug and alcohol testing policy give employees clear guidance on what they can and can’t do, it details what support is available to them, as well as which disciplinary procedures apply”, says David Thomas, AlphaBiolabs’ Managing Director. “Importantly, it also provides Managers with clear guidance on which procedures they should follow.” For information on local authority testing, or our bespoke workplace drug and alcohol testing programmes and their implementation, visit our workplace testing services pages, call us on 0333 600 1300, email info@alphabiolabs.com, or visit our website at www.alphabiolabs.co.uk.
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/ American Funds Global Growth Portfolio SM
American Funds Global Growth Portfolio SM (CGGEX)
VIEW A DIFFERENT FUND
Share Class
A C F-1 F-2 F-3 529-A 529-C 529-E 529-F-1 ABLE-A R-1 R-2 R-2E R-3 R-4 R-5E R-5 R-6
PRINT ADD TO COMPARE ADD TO TRACKER
ADD TO COMPARE ADD TO TRACKER
RATINGS & RISK
PRICES & DISTRIBUTIONS
Purchase Restrictions: Class 529-E share funds are available only for employer-sponsored CollegeAmerica accounts.
Access to global opportunities. Designed to help investors pursue long-term goals by investing in funds with exposure to companies located around the world.
Price at NAV $17.01 as of 7/16/2019 (updated daily)
Fund Assets (millions) $3,676.4
Portfolio Oversight Committee Members 7
Prospectus (PDF)
Underlying Funds
Growth 70.1%
EuroPacific Growth Fund ® 25.1%
The Growth Fund of America ® 15%
New Perspective Fund ® 20%
SMALLCAP World Fund ® 10%
Growth-and-Income 30%
Capital World Growth and Income Fund ® 15%
Fundamental Investors ® 15%
As of 6/30/2019 (updated monthly)
QUARTERLY HOLDINGS
Asset Mix
U.S. Equities46.5%
Non-U.S. Equities47.2%
U.S. Bonds0.1%
Non-U.S. Bonds0.1%
Cash & Equivalents6.1%
$52,226.95 Million
As of 3/31/2019 (updated quarterly). Morningstar data as of 3/31/2019 (updated quarterly).
High & Low Prices
Read important investment disclosures
529-E Share data is not available ; please click here for a chart based on an investment in Class A shares.
For Class 529-E Shares, this chart tracks the high and low prices at NAV for CGGEX through 7/16/2019.
CGGEX
Returns at NAV
Returns with Sales Charge
1-year return
Lifetime return (5/18/12)
30-Day SEC Yield Fund at NAV
Returns as of 6/30/19 (updated monthly). Yield as of 6/30/19 (updated monthly).
Lifetime return
Fund Objective
The fund's investment objective is to provide long-term growth of capital.
Distinguishing Characteristics
The fund will attempt to achieve its investment objectives by investing in a mix of American Funds in different combinations and weightings.
The underlying American Funds will primarily consist of growth funds and growth-and-income funds.
Holdings Outside the U.S.
Will invest at least 25% of its assets in underlying funds that invest significantly (under normal market conditions, at least 40%) in issuers outside the United States.
Fund Inception 5/18/2012
Fund Assets (millions)
Companies/Issuers
Holdings are as of 6/30/2019 (updated quarterly).
Shareholder Accounts
Shareholder accounts are as of 6/30/2019
Regular Dividends Paid Dec
Minimum Initial Investment $250
Capital Gains Paid Dec
Portfolio Turnover (2018) 1%
Fiscal Year-End Oct
Prospectus Date 01/01/2019
CUSIP 02630R 52 6
Fund Number 1555
Returns LEARN ABOUT THE SYSTEM BEHIND OUR RESULTS
Month-End Returns as of 6/30/19
Quarter-End Returns as of 6/30/19
ANNUAL RETURNS CHART
Returns at NAV | With Sales Charge
MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI)
Volatility & Return
Volatility & Return chart is not available for funds less than 10 years old.
12-month
Distribution Rates
30-day SEC Yield
Fund at NAV 0.74% 0.50%
Fund at MOP N/A N/A
Price/ Price/ Price/
Book Cash Flow Earnings
Fund 2.24 7.83 16.67
MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) 2.05 7.51 15.66
Fund as of 3/31/19. Index as of 6/30/19.
Portfolio Oversight Committee
Years of Experience with Fund
Years of Experience with Capital Group
Years of Experience with Investment Industry
Alan N. Berro 33 28 7
Joanna F. Jonsson 30 28 4
James B. Lovelace 37 37 7
Wesley Phoa 25 20 7
John H. Smet 37 35 7
Andrew B. Suzman 25 25 7
Bradley J. Vogt 31 31 7
Alan N. Berro 7 28 33
Joanna F. Jonsson 4 28 30
James B. Lovelace 7 37
Wesley Phoa 7 20 25
John H. Smet 7 35 37
Andrew B. Suzman 7 25
Bradley J. Vogt 7 31
A boldface number indicates that years of experience with Capital Group is equal to years of experience with investment industry.
Morningstar Rating TM
Overall Morningstar RatingTM
Funds rated(722)
3-yr. Morningstar RatingTM
(722 funds rated)
10-yr. Morningstar RatingTM
(-- funds rated) --
Overall Morningstar Risk Average
Category World Large Stock
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF MORNINGSTAR RATINGS
Ratings are based on risk-adjusted returns as of 6/30/2019 (updated monthly).
Standard Deviation 11.82
For the 5 Years ending 6/30/19 (updated monthly).
Benchmark Morningstar
MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) MSCI ACWI Ex USA NR USD
R-squared 96 89
Beta 0.98 0.89
Capture Ratio (Downside/Upside) 95/99 70/97
American Funds Benchmark for the 5 Years ending 6/30/19 (updated quarterly).
Morningstar Benchmark for the 5 Years ending 6/30/19 (updated monthly).
Equities Breakdown
Sectors | Top Industries
Equity Fund Holdings
Information technology 18.0%
Consumer discretionary 13.0%
Financials 12.5%
Health care 12.3%
Industrials 9.8%
Communication services 8.7%
Consumer staples 5.8%
Materials 5.3%
Energy 5.0%
Real estate 1.7%
Utilities 1.6%
% of net assets as of 6/30/2019 (updated quarterly)
Semiconductors & semiconductor equipment
Oil, gas & consumable fuels
Internet & direct marketing retail
Interactive media & services
Health care equipment & supplies
Go to the underlying fund pages to see detailed holdings information.
EuroPacific Growth Fund ®
The Growth Fund of America ®
New Perspective Fund ®
SMALLCAP World Fund ®
Growth-and-Income Funds
Capital World Growth and Income Fund ®
Fundamental Investors ®
Geographic Breakdown
Regions | Top Countries
Asia & Pacific Basin
Other (Including Canada & Latin America)
Percentage of net assets as of 6/30/2019 (updated quarterly)
Historical Prices Month-End
Historical Prices Year-End
as of 01/25/19
Historical Distributions as of 01/25/19
Date Calculated
Date Pay Date
Income Dividend Regular
Income Dividend Special
Cap. Gains Long-Term
Cap. Gains Short-Term
Reinvest NAV
12/27/18 12/27/18 12/28/18 $0.128 $0.00 $0.6549 $0.00 $14.16
2018 Year-to-Date: Dividends Subtotal: $0.128 Cap Gains Subtotal: $0.6549
Total Distributions: $0.7829
Daily Dividend Accrual
for Pay Date
As of Date
0.00000000 12/28/2018
Calculated Date
Current Daily
Dividend Accrual
As of-Date
Annual Management Fees 0.00%
Other Expenses 0.15%
Acquired (Underlying) Fund Fees and Expenses 0.44%
Service 12b-1 0.50%
As of each fund's most recent prospectus.
CGGEX 1.09%
Lipper Global Funds Average --%
Fund as of most recent prospectus. Lipper Category as of 12/31/18 (updated monthly).
Prospectuses & Reports for CGGEX
Quarterly Fund Fact Sheet (PDF) 05/19
Fund Commentary (PDF) 04/19
Single Sheet (PDF) 02/19
Summary Prospectus (PDF) 01/19
Prospectus (PDF) 01/19
Statement of additional information (PDF) 01/19
Semi-Annual Report (PDF) 06/19
Annual Report (PDF) 12/18
About Our Funds
Share Class Pricing Details
Stats Update (PDF)
Resource Guide (PDF)
Quarterly Statistical Update for the American Funds (PDF)
Figures shown are past results and are not predictive of results in future periods. Current and future results may be lower or higher than those shown. Share prices and returns will vary, so investors may lose money. Investing for short periods makes losses more likely. View fund expense ratios and returns.
Returns shown at net asset value (NAV) have all distributions reinvested.
Investing outside the United States involves risks, such as currency fluctuations, periods of illiquidity and price volatility, as more fully described in the prospectus. These risks may be heightened in connection with investments in developing countries. Small-company stocks entail additional risks, and they can fluctuate in price more than larger company stocks.
There may have been periods when the fund(s) lagged the index(es). Certain market indexes are unmanaged and, therefore, have no expenses. Investors cannot invest directly in an index.
Funds are managed, so holdings will change.
Investment results assume all distributions are reinvested and reflect applicable fees and expenses.
When applicable, investment results reflect fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, without which results would have been lower. Read details about how waivers and/or reimbursements affect the results for each fund. View results and yields without fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement .
Excludes certain securities in initial period of acquisition.
Cash and equivalents includes short-term securities, accrued income and other assets less liabilities. It may also include investments in money market or similar funds managed by the investment adviser or its affiliates that are not offered to the public.
The information shown does not include cash and cash equivalents. This includes shares of money market or similar funds managed by the investment adviser or its affiliates that are not offered to the public.
Figures include convertible securities; totals may not reconcile due to rounding. Methodology notes: The equity breakdown by revenue reflects the fund’s publicly traded equity holdings and excludes cash (and fixed income securities, if applicable). Underlying revenue data were compiled by MSCI and account for disparities in the way companies report their revenues across geographic segments. MSCI breaks out each company’s reported revenues into country-by-country estimates. MSCI provides revenue data figures based on a proprietary, standardized model. Revenue exposure at the fund and index level was calculated by using FactSet, which takes these company revenue exposures and multiplies by the company’s weighting in the portfolio and index. In this breakdown, Israel has been included in Europe.
American Funds Global Growth Portfolio: John H. Smet will retire at the end of 2019.
The portfolio managers shown are as of the fund's most recent prospectus dated 01/01/2019.
For funds of funds, figures are based on holdings of the underlying funds as of date shown.
Lipper ratings for Consistent Return reflect funds’ historical risk-adjusted returns at NAV, adjusted for volatility, relative to peers. Lipper ratings for Expense reflect funds’ expense minimization relative to peers with similar load structures. Lipper ratings for Preservation reflect funds’ historical loss avoidance relative to other funds within the same asset class. Preservation ratings are relative, rather than absolute, measures, and funds named Lipper Leaders for Preservation may still experience losses periodically; those losses may be larger for equity and mixed equity funds than for fixed income funds. Lipper ratings for Tax Efficiency reflect funds’ historical success in postponing taxable distributions relative to peers. Tax Efficiency offers no benefit to investors in tax-sheltered accounts such as 401(k) plans. Lipper ratings for Total Return reflect funds’ historical total return performance relative to peers. The Lipper ratings are subject to change every month and are based on an equal-weighted average of percentile ranks for the Total Return, Consistent Return, Preservation, Tax Efficiency and Expense metrics. The highest 20% of funds in each classification are named Lipper Leaders for Total Return, the next 20% receive a rating of 4, the middle 20% are rated 3, the next 20% are rated 2, and the lowest 20% are rated 1. Lipper ratings are not intended to predict future results, and Lipper does not guarantee the accuracy of this information. More information is available at www.lipperleaders.com. Lipper Leader © 2018, Thomson Reuters, All Rights Reserved.
Calculated by American Funds. Due to differing calculation methods, the figures shown here may differ from those calculated by Morningstar.
Calculated by Morningstar. Due to differing calculation methods, the figures shown here may differ from those calculated by American Funds.
The Morningstar Rating™ for funds, or "star rating", is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product's monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods. Past results are not guarantee of results in future periods. Morningstar Rating is for Class 529-E only; other classes may have different performance characteristics.
The months indicated for dividends and capital gains paid represent the anticipated current year ex-dividend date schedule for all share classes.
YTD (year-to-date return): the net change in the value of the fund’s shares (in percentage terms) from January 1 of the current year to the date shown above.
Expense ratios for funds of funds are as of the most recent prospectus, and include the weighted average expenses of the underlying funds.
Comparable industry expense information is not available for the fund.
The SEC yield reflects the rate at which the fund is earning income on its current portfolio of securities while the distribution rate reflects the fund’s past dividends paid to shareholders. Accordingly, the fund's SEC yield and distribution rate may differ.
©2019 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Some of the information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar, its content providers nor the American Funds are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Information is calculated by Morningstar. Due to differing calculation methods, the figures shown here may differ from those calculated by American Funds.
Beta: Beta relatively measures sensitivity to market movements over a specified period of time. The beta of the market (represented by the benchmark index) is equal to 1; a beta higher than 1 implies that a return was more volatile than the market. A beta lower than 1 suggests that a return was less volatile than the market. Generally the higher the R-squared measure, the more reliable the beta measurement will be.
Capture Ratio Downside: Specifies how well benchmark results have matched during declining market periods. A downside capture ratio less than 100 indicates the strategy lost less than the index in negative monthly return periods.
Capture Ratio Upside: Specifies how well benchmark results have matched during rising market periods. An upside capture ratio above 100 indicates the strategy gained more than a market index in positive monthly return periods.
Distribution rate 12-month: The income per share paid by the fund over the past 12 months to an investor from dividends (including any special dividends). The distribution rate is expressed as a percentage of the current price.
Historical Long-Term Capital Gains: When a capital gain distribution is paid, the net asset value per share is reduced by the amount of the payment plus or minus any change in the value of the fund's holdings. Read our explanation of the effect of a capital gain on a fund's price for details. Two types of capital gains are realized by our funds — short-term and long-term. Net short-term capital gains are distributed to shareholders as income dividends and are taxed at ordinary income tax rates. Long-term capital gain distributions are taxed at a maximum 15% rate. The information above classifies gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset held for more than one year as a long-term capital gain.
Historical Regular Dividend: The share prices of all of our equity funds decrease when a dividend is paid. The share price of Capital World Bond Fund, American Funds Strategic Bond Fund and American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund also decrease when a dividend is paid. A fund pays a special dividend when the investment income generated by the fund exceeds the income the fund has paid in the form of dividends throughout the year. Special dividends are distributed with the last dividend payment at the end of the calendar year. Prior to January 1, 2003, short-term capital gains distributed to shareholders as income dividends and special dividends paid to shareholders were included in the aggregate income dividend dollar amount.
Historical Short-Term Capital Gains: When a capital gain distribution is paid, the net asset value per share is reduced by the amount of the payment plus or minus any change in the value of the fund's holdings. Read our explanation of the effect of a capital gain on a fund's price for details. Two types of capital gains are realized by our funds — short-term and long-term. Net short-term capital gains are distributed to shareholders as income dividends and are taxed at ordinary income tax rates. Long-term capital gain distributions are taxed at a maximum 15% rate.
Historical Special Dividend: The share prices of all of our equity funds decrease when a dividend is paid. The share price of only one of our fixed-income funds, Capital World Bond Fund, also decreases when a dividend is paid. A fund pays a special dividend when the investment income generated by the fund exceeds the income the fund has paid in the form of dividends throughout the year. Special dividends are distributed with the last dividend payment at the end of the calendar year. Prior to January 1, 2003, short-term capital gains distributed to shareholders as income dividends and special dividends paid to shareholders were included in the aggregate income dividend dollar amount.
Morningstar rating: In an effort to classify funds by what they own, as well as by their prospectus objectives and styles, Morningstar developed Morningstar Categories. While the prospectus objective identifies a fund's investment goals based on the wording in the fund prospectus, the Morningstar Category identifies funds based on their actual investment styles as measured by their underlying portfolio holdings (portfolio and other statistics over the past three years).
MSCI All Country World: MSCI All Country World Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure equity market results in the global developed and emerging markets, consisting of more than 40 developed and emerging market country indexes. Results reflect dividends gross of withholding taxes through December 31, 2000, and dividends net of withholding taxes thereafter. This index is unmanaged, and its results include reinvested dividends and/or distributions but do not reflect the effect of sales charges, commissions, account fees, expenses or U.S. federal income taxes.
R-Squared: R-squared is a measure of the correlation between a particular return and that of a benchmark index. A measure of 100 indicates that all of the return can be explained by movements in the benchmark. Generally the higher the R-squared measure, the more reliable the beta measurement will be.
Standard Deviation: Annualized standard deviation (based on monthly returns) is a common measure of absolute volatility that tells how returns over time have varied from the mean. A lower number signifies lower volatility. Calculated by Morningstar.
Valuation Price-to-Cash Flow: Price-to-cash-flow (P/C) ratio is the average price to cash flow ratio of the individual stocks within a fund.
Valuation Price-to-Earnings Ratio: Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio takes the current price of a stock divided by its earnings per share. The ratio reflects the cost of a given stock per dollar of current annual earnings and is the most common measure of a stock's expense. The higher the P/E, the more investors are paying, and therefore the more earnings growth they are expecting.
Valuation: Price-to-book ratio compares a stock's market value to the value of total assets less total liabilities (book value). Adjusted for stock splits. Price-to-cash-flow (P/C) ratio is the average price to cash flow ratio of the individual stocks within a fund. Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio takes the current price of a stock divided by its earnings per share. The ratio reflects the cost of a given stock per dollar of current annual earnings and is the most common measure of a stock's expense. The higher the P/E, the more investors are paying, and therefore the more earnings growth they are expecting.
Growth of a hypothetical $10,000 investment
This chart tracks a Class 529-E share investment over the last 20 years, or, since inception date if the fund has been in existence under 20 years.
American Funds Global Growth Portfolio (CGGEX)
Dividend Reinvested
For Class 529-E Shares, this chart tracks the total returns since the fund's inception date (Friday, May 18, 2012) through December 31, 2018. Fund returns and, if available, index returns are for calendar years except for the inception year (2012), which may not be a full calendar year. In cases where the index was launched after the fund inception, the index returns are shown in calender years.
Volatility & Returns
For Class 529-E Shares, this chart tracks the 10-year standard deviation and 10-year annualized return of the equity funds.
Download Data for CGGEX
Some statistics may not be available for all fund (e.g., Top Equity Holdings for Bond funds). Data presented in Excel .xls format.
In the unlikely event that a correction is made for fund data you are downloading, a notification will be sent to the e-mail address specified below.
Why we need your e-mail address: This is a precautionary measure we are taking to ensure that we can notify you in the unlikely event that a correction is needed for the data you are downloading.
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Note: Updating your e-mail address on this page will not affect your primary email address.
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Johnson City GhostWalks
******* Welcome to the NEW Appalachian GhostWalks Haunted Johnson City Ghost Tour - Introducing a new Haunted and Historic Johnson City Ghost Tour and Ghost Walk Tour made just for vacationing families and groups in the East Tennessee. The Johnson City Ghost Tour, or Johnson City Ghost Tours and Johnson City GhostWalk, or Johnson City GhostWalks is a lantern-led ghost and history tour and Johnson City Ghost Walks are perfect for East Tennessee vacationing families, couples, and groups with children as young as five. Our Johnson City History Tour, or Johnson City History Tours give visitors a thorough look at the history of Johnson City and the East Tennessee as well as Wetlands Water Park. Visit Johnson City, Tennessee for a Haunted Historic and SPOOK-tacular family experience in the Smokies!!!!! *******
The NEW Haunted Historic Johnson City Ghost Tour
Introducing a new Haunted and Historic Johnson City Ghost Tour and Ghost Walk Tour made just for vacationing families and groups in the East Tennessee...
Appalachian GhostWalks Johnson City Ghost Tours cordially invites you and your family, friends, co-workers, or tour group to join us as we explore the history and mystery of our mountain heritage on our NEW lantern-led Historic Johnson City Ghost Walking Tours. Our new East Tennessee tour brings our region's Cherokee Indian, Frontier, Revolutionary and Civil War History to life for all ages. Each Johnson City Ghost Tour Mountain MysteriesTM Guide is a highly trained and certified ghost hunter presenting a unique blend of history and science as you stroll through the historic district of Johnson City, Tennessee stopping to discuss multiple locations throughout the town where spirit activity has been verified and documented to have happened in the past, or continues to occur, often on a regular basis at some locations along the route chosen for this haunted historic tour of the town. For further details and information on Appalachian GhostWalks' Haunted Historic Johnson City Ghost Tours, please Click Here, or call (423) 743-WALK (9255) for reservations...
East Tennessee / Johnson City Ghost and History Tours
During Johnson City Ghost Tours, as well as other regional lantern-led GhostWalks and tours, experiences unfold in the best of dramatic storytelling tradition, causing even the slam of a car door to make you jump, thrilling tour participants. These stories explain how the findings of qualified and experienced researchers, possessing many legitimate and proven psychic gifts, were verified according to the history of people and past incidents occurring on site. But, not just any history!
Our New Johnson City GhostWalk is one of a family of sixteen different East Tennessee Ghost and History Tours located here in the heart of the Smokies, throughout the Southern Appalachians of Northeastern Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. In addition to our New "Haunted Historic Johnson City GhostWalk", we offer tours in Dandridge, Erwin and the Unicoi County Heritage Museum, the East Tennessee State University Campus, Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site, Greeneville, Rogersville, Blountville, Johnson City, downtown Johnson City's "Little Chicago GhostWalk", and Johnson City - once listed on the Travel Channel as one of the top ten most haunted towns in America! Other haunted historic tours presently include the historic districts of Bristol, also known as the "Birthplace of Country Music" and Abingdon, Virginia - the gateway to "America's First Western Frontier."
As a first in North America, the "Legendary Cherokee Bigfoot Adventure Tour" is hosted at Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium in Kingsport, Tennessee just a short drive from Johnson City, and this tour is an afternoon hiking adventure set to the beat of Native American flute and drum music, sharing over five-hundred years of Cherokee folklore history and legend. In addition, guests will discover nearly twenty years of unique and startling Bigfoot research findings from exclusive studies performed locally in the mountains of Southern Appalachia.
Appalachian GhostWalks' East Tennessee and Johnson City Ghost and History Tours are appropriate for ages five and up. Come and visit the "People of the Past" with each of their historically accurate tours offering a small piece of a larger puzzle of Tennessee History. Your ghost hunting guide will weave a chilly tale of the region's vast cultural heritage coupled with true, spine-tingling ghost stories. Catering to groups as few as two people, one simple phone call will help you create a memorable evening out in one of the region's First Western Frontier towns, or an entire family vacation.
Appalachian GhostWalks' Johnson City and East Tennessee "Spook and Save" Haunted Vacation Packages offer the best for less! Enjoy great travel discounts on a wonderful selection of very historic and sometimes haunted bed and breakfasts, inns, and great family hotels. They offer vacation packages which combine your haunted tour experience with local area camping, white water rafting, caving, bicycle or horseback riding, gem mining, carriage rides, area museums, water parks, skiing, plays, and more. You'll enjoy the best food with a great casual or fine dining restaurant each night. Packages feature a wide variety of interests to include both day and night time activities to keep you and your travel companions enchanted and entertained throughout your stay.
Reserve your tickets safely and securely online, here on our site, or call us by telephone at (423) 743-WALK (9255) to speak with a reservation specialist by telephone and start planning now for an unforgettable East Tennessee and Johnson City Vacation you'll treasure for a lifetime!
East Tennessee / Johnson City Ghost Tour Schedule
Mailing Address: Johnson City GhostWalks, PO Box 153, Unicoi, TN 37692 USA
The Johnson City GhostWalk Departs with Advance Reservations from the:
Old Inman General Store, 149 E Main St, Dandridge, TN 37725
Click Here to discover more about The ARC Ghostology 101 Ghost Hunting Classes. Thank you for visiting our NEW Appalachian GhostWalks Haunted Johnson City Ghost Tour - Introducing a new Haunted and Historic Johnson City Ghost Tour and Ghost Walk Tour made just for vacationing families and groups in the East Tennessee. The Johnson City Ghost Tour, or Johnson City Ghost Tours and Johnson City GhostWalk, or Johnson City GhostWalks is a lantern-led ghost and history tour and Johnson City Ghost Walks are perfect for East Tennessee vacationing families, couples, and groups with children as young as five. Our Johnson City History Tour, or Johnson City History Tours give visitors a thorough look at the history of Johnson City and the East Tennessee as well as Wetlands Water Park. Visit Johnson City, Tennessee for a Haunted Historic and SPOOK-tacular family experience in the Smokies!!!!!
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Aquablog, Ocean Wise
A Life Changing Moment for Seal Pup and Donor
Newest Vet Fellow Has it Going On
Nereus Program Reports on Current and Future Ocean Health
Meet the Ocean Bridge Team (Part Deux!)
Aquablog, Education
Field Notes from Arctic Watch: Week 1
Arctic Connections, Vancouver Aquarium
A Killer New View
Research Site - CORI, Whale Sightings
The 411 on the Humpback Whale in English Bay
Conservation efforts for the local population of Oregon spotted frogs – the most endangered amphibian in Canada – are taking a leap in the right direction. In addition to encouraging findings from the field, the Vancouver Aquarium®, an Ocean Wise® initiative, raised and transferred 1,400 tadpoles to B.C.’s Fraser Valley on Tuesday, April 23. 1,240 tadpoles were released into a suitable native habitat and 160 were transferred to the Greater Vancouver Zoo where they will continue to grow before being released to the same site this fall. Working in close collaboration with Amphibian Ark (AArk) and the Oregon Spotted Frog Recovery Team, the Vancouver Aquarium has raised more than 21,000 Oregon spotted frog tadpoles for release since 2010.
This year, the Recovery Team saw promising signs of population increase at the release sites. While survey results are still coming in, early findings include juvenile and adult Oregon spotted frogs as well as egg masses at five of the seven release sites, one with a record high number. At the release site for Vancouver Aquarium-raised tadpoles, 23 juveniles and two small frogs believed to have been bred in the wild or been a surviving Aquarium-bred tadpole were found. Four of these frogs were third generation frogs born in human care – a first-time discovery for the Recovery Team. These findings are signs that tadpoles and frogs released in previous years are healthy and growing and the program is successful in supplementing and conserving the wild population.
“The early results from this year’s survey are really encouraging. While the frogs found are not of breeding age yet, this is a great indication that the tadpoles we’re releasing are maturing. We’re really hopeful that next year we’ll see egg masses at our release site,” says Kris Rossing, senior aquarium biologist at the Vancouver Aquarium, an Ocean Wise initiative. “Every year we learn more about the species, including its reproductive needs, which helps us continually refine and optimize our breeding practices and contribute to the wild population. At the same time, more and more people are learning about frogs, the important role they play in the ecosystem, and how we all can help with conservation efforts. While the road to recovery for the Oregon spotted frog will be long, these results let us know we’re on the right path.”
To further refine its frog breeding program, the Vancouver Aquarium aims to improve the fertility of the frogs in human care. Ongoing efforts include analyzing sperm samples of Vancouver Aquarium-raised frogs and wild frogs as well as establishing what ‘normal’ baselines are for wild frogs – an area that is not yet well studied.
Early last century, there were hundreds of thousands of Oregon spotted frogs, ranging from northern California up into B.C.’s Fraser Valley. Historically, B.C. populations were found from South Surrey to Hope but due to habitat destruction, the introduction of non-native species such as Eastern Canada’s bullfrog and the reed canary grass, increased pollution as well as disease, their numbers have declined as much as 90 per cent. Oregon spotted frogs spend most of their lives in the water and require connected wetlands and floodplains for habitat.
In an effort to protect this endangered species, the Aquarium joined B.C.’s Oregon Spotted Frog Recovery Team in 2000. A diverse group of biologists and land managers in B.C. are coordinating efforts to conserve, manage, and recover the Oregon spotted frog in Canada. Since 2007, Aquarium staff has been collecting Oregon spotted frog eggs to establish an Aquarium-based assurance population. In 2010, the Aquarium became the world pioneer to breed this species in human care.
The Oregon Spotted Frog Recovery Program includes habitat management, monitoring, research, and restoration conducted in partnership with the B.C. Ministry of Environment; B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations; Canadian Wildlife Service; Department of National Defense; Seabird Island Band; Stó:lo Tribal Council; District of Kent; Fraser Valley Regional District; Greater Vancouver Zoo; Toronto Zoo; Vancouver Aquarium; Mountain View Conservation Centre; Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife; Wildlife Preservation Trust Canada; Simon Fraser University; University of British Columbia; B.C. Conservation Foundation; and Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition.
The Vancouver Aquarium is also part of a worldwide effort, along with other zoos and aquariums, to conserve other amphibian species under the Amphibian Ark (AArk) project.
Ocean Wise would like to extend a special thanks to Teck Resources Limited for its support of the Oregon Spotted Frog Recovery Program.
Restoring a Wetland
Preserving Shark Jaws for Posterity
Featured - ocean.org
Getting Gulls
Put a Cap on It
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> News > Kamel’s Hat Trick Lifts Field Hockey to Best Start in Program History
Kamel’s Hat Trick Lifts Field Hockey to Best Start in Program History
October 5, 2012 • Purnell Cropper
Jennie Kamel ’16
The Arcadia University Field Hockey team rallied back from a two-goal deficit to beat non-conference opponent Keystone College, 5-3, at Riverfront Sports Complex in Scranton, Pa. The Knights scored five unanswered goals on the way to the win and a 9-2 record—the best start in program history.
Megan Fry gave Keystone a 1-0 lead just 3:22 into the game by finding the back of the cage after taking a feed from Hope Krolewski following a penalty corner. The Giants doubled their lead at the 17:05 mark, when Brittany Cardona scored unassisted.
Arcadia got a goal back at the 19:44 mark. Freshman Jennie Kamel scored off an assist from senior Lauren Altera. Just three minutes later, sophomore Molly Goldstein tied the game for the Knights. Arcadia was awarded a penalty stroke with just 18 seconds to play in the first half, and freshman Taylor Dalisera converted the stroke to give the Knights their first lead of the match.
Kamel's second goal of the game came 8:16 into the second half, extending the Knights’ lead to 4-2. Altera assisted Kamel's third tally of the afternoon with just over 19 and a half minutes to play to put the Giants in a three-goal deficit.
Keystone battled until the end and was rewarded with 1:18 to play when Hope Krolewski rifled home a shot for her 11th goal of the season.
The Knights, who held a 20-9 advantage in shots for the game, got two saves from freshman Mia DePlato, who earned the win, while senior Sarah Baumgardner made one stop in the final 16:59 in goal for Arcadia.
Nichole Blank and Amy Denmon split time equally in Keystone's cage, with Blank making four saves in the first half and Denmon turning aside two shots in the second half.
The Knights return to Conference play on Sunday, Oct. 7, as they travel to Hood College to take on the Blazers at 1 p.m.
Photo by Josh Blustein
athleticsfield hockey
February 28, 2019 • Jennifer Retter
Men’s Basketball Dances in National Tourney
Top Scores, Points, and Goals
January 10, 2019 • Jennifer Retter
73 Student-Athletes Recognized on MAC Fall Honor Roll
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Shiv Temple by sP+a, Wadeshwar, Maharashtra, India
23 August, 2010 By Rob Gregory
The timber-clad porch is the only indication that this is a contemporary building
The dim temple interior, the garbhagriha, houses a statue of Parvati, Shiva’s consort, together with a phallic ligam stone set in a circular yoni, representing male and female aspects
Shiv Temple by Sameep Padora & Associates
Padora donates his time and expertise to build a temple for the Hindu community of Wadeshwar. Photography by Edmund Sumner
More from: Let it burn: Temple in Derry, Northern Ireland by David Best / Artichoke
In stark contrast to the chic-boutique of his Creo project (AR June 2010), Sameep Padora’s Shiv Temple responds to an entirely different social and physical context. It was built for the Hindu community of Wadeshwar, a village around 70km east of Mumbai in Maharashtra state.
At weekends, Padora swaps his urban apartment for a modest farmhouse near here, and was approached by the client for a donation to the local temple’s building fund. Seeing the opportunity to make a more meaningful contribution, however, Padora offered his time for free, and started working alongside the priest and members of the local community to find a suitable site and develop the design.
Padora’s donation of expertise fitted well with the premise on which this and many other community projects are brought to fruition in India - the principle of shramdaan, in which people donate labour for free. Consequently, with work being done outside normal hours, it took nine months to build, taking advantage of stockpiles of laterite fieldstone donated by a local quarry.
‘This is basically what stone temples in India are like,’ says Padora. ‘However, we did away with traditional embellishments to avoid the need for skilled labour and to keep material costs within budget.’ The components of a traditional temple were also stripped away, and the landscape used to maximum advantage. ‘Typically, a temple would comprise an inner sanctum, the garbhagriha, where the deity is kept,’ he explains, ‘and then you have a pillared hall in front, where people sit and pray.’
In this spectacular landscape context, however, on a wooded hillside overlooking Andhra Lake, the architect saw a way to save resources and make the most of nature’s own enclosure, with the woodland forming the pillared hall or mandapa, described by Padora as ‘a room, with trees becoming walls and the sky becoming its roof’.
This not only reduced the scale of the build, but architecturally rendered the stone tower or shikhara even more special, allowing it to sit, uncluttered, with a sense of sacred isolation and solitary elegance within a neatly clipped plateau. With the landscape playing a vital role in the ceremony, views of the temple are limited.
Visitors first process through the woods on a path that winds between white oak trees. They then pause between two basalt stone walls before turning onto the east/west axis of the shikhara, from where they can finally proceed towards Padora’s distinctive porch. This is the only real signal that this is a new temple, exhibiting as it does a stripped-back contemporary aesthetic, lined in timber and framed in stainless steel.
‘It’s basically a threshold device,’ Padora explains, ‘made purposefully low so people bow their heads upon entry’. The relationship between the two elements, however, is of course much more sophisticated than Padora is suggesting, imparting a timeless quality to the ensemble.
One reading of the project suggests a mythical history whereby the ruined tower was discovered, repaired and adapted for the present community.
While respectfully adapting traditional motifs, Padora has succeeded in producing an undeniably contemporary piece of modern architecture. Anchoring this place to its lakeside context, the porch also defines a framed view of the lake. Light is brought into the heart of the traditionally dark garbhagriha through a discreet roof light. On top of the roof sits the kalash, a finial cast from ashtadhatu, an amalgam of eight different metals (gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, tin, iron and mercury). Hindus believe that the presence of ashtadhatu truly makes this a sacred place.
Architect Sameep Padora & Associates, Mumbai, India
Design team Sameep Padora, Vinay Mathias, Minal Modak
Let it burn: Temple in Derry, Northern Ireland by David Best / Artichoke
Rob Taylor: Golden Temple of Trash
Void Temple in Mexico by Dellekamp Arquitectos and Rozana Montiel
Image, Size 3.1 mb
PDF, Size 1.08 mb
Shortlist for the AR House awards 2019 announced
This year’s shortlist of 15 projects include houses from the UK, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Mexico, China, Australia and Japan
World Architecture Festival announces 2019 shortlist
The twelfth edition of the World Architecture Festival, the world’s biggest architectural awards programme, has announced a shortlist of 534 projects from across 70 countries for the 2019 awards
General Design Co | Collectif Encore | David Leech Architects | AZL Architects | MORQ | Kochi Architect’s Studio | Lacaton & Vassal | Balkrishna Doshi | Instituto Balear de la Vivienda | Alberto Kalach + TAX | Comunal | Rozana Montiel | Peter Barber Architects | Lacol | Rogelio Salmona | Minnette De Silva | Typology: Palace
sanjay gawas29 August, 2010 2:00 pm
i rally like the architects simplicity ,in little we can get more effective results
Tony Kangah29 August, 2010 3:22 pm
I agree, it is simply tasteful
manoj pawar14 September, 2010 4:38 pm
awosome..............
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The Race To Save The Romanovs: The Truth Behind The Secret Plans To Rescue Russia's Imperial Family
Helen Rappaport
Windmill Books
Arkadaş Fiyatı: 60,16 TL
Etiket Fiyatı: 70,78 TL
A work of investigative history that will completely change the way in which we see the Romanov story. Finally, here is the truth about the secret plans to rescue Russia's last imperial family.
On 17 July 1918, the whole of the Russian Imperial Family was murdered. There were no miraculous escapes. The former Tsar Nicholas, his wife Alexandra, and their children - Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexey - were all tragically gunned down in a blaze of bullets.
Historian Helen Rappaport sets out to uncover why the Romanovs' European royal relatives and the Allied governments failed to save them. It was not, ever, a simple case of one British King's loss of nerve. In this race against time, many other nations and individuals were facing political and personal challenges of the highest order.
In this incredible detective story, Rappaport draws on an unprecedented range of unseen sources, tracking down missing documents, destroyed papers and covert plots to liberate the family by land, sea and even sky. Through countless twists and turns, this revelatory work unpicks many false claims and conspiracies, revealing the fiercest loyalty, bitter rivalries and devastating betrayals as the Romanovs, imprisoned, awaited their fate.
A remarkable new work of history from Helen Rappaport, author of Ekaterinburg: The Last Days of the Romanovs.
Yayıncı: Windmill Books
Yazar: Helen Rappaport
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Merci Arsene
Bergkamp - The boss and I shared a philosophy
Rob Kelly 02 May 2018
Dennis Bergkamp says he was "the ideal player" for Arsene Wenger because their shared the same footballing philosophy.
The former Netherlands forward won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups under the Arsenal manager, and says it was a relationship that only got better and better over time.
"We had the same idea about football," Bergkamp told Arsenal Player. "We like the creative style of football, the attacking style of football and off the pitch we like the discipline to give everything for football.
"It took a little while to get going but straight away you could see his plan, what he wanted to do. I think, in that way, he would say I was the ideal player because the way he talked always was that you had to give everything on the pitch... every training session you have to give 100 per cent, every game you give 100 per cent.
"Attacking player, intelligent player, off the pitch you have to have the discipline. It was good from the beginning and it only grew and grew and we respected each other a lot."
The best of Bergkamp
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Al Badrashin, Egypt
Pyramid of Djoser
This ancient structure is widely thought to be the oldest intact pyramid in the world.
The Djoser Pyramid (4,700 years old) and a camel (age unknown). Charlesjsharp/CC BY-SA 3.0
The pyramid and surrounding complex. Dennis Jarvis/CC BY-SA 2.0
Saqqarah - a tomb philoursmars (Atlas Obscura User)
Saqqarah - Pyramid of Djoser philoursmars (Atlas Obscura User)
Saqqarah - Pyramid of Djoser ; frieze of the Boutô cobras philoursmars (Atlas Obscura User)
Saqqarah - the Wall of the Cobras philoursmars (Atlas Obscura User)
Saqqarah philoursmars (Atlas Obscura User)
Saqqarah necropolis - entrance philoursmars (Atlas Obscura User)
Saqqarah - Ptah-Hotep's tomb philoursmars (Atlas Obscura User)
The Djoser Pyramid stands 197 feet high. David Berkowitz/CC BY 2.0
Tomb in Saqqara. Max Cortesi (Atlas Obscura User)
Pyramid in Saqqara. Max Cortesi (Atlas Obscura User)
Pyramid of Djoser in 2017 nerio (Atlas Obscura User)
Pyramid of Djoser. Max Cortesi (Atlas Obscura User)
Built as a tomb for the pharaoh Djoser (or Zoser), the Djoser Pyramid was constructed between 2630 BC and 2611 BC in Saqqara, Egypt. Although it is considered the world’s oldest intact large-scale stone monument, the ancient structure is often overshadowed by Egypt’s most famous pyramids.
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The forgotten mummies of Dakhla oasis.
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The Djoser Pyramid stands 197 feet high and was built using 11.6 million cubic feet of stone and clay. Imhotep—a doctor, priest, and sculptor, among other titles and talents—is widely attributed as the pyramid’s architect. Initially, the structure was designed as a traditional, flat-roofed tomb called a mastaba, but Djoser wanted something bigger, something grander.
So tradition was put aside for innovation, and in the span of Djoser’s 19-year rule the pyramid expanded to its current six layers, with a height that made it the largest building of its time. The step pyramid’s unique structure was also an important architectural advancement: The famous pyramids of Giza, for example, are the result of techniques seen practiced here.
The pyramid was part of a larger 40-acre complex containing a courtyard, temples, and chapels, all enclosed inside a 30-foot wall. The entrance to the complex, as well as 13 fake doors, is built into the wall. The complex also includes a number of building facades, all of which served ritual purposes.
The pharaoh’s burial chambers are located deep within the pyramid, along with those of his 11 daughters. The burial chamber is part of the pyramid’s winding, maze-like series of tunnels, which researchers think may have been designed to prevent theft (although the pyramid was eventually looted).
Sadly, these protective tunnels may actually be part of the reason for the pyramid’s deterioration. Without conservation, experts fear that the 3.5 miles (5.5 kilometers) of tunnels could collapse, taking the historic monument with it. Efforts to conserve the building have been controversial, as a company tasked with the restoration has been accused of doing the opposite: it was claimed that the restoration work was actually further damaging the pyramid.
Due to ongoing conservation work, the public is not allowed to actually enter the Pyramid of Djoser. Visitors are still welcome to stand in awe in front of this architectural feat and see what has been called “a revolutionary conception that would influence the entire history of Egyptian architecture.”
world's oldestpyramidstombsancientruins
Max Cortesi
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/djoser.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/12/egypt-djoser-pyramid-concerns
https://www.livescience.com/23050-step-pyramid-djoser.html
Al Badrashin
The Hanging Church
Standing atop 2nd-century Roman ruins, this church is one of the oldest and most iconic in Old Cairo.
Added by Rebecca Byrne
The Cairo Genizah
Hundreds of thousands of ancient documents offer a unique glimpse into Jewish life in Cairo.
Added by oksanam
Nilometer
An ancient instrument used to measure the waters of the Nile so Egyptian farmers would know whether to expect famine or flood.
Added by AaronNetsky
El-Saf, Egypt
City of the Dead
An endless sea of white conical domes.
Death Mask of Pakal the Great
The striking jade death mask of an ancient Mayan king is displayed in a replica tomb in Mexico City.
Added by Monsieur Mictlan
Tipaza, Algeria
Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania
The original resting place of Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony's only daughter.
Added by micahspangler
Selçuk, Turkey
Basilica of St. John
This crumbling medieval basilica once attracted pilgrims by the thousands to collect a miraculous dust that formed above the saint's tomb.
Added by Joel Cusumano
Monte Albán, Mexico
Monte Albán
These sacred Mesoamerican ruins feature peculiar petroglyphs hidden in the stones.
Added by Mario Yair TS
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Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Dar es Salaam
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
Dr. Detlef Wächter, Ambassador
+255 786 971692 (Only in case of an emergency after working hours, strictly no visa information!).
+255-22-2212 338, Fax Visa Department: +255-22-213 88 38
Open site plan
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, P.O. Box 9541, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Umoja House, Hamburg Avenue/Mirambo Street., 2nd Floor, Dar es Salaam.
from 08:00 – 12:00
for telephone calls:
General Line: Monday to Thursday 07:00 - 14:30, Friday 07:00 - 12:30
Visa Department: Monday to Thursday 13:00 - 14:30
http://www.daressalam.diplo.de
info@dare.diplo.de
Contact to the Embassy
Emergency after working hours
After office hours until 12 AM, on the weekend and on public holidays between 08.00 am and 12.00 am you can contact the Embassy in case of an emergency at the following telephone number:
(Strictly no visa information!).
Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany Arusha
Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany
Ulf Alexander Kusserow, Honorary Consul
+255 - 754 789603, +255 - 787 789603,
+255 - 787 981797
Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, P.O. Box 15066, Arusha, Tansania.
Sabel Square Shopping Village, just next to ISM Arusha Campus,
Groundfloor main wing
Wednesday 10:00-12:00 a. m.
Thursday 02:00-04:00 p. m.
Administrative / consular district
Provinzen Arusha, Manyara, Kilimanjaro und Tanga. Übergeordnete Auslandsvertretung: Botschaft Daressalam.
arusha@hk-diplo.de
Overview "Tanzania"
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The Plus One by Sarah Archer
Kelly is a successful robotics engineer who is unlucky in love, much to her family's chagrin. She's proud of her master's degree and her prestigious job but her parents and sister would like nothing more than for her to meet a nice man to bring to her sister's upcoming wedding. Kelly can't take the family pressure and builds Ethan, the perfect man - the only exception is that he's a robot. She grows attached to Ethan fast and as the wedding approaches, she wonders how she'll be able to say goodbye once it's over. Or does she have to?
This is a fun, original romance really caught me up in the story. The idea is a little silly but it's so endearing I couldn't resist but rooting for the characters and hoping for a happy ending for Kelly.
The Plus One by Sarah Archer ($16.00*, G.P. Putnam's Sons), recommended by Fountain Books, Richmond, VA.
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
When Linda Holmes announced on the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast that she was writing a book I squealed with delight, made a note, and stalked pre-order and review pages until I could find a copy. Anyone who has spent time reading her work as a contributor to NPR will recognize the way in which one can almost hear her smile in her writing. The story of Evvie is compelling, and the fact that it is a romance novel feels secondary to the story of these characters and how they deal with the losses that have brought them together. I cannot wait to see what Holmes does next.
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes ($26.00*, Ballantine Books), recommended by Page 158 Books, Wake Forest, NC.
Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
There are all sorts of things that need to be fixed in Georgie Castle’s life: her stalled business as a birthday clown, her newly purchased but rundown house, and perhaps most important: her family’s inability to see her as anything but the baby of the family. When injured baseball player Travis Ford returns to town with a reputation and career that both need to be fixed, their attraction is immediate, which turns everything in Georgie’s life on end. A fun, sexy summer read that kicks off a new series from romance author Tessa Bailey!
Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey ($14.99*, Avon), recommended by Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC.
Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
Ayesha At Last is a completely lovely Pride and Prejudice re-telling that does not shy away from depth. Jalaluddin delves into the subjects of racism, religion, and gender with deft and care and manages to retain the sense of romance and charm all the while. I'd say this skill makes her a perfect choice for Austen retellings. I'd consider this novel a great "what next?" recommendation for fans of The Kiss Quotient or The Wedding Date.
Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin ($16.00*, Berkley), recommended by Books & Books, Coral Gables, FL.
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
Sure, the premise of The Flatshare requires you to suspend some disbelief, but that's true of the very best romantic comedies, isn't it? Beth O'Leary has created a feel-good page turner with characters you'll actually care about. Perfect for summer reading, and begging to be translated onscreen.
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary ($26.99*, Flatiron Books), recommended by The Bookshelf, Thomasville, GA.
Hot to the Touch by Jaci Burton
I have always enjoyed Jaci Burton's books but was glad to see her step into a new setting outside of sports. This romance with a firehouse setting really works. There is just enough romance and drama to keep the book interesting and the story's incorporation of juvenile homelessness and the foster care system adds depth. I was hooked until the end!
Hot to the Touch by Jaci Burton ($16.00*, Berkley), recommended by Bookmiser, Roswell, GA.
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
A tale as old as time with a modern, fresh spin! I loved everything from the smart, empowered characters to the spin on the beast and the curse to the supporting cast of characters--the only problem is a cliffhanger that leaves you on the edge of your seat!
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer ($18.99*, Bloomsbury YA), recommended by Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC.
The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Poppy Bridgerton is just finishing her second season and she has successfully avoided marriage. While she's relaxing by the sea at her friend's estate, her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers a hidden pirate's cave, full of booty. Before she can get away, the pirates find her and she's smuggled on board where she meets their dashing captain, Andrew James. Nautical romance ahoy!
Julia Quinn hasn't written a bad book--all are excellent and this one is no exception.
The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn ($26.99*, Avon Books), recommended by Bookmiser, Roswell, GA.
One Day in December by Josie Silver
I love a good love story, and this one checks all the boxes: love triangle, star-crossed lovers, tests of friendship, and heartbreak all mixed in.
Laurie and Jack lock eyes through a bus window one cold day in December, and she is instantly in love. She and her BFF Sarah search for the gorgeous Bus Boy with no success. Laurie has just about come to terms with the idea that it was just not meant to be when Sarah introduces Laurie to her new boyfriend, with whom she is madly in love. You guessed it, it's Bus Boy. Neither Jack nor Laurie fesses up, and the three end up finding comfort and a friendship that lasts years. Laurie marries another man and everyone moves on with life, but it's impossible for her to escape that years-old daydream.
You'll root for every character in this book and wait with bated breath to see who ends up happy and who ends up together. A great read for fans of Emily Griffith or Sophie Kinsella.
One Day in December by Josie Silver ($16.00*, Broadway Books), recommended by Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA.
What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera
When Arthur goes to New York for the summer, he expects it to be a lot like the Broadway plays he adores. But it's not. Ben, on the other hand, is much more pragmatic, in that native New Yorker way. When they meet, Arthur falls head over heels almost immediately, and his enthusiasm may rub off a bit on Ben...but things don't exactly work out in real life the way they do on stage. With alternating chapters from Arthur's and Ben's points of view, this is another wonderful read from Albertalli and Silvera, and fans of both authors won't be disappointed (and fans of musical theater will love it even more).
What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera ($18.99*, HarperTeen), recommended by Fiction Addiction, Greenville, SC.
Surviving Adam Meade Shannon Klare
Perfect for fans of Friday Night Lights and romance! Claire is the coach's daughter, and after rough break up with her football playing first love and a move to a new town, Claire has sworn off dating, especially athletes. Enter Adam Meade, who has a lot more going on than the popular jock image he portrays. Sparks fly between Claire and Adam, and despite her best intentions, Claire can't seem to resist the boy she most wanted to avoid. Cute and sweet, but the MVP award goes to Adam's adorable grandma!
Surviving Adam Meade Shannon Klare ($16.99*, Swoon Reads), recommended by Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA.
A Summer 2018 Okra Pick
From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon
The story of a teen filmmaker and her circle of friends--old and new--From Twinkle, with Love is sure to be a summertime hit. Recommended for fans of romantic comedy, both teen and adults readers!
From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon ($18.99*, Simon Pulse), recommended by Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC.
The Pisces by Melissa Broder
A mix of weird, wacky, and whoa-did-that-just-happen? Lucy goes through a bad break up and ends up dog sitting for her sister in an LA beach house. Forced to attend a love addiction group therapy, Lucy's life is a constant see-saw of emotion. Jumping back into modern dating, she ends up in Tinder hookup hell, at a loss for what she wants and who she is. A nighttime stroll on the beach brings a new man into her life. But Theo is not the cool surfer bro she mistakes him for, and soon the "plenty of fish in the ocean" idiom has a lot deeper meaning for our love-struck Lucy.
The Pisces by Melissa Broder ($25.00*, Hogarth Press), recommended by Fountain Books, Richmond, VA.
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
The Wedding Date is a fun read featuring two adults who throw caution to the wind for a fun weekend but then have to navigate their budding romance while balancing professional lives in separate cities. Skip Valentine's Day and stay home with this book instead!
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory ($15.00*, Berkley Books), recommended by Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC.
The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin
This book is perfect for fans of medical dramas, romance, and intrigue. Gray’s Anatomy fans, get ready!
The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin ($26.00*, Berkley Books), recommended by Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC.
Dreaming in Chocolate by Susan Bishop Crispell
Charming and hopeful. Once again Susan Bishop Crispell combines culinary wonder and a touch of magic for a delightful book perfect for cozy winter reading!
Dreaming in Chocolate by Susan Bishop Crispell ($15.99*, St. Martin's Griffin), recommended by Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC.
About That Kiss by Jill Shalvis
There's definitely something About That Kiss! With her usual flair for romance and laughter, Jill Shalvis serves up a great addition to her Heartbreaker Bay series. Kylie might be more comfortable crafting furniture than kissing sexy ladie's man Joe, but the sparks fly between them when she needs his help on a personal level. Favorite couples from the previous books add levels of warmth and wit, but there's no wrong way to read this series--start at the beginning or dive right into book four--either way you won't regret!
About That Kiss by Jill Shalvis ($7.99*, Avon Books), recommended by Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA.
Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis
It's never too soon for a Christmas romance, and Shalvis is my favorite author for sexy romance and holiday magic. I love the characters of Heartbreaker Bay, and YA author Colbie was a perfect fit for the sexy and nerdy Spence. From their first meet cute to their first...well, you know, I was entranced with their story. Throw in a sassy cat, meddling friends, and crazy family members, and you have a book that's better than any Hallmark Christmas movie ever!
Chasing Christmas Eve: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel by Jill Shalvis ($7.99*, Avon Books), recommended by Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA.
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AVS Forum | Home Theater Discussions And Reviews > HDTV > HDTV Programming > Starz: "The Missing"
post #1 of 65 Old 11-16-2014, 08:40 AM - Thread Starter
Starz: "The Missing"
An 8-part miniseries just starting and reviewed here in this forum link. It's about the long search for an abducted child by his British parents and French police. Well done, dramatically, IMO. Minor quibble, superseded by the plot, is the blandness or poor contrast of the cinematography, apparently with a digital cinema camera, that IMDB's tech-spec page doesn't disclose. -- John
EDIT: A deeper search says the RED Epic-X was used for shooting. Here's an interview with the series director (from within this homepage ).
Last edited by John Mason; 11-17-2014 at 06:37 AM. Reason: add-on
John Mason is offline
ltownsend
Location: Coral Springs, FL
Originally Posted by John Mason
EDIT: A deeper search says the RED Epic X was used for shooting. Here's an interview with the series director.
I watched and liked the first episode. Will continue with it!
"I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as a fraud." - C.G.Jung
ltownsend is offline
jabbathespud
Location: SFBA
I found the first half hour a bit slow but the last half hour was better.
jabbathespud is offline
dougotte
We enjoyed the first episode.
I thought the cinematography looked pretty good, after I stopped being mesmerized by the contemporary tricks.
It might not look as good as film, but we'll probably never see that in a new production any more.
dougotte is offline
^^^Many of the full-sunlight cityscapes, with rows of buildings, looked like early RED digital camera shots to me. Contrast was poor. Lots of HD productions are being shot with Arri's Alexa digital cameras, which offer noticeably better contrast but, depending on model comparisons, may have less resolution than more-recent RED cameras. Agree about film, although feature movies often have superior PQ via HDTV, depending on post production for HD. -- John
The mystery deepens. Glad I caught the first episode; the second last night suggests this'll be an exciting miniseries: Beware of strangers bearing gifts; not a Trojan horse here, but a 'benefactor' funding a reward for the missing child. Noticed a remarkable improvement in image contrast and PQ throughout part 2, such as the boat-forest scene within the first 10 minutes. Hope that's maintained. -- John
ltownsend likes this.
Discovered I could watch the 3rd episode before it's scheduled to appear on the 29th. Starz has a new scheduling experiment that puts upcoming episodes--plus older shows--for viewings in advance on its video-on-demand page, available to subscribers.
PQ on VOD seemed slightly less than the regular Starz channel, as other AVSers have written about VOD. Maybe if there are suitable scenes with finer details I'll try to compare and actually measure the resolutions (versus test Blu-ray multibursts). -- John
Location: 'Middle of Nowhere
My DVR has only recorded the first episode. Any others were apparently missed. D*
Perhaps I misremembered.
I WANT MORE is offline
We just watched the 2nd episode, too, and loved it. The writing is very well-done; jumping between 2006 and 2014, we hear clues as to what happened to the characters in between, and it's enticing.
My wife first started watching the 2nd episode on-demand, and there I noticed the video problems you noted in the first episode - hazy contrast, etc. She had to take a phone call, and we watched it via DVR the 2nd time. There, the PQ seemed better.
I once compared an episode of Ray Donovan via OD and DVR, and they seemed identical, but maybe now, and/or sometimes, Verizon lowers the resolution OD.
gperrine
Originally Posted by I WANT MORE
Is your DVR set to record first run only? The first aired date in the guide is for the UK broadcast, so you need to set your DVR to record all episodes, not first run only.
gperrine is offline
It is now. Thanks
The "red herrings," like the French swat team and retired detective at the abandoned warehouse, continue to add up. Enjoyed jumping to Starz's VOD listings following last night's episode and watching next Saturday's showing, too (my last post above).
Planned on comparing the PQ of VOD versus the direct Starz channel with this last scheduled episode (mentioned above). But concluded this series, while superb plot-wise and similar story features, is just too deliberately filtered during production to attempt that. I'll just enjoy the drama until the end. -- John
post #13 of 65 Old 12-08-2014, 05:24 PM - Thread Starter
Just watched episode 105, "Molly," on Starz's VOD, slated for this Satuday with the premium channel's advance-showing experiment. This week it was a 24 hour wait today versus the immediate VOD availability last Saturday..
Stunning suspense with Molly's ending, hinted at when the company executive and reward 'benefactor' was reported missing in last week's "Gone Fishing" episode. Don't forget the number 53 .-- John
Last edited by John Mason; 12-10-2014 at 11:06 AM. Reason: typo
Jesus Christ this moves at a snails pace.
AVS Forum Club Gold
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
I think it moves at just the right pace, this is actually a character(many characters in fact) study layered on top of a crime mystery, it's not a straight run-of-the-mill whodunit.
Keenan is offline
Garrett Adams
Location: Stockton, CA USA
I'm loving the show and I wouldn't be surprised if The Missing has the greatest number of then and now moments in TV history.
Garrett Adams is offline
Location: metro Atlanta
Great show & to me, pacing is spot on. It's peeling the layers of an onion to get at the bottom of the mystery. Very intriguing to watch the characters interact with each other, the deceptions and some just wishing the whole affair would go away. Tony & Emily's anguish is so believable, you'd think it was really happening to the actors.
IMO, the acting is superb!
Last edited by ss9001; 12-11-2014 at 02:04 PM.
ss9001 is offline
Notice at Starz's site that the series was nominated for two Golden Globes, best miniseries and actress within.
Ian, the reward benefactor, made a mistake visiting Tony in jail (Saturday's 105 "Molly" episode) . There, after one of Ian's folksy but menacing tales, about his dog having to be put down, Ian was calmly told by Tony that he should be 'put down'.
The episode ending, aboard Ian's boat when Tony discovered Ian had video taped himself raping/killing 53 persons, including his daughter, Molly, was expected.
This part of the series reminds me of HBO's "Citizen X" in '95. This fact-based movie is about hunting a serial killer in Russia who murdered over 50 youths. The parallels with "The Missing," involving police incompetency and power manipulations, are striking. Also, have to wonder, with a few episodes to go, whether they're going to throw in the ending of another TV movie, "I Know My First Name Is Stephen," about a long-missing boy who walks into a police station one day. Or maybe, since there's a relentless detective onboard here, too, it'll end like "Without a Trace," which also has a husband driven away and accusatory police -- John
mnetop
I was behind with shows on my DVR but was finally able to watch the premiere of The Missing last night. I am glad I did!! I am hooked after the first episode and look forward to catching up with the the rest of the episodes and the upcoming ones. I highly recommend it! James Nesbitt is doing a great job as the agonizing father. You can really feel the pain that he is going through. And really a great cast overall.....
mnetop is offline
I'll be at a party next Saturday so I watched the next episode "Concrete" OnDemand. It delivers in spades.
Watched the last two episodes on Starz's VOD Saturday afternoon. Maybe the Golden Globe awards (Jan. 11, NBC) sped scheduling along.
Not the ending I would have expected, like the examples I linked just above, but classy anyway IMO. -- John
I finished watching all the episodes yesterday and I agree that it was not the ending I would have expected. What the creators mentioned is that the show was more about how the incident affected all the different players involved and I agree. It was greatly done and look forward to the next installment from the team which would be a totally different story on a different setting.
Originally Posted by mnetop
How about you keep this crap to yourselves until the rest of us finished watching? Jesus Christ!!!!!
Last edited by I WANT MORE; 12-23-2014 at 05:38 AM.
nlk10010
For those who have watched through to the end;
I was hoping for a conspiracy, didn't like the tack the writers took, but that's their choice. HOWEVER, if you're going to do it then be consistent. Why was there a big deal made about the coin that the writer kept all those years? It didn't point directly at anyone, much less anyone important? It's almost as if the writers knew that if they followed through with their "concept" the rest of the story would have been too boring, so they threw in this story about an amazing piece of evidence to keep us engaged until the last episode. They just didn't have enough integrity to stick with their idea all the way through, IMO.
nlk10010 is offline
It's tempting but I'm not peeking
Some of you must have watched via on-demand. I'll wait for 1-10.
Whatever awards are issued at Golden Globes, I still think until Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) wins her Emmy, everyone else can wait their turn
mws192
The finale aired in the UK on the 16th. I was happy to see we didn't have to wait until January 11th.
mws192 is offline
So far, for those of us who have seen the ending on VOD, nothing has been disclosed about the ending that couldn't have been speculated about. Anyone can see this from the actual ending. However, alerting viewers all the series is now on VOD, and making vague comments about the final episodes, does provide a pseudo-righteous-indignation opportunity for those into that type of thing. Don't plan on participating in back-and-forths here; some folks just like to go hyperbolic--even when nothing of significance has been disclosed.-- John
bull*****!!!
zalusky
I watched it them both on OnDemand. Binging is so much better to keep your emotional rollder coaster going. That being said (These are my observations - do not click unless you want to discuss):
the ending begs two scenarios:
1) Oly is alive and snatched to Russia and Tony is in hot pursuit. This makes sense if you believe that Tony has been intellectual in his pursuit of the clues followed throughout the series.
2) Oly was murdered in the basement and Tony cannot handle the lack of resolution with no body or direct testimony. As a result he keeps going and going and going. How is paying for his pursuits anyways?
The more I think of they way they did it both of those scenarios could happen but I lean towards 2. Alain was only giving hearsay as told to him by George. I think George did see the body and felt the guilt of everything but we see no proof of that.
By George killing himself we do not get direct testimony unless they can find the Romanian that George hired.
zalusky is offline
Z: I think it kind of weird to do a back-and-forth through spoiler tags; while I don't disagree with your general tone, I feel the need to add a comment:
I don't think there is any question that #2 is what the writers intended, they said as much (IMO) in the post-show interview. It was almost as if they were saying that if you don't like that ending then it is because you are not an intelligent, discriminating viewer. You are just one of the unwashed masses who want simple-minded, formulaic endings. Well, I wanted a "conspiracy" ending and I don't consider myself one of the "UM". Further, I felt that much of the buildup to the ending wasn't consistent with how it turned out: e.g. that "tantalizing" piece of evidence I mentioned above that turned out not to be of significance to anyone but Tony himself. I could have appreciated the ending if the writers hadn't tried to keep us UMs tuning in with the promise of what I'm sure they considered a "low-brow" ending.
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17102 Attachment(s) Official OPPO BDP-95 Owner's Thread
Today 08:22 AM by rdgrimes
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Introducing... Amber Arcades
Yes! It's our week dedicated entirely to new music. Dedicated to sharing the best music you probably have never heard, unless you're ahead of us in the game... Get familiar with Annelotte de Graaf, also known as Amber Arcades. Drawing influence from curiosity and even the mundane, Amber Arcades fuse fuzzy lo-fi with warmth from hazy guitars and beats. The tale of her signing to Heavenly is sweet, letting people share her Utrecht squat creating friendships which later ended up getting the Heavenly deal, and on top of creating dream-like summary songs De Graaf has worked as a legal aide on UN war crime tribunals and currently works in human rights law with people leaving Syria. Saving up her life time savings, she bought flights to New York City because that's where she wanted to record her debut record. The record then became a collaboration produced Ben Greenberg (Beach Fossils) with band mates Shane Butler and Keven Lareau of Quilt and Jackson Pollis of Real Estate. Impressive, right?
Check out Right Now below.
New-MusicNathan McLaren-Stewart April 18, 2016 amber arcades, Annelotte de Graaf, New Music, new music weekComment
Introducing... Broen
New-MusicBad Luck Magazine April 19, 2016 Broen, introducing, Norway
Introducing... Stephen Steinbrink
New-MusicNathan McLaren-Stewart April 16, 2016 love, New Music, pop, Sephen Steinbrink
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NEW YORK, NY – August 21, 2014. Every African-American parent’s worst nightmare is materializing as another unarmed black youth is killed by a police officer following a confrontation as he walked down the street. The shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri is a tragically too familiar narrative in Black America. Similar to the Trayvon Martin Case, this tragedy is garnering national attention and galvanizing public outrage and protest across the country. Hosted by BET News Correspondent Marc Lamont Hill and Actress Keke Palmer, the BET News Special will deconstruct and examine the key elements of the case through first-hand accounts and will present an exclusive sit down interview with the Brown family. Re-airing, August 24 at 10:30A/9:30C on BET the BET News Special: Justice For Ferguson: The Shooting of Michael Brown will report on all of the elements that are leading this case to reach its fever pitch.
Excerpt from BET News’ Exclusive interview with Michael Brown’s family:
BET News: “When you think about the situation…how does that make you feel?”
Lesley McSpadden (Michael Brown’s Mother): “You know what? The lies that are being told they don’t bother me because I know the truth. I know my child. So I know Justice is coming. It’s close.”
The BET News special traces this story from when it first made headlines to the rallies that mobilized folks to the streets demanding justice. The special showcases on the ground footage captured walking through a protest with St. Louis native Nelly to the harrowing moments when the crew is caught in the cross-fire as police turn on protesters and journalists with tear gas and rubber bullets. The Justice For Ferguson special will report on new developments in the case including accounts from a witness who says she saw the murder and has raw uncensored never-before-seen footage just moments after the shooting. Additionally BET News speaks to Missouri Highway Patrol’s Captain Ron Johnson and NAACP member of the National Board of Directors, John Gaskin.
Log on to BET.com/MichaelBrown for exclusive video content, up-to-the-minute updates on the case and compelling interviews. Join the conversation on social media by logging on to BET’s multiple social media platforms by using hashtag: #BETJustice; and following us @BETNews. Express yourself and let your voice be heard on what is happening in Ferguson by keeping the conversation going on 106 & Park’s social media platforms and using the hashtag #106HandsUp.
(Photos from Left: Scott Olson/Getty Images, Michael Brown via Facebook)
Written by BET-Staff
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Dr. Marc Lamont Hill
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Fun and Games with Gyles and Saethryd Brandreth
Games devotee Gyles Brandreth, his writer daughter, Saethryd, and her son, Rory, are on a mission to bring back the traditional games that all the family can play, says Bethany Park. They brought fun to the Festival on Saturday – previewing some of the 286 games in their book, The Lost Art of Having Fun.
“The purpose of the book was that [each game] had to be fun, free, and you had to be able to play it with things you could find around the house,” explains Saethryd. “So you could be at home with nothing, and you could still create your own fun!”
So which games are their personal favourites?
“The ones that we like the most tend to be the word games and spoken games. However we have nine sections, including car games and rainy day games. We also have a section called ‘analogue fun in a digital world’ – or what some may call, ‘things to do with your kids in the pub before you give them your iPhone’!” jokes Saethryd.
Rory has two favourites. “One is the Parson’s Cat, which is a word spoken game. And the other is the chocolate game. I’m sure you all like chocolate, so that’s the game for you!”
Children played a variety of crazy games on stage, including the aforementioned Parson’s Cat. To play, the first person simply begins with the letter a to describe the cat: for example, ‘Parson’s cat is an angry cat’; the next person chooses an adjective beginning with b, and so on. Beginning the game with “Parson’s cat is an apple cat” caused lots of giggles.
“There is nothing better”, boomed Giles, “than having inter-generational amusement between older people, younger people and smaller people whilst playing these games.”
@bethanypark_
← Cerrie Burnell tackles social stigmas using the magic of storytellingBecome a ghost hunter with Jonathan Stroud →
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Eye on Vornado Realty Selling
Naureen S. Malik
Updated Jan. 8, 2007 11:59 pm ET / Original July 17, 2019 10:21 am ET
Tables: Buyers | Sellers
VORNADO REALTY TRUST IS LEADING a whirlwind of insider selling among real-estate investment trusts, but historical data shows it's not yet enough to send investors running for cover.
During the calendar fourth quarter, three executives and directors at Vornado sold 1.56 million shares for $184.2 million as the stock traded from $112.62 to $120.55, according to Thomson Financial data.
According a report this morning by Lehman Brothers analyst David Harris, sales at Vornado raised insider sales across the REIT industry to $327 million during the fourth quarter, the highest level since the firm started following these transactions four years ago. This was a 150% increase year-over-year.
Roughly 84% of the fourth-quarter sales included shares acquired through options compared with 58% in the previous three months. Insiders sold stock at 18 REITs compared with 19 in the third quarter.
Despite the large amount of shares sold, the insiders selling ultimately raised their holdings through options.
Late last month Vornado Chief Executive Officer Steven Roth exercised options on 325,000 shares for $45.02, totaling $14.6 million, and sold 124,900 shares for around $120 a piece, or $15 million.
Earlier in 2006, Roth sold 110,000 shares for $10.7 million. Thomson Financial data going back two decades indicate he has not purchased any shares on the open market. Roth, who has been a company officer since 1979, directly holds about 10 million shares.
Roth holds nearly 2 million shares directly, but ultimately holds a stake of about 9.8% when including the 7.9 million shares held in a trust partnership with directors Russell Wight and David Mandelbaum.
Wight, a director since 1979, had sold 101,000 shares in the open market for $11.6 million. Including the partnership, Wight has a roughly 5.9% stake in the company
Mandelbaum has been a member of the law firm of Mandelbaum & Mandelbaum, P.C. since 1967.
The largest sales took place by Michael Fascitelli, Vornado's president and trustee since December 1996, who spent $50.1 million to acquire nearly 2.2 million shares through options in mid-November. He then sold 1.3 million shares for $157.6 million.
Fascitelli continues to hold 5.04 million shares, or a 3.4% stake in Vornado.
In January 2006 Fascitelli spent roughly $1,100 to buy 13 shares at about $86 each. It was a miniscule purchase, but it was his first on the open market since May 1997. His last sale took place in 2003, when he grossed nearly $74 million selling shares (roughly priced at around $55 each) acquired through options for $32.2 million, or $23.47 each.
Vornado declined to comment for this article.
Michael Painchaud, managing director of research at Market Profile Theorems, says the insider selling at Vornado "reflects weakness" currently expressed by REIT insiders in general.
Still, Vornado shares continue to perform well and seem to be caught in a momentum play by investors, but Painchaud says that analysts are gradually becoming "a little less positive" on the Vornado and REITs.
Vornado shares have fallen 10% since touching a record high of $131.35 on Dec. 5, but are still up 38% over the past 12 months. This outstrips the 22% gains posted by the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Investment Trusts Index over the past year.
Lehman's Harris maintains an Overweight rating and target price of $135 due to "management's ability to source and execute accretive deals, a solid balance sheet with sizable capacity, improving prospects at Penn Station and continued exposure to the strong New York City and Washington, D.C. markets."
Recent Insider Activity
COMPANY NAME INSIDERS NAME TITLE $ VALUE NO. OF SHARES IN TRANS. RANGE OF VALUES TRANSACTIONS DATES
GTC Biotherapeutics C. Bechon D $4,464,900 3,630,000 1.23 January 3, 2007
Titanium Metals H. Simmons CB 1,449,821 50,000 28.95-29 January 4, 2007
Copart D. Englander D 340,999 11,200 30.42-30.45 January 3, 2007
Xanser C. Cox D 115,152 23,400 4.88-4.96 January 3-4, 2006
Ameritrans Capital S. Etra OD 76,500 15,000 5.10 January 5, 2007
Novogen J. Austin DO 63,561 6,100 10.42 January 3, 2007
Lazard World Dividend & Income Fund C. Carroll OD 55,219 2,375 23.25 January 3, 2007
RMK Multi-Sector High Income Fund J. Blair D 49,500 3,000 16.50 January 4, 2007
Coast Distribution System J. Musbach P 39,570 5,000 7.9-8.25 December 15-29, 2006
Tri-Continental W. Morris OD 32,994 1,466 22.51 December 27, 2006
(Source: Thomson Financial/Baseline)
Bear Stearns A. Greenberg D $24,531,092 150,396 163.11 January 3, 2007
Thermo Fisher Scientific P. Meister D 20,681,570 455,462 45.05-45.75 January 3-4, 2007
1-800-Flowers.com J. Walker D 18,546,158 3,010,740 6.16 December 28, 2006
Intuit S. Cook OD 17,177,129 575,945 29.5-30.69 January 3-4, 2007
Thermo Fisher Scientific M. Dekkers CEO 13,571,500 300,000 45.15-45.34 January 3, 2007
Altra Holdings R. Paterson DO 12,633,341 935,803 13.50 January 4, 2007
Altra Holdings J. Conte DO 12,633,341 935,803 13.50 January 4, 2007
Deckers Outdoor D. Otto D 10,640,268 180,000 58.47-59.44 January 3-4, 2007
Nike P. Knight DO 8,855,712 89,700 98.63-98.95 January 3, 2007
BreitBurn Energy Partners R. Breitenbach CEO 8,106,372 336,364 24.10 December 29, 2006
Here's a rundown of insider trading activity reported on October 23, 2006. An insider is any officer, director or owner of 10% or more of a class of the company's securities. The table shows purchases and sales which must be reported to the SEC and other regulators by the 10th of the month following the month of the trade, includes both open-market and private transactions involving direct and indirect holdings. Excludes stock valued at less that $2 per share, acquisitions through options and companies being acquired. Included are purchases, sales and stock registered for sale for individual officers, companies, and sectors.
AC-member of the advisory committee. AF-affiliated person. AI-affiliate of investment advisor. AV-assistant vice president. B-beneficial owner of more than 10% of a security class. BC-beneficial owner as custodian. BT-beneficial owner as trustee. C-controller. CB-chairman. CC-member of the compensation committee. CEO-chief executive officer. CFO-chief financial officer. CI-chief investment officer. CO-chief operating officer. CP-controlling person. CT-chief technology officer. D-director. DO-director and beneficial owner. DS-indirect shareholder. EC-member of the executive committee. EVP-executive vice president. F-founder. FC-member of the finance committee. FO-former. GC-general counsel. GM-general manager. GP-general partner. H-officer, director and beneficial owner. I-indirect transaction filed through a trust, insider spouse, minor child or other. IA-investment advisor. LP-limited partner. M-managing partner. MC-member of committee or advisory board. MD-managing director. O-officer. OB-officer and beneficial owner. OD-officer and director. OE-other executive. OP-officer of parent company. OS-officer of subsidiary company. OT-officer and treasurer. OX-divisional officer. P-president. R-retired. S-secretary. SC-member of the science/technology committee. SH-shareholder. SVP-senior vice president. T-trustee. TR-treasurer. UT-unknown. VC-vice chairman. VP-vice president. VT-voting trustee. X-deceased.
*-Half of the transactions were indirect.
Comments? E-mail us at online.editors@barrons.com
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by sbasche
If you watched the end of the Villanova – North Carolina NCAA Championship game Monday night you (a) saw a classic game; (b) with 4.7 seconds left and a timeout on the floor you were treated to the sight of Villanova’s 6’11’’ senior, Daniel Ochefu mopping the floor just below half-court.
Ochefu took the mop from a ball boy and tended to the area where he had just dived trying to pick off a pass to Marcus Paige – he missed, Paige drained a ridiculous double-pump game tying three pointer.
The announcers joked about it, pretty much wondering aloud why he was working away on a sweat spot in a tied game with 4.7 seconds left for the National Championship.
Well, he was making sure the spot was dry because he knew that was the spot where he was going to toss the pick that would spring Ryan Arcidiacono to drive over half-court and set up the shot to win it. He was insuring that neither of them slipped.
How did he know? Villanova had practiced the game winning play – called Nova – hundreds and hundreds of times. They had planned for this precise moment for years, 4.7 seconds left was almost the optimum time for it.
There was no discussion in the huddle, no frantic whiteboard x’s and o’s and arrows. The Wildcat’s coach, Jay Wright, simply called Nova in his timeout, Ochefu went over to the sweat slick and did the only preparation the team needed.
Arcidiacono had several options as he dribbled, all planned back in 2002 when Jay Wright brought on an assistant coach who brought the play with him. He had made that run with 5 seconds on the clock hundreds of times in practice. Every kid on the floor with him had been through it and all its variations time after time – always at the end of practice when everyone was tired and wanted to go home – just like the end of a draining game.
According to an assistant coach quoted in the New York Times today, it had never worked in practice – the kids defending it knew it as well as the kids running it.
Well, it’s an amazing example of what good planning can do and how the little things – like mopping the floor – make things work.
Posted in Planning StoriesTagged Baschelaw, Daniel Ochefu, estate planning, Jay Wright, NCAA Final, Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova
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https://www.bitchute.com/video/3UQhvlAg5FLd/
<iframe width="640" height="360" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border: none;" src="https://www.bitchute.com/embed/3UQhvlAg5FLd/"></iframe>
Sex in 69: Sexual Revolution in America
First published at 19:51 UTC on May 1st, 2019.
DebateFilms
Travel back to 1969 and uncover fascinating trends, people and events that forever changed the way Americans think about and have sex. Viewers will travel from the Playboy Penthouse in Los Angeles to San Francisco's Hippie crash pads, the boar...
Travel back to 1969 and uncover fascinating trends, people and events that forever changed the way Americans think about and have sex. Viewers will travel from the Playboy Penthouse in Los Angeles to San Francisco's Hippie crash pads, the boardwalk in Atlantic City, a court room in Miami, and other spots across America to meet some of the women and men who found themselves caught between old values and new desires in 1969, and decided to do something about it. Some of them, like Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner, actor Jim Brown, and Ray Manzarek of The Doors, will be famous. Others will be average Americans whose lives were transformed by the sexual tides coursing through the nation as the Sixties came to a close. But they will all have one thing in common--they will all have fascinating stories to tell.
Mediastan - Wikileaks (2013)
The Berlin Wall: A World Divided
169 1:41:06
The Gatekeepers (2003)
Will Work for Free
Inside LSD
Iran is not the problem
3UQhvlAg5FLd
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Find out if your stores’ food hygiene is up to standard
How-to, Store Management
RN investigates why independents are falling behind multiples and what they can do to catch up
Compliance is the key factor for independent convenience stores to achieve a passing
food hygiene rating, according to experts.
The food hygiene rating is used to help customers determine how trustworthy a business who sells food is. Retailers who receive a score of zero to two are a fail, while marks of three to five are a pass.
Environmental health officers determine the score across three areas; overall food hygiene, structure of the business and how compliant the management is in following hygiene standards. The categories are given marks from zero to 25, with zero representing a perfect score.
RN’s investigation found management compliance was the area where most stores struggled, with 5% of all failing independent stores given a 20 or more in management compliance.
Environmental health officer Jonathan France, who is also an advisor for industry body The Society of Food Hygiene and Technology, told RN achieving a passing grade is simple for stores who are more stringent with their own hygiene inspections. “I visit a lot of convenience stores, and many of them are really good when it comes to staying on top of their food hygiene standards and showing they can maintain these requirements to an environmental safety officer,” he said.
“However, just like bars and restaurants, there are some who get a failing grade by missing out on simple things. It’s really not that hard to get a passing grade and retailers can take simple steps to achieve this.
Why are the independents falling behind the multiples on food hygiene
“It’s all about compliance; retailers can ensure this by planning more effectively. Their hygiene inspector is more likely to give them a passing grade if they can provide this in the form of suitable documentation.”
Actions retailers can take include keeping a weekly rota for cleaning schedules and ensuring the chillers are up to standard, according to France. “For example, an independent convenience store owner can get staff to sweep up the store on a Monday and write this down,” he said.
“They can check the dates on food on a Wednesday and keep a form near the chiller to write down that it’s being kept at the correct temperature.”
Businesses in Wales and Northern Ireland are required by law to make their food hygiene rating visible to customers, while the Local Government Association is pushing to make this mandatory across England.
How I finally received a 5 Star Hygiene score
According to councils in England, nearly half of all businesses that have been assessed do not make their food hygiene rating visible.
In RN’s research, multiples were found to have a higher proportion of stores scoring five out of five – 91% of supermarkets compared with just 56% of independent retailers.
Seventy-three per cent of bars, restaurants and fast food chains scored five. Twenty one symbol groups achieved a pass rate of higher than 90%. Aldi, Lidl, Iceland, Waitrose and Tesco were among the multiples to achieve a 100% pass rate.
When asked why the symbol group had one of the best pass rates, Nisa communications manager Gemma Bell told RN: “Our fresh food development managers provide a training workshop on fresh foods, teaching retailers and their staff how to trade legally and how to improve food hygiene rating scores.”
Similarly, Bestway has launched dedicated programmes to help Best-one and Bargain Booze retailers improve their hygiene ratings. A spokeswoman told RN: “Last year, we launched new refit standards that have since been installed in 108 Best-one stores.
“In the case of Bargain Booze, we are focused on rebuilding Bestway Retail business, and are constantly driving improvements to store standards through offering training, support and practical advice to franchisees.
“Those stores with a less-than-satisfactory rating have an action plan in place to drive improvements where necessary.”
Booker, Spar and the NFRN said they have dedicated field teams to support store owners in improving their food hygiene standards.
Sid Sidhu, who runs a Budgens in Kenilworth, went from a zero to a five-star rating five years ago following construction work in his store. “I was making some refurbishments to my store and the back ended up looking like a construction site, which was the contributing factor to my shop receiving a failing zero rating at the time,” he said.
“I went up to five stars once I resolved that, but I make sure I document every food hygiene-related practice I make in the store to ensure I keep the rating.
“There’s nothing complicated about it. For example, it’s all about ensuring my staff clean certain parts of the store at the end of the day. I write everything down so I have a clear documentation of what I have done.”
Tips to improve your food hygiene rating
Jonathan France
Environmental health inspector
Keep a weekly schedule of your food hygiene standards. For example, make Monday the day you sweep the floors, while Tuesday could be the day to check the dates in the fridge, and so on.
Plenty of help and resources are available. If you’re not sure where to get them, speak to your health and hygiene inspector, or your local council. Go to Food Standards. All of these organisations will be happy to help you.
When it comes to inspection, be as transparent as possible. One of the main reasons many stores get a failing rating is because they don’t show the proper documentation. After all, how will the hygiene inspector know that you’ve been doing checks if you don’t show them?
Molly Johnson-Jones
Retail analyst at Stone & River
The reason the multiples and major chains have much higher success rate for passing food hygiene ratings is that they follow a strict regime of compliance. It’s important to ask what they do because these areas are often overlooked.
Display your passing food hygiene rating in your shop window. Customers will be more likely to shop at your store if they know they can rely on the food products you sell.
Create a checklist of areas which need improvement in the store. You can only improve the standard of food hygiene by being more rigorous.
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You are here: Home / Home Top / My granny’s Audley Retirement home ‘was a money pit’ costing £48,000 in exit fees
My granny’s Audley Retirement home ‘was a money pit’ costing £48,000 in exit fees
The Sunday Times yesterday published a powerful article by Harriet Meyer revealing how her family spent £48,160 in fees on selling at Audley Retirement flat.
Audley Retirement is one of the upmarket providers in the sector, which Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation has long argued has even greater exploitative practices at the higher end than the lower.
Harriet’s grandparents John and Margaret Porter bought a £523,500 flat from Audley Retirement in 2003 at the imposing Willicombe Park site in Kent.
The Victorian mansion has been kitted out with communal facilities, a swimming pool and care could be arranged. It is one of 15 luxury villages around the country.
Mr Porter died in 2006, and Mrs Porter in February 2015 aged 99 after having been bedridden for several years.
“For my family and me, it was a blessed relief that she passed away peacefully at home, as she wanted,” Miss Meyer writes.
The flat went on the market for £800,000 through Audley’s own sales team. The price then dropped to £725,000. Meanwhile, service charges mounted up on the empty property.
Last July the price was slashed again to £650,000.
Miss Meyer looked into appointing another agent, but was told that no one had ever sold a property using an “outside” agent and there would be a fee for doing so, under the lease.
Finally, an offer came in of £540,000, which rose to £560,000 on negotiation. The flat was sold in December last year, 22 months after Mrs Porter died.
The exit and estate agency fees totalled £48,160.
In addition, there were £23,794 to pay in service charges for the empty flat. (We believe subletting is not permitted at Willicombe Park.)
What Audley Retirement charges
Audley Retirement’s estate agency fee was 2 per cent
In addition, there is an administration fee of one per cent
There is an exit fee (“deferred management fee”) capped at 5 per cent at Willicombe Park. This fee is potentially much higher at newer Audley Retirement sites, where 1 per cent a year exit fees with no cap can be charged.)
Nick Sanderson, CEO of Audley Retirement, told the Sunday Times that all these terms were explained to Mr and Mrs Porter before purchase.
“This has been an upsetting situation for the family and we are sorry to hear they had a difficult time. On average, our resale prices track the UK house price index, and although many outperform this index, some do perform less well.
“Mr and Mrs Porter would have been told of all the associated fees, and certainly their solicitor should have made it clear in his report before purchase. Both the level of the fee and what the money is used for would have been explained to them.”
Some Audley Retirement resale prices from the Land Registry can be read here: https://www.betterretirementhousing.com/dire-retirement-housing-values-revealed-land-registry/
Exit fees have long been controversial in retirement housing, and the defunct Office of Fair Trading rightly described them as a potentially unfair contract term in September 2012.
Last month, however, the Law Commission recommended that exit fees were fine so long as they were transparent: ie made clear to the purchaser.
LKP has been strongly critical of the Law Commission’s report, and recommends that the housing minister rejects it.
https://www.betterretirementhousing.com/law-commissions-tokenistic-report-helps-retirement-house-builders-freehold-investors-not-families-needing-house-relative/
Exit fees established in the lease give a guaranteed and legally enforceable income stream, which also permits corporate gearing on a large scale.
They helped make Vincent Tchenguiz one of the most important corporate players before the financial crash.
It is less clear, to those who pay them, what the exit fees are actually for.
Sebastian O’Kelly, of Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation, told the Sunday Times: “What other investment could somebody have made in March 2003 only to sell for not far off the same sum 13 years later, with huge penalties on resale?
“The fees seem nothing more than an easy way of exploiting a vulnerable group of people.
“The bad reputation of retirement flats is entirely justified and explains why only 2% of people over 65 in the UK live in designated retirement properties, compared with 12% in north America and 17% in Australia.
“Until the property industry stops treating it as a get-rich-quick bonanza, the sector is never going to change.”
Nick Sanderson, of Audley Retirement, told the Sunday Times:
“Our deferred management charge ensures owners are not presented with unexpected cost when large maintenance and replacement projects are required – for example, repairs to the swimming pool or restaurant, as well as the exterior of the home.
“This means the monthly cost of living in an Audley property is kept to the absolute minimum.
“Because we collect these deferred fees and sales fees, it means no owner will eve be asked for extra money. That’s the certainty we offer.”
LKP / Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation questions this explanation.
What certainty is there that if major expenditure is required it would be paid for by these exit fees? The fees are not allocated for any specific service, and do not go into a contingency fund.
So, if a few sites had major unexpected repairs and Audley Retirement also, say, wanted to give a bonus to its CEO, how would it raise the money?
Indeed, Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation would be curious to know of unexpected major works bills faced by leaseholders at Audley Retirement sites.
DCLG stakeholders hear of ‘calamitous’ Law Commission report on exit fees The Times: ‘Exit fees and poor resale values: the uncomfortable truth about retirement homes’ Rebellion at Blagdon Retirement Village over 12.5% exit fees Exit fees and retirement estate agency: You now have 29 days to act
Filed Under: Home Top, News, Slider Tagged With: Audley Retirement, Harriet Meyer, Nick Sanderson, The Sunday Times
Clive Fenton to stand down as CEO of McCarthy and Stone after profits slump
Love over 50: something we can agree about with McCarthy and Stone
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Japan is seriously concerned about USA espionage
Wikileaks reported that the USA has been doing a lot of spying on Japan and its Prime Minister is seriously concerned about the allegations:
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed his “serious concern” over allegations the United States spied on senior Japanese government and business officials.
Prime Minister Abe also called for an investigation into the matter during a phone call with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, according to Japan’s top government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga.
“If it is true these Japanese individuals were targeted, it could shake the relationship of trust in our alliance and I would have to express serious concerns,” Suga quoted Abe as telling Biden.
Latest News reports
Newer PostM&M & CNN: European and other governments pushing towards cashless society where 666 can operate
Older PostHiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years later
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Categories: Hangout
July – November 2019 Jul – Nov 2019
Greensky Bluegrass @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
After 18 years together, up to 175 shows per year, nearly 1,000 different setlists, six studio albums, and a litany of live releases, Greensky Bluegrass embodies more than just music for members Anders Beck [dobro], Michael Arlen Bont [banjo], Dave Bruzza [guitar], Mike Devol [upright bass], and Paul Hoffman [Mandolin]. Truthfully, it embodies an ironclad creative bond, familial brotherhood, and...
Florida Georgia Line @ PNC Music Pavilion
Hailed as SPOTIFY’S MOST-STREAMED COUNTRY MUSIC ACT OF 2018 (garnering 2.5 billion streams on the platform alone), FGL will keep the good times rolling on the 2019 CAN’T SAY I AIN’T COUNTRY TOUR this summer, featuring DAN + SHAY and MORGAN WALLEN, plus special guests HARDY!
Red Clay Strays @ Sumter Opera House
From the far reaches of rural south Alabama, The Red Clay Strays claim their unique sound with a humble confidence that can only come from their upbringing. This band, on stage and off, reminds you of southern music’s heyday and gives you hope that it may not have lost its way after all. Growing up listening to gospel along with...
Coastal Sounds Oceanfront Concert @ Myrtle Beach
Road trip time! Sunshine, salty sea breeze, cold beer, and a free oceanfront concert – is there a better way to spend a Saturday in Myrtle Beach, SC? Head do to Myrtle Beach on Saturday, August 3rd for Coastal Sounds Oceanfront Concert featuring the Grammy Nominated and The Voice Season 3 Winner: Cassadee Pope + Claudia Hoyser & more acts...
Dierks Bentley @ PNC Music Pavilion
Dierks Bentley’s BURNING MAN Tour comes to PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte August 8th with guests Jon Pardi & Tenielle Townes.
Beam Country & Teea Goans @ Sumter Opera House
We are bringing in two amazing individual performers on the same night! Teea Goans and Beam Country will take the stage on August 10th beginning at 7:30 PM. Teea Goans is known for her classic country sound and personal lyrics, being a veteran of Country Café and other well-known country shows. Beam Country is a name you will already recognize...
Colt Ford @ The Senate Columbia
“You can kill the lights and the amplifiers/But dreams don’t care if you’re tired,” “No Rest” With his sixth studio album, the aptly named Love Hope Faith, his follow-up to 2014’s Thanks for Listening, Colt Ford continues to live out his boyhood dream – the one where you “wake up on a mission/to buy that beat-up Gibson,” as he sings...
Brad Paisley! @ PNC Music Pavilion
Brad Paisley with guests Chris Lane and Riley Green at PNC Music Pavilion/Charlotte – Saturday, August 24th!
Alan Jackson – Honky Tonk Highway Tour @ Spectrum Center
During an era of tremendous musical change, Jackson built his reputation by being a steadfast standard-bearer for traditional country music. While others stoked debates about what does or does not constitute country music, Jackson provided the measuring stick. No one ever questioned the music Jackson created. His songs are, and always have been, the very definition of country music. Ready...
Aaron Lewis -State I’m In Tour @ The Fillmore Charlotte
Sep 5 @ 8:00 pm
Known for his outspokenness, impassioned live show and Outlaw Country tunes, Aaron Lewis is back with a new album STATE I’M IN (The Valory Music Co.). Lewis wrote six of the 10 tracks, which also features cuts by acclaimed songwriters Dan Tyminski and the late Keith Whitley, among others. Produced by Buddy Cannon, pre-order for STATE I’M IN begins February...
Hootie & The Blowfish: Group Therapy Tour @ Colonial Life Arena
Iconic pop-rock band Hootie & the Blowfish appeared on NBC’s TODAY to announce a highly anticipated return to full-time touring in 2019, as the foursome sets out on the 2019 Group Therapy Tour with direct support from special guests Barenaked Ladies. The band formed by Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, Darius Rucker and Jim “Soni” Sonefeld during their time as students at the University of South Carolina will...
Gary Allan @ Bell Auditorium
With the allure of a modern day outlaw, Gary Allan has won over fans, peers, and critics with his signature blend of smoldering vocals, rebellious lyrics, and raucous live performances. While becoming a force on the country music scene, Allan has remained true to his artistic voice each step of the way. Allan re-signed with Universal Music Group Nashville in...
Kid Rock & Hank Williams Jr. @ PNC Music Pavilion
Old Dominion – Make it Sweet Tour @ Spectrum Center
Proving that they are not your average country band, Old Dominion blends old-fashioned country charm, lyrical wit and rock n’ roll grit into radio-friendly, hook-heavy pop nuggets. The band has emerged as one of the hottest breaking bands in country music, fusing clever lyrics and an infectious sound. Old Dominion recently released their highly anticipated sophomore album, Happy Endings, which debuted...
Edwin McCain Live at Irmo Okra Strut Festival @ Irmo Okra Strut
Edwin McCain Live at Irmo Okra Strut Festival Show starts at 6:00 PM Free to the public
Country Cool @ Sumter Opera House
Country Cool Comedy is a laugh out loud comedy show that leaves you wanting more. Trish Suhr, Leanne Morgan and Karen Mills are the Designing Women of Stand Up and all headlining comedians delivering knockout performances. They’ll take you on a ride through all of life’s ups and downs that will keep you laughing! These ladies all have southern roots,...
Frank Foster @ The Senate
Frank Foster embodies musical independence at its highest level. He not only has taken the road less traveled, but the road almost never traveled. Acting as his own record label, Management, booking agency and publishing company, he has managed to find success that some major label artists may never find. This rural Louisiana native and former oil field man has...
Carrie Underwood @ Colonial Life Arena
Carrie Underwood’s “Cry Pretty” tour with guests Maddie & Tae and Runaway June!
Alabama @ Colonial Life Arena
Country-music legends Alabama will make their first Colonial Life Arena appearance on October 3, 2019 with special guests The Charlie Daniels Band on their 50th Anniversary Tour. In the 50 years since starting the band, Alabama has charted 43 #1 singles, including 21 #1 singles in a row, and have won more than 179 CMA Awards, Grammy Awards, and ACM...
Thomas Rhett: Very Hot Summer Tour @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Oct 3 @ 7:00 pm
Thomas Rhett on tour in 2019. Greenville, SC
Brantley Gilbert @ PNC Music Pavilion
Brantley Gilbert’s “NOT LIKE US” tour comes to Charlotte on October 11th with special guests Michael Ray and Lindsay Ell!
Daryl Worley And Ray Scott @ Sumter Opera House
Join us for the second show in our own Sumter Opry Express! Darryl Worley’s songs like the #1 hits “I Miss My Friend,” “Awful, Beautiful Life” and “Have You Forgotten?” have made you love him. Ray Scott’s distinctive southern voice– as traditional as the signature black cowboy hat he wears– has captured your attention over the years, too. Now you...
Mason Ramsey @ The Senate
Mason Ramsey is a 12 year old country artist signed to Big Loud and Atlantic Records. He was discovered in April of 2018 when a video of him singing Hank William’s “Love Sick Blues” went viral. Raised by his Grandparents, Mason is from Golconda, IL, which is a small town with a population of 700 people. Growing up without Internet,...
Red Clay Strays
Blowfish Baseball - All You Can Eat!
Surge Adventure Park!
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1 Brotherton, Marcus A Company of Heroes Personal Memories about the Real Band of Brothers and the Legacy They Left Us
New York Berkley Caliber 2010 0425234207 / 9780425234204 First Edition; First Printing Hardcover Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket
Signed by four of the band of brothers from Easy Company, Brad Freeman, Earl McClung, Buck Compton, and Bob Noody. Signings witnessed by bookseller in 2010. A revealing portrait of the lives of the men who fought for our freedom during some of the darkest days the world has ever known-men who returned home with a newfound wisdom and honor that they passed on to their families and who continue to inspire new generations of Americans. Compiled from the veterans' notes, journals, letters, photographs, and the author's personally conducted interviews with the surviving contributors, this unique volume features the never-before-told stories of the Band of Brothers from more than twenty children and other family members. Marcus Brotherton is a New York Times bestselling author and collaborative writer known for his books with high-profile public figures, humanitarians, inspirational leaders, and military personnel.Beautiful collectors grade copy of this book. Dust Jacket now in Mylar Protective Cover. Extremely Rare if not unique due to the multiple signatures..; Photographs; 1.5 x 9.6 x 7.1 Inches; 368 pages; p; Signed by Collection of Signatures
2 Campbell, James The Ghost Mountain Boys Their Epic March and the Terrifying Battle for New Guinea--The Forgotten War of the South Pacific
Crown 2007 0307335968 / 9780307335968 First Edition; First Printing Hardcover Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket Signed by Author
Author signed bookplate and inlaid letter to former owner from author. Dust Jacket now in Mylar Protective Cover. Beautiful scarce collectors grade copy of this book. Lying due north of Australia, New Guinea is among the world’s largest islands. In 1942, when World War II exploded onto its shores, it was an inhospitable, cursorily mapped, disease-ridden land of dense jungle, towering mountain peaks, deep valleys, and fetid swamps. Coveted by the Japanese for its strategic position, New Guinea became the site of one of the South Pacific’s most savage campaigns. Despite their lack of jungle training, the 32nd Division’s Ghost Mountain Boys were assigned the most grueling mission of the entire Pacific campaign: to march 130 miles over the rugged Owen Stanley Mountains and to protect the right flank of the Australian army as they fought to push the Japanese back to the village of Buna on New Guinea’s north coast. Comprised of National Guardsmen from Michigan and Wisconsin, reserve officers, and draftees from across the country, the 32nd Division lacked more than training—they were without even the basics necessary for survival. The men were not issued the specialized clothing that later became standard issue for soldiers fighting in the South Pacific; they fought in hastily dyed combat fatigues that bled in the intense humidity and left them with festering sores. They waded through brush and vines without the aid of machetes. They did not have insect repellent. Without waterproof containers, their matches were useless and the quinine and vitamin pills they carried, as well as salt and chlorination tablets, crumbled in their pockets. Exhausted and pushed to the brink of human endurance, the Ghost Mountain Boys fell victim to malnutrition and disease. Forty-two days after they set out, they arrived two miles south of Buna, nearly shattered by the experience. Arrival in Buna provided no respite. The 32nd Division was ordered to launch an immediate assault on the Japanese position. After two months of furious—sometimes hand-to-hand—combat, the decimated division finally achieved victory. The ferocity of the struggle for Buna was summed up in Time magazine on December 28, 1942, three weeks before the Japanese army was defeated: “Nowhere in the world today are American soldiers engaged in fighting so desperate, so merciless, so bitter, or so bloody.”Reminiscent of classics like Band of Brothers and The Things They Carried, this harrowing portrait of a largely overlooked campaign is part war diary, part extreme adventure tale, and (through letters, journals, and interviews) part biography of a group of men who fought to survive in an environment every bit as fierce as the enemy they faced. Rare. ; 1.4 x 9.3 x 6.3 Inches; 400 pages; Signed by Author
3 Chandler, J.A.C. William and Mary College Quarterly, vol 7, No 3, July 1927
Williamsburg, VA William and Mary College 1927 First Edition; First Impression Paperback Good with no dust jacket
Brown cover is worn with chips around edges. Contents clean. Book now in archival sleeve to protect condition. The William and Mary Quarterly is the leading journal of early American history and culture. Founded in 1892 and published by the Omohundro Institute in Williamsburg, Virginia, it is one of the oldest academic journals in the United States and was one of the first ten archived on JSTOR. Today, the Quarterly ranks among the most-cited journals covering a specific time and place and is one of the most-respected and most-acclaimed historical journals in the world. This volume contains, among others: Shepard and Other Buckingham FamiliesShepard and Other Buckingham Families; Letters of Edward Coles ; The Procedure of the Virginia House of BurgessesThe Procedure of the Virginia House of Burgesses; Notes on the Ivey Family;Genealogical Queries; The Meriwether-Pollardsand more. ; 12mo 7" - 7½" tall
4 Charlton, Heston & Hollis Alpert The Actors Life Journals 1956-1976 SIGNED
E P Dutton 1978 First Edition; First Printing Hardcover Very Good in Very Good dust jacket Signed by Author
Inscribed and signed on end paper "To Anne, Charlton Heston, Endpaper has some sunfading otherwise fine condition. Very small stain on top edge of page. This is a "fascinating look into the working life of one of America's most celebrated actors". Charlton Heston, born John Charles Carter, was an American actor in film, theatre and television and a political activist. As a Hollywood star he appeared in 100 films over the course of 60 years. Wikipedia. Heston died April 5, 2008. He was a strong gun rights advocate. ; Photographs; Signed by Author
5 Colt, Margaretta Barton Defend The Valley A Shenandoah Family in the Civil War
Crown 1994 0517593157 / 9780517593158 First Edition; First Impression Hardcover Very Good in Very Good dust jacket Signed by Author
Author inscribed and signed bookplate. Also a signed letter to former owner that is signed. Excerpts from the journals, letters, and memoirs of the Barton and Jones families of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley provide a firsthand glimpse of ordinary people caught up in the hardships, tragedies, and cataclysmic events of the Civil War. ; 1.5 x 9.6 x 6.4 Inches; 441 pages; Signed by Author
6 Evans, William and Thomas (editiors) The Friends Library (vol 8) comprising Journals, Doctrinal Treatises, and other writings of Memberso of the Religious Society of Freinds.
Philadelphia PA Joseph Rakestraw 1844 1st Thus Hardcover Fair with no dust jacket
Ex- library. Leather cover is very worn. Heavy Foxing. Excellent reference. Contains memoirs of Thomas Scattergood, the Christian progress of George Whitehead and memoirs of John Roberts. We provide delivery tracking on US orders. ; Large 8vo; 480 pages
7 Hume, Ivor Noel The Virginia Adventure Roanoke to James Towne: An Archaeological and Historical Odyssey
Knopf 1994 0394564464 / 9780394564463 First Edition; First Impression Hardcover Very Good with no dust jacket Signed by Author
Signed by author on bookplate. Dust Jacket now in Mylar Protective Cover. Beautiful scarce collectors grade copy of this book. For thirty-five years, as writer, lecturer, and chief archaeologist at Colonial Williamsburg, Ivor Noel Hume has enlivened for us the material culture of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century America. After his warmly praised book Martin's Hundred, he now turns to the two earliest English outposts in Virginia -- Roanoke and James Towne -- and pieces together revelatory information extrapolated from the shards and postholes of excavations at these sites with contemporary accounts found in journals, letters, and official records of the period. He illuminates narratives that have a mythic status in our early history: the exploits of Sir Walter Ralegh, Captain John Smith, and Powhatan; the life and death of Pocahontas; and the disappearance of the Roanoke colony. He recounts a recent important excavation at Roanoke where he and his colleagues found the work site of a metallurgist named Joachim Gans, whose findings about the mineral wealth of Virginia helped to convince London merchants that America was a worthy risk This is an account of high and low adventure, of noble efforts and base impulses, and of the inevitably tragic interactions between Indians and Europeans, marked by greed, treachery, and commonplace savagery on both sides. The astonishment of this history is that despite bad luck, bad management, and bad blood, the English presence in America persisted and the Virginia settlements survived as the birthplace of a country founded on English law and language.
With clarity, authority, and elegant wit, Noel Hume has enhanced our understanding of the historical forces and principal players behind England's first perilous ventures into the New World, and proved again that he is without a doubt one of the great interpreters of our early colonial past. ; 1.5 x 9.3 x 6.4 Inches; 491 pages; For thirty-five years, as writer, lecturer, and chief archaeologist at Colonial Williamsburg, Ivor Noel Hume has enlivened for us the material culture of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century America. After his warmly praised book Martin's Hundred, he now turns to the two earliest English outposts in Virginia -- Roanoke and James Towne -- and pieces together revelatory information extrapolated from the shards and postholes of excavations at these sites with contemporary accounts found in journals, letters, and official records of the period. He illuminates narratives that have a mythic status in our early history: the exploits of Sir Walter Ralegh, Captain John Smith, and Powhatan; the life and death of Pocahontas; and the disappearance of the Roanoke colony. He recounts a recent important excavation at Roanoke where he and his colleagues found the work site of a metallurgist named Joachim Gans, whose findings about the mineral wealth of Virginia helped to convince London merchants that America was a worthy risk This is an account of high and low adventure, of noble efforts and base impulses, and of the inevitably tragic interactions between Indians and Europeans, marked by greed, treachery, and commonplace savagery on both sides. The astonishment of this history is that despite bad luck, bad management, and bad blood, the English presence in America persisted and the Virginia settlements survived as the birthplace of a country founded on English law and language.
With clarity, authority, and elegant wit, Noel Hume has enhanced our understanding of the historical forces and principal players behind England's first perilous ventures into the New World, and proved again that he is without a doubt one of the great interpreters of our early colonial past.; Signed by Author
8 Kleinfeld, Leonard F. Henry David THoreau Chronology
Long Island, NY NY Forest Hills, Long Island 1950 Limited Edition; Various Paperback Very Good with No dust jacket as issued
Blue greay cover with black print. Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, and historian. A leading transcendentalist,[2] Thoreau is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay Resistance to Civil Government (also known as Civil Disobedience), an argument for disobedience to an unjust state. Thoreau's books, articles, essays, journals, and poetry total over 20 volumes. Book now in archival sleeve to protect condition. Scarce in this condition.
9 No Author Listed The Friend's Library Comprising Journals, Doctrinal Treatises, and other Writings
Philadelphia PA Joseph Rakestraw 1842 1st Thus; First Impression Hardcover Fair with no dust jacket
Vol 6. Brown leather. Water stained. Ex- library. Heavy Foxing. Containing life of Thomas Chalkley, journal of John Churchman, life of John Pemberton, selections from the memorandums of John Barclay and memoir of Sarah Morris. We provide delivery tracking on US orders. ; vol. 6; Vol. 6
10 Rosen, Harry The golden conquistadores; texts edited by Harry M. Rosen.
Bobbs-Merrill 1960 First Edition; First Impression Hardcover Very Good in Very Good dust jacket
1960 stated first edition. "Journals, letters, and other legal and private documents by Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Bartolome de las Casas, Antonio de Mendoza, and lesser figures of Spain's Golden Age are presented here in a smooth-reading translation by Harry Rosen. Irwin Blacker's commentary introduces each of the seven chapters and suggests relationships among the excerpts and their authors".(Kirkus Review); Illustrations; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 384 pages
11 TEBEAU, EDITOR CHARLTON TEQUESTA THE JOURNAL OF THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA 1972 XXXII
Miami, FL HISTORICAL ASSOC OF FLORIDA 1972 First Edition; First Impression Paperback Very Good with no dust jacket
These journals are scarce accounts of early south Florida history, places, people, and events.
12 TEBEAU, EDITOR CHARLTON TEQUESTA THE JOURNAL OF THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA 1973 XXXIII
These journals are scarce accounts of early south Florida history, places, people, and events. Contents: The Coconut Grove School, Marco Florida in 1925, Glimmpses of Antebellum Florida in early 1880's, more. ; 12mo 7" - 7½" tall
14 TEBEAU, EDITOR CHARLTON TEQUESTA THE JOURNAL OF THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA 1974 XXXIV
Miami, FL HISTORICAL ASSOC OF FLORIDA 1973 First Edition; Various Paperback Very Good with no dust jacket
15 TEBEAU, EDITOR CHARLTON TEQUESTA THE JOURNAL OF THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA 1975 XXXV
17 Wade, Mason (editor) THE JOURNALS OF FRANCIS PARKMAN - Vol 1
New York , NY Kraus Reprint co. 1969 First Impression Hardcover Very Good with no dust jacket
Blue cover. Fully indexed. Excellent work. Vol 1 only. We provide delivery tracking on US orders. ; Maps & Illustrations; 8vo 8" - 9" tall
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Glasgow. 55.8554N, -4.3024W
We know how the land lies
Property sales 'at highest levels in almost a decade'
Scottish property sales have reached their highest level in almost a decade, official figures have revealed.
The Registers of Scotland said there were 19,802 properties sold between January and March - an increase of 18.2% on the previous year.
The body - the Scottish Government's official keeper of property records - said this was the highest volume of sales for the quarter since 2007/08, prior to the global financial crisis.
Edinburgh and Glasgow lead the way
Edinburgh recorded the highest volume of sales at 2,507, a rise of 22.4% compared with the same quarter the previous year. Sales in Glasgow rose by 18.9% to 2,401.
Dougie Telfer, Partner at Aberdein Considine, said the steep increase in sales was down to an improving economy in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
“What we are seeing is a large volume of homes being sold at the lower end of the market and slightly fewer at the top, due perhaps to the higher levels of tax people now have to pay.
“However, what these statistics really emphasise is the strength of the economic recovery in places like Edinburgh and Glasgow since the recession.
“These markets were hit badly in 2007/08, but the volume of sales in both of these cities is up by around 20% - and this has been consistent for a number of months now.
“There are a lot of buyers in both markets, resulting in properties selling fast and often for above home report value.”
Value of sales increases
The total value of sales across Scotland registered in the quarter increased by 8.3% compared to the previous year to just over £3.15 billion.
Edinburgh was the largest market with sales of over £554.6 million for the quarter, an increase of 3.3% on the previous year. Midlothian recorded the highest increase in value with sales of over £63 million, an increase of 56.5% compared with the same quarter last year.
Aberdeen City showed the largest decrease in market value, a decrease of 22.7% to over £162.7 million compared to the same quarter last year. All property types showed a decrease in average house price in this quarter.
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We are also an independent broker of mortgages and can offer thousands of home loans without any hidden fees.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, call 0333 0066 333 or click here.
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Corn and Soy Bean Field Trial, St. Clair and Cass County, IL and Pemiscot County, MO
The results of an extensive scientific field trial conducted by Brookside Agra in 2016 to test the yield-boosting potential of its proprietary, multi-purpose growing agent H2OExcel™ have been released. According to compiled data, H2OExcel has been shown to increase profits by as much as $22.00 – $62.00 per acre when applied to corn and soybean crops at planting.
H2OExcel is an all-natural, proprietary blend of desert plant extracts and high-quality, humic acid-containing biologicals and other non-plant derived nutrient enhancers. H2OExcel is highly efficient and can change the polarity of water and soil, increase biological activity, interact with soil capillarity pressure and defend against dehydration of both the soil and plants by keeping water available deeper in the soil profile. H2OExcel provides a unique opportunity to increase available nutrients and balance the amount of water within the root zone of growing plants by supercharging biological activity.
H2OExcel is an ideal tank mix partner with most pesticides and nutrients. It is highly flexible and can be used in any delivery system available and in all types of growing environments.
“Considering all of the benefits that come with H2OExcel, perhaps the best advantage is economic. Now there is one product that contains all of the fertility enhancers necessary to support plant vigor and soil health demanded in modern farming and turf management,” said Ben Elliott, Vice-President – Agronomy Operations at Brookside Agra.
The Field Trial
Brookside Agra agronomists replicated the field trials three times each, applying H2OExcel on corn and soybean fields in four regions within St. Clair and Cass counties in Illinois and Pemiscot County in Missouri. Each study was conducted over three different strip plots on the same crop field, with each strip ranging from a minimum of 5 acres to a maximum of 25 acres. H2OExcel was applied at spring planting, with results taken at harvest time in the fall.
In the Missouri field trial, H2OExcel was applied twice in April to corn seed via an injector on center pivot irrigation at a rate of 1-pint/acre at $8.00 per application. The total application cost including labor was $18.00/acre. At harvest, the three trials produced an average yield of 247.7 bu/acre compared to a 5-year average of 230.5 bu/acre, resulting in an average profit increase of $33.70/acre (assuming a $3 corn market).
2016 MO Pemiscot Co. CORN IRRIGATED Field Trials (PDF)
In the St. Clair County, Illinois corn field trial, H2OExcel was applied once in April to corn seed as part of a traditional in-furrow starter package, dripped in-furrow at a rate of 1-pint/acre at $8.00 per application. The total cost of the H2OExcel application including labor was $12.00/acre. At harvest, the three trials produced an average yield of 188.9 bu/acre compared to a 5-year average of 171.4 bu/acre, resulting in an average profit increase of $36.70/acre (assuming a $3 corn market).
2016 IL St. Clair Co. CORN Field Trials (PDF)
In the Cass County, Illinois corn field trial, H2OExcel was applied once in May to corn seed as part of a traditional in-furrow starter package, dripped in-furrow at a rate of 1-pint/acre at $8.00 per application. The total cost of the H2OExcel application including labor was $12.00/acre. At harvest, the three trials produced an average yield of 248.8 bu/acre compared to a 5-year average of 229.6 bu/acre, resulting in an average profit increase of $45.52/acre (assuming a $3 corn market).
2016 IL Cass Co. CORN Field Trials (PDF)
In the St. Clair County, IL soybean field trial, H2OExcel was applied twice to soybean seeds in April as a foliar spray at a rate of 1-pint/acre at $8.00 per application. The total cost of the H2OExcel application was $24.00/acre, which included an extra $4.00/acre labor cost due to a 3-day rainfall. At harvest, the three trials produced an average yield of 63.5 bu/acre compared to a 5-year average of 55.5 bu/acre, resulting in an average profit increase of $31.77/acre (assuming a $7 bean market).
2016 IL St. Clair Co. SOYBEAN Field Trials (PDF)
H2OExcel Research
Alfalfa Field Trial, Washington County, IL
Purdue University Turf Study
University of Central Missouri Tomato Plant Study
University of Central Missouri Soy Bean Study
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Fit for a Museum
4/26/2006 — By Meghan McEwen
Four museums where breathtaking, one-of-a-kind shoes are put on pedestals--right where they belong
Canada: Bata Shoe Museum
What you'll find: Twelve thousand shoes occupy four floors of cross-cultural exhibits--from ancient Egyptian sandals to ornate Chinese shoes used in foot binding. Current exhibit: "Icons of Elegance: The Most Influential Shoe Designers of the 20th Century," showcasing works by Salvatore Ferragamo, Roger Vivier, and Manolo Blahnik (through August).
Curator's choice: "A pair of Mojaris that was owned by the Nizam of Hyderabad between 1790 and 1800," says curator Elizabeth Semmelhack. "They're completely encrusted with gold thread, diamonds, and rubies--too heavy to wear, but a marvel of the extraordinary."
In the gift shop: A rhinestone-encrusted pie server with a stiletto heel magnetically attached to the handle ($12). 327 Bloor St. West, Toronto, 416/979-7799, batashoemuseum.ca, $7
England: Northampton Museum
What you'll find: wo galleries have 12,000 notable shoes and shoemaking artifacts collected over the past 140 years. Some highlights: a boot made for an elephant, and stilts in the shape of Doc Martens that were worn by Elton John. Current exhibit: "Africa Adorned," featuring African footwear and jewelry with especially detailed beadwork (June 16--July 23).
Curator's choice: "A pair of quirky red leather stilettos from the 1960s," says Rebecca Shawcross. "The company that produced them added little wheels onto the stilettos. They're called wheel-heels. Needless to say, they were quite short-lived."
In the gift shop: Wooden shoe lasts that double as bookends, paperweights, and candlestick holders (from $14). Guildhall Rd., Northampton, 011-44/1604-838-111, www.northampton.gov.uk/museums, free
Italy: Ferragamo Museum
What you'll find: Exhibits draw from the 10,000-strong Ferragamo collection, with shoes made for Marilyn Monroe and Katharine Hepburn. They're displayed alongside relevant photographs, sketches, and articles. Current exhibit: "Ideas, Models, Inventions," focusing on Ferragamo's design process and featuring his patents and original drawings for concepts such as shoes with interchangeable heels--for example, the 1937 cork wedge (through the summer).
Curator's choice: Museum director Stefania Ricci's favorite is the Invisible Shoe: "The sandal's upper is made from nylon fishing thread."
In the gift shop: A box of postcards with patterns derived from shoes in the museum's collection ($12). Via Tornabuoni 2, Florence, 011-39/055-336-0456, ferragamo.com, free
Germany: German Shoe Museum
What you'll find: The selection of 14,000-plus shoes is paired with displays of historical tools of the trade. Current exhibit: "The Changing of Innocence," an avant-garde installation by Monika Golla with works of art constructed out of Barbie shoes (through September).
Curator's choice: Dr. Rosita Nenno's favorite: "The 'topless,' or sole-only, shoes by Beth Levine, made in 1959. The wearer has to glue the sole onto her foot. It's even possible to dance in them."
In the gift shop: Jan Jansen slippers--black and gray with a big red kiss across the top ($29). Frankfurter Str. 86, Offenbach, 011-49/69-829-7980, ledermuseum.de, $5
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Tags: philippine general hospital
The cost of rationalization plan to government services
Anne Marxze Umil June 4, 2018 Courage, health services, philippine general hospital, rationalization plan, Utility Workers Association
At the Philippine General Hospital, patients have been increasing but employees have been decreasing, thereby affecting service delivery.
Contractual workers in government may lose jobs in 2019
Anne Marxze Umil June 4, 2018 civil service commission, commission on audit, Contractualization, Department of Budget and Management, job orders, Joint Circular No. 1 series of 2017, philippine general hospital
“Even now that we are contractuals we suffer hardships because our salaries are meager. What more if we lose our jobs.”
Nat’l Health Workers Day | Health workers demand salary increase, end to contractualization
Anne Marxze Umil May 8, 2018 Alliance of Health Workers, Contractualization, Joint Circular No. 1 series of 2017, National Health Workers Day, philippine general hospital, Robert Mendoza
“The patients are increasing but the manpower is not. With this kind of set up, health workers, who are mostly overworked, are vulnerable to mistakes.”
Crisis Worsens at PGH as Topnotch Doctors, Medical Professors Go on Mass Leave
Marya Salamat March 30, 2010 philippine general hospital
By MARYA SALAMAT
The crisis at the Philippine General Hospital worsened last week as 75 of the hospital’s topnotch and highly qualified doctors and medical professors went on mass leave starting March 29 to express “anger and dismay over the oppression and dubious removal from office” of the hospital’s director, Dr. Jose Gonzales. They said, however, that they would still respond to emergency or life-threatening cases.
The PGH Imbroglio: Battle for Directorship, Control of UP Board Traced to Questionable Deal
Marya Salamat March 8, 2010 1 Comment Emerlinda Roman, philippine general hospital, University of the Philippines
The Philippine General Hospital — the country’s hospital of last resort especially for indigent patients, a key training ground for students of the University of the Philippines, and the premier public hospital in the country — is currently embroiled in a mess over who should be its rightful director. It’s an imbroglio that has its roots to a multi-million peso lease contract.
PGH: Hospital for the Poor No More; Employees, health groups oppose hospital fee increases
Angie de Lara February 11, 2007 commercialization of health care in the Philippines, philippine general hospital, public health care system in the Philippines
The management of the country’s premier public hospital said that there is a need to increase fees to have funds for improving facilities and services. Various groups, however, argued that increasing fees will be done at the expense of the poor who are supposed to be the main beneficiaries of public health services. BY AUBREY…
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Nissan's 2017 Sentra Pricing Announced
September 23, 2016 • by Staff
Photo of 2017 Sentra SR Turbo courtesy of Nissan.
Nissan's base model 2017 Sentra will retail for $18,825, which represents a $360 increase from the outgoing model, NIssan has announced. Nissan is adding the SR turbo model for 2017.
The Sentra S equipped with a 1.8L inline-four with the Xtronic CVT retails for $18,825. A lower-cost Sentra S with a 6-speed manual transmission will retail for a $1,000 discount.
Other Sentra models will sell for $19,625 for the SV with 1.8L and Xtronic, $20,825 for the SR with 1.8L and Xtronic, $22,335 for the SL with 1.8L and Xtronic, $22,825 for the SR Turbo with the direct-injected 1.6L and 6-speed manual, and $22,825 for the SR Turbo with the 1.6L and Xtronic.
Related: Nissan Altima Returns for 2017 at Same Price
Read more about Nissan Pricing Nissan Sentra Compact Cars 2017-MY
Automotive Legend Lee Iacocca Passes Away
Lee Iacocca, who led Chrysler out of near bankruptcy by introducing the K-car platform, has died. The automotive icon, 94, died of natural causes.
Sponsored by LeasePlan
Knowing Something Is Great, Doing Something Is Better
Don't wait to become a better driver. At the end of a recent safety video, a father walks into his house to greet his daughters and the narrator says, “because the last trip of the day is the most important.” Don’t wait to become a better driver for you and your family. Start here with these tips.
Drivers Recognize Dangerous Behaviors, Engage Anyway
Nearly 96% of drivers believe reading a text or email on a hand-held cellphone while driving is very or extremely dangerous as compared with 79.8% who feel the same way about talking on a hand-held cellphone, according to a new AAA study.
Indiana Steps Up Efforts to Detect Drugged Drivers
Law enforcement officers from across Indiana have enrolled in a three-week training program to help them better detect drug-impaired motorists.
Bobit Business Media Launches FleetForward.com
FleetForward.com is the fleet community’s resource to understand new concepts and solutions around mobility involving electric vehicles, shared mobility, connected fleets, and autonomous technology.
Cab Guard or Ladder Rack?
Type and size of equipment combined with intended application determines which solution is right for your truck.
Avery Dennison Reveals Vehicle Wrap Visualizer
The Online Visualizer Tool from Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions, developed in partnership with xix3D, allows decision makers, shops, and installers to virtually concept a project in a more intuitive way
Enterprise Truck Rental Will Open 40 Locations This Year
From its beginnings in Southern California, Enterprise Truck Rental quickly expanded to 100 locations by 2007. Over the past decade, the business has tripled its number of locations to more than 300 today throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.
Amazon Wants Employees to Open Package Delivery Businesses
Amazon announced it will take an active role in helping interested employees launch their own package delivery businesses, expanding its Delivery Service Partner program with some additional incentives to help those employees make the transition.
When is the Right Time to Hire a Fleet Manager?
For a small fleet, hiring a full-time fleet manager depends on factors such as fleet size, types of vehicles and equipment, and their distribution. Companies can opt to outsource some fleet responsibilities instead of hiring an in-house professional.
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Bank Of America "Leaks" Are A Total Letdown And The Source Is A Whiny Former Employee
Courtney Comstock
Mar. 14, 2011, 9:08 AM
Stian Eikeland
The emails from the Bank of America subsidiary, Balboa Insurance Group, released by the hacker group anonymous at midnight last night are a letdown.
The subject of the Anonymous leak sounded a lot more damning than the emails turned out to be. On Friday, this email that seemed to confirm that information had been deleted from home loan/foreclosure documents was released.
Everything we've seen since has made us doubt that's actually what it is.
The only new information in the emails are:
The "former Balboa employee's" list of grievances, which just hurt his credibility because they're so trivial. IE:
"They encouraged us to date each other"
They spend too much time "debating when we can wear jeans and which t-shirts are allowed to be worn"
"With my credit score, I had no business qualifying to work at a bank"
We were never invited to award ceremonies or awarded any prizes like the other employees
"They took everything from me"
A list of DTNs (document tracking numbers) with a request for "image removal." He says that key information that was related to foreclosures on GMAC home loans was removed, but Balboa may actually have just removed images from GMAC loans for automobile, farm equipment, or RV insurance, for example, which are other examples of the types of insurance the employee says Balboa issued
An email from "Jason Vaughn" at Balboa that says, "I'm just a little concerned this has on the department and company."
And the best emails are not available, like:
"Tells me Boa is knowingly hiding Foreclosure information from Feds…"
"So why do u want BoA head so bad?"
"So the waitresses knew what happens in BoA?"
We don't even know what those last two mean, but we want to read them.
In the end, Bank of America's explanation (below) sounds pretty likely.
"We are confident that his extravagant assertions are untrue," he or she told Reuters. A BofA spokesman said on Sunday the documents were clerical and administrative documents stolen by a former Balboa Insurance employee, and were not related to foreclosures.
It would be easy enough for Bank of America to denounce a subsidiary for deleting tracking numbers, and there's no incentive for the firm to lie about the documents not being related to foreclosures.
Also, if it was even the DTNs that were removed (which we doubt), there's no background on why the DTNs are being removed, so there might have been a legitimate reason. Also, when Jason Vaughn says that he's concerned, he says that it's because it will be a red flag for auditors when they ask why the letter was received when the letter, albeit erroneous - this being the letters that went out in error - the auditor sees the letter but no SOR trail or scanned doc on the corrected letter is in the SOR."
There are just too many questions left unanswered in that email for this "leak" to be anything significant.
The Anonymous source says he has more and vehemently claims that fraud occurred. If it did, we can't wait to see documents that prove it.
Get the latest Bank of America stock price here.
More: Hackers Foreclosure Bank of America
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7 Plus Size Fashion Issues That Still Need To Be Addressed Because Inclusivity Doesn't Always Mean Equality
By Marie Southard Ospina
If you'd told 14-year-old me that 24-year-old me would one day be sitting on a computer discussing plus size fashion as an actual, thriving industry as opposed to a teenage dream, I would have told you that 24-year-old me must've taken some pretty serious hallucinogens. Ten years ago, plus size brands certainly existed — but they didn't exist in quite the same way they do now. Thanks to the efforts of body positive activists, bloggers, models, celebs, and designers, the plus size industry has grown to approximately a $17.5 billion one. And that means that today — more than ever — we have options.
For a long time, "having options" seemed like such a huge aspect of the body positivity movement's efforts, at least to me. Pushing to be visible and catered to by the fashion industry — one that's been so exclusionary of so many types of humans — felt like a pretty big step towards ultimate societal acceptance. If we could shop with "normal" people, maybe we'd be closer to breaking down some of the barriers.
Today I can do a good, old Google and shop at any one of 100 stores that carry my size, both plus size specific ones and otherwise. I can even go to a couple fast fashion destinations IRL and find a section dedicated to my size. But as more and more brands begin adding plus sizes to their collections, and more and more members of body positive communities reach mainstream visibility, we can't forget that there's still a long way to go before inclusivity means equality.
As plus size fashion evolves and hopefully transforms into the thing so many of us have wanted it to be for so long, here are seven issues I think we still need to talk about.
1. Plus Size Swimwear Still Mainly Consists Of High Rise Bikinis
Since really taking off in 2012, the fatkini movement has inarguably been empowering women nonstop. Prior to then, I don't really remember ever seeing a fat woman in a two-piece swimsuit — certainly not in real life and only on television if she was the brunt of a joke. Today, many plus size women the world over have not only started to wear two-pieces, but to feel way better about themselves by doing so.
I can't help but think, however, that the next step in fatkini pride should really be an embracing of low-rise bikinis. The "fatkini" as we see it on social media is generally a retro-inspired high waist number. Although beautiful (and personally one of my favorite looks), it covers what is often a woman's fattest bit: The tummy.
There are plenty of reasons to love your belly, though. Just as the fatkini helped many of us love the parts of our bodies we'd previously covered up most, perhaps the low-rise bikini (or chunkini, as I like to call it) will help us love our tummies even more too.
2. Plus Size Lines & Brands Often Stop At A 3X
Visit the plus size section of an e-commerce store or an IRL shop, and check out the tags on the clothes. What's the biggest size there? Chances are it's a 3X. As with all sizes, what a 3X actually means can vary from store to store. All I know is that my own size can be a 1X at one shop, a plain old L at another, a 4X in a select few, and everything in between. Depending on where you're shopping, a 3X can be a 20/22 and then a 24/26. It can accommodate 52-inch hips or 46-inch ones. At the end of the day, that's not really all that inclusive.
This is all to say that even when a retailer expands its size range to cater to more women, there are still plenty who are left out. Ladies who are sizes 4X and above should be able to know what it's like to finally feel acknowledged by the fashion industry — to have unique and innovative apparel designed with them in mind. That feeling and that freedom and that acceptance shouldn't have a size limit.
3. Brick And Mortar Locations Of Plus Lines Are Reserved To Small Back Corners Of The Stores
Picture this: You hear that a mega retailer has decided to sell plus sizes, and not just online. Finally, you'll be able to shop — to leave Google behind in exchange for some waxed floors and awful in-store music. Maybe Ke$ha. You count down the moments, right until you hit the shiny mall store. Look at all those pretty clothes. This place has everything: The '70s trend, culottes, overalls, pastel dresses, cape vests. Wow. You try to find the plus section to no avail, finally asking one of the sales associates: "Oh it's right in the back, just carry on to the far left cover," she says with a smile.
Upon arriving at the far left corner, you see it: Three to four racks with a bland assortment of monochromatic T-shirts, some shapeless jeans thrown on a table, a couple of decent-enough crop tops and shorts (well, if they weren't "fat taxed," they'd be nice), and last season's pink cocoon coat.
As UK-based blogger Callie Thorpe wrote in a post "Why Are Brands Not Promoting Their Plus Size Lines," "As for in store displays I feel very little effort is put on visual merchandise [...] The last time I visited [Regent], the plus size section was on the lower ground and felt hidden away in a corner, nothing really caught my attention because, it all kind of blended together. I wasn't inspired or drawn to anything which is really kind of rubbish and often leaves you feeling rather deflated when surrounded by great items on other floors that are bright, and innovative." Thus usually seems to be the case.
4. There's A General Lack Of Minimalist Options
A complaint I've heard voiced by many plus size friends who prefer jeans and T-shirts over sequins and lace is that the plus industry is not yet catering to the fat minimalists of the world. There are a select few minimalist-focused brands, of course, but there's still arguably some stigma surrounding plus size women who choose to adopt a "lazy girl" style.
The thing is, I totally get this one. For a long time, plus size women didn't really have all that many options. If a woman wanted to dress in alternative styles or in a dress decked out in unicorns, fuzzy pom poms, or other pixie sh*t, she really had no choice besides learning to design those pieces for herself. As soon as the industry began expanding and more and more retailers starting selling options above a size 14, I knew I just wanted to try it all: The tutus, the pinup dresses, the sparkly gowns, the Disney princess-print sneakers. And eventually, I found I genuinely loved all those things.
Just as not all straight size women want to wear the same things, however, not all plus size women want to wear the same things, either. Fuller-figured women who prefer mom jeans over skinnies or T-shirts over tutus shouldn't be denied those styles. Many of us can agree that fashion needs to stop being exclusionary of women of certain sizes, but it should also stop being exclusionary of women of certain styles.
5. Plus Size Clothes Are Often Scaled Up Versions Of Straight Size Ones
As Veronica Miller wrote in an article about plus size dress forms for xoJane, "[...] while the size 8 forms are fine for making clothes for fit models, manufacturers seem to have forgotten that the human body just doesn't 'scale up' in uniform increments when it gets larger." Scaling up plus size clothes — i.e., literally making a garment in the same exact proportions, but bigger — just doesn't work. It doesn't account for the variations between a straight size body and a plus size body (and the many variations within plus size bodies themselves).
While brands won't necessarily advertise their plus options as being "scaled up" or otherwise, it's not hard to tell when something hasn't been constructed for a plus size body. These garments won't be built with love handles or bellies in mind. There won't be room for your tummy or your plumper arms. Things will be loose in some places, but crazy tight in others.
When clothes are made with your body in mind, you don't feel like it's your belly against the fabric. You don't feel like your ass is a "problem area." You just feel comfortable. You feel happy.
6. "Short" Or "Tall" Options Are A Rarity
Sometimes I wonder if part of my distaste for jeans stems from never managing to find ones that cover my ankles. Don't get me wrong: I love a good cigarette trouser or summery capri. But sometimes you just want your legs bundled top to bottom in some snazzy denim. If you're a plus size woman who is either shorter or taller than average, however, this might often feel impossible to pull off.
It's extremely rare that I visit the "curve" section of a retailer or even a plus-specific brand and get the a choice between short, regular, or tall. While I'm grateful to have the "curve" option in general (it really doesn't seem like long ago since Lane Bryant felt like the only plus option in the world), I think most of us would be even more grateful if our height differences were being catered to as well.
7. More IRL Locations Of Plus Size Shops In General
I know shopping online is a pretty Millennial thing, and GenZ is headed that way, too. As Forbes writer Robin Lewis posed:
"Every store in the world is literally in Millennials’ pockets; they can hang out with their friends, sip lattes and shop online — all at the same time. So why spend all the time and effort traveling to, and traipsing through, big, old, largely boring malls with a limited number of cool stores that don’t offer any great experience in the first place?"
The "why," of course, is arguably the ability to try things on in the flesh. When I was a teenager, going to the mall felt like this hugely important experience. It was a time to hang out with friends, to get away from the monotony of everyday life, to experiment with my style, and learn about self-expression.
Plus size women should have the option to shop IRL if they so choose. When you hit up a mall, chances are they have one (maybe two) stores with plus collections — but then you hit up against barrier No. 3 on this list. Despite rises in e-commerce, most of America's malls are doing just fine. Maybe it's time they use some of their space for the advancement of size acceptance and equality.
I would never want to belittle the amazing efforts being done in the plus size fashion industry right now. Sometimes it seems like a new body positive campaign is launching every day, while body pos-focused brands are being born by the minute, too. But in order to progress even more, I think we need to be willing to talk about all that's left to do.
Want more body positivity? Check out the video below, and be sure to subscribe toBustle’s YouTube page for more self love inspo!
Bustle on YouTube
Images: Marie Southard Ospina
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FC HALIFAX BOOK BANTAMS F.A CUP DATE
The Bantams will play West Yorkshire neighbours FC Halifax Town in the first round of the F.A Cup in just under two weeks time after the Vanarama Conference side defeated Chorley FC in Tuesday's fourth qualifying round replay.
FC Halifax beat their Vanarama Conference North opponents 5-0 at Shay Stadium in front of a watching Bantams boss Phil Parkinson.
The mouth-watering derby tie is now scheduled to take place over the weekend 8/9 November 2014.
The match will be City's first visit to FC Halifax in a competitive fixture since a League Cup tie back in September 1998.
Ticket details and the exact match date and kick off time for City's forthcoming F.A Cup tie at FC Halifax will be confirmed on the club's website shortly.
The Bantams Ticket Office does not have any ticket details to pass onto supporters as of yet.
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Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly (Slow Travel)
by Kirsty Fergusson
Published: 14th Jan 19
Format: eBook (ePUB/MOBI)
Website discount! Get 10% off above prices at checkout
Bundle offer! Buy print and e-book together and get a massive 40% off both – it’s like buying one and getting the other for just 20% of RRP!
Need help with eBooks? These are large files so you will need a fast internet connection to download them
Note: Slow Travel Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly is, we believe, the world's first 'a-book' travel guide available to the public. Visit https://www.bradtguides.com/cornwall-live for full details of the research project behind this, and how to access that content - free of charge - if you have an Android device and your copy of the book.
This new, thoroughly updated edition of Bradt's Slow Travel Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly remains the only dedicated guide to this perennially popular part of Britain. Offering in-depth exploration of both frequently visited and less-well-known destinations that will be of interest as much to locals as to newcomers, it is written in a friendly, engaging style and includes up-to-date listings of the best (and sometimes least obvious) places to eat, drink and sleep, appealing to all budgets.
Long popular with discerning travellers, Cornwall is now enjoying an increased popularity as the 'Poldark effect' has raised awareness of its lovely land- and seascapes to even greater heights. Few places can offer such geographical diversity - the rugged, storm-lashed north coast and wide, sandy beaches favoured by surfers are rarely more than a few miles from the sheltered creeks and coves and exotic gardens of the southern coast. Wild moorland is dotted with neolithic standing stones and awe-inspiring relics of Cornwall's mining heritage. And, just 28 miles from Land's End, the Isles of Scilly offer an exhilarating blend of exoticism and wild isolation.
Cornwall possesses an enduring appeal as a holiday destination for visitors of all ages. But with such popularity, it's all too easy to overlook the diverse character of the county and its less obvious highlights. Whether it's exploring the 'Cornish Alps', the lonely Rame peninsula, a secret beach or a stone circle lost in wild moorland, listening to world-class musicians playing in tiny rural churches, seeing where Cornwall's emblematic bird, the chough, is making a comeback, or discovering where oysters are still harvested in the traditional way and where the best Cornish ice creams, pasties and cider are made, Bradt's Slow Travel Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is the ideal companion for a visit to the region and an invitation to a rich, diverse and hugely enjoyable feast.
Award-winning travel writer, Kirsty Fergusson grew up in the west country, but did not venture across the Tamar until well into her fifth decade, when the opportunity arose in 2009 to move to a remote cottage in the far west of Cornwall, near Land's End. Having lived abroad for many years her knowledge of the region was astonishingly unclouded by TV images - or the kind of partisan adoration, nostalgia or prejudice that remembered childhood holidays seem to inspire. So with fresh eyes, an old bicycle and an even older pair of legs, she set out to explore and write about her adopted county with the same open-minded curiosity that had taken her plant-hunting in Mongolia and pottering around the Latin quarter of Paris. A keen promoter of the Slow Food movement, Kirsty has twice been appointed to judge in the Food and Farming section of the Royal Cornwall Show, while her published articles on both new and established gardens in the county have brought much acclaim. Having branched out into garden tours, Kirsty is currently based in southwest France, but returns to Cornwall in order to renew her research for this third edition.
Reviews Contents
'Eye-opening and wonderful' The Sunday Times Magazine
'Slow Guides are warm, witty and stuffed with insider knowledge. This new Cornwall edition provides all the practical information you need to slow down and enjoy your surroundings.' Western Morning News
'Uses local knowledge to offer readers a guide to an exciting new range of places to visit, eat, sleep or drink.' Western Morning News
'Kirsty Fergusson's writing will enrich your exploration of Cornwall whether you are a resident or visitor.' MYCORNWALL
Write your own review for Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly (Slow Travel)
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GOING SLOW IN CORNWALL & THE ISLES OF SCILLY
A taste of Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly, A Slow approach, How this book is arranged
1 LAUNCESTON & THE NORTHEAST
Getting around, Launceston, A wriggling route to Morwenstow, Along the coast from Morwenstow to Tintagel
2 MID-CORNWALL NORTH: THE CAMEL ESTUARY TO HOLYWELL BAY
Getting around, Around the Camel estuary, From Trevose Head to Holywell Bay, Away from the coast
3 BODMIN MOOR
Getting around, The north Moor, The Moor south of the A30
4 SOUTHEAST CORNWALL: from the Tamar to Polperro
Getting around, Along the Tamar, The Rame peninsula, Around Looe, The Looe valleys
5 THE FOWEY VALLEY & THE CORNISH ALPS
Getting around, The Fowey Valley, Around St Austell & the Cornish Alps
6 THE MINING HEARTLAND
Getting around, The north coast from Perranporth to the Hayle estuary, The copper & tin towns: Hayle, Redruth & Camborne, Godolphin country
7 TRURO & THE FAL ESTUARY
Getting around, Truro, Along the river from Truro to Falmouth, The Roseland peninsula
8 SOUTHWEST CORNWALL: THE LIZARD PENINSULA
Getting around, From Prussia Cove to the Helford River, The shores of the Helford River, The peninsula
9 PENZANCE, ST IVES & THE PENWITH PENINSULA
Getting around, Penzance, Penzance's hinterland, The south coast, The north coast & Penwith moors, Crossing the peninsula: from St Ives to Marazion
10 THE ISLES OF SCILLY
Getting there, Getting around, A taste of the Isles of Scilly, St Mary's, The Off Islands
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Home » Brand News (page 3)
Syinix Limited signs Mr. Ahmed Musa as Brand Ambassador
Syinix Limited announced the famous Nigerian football player Ahmed Musa as its brand ambassador and launched Syinix 65” big screen TV at the illustrious Sheraton Hotel. Ahmed Musa as a professional football player, plays for Nigeria on the international level and Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, He has reached a lot of achievement on football field, he has a huge number …
Osagie Alonge Quits Pulse Africa After 5 years
Journalist and media executive Osagie Alonge has announced his exit from Pulse Africa, to take up a new challenge. Alonge, who worked as chief correspondent at Nigerian Entertainment Today, before joining Pulse Nigeria as editor, says he’s now moving to ORide, an Opera company, as Director of Growth. Osagie who is also the Editor-In-Chief of Business Insider by …
BHM Emerges PR Agency of The Year 2018
Lead Consultant, BlackHouse Media, Philip Ugbah (middle), receiving the award on behalf of BHM; flanked by (left) Head, Sustainability, Access Bank Plc, Omobolanle (babatunde) victor-laniyan and (right) Publisher, Brand Communicator, Joshua Ajayi, at the grand finale of BrandComFest 2019 where BlackHouse Media was awarded the PR Agency of the year. Foremost media and public relations company, BlackHouse Media (BHM), has …
Honeywell Defeats Ecobank in Final Judgement
The Honeywell Group yesterday emerged victorious in its protracted legal dispute against Ecobank with the judgement delivered by the Federal High Court, Lagos in which the court held that Honeywell’s payment of N3.5 Billion between 2013 and 2014 constitutes the full and final settlement of its indebtedness to Ecobank Nigeria Limited. According to the judgement delivered by Justice Olayinka Faji, …
Road To Madrid: More Fun In The City As The Lagos Heineken House Reopens For UCL Final
Global Champions League sponsor, premium international beer brand, Heineken this past weekend reopened the upgraded Heineken House in Lagos. This reopening of the Heineken house is expected to open the door to the top-notch parties that Heineken has been known for, the first being the Champions League Finals match viewing which Senior Brand Manager, Mfon Bassey announced will be happening …
Brandcom Awards: MultiChoice’s Caroline Oghuma Bags PR Manager of the Year
Caroline Oghuma, Executive Head, Corporate Affairs, MultiChoice Nigeria has been named the PR manager of the year at the Brandcom Awards held at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos at the weekend. Brandcom Awards is designed to be the most credible and prestigious platform recognising, rewarding and inspiring agencies, brands and individuals in the marketing and communications industry in Nigeria. Caroline Oghuma …
Access Bank, MTN, Domino’s, Others Bag BrandCom Awards as Biodun Shobanjo Gets Inducted Into Hall Of Fame
It was a night to recognize excellence, professionalism, innovations and creativity at the maiden edition of the BrandCom Awards that held at the Shell hall of the MUSON Centre yesterday as deserving individuals, brands and organisations were variously awarded. Speaking on the awards, the Convener of BRANDCOM Awards-a part of BRANDCOMFEST, Joshua Ajayi said the platform came to fore following …
Brand Communicator Set To Organise Brandcomfest In Lagos
Brand Communicator, Nigeria’s most consistent brand and marketing communications magazine is set to organise BRANDCOMFEST scheduled for Thursday and Friday, May 23rd and 24th at the prestigious Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos. BRANDCOMFEST was designed to be the largest gathering of stakeholders in the brand and marketing communications landscape, which caters to the most contemporary and topical issues in …
20 More Millionaires win in the UBA Wise Savers Promo
Believe it! 20 customers of United Bank of Africa have won N1.5million each in the latest draw of UBA’s Wise Savers Promo. Names of the winners, from various towns in Nigeria emerged following the raffle draw, on Thursday, April 18, 2019, witnessed by key regulatory officials and other stakeholders. The promo, designed by UBA to reward customers for their loyalty, …
IAA, Nigeria and Ghana Chapters set to host its 3rd Africa Rising Conference
The International Advertising Association (IAA) Nigeria and Ghana Chapters, is set to host the 3rd edition of the Africa Global Leadership Conference with the theme, “What’s Coming Next”. The must attend gathering is expected to have Current and Future business leaders from all over Africa and the world. The event is scheduled to take place in May, 21st-22nd 2019 at Labadi Beach …
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Children & Young People (age 4-17)
GPs & Professionals
Treatment Interventions
For Children & Young People
Support for Children & Young People (CYP)
The CYP Wellbeing Service is the hub for all mental health referrals for young people in Brighton & Hove, including CAMHS. It is delivered by YMCA DownsLink Group.
We offer a range of short-term support options for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health needs. All referrals are looked at on a case-by-case basis.
Children & young people aged 4-17: You’ll find support options for this age group below. Referrals can be made using the forms on the right.
Young people aged 18-25: Click here to view the support options for this age group. Referrals can be made from that page.
What does “mild to moderate” mean?
Mild mental health difficulties tends to mean that your mental health has some impact on day-to-day life and moderate means there is a fairly significant impact on your day-to-day life. This could mean that you're sometimes finding it difficult to engage positively with things like school/work, friendships, family etc... maybe because you are feeling…
Sad, depressed or bad about yourself
Worried, anxious or panicky
Afraid (fears or phobias)
Severe mental health difficulties means that it is very difficult to get through your day-to-day life as a result of your mental health. If we feel this is the case for you, we will support a referral on to another service that would be better suited to your needs e.g. the Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or Assessment Treatment Service (ATS).
What don’t we do?
We don’t diagnose, prescribe or offer medication reviews.
We don’t offer urgent response or crisis management support.
We don’t work with children or young people who are presenting with moderate to severe mental health needs.
We don’t work with young people who do not consent to our support.
We don’t offer specialist support around complex trauma or bereavement.
We are not able to offer counselling for specific trauma events where a specialist service should provide care e.g. domestic violence, bereavement.
We don’t offer family therapy.
We are not able to offer long term treatment.
If you have questions about referrals or confidentiality, read our FAQs.
Meet the CYP Team
Counselling & other face-to-face support (age 4-17)
E-wellbeing Online counselling (age 13-17)
CAMHS Assertive Outreach (professionals only)
Adult Self Referral Form (18+)
What kind of support is available for children & young people?
We currently have nine different support options available. Click on the images below to find out more.
Counselling (age 4-25)
CBT (age 8-18)
Canine-assisted Therapy (age 10-25)
Dramatherapy (age 4-12)
Play Therapy (age 4-12)
Groupwork (age 13-17)
Mind the Gap community support (age 11-25)
Emotional Wellbeing Support (age 11-25)
☎ CONTACT tHE WELLBEING SERVICE:
Our lines are open Monday-Friday 8am-6pm: 0300 002 0060 (local rate)
Or email: bics.brighton-and-hove-wellbeing@nhs.net
We close our lines for one hour between 11am-12pm every Thursday, and cannot respond to emails within this hour.
Please note we are not an emergency service.
Mind’s Advice and Information service offers support on matters relating to mental health: Lines are open Monday-Friday 10am-6pm: 01273 66 69 50
Wellbeing Service Privacy Notice: Information on how and why we use your data
NEED URGENT SUPPORT?
OUR COLLABOrATION:
Care Unbound Limited (Company Number 6528491) registered in England and Wales.
Registered offices at Fourth Floor, 177 Preston Road, Brighton, BN1 6AG
© 2017 Copyright Care Unbound Limited
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6 of the Most Mind-Melting Stranger Things Theories We’ve Heard Yet
Nicole Villeneuve · Aug 31, 2016
Have you heard the crazy theory that links our favorite show of the summer, Stranger Things, to one of our old faves Parks and Recreation? It started with fans pointing out that jerky Steve actually does look like Parks and Rec’s jerky Jean Ralphio. In a sketch on The Late Late Show With James Corden called “Strangerer Things,” Jean Ralphio actor Ben Shwartz admitted that, yes, Jean-Ralphio IS in fact Steve’s son. Lolz. While it’s one of the more light-hearted “theories,” there are actually some pretty compelling ones about the supernatural series, and we can’t help but consider them all. Here are some of our favorites. (Warning! There are spoilers in here. But there’s no way you haven’t finished the show yet, so, read on.)
1. Eleven is the monster. Okay, well, at one point Eleven did say, “I am the monster.” There’s defffffinitely some darkness going on there. She had to go deep inside her own mind to bring the evil out. And she can only kill the demogorgon by destroying herself. So… this one is actually pretty probable.
2. Eleven is Hopper’s daughter. During Hopper and Joyce’s trip to the Upside Down to rescue Will, Hopper had some serious flashbacks about his daughter’s death, the cause of which you may have assumed was cancer, but that was never actually said for sure in the show. And in fact, the actor who plays Hopper has actually said her cause of death MIGHT be explored in season two, so he couldn’t give any secrets away. Remember in the earlier flashbacks, when his daughter was being creepy and staring, not unlike Eleven does in her intense episodes? Yeah. JUST SAYING. (Image via Giphy)
3. Jonathan grows up to be Darryl Dixon from The Walking Dead. That chip on the shoulder? The relationship with his brother? Kinda fearless or at least driven to help people? This one actually makes SO MUCH SENSE. (Image via Hajando.com/Reddit)
4. Nancy’s true love is actually Jonathan. File this one under no duhhhhhhh. TBH, we were surprised when Nancy ended up in Steve’s arms in the show’s last episode. But as many have pointed out, she looked so distant. After everything she and Jonathan went through, they’ve formed a connection, and we look forward to seeing them pretend they’re not totally in teen love in season two. (Image via Giphy)
5. More Upside Down portals are going to open up. *Runs screaming* I mean, where did Eleven GO? Hopper left her Eggos, so she’s not dead. Her friends are for sure going to go looking for her. Some fans think that, wherever she went, she’ll be able to open new portals. (Image via Giphy)
Fan Theory: Stranger Things is a prequel to Lost. pic.twitter.com/pVLHDLMCNU
— Travis Clark (@thatguytravis) July 20, 2016
6. It’s a Lost prequel. LOL. Okay, probably not, but we love this one too much to not include it.
Which of these is your fave theory? Let us know @BritandCo!
Nicole Villeneuve
Nicole is an entertainment and lifestyle writer covering pop culture, news, and cool women doing cool things. She likes yard sales, MTV's Teen Mom, and putting too many memes in the group chat. She lives in Toronto.
Netflix, Pop Culture, Entertainment
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Home TravelInternational Hiroshima – the Peace Park & Memorial
InternationalPersonal
Hiroshima – the Peace Park & Memorial
72 years ago, on 6 August 1945, the first atomic bomb landed on Hiroshima killing 140,000 people, mostly civilians. With the anniversary marked throughout the world this past weekend, I’m reminded of my visit to that city in 2014, one of the most impacting trips of my travelling life.
Although I had such limited time in Japan, I knew I had to include Hiroshima on my itinerary and that I had to get there fast. From Kyoto, where I was staying, the journey via The Shinkansen bullet train is only 1hr45 (it takes 4 hours from Tokyo) – what a thrill ride, with an unexpected glimpse of the snow tipped Mount Fuji an added bonus.
When theatre motivates travel
One of the things that compelled me to go to Japan and Hiroshima in particular was a play I worked on as publicist at the Baxter Theatre in 2013, called Sadako. Created by Jaqueline Dommisse and the late Peter Hayes, it was a truly beautiful piece of theatre, exquisitely created using Japanese style bunraku puppetry (the puppets were made by another theatre client of mine Janni Younge) and telling the moving tale about little Sadako Sasaki and the legend of the 1000 paper cranes who died aged 12 from the leukaemia she contracted as a result of fallout from the A- bomb that obliterated a vast area that included her home next to the Misasa Bridge, 2 kilometres away from ground zero. Sadako – 佐々木 禎子 – was only 2 years old at the time.
Children’s Peace Park
A visit to Hiroshima is emotionally overwhelming. The day I went was grey and chilly which, all things considered, seemed appropriate, but the bright little paper cranes brighten the atmosphere with positivity and hope, softening the terrible memory of that time. Sadako’s death triggered a campaign to build a monument to pray for world peace and the peaceful repose of the many children killed by the atomic bomb. The Children’s Peace Monument that stands in Peace Park was built with funds donated from all over Japan. Later, this story spread to the world, and now, approximately 10 million cranes are offered each year before the Children’s Peace Monument.
The Peace Memorial
Although the Atomic Bomb Dome, originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, was located almost directly underneath the explosion, it somehow avoided complete destruction and the remains of the building still stand today. It was declared a World Heritage site in 1996. The residents of Hiroshima decided to keep this tragic reminder of war intact. Visit the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Cenotaph for Atomic Bomb Victims and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to gain a deeper understanding of the suffering caused by war and nuclear weapons and the true value of peace.
April in Japan is a magical time, when the sakura (cherry blossom trees) bloom for all of 7 days. The delicate white and pink blossoms transform harsh urban landscapes into a pastel paradise for one week. In Hiroshima they speak life over the reminder of the death and devastation that once ripped through peoples lives.
The Atomic Bomb Dome, the only building left standing
Walking across the river towards the park…the Sakura in full bloom..
The Children’s Peace Monument…that’s. Sadako holding a crane aloft…
I rang the bell attached to the golden crane inside the monument…
The Cenotaph monument to the A Bomb victims, some 220 000 people lost their lives that day, and thousands more afterwards
Memorial Tower, dedicated to mobilized students
Looking down from the bridge, the A Bomb memorial at left…
New life and hope in the foreground, and in the background the reminder of destruction and decay
Paper origami cranes
Directions: Once you get to Hiroshima Station (on the JR Line from Kyoto), take the South exit and head for the number 2 or 6 tram (costs 170Y) and get off at the A Bomb Dome stop, about a 1.5km ride. Any problems, ask anyone- the Japanese are kind and helpful, all the time.
In 平和,
Hiroshima – the Peace Park & Memorial was last modified: August 11th, 2017 by capetowndiva
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Published: 18th June 2008
The Suzuki GSXR 1100 engine was one of the classic hooligan powerplants of the early 1990’s, but it took an Italian Company called Bimota to realise its true potential as the scourge of all suburban neighbourhoods.
With 160mph performance, a short, wheelie-prone chassis and a screaming banshee wail from the underseat exhausts each time the rev needle passed 6,000rpm, the SB6 was perhaps the ultimate cafe racer special of the early 1990s. A stunning concoction of Japanese engine aggression, Latin style and sweet hi-speed handling.
A truly exotic, handbuilt, carbon fibre everywhere, R version of the SB6 was also produced for those who demanded the very best, which cost a staggering £17,995 back in the mid 1990s.
The carbon-fibre backed tacho was indicating 10,000rpm in top and the speedometer alongside had edged past 260km/h (approaching 165mph) when finally my nerves cried enough. Sitting up from behind the low tinted screen, I hit the brakes for the rapidly approaching right-hand bend, and the front tyre bit hard into the road as the bike shed speed even faster than it had been accelerating moments earlier.
Suzuki´s big engine coughed once, then again as I shifted my weight slightly in the seat and blipped the throttle to change down through the gearbox. Then, with a light touch on the clip-ons, I was banking into the curve, keeping towards the centre of the road to improve visibility on the way in, winding on the power gently half-way through, finally nailing the throttle to send the red, white and grey projectile screaming off once again.
My memory of the bike´s speed and stability on that stretch of tarmac remains vivid several days later, and no wonder. Such adrenalin-charged action is doubtless familiar to many GSX-R1100 riders, but this was something that the standard Suzuki could not have provided. For all the two machines´ shared powerplants, riding the Bimota SB6 confirms what simply examining the bikes and their spec sheets (and price tags) suggests: that there´s a world of difference between this exotic, lavishly equipped special and Suzuki´s mass-produced megabike.
In many ways the SB6 is long overdue. After all, despite the biggest GSX-R´s popularity, the 1100´s chassis has generally been far less impressive than its motor since the original model back in 1986. For most of that time Bimota have been building bikes powered by Yamaha´s rival FZR engines. Only now, though, have the Rimini firm produced a chassis for the 16-valve GSX-R.
There´s no sign of Tesi-type innovation here, but describing the SB6 chassis as conventional hardly does it justice. The frame is a twin-beam alloy construction, true. But the broad extruded spars that run diagonally out from the steering head curve and continue all the way down outside the engine (no conveniently angled-forward FZR cylinders here) to incorporate the swing-arm pivots. Bimota claim this design, which they call Straight Connection Technology, gives more rigidity than the familiar combination of extruded rails and cast alloy end sections.
Rear subframe design is even simpler: this bike doesn´t have one. In grand prix racebike fashion, the SB6 uses a self-supporting carbon-fibre seat unit. This blends smoothly into the petrol tank cover, which is made from an equally curvaceous composite of carbon and fibreglass, forming a seat-tank unit of unprecedented lightness and style.
Well, perhaps not unprecedented style. Bimota enthusiasts will recall that the firm´s first streetbike, the Suzuki GS750-powered SB2 of 1977, also featured a gorgeously sculpted full fairing and seat-tank unit. Like its modern descendent, the SB2 supported its rider without a rear subframe – though 17 years ago that feat required an aluminium-lined fibreglass tail section far heavier than this bike´s carbon construction.
The SB6 tailpiece is notable for more than just its strength and lack of weight. After leaving the engine, the Bimota´s four exhaust downpipes converge into two beneath the engine. These join to form a single pipe that rises vertically through a gap in the swing-arm, then runs back to two horizontal silencers in the seat-hump. With bodywork on, the only visible parts of the entire exhaust system are the silencer tips, which emerge above the rear light and carbon-fibre mudguard.
The swing-arm is a typically stout rectangular alloy unit, unusual in that its rising-rate rocker-arm is located on the right side, rather than the centre, and is connected to an Ohlins shock unit that runs horizontally along that side of the bike. Positioning the shock this way allowed Bimota chief engineer Pierluigi Marconi to keep the bike´s length to a minimum. Wheelbase is a mere 1390mm, 95mm shorter than that of the standard GSX-R, and 30mm down on Bimota´s own FZR1000-engined Furano.
Other chassis dimensions, predictably, are also on the small side. The SB6 weighs 190kg dry, unremarkable for a Bimota four (and slightly more than a Fireblade) but a significant 41kg down on the stock Suzuki. Rake and trail are defined as 23.5 degrees and 94mm (the GSX-R´s legs are slightly less steep), though the SB6´s fork angle can be varied by half a degree either way, using steering head eccentrics.
The forks themselves are decidedly unusual. They´re ultra-thick, 46mm diameter cartridge units, built by Paioli, with sliders made from a composite of aluminium and carbon-fibre for extra rigidity. Quick-release fittings hold the familiar combination of 17-inch magnesium wheel, Michelin Hi-Sport radial and fully-floating 320mm Brembo discs, gripped by four-piston Gold Line calipers.
If the chassis is almost entirely new and trick then the powerplant is much less so, as Suzuki´s watercooled, 1074cc TSCC motor is employed in totally untouched form. Even the bank of 40mm Mikuni carbs remains, though they´re rejetted to suit the new exhaust system. Bimota claim their pipe boosts midrange power by up to 12bhp, while peak output rises by a solitary horsepower to 156bhp at 10,000rpm.
Any added performance can´t come through extra noise, for when the SB6 fires up its most noticeable sound is a typical GSX-R type whirring and rustling from the engine. Riding position is typical Bimota: low clip-ons, high rearsets, low and thin seat. Cockpit view is a mix of typically neat carbon-mounted clocks and milled top yoke (the fork tops are so wide you´d think these must be upside-down units, but they´re not), standard switchgear, too-narrow mirrors and an incongruously scruffy pair of batteries visible behind twin headlamps.
The SB6 feels compact and firm even by Bimota standards, pulling away with a raw, almost menacing presence that seems to emphasise its status as one of the most singleminded street-legal missiles ever built. Brush the throttle in the lower gears and it explodes forward, lifting its front wheel in first gear in a way the peaky standard bike can´t manage. Even on my first slow-speed pobble through Rimini the bike seemed aggressive and eager to get going..
This is no bike for town riding, and the SB6 felt predictably firm and uncomfortable as it followed our hire-car through the narrow streets. Less expected was the Bimota´s occasional twitchiness when I began circulating a small local roundabout for some photos. The bike could be pulled down onto its side with the ease you´d expect from its racy dimensions, but at serious angles it tended to fall in slightly in a manner that did little for my confidence.
My first thought was that the forks needed considerable adjusting, but perhaps the Bimota simply didn´t suit the conditions. The combination of tight roundabout, uneven road surface, icy crosswind and too much traffic meant I remained stuck in first gear, going too slowly to put much force though the SB6´s suspension or get any heat into its big fat tyres. At the time I was suspicious of the Paioli forks, but on reflection I´m not sure the bike would have felt better if fitted with the considerably more expensive Ohlins units offered as an option on the FZR1000-engined Furano.
Happily, once I got out of town the story was totally different. On normal country roads the SB6´s previous imprecision was instantly forgotten, to be replaced by a feeling of almost total control and security. At faster speeds the suspension started working properly, the fat Hi-Sports got hot and sticky, the incredibly rigid frame began to earn its keep and the SB6 encouraged me to throw it through corners at a pace that would have had many bikes sliding into the surrounding vineyards.
Steering was neutral and light without ever feeling nervous, at least once the bike was up to speed. Despite its lightness, the SB6 felt as though there was plenty of weight over its front wheel. And although the compact Bimota changed direction quickly when required, it showed no hint of high-speed instability even with the steering damper (mounted on the right of the frame) backed off to its lightest setting.
Far from needing radical attention to its multi-adjustable suspension, the SB6 took all the cornering abuse I could put through its chassis with ease, although Bimota´s test-rider Gianluca Galasso (who´d set the bike up) is a fair bit lighter than me. Even when I went into one tightening curve too hot and had to take a precautionary extra squeeze of front brake well into the bend, the SB6 barely twitched before regaining control and carving its way through.
You´d need a racetrack to make this bike´s Ohlins shock and 180-section rear Hi-Sport get close to losing their composure on the way out of corners, too, even though the SB6 puts out plenty of torque. Suzuki´s latest watercooled version of the big GSX-R is strangely weak at low and medium engine speeds, and Bimota´s revised exhaust system does seem to have provided some missing midrange. There´s still not much doing at very low revs, but the SB6 picks up strongly at 4000rpm and accelerates from then on with satisfying enthusiasm.
At most engine speeds there´s no mistaking that the SB6 does retain a slight buzziness typical of the big GSX-R powerplant. The lump is fixed to the frame using two main bolts at the rear, one above and one below the swing-arm pivot, plus two mounts on each side of the cylinder block. Some high-frequency vibration comes through the handlebars and seat, and although it´s not a serious problem my feeling is that the FZR1000-powered Bimotas are slightly smoother.
Most of the time, though, you´re far too busy to worry about that. At higher revs there´s even more of the mindblowing force that the big GSX-R has always been happy to provide. As you flick through the slick five-speed gearbox, the SB6 storms towards its 11,500rpm redline with an urgency that makes you glad of the Brembo front brake system´s ever-reliable power and feel.
This bike isn´t really about top speed, of which the Suzuki has more than enough already. But for the record the slippery SB6, which runs standard gearing, would probably add a few notches to an unrestricted Eleven´s max of around 175mph. It would get there far more quickly, too and more importantly, it wouldn´t have to slow as much for the next bend. With the Bimota SB6, Suzuki´s biggest GSX-R motor has finally met its match.
Bimota´s singleminded superbikes traditionally combine speed, lightweight and racetrack handling, and the SB6 lives up to that reputation. For all those riders addicted to the raw power and feel of Suzuki´s big GSX-R1100 motor, this bike must provide the ultimate two-wheeled trip.
As to whether the SB6 is a better bike than the fearsome FZR-engined Furano, in most respects the decision is too close to call. According to Bimota´s own figures the older model is slightly lighter and more powerful, and it probably has a little more midrange grunt too.
But the SB6 is surely better looking and every bit as rapid in the real world, and at £16,000 on the road it´s also two grand cheaper than the Paioli-equipped Furano (whose optional Ohlins forks add a further £3000).
The competitive price, at least by Rimini standards, has been made possible by Bimota´s intention to increase 1994 production to a record number of around 900 bikes. A third of those will be SB6s, with about 30 due in Britain from the end of March.
So the SB6 will be a slightly more common sight than some previous Bimotas. But this is still one very exotic and exciting motorcycle – bursting with the gorgeous styling, immaculate detailing, leading-edge technology and stunning performance that makes these hand-built sportsters so special.
Get Bimota motorcycle insurance for the SB6.
Engine Water-cooled transverse four
Claimed power (bhp) 156bhp at 10,000rpm
Transmission 5 Speed
Carburation Four 40mm Mikunis
Clutch Wet multiplate
Front suspension 46mm telescopic Paioli, 120mm (4.7in) travel, adjustable for compression and rebound damping
Rear suspension One Ohlins damper, 125mm (4.9in) wheel travel, adjustments for preload, compression and rebound damping
Front wheel 3.50 x 17in; cast magnesium
Rear wheel 5.50 x 17in; cast magnesium
Front tyre 120/60 x 17in Michelin Hi-Sport radial
Rear tyre 180/55 x 17in Michelin Hi-Sport radial
Rake/trail 23.5 degrees/94mm (3.7in)
Wheelbase 1390mm (54.7in)
Seat height 755mm (29.7in)
Dry weight 190kg (418lb)
Top speed 175
Current price £16,000
Bimota DB2 SR
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Topics by WorldWideScience.org
Sample records for identify neural mechanisms
Neural Mechanisms of Foraging
Kolling, Nils; Behrens, Timothy EJ; Mars, Rogier B; Rushworth, Matthew FS
Behavioural economic studies, involving limited numbers of choices, have provided key insights into neural decision-making mechanisms. By contrast, animals’ foraging choices arise in the context of sequences of encounters with prey/food. On each encounter the animal chooses to engage or whether the environment is sufficiently rich that searching elsewhere is merited. The cost of foraging is also critical. We demonstrate humans can alternate between two modes of choice, comparative decision-ma...
Mechanisms to medicines: elucidating neural and molecular substrates of fear extinction to identify novel treatments for anxiety disorders
Science.gov (United States)
Bukalo, Olena; Pinard, Courtney R; Holmes, Andrew
The burden of anxiety disorders is growing, but the efficacy of available anxiolytic treatments remains inadequate. Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders focuses on identifying and modifying maladaptive patterns of thinking and behaving, and has a testable analogue in rodents in the form of fear extinction. A large preclinical literature has amassed in recent years describing the neural and molecular basis of fear extinction in rodents. In this review, we discuss how this work is being harnessed to foster translational research on anxiety disorders and facilitate the search for new anxiolytic treatments. We begin by summarizing the anatomical and functional connectivity of a medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)–amygdala circuit that subserves fear extinction, including new insights from optogenetics. We then cover some of the approaches that have been taken to model impaired fear extinction and associated impairments with mPFC–amygdala dysfunction. The principal goal of the review is to evaluate evidence that various neurotransmitter and neuromodulator systems mediate fear extinction by modulating the mPFC–amygdala circuitry. To that end, we describe studies that have tested how fear extinction is impaired or facilitated by pharmacological manipulations of dopamine, noradrenaline, 5-HT, GABA, glutamate, neuropeptides, endocannabinoids and various other systems, which either directly target the mPFC–amygdala circuit, or produce behavioural effects that are coincident with functional changes in the circuit. We conclude that there are good grounds to be optimistic that the progress in defining the molecular substrates of mPFC–amygdala circuit function can be effectively leveraged to identify plausible candidates for extinction-promoting therapies for anxiety disorders. Linked Articles This article is part of a themed section on Animal Models in Psychiatry Research. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014
Mechanisms to medicines: elucidating neural and molecular substrates of fear extinction to identify novel treatments for anxiety disorders.
The burden of anxiety disorders is growing, but the efficacy of available anxiolytic treatments remains inadequate. Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders focuses on identifying and modifying maladaptive patterns of thinking and behaving, and has a testable analogue in rodents in the form of fear extinction. A large preclinical literature has amassed in recent years describing the neural and molecular basis of fear extinction in rodents. In this review, we discuss how this work is being harnessed to foster translational research on anxiety disorders and facilitate the search for new anxiolytic treatments. We begin by summarizing the anatomical and functional connectivity of a medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-amygdala circuit that subserves fear extinction, including new insights from optogenetics. We then cover some of the approaches that have been taken to model impaired fear extinction and associated impairments with mPFC-amygdala dysfunction. The principal goal of the review is to evaluate evidence that various neurotransmitter and neuromodulator systems mediate fear extinction by modulating the mPFC-amygdala circuitry. To that end, we describe studies that have tested how fear extinction is impaired or facilitated by pharmacological manipulations of dopamine, noradrenaline, 5-HT, GABA, glutamate, neuropeptides, endocannabinoids and various other systems, which either directly target the mPFC-amygdala circuit, or produce behavioural effects that are coincident with functional changes in the circuit. We conclude that there are good grounds to be optimistic that the progress in defining the molecular substrates of mPFC-amygdala circuit function can be effectively leveraged to identify plausible candidates for extinction-promoting therapies for anxiety disorders. © 2014 The British Pharmacological Society.
Una red neuronal binaria para la identificación de mecanismos isomorfos. // A binary Neural network for identifying isomorphic mechanisms.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
G. Galán MarÃn
Full Text Available Un problema de importancia primordial en el diseño mecánico es identificar los mecanismos isomorfos, puesto que los isomorfismos nodetectados generan soluciones duplicadas y por tanto suponen un esfuerzo innecesario en el proceso de diseño. Desde 1960, una grancantidad de métodos han sido propuestos para la detección de mecanismos isomorfos. Sin embargo, diversos trabajos han mostrado queaunque pueden existir algoritmos eficaces para casos particulares, en el caso general los métodos tradicionales para la detección deisomorfismos en cadenas cinemáticas no proporcionan usualmente soluciones eficientes para este problema, que ha sido clasificado comoNP-duro. Un eficaz método alternativo para la resolución de problemas NP-duros ha surgido recientemente con las redes neuronales. Eneste trabajo proponemos un nuevo modelo de red neuronal binaria diseñado para la resolución del problema de detección de mecanismosisomorfos. El modelo propuesto se halla basado en unas dinámicas discretas que garantizan una rápida y correcta convergencia de la redhacia soluciones aceptables. Las simulaciones numéricas muestran en los mecanismos analizados que la red neuronal propuestaproporciona excelentes resultados, mostrándose además muy superior a la red de Hopfield continua tradicional en lo que respecta al tiempode computación y en la facilidad de su implementación.Palabras claves: Mecanismos isomorfos, sÃntesis de mecanismos, isomorfismo de grafos, red neuronal binaria,redes de Hopfield.____________________________________________________________________________AbstractAn important step in the kinematic mechanism synthesis process is to identify graph isomorphism whilegenerating new mechanisms. Undetected isomorphisms result in duplicate solutions and unnecessary effort.Since 1960, a lot of methods have been proposed for the graph isomorphism identification. Some authors haveconcluded that, in the general case, the traditional methods of
Identifying Tracks Duplicates via Neural Network
Sunjerga, Antonio; CERN. Geneva. EP Department
The goal of the project is to study feasibility of state of the art machine learning techniques in track reconstruction. Machine learning techniques provide promising ways to speed up the pattern recognition of tracks by adding more intelligence in the algorithms. Implementation of neural network to process of track duplicates identifying will be discussed. Different approaches are shown and results are compared to method that is currently in use.
Identifying Broadband Rotational Spectra with Neural Networks
Zaleski, Daniel P.; Prozument, Kirill
A typical broadband rotational spectrum may contain several thousand observable transitions, spanning many species. Identifying the individual spectra, particularly when the dynamic range reaches 1,000:1 or even 10,000:1, can be challenging. One approach is to apply automated fitting routines. In this approach, combinations of 3 transitions can be created to form a "triple", which allows fitting of the A, B, and C rotational constants in a Watson-type Hamiltonian. On a standard desktop computer, with a target molecule of interest, a typical AUTOFIT routine takes 2-12 hours depending on the spectral density. A new approach is to utilize machine learning to train a computer to recognize the patterns (frequency spacing and relative intensities) inherit in rotational spectra and to identify the individual spectra in a raw broadband rotational spectrum. Here, recurrent neural networks have been trained to identify different types of rotational spectra and classify them accordingly. Furthermore, early results in applying convolutional neural networks for spectral object recognition in broadband rotational spectra appear promising. Perez et al. "Broadband Fourier transform rotational spectroscopy for structure determination: The water heptamer." Chem. Phys. Lett., 2013, 571, 1-15. Seifert et al. "AUTOFIT, an Automated Fitting Tool for Broadband Rotational Spectra, and Applications to 1-Hexanal." J. Mol. Spectrosc., 2015, 312, 13-21. Bishop. "Neural networks for pattern recognition." Oxford university press, 1995.
Neural Mechanisms of Selective Visual Attention.
Moore, Tirin; Zirnsak, Marc
Selective visual attention describes the tendency of visual processing to be confined largely to stimuli that are relevant to behavior. It is among the most fundamental of cognitive functions, particularly in humans and other primates for whom vision is the dominant sense. We review recent progress in identifying the neural mechanisms of selective visual attention. We discuss evidence from studies of different varieties of selective attention and examine how these varieties alter the processing of stimuli by neurons within the visual system, current knowledge of their causal basis, and methods for assessing attentional dysfunctions. In addition, we identify some key questions that remain in identifying the neural mechanisms that give rise to the selective processing of visual information.
A neural network to identify neutral mesons
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lefevre, F.; Lautridou, P.; Marques, M.; Matulewicz, T.; Ostendorf, R.; Schutz, Y.
Both π 0 and η mesons decay long before they can reach a detector. They predominantly decay by emission of two photons, and are identified by constructing the invariant mass of the photons. Misidentified mesons result from ambiguity in associating photons. Our work tries to select which pair is the most likely to be a physical one rather than a chance one. We first designed a Hopfield neural net, but all the activities converged rapidly towards zero except the highest one. To improve the solution we slew down the computation in order to let the network explore several states and to impose activities to converge towards one for all selected pairs. This was achieved by adding links connecting each cell to itself. The network performance is all the more interesting that the solid angle covered by the detector is greater than 15%. (D.L.). 5 refs
Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms Underlying ...
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)
Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms Underlying Auditory Learning. This project seeks to understand the brain mechanisms necessary for people to learn to perceive sounds. Neural circuits and learning. The research team will test people with and without musical training to evaluate their capacity to learn ...
Identifying tau hadronic decay with neural network
Chen Guoming; Chen Gang
The identification of tau one prong hadronic decay using neural network is presented. Based on the identification, we measured the branching ratios: Br(π/Kν) = (12.18 +- 0.26 +- 0.42)%, Br(π/Kπ 0 ν) = (25.20 +-0.35 +- 0.50)%, Br(π/K2π 0 ν) = (8.88 +- 0.37 +- 0.38)%, Br(π/K3π 0 ν) = (1.70 +- 0.24 +- 0.39)%
Identifying Jets Using Artifical Neural Networks
Rosand, Benjamin; Caines, Helen; Checa, Sofia
We investigate particle jet interactions with the Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP) using artificial neural networks modeled on those used in computer image recognition. We create jet images by binning jet particles into pixels and preprocessing every image. We analyzed the jets with a Multi-layered maxout network and a convolutional network. We demonstrate each network's effectiveness in differentiating simulated quenched jets from unquenched jets, and we investigate the method that the network uses to discriminate among different quenched jet simulations. Finally, we develop a greater understanding of the physics behind quenched jets by investigating what the network learnt as well as its effectiveness in differentiating samples. Yale College Freshman Summer Research Fellowship in the Sciences and Engineering.
Identifying Emotions on the Basis of Neural Activation.
Kassam, Karim S; Markey, Amanda R; Cherkassky, Vladimir L; Loewenstein, George; Just, Marcel Adam
We attempt to determine the discriminability and organization of neural activation corresponding to the experience of specific emotions. Method actors were asked to self-induce nine emotional states (anger, disgust, envy, fear, happiness, lust, pride, sadness, and shame) while in an fMRI scanner. Using a Gaussian Naïve Bayes pooled variance classifier, we demonstrate the ability to identify specific emotions experienced by an individual at well over chance accuracy on the basis of: 1) neural activation of the same individual in other trials, 2) neural activation of other individuals who experienced similar trials, and 3) neural activation of the same individual to a qualitatively different type of emotion induction. Factor analysis identified valence, arousal, sociality, and lust as dimensions underlying the activation patterns. These results suggest a structure for neural representations of emotion and inform theories of emotional processing.
Karim S Kassam
Full Text Available We attempt to determine the discriminability and organization of neural activation corresponding to the experience of specific emotions. Method actors were asked to self-induce nine emotional states (anger, disgust, envy, fear, happiness, lust, pride, sadness, and shame while in an fMRI scanner. Using a Gaussian Naïve Bayes pooled variance classifier, we demonstrate the ability to identify specific emotions experienced by an individual at well over chance accuracy on the basis of: 1 neural activation of the same individual in other trials, 2 neural activation of other individuals who experienced similar trials, and 3 neural activation of the same individual to a qualitatively different type of emotion induction. Factor analysis identified valence, arousal, sociality, and lust as dimensions underlying the activation patterns. These results suggest a structure for neural representations of emotion and inform theories of emotional processing.
Neural mechanisms of social dominance
Watanabe, Noriya; Yamamoto, Miyuki
In a group setting, individuals' perceptions of their own level of dominance or of the dominance level of others, and the ability to adequately control their behavior based on these perceptions are crucial for living within a social environment. Recent advances in neural imaging and molecular technology have enabled researchers to investigate the neural substrates that support the perception of social dominance and the formation of a social hierarchy in humans. At the systems' level, recent studies showed that dominance perception is represented in broad brain regions which include the amygdala, hippocampus, striatum, and various cortical networks such as the prefrontal, and parietal cortices. Additionally, neurotransmitter systems such as the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems, modulate and are modulated by the formation of the social hierarchy in a group. While these monoamine systems have a wide distribution and multiple functions, it was recently found that the Neuropeptide B/W contributes to the perception of dominance and is present in neurons that have a limited projection primarily to the amygdala. The present review discusses the specific roles of these neural regions and neurotransmitter systems in the perception of dominance and in hierarchy formation. PMID:26136644
Noriya eWatanabe
Full Text Available In a group setting, individuals’ perceptions of their own level of dominance or of the dominance level of others, and the ability to adequately control their behavior based on these perceptions are crucial for living within a social environment. Recent advances in neural imaging and molecular technology have enabled researchers to investigate the neural substrates that support the perception of social dominance and the formation of a social hierarchy in humans. At the systems’ level, recent studies showed that dominance perception is represented in broad brain regions which include the amygdala, hippocampus, striatum, and various cortical networks such as the prefrontal, and parietal cortices. Additionally, neurotransmitter systems such as the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems, modulate and are modulated by the formation of the social hierarchy in a group. While these monoamine systems have a wide distribution and multiple functions, it was recently found that the Neuropeptide B/W contributes to the perception of dominance and is present in neurons that have a limited projection primarily to the amygdala. The present review discusses the specific roles of these neural regions and neurotransmitter systems in the perception of dominance and in hierarchy formation.
Neural mechanisms of sequence generation in songbirds
Langford, Bruce
Animal models in research are useful for studying more complex behavior. For example, motor sequence generation of actions requiring good muscle coordination such as writing with a pen, playing an instrument, or speaking, may involve the interaction of many areas in the brain, each a complex system in itself; thus it can be difficult to determine causal relationships between neural behavior and the behavior being studied. Birdsong, however, provides an excellent model behavior for motor sequence learning, memory, and generation. The song consists of learned sequences of notes that are spectrographically stereotyped over multiple renditions of the song, similar to syllables in human speech. The main areas of the songbird brain involve in singing are known, however, the mechanisms by which these systems store and produce song are not well understood. We used a custom built, head-mounted, miniature motorized microdrive to chronically record the neural firing patterns of identified neurons in HVC, a pre-motor cortical nucleus which has been shown to be important in song timing. These were done in Bengalese finch which generate a song made up of stereotyped notes but variable note sequences. We observed song related bursting in neurons projecting to Area X, a homologue to basal ganglia, and tonic firing in HVC interneurons. Interneuron had firing rate patterns that were consistent over multiple renditions of the same note sequence. We also designed and built a light-weight, low-powered wireless programmable neural stimulator using Bluetooth Low Energy Protocol. It was able to generate perturbations in the song when current pulses were administered to RA, which projects to the brainstem nucleus responsible for syringeal muscle control.
Identifying the cutting tool type used in excavations using neural networks
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Jonak, J.; Gajewski, J. [Lublin University of Technology, Lublin (Poland). Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
The paper presents results of preliminary research on utilising neural networks to identify excavating cutting tool's type used in multi-tool excavating heads of mechanical coal miners. Such research is necessary to identify rock excavating process with a given head, and construct adaptation systems for control of excavating process with such a head.
Apraxia: neural mechanisms and functional recovery.
Foundas, Anne L
Apraxia is a cognitive-motor disorder that impacts the performance of learned, skilled movements. Limb apraxia, which is the topic of this chapter, is specific to disordered movements of the upper limb that cannot be explained by weakness, sensory loss, abnormalities of posture/tone/movement, or a lack of understanding/cooperation. Patients with limb apraxia have deficits in the control or programming of the spatial-temporal organization and sequencing of goal-directed movements. People with limb apraxia can have difficulty manipulating and using tools including cutting with scissors or making a cup of coffee. Two praxis systems have been identified including a production system (action plan and production) and a conceptual system (action knowledge). Dysfunction of the former produces ideomotor apraxia (e.g., difficulty using scissors), and dysfunction of the latter induces ideational apraxia (e.g., difficulty making a cup of coffee). Neural mechanisms, including how to evaluate apraxia, will be presented in the context of these two praxis systems. Information about these praxis systems, including the nature of the disordered limb movement, is important for rehabilitation clinicians to understand for several reasons. First, limb apraxia is a common disorder. It is common in patients who have had a stroke, in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer disease, in traumatic brain injury, and in developmental disorders. Second, limb apraxia has real world consequences. Patients with limb apraxia have difficulty managing activities of daily living. This factor impacts healthcare costs and contributes to increased caregiver burden. Unfortunately, very few treatments have been systematically studied in large numbers of patients with limb apraxia. This overview of limb apraxia should help rehabilitation clinicians to educate patients and caregivers about this debilitating problem, and should facilitate the development of better treatments that could benefit many people in
Neural mechanisms of hypnosis and meditation.
De Benedittis, Giuseppe
Hypnosis has been an elusive concept for science for a long time. However, the explosive advances in neuroscience in the last few decades have provided a "bridge of understanding" between classical neurophysiological studies and psychophysiological studies. These studies have shed new light on the neural basis of the hypnotic experience. Furthermore, an ambitious new area of research is focusing on mapping the core processes of psychotherapy and the neurobiology/underlying them. Hypnosis research offers powerful techniques to isolate psychological processes in ways that allow their neural bases to be mapped. The Hypnotic Brain can serve as a way to tap neurocognitive questions and our cognitive assays can in turn shed new light on the neural bases of hypnosis. This cross-talk should enhance research and clinical applications. An increasing body of evidence provides insight in the neural mechanisms of the Meditative Brain. Discrete meditative styles are likely to target different neurodynamic patterns. Recent findings emphasize increased attentional resources activating the attentional and salience networks with coherent perception. Cognitive and emotional equanimity gives rise to an eudaimonic state, made of calm, resilience and stability, readiness to express compassion and empathy, a main goal of Buddhist practices. Structural changes in gray matter of key areas of the brain involved in learning processes suggest that these skills can be learned through practice. Hypnosis and Meditation represent two important, historical and influential landmarks of Western and Eastern civilization and culture respectively. Neuroscience has beginning to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of both Hypnotic and Meditative Brain, outlining similarities but also differences between the two states and processes. It is important not to view either the Eastern or the Western system as superior to the other. Cross-fertilization of the ancient Eastern meditation techniques
Neural Mechanisms Underlying Risk and Ambiguity Attitudes.
Blankenstein, Neeltje E; Peper, Jiska S; Crone, Eveline A; van Duijvenvoorde, Anna C K
Individual differences in attitudes to risk (a taste for risk, known probabilities) and ambiguity (a tolerance for uncertainty, unknown probabilities) differentially influence risky decision-making. However, it is not well understood whether risk and ambiguity are coded differently within individuals. Here, we tested whether individual differences in risk and ambiguity attitudes were reflected in distinct neural correlates during choice and outcome processing of risky and ambiguous gambles. To these ends, we developed a neuroimaging task in which participants ( n = 50) chose between a sure gain and a gamble, which was either risky or ambiguous, and presented decision outcomes (gains, no gains). From a separate task in which the amount, probability, and ambiguity level were varied, we estimated individuals' risk and ambiguity attitudes. Although there was pronounced neural overlap between risky and ambiguous gambling in a network typically related to decision-making under uncertainty, relatively more risk-seeking attitudes were associated with increased activation in valuation regions of the brain (medial and lateral OFC), whereas relatively more ambiguity-seeking attitudes were related to temporal cortex activation. In addition, although striatum activation was observed during reward processing irrespective of a prior risky or ambiguous gamble, reward processing after an ambiguous gamble resulted in enhanced dorsomedial PFC activation, possibly functioning as a general signal of uncertainty coding. These findings suggest that different neural mechanisms reflect individual differences in risk and ambiguity attitudes and that risk and ambiguity may impact overt risk-taking behavior in different ways.
Multiscale Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Simulations with Neural Networks.
Shen, Lin; Wu, Jingheng; Yang, Weitao
Molecular dynamics simulation with multiscale quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods is a very powerful tool for understanding the mechanism of chemical and biological processes in solution or enzymes. However, its computational cost can be too high for many biochemical systems because of the large number of ab initio QM calculations. Semiempirical QM/MM simulations have much higher efficiency. Its accuracy can be improved with a correction to reach the ab initio QM/MM level. The computational cost on the ab initio calculation for the correction determines the efficiency. In this paper we developed a neural network method for QM/MM calculation as an extension of the neural-network representation reported by Behler and Parrinello. With this approach, the potential energy of any configuration along the reaction path for a given QM/MM system can be predicted at the ab initio QM/MM level based on the semiempirical QM/MM simulations. We further applied this method to three reactions in water to calculate the free energy changes. The free-energy profile obtained from the semiempirical QM/MM simulation is corrected to the ab initio QM/MM level with the potential energies predicted with the constructed neural network. The results are in excellent accordance with the reference data that are obtained from the ab initio QM/MM molecular dynamics simulation or corrected with direct ab initio QM/MM potential energies. Compared with the correction using direct ab initio QM/MM potential energies, our method shows a speed-up of 1 or 2 orders of magnitude. It demonstrates that the neural network method combined with the semiempirical QM/MM calculation can be an efficient and reliable strategy for chemical reaction simulations.
Two distinct neural mechanisms underlying indirect reciprocity.
Watanabe, Takamitsu; Takezawa, Masanori; Nakawake, Yo; Kunimatsu, Akira; Yamasue, Hidenori; Nakamura, Mitsuhiro; Miyashita, Yasushi; Masuda, Naoki
Cooperation is a hallmark of human society. Humans often cooperate with strangers even if they will not meet each other again. This so-called indirect reciprocity enables large-scale cooperation among nonkin and can occur based on a reputation mechanism or as a succession of pay-it-forward behavior. Here, we provide the functional and anatomical neural evidence for two distinct mechanisms governing the two types of indirect reciprocity. Cooperation occurring as reputation-based reciprocity specifically recruited the precuneus, a region associated with self-centered cognition. During such cooperative behavior, the precuneus was functionally connected with the caudate, a region linking rewards to behavior. Furthermore, the precuneus of a cooperative subject had a strong resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) with the caudate and a large gray matter volume. In contrast, pay-it-forward reciprocity recruited the anterior insula (AI), a brain region associated with affective empathy. The AI was functionally connected with the caudate during cooperation occurring as pay-it-forward reciprocity, and its gray matter volume and rsFC with the caudate predicted the tendency of such cooperation. The revealed difference is consistent with the existing results of evolutionary game theory: although reputation-based indirect reciprocity robustly evolves as a self-interested behavior in theory, pay-it-forward indirect reciprocity does not on its own. The present study provides neural mechanisms underlying indirect reciprocity and suggests that pay-it-forward reciprocity may not occur as myopic profit maximization but elicit emotional rewards.
Neural Circuit Mechanisms of Social Behavior.
Chen, Patrick; Hong, Weizhe
We live in a world that is largely socially constructed, and we are constantly involved in and fundamentally influenced by a broad array of complex social interactions. Social behaviors among conspecifics, either conflictive or cooperative, are exhibited by all sexually reproducing animal species and are essential for the health, survival, and reproduction of animals. Conversely, impairment in social function is a prominent feature of several neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Despite the importance of social behaviors, many fundamental questions remain unanswered. How is social sensory information processed and integrated in the nervous system? How are different social behavioral decisions selected and modulated in brain circuits? Here we discuss conceptual issues and recent advances in our understanding of brain regions and neural circuit mechanisms underlying the regulation of social behaviors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Applications of neural networks to mechanics
Neural networks have become powerful tools in engineer's techniques. The aim of this conference was to present their application to concrete cases in the domain of mechanics, including the preparation and use of materials. Artificial neurons are non-linear organs which provide an output signal that depends on several differently weighted input signals. Their connection into networks allows to solve problems for which the driving laws are not well known. The applications discussed during this conference deal with: the driving of machines or processes, the control of machines, materials or products, the simulation and forecasting, and the optimization. Three papers dealing with the control of spark ignition engines, the regulation of heating floors and the optimization of energy consumptions in industrial buildings were selected for ETDE and one paper dealing with the optimization of the management of a reprocessed plutonium stock was selected for INIS. (J.S.)
Identifying links between origami and compliant mechanisms
H. C. Greenberg
Full Text Available Origami is the art of folding paper. In the context of engineering, orimimetics is the application of folding to solve problems. Kinetic origami behavior can be modeled with the pseudo-rigid-body model since the origami are compliant mechanisms. These compliant mechanisms, when having a flat initial state and motion emerging out of the fabrication plane, are classified as lamina emergent mechanisms (LEMs. To demonstrate the feasibility of identifying links between origami and compliant mechanism analysis and design methods, four flat folding paper mechanisms are presented with their corresponding kinematic and graph models. Principles from graph theory are used to abstract the mechanisms to show them as coupled, or inter-connected, mechanisms. It is anticipated that this work lays a foundation for exploring methods for LEM synthesis based on the analogy between flat-folding origami models and linkage assembly.
The mouse that roared: neural mechanisms of social hierarchy.
Wang, Fei; Kessels, Helmut W; Hu, Hailan
Hierarchical social status greatly influences behavior and health. Human and animal studies have begun to identify the brain regions that are activated during the formation of social hierarchies. They point towards the prefrontal cortex (PFC) as a central regulator, with brain areas upstream of the PFC conveying information about social status, and downstream brain regions executing dominance behavior. This review summarizes our current knowledge on the neural circuits that control social status. We discuss how the neural mechanisms for various types of dominance behavior can be studied in laboratory rodents by selective manipulation of neuronal activity or synaptic plasticity. These studies may help in finding the cause of social stress-related mental and physical health problems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Neural Control Mechanisms and Body Fluid Homeostasis
Johnson, Alan Kim
The goal of the proposed research was to study the nature of afferent signals to the brain that reflect the status of body fluid balance and to investigate the central neural mechanisms that process this information for the activation of response systems which restore body fluid homeostasis. That is, in the face of loss of fluids from intracellular or extracellular fluid compartments, animals seek and ingest water and ionic solutions (particularly Na(+) solutions) to restore the intracellular and extracellular spaces. Over recent years, our laboratory has generated a substantial body of information indicating that: (1) a fall in systemic arterial pressure facilitates the ingestion of rehydrating solutions and (2) that the actions of brain amine systems (e.g., norepinephrine; serotonin) are critical for precise correction of fluid losses. Because both acute and chronic dehydration are associated with physiological stresses, such as exercise and sustained exposure to microgravity, the present research will aid in achieving a better understanding of how vital information is handled by the nervous system for maintenance of the body's fluid matrix which is critical for health and well-being.
Identifying the neural substrates of intrinsic motivation during task performance.
Lee, Woogul; Reeve, Johnmarshall
Intrinsic motivation is the inherent tendency to seek out novelty and challenge, to explore and investigate, and to stretch and extend one's capacities. When people imagine performing intrinsically motivating tasks, they show heightened anterior insular cortex (AIC) activity. To fully explain the neural system of intrinsic motivation, however, requires assessing neural activity while people actually perform intrinsically motivating tasks (i.e., while answering curiosity-inducing questions or solving competence-enabling anagrams). Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging, we found that the neural system of intrinsic motivation involves not only AIC activity, but also striatum activity and, further, AIC-striatum functional interactions. These findings suggest that subjective feelings of intrinsic satisfaction (associated with AIC activations), reward processing (associated with striatum activations), and their interactions underlie the actual experience of intrinsic motivation. These neural findings are consistent with the conceptualization of intrinsic motivation as the pursuit and satisfaction of subjective feelings (interest and enjoyment) as intrinsic rewards.
On the neural mechanisms subserving consciousness and attention
Catherine eTallon-Baudry
Full Text Available Consciousness, as described in the experimental literature, is a multi-faceted phenomenon, that impinges on other well-studied concepts such as attention and control. Do consciousness and attention refer to different aspects of the same core phenomenon, or do they correspond to distinct functions? One possibility to address this question is to examine the neural mechanisms underlying consciousness and attention. If consciousness and attention pertain to the same concept, they should rely on shared neural mechanisms. Conversely, if their underlying mechanisms are distinct, then consciousness and attention should be considered as distinct entities. This paper therefore reviews neurophysiological facts arguing in favor or against a tight relationship between consciousness and attention. Three neural mechanisms that have been associated with both attention and consciousness are examined (neural amplification, involvement of the fronto-parietal network, and oscillatory synchrony, to conclude that the commonalities between attention and consciousness at the neural level may have been overestimated. Last but not least, experiments in which both attention and consciousness were probed at the neural level point toward a dissociation between the two concepts. It therefore appears from this review that consciousness and attention rely on distinct neural properties, although they can interact at the behavioral level. It is proposed that a "cumulative influence model", in which attention and consciousness correspond to distinct neural mechanisms feeding a single decisional process leading to behavior, fits best with available neural and behavioral data. In this view, consciousness should not be considered as a top-level executive function but should rather be defined by its experiential properties.
A canonical neural mechanism for behavioral variability
Darshan, Ran; Wood, William E.; Peters, Susan; Leblois, Arthur; Hansel, David
The ability to generate variable movements is essential for learning and adjusting complex behaviours. This variability has been linked to the temporal irregularity of neuronal activity in the central nervous system. However, how neuronal irregularity actually translates into behavioural variability is unclear. Here we combine modelling, electrophysiological and behavioural studies to address this issue. We demonstrate that a model circuit comprising topographically organized and strongly recurrent neural networks can autonomously generate irregular motor behaviours. Simultaneous recordings of neurons in singing finches reveal that neural correlations increase across the circuit driving song variability, in agreement with the model predictions. Analysing behavioural data, we find remarkable similarities in the babbling statistics of 5-6-month-old human infants and juveniles from three songbird species and show that our model naturally accounts for these `universal' statistics.
Neural mechanisms tracking popularity in real-world social networks.
Zerubavel, Noam; Bearman, Peter S; Weber, Jochen; Ochsner, Kevin N
Differences in popularity are a key aspect of status in virtually all human groups and shape social interactions within them. Little is known, however, about how we track and neurally represent others' popularity. We addressed this question in two real-world social networks using sociometric methods to quantify popularity. Each group member (perceiver) viewed faces of every other group member (target) while whole-brain functional MRI data were collected. Independent functional localizer tasks were used to identify brain systems supporting affective valuation (ventromedial prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, amygdala) and social cognition (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, precuneus, temporoparietal junction), respectively. During the face-viewing task, activity in both types of neural systems tracked targets' sociometric popularity, even when controlling for potential confounds. The target popularity-social cognition system relationship was mediated by valuation system activity, suggesting that observing popular individuals elicits value signals that facilitate understanding their mental states. The target popularity-valuation system relationship was strongest for popular perceivers, suggesting enhanced sensitivity to differences among other group members' popularity. Popular group members also demonstrated greater interpersonal sensitivity by more accurately predicting how their own personalities were perceived by other individuals in the social network. These data offer insights into the mechanisms by which status guides social behavior.
Statistical mechanics of attractor neural network models with synaptic depression
Igarashi, Yasuhiko; Oizumi, Masafumi; Otsubo, Yosuke; Nagata, Kenji; Okada, Masato
Synaptic depression is known to control gain for presynaptic inputs. Since cortical neurons receive thousands of presynaptic inputs, and their outputs are fed into thousands of other neurons, the synaptic depression should influence macroscopic properties of neural networks. We employ simple neural network models to explore the macroscopic effects of synaptic depression. Systems with the synaptic depression cannot be analyzed due to asymmetry of connections with the conventional equilibrium statistical-mechanical approach. Thus, we first propose a microscopic dynamical mean field theory. Next, we derive macroscopic steady state equations and discuss the stabilities of steady states for various types of neural network models.
Neural responses to macronutrients: hedonic and homeostatic mechanisms.
Tulloch, Alastair J; Murray, Susan; Vaicekonyte, Regina; Avena, Nicole M
The brain responds to macronutrients via intricate mechanisms. We review how the brain's neural systems implicated in homeostatic control of feeding and hedonic responses are influenced by the ingestion of specific types of food. We discuss how these neural systems are dysregulated in preclinical models of obesity. Findings from these studies can increase our understanding of overeating and, perhaps in some cases, the development of obesity. In addition, a greater understanding of the neural circuits affected by the consumption of specific macronutrients, and by obesity, might lead to new treatments and strategies for preventing unhealthy weight gain. Copyright © 2015 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Mechanics of neurulation: From classical to current perspectives on the physical mechanics that shape, fold, and form the neural tube.
Vijayraghavan, Deepthi S; Davidson, Lance A
Neural tube defects arise from mechanical failures in the process of neurulation. At the most fundamental level, formation of the neural tube relies on coordinated, complex tissue movements that mechanically transform the flat neural epithelium into a lumenized epithelial tube (Davidson, 2012). The nature of this mechanical transformation has mystified embryologists, geneticists, and clinicians for more than 100 years. Early embryologists pondered the physical mechanisms that guide this transformation. Detailed observations of cell and tissue movements as well as experimental embryological manipulations allowed researchers to generate and test elementary hypotheses of the intrinsic and extrinsic forces acting on the neural tissue. Current research has turned toward understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neurulation. Genetic and molecular perturbation have identified a multitude of subcellular components that correlate with cell behaviors and tissue movements during neural tube formation. In this review, we focus on methods and conceptual frameworks that have been applied to the study of amphibian neurulation that can be used to determine how molecular and physical mechanisms are integrated and responsible for neurulation. We will describe how qualitative descriptions and quantitative measurements of strain, force generation, and tissue material properties as well as simulations can be used to understand how embryos use morphogenetic programs to drive neurulation. Birth Defects Research 109:153-168, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neural mechanism of electroacupuncture's hypotensive effects
Li, Peng; Longhurst, John C.
EA at P 5–6 and S 36–37 using low current and low frequency may be able to reduce elevated blood pressure in a subset of patients (~70%) with mild to moderate hypertension. The effect is slow in onset but is long-lasting. Experimental studies have shown that EA inhibition of cardiovascular sympathetic neurons that have been activated through visceral reflex stimulation is through activation of neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, vlPAG in the midbrain and NRP in the medulla, which, in turn, inhibit the activity of premotor sympathetic neurons in the rVLM. The arcuate also provides direct projections to the rVLM that contain endorphins. Glutamate, acetylcholine, opioids, GABA, nociceptin, serotonin and endocannabinoids all appear to participate in the EA hypotensive response although their importance varies between nuclei. Thus, a number of mechanisms underlying the long-lasting effect of EA on cardiovascular function have been identified but clearly further investigation is warranted. PMID:20444652
Neural mechanisms of social influence in adolescence.
Welborn, B Locke; Lieberman, Matthew D; Goldenberg, Diane; Fuligni, Andrew J; Galván, Adriana; Telzer, Eva H
During the transformative period of adolescence, social influence plays a prominent role in shaping young people's emerging social identities, and can impact their propensity to engage in prosocial or risky behaviors. In this study, we examine the neural correlates of social influence from both parents and peers, two important sources of influence. Nineteen adolescents (age 16-18 years) completed a social influence task during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. Social influence from both sources evoked activity in brain regions implicated in mentalizing (medial prefrontal cortex, left temporoparietal junction, right temporoparietal junction), reward (ventromedial prefrontal cortex), and self-control (right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex). These results suggest that mental state reasoning, social reward and self-control processes may help adolescents to evaluate others' perspectives and overcome the prepotent force of their own antecedent attitudes to shift their attitudes toward those of others. Findings suggest common neural networks involved in social influence from both parents and peers. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Neural mechanisms mediating degrees of strategic uncertainty.
Nagel, Rosemarie; Brovelli, Andrea; Heinemann, Frank; Coricelli, Giorgio
In social interactions, strategic uncertainty arises when the outcome of one's choice depends on the choices of others. An important question is whether strategic uncertainty can be resolved by assessing subjective probabilities to the counterparts' behavior, as if playing against nature, and thus transforming the strategic interaction into a risky (individual) situation. By means of functional magnetic resonance imaging with human participants we tested the hypothesis that choices under strategic uncertainty are supported by the neural circuits mediating choices under individual risk and deliberation in social settings (i.e. strategic thinking). Participants were confronted with risky lotteries and two types of coordination games requiring different degrees of strategic thinking of the kind 'I think that you think that I think etc.' We found that the brain network mediating risk during lotteries (anterior insula, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and parietal cortex) is also engaged in the processing of strategic uncertainty in games. In social settings, activity in this network is modulated by the level of strategic thinking that is reflected in the activity of the dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These results suggest that strategic uncertainty is resolved by the interplay between the neural circuits mediating risk and higher order beliefs (i.e. beliefs about others' beliefs). © The Author(s) (2017). Published by Oxford University Press.
Two social brains: neural mechanisms of intersubjectivity.
Vogeley, Kai
It is the aim of this article to present an empirically justified hypothesis about the functional roles of the two social neural systems, namely the so-called 'mirror neuron system' (MNS) and the 'mentalizing system' (MENT, also 'theory of mind network' or 'social neural network'). Both systems are recruited during cognitive processes that are either related to interaction or communication with other conspecifics, thereby constituting intersubjectivity. The hypothesis is developed in the following steps: first, the fundamental distinction that we make between persons and things is introduced; second, communication is presented as the key process that allows us to interact with others; third, the capacity to 'mentalize' or to understand the inner experience of others is emphasized as the fundamental cognitive capacity required to establish successful communication. On this background, it is proposed that MNS serves comparably early stages of social information processing related to the 'detection' of spatial or bodily signals, whereas MENT is recruited during comparably late stages of social information processing related to the 'evaluation' of emotional and psychological states of others. This hypothesis of MNS as a social detection system and MENT as a social evaluation system is illustrated by findings in the field of psychopathology. Finally, new research questions that can be derived from this hypothesis are discussed.This article is part of the themed issue 'Physiological determinants of social behaviour in animals'. © 2017 The Author(s).
Neural mechanisms underlying morphine withdrawal in addicted patients: a review
Nima Babhadiashar
Full Text Available Morphine is one of the most potent alkaloid in opium, which has substantial medical uses and needs and it is the first active principle purified from herbal source. Morphine has commonly been used for relief of moderate to severe pain as it acts directly on the central nervous system; nonetheless, its chronic abuse increases tolerance and physical dependence, which is commonly known as opiate addiction. Morphine withdrawal syndrome is physiological and behavioral symptoms that stem from prolonged exposure to morphine. A majority of brain regions are hypofunctional over prolonged abstinence and acute morphine withdrawal. Furthermore, several neural mechanisms are likely to contribute to morphine withdrawal. The present review summarizes the literature pertaining to neural mechanisms underlying morphine withdrawal. Despite the fact that morphine withdrawal is a complex process, it is suggested that neural mechanisms play key roles in morphine withdrawal.
Neural mechanism of facilitation system during physical fatigue.
Masaaki Tanaka
Full Text Available An enhanced facilitation system caused by motivational input plays an important role in supporting performance during physical fatigue. We tried to clarify the neural mechanisms of the facilitation system during physical fatigue using magnetoencephalography (MEG and a classical conditioning technique. Twelve right-handed volunteers participated in this study. Participants underwent MEG recording during the imagery of maximum grips of the right hand guided by metronome sounds for 10 min. Thereafter, fatigue-inducing maximum handgrip trials were performed for 10 min; the metronome sounds were started 5 min after the beginning of the handgrip trials. The metronome sounds were used as conditioned stimuli and maximum handgrip trials as unconditioned stimuli. The next day, they were randomly assigned to two groups in a single-blinded, two-crossover fashion to undergo two types of MEG recordings, that is, for the control and motivation sessions, during the imagery of maximum grips of the right hand guided by metronome sounds for 10 min. The alpha-band event-related desynchronizations (ERDs of the motivation session relative to the control session within the time windows of 500 to 700 and 800 to 900 ms after the onset of handgrip cue sounds were identified in the sensorimotor areas. In addition, the alpha-band ERD within the time window of 400 to 500 ms was identified in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann's area 46. The ERD level in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was positively associated with that in the sensorimotor areas within the time window of 500 to 700 ms. These results suggest that the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is involved in the neural substrates of the facilitation system and activates the sensorimotor areas during physical fatigue.
Identifying quantum phase transitions with adversarial neural networks
Huembeli, Patrick; Dauphin, Alexandre; Wittek, Peter
The identification of phases of matter is a challenging task, especially in quantum mechanics, where the complexity of the ground state appears to grow exponentially with the size of the system. Traditionally, physicists have to identify the relevant order parameters for the classification of the different phases. We here follow a radically different approach: we address this problem with a state-of-the-art deep learning technique, adversarial domain adaptation. We derive the phase diagram of the whole parameter space starting from a fixed and known subspace using unsupervised learning. This method has the advantage that the input of the algorithm can be directly the ground state without any ad hoc feature engineering. Furthermore, the dimension of the parameter space is unrestricted. More specifically, the input data set contains both labeled and unlabeled data instances. The first kind is a system that admits an accurate analytical or numerical solution, and one can recover its phase diagram. The second type is the physical system with an unknown phase diagram. Adversarial domain adaptation uses both types of data to create invariant feature extracting layers in a deep learning architecture. Once these layers are trained, we can attach an unsupervised learner to the network to find phase transitions. We show the success of this technique by applying it on several paradigmatic models: the Ising model with different temperatures, the Bose-Hubbard model, and the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model with disorder. The method finds unknown transitions successfully and predicts transition points in close agreement with standard methods. This study opens the door to the classification of physical systems where the phase boundaries are complex such as the many-body localization problem or the Bose glass phase.
Research progress on neural mechanisms of primary insomnia by MRI
Man WANG
Full Text Available In recent years, more and more researches focused on the neural mechanism of primary insomnia (PI, especially with the development and application of MRI, and researches of brain structure and function related with primary insomnia were more and more in-depth. According to the hyperarousal hypothesis, there are abnormal structure, function and metabolism under certain brain regions of the cortex and subcortex of primary insomnia patients, including amygdala, hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, insular lobe, frontal lobe and parietal lobe. This paper reviewed the research progress of neural mechanisms of primary insomnia by using MRI. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2018.03.003
Realistic thermodynamic and statistical-mechanical measures for neural synchronization.
Kim, Sang-Yoon; Lim, Woochang
Synchronized brain rhythms, associated with diverse cognitive functions, have been observed in electrical recordings of brain activity. Neural synchronization may be well described by using the population-averaged global potential VG in computational neuroscience. The time-averaged fluctuation of VG plays the role of a "thermodynamic" order parameter O used for describing the synchrony-asynchrony transition in neural systems. Population spike synchronization may be well visualized in the raster plot of neural spikes. The degree of neural synchronization seen in the raster plot is well measured in terms of a "statistical-mechanical" spike-based measure Ms introduced by considering the occupation and the pacing patterns of spikes. The global potential VG is also used to give a reference global cycle for the calculation of Ms. Hence, VG becomes an important collective quantity because it is associated with calculation of both O and Ms. However, it is practically difficult to directly get VG in real experiments. To overcome this difficulty, instead of VG, we employ the instantaneous population spike rate (IPSR) which can be obtained in experiments, and develop realistic thermodynamic and statistical-mechanical measures, based on IPSR, to make practical characterization of the neural synchronization in both computational and experimental neuroscience. Particularly, more accurate characterization of weak sparse spike synchronization can be achieved in terms of realistic statistical-mechanical IPSR-based measure, in comparison with the conventional measure based on VG. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Identifying the relevant dependencies of the neural network response on characteristics of the input space
CERN Multimedia
CERN. Geneva
This talk presents an approach to identify those characteristics of the neural network inputs that are most relevant for the response and therefore provides essential information to determine the systematic uncertainties.
Particle Swarm Based Approach of a Real-Time Discrete Neural Identifier for Linear Induction Motors
Alma Y. Alanis
Full Text Available This paper focusses on a discrete-time neural identifier applied to a linear induction motor (LIM model, whose model is assumed to be unknown. This neural identifier is robust in presence of external and internal uncertainties. The proposed scheme is based on a discrete-time recurrent high-order neural network (RHONN trained with a novel algorithm based on extended Kalman filter (EKF and particle swarm optimization (PSO, using an online series-parallel conÂ…figuration. Real-time results are included in order to illustrate the applicability of the proposed scheme.
Application of artificial neural network to identify nuclear materials
Xu Peng; Wang Zhe; Li Tiantuo
Applying the neutral network, the article studied the technology of identifying the gamma spectra of the nuclear material in the nuclear components. In the article, theory of the network identifying the spectra is described, and the results of identification of gamma spectra are given.(authors)
Distinct Neural Mechanisms Mediate Olfactory Memory Formation at Different Timescales
McNamara, Ann Marie; Magidson, Phillip D.; Linster, Christiane; Wilson, Donald A.; Cleland, Thomas A.
Habituation is one of the oldest forms of learning, broadly expressed across sensory systems and taxa. Here, we demonstrate that olfactory habituation induced at different timescales (comprising different odor exposure and intertrial interval durations) is mediated by different neural mechanisms. First, the persistence of habituation memory is…
Distinct neural mechanisms for body form and body motion discriminations
NARCIS (Netherlands)
Vangeneugden, Joris; Peelen, Marius V; Tadin, Duje; Battelli, Lorella
Actions can be understood based on form cues (e.g., static body posture) as well as motion cues (e.g., gait patterns). A fundamental debate centers on the question of whether the functional and neural mechanisms processing these two types of cues are dissociable. Here, using fMRI, psychophysics, and
Language and Cognition Interaction Neural Mechanisms
Perlovsky, Leonid
How language and cognition interact in thinking? Is language just used for communication of completed thoughts, or is it fundamental for thinking? Existing approaches have not led to a computational theory. We develop a hypothesis that language and cognition are two separate but closely interacting mechanisms. Language accumulates cultural wisdom; cognition develops mental representations modeling surrounding world and adapts cultural knowledge to concrete circumstances of life. Language is a...
Neural mechanisms of selective attention in the somatosensory system.
Gomez-Ramirez, Manuel; Hysaj, Kristjana; Niebur, Ernst
Selective attention allows organisms to extract behaviorally relevant information while ignoring distracting stimuli that compete for the limited resources of their central nervous systems. Attention is highly flexible, and it can be harnessed to select information based on sensory modality, within-modality feature(s), spatial location, object identity, and/or temporal properties. In this review, we discuss the body of work devoted to understanding mechanisms of selective attention in the somatosensory system. In particular, we describe the effects of attention on tactile behavior and corresponding neural activity in somatosensory cortex. Our focus is on neural mechanisms that select tactile stimuli based on their location on the body (somatotopic-based attention) or their sensory feature (feature-based attention). We highlight parallels between selection mechanisms in touch and other sensory systems and discuss several putative neural coding schemes employed by cortical populations to signal the behavioral relevance of sensory inputs. Specifically, we contrast the advantages and disadvantages of using a gain vs. spike-spike correlation code for representing attended sensory stimuli. We favor a neural network model of tactile attention that is composed of frontal, parietal, and subcortical areas that controls somatosensory cells encoding the relevant stimulus features to enable preferential processing throughout the somatosensory hierarchy. Our review is based on data from noninvasive electrophysiological and imaging data in humans as well as single-unit recordings in nonhuman primates. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.
Potential Mechanisms and Functions of Intermittent Neural Synchronization
Sungwoo Ahn
Full Text Available Neural synchronization is believed to play an important role in different brain functions. Synchrony in cortical and subcortical circuits is frequently variable in time and not perfect. Few long intervals of desynchronized dynamics may be functionally different from many short desynchronized intervals although the average synchrony may be the same. Recent analysis of imperfect synchrony in different neural systems reported one common feature: neural oscillations may go out of synchrony frequently, but primarily for a short time interval. This study explores potential mechanisms and functional advantages of this short desynchronizations dynamics using computational neuroscience techniques. We show that short desynchronizations are exhibited in coupled neurons if their delayed rectifier potassium current has relatively large values of the voltage-dependent activation time-constant. The delayed activation of potassium current is associated with generation of quickly-rising action potential. This “spikiness� is a very general property of neurons. This may explain why very different neural systems exhibit short desynchronization dynamics. We also show how the distribution of desynchronization durations may be independent of the synchronization strength. Finally, we show that short desynchronization dynamics requires weaker synaptic input to reach a pre-set synchrony level. Thus, this dynamics allows for efficient regulation of synchrony and may promote efficient formation of synchronous neural assemblies.
Vector neural net identifying many strongly distorted and correlated patterns
Kryzhanovsky, Boris V.; Mikaelian, Andrei L.; Fonarev, Anatoly B.
We suggest an effective and simple algorithm providing a polynomial storage capacity of a network of the form M ~ N2s+1, where N is the dimension of the stored binary patterns. In this problem the value of the free parameter s is restricted by the inequalities N >> slnN >= 1. The algorithm allows us to identify a large number of highly distorted similar patterns. The negative influence of correlations of the patterns is suppressed by choosing a sufficiently large value of the parameter s. We show the efficiency of the algorithm by the example of a perceptron identifier, but it also can be used to increase the storage capacity of full connected systems of associative memory.
Neural mechanisms underlying the induction and relief of perceptual curiosity
Marieke eJepma
Full Text Available Curiosity is one of the most basic biological drives in both animals and humans, and has been identified as a key motive for learning and discovery. Despite the importance of curiosity and related behaviors, the topic has been largely neglected in human neuroscience; hence little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms underlying curiosity. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI to investigate what happens in our brain during the induction and subsequent relief of perceptual curiosity. Our core findings were that (i the induction of perceptual curiosity, through the presentation of ambiguous visual input, activated the anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex, brain regions sensitive to conflict and arousal; (ii the relief of perceptual curiosity, through visual disambiguation, activated regions of the striatum that have been related to reward processing; and (iii the relief of perceptual curiosity was associated with hippocampal activation and enhanced incidental memory. These findings provide the first demonstration of the neural basis of human perceptual curiosity. Our results provide neurobiological support for a classic psychological theory of curiosity, which holds that curiosity is an aversive condition of increased arousal whose termination is rewarding and facilitates memory.
Application of particle swarm optimization to identify gamma spectrum with neural network
Shi Dongsheng; Di Yuming; Zhou Chunlin
In applying neural network to identification of gamma spectra back propagation (BP) algorithm is usually trapped to a local optimum and has a low speed of convergence, whereas particle swarm optimization (PSO) is advantageous in terms of globe optimal searching. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm for neural network training, i.e. combined BP and PSO optimization, or PSO-BP algorithm. Practical example shows that the new algorithm can overcome shortcomings of BP algorithm and the neural network trained by it has a high ability of generalization with identification result of 100% correctness. It can be used effectively and reliably to identify gamma spectra. (authors)
Leonid Perlovsky
Full Text Available How language and cognition interact in thinking? Is language just used for communication of completed thoughts, or is it fundamental for thinking? Existing approaches have not led to a computational theory. We develop a hypothesis that language and cognition are two separate but closely interacting mechanisms. Language accumulates cultural wisdom; cognition develops mental representations modeling surrounding world and adapts cultural knowledge to concrete circumstances of life. Language is acquired from surrounding language “ready-made� and therefore can be acquired early in life. This early acquisition of language in childhood encompasses the entire hierarchy from sounds to words, to phrases, and to highest concepts existing in culture. Cognition is developed from experience. Yet cognition cannot be acquired from experience alone; language is a necessary intermediary, a “teacher.� A mathematical model is developed; it overcomes previous difficulties and leads to a computational theory. This model is consistent with Arbib's “language prewired brain� built on top of mirror neuron system. It models recent neuroimaging data about cognition, remaining unnoticed by other theories. A number of properties of language and cognition are explained, which previously seemed mysterious, including influence of language grammar on cultural evolution, which may explain specifics of English and Arabic cultures.
Language and cognition interaction neural mechanisms.
How language and cognition interact in thinking? Is language just used for communication of completed thoughts, or is it fundamental for thinking? Existing approaches have not led to a computational theory. We develop a hypothesis that language and cognition are two separate but closely interacting mechanisms. Language accumulates cultural wisdom; cognition develops mental representations modeling surrounding world and adapts cultural knowledge to concrete circumstances of life. Language is acquired from surrounding language "ready-made" and therefore can be acquired early in life. This early acquisition of language in childhood encompasses the entire hierarchy from sounds to words, to phrases, and to highest concepts existing in culture. Cognition is developed from experience. Yet cognition cannot be acquired from experience alone; language is a necessary intermediary, a "teacher." A mathematical model is developed; it overcomes previous difficulties and leads to a computational theory. This model is consistent with Arbib's "language prewired brain" built on top of mirror neuron system. It models recent neuroimaging data about cognition, remaining unnoticed by other theories. A number of properties of language and cognition are explained, which previously seemed mysterious, including influence of language grammar on cultural evolution, which may explain specifics of English and Arabic cultures.
How language and cognition interact in thinking? Is language just used for communication of completed thoughts, or is it fundamental for thinking? Existing approaches have not led to a computational theory. We develop a hypothesis that language and cognition are two separate but closely interacting mechanisms. Language accumulates cultural wisdom; cognition develops mental representations modeling surrounding world and adapts cultural knowledge to concrete circumstances of life. Language is acquired from surrounding language “ready-made� and therefore can be acquired early in life. This early acquisition of language in childhood encompasses the entire hierarchy from sounds to words, to phrases, and to highest concepts existing in culture. Cognition is developed from experience. Yet cognition cannot be acquired from experience alone; language is a necessary intermediary, a “teacher.� A mathematical model is developed; it overcomes previous difficulties and leads to a computational theory. This model is consistent with Arbib's “language prewired brain� built on top of mirror neuron system. It models recent neuroimaging data about cognition, remaining unnoticed by other theories. A number of properties of language and cognition are explained, which previously seemed mysterious, including influence of language grammar on cultural evolution, which may explain specifics of English and Arabic cultures. PMID:21876687
Music listening after stroke: beneficial effects and potential neural mechanisms.
Särkämö, Teppo; Soto, David
Music is an enjoyable leisure activity that also engages many emotional, cognitive, and motor processes in the brain. Here, we will first review previous literature on the emotional and cognitive effects of music listening in healthy persons and various clinical groups. Then we will present findings about the short- and long-term effects of music listening on the recovery of cognitive function in stroke patients and the underlying neural mechanisms of these music effects. First, our results indicate that listening to pleasant music can have a short-term facilitating effect on visual awareness in patients with visual neglect, which is associated with functional coupling between emotional and attentional brain regions. Second, daily music listening can improve auditory and verbal memory, focused attention, and mood as well as induce structural gray matter changes in the early poststroke stage. The psychological and neural mechanisms potentially underlying the rehabilitating effect of music after stroke are discussed. © 2012 New York Academy of Sciences.
Neural mechanism for judging the appropriateness of facial affect.
Kim, Ji-Woong; Kim, Jae-Jin; Jeong, Bum Seok; Ki, Seon Wan; Im, Dong-Mi; Lee, Soo Jung; Lee, Hong Shick
Questions regarding the appropriateness of facial expressions in particular situations arise ubiquitously in everyday social interactions. To determine the appropriateness of facial affect, first of all, we should represent our own or the other's emotional state as induced by the social situation. Then, based on these representations, we should infer the possible affective response of the other person. In this study, we identified the brain mechanism mediating special types of social evaluative judgments of facial affect in which the internal reference is related to theory of mind (ToM) processing. Many previous ToM studies have used non-emotional stimuli, but, because so much valuable social information is conveyed through nonverbal emotional channels, this investigation used emotionally salient visual materials to tap ToM. Fourteen right-handed healthy subjects volunteered for our study. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain activation during the judgmental task for the appropriateness of facial affects as opposed to gender matching tasks. We identified activation of a brain network, which includes both medial frontal cortex, left temporal pole, left inferior frontal gyrus, and left thalamus during the judgmental task for appropriateness of facial affect compared to the gender matching task. The results of this study suggest that the brain system involved in ToM plays a key role in judging the appropriateness of facial affect in an emotionally laden situation. In addition, our result supports that common neural substrates are involved in performing diverse kinds of ToM tasks irrespective of perceptual modalities and the emotional salience of test materials.
Neural mechanisms of emotional regulation and decision making
Gospic, Katarina
Emotions influence our perception and decision making. It is of great importance to understand the neurophysiology behind these processes as they influence human core functions. Moreover, knowledge within this field is required in order to develop new medical therapies for pathological conditions that involve dysregulation of emotions. In this thesis the neural mechanisms of emotional regulation and decision making were investigated using different pharmacological manipul...
Separating monocular and binocular neural mechanisms mediating chromatic contextual interactions.
D'Antona, Anthony D; Christiansen, Jens H; Shevell, Steven K
When seen in isolation, a light that varies in chromaticity over time is perceived to oscillate in color. Perception of that same time-varying light may be altered by a surrounding light that is also temporally varying in chromaticity. The neural mechanisms that mediate these contextual interactions are the focus of this article. Observers viewed a central test stimulus that varied in chromaticity over time within a larger surround that also varied in chromaticity at the same temporal frequency. Center and surround were presented either to the same eye (monocular condition) or to opposite eyes (dichoptic condition) at the same frequency (3.125, 6.25, or 9.375 Hz). Relative phase between center and surround modulation was varied. In both the monocular and dichoptic conditions, the perceived modulation depth of the central light depended on the relative phase of the surround. A simple model implementing a linear combination of center and surround modulation fit the measurements well. At the lowest temporal frequency (3.125 Hz), the surround's influence was virtually identical for monocular and dichoptic conditions, suggesting that at this frequency, the surround's influence is mediated primarily by a binocular neural mechanism. At higher frequencies, the surround's influence was greater for the monocular condition than for the dichoptic condition, and this difference increased with temporal frequency. Our findings show that two separate neural mechanisms mediate chromatic contextual interactions: one binocular and dominant at lower temporal frequencies and the other monocular and dominant at higher frequencies (6-10 Hz).
The application of particle swarm optimization to identify gamma spectrum with neural network
Aiming at the shortcomings that BP algorithm is usually trapped to a local optimum and it has a low speed of convergence in the application of neural network to identify gamma spectrum, according to the advantage of the globe optimal searching of particle swarm optimization, this paper put forward a new algorithm for neural network training by combining BP algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization-mixed PSO-BP algorithm. In the application to identify gamma spectrum, the new algorithm overcomes the shortcoming that BP algorithm is usually trapped to a local optimum and the neural network trained by it has a high ability of generalization with identification result of one hundred percent correct. Practical example shows that the mixed PSO-BP algorithm can effectively and reliably be used to identify gamma spectrum. (authors)
Neural and psychosocial mechanisms of pain sensitivity in fibromyalgia.
English, Brian
Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal pain disorder that affects an estimated 5 million adults in the U.S. The hallmark is burning, searing, tingling, shooting, stabbing, deep aching, or sharp pain. Fibromyalgia is generally considered to be a "central sensitivity syndrome" where central sensitization is regarded as the cause of pain in its own right. Nonetheless, the case continues to be made that all central and spatially distributed peripheral components of fibromyalgia pain would fade if the peripheral generators could be silenced. Although neural mechanisms are clearly important in pain sensitivity, cognitive and social mechanisms also need to be considered. The aim of this review is to examine four mechanisms responsible for heightened pain sensitivity in fibromyalgia: peripheral sensitization, central sensitization, cognitive-emotional sensitization, and interpersonal sensitization. The purpose of framing the review in terms of pain sensitivity in fibromyalgia is to highlight that different mechanisms of sensitization are appropriately regarded as intervening variables when it comes to understanding individual differences in the experience of pain. The paper concludes by considering the implications of the findings of the review for explanations of fibromyalgia pain by nurses working in multidisciplinary teams. The trend appears to be able to explain the cause of fibromyalgia pain in terms of sensitization per se. The recommended alternative is to explain fibromyalgia pain in terms of changes in pain sensitivity and the role of underlying neural and psychosocial mechanisms. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
A Neural Network Approach for Identifying Particle Pitch Angle Distributions in Van Allen Probes Data
Souza, V. M.; Vieira, L. E. A.; Medeiros, C.; Da Silva, L. A.; Alves, L. R.; Koga, D.; Sibeck, D. G.; Walsh, B. M.; Kanekal, S. G.; Jauer, P. R.;
Analysis of particle pitch angle distributions (PADs) has been used as a means to comprehend a multitude of different physical mechanisms that lead to flux variations in the Van Allen belts and also to particle precipitation into the upper atmosphere. In this work we developed a neural network-based data clustering methodology that automatically identifies distinct PAD types in an unsupervised way using particle flux data. One can promptly identify and locate three well-known PAD types in both time and radial distance, namely, 90deg peaked, butterfly, and flattop distributions. In order to illustrate the applicability of our methodology, we used relativistic electron flux data from the whole month of November 2014, acquired from the Relativistic Electron-Proton Telescope instrument on board the Van Allen Probes, but it is emphasized that our approach can also be used with multiplatform spacecraft data. Our PAD classification results are in reasonably good agreement with those obtained by standard statistical fitting algorithms. The proposed methodology has a potential use for Van Allen belt's monitoring.
Identifying Tmem59 related gene regulatory network of mouse neural stem cell from a compendium of expression profiles
Guo Xiuyun
Full Text Available Abstract Background Neural stem cells offer potential treatment for neurodegenerative disorders, such like Alzheimer's disease (AD. While much progress has been made in understanding neural stem cell function, a precise description of the molecular mechanisms regulating neural stem cells is not yet established. This lack of knowledge is a major barrier holding back the discovery of therapeutic uses of neural stem cells. In this paper, the regulatory mechanism of mouse neural stem cell (NSC differentiation by tmem59 is explored on the genome-level. Results We identified regulators of tmem59 during the differentiation of mouse NSCs from a compendium of expression profiles. Based on the microarray experiment, we developed the parallelized SWNI algorithm to reconstruct gene regulatory networks of mouse neural stem cells. From the inferred tmem59 related gene network including 36 genes, pou6f1 was identified to regulate tmem59 significantly and might play an important role in the differentiation of NSCs in mouse brain. There are four pathways shown in the gene network, indicating that tmem59 locates in the downstream of the signalling pathway. The real-time RT-PCR results shown that the over-expression of pou6f1 could significantly up-regulate tmem59 expression in C17.2 NSC line. 16 out of 36 predicted genes in our constructed network have been reported to be AD-related, including Ace, aqp1, arrdc3, cd14, cd59a, cds1, cldn1, cox8b, defb11, folr1, gdi2, mmp3, mgp, myrip, Ripk4, rnd3, and sncg. The localization of tmem59 related genes and functional-related gene groups based on the Gene Ontology (GO annotation was also identified. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the expression of tmem59 is an important factor contributing to AD. The parallelized SWNI algorithm increased the efficiency of network reconstruction significantly. This study enables us to highlight novel genes that may be involved in NSC differentiation and provides a shortcut to
Neural underpinnings of the identifiable victim effect: affect shifts preferences for giving.
Genevsky, Alexander; Västfjäll, Daniel; Slovic, Paul; Knutson, Brian
The "identifiable victim effect" refers to peoples' tendency to preferentially give to identified versus anonymous victims of misfortune, and has been proposed to partly depend on affect. By soliciting charitable donations from human subjects during behavioral and neural (i.e., functional magnetic resonance imaging) experiments, we sought to determine whether and how affect might promote the identifiable victim effect. Behaviorally, subjects gave more to orphans depicted by photographs versus silhouettes, and their shift in preferences was mediated by photograph-induced feelings of positive arousal, but not negative arousal. Neurally, while photographs versus silhouettes elicited activity in widespread circuits associated with facial and affective processing, only nucleus accumbens activity predicted and could statistically account for increased donations. Together, these findings suggest that presenting evaluable identifiable information can recruit positive arousal, which then promotes giving. We propose that affect elicited by identifiable stimuli can compel people to give more to strangers, even despite costs to the self.
The neural sociometer: brain mechanisms underlying state self-esteem.
Eisenberger, Naomi I; Inagaki, Tristen K; Muscatell, Keely A; Byrne Haltom, Kate E; Leary, Mark R
On the basis of the importance of social connection for survival, humans may have evolved a "sociometer"-a mechanism that translates perceptions of rejection or acceptance into state self-esteem. Here, we explored the neural underpinnings of the sociometer by examining whether neural regions responsive to rejection or acceptance were associated with state self-esteem. Participants underwent fMRI while viewing feedback words ("interesting," "boring") ostensibly chosen by another individual (confederate) to describe the participant's previously recorded interview. Participants rated their state self-esteem in response to each feedback word. Results demonstrated that greater activity in rejection-related neural regions (dorsal ACC, anterior insula) and mentalizing regions was associated with lower-state self-esteem. Additionally, participants whose self-esteem decreased from prescan to postscan versus those whose self-esteem did not showed greater medial prefrontal cortical activity, previously associated with self-referential processing, in response to negative feedback. Together, the results inform our understanding of the origin and nature of our feelings about ourselves.
Neural mechanisms of order information processing in working memory
Barbara Dolenc
Full Text Available The ability to encode and maintain the exact order of short sequences of stimuli or events is often crucial to our ability for effective high-order planning. However, it is not yet clear which neural mechanisms underpin this process. Several studies suggest that in comparison with item recognition temporal order coding activates prefrontal and parietal brain regions. Results of various studies tend to favour the hypothesis that the order of the stimuli is represented and encoded on several stages, from primacy and recency estimates to the exact position of the item in a sequence. Different brain regions play a different role in this process. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex has a more general role in attention, while the premotor cortex is more involved in the process of information grouping. Parietal lobe and hippocampus also play a significant role in order processing as they enable the representation of distance. Moreover, order maintenance is associated with the existence of neural oscillators that operate at different frequencies. Electrophysiological studies revealed that theta and alpha oscillations play an important role in the maintenance of temporal order information. Those EEG oscillations are differentially associated with processes that support the maintenance of order information and item recognition. Various studies suggest a link between prefrontal areas and memory for temporal order, implying that EEG neural oscillations in the prefrontal cortex may play a role in the maintenance of information on temporal order.
Neural mechanisms of mindfulness and meditation: Evidence from neuroimaging studies
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
William; R; Marchand
Mindfulness is the dispassionate,moment-by-moment awareness of sensations,emotions and thoughts.Mindfulness-based interventions are being increasingly used for stress,psychological well being,coping with chronic illness as well as adjunctive treatments for psychiatric disorders.However,the neural mechanisms associated with mindfulness have not been well characterized.Recent functional and structural neuroimaging studies are beginning to provide insights into neural processes associated with the practice of mindfulness.A review of this literature revealed compelling evidence that mindfulness impacts the function of the medial cortex and associated default mode network as well as insula and amygdala.Additionally,mindfulness practice appears to effect lateral frontal regions and basal ganglia,at least in some cases.Structural imaging studies are consistent with these findings and also indicate changes in the hippocampus.While many questions remain unanswered,the current literature provides evidence of brain regions and networks relevant for understanding neural processes associated with mindfulness.
Neural Mechanisms and Information Processing in Recognition Systems
Mamiko Ozaki
Full Text Available Nestmate recognition is a hallmark of social insects. It is based on the match/mismatch of an identity signal carried by members of the society with that of the perceiving individual. While the behavioral response, amicable or aggressive, is very clear, the neural systems underlying recognition are not fully understood. Here we contrast two alternative hypotheses for the neural mechanisms that are responsible for the perception and information processing in recognition. We focus on recognition via chemical signals, as the common modality in social insects. The first, classical, hypothesis states that upon perception of recognition cues by the sensory system the information is passed as is to the antennal lobes and to higher brain centers where the information is deciphered and compared to a neural template. Match or mismatch information is then transferred to some behavior-generating centers where the appropriate response is elicited. An alternative hypothesis, that of “pre-filter mechanism�, posits that the decision as to whether to pass on the information to the central nervous system takes place in the peripheral sensory system. We suggest that, through sensory adaptation, only alien signals are passed on to the brain, specifically to an “aggressive-behavior-switching center�, where the response is generated if the signal is above a certain threshold.
Artificial Neural Network Based Mission Planning Mechanism for Spacecraft
Li, Zhaoyu; Xu, Rui; Cui, Pingyuan; Zhu, Shengying
The ability to plan and react fast in dynamic space environments is central to intelligent behavior of spacecraft. For space and robotic applications, many planners have been used. But it is difficult to encode the domain knowledge and directly use existing techniques such as heuristic to improve the performance of the application systems. Therefore, regarding planning as an advanced control problem, this paper first proposes an autonomous mission planning and action selection mechanism through a multiple layer perceptron neural network approach to select actions in planning process and improve efficiency. To prove the availability and effectiveness, we use autonomous mission planning problems of the spacecraft, which is a sophisticated system with complex subsystems and constraints as an example. Simulation results have shown that artificial neural networks (ANNs) are usable for planning problems. Compared with the existing planning method in EUROPA, the mechanism using ANNs is more efficient and can guarantee stable performance. Therefore, the mechanism proposed in this paper is more suitable for planning problems of spacecraft that require real time and stability.
Computer simulations of neural mechanisms explaining upper and lower limb excitatory neural coupling
Ferris Daniel P
Full Text Available Abstract Background When humans perform rhythmic upper and lower limb locomotor-like movements, there is an excitatory effect of upper limb exertion on lower limb muscle recruitment. To investigate potential neural mechanisms for this behavioral observation, we developed computer simulations modeling interlimb neural pathways among central pattern generators. We hypothesized that enhancement of muscle recruitment from interlimb spinal mechanisms was not sufficient to explain muscle enhancement levels observed in experimental data. Methods We used Matsuoka oscillators for the central pattern generators (CPG and determined parameters that enhanced amplitudes of rhythmic steady state bursts. Potential mechanisms for output enhancement were excitatory and inhibitory sensory feedback gains, excitatory and inhibitory interlimb coupling gains, and coupling geometry. We first simulated the simplest case, a single CPG, and then expanded the model to have two CPGs and lastly four CPGs. In the two and four CPG models, the lower limb CPGs did not receive supraspinal input such that the only mechanisms available for enhancing output were interlimb coupling gains and sensory feedback gains. Results In a two-CPG model with inhibitory sensory feedback gains, only excitatory gains of ipsilateral flexor-extensor/extensor-flexor coupling produced reciprocal upper-lower limb bursts and enhanced output up to 26%. In a two-CPG model with excitatory sensory feedback gains, excitatory gains of contralateral flexor-flexor/extensor-extensor coupling produced reciprocal upper-lower limb bursts and enhanced output up to 100%. However, within a given excitatory sensory feedback gain, enhancement due to excitatory interlimb gains could only reach levels up to 20%. Interconnecting four CPGs to have ipsilateral flexor-extensor/extensor-flexor coupling, contralateral flexor-flexor/extensor-extensor coupling, and bilateral flexor-extensor/extensor-flexor coupling could enhance
Study on the identifying of meat's visible spectrum based on BP artificial neural network
Li, Xiaotian; Zhang, Tieqiang; Li, Bo; Jiang, Yongheng; Liu, Binghui; Li, Zhaokai
A method to identify different meat by the visible and reflected spectra of meat with BP artificial neural net (BP-ANN) was introduced in this paper. The visible and reflected spectra (from 420 to 535nm) of different meat (beef and pork) were measured with fiber sensor spectrometer. A kind of ANN with a double-hidden layer was created to identify the different meat automatically. Its right ratio reaches 92.71%.
Identifying thematic roles from neural representations measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Wang, Jing; Cherkassky, Vladimir L; Yang, Ying; Chang, Kai-Min Kevin; Vargas, Robert; Diana, Nicholas; Just, Marcel Adam
The generativity and complexity of human thought stem in large part from the ability to represent relations among concepts and form propositions. The current study reveals how a given object such as rabbit is neurally encoded differently and identifiably depending on whether it is an agent ("the rabbit punches the monkey") or a patient ("the monkey punches the rabbit"). Machine-learning classifiers were trained on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data evoked by a set of short videos that conveyed agent-verb-patient propositions. When tested on a held-out video, the classifiers were able to reliably identify the thematic role of an object from its associated fMRI activation pattern. Moreover, when trained on one subset of the study participants, classifiers reliably identified the thematic roles in the data of a left-out participant (mean accuracy = .66), indicating that the neural representations of thematic roles were common across individuals.
Theory of mind in schizophrenia: exploring neural mechanisms of belief attribution.
Lee, Junghee; Quintana, Javier; Nori, Poorang; Green, Michael F
Although previous behavioral studies have shown that schizophrenia patients have impaired theory of mind (ToM), the neural mechanisms associated with this impairment are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify the neural mechanisms of ToM in schizophrenia, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a belief attribution task. In the scanner, 12 schizophrenia patients and 13 healthy control subjects performed the belief attribution task with three conditions: a false belief condition, a false photograph condition, and a simple reading condition. For the false belief versus simple reading conditions, schizophrenia patients showed reduced neural activation in areas including the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) compared with controls. Further, during the false belief versus false photograph conditions, we observed increased activations in the TPJ and the MPFC in healthy controls, but not in schizophrenia patients. For the false photograph versus simple reading condition, both groups showed comparable neural activations. Schizophrenia patients showed reduced task-related activation in the TPJ and the MPFC during the false belief condition compared with controls, but not for the false photograph condition. This pattern suggests that reduced activation in these regions is associated with, and specific to, impaired ToM in schizophrenia.
Neural mechanisms underlying transcranial direct current stimulation in aphasia: A feasibility study.
Lena eUlm
Full Text Available Little is known about the neural mechanisms by which transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS impacts on language processing in post-stroke aphasia. This was addressed in a proof-of-principle study that explored the effects of tDCS application in aphasia during simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. We employed a single subject, cross-over, sham-tDCS controlled design and the stimulation was administered to an individualized perilesional stimulation site that was identified by a baseline fMRI scan and a picture naming task. Peak activity during the baseline scan was located in the spared left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG and this area was stimulated during a subsequent cross-over phase. tDCS was successfully administered to the target region and anodal- vs. sham-tDCS resulted in selectively increased activity at the stimulation site. Our results thus demonstrate that it is feasible to precisely target an individualized stimulation site in aphasia patients during simultaneous fMRI which allows assessing the neural mechanisms underlying tDCS application. The functional imaging results of this case report highlight one possible mechanism that may have contributed to beneficial behavioural stimulation effects in previous clinical tDCS trials in aphasia. In the future, this approach will allow identifying distinct patterns of stimulation effects on neural processing in larger cohorts of patients. This may ultimately yield information about the variability of tDCS-effects on brain functions in aphasia.
Chemo-mechanical control of neural stem cell differentiation
Geishecker, Emily R.
Cellular processes such as adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation are controlled in part by cell interactions with the microenvironment. Cells can sense and respond to a variety of stimuli, including soluble and insoluble factors (such as proteins and small molecules) and externally applied mechanical stresses. Mechanical properties of the environment, such as substrate stiffness, have also been suggested to play an important role in cell processes. The roles of both biochemical and mechanical signaling in fate modification of stem cells have been explored independently. However, very few studies have been performed to study well-controlled chemo-mechanotransduction. The objective of this work is to design, synthesize, and characterize a chemo-mechanical substrate to encourage neuronal differentiation of C17.2 neural stem cells. In Chapter 2, Polyacrylamide (PA) gels of varying stiffnesses are functionalized with differing amounts of whole collagen to investigate the role of protein concentration in combination with substrate stiffness. As expected, neurons on the softest substrate were more in number and neuronal morphology than those on stiffer substrates. Neurons appeared locally aligned with an expansive network of neurites. Additional experiments would allow for statistical analysis to determine if and how collagen density impacts C17.2 differentiation in combination with substrate stiffness. Due to difficulties associated with whole protein approaches, a similar platform was developed using mixed adhesive peptides, derived from fibronectin and laminin, and is presented in Chapter 3. The matrix elasticity and peptide concentration can be individually modulated to systematically probe the effects of chemo-mechanical signaling on differentiation of C17.2 cells. Polyacrylamide gel stiffness was confirmed using rheological techniques and found to support values published by Yeung et al. [1]. Cellular growth and differentiation were assessed by cell counts
Neural Conflict–Control Mechanisms Improve Memory for Target Stimuli
Krebs, Ruth M.; Boehler, Carsten N.; De Belder, Maya; Egner, Tobias
According to conflict-monitoring models, conflict serves as an internal signal for reinforcing top-down attention to task-relevant information. While evidence based on measures of ongoing task performance supports this idea, implications for long-term consequences, that is, memory, have not been tested yet. Here, we evaluated the prediction that conflict-triggered attentional enhancement of target-stimulus processing should be associated with superior subsequent memory for those stimuli. By combining functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a novel variant of a face-word Stroop task that employed trial-unique face stimuli as targets, we were able to assess subsequent (incidental) memory for target faces as a function of whether a given face had previously been accompanied by congruent, neutral, or incongruent (conflicting) distracters. In line with our predictions, incongruent distracters not only induced behavioral conflict, but also gave rise to enhanced memory for target faces. Moreover, conflict-triggered neural activity in prefrontal and parietal regions was predictive of subsequent retrieval success, and displayed conflict-enhanced functional coupling with medial-temporal lobe regions. These data provide support for the proposal that conflict evokes enhanced top-down attention to task-relevant stimuli, thereby promoting their encoding into long-term memory. Our findings thus delineate the neural mechanisms of a novel link between cognitive control and memory. PMID:24108799
Neural mechanisms of interference control in working memory capacity.
Bomyea, Jessica; Taylor, Charles T; Spadoni, Andrea D; Simmons, Alan N
The extent to which one can use cognitive resources to keep information in working memory is known to rely on (1) active maintenance of target representations and (2) downregulation of interference from irrelevant representations. Neurobiologically, the global capacity of working memory is thought to depend on the prefrontal and parietal cortices; however, the neural mechanisms involved in controlling interference specifically in working memory capacity tasks remain understudied. In this study, 22 healthy participants completed a modified complex working memory capacity task (Reading Span) with trials of varying levels of interference control demands while undergoing functional MRI. Neural activity associated with interference control demands was examined separately during encoding and recall phases of the task. Results suggested a widespread network of regions in the prefrontal, parietal, and occipital cortices, and the cingulate and cerebellum associated with encoding, and parietal and occipital regions associated with recall. Results align with prior findings emphasizing the importance of frontoparietal circuits for working memory performance, including the role of the inferior frontal gyrus, cingulate, occipital cortex, and cerebellum in regulation of interference demands. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neural conflict-control mechanisms improve memory for target stimuli.
Krebs, Ruth M; Boehler, Carsten N; De Belder, Maya; Egner, Tobias
According to conflict-monitoring models, conflict serves as an internal signal for reinforcing top-down attention to task-relevant information. While evidence based on measures of ongoing task performance supports this idea, implications for long-term consequences, that is, memory, have not been tested yet. Here, we evaluated the prediction that conflict-triggered attentional enhancement of target-stimulus processing should be associated with superior subsequent memory for those stimuli. By combining functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a novel variant of a face-word Stroop task that employed trial-unique face stimuli as targets, we were able to assess subsequent (incidental) memory for target faces as a function of whether a given face had previously been accompanied by congruent, neutral, or incongruent (conflicting) distracters. In line with our predictions, incongruent distracters not only induced behavioral conflict, but also gave rise to enhanced memory for target faces. Moreover, conflict-triggered neural activity in prefrontal and parietal regions was predictive of subsequent retrieval success, and displayed conflict-enhanced functional coupling with medial-temporal lobe regions. These data provide support for the proposal that conflict evokes enhanced top-down attention to task-relevant stimuli, thereby promoting their encoding into long-term memory. Our findings thus delineate the neural mechanisms of a novel link between cognitive control and memory. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Neural mechanisms underlying social conformity in an ultimatum game
Zhenyu eWei
Full Text Available When individuals’ actions are incongruent with those of the group they belong to, they may change their initial behavior in order to conform to the group norm. This phenomenon is known as social conformity. In the present study, we used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI to investigate brain activity in response to group opinion during an ultimatum game. Results showed that participants changed their choices when these choices conflicted with the normative opinion of the group they were members of, especially in conditions of unfair treatment. The fMRI data revealed that a conflict with group norms activated the brain regions involved in norm violations and behavioral adjustment. Furthermore, in the reject-unfair condition, we observed that a conflict with group norms activated the medial frontal gyrus. These findings contribute to recent research examining neural mechanisms involved in detecting violations of social norms, and provide information regarding the neural representation of conformity behavior in an economic game.
Hypothetical neural mechanism that may play a role in mental rotation: an attractor neural network model.
Benusková, L; Estok, S
We propose an attractor neural network (ANN) model that performs rotation-invariant pattern recognition in such a way that it can account for a neural mechanism being involved in the image transformation accompanying the experience of mental rotation. We compared the performance of our ANN model with the results of the chronometric psychophysical experiments of Cooper and Shepard (Cooper L A and Shepard R N 1973 Visual Information Processing (New York: Academic) pp 204-7) on discrimination of alphanumeric characters presented in various angular departures from their canonical upright position. Comparing the times required for pattern retrieval in its canonical upright position with the reaction times of human subjects, we found agreement in that (i) retrieval times for clockwise and anticlockwise departures of the same angular magnitude (up to 180 degrees) were not different, (ii) retrieval times increased with departure from upright and (iii) increased more sharply as departure from upright approached 180 degrees. The rotation-invariant retrieval of the activity pattern has been accomplished by means of the modified algorithm of Dotsenko (Dotsenko V S 1988 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 21 L783-7) proposed for translation-, rotation- and size-invariant pattern recognition, which uses relaxation of neuronal firing thresholds to guide the evolution of the ANN in state space towards the desired memory attractor. The dynamics of neuronal relaxation has been modified for storage and retrieval of low-activity patterns and the original gradient optimization of threshold dynamics has been replaced with optimization by simulated annealing.
Radial basis function (RBF) neural network control for mechanical systems design, analysis and Matlab simulation
Liu, Jinkun
Radial Basis Function (RBF) Neural Network Control for Mechanical Systems is motivated by the need for systematic design approaches to stable adaptive control system design using neural network approximation-based techniques. The main objectives of the book are to introduce the concrete design methods and MATLAB simulation of stable adaptive RBF neural control strategies. In this book, a broad range of implementable neural network control design methods for mechanical systems are presented, such as robot manipulators, inverted pendulums, single link flexible joint robots, motors, etc. Advanced neural network controller design methods and their stability analysis are explored. The book provides readers with the fundamentals of neural network control system design.  This book is intended for the researchers in the fields of neural adaptive control, mechanical systems, Matlab simulation, engineering design, robotics and automation. Jinkun Liu is a professor at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronauti...
An improved anti-leech mechanism based on session identifier
Zhang, Jianbiao; Zhu, Tong; Zhang, Han; Lin, Li
With the rapid development of information technology and extensive requirement of network resource sharing, plenty of resource hotlinking phenomenons appear on the internet. The hotlinking problem not only harms the interests of legal websites but also leads to a great affection to fair internet environment. The anti-leech technique based on session identifier is highly secure, but the transmission of session identifier in plaintext form causes some security flaws. In this paper, a proxy hotlinking technique based on session identifier is introduced firstly to illustrate these security flaws; next, this paper proposes an improved anti-leech mechanism based on session identifier, the mechanism takes the random factor as the core and detects hotlinking request using a map table that contains random factor, user's information and time stamp; at last the paper analyzes the security of mechanism in theory. The result reveals that the improved mechanism has the merits of simple realization, high security and great flexibility.
Neural mechanisms underlying human consensus decision-making.
Suzuki, Shinsuke; Adachi, Ryo; Dunne, Simon; Bossaerts, Peter; O'Doherty, John P
Consensus building in a group is a hallmark of animal societies, yet little is known about its underlying computational and neural mechanisms. Here, we applied a computational framework to behavioral and fMRI data from human participants performing a consensus decision-making task with up to five other participants. We found that participants reached consensus decisions through integrating their own preferences with information about the majority group members' prior choices, as well as inferences about how much each option was stuck to by the other people. These distinct decision variables were separately encoded in distinct brain areas-the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, posterior superior temporal sulcus/temporoparietal junction, and intraparietal sulcus-and were integrated in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Our findings provide support for a theoretical account in which collective decisions are made through integrating multiple types of inference about oneself, others, and environments, processed in distinct brain modules. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Identification of complex systems by artificial neural networks. Applications to mechanical frictions
Dominguez, Manuel
In the frame of complex systems modelization, we describe in this report the contribution of neural networks to mechanical friction modelization. This thesis is divided in three parts, each one corresponding to every stage of the realized work. The first part takes stock of the properties of neural networks by replacing them in the statistic frame of learning theory (particularly: non-linear and non-parametric regression models) and by showing the existing links with other more 'classic' techniques from automatics. We show then how identification models can be integrated in the neural networks description as a larger nonlinear model class. A methodology of neural networks use have been developed. We focused on validation techniques using correlation functions for non-linear systems, and on the use of regularization methods. The second part deals with the problematic of friction in mechanical systems. Particularly, we present the main current identified physical phenomena, which are integrated in advanced friction modelization. Characterization of these phenomena allows us to state a priori knowledge to be used in the identification stage. We expose some of the most well-known friction models: Dahl's model, Reset Integrator and Canuda's dynamical model, which are then used in simulation studies. The last part links the former one by illustrating a real-world application: an electric jack from SFIM-Industries, used in the Very Large Telescope (VLT) control scheme. This part begins with physical system presentation. The results are compared with more 'classic' methods. We finish using neural networks compensation scheme in closed-loop control. (author) [fr
Neural circuit mechanisms of short-term memory
Goldman, Mark
Memory over time scales of seconds to tens of seconds is thought to be maintained by neural activity that is triggered by a memorized stimulus and persists long after the stimulus is turned off. This presents a challenge to current models of memory-storing mechanisms, because the typical time scales associated with cellular and synaptic dynamics are two orders of magnitude smaller than this. While such long time scales can easily be achieved by bistable processes that toggle like a flip-flop between a baseline and elevated-activity state, many neuronal systems have been observed experimentally to be capable of maintaining a continuum of stable states. For example, in neural integrator networks involved in the accumulation of evidence for decision making and in motor control, individual neurons have been recorded whose activity reflects the mathematical integral of their inputs; in the absence of input, these neurons sustain activity at a level proportional to the running total of their inputs. This represents an analog form of memory whose dynamics can be conceptualized through an energy landscape with a continuum of lowest-energy states. Such continuous attractor landscapes are structurally non-robust, in seeming violation of the relative robustness of biological memory systems. In this talk, I will present and compare different biologically motivated circuit motifs for the accumulation and storage of signals in short-term memory. Challenges to generating robust memory maintenance will be highlighted and potential mechanisms for ameliorating the sensitivity of memory networks to perturbations will be discussed. Funding for this work was provided by NIH R01 MH065034, NSF IIS-1208218, Simons Foundation 324260, and a UC Davis Ophthalmology Research to Prevent Blindness Grant.
Identifying time-delayed gene regulatory networks via an evolvable hierarchical recurrent neural network.
Kordmahalleh, Mina Moradi; Sefidmazgi, Mohammad Gorji; Harrison, Scott H; Homaifar, Abdollah
The modeling of genetic interactions within a cell is crucial for a basic understanding of physiology and for applied areas such as drug design. Interactions in gene regulatory networks (GRNs) include effects of transcription factors, repressors, small metabolites, and microRNA species. In addition, the effects of regulatory interactions are not always simultaneous, but can occur after a finite time delay, or as a combined outcome of simultaneous and time delayed interactions. Powerful biotechnologies have been rapidly and successfully measuring levels of genetic expression to illuminate different states of biological systems. This has led to an ensuing challenge to improve the identification of specific regulatory mechanisms through regulatory network reconstructions. Solutions to this challenge will ultimately help to spur forward efforts based on the usage of regulatory network reconstructions in systems biology applications. We have developed a hierarchical recurrent neural network (HRNN) that identifies time-delayed gene interactions using time-course data. A customized genetic algorithm (GA) was used to optimize hierarchical connectivity of regulatory genes and a target gene. The proposed design provides a non-fully connected network with the flexibility of using recurrent connections inside the network. These features and the non-linearity of the HRNN facilitate the process of identifying temporal patterns of a GRN. Our HRNN method was implemented with the Python language. It was first evaluated on simulated data representing linear and nonlinear time-delayed gene-gene interaction models across a range of network sizes and variances of noise. We then further demonstrated the capability of our method in reconstructing GRNs of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae synthetic network for in vivo benchmarking of reverse-engineering and modeling approaches (IRMA). We compared the performance of our method to TD-ARACNE, HCC-CLINDE, TSNI and ebdbNet across different network
Developmental phonagnosia: Linking neural mechanisms with the behavioural phenotype.
Roswandowitz, Claudia; Schelinski, Stefanie; von Kriegstein, Katharina
Human voice recognition is critical for many aspects of social communication. Recently, a rare disorder, developmental phonagnosia, which describes the inability to recognise a speaker's voice, has been discovered. The underlying neural mechanisms are unknown. Here, we used two functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments to investigate brain function in two behaviourally well characterised phonagnosia cases, both 32 years old: AS has apperceptive and SP associative phonagnosia. We found distinct malfunctioned brain mechanisms in AS and SP matching their behavioural profiles. In apperceptive phonagnosia, right-hemispheric auditory voice-sensitive regions (i.e., Heschl's gyrus, planum temporale, superior temporal gyrus) showed lower responses than in matched controls (n AS =16) for vocal versus non-vocal sounds and for speaker versus speech recognition. In associative phonagnosia, the connectivity between voice-sensitive (i.e. right posterior middle/inferior temporal gyrus) and supramodal (i.e. amygdala) regions was reduced in comparison to matched controls (n SP =16) during speaker versus speech recognition. Additionally, both cases recruited distinct potential compensatory mechanisms. Our results support a central assumption of current two-system models of voice-identity processing: They provide the first evidence that dysfunction of voice-sensitive regions and impaired connectivity between voice-sensitive and supramodal person recognition regions can selectively contribute to deficits in person recognition by voice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Neural Mechanism for Mirrored Self-face Recognition.
Sugiura, Motoaki; Miyauchi, Carlos Makoto; Kotozaki, Yuka; Akimoto, Yoritaka; Nozawa, Takayuki; Yomogida, Yukihito; Hanawa, Sugiko; Yamamoto, Yuki; Sakuma, Atsushi; Nakagawa, Seishu; Kawashima, Ryuta
Self-face recognition in the mirror is considered to involve multiple processes that integrate 2 perceptual cues: temporal contingency of the visual feedback on one's action (contingency cue) and matching with self-face representation in long-term memory (figurative cue). The aim of this study was to examine the neural bases of these processes by manipulating 2 perceptual cues using a "virtual mirror" system. This system allowed online dynamic presentations of real-time and delayed self- or other facial actions. Perception-level processes were identified as responses to only a single perceptual cue. The effect of the contingency cue was identified in the cuneus. The regions sensitive to the figurative cue were subdivided by the response to a static self-face, which was identified in the right temporal, parietal, and frontal regions, but not in the bilateral occipitoparietal regions. Semantic- or integration-level processes, including amodal self-representation and belief validation, which allow modality-independent self-recognition and the resolution of potential conflicts between perceptual cues, respectively, were identified in distinct regions in the right frontal and insular cortices. The results are supportive of the multicomponent notion of self-recognition and suggest a critical role for contingency detection in the co-emergence of self-recognition and empathy in infants. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.
Spared behavioral repetition effects in Alzheimer's disease linked to an altered neural mechanism at posterior cortex.
Broster, Lucas S; Li, Juan; Wagner, Benjamin; Smith, Charles D; Jicha, Gregory A; Schmitt, Frederick A; Munro, Nancy; Haney, Ryan H; Jiang, Yang
Individuals with dementia of the Alzheimer type (AD) classically show disproportionate impairment in measures of working memory, but repetition learning effects are relatively preserved. As AD affects brain regions implicated in both working memory and repetition effects, the neural basis of this discrepancy is poorly understood. We hypothesized that the posterior repetition effect could account for this discrepancy due to the milder effects of AD at visual cortex. Participants with early AD, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy controls performed a working memory task with superimposed repetition effects while electroencephalography was collected to identify possible neural mechanisms of preserved repetition effects. Participants with AD showed preserved behavioral repetition effects and a change in the posterior repetition effect. Visual cortex may play a role in maintained repetition effects in persons with early AD.
Central chemoreceptors and neural mechanisms of cardiorespiratory control
T.S. Moreira
Full Text Available The arterial partial pressure (P CO2 of carbon dioxide is virtually constant because of the close match between the metabolic production of this gas and its excretion via breathing. Blood gas homeostasis does not rely solely on changes in lung ventilation, but also to a considerable extent on circulatory adjustments that regulate the transport of CO2 from its sites of production to the lungs. The neural mechanisms that coordinate circulatory and ventilatory changes to achieve blood gas homeostasis are the subject of this review. Emphasis will be placed on the control of sympathetic outflow by central chemoreceptors. High levels of CO2 exert an excitatory effect on sympathetic outflow that is mediated by specialized chemoreceptors such as the neurons located in the retrotrapezoid region. In addition, high CO2 causes an aversive awareness in conscious animals, activating wake-promoting pathways such as the noradrenergic neurons. These neuronal groups, which may also be directly activated by brain acidification, have projections that contribute to the CO2-induced rise in breathing and sympathetic outflow. However, since the level of activity of the retrotrapezoid nucleus is regulated by converging inputs from wake-promoting systems, behavior-specific inputs from higher centers and by chemical drive, the main focus of the present manuscript is to review the contribution of central chemoreceptors to the control of autonomic and respiratory mechanisms.
Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation
Peter eMalinowski
Full Text Available The scientific interest in meditation and mindfulness practice has recently seen an unprecedented surge. After an initial phase of presenting beneficial effects of mindfulness practice in various domains, research is now seeking to unravel the underlying psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms. Advances in understanding these processes are required for improving and fine-tuning mindfulness-based interventions that target specific conditions such as eating disorders or attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. This review presents a theoretical framework that emphasizes the central role of attentional control mechanisms in the development of mindfulness skills. It discusses the phenomenological level of experience during meditation, the different attentional functions that are involved, and relates these to the brain networks that subserve these functions. On the basis of currently available empirical evidence specific processes as to how attention exerts its positive influence are considered and it is concluded that meditation practice appears to positively impact attentional functions by improving resource allocation processes. As a result, attentional resources are allocated more fully during early processing phases which subsequently enhance further processing. Neural changes resulting from a pure form of mindfulness practice that is central to most mindfulness programs are considered from the perspective that they constitute a useful reference point for future research. Furthermore, possible interrelations between the improvement of attentional control and emotion regulation skills are discussed.
Learning and adaptation: neural and behavioural mechanisms behind behaviour change
Lowe, Robert; Sandamirskaya, Yulia
This special issue presents perspectives on learning and adaptation as they apply to a number of cognitive phenomena including pupil dilation in humans and attention in robots, natural language acquisition and production in embodied agents (robots), human-robot game play and social interaction, neural-dynamic modelling of active perception and neural-dynamic modelling of infant development in the Piagetian A-not-B task. The aim of the special issue, through its contributions, is to highlight some of the critical neural-dynamic and behavioural aspects of learning as it grounds adaptive responses in robotic- and neural-dynamic systems.
Using neural networks with jet shapes to identify b jets in e+e- interactions
Bellantoni, L.; Conway, J.S.; Jacobsen, J.E.; Pan, Y.B.; Wu Saulan
A feed-forward neural network trained using backpropagation was used to discriminate between b and light quark jets in e + e - → Z 0 → qanti q events. The information presented to the network consisted of 25 jet shape variables. The network successfully identified b jets in two- and three-jet events modeled using a detector simulation. The jet identification efficiency for two-jet events was 61% and the probability to call a light quark jet a b jet equal to 20%. (orig.)
[Neural mechanism underlying autistic savant and acquired savant syndrome].
Takahata, Keisuke; Kato, Motoichiro
It is well known that the cases with savant syndrome, demonstrate outstanding mental capability despite coexisting severe mental disabilities. In many cases, savant skills are characterized by its domain-specificity, enhanced memory capability, and excessive focus on low-level perceptual processing. In addition, impaired integrative cognitive processing such as social cognition or executive function, restricted interest, and compulsive repetition of the same act are observed in savant individuals. All these are significantly relevant to the behavioral characteristics observed in individuals with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). A neurocognitive model of savant syndrome should explain these cognitive features and the juxtaposition of outstanding talents with cognitive disabilities. In recent neuropsychological studies, Miller (1998) reported clinical cases of "acquired savant," i.e., patients who improved or newly acquired an artistic savant-like skill in the early stage of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Although the relationship between an autistic savant and acquired savant remains to be elucidated, the advent of neuroimaging study of ASD and the clarification of FTD patients with savant-like skills may clarify the shared neural mechanisms of both types of talent. In this review, we classified current cognitive models of savant syndrome into the following 3 categories. (1) A hypermnesic model that suggests that savant skills develop from existing or dormant cognitive functions such as memory. However, recent findings obtained through neuropsychological examinations imply that savant individuals solve problems using a strategy that is fairly different from a non-autistic one. (2) A paradoxical functional facilitation model (Kapur, 1996) that offers possible explanations about how pathological states in the brain lead to development of prodigious skills. This model emphasizes the role of reciprocal inhibitory interaction among adjacent or distant cortical regions
A comparison of neural tube defects identified by two independent routine recording systems for congenital malformations in Northern Ireland.
Nevin, N C; McDonald, J R; Walby, A L
The efficiency of two systems for recording congenital malformations has been compared; one system, the Registrar General's Congenital Malformation Notification, is based on registering all malformed infants, and the other, the Child Health System, records all births. In Northern Ireland for three years [1974--1976], using multiple sources of ascertainment, a total of 686 infants with neural tube defects was identified among 79 783 live and stillbirths. The incidence for all neural tube defects in 8 60 per 1 000 births. The Registrar General's Congenital Malformation Notification System identified 83.6% whereas the Child Health System identified only 63.3% of all neural tube defects. Both systems together identified 86.2% of all neural tube defects. The two systems are suitable for monitoring of malformations and the addition of information from the Genetic Counselling Clinics would enhance the data for epidemiological studies.
A neural model of mechanisms of empathy deficits in narcissism
Jankowiak-Siuda, Kamila; Zajkowski, Wojciech
From a multidimensional perspective, empathy is a process that includes affective sharing and imagining and understanding the emotions of others. The primary brain structures involved in mediating the components of empathy are the anterior insula (AI), the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and specific regions of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). The AI and ACC are the main nodes in the salience network (SN), which selects and coordinates the information flow from the intero- and exteroreceptors. AI might play a role as a crucial hub – a dynamic switch between 2 separate networks of cognitive processing: the central executive network (CEN), which is concerned with effective task execution, and the default mode network (DMN), which is involved with self-reflective processes. Given various classifications, a deficit in empathy may be considered a central dysfunctional trait in narcissism. A recent fMRI study suggests that deficit in empathy is due to a dysfunction in the right AI. Based on the acquired data, we propose a theoretical model of imbalanced SN functioning in narcissism in which the dysfunctional AI hub is responsible for constant DMN activation, which, in turn, centers one’s attention on the self. This might hinder the ability to affectively share and understand the emotions of others. This review paper on neural mechanisms of empathy deficits in narcissism aims to inspire and direct future research in this area. PMID:24189465
An artificial neural network system to identify alleles in reference electropherograms.
Taylor, Duncan; Harrison, Ash; Powers, David
Electropherograms are produced in great numbers in forensic DNA laboratories as part of everyday criminal casework. Before the results of these electropherograms can be used they must be scrutinised by analysts to determine what the identified data tells them about the underlying DNA sequences and what is purely an artefact of the DNA profiling process. This process of interpreting the electropherograms can be time consuming and is prone to subjective differences between analysts. Recently it was demonstrated that artificial neural networks could be used to classify information within an electropherogram as allelic (i.e. representative of a DNA fragment present in the DNA extract) or as one of several different categories of artefactual fluorescence that arise as a result of generating an electropherogram. We extend that work here to demonstrate a series of algorithms and artificial neural networks that can be used to identify peaks on an electropherogram and classify them. We demonstrate the functioning of the system on several profiles and compare the results to a leading commercial DNA profile reading system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Wittgenstein running: neural mechanisms of collective intentionality and we-mode.
Becchio, Cristina; Bertone, Cesare
In this paper we discuss the problem of the neural conditions of shared attitudes and intentions: which neural mechanisms underlie "we-mode" processes or serve as precursors to such processes? Neurophysiological and neuropsychological evidence suggests that in different areas of the brain neural representations are shared by several individuals. This situation, on the one hand, creates a potential problem for correct attribution. On the other hand, it may provide the conditions for shared attitudes and intentions.
Application of artificial neural networks to identify equilibration in computer simulations
Leibowitz, Mitchell H.; Miller, Evan D.; Henry, Michael M.; Jankowski, Eric
Determining which microstates generated by a thermodynamic simulation are representative of the ensemble for which sampling is desired is a ubiquitous, underspecified problem. Artificial neural networks are one type of machine learning algorithm that can provide a reproducible way to apply pattern recognition heuristics to underspecified problems. Here we use the open-source TensorFlow machine learning library and apply it to the problem of identifying which hypothetical observation sequences from a computer simulation are “equilibrated� and which are not. We generate training populations and test populations of observation sequences with embedded linear and exponential correlations. We train a two-neuron artificial network to distinguish the correlated and uncorrelated sequences. We find that this simple network is good enough for > 98% accuracy in identifying exponentially-decaying energy trajectories from molecular simulations.
An Adaptive Neural Mechanism with a Lizard Ear Model for Binaural Acoustic Tracking
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Shaikh, Danish; Manoonpong, Poramate
expensive algorithms. We present a novel bioinspired solution to acoustic tracking that uses only two microphones. The system is based on a neural mechanism coupled with a model of the peripheral auditory system of lizards. The peripheral auditory model provides sound direction information which the neural...
Neural mechanisms of rapid sensitivity to syntactic anomaly
Albert E. Kim
Full Text Available Recent psycholinguistic models hypothesize that anticipatory processing can speed the response to linguistic input during language comprehension by pre-activating representations necessary for word recognition. We investigated the neurocognitive mechanisms of anticipatory processing by recording event-related brain responses (ERPs to syntactically anomalous (The thief was caught by for police and well-formed (e.g., The thief was caught by the police sentences. One group of participants saw anomalies elicited by the same word in every instance (e.g., for; low-variability stimuli, providing high affordances for predictions about the word-form appearing in the critical position. A second group saw anomalies elicited by seven different prepositions (at, of, on, for, from, over, with; high-variability stimuli across the study, creating a more difficult prediction task. Syntactic category anomalies enhanced the occipital-temporal N170 component of the ERP, indicating rapid sensitivity—within 200 ms of word onset—to syntactic anomaly. For low-variability but not the high-variability stimuli, syntactic anomaly also enhanced the earlier occipital-temporal P1 component, around 130 ms after word-onset, indicating that affordances for prediction engendered earlier sensitivity to syntactic anomaly. Independent components analysis revealed three sources within the ERP signal whose functional dynamics were consistent with predictive processing and early responses to syntactic anomaly. Distributed neural source modeling (sLORETA of these early-active sources produced a candidate network for early responses to words during reading in the right posterior-occipital, left occipital-temporal, and medial parietal cortex.
Sensory Entrainment Mechanisms in Auditory Perception: Neural Synchronization Cortico-Striatal Activation.
Sameiro-Barbosa, Catia M; Geiser, Eveline
The auditory system displays modulations in sensitivity that can align with the temporal structure of the acoustic environment. This sensory entrainment can facilitate sensory perception and is particularly relevant for audition. Systems neuroscience is slowly uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying the behaviorally observed sensory entrainment effects in the human sensory system. The present article summarizes the prominent behavioral effects of sensory entrainment and reviews our current understanding of the neural basis of sensory entrainment, such as synchronized neural oscillations, and potentially, neural activation in the cortico-striatal system.
Sensory Entrainment Mechanisms in Auditory Perception: Neural Synchronization Cortico-Striatal Activation
Sameiro-Barbosa, Catia M.; Geiser, Eveline
The auditory system displays modulations in sensitivity that can align with the temporal structure of the acoustic environment. This sensory entrainment can facilitate sensory perception and is particularly relevant for audition. Systems neuroscience is slowly uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying the behaviorally observed sensory entrainment effects in the human sensory system. The present article summarizes the prominent behavioral effects of sensory entrainment and reviews our current understanding of the neural basis of sensory entrainment, such as synchronized neural oscillations, and potentially, neural activation in the cortico-striatal system. PMID:27559306
Effect of the size of an artificial neural network used as pattern identifier
Reynoso V, M.R.; Vega C, J.J.
A novel way to extract relevant parameters associated with the outgoing ions from nuclear reactions, obtained by digitizing the signals provided by a Bragg curve spectrometer (BCS) is presented. This allowed the implementation of a more thorough pulse-shape analysis. Due to the complexity of this task, it was required to take advantage of new and more powerful computational paradigms. This was fulfilled using a back-propagation artificial neural network (ANN) as a pattern identifier. Over training of ANNs is a common problem during the training stage. In the performance of the ANN there is a compromise between its size and the size of the training set. Here, this effect will be illustrated in relation to the problem of Bragg Curve (BC) identification. (Author)
Reynoso V, M.R.; Vega C, J.J. [ININ, 52045 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)
[Inhibitory effect of murine cytomegalovirus infection on neural stem cells' differentiation and its mechanisms].
Zhou, Yu-feng; Fang, Feng; Dong, Yong-sui; Zhou, Hua; Zhen, Hong; Liu, Jin; Li, Ge
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading infectious cause of congenital anomalies of the central nervous system caused by intrauterine infection. However, the exact pathogenesis of these brain abnormalities has not been fully elucidated. It has been reported that periependymitis, periventricular necrosis and calcification are the most frequent findings in the brains of congenital CMV infection. Because a number of multipotential neural stem cells (NSCs) have been identified from ventricular zone, it is possible that NSCs in this area are primary targets for viral infection, which seems to be primarily responsible for the generation of the brain abnormalities. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection on neural stem cells' differentiation in vitro and its role in the mechanisms of brain abnormalities caused by congenital cytomegalovirus infection. NSCs were prepared from fetal BALB/c mouse and were infected with recombinant MCMV RM461 inserted with a report gene LacZ at 1 multiplicity of infection (MOI = 1). The effect of MCMV infection on neural stem cells' differentiation was observed by detecting the ratio of nestin, GFAP and NSE positive cells with immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry on day 2 postinfection. The effects of MCMV infection on gene expression of Wnt-1 and neurogenin 1 (Ngn1) related to neural differentiation were detected by RT-PCR. NSCs isolated from embryonic mouse brains strongly expressed nestin, a specific marker of NSCs and had the capacity to differentiate into NF-200 and NSE positive neurons or GFAP positive astrocytes. At MOI = 1, the results of flow cytometry assay showed that nestin positive cells' proportion in the infection group [(62.2 +/- 1.8)%] was higher than that in the normal group [(37.2 +/- 2.4)%] (t = 4.62, P differentiation, which may be primary causes of disorders of brain development in congenital CMV infection. The decreased
Peer influence: neural mechanisms underlying in-group conformity.
Stallen, Mirre; Smidts, Ale; Sanfey, Alan G
People often conform to the behavior of others with whom they identify. However, it is unclear what fundamental mechanisms underlie this type of conformity. Here, we investigate the processes mediating in-group conformity by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants completed a perceptual decision-making task while undergoing fMRI, during which they were exposed to the judgments of both in-group and out-group members. Our data suggest that conformity to the in-group is mediated by both positive affect as well as the cognitive capacity of perspective taking. Examining the processes that drive in-group conformity by utilizing a basic decision-making paradigm combined with neuroimaging methods provides important insights into the potential mechanisms of conformity. These results may provide an integral step in developing more effective campaigns using group conformity as a tool for behavioral change.
The Neural Mechanisms of Re-Experiencing Mental Fatigue Sensation: A Magnetoencephalography Study
Ishii, Akira; Karasuyama, Takuma; Kikuchi, Taiki; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Emi; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi
There have been several studies which have tried to clarify the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation; however fatigue sensation has multiple aspects. We hypothesized that past experience related to fatigue sensation is an important factor which contributes to future formation of fatigue sensation through the transfer to memories that are located within specific brain structures. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation related to memory. In the present s...
Neural Mechanisms Underlying Cross-Modal Phonetic Encoding.
Shahin, Antoine J; Backer, Kristina C; Rosenblum, Lawrence D; Kerlin, Jess R
Audiovisual (AV) integration is essential for speech comprehension, especially in adverse listening situations. Divergent, but not mutually exclusive, theories have been proposed to explain the neural mechanisms underlying AV integration. One theory advocates that this process occurs via interactions between the auditory and visual cortices, as opposed to fusion of AV percepts in a multisensory integrator. Building upon this idea, we proposed that AV integration in spoken language reflects visually induced weighting of phonetic representations at the auditory cortex. EEG was recorded while male and female human subjects watched and listened to videos of a speaker uttering consonant vowel (CV) syllables /ba/ and /fa/, presented in Auditory-only, AV congruent or incongruent contexts. Subjects reported whether they heard /ba/ or /fa/. We hypothesized that vision alters phonetic encoding by dynamically weighting which phonetic representation in the auditory cortex is strengthened or weakened. That is, when subjects are presented with visual /fa/ and acoustic /ba/ and hear /fa/ ( illusion-fa ), the visual input strengthens the weighting of the phone /f/ representation. When subjects are presented with visual /ba/ and acoustic /fa/ and hear /ba/ ( illusion-ba ), the visual input weakens the weighting of the phone /f/ representation. Indeed, we found an enlarged N1 auditory evoked potential when subjects perceived illusion-ba , and a reduced N1 when they perceived illusion-fa , mirroring the N1 behavior for /ba/ and /fa/ in Auditory-only settings. These effects were especially pronounced in individuals with more robust illusory perception. These findings provide evidence that visual speech modifies phonetic encoding at the auditory cortex. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The current study presents evidence that audiovisual integration in spoken language occurs when one modality (vision) acts on representations of a second modality (audition). Using the McGurk illusion, we show
Neural networks for predictive control of the mechanism of ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
In this paper, we are interested in the study of the control of orientation of a wind turbine like means of optimization of his output/input ratio (efficiency). The approach suggested is based on the neural predictive control which is justified by the randomness of the wind on the one hand, and on the other hand by the capacity of ...
Predictive Acoustic Tracking with an Adaptive Neural Mechanism
model of the lizard peripheral auditory system to extract information regarding sound direction. This information is utilised by a neural machinery to learn the acoustic signal’s velocity through fast and unsupervised correlation-based learning adapted from differential Hebbian learning. This approach...
Neural Mechanisms of Emotion Regulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Richey, J. Anthony; Damiano, Cara R.; Sabatino, Antoinette; Rittenberg, Alison; Petty, Chris; Bizzell, Josh; Voyvodic, James; Heller, Aaron S.; Coffman, Marika C.; Smoski, Moria; Davidson, Richard J.; Dichter, Gabriel S.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by high rates of comorbid internalizing and externalizing disorders. One mechanistic account of these comorbidities is that ASD is characterized by impaired emotion regulation (ER) that results in deficits modulating emotional responses. We assessed neural activation during cognitive reappraisal of…
Neural mechanisms of song memory formation in juvenile zebra finches
Moorman, S.
There are many parallels between the acquisition of spoken language in human infants and song learning in songbirds, at the behavioural, neural, genetic and cognitive levels. Both human infants and juvenile songbirds are able to imitate sounds from adults of the same species (often their parents),
Using c-Jun to identify fear extinction learning-specific patterns of neural activity that are affected by single prolonged stress.
Knox, Dayan; Stanfield, Briana R; Staib, Jennifer M; David, Nina P; DePietro, Thomas; Chamness, Marisa; Schneider, Elizabeth K; Keller, Samantha M; Lawless, Caroline
Neural circuits via which stress leads to disruptions in fear extinction is often explored in animal stress models. Using the single prolonged stress (SPS) model of post traumatic stress disorder and the immediate early gene (IEG) c-Fos as a measure of neural activity, we previously identified patterns of neural activity through which SPS disrupts extinction retention. However, none of these stress effects were specific to fear or extinction learning and memory. C-Jun is another IEG that is sometimes regulated in a different manner to c-Fos and could be used to identify emotional learning/memory specific patterns of neural activity that are sensitive to SPS. Animals were either fear conditioned (CS-fear) or presented with CSs only (CS-only) then subjected to extinction training and testing. C-Jun was then assayed within neural substrates critical for extinction memory. Inhibited c-Jun levels in the hippocampus (Hipp) and enhanced functional connectivity between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) during extinction training was disrupted by SPS in the CS-fear group only. As a result, these effects were specific to emotional learning/memory. SPS also disrupted inhibited Hipp c-Jun levels, enhanced BLA c-Jun levels, and altered functional connectivity among the vmPFC, BLA, and Hipp during extinction testing in SPS rats in the CS-fear and CS-only groups. As a result, these effects were not specific to emotional learning/memory. Our findings suggest that SPS disrupts neural activity specific to extinction memory, but may also disrupt the retention of fear extinction by mechanisms that do not involve emotional learning/memory. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Alternative splicing events identified in human embryonic stem cells and neural progenitors.
Gene W Yeo
Full Text Available Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs and neural progenitor (NP cells are excellent models for recapitulating early neuronal development in vitro, and are key to establishing strategies for the treatment of degenerative disorders. While much effort had been undertaken to analyze transcriptional and epigenetic differences during the transition of hESC to NP, very little work has been performed to understand post-transcriptional changes during neuronal differentiation. Alternative RNA splicing (AS, a major form of post-transcriptional gene regulation, is important in mammalian development and neuronal function. Human ESC, hESC-derived NP, and human central nervous system stem cells were compared using Affymetrix exon arrays. We introduced an outlier detection approach, REAP (Regression-based Exon Array Protocol, to identify 1,737 internal exons that are predicted to undergo AS in NP compared to hESC. Experimental validation of REAP-predicted AS events indicated a threshold-dependent sensitivity ranging from 56% to 69%, at a specificity of 77% to 96%. REAP predictions significantly overlapped sets of alternative events identified using expressed sequence tags and evolutionarily conserved AS events. Our results also reveal that focusing on differentially expressed genes between hESC and NP will overlook 14% of potential AS genes. In addition, we found that REAP predictions are enriched in genes encoding serine/threonine kinase and helicase activities. An example is a REAP-predicted alternative exon in the SLK (serine/threonine kinase 2 gene that is differentially included in hESC, but skipped in NP as well as in other differentiated tissues. Lastly, comparative sequence analysis revealed conserved intronic cis-regulatory elements such as the FOX1/2 binding site GCAUG as being proximal to candidate AS exons, suggesting that FOX1/2 may participate in the regulation of AS in NP and hESC. In summary, a new methodology for exon array analysis was introduced
Identifying apple surface defects using principal components analysis and artifical neural networks
Artificial neural networks and principal components were used to detect surface defects on apples in near-infrared images. Neural networks were trained and tested on sets of principal components derived from columns of pixels from images of apples acquired at two wavelengths (740 nm and 950 nm). I...
Neural mechanisms of oculomotor abnormalities in the infantile strabismus syndrome.
Walton, Mark M G; Pallus, Adam; Fleuriet, Jérome; Mustari, Michael J; Tarczy-Hornoch, Kristina
Infantile strabismus is characterized by numerous visual and oculomotor abnormalities. Recently nonhuman primate models of infantile strabismus have been established, with characteristics that closely match those observed in human patients. This has made it possible to study the neural basis for visual and oculomotor symptoms in infantile strabismus. In this review, we consider the available evidence for neural abnormalities in structures related to oculomotor pathways ranging from visual cortex to oculomotor nuclei. These studies provide compelling evidence that a disturbance of binocular vision during a sensitive period early in life, whatever the cause, results in a cascade of abnormalities through numerous brain areas involved in visual functions and eye movements. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.
Neural Mechanisms of Episodic Retrieval Support Divergent Creative Thinking.
Madore, Kevin P; Thakral, Preston P; Beaty, Roger E; Addis, Donna Rose; Schacter, Daniel L
Prior research has indicated that brain regions and networks that support semantic memory, top-down and bottom-up attention, and cognitive control are all involved in divergent creative thinking. Kernels of evidence suggest that neural processes supporting episodic memory-the retrieval of particular elements of prior experiences-may also be involved in divergent thinking, but such processes have typically been characterized as not very relevant for, or even a hindrance to, creative output. In the present study, we combine functional magnetic resonance imaging with an experimental manipulation to test formally, for the first time, episodic memory's involvement in divergent thinking. Following a manipulation that facilitates detailed episodic retrieval, we observed greater neural activity in the hippocampus and stronger connectivity between a core brain network linked to episodic processing and a frontoparietal brain network linked to cognitive control during divergent thinking relative to an object association control task that requires little divergent thinking. Stronger coupling following the retrieval manipulation extended to a subsequent resting-state scan. Neural effects of the episodic manipulation were consistent with behavioral effects of enhanced idea production on divergent thinking but not object association. The results indicate that conceptual frameworks should accommodate the idea that episodic retrieval can function as a component process of creative idea generation, and highlight how the brain flexibly utilizes the retrieval of episodic details for tasks beyond simple remembering. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Common and distinct neural mechanisms of attentional switching and response conflict.
Kim, Chobok; Johnson, Nathan F; Gold, Brian T
The human capacities for overcoming prepotent actions and flexibly switching between tasks represent cornerstones of cognitive control. Functional neuroimaging has implicated a diverse set of brain regions contributing to each of these cognitive control processes. However, the extent to which attentional switching and response conflict draw on shared or distinct neural mechanisms remains unclear. The current study examined the neural correlates of response conflict and attentional switching using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a fully randomized 2×2 design. We manipulated an arrow-word version of the Stroop task to measure conflict and switching in the context of a single task decision, in response to a common set of stimuli. Under these common conditions, both behavioral and imaging data showed significant main effects of conflict and switching but no interaction. However, conjunction analyses identified frontal regions involved in both switching and response conflict, including the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and left inferior frontal junction. In addition, connectivity analyses demonstrated task-dependent functional connectivity patterns between dACC and inferior temporal cortex for attentional switching and between dACC and posterior parietal cortex for response conflict. These results suggest that the brain makes use of shared frontal regions, but can dynamically modulate the connectivity patterns of some of those regions, to deal with attentional switching and response conflict. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Prediction of vibration characteristics of a planar mechanism having imperfect joints using neural network
Erkaya, Selcuk
Clearance is inevitable in the joints of mechanisms due primarily to the design, manufacturing and assembly processes or a wear effect. Excessive value of joint clearance plays a crucial role and has a significant effect on the kinematic and dynamic performances of the mechanism. In this study, effects of joint clearances on bearing vibrations of mechanism are investigated. An experimental test rig is set up, and a planar slider-crank mechanism having two imperfect joints with radial clearance is used as a model mechanism. Three accelerometers are positioned at different points to measure the bearing vibrations during the mechanism motion. For the different running speeds and clearance sizes, this work provides a neural model to predict and estimate the bearing vibrations of the mechanical systems having imperfect joints. The results show that radial basis function (RBF) neural network has a superior performance for predicting and estimating the vibration characteristics of the mechanical system
Molecular Dynamics Simulations with Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics and Adaptive Neural Networks.
Shen, Lin; Yang, Weitao
Direct molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with ab initio quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) methods is very powerful for studying the mechanism of chemical reactions in a complex environment but also very time-consuming. The computational cost of QM/MM calculations during MD simulations can be reduced significantly using semiempirical QM/MM methods with lower accuracy. To achieve higher accuracy at the ab initio QM/MM level, a correction on the existing semiempirical QM/MM model is an attractive idea. Recently, we reported a neural network (NN) method as QM/MM-NN to predict the potential energy difference between semiempirical and ab initio QM/MM approaches. The high-level results can be obtained using neural network based on semiempirical QM/MM MD simulations, but the lack of direct MD samplings at the ab initio QM/MM level is still a deficiency that limits the applications of QM/MM-NN. In the present paper, we developed a dynamic scheme of QM/MM-NN for direct MD simulations on the NN-predicted potential energy surface to approximate ab initio QM/MM MD. Since some configurations excluded from the database for NN training were encountered during simulations, which may cause some difficulties on MD samplings, an adaptive procedure inspired by the selection scheme reported by Behler [ Behler Int. J. Quantum Chem. 2015 , 115 , 1032 ; Behler Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2017 , 56 , 12828 ] was employed with some adaptions to update NN and carry out MD iteratively. We further applied the adaptive QM/MM-NN MD method to the free energy calculation and transition path optimization on chemical reactions in water. The results at the ab initio QM/MM level can be well reproduced using this method after 2-4 iteration cycles. The saving in computational cost is about 2 orders of magnitude. It demonstrates that the QM/MM-NN with direct MD simulations has great potentials not only for the calculation of thermodynamic properties but also for the characterization of
Psychological and neural mechanisms of experimental extinction: a selective review.
Delamater, Andrew R; Westbrook, R Frederick
The present review examines key psychological concepts in the study of experimental extinction and implications these have for an understanding of the underlying neurobiology of extinction learning. We suggest that many of the signature characteristics of extinction learning (spontaneous recovery, renewal, reinstatement, rapid reacquisition) can be accommodated by the standard associative learning theory assumption that extinction results in partial erasure of the original learning together with new inhibitory learning. Moreover, we consider recent behavioral and neural evidence that supports the partial erasure view of extinction, but also note shortcomings in our understanding of extinction circuits as these relate to the negative prediction error concept. Recent work suggests that common prediction error and stimulus-specific prediction error terms both may be required to explain neural plasticity both in acquisition and extinction learning. In addition, we suggest that many issues in the content of extinction learning have not been fully addressed in current research, but that neurobiological approaches should be especially helpful in addressing such issues. These include questions about the nature of extinction learning (excitatory CS-No US, inhibitory CS-US learning, occasion setting processes), especially as this relates to studies of the micro-circuitry of extinction, as well as its representational content (sensory, motivational, response). An additional understudied problem in extinction research is the role played by attention processes and their underlying neural networks, although some research and theory converge on the idea that extinction is accompanied by attention decrements (i.e., habituation-like processes). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Neural Mechanisms of Cognitive Dissonance (Revised): An EEG Study.
Colosio, Marco; Shestakova, Anna; Nikulin, Vadim V; Blagovechtchenski, Evgeny; Klucharev, Vasily
Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that our preferences are modulated by the mere act of choosing. A choice between two similarly valued alternatives creates psychological tension (cognitive dissonance) that is reduced by a postdecisional reevaluation of the alternatives. We measured EEG of human subjects during rest and free-choice paradigm. Our study demonstrates that choices associated with stronger cognitive dissonance trigger a larger negative frontocentral evoked response similar to error-related negativity, which has in turn been implicated in general performance monitoring. Furthermore, the amplitude of the evoked response is correlated with the reevaluation of the alternatives. We also found a link between individual neural dynamics (long-range temporal correlations) of the frontocentral cortices during rest and follow-up neural and behavioral effects of cognitive dissonance. Individuals with stronger resting-state long-range temporal correlations demonstrated a greater postdecisional reevaluation of the alternatives and larger evoked brain responses associated with stronger cognitive dissonance. Thus, our results suggest that cognitive dissonance is reflected in both resting-state and choice-related activity of the prefrontal cortex as part of the general performance-monitoring circuitry. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Contrary to traditional decision theory, behavioral studies repeatedly demonstrate that our preferences are modulated by the mere act of choosing. Difficult choices generate psychological (cognitive) dissonance, which is reduced by the postdecisional devaluation of unchosen options. We found that decisions associated with a higher level of cognitive dissonance elicited a stronger negative frontocentral deflection that peaked ∼60 ms after the response. This activity shares similar spatial and temporal features as error-related negativity, the electrophysiological correlate of performance monitoring. Furthermore, the frontocentral resting
Neural mechanisms underlying melodic perception and memory for pitch.
Zatorre, R J; Evans, A C; Meyer, E
The neural correlates of music perception were studied by measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes with positron emission tomography (PET). Twelve volunteers were scanned using the bolus water method under four separate conditions: (1) listening to a sequence of noise bursts, (2) listening to unfamiliar tonal melodies, (3) comparing the pitch of the first two notes of the same set of melodies, and (4) comparing the pitch of the first and last notes of the melodies. The latter two conditions were designed to investigate short-term pitch retention under low or high memory load, respectively. Subtraction of the obtained PET images, superimposed on matched MRI scans, provides anatomical localization of CBF changes associated with specific cognitive functions. Listening to melodies, relative to acoustically matched noise sequences, resulted in CBF increases in the right superior temporal and right occipital cortices. Pitch judgments of the first two notes of each melody, relative to passive listening to the same stimuli, resulted in right frontal-lobe activation. Analysis of the high memory load condition relative to passive listening revealed the participation of a number of cortical and subcortical regions, notably in the right frontal and right temporal lobes, as well as in parietal and insular cortex. Both pitch judgment conditions also revealed CBF decreases within the left primary auditory cortex. We conclude that specialized neural systems in the right superior temporal cortex participate in perceptual analysis of melodies; pitch comparisons are effected via a neural network that includes right prefrontal cortex, but active retention of pitch involves the interaction of right temporal and frontal cortices.
A state space approach for piecewise-linear recurrent neural networks for identifying computational dynamics from neural measurements.
Daniel Durstewitz
Full Text Available The computational and cognitive properties of neural systems are often thought to be implemented in terms of their (stochastic network dynamics. Hence, recovering the system dynamics from experimentally observed neuronal time series, like multiple single-unit recordings or neuroimaging data, is an important step toward understanding its computations. Ideally, one would not only seek a (lower-dimensional state space representation of the dynamics, but would wish to have access to its statistical properties and their generative equations for in-depth analysis. Recurrent neural networks (RNNs are a computationally powerful and dynamically universal formal framework which has been extensively studied from both the computational and the dynamical systems perspective. Here we develop a semi-analytical maximum-likelihood estimation scheme for piecewise-linear RNNs (PLRNNs within the statistical framework of state space models, which accounts for noise in both the underlying latent dynamics and the observation process. The Expectation-Maximization algorithm is used to infer the latent state distribution, through a global Laplace approximation, and the PLRNN parameters iteratively. After validating the procedure on toy examples, and using inference through particle filters for comparison, the approach is applied to multiple single-unit recordings from the rodent anterior cingulate cortex (ACC obtained during performance of a classical working memory task, delayed alternation. Models estimated from kernel-smoothed spike time data were able to capture the essential computational dynamics underlying task performance, including stimulus-selective delay activity. The estimated models were rarely multi-stable, however, but rather were tuned to exhibit slow dynamics in the vicinity of a bifurcation point. In summary, the present work advances a semi-analytical (thus reasonably fast maximum-likelihood estimation framework for PLRNNs that may enable to recover
Use of neural networks to identify transient operating conditions in nuclear power plants
Uhrig, R.E.; Guo, Z.
A technique using neural networks as a means of diagnosing specific abnormal conditions or problems in nuclear power plants is investigated and found to be feasible. The technique is based on the fact that each physical state of the plant can be represented by a unique pattern of instrument readings, which can be related to the condition of the plant. Neural networks are used to relate this pattern to the fault or problem. 3 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs
Neural Mechanisms of Circadian Regulation of Natural and Drug Reward
Lauren M. DePoy
Full Text Available Circadian rhythms are endogenously generated near 24-hour variations of physiological and behavioral functions. In humans, disruptions to the circadian system are associated with negative health outcomes, including metabolic, immune, and psychiatric diseases, such as addiction. Animal models suggest bidirectional relationships between the circadian system and drugs of abuse, whereby desynchrony, misalignment, or disruption may promote vulnerability to drug use and the transition to addiction, while exposure to drugs of abuse may entrain, disrupt, or perturb the circadian timing system. Recent evidence suggests natural (i.e., food and drug rewards may influence overlapping neural circuitry, and the circadian system may modulate the physiological and behavioral responses to these stimuli. Environmental disruptions, such as shifting schedules or shorter/longer days, influence food and drug intake, and certain mutations of circadian genes that control cellular rhythms are associated with altered behavioral reward. We highlight the more recent findings associating circadian rhythms to reward function, linking environmental and genetic evidence to natural and drug reward and related neural circuitry.
Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Simulations Identify the Ring-Opening Mechanism of Creatininase.
Jitonnom, Jitrayut; Mujika, Jon I; van der Kamp, Marc W; Mulholland, Adrian J
Creatininase catalyzes the conversion of creatinine (a biosensor for kidney function) to creatine via a two-step mechanism: water addition followed by ring opening. Water addition is common to other known cyclic amidohydrolases, but the precise mechanism for ring opening is still under debate. The proton donor in this step is either His178 or a water molecule bound to one of the metal ions, and the roles of His178 and Glu122 are unclear. Here, the two possible reaction pathways have been fully examined by means of combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics simulations at the SCC-DFTB/CHARMM22 level of theory. The results indicate that His178 is the main catalytic residue for the whole reaction and explain its role as proton shuttle during the ring-opening step. In the first step, His178 provides electrostatic stabilization to the gem-diolate tetrahedral intermediate. In the second step, His178 abstracts the hydroxyl proton of the intermediate and delivers it to the cyclic amide nitrogen, leading to ring opening. The latter is the rate-limiting step with a free energy barrier of 18.5 kcal/mol, in agreement with the experiment. We find that Glu122 must be protonated during the enzyme reaction, so that it can form a stable hydrogen bond with its neighboring water molecule. Simulations of the E122Q mutant showed that this replacement disrupts the H-bond network formed by three conserved residues (Glu34, Ser78, and Glu122) and water, increasing the energy barrier. Our computational studies provide a comprehensive explanation for previous structural and kinetic observations, including why the H178A mutation causes a complete loss of activity but the E122Q mutation does not.
Dynamics in microbial communities: Unraveling mechanisms to identify principles
Konopka, Allan; Lindemann, Stephen R.; Fredrickson, Jim K.
Diversity begets higher order properties such as functional stability and robustness in microbial communities, but principles that inform conceptual (and eventually predictive) models of community dynamics are lacking. Recent work has shown that selection as well as dispersal and drift shape communities, but the mechanistic bases for assembly of communities and the forces that maintain their function in the face of environmental perturbation are not well understood. Conceptually, some interactions among community members could generate endogenous dynamics in composition, even in the absence of environmental changes. These endogenous dynamics are further perturbed by exogenous forcing factors to produce a richer network of community interactions, and it is this “system� that is the basis for higher order community properties. Elucidation of principles that follow from this conceptual model requires identifying the mechanisms that (a) optimize diversity within a community and (b) impart community stability. The network of interactions between organisms can be an important element by providing a buffer against disturbance beyond the effect of functional redundancy, as alternative pathways with different combinations of microbes can be recruited to fulfill specific functions.
Neural mechanisms of peristalsis in the isolated rabbit distal colon: a neuromechanical loop hypothesis.
Dinning, Phil G; Wiklendt, Lukasz; Omari, Taher; Arkwright, John W; Spencer, Nick J; Brookes, Simon J H; Costa, Marcello
Propulsive contractions of circular muscle are largely responsible for the movements of content along the digestive tract. Mechanical and electrophysiological recordings of isolated colonic circular muscle have demonstrated that localized distension activates ascending and descending interneuronal pathways, evoking contraction orally and relaxation anally. These polarized enteric reflex pathways can theoretically be sequentially activated by the mechanical stimulation of the advancing contents. Here, we test the hypothesis that initiation and propagation of peristaltic contractions involves a neuromechanical loop; that is an initial gut distension activates local and oral reflex contraction and anal reflex relaxation, the subsequent movement of content then acts as new mechanical stimulus triggering sequentially reflex contractions/relaxations at each point of the gut resulting in a propulsive peristaltic contraction. In fluid filled isolated rabbit distal colon, we combined spatiotemporal mapping of gut diameter and intraluminal pressure with a new analytical method, allowing us to identify when and where active (neurally-driven) contraction or relaxation occurs. Our data indicate that gut dilation is associated with propagating peristaltic contractions, and that the associated level of dilation is greater than that preceding non-propagating contractions (2.7 ± 1.4 mm vs. 1.6 ± 1.2 mm; P polarized enteric circuits. These produce propulsion of the bolus which activates further anally, polarized enteric circuits by distension, thus closing the neuromechanical loop.
Surface electromyographic amplitude does not identify differences in neural drive to synergistic muscles.
Martinez-Valdes, Eduardo; Negro, Francesco; Falla, Deborah; De Nunzio, Alessandro Marco; Farina, Dario
Surface electromyographic (EMG) signal amplitude is typically used to compare the neural drive to muscles. We experimentally investigated this association by studying the motor unit (MU) behavior and action potentials in the vastus medialis (VM) and vastus lateralis (VL) muscles. Eighteen participants performed isometric knee extensions at four target torques [10, 30, 50, and 70% of the maximum torque (MVC)] while high-density EMG signals were recorded from the VM and VL. The absolute EMG amplitude was greater for VM than VL ( P differences in EMG amplitude can be due to both differences in the neural drive and in the size of the MU action potentials, we indirectly inferred the neural drives received by the two muscles by estimating the synaptic inputs received by the corresponding motor neuron pools. For this purpose, we analyzed the increase in discharge rate from recruitment to target torque for motor units matched by recruitment threshold in the two muscles. This analysis indicated that the two muscles received similar levels of neural drive. Nonetheless, the size of the MU action potentials was greater for VM than VL ( P difference explained most of the differences in EMG amplitude between the two muscles (~63% of explained variance). These results indicate that EMG amplitude, even following normalization, does not reflect the neural drive to synergistic muscles. Moreover, absolute EMG amplitude is mainly explained by the size of MU action potentials. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Electromyographic (EMG) amplitude is widely used to compare indirectly the strength of neural drive received by synergistic muscles. However, there are no studies validating this approach with motor unit data. Here, we compared between-muscles differences in surface EMG amplitude and motor unit behavior. The results clarify the limitations of surface EMG to interpret differences in neural drive between muscles.
A simple mechanical system for studying adaptive oscillatory neural networks
Jouffroy, Guillaume; Jouffroy, Jerome
Central Pattern Generators (CPG) are oscillatory systems that are responsible for generating rhythmic patterns at the origin of many biological activities such as for example locomotion or digestion. These systems are generally modelled as recurrent neural networks whose parameters are tuned so...... that the network oscillates in a suitable way, this tuning being a non trivial task. It also appears that the link with the physical body that these oscillatory entities control has a fundamental importance, and it seems that most bodies used for experimental validation in the literature (walking robots, lamprey...... a brief description of the Roller-Racer, we present as a preliminary study an RNN-based feed-forward controller whose parameters are obtained through the well-known teacher forcing learning algorithm, extended to learn signals with a continuous component....
Believing versus interacting: Behavioural and neural mechanisms underlying interpersonal coordination
Konvalinka, Ivana; Bauer, Markus; Kilner, James
When two people engage in a bidirectional interaction with each other, they use both bottom-up sensorimotor mechanisms such as monitoring and adapting to the behaviour of the other, as well as top-down cognitive processes, modulating their beliefs and allowing them to make decisions. Most research...... in joint action has investigated only one of these mechanisms at a time – low-level processes underlying joint coordination, or high-level cognitive mechanisms that give insight into how people think about another. In real interactions, interplay between these two mechanisms modulates how we interact...
Neural mechanisms of the mind, Aristotle, Zadeh, and fMRI.
Perlovsky, Leonid I
Processes in the mind: perception, cognition, concepts, instincts, emotions, and higher cognitive abilities for abstract thinking, beautiful music are considered here within a neural modeling fields (NMFs) paradigm. Its fundamental mathematical mechanism is a process "from vague-fuzzy to crisp," called dynamic logic (DL). This paper discusses why this paradigm is necessary mathematically, and relates it to a psychological description of the mind. Surprisingly, the process from "vague to crisp" corresponds to Aristotelian understanding of mental functioning. Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements confirmed this process in neural mechanisms of perception.
An automated high throughput screening-compatible assay to identify regulators of stem cell neural differentiation.
Casalino, Laura; Magnani, Dario; De Falco, Sandro; Filosa, Stefania; Minchiotti, Gabriella; Patriarca, Eduardo J; De Cesare, Dario
The use of Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) holds considerable promise both for drug discovery programs and the treatment of degenerative disorders in regenerative medicine approaches. Nevertheless, the successful use of ESCs is still limited by the lack of efficient control of ESC self-renewal and differentiation capabilities. In this context, the possibility to modulate ESC biological properties and to obtain homogenous populations of correctly specified cells will help developing physiologically relevant screens, designed for the identification of stem cell modulators. Here, we developed a high throughput screening-suitable ESC neural differentiation assay by exploiting the Cell(maker) robotic platform and demonstrated that neural progenies can be generated from ESCs in complete automation, with high standards of accuracy and reliability. Moreover, we performed a pilot screening providing proof of concept that this assay allows the identification of regulators of ESC neural differentiation in full automation.
Neural signal processing for identifying failed fuel rods in nuclear reactors
Seixas, Jose M. de; Soares Filho, William; Pereira, Wagner C.A.; Teles, Claudio C.B.
Ultrasonic pulses were used for automatic detection of failed nuclear fuel rods. For experimental tests of the proposed method, an assembly prototype of 16 x 16 rods was built by using genuine rods but without fuel inside (just air). Some rods were partially filled with water to simulate cracked rods. Using neural signal processing on the received echoes of the emitted ultrasonic pulses, a detection efficiency of 97% was obtained. Neural detection is shown to outperform other classical discriminating methods and can also reveal important features of the signal structure of the received echoes. (author)
Neural Vascular Mechanism for the Cerebral Blood Flow Autoregulation after Hemorrhagic Stroke
Ming Xiao
Full Text Available During the initial stages of hemorrhagic stroke, including intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage, the reflex mechanisms are activated to protect cerebral perfusion, but secondary dysfunction of cerebral flow autoregulation will eventually reduce global cerebral blood flow and the delivery of metabolic substrates, leading to generalized cerebral ischemia, hypoxia, and ultimately, neuronal cell death. Cerebral blood flow is controlled by various regulatory mechanisms, including prevailing arterial pressure, intracranial pressure, arterial blood gases, neural activity, and metabolic demand. Evoked by the concept of vascular neural network, the unveiled neural vascular mechanism gains more and more attentions. Astrocyte, neuron, pericyte, endothelium, and so forth are formed as a communicate network to regulate with each other as well as the cerebral blood flow. However, the signaling molecules responsible for this communication between these new players and blood vessels are yet to be definitively confirmed. Recent evidence suggested the pivotal role of transcriptional mechanism, including but not limited to miRNA, lncRNA, exosome, and so forth, for the cerebral blood flow autoregulation. In the present review, we sought to summarize the hemodynamic changes and underline neural vascular mechanism for cerebral blood flow autoregulation in stroke-prone state and after hemorrhagic stroke and hopefully provide more systematic and innovative research interests for the pathophysiology and therapeutic strategies of hemorrhagic stroke.
Uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying learning from tests.
Xiaonan L Liu
Full Text Available People learn better when re-study opportunities are replaced with tests. While researchers have begun to speculate on why testing is superior to study, few studies have directly examined the neural underpinnings of this effect. In this fMRI study, participants engaged in a study phase to learn arbitrary word pairs, followed by a cued recall test (recall second half of pair when cued with first word of pair, re-study of each pair, and finally another cycle of cued recall tests. Brain activation patterns during the first test (recall of the studied pairs predicts performance on the second test. Importantly, while subsequent memory analyses of encoding trials also predict later accuracy, the brain regions involved in predicting later memory success are more extensive for activity during retrieval (testing than during encoding (study. Those additional regions that predict subsequent memory based on their activation at test but not at encoding may be key to understanding the basis of the testing effect.
Neural mechanism underlying autobiographical memory modulated by remoteness and emotion
Ge, Ruiyang; Fu, Yan; Wang, DaHua; Yao, Li; Long, Zhiying
Autobiographical memory is the ability to recollect past events from one's own life. Both emotional tone and memory remoteness can influence autobiographical memory retrieval along the time axis of one's life. Although numerous studies have been performed to investigate brain regions involved in retrieving processes of autobiographical memory, the effect of emotional tone and memory age on autobiographical memory retrieval remains to be clarified. Moreover, whether the involvement of hippocampus in consolidation of autobiographical events is time dependent or independent has been controversial. In this study, we investigated the effect of memory remoteness (factor1: recent and remote) and emotional valence (factor2: positive and negative) on neural correlates underlying autobiographical memory by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique. Although all four conditions activated some common regions known as "core" regions in autobiographical memory retrieval, there are some other regions showing significantly different activation for recent versus remote and positive versus negative memories. In particular, we found that bilateral hippocampal regions were activated in the four conditions regardless of memory remoteness and emotional valence. Thus, our study confirmed some findings of previous studies and provided further evidence to support the multi-trace theory which believes that the role of hippocampus involved in autobiographical memory retrieval is time-independent and permanent in memory consolidation.
Neural mechanisms of memory retrieval: role of the prefrontal cortex.
Hasegawa, I
In the primate brain, long-term memory is stored in the neocortical association area which is also engaged in sensory perception. The coded representation of memory is retrieved via interactions of hierarchically different cortical areas along bottom-up and top-down anatomical connections. The functional significance of the fronto-cortical top-down neuronal projections has been relevantly assessed in a new experimental paradigm using posterior-split-brain monkeys. When the splenium of the corpus callosum and the anterior commissure were selectively split, the bottom-up visual signal originating from the unilateral striate cortex could not reach the contralateral visual cortical areas. In this preparation, long-term memory acquired through visual stimulus-stimulus association learning was prevented from transferring across hemispheres. Nonetheless, following the presentation of a visual cue to one hemisphere, the prefrontal cortex could instruct the contralateral hemisphere to retrieve the correct stimulus specified by the cue. These results support the hypothesis that the prefrontal cortex can regulate memory recall in the absence of bottom-up sensory input. In humans, functional neuroimaging studies have revealed activation of a distributed neural network, including the prefrontal cortex, during memory retrieval tasks. Thus, the prefrontal cortex is consistently involved in retrieval of long-term memory in primates.
Neural Mechanisms of Illusory Motion: Evidence from ERP Study
Xu Y. A. N. Yun
Full Text Available ERPs were used to examine the neural correlates of illusory motion, by presenting the Rice Wave illusion (CI, its two variants (WI and NI and a real motion video (RM. Results showed that: Firstly, RM elicited a more negative deflection than CI, NI and WI between 200–350ms. Secondly, between 500–600ms, CI elicited a more positive deflection than NI and WI, and RM elicited a more positive deflection than CI, what's more interesting was the sequential enhancement of brain activity with the corresponding motion strength. We inferred that the former component might reflect the successful encoding of the local motion signals in detectors at the lower stage; while the latter one might be involved in the intensive representations of visual input in real/illusory motion perception, this was the whole motion-signal organization in the later stage of motion perception. Finally, between 1185–1450 ms, a significant positive component was found between illusory/real motion tasks than NI (no motion. Overall, we demonstrated that there was a stronger deflection under the corresponding lager motion strength. These results reflected not only the different temporal patterns between illusory and real motion but also extending to their distinguishing working memory representation and storage.
Mechanisms of Virus-Induced Neural Cell Death
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Tyler, Kenneth
Virtually all known neurotropic viruses are capable of killing infected cells by inducing a specific pattern of cell death known as apoptosis, yet the mechanism by which this occurs and its relevance...
The use of skewness, kurtosis and neural networks for determining corrosion mechanism from electrochemical noise data
Reid, S.; Bell, G.E.C.; Edgemon, G.L.
This paper describes the work undertaken to de-skill the complex procedure of determining corrosion mechanisms derived from electrochemical noise data. The use of neural networks is discussed and applied to the real time generated electrochemical noise data files with the purpose of determining characteristics particular to individual types of corrosion mechanisms. The electrochemical noise signals can have a wide dynamic range and various methods of raw data pre-processing prior to neural network analysis were investigated. Normalized data were ultimately used as input to the final network analysis. Various network schemes were designed, trained and tested. Factors such as the network learning schedule and network design were considered before a final network was implemented to achieve a solution. Neural networks trained using general and localized corrosion data from various material environment systems were used to analyze data from simulated nuclear waste tank environments with favorable results
Identifying beneficial task relations for multi-task learning in deep neural networks
Bingel, Joachim; Søgaard, Anders
Multi-task learning (MTL) in deep neural networks for NLP has recently received increasing interest due to some compelling benefits, including its potential to efficiently regularize models and to reduce the need for labeled data. While it has brought significant improvements in a number of NLP...
Evaluation of neural networks to identify types of activity using accelerometers
Vries, S.I. de; Garre, F.G.; Engbers, L.H.; Hildebrandt, V.H.; Buuren, S. van
Purpose: To develop and evaluate two artificial neural network (ANN) models based on single-sensor accelerometer data and an ANN model based on the data of two accelerometers for the identification of types of physical activity in adults. Methods: Forty-nine subjects (21 men and 28 women; age range
Neural mechanisms of reinforcement learning in unmedicated patients with major depressive disorder.
Rothkirch, Marcus; Tonn, Jonas; Köhler, Stephan; Sterzer, Philipp
According to current concepts, major depressive disorder is strongly related to dysfunctional neural processing of motivational information, entailing impairments in reinforcement learning. While computational modelling can reveal the precise nature of neural learning signals, it has not been used to study learning-related neural dysfunctions in unmedicated patients with major depressive disorder so far. We thus aimed at comparing the neural coding of reward and punishment prediction errors, representing indicators of neural learning-related processes, between unmedicated patients with major depressive disorder and healthy participants. To this end, a group of unmedicated patients with major depressive disorder (n = 28) and a group of age- and sex-matched healthy control participants (n = 30) completed an instrumental learning task involving monetary gains and losses during functional magnetic resonance imaging. The two groups did not differ in their learning performance. Patients and control participants showed the same level of prediction error-related activity in the ventral striatum and the anterior insula. In contrast, neural coding of reward prediction errors in the medial orbitofrontal cortex was reduced in patients. Moreover, neural reward prediction error signals in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and ventral striatum showed negative correlations with anhedonia severity. Using a standard instrumental learning paradigm we found no evidence for an overall impairment of reinforcement learning in medication-free patients with major depressive disorder. Importantly, however, the attenuated neural coding of reward in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and the relation between anhedonia and reduced reward prediction error-signalling in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and ventral striatum likely reflect an impairment in experiencing pleasure from rewarding events as a key mechanism of anhedonia in major depressive disorder. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford
Neural mechanisms of voluntary and involuntary recall: a PET study.
Hall, Nicoline Marie; Gjedde, Albert; Kupers, Ron
Neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies on episodic memory retrieval have primarily focused on volitional memory tasks. However, some conscious memories arise involuntarily, i.e. without a strategic retrieval attempt, yet little is known about the neural network underlying involuntary episodic memory. The aim of this study was to determine whether voluntary and involuntary recall are mediated by separate cortical networks. We used positron emission tomography (PET) to measure changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in 12 healthy subjects during voluntary and involuntary cued recall of pictures and a control condition with no episodic memory requirements. Involuntary recall was elicited by using an incidental memory task. Compared to the control condition, voluntary and involuntary recall were both associated with significant regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) increases in posterior cingulate gyrus (PCG; BA 23), left precuneus (BA 7), and right parahippocampal gyrus (BA 35/36). In addition, rCBF in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC; BA 8/9) and left precuneus (BA 7) was significantly larger during voluntary compared to involuntary recall, while rCBF was enhanced in left dorsolateral PFC (BA 9) during involuntary recall. The findings corroborate an association of the right PFC with a strategic component of episodic memory retrieval. Moreover, they show for the first time that it is possible to activate the medial temporal lobe, the PCG, and the precuneus, regions normally associated with retrieval success, without this strategic element. The relatively higher activity in precuneus during voluntary compared to involuntary recall suggests that activity in this region co-varies not only with retrieval success but also with retrieval intentionality.
The Neural Mechanisms Underlying Internally and Externally Guided Task Selection
Orr, Joseph M.; Banich, Marie T.
While some prior work suggests that medial prefrontal cortex (MFC) regions mediate freely chosen actions, other work suggests that the lateral frontal pole (LFP) is responsible for control of abstract, internal goals. The present study uses fMRI to determine whether the voluntary selection of a task in pursuit of an overall goal relies on MFC regions or the LFP. To do so, we used a modified voluntary task switching (VTS) paradigm, in which participants choose an individual task to perform on each trial (i.e., a subgoal), under instructions to perform the tasks equally often and in a random order (i.e. the overall goal). In conjunction, we examined patterns of activation in the face of irrelevant, but task-related external stimuli that might nonetheless influence task selection. While there was some evidence that the MFC was involved in voluntary task selection, we found that the LFP and anterior insula (AI) were crucial to task selection in the pursuit of an overall goal. In addition, activation of the LFP and AI increased in the face of environmental stimuli that might serve as an interfering or conflicting external bias on voluntary task choice. These findings suggest that the LFP supports task selection according to abstract, internal goals, and leaves open the possibility that MFC may guide action selection in situations lacking in such top-down biases. As such, the current study represents a critical step towards understanding the neural underpinnings of how tasks are selected voluntarily to enable an overarching goal. PMID:23994316
Statistical mechanics of complex neural systems and high dimensional data
Advani, Madhu; Lahiri, Subhaneil; Ganguli, Surya
Recent experimental advances in neuroscience have opened new vistas into the immense complexity of neuronal networks. This proliferation of data challenges us on two parallel fronts. First, how can we form adequate theoretical frameworks for understanding how dynamical network processes cooperate across widely disparate spatiotemporal scales to solve important computational problems? Second, how can we extract meaningful models of neuronal systems from high dimensional datasets? To aid in these challenges, we give a pedagogical review of a collection of ideas and theoretical methods arising at the intersection of statistical physics, computer science and neurobiology. We introduce the interrelated replica and cavity methods, which originated in statistical physics as powerful ways to quantitatively analyze large highly heterogeneous systems of many interacting degrees of freedom. We also introduce the closely related notion of message passing in graphical models, which originated in computer science as a distributed algorithm capable of solving large inference and optimization problems involving many coupled variables. We then show how both the statistical physics and computer science perspectives can be applied in a wide diversity of contexts to problems arising in theoretical neuroscience and data analysis. Along the way we discuss spin glasses, learning theory, illusions of structure in noise, random matrices, dimensionality reduction and compressed sensing, all within the unified formalism of the replica method. Moreover, we review recent conceptual connections between message passing in graphical models, and neural computation and learning. Overall, these ideas illustrate how statistical physics and computer science might provide a lens through which we can uncover emergent computational functions buried deep within the dynamical complexities of neuronal networks. (paper)
Neural Mechanisms of Updating under Reducible and Irreducible Uncertainty.
Kobayashi, Kenji; Hsu, Ming
Adaptive decision making depends on an agent's ability to use environmental signals to reduce uncertainty. However, because of multiple types of uncertainty, agents must take into account not only the extent to which signals violate prior expectations but also whether uncertainty can be reduced in the first place. Here we studied how human brains of both sexes respond to signals under conditions of reducible and irreducible uncertainty. We show behaviorally that subjects' value updating was sensitive to the reducibility of uncertainty, and could be quantitatively characterized by a Bayesian model where agents ignore expectancy violations that do not update beliefs or values. Using fMRI, we found that neural processes underlying belief and value updating were separable from responses to expectancy violation, and that reducibility of uncertainty in value modulated connections from belief-updating regions to value-updating regions. Together, these results provide insights into how agents use knowledge about uncertainty to make better decisions while ignoring mere expectancy violation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To make good decisions, a person must observe the environment carefully, and use these observations to reduce uncertainty about consequences of actions. Importantly, uncertainty should not be reduced purely based on how surprising the observations are, particularly because in some cases uncertainty is not reducible. Here we show that the human brain indeed reduces uncertainty adaptively by taking into account the nature of uncertainty and ignoring mere surprise. Behaviorally, we show that human subjects reduce uncertainty in a quasioptimal Bayesian manner. Using fMRI, we characterize brain regions that may be involved in uncertainty reduction, as well as the network they constitute, and dissociate them from brain regions that respond to mere surprise. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/376972-11$15.00/0.
Psychological and neural mechanisms of subjective time dilation
Virginie evan Wassenhove
Full Text Available For a given physical duration, certain events can be experienced as subjectively longer in duration than others. Try this for yourself: take a quick glance at the second hand of a clock. Immediately, the tick will pause momentarily and appear to be longer than the subsequent ticks. Yet, they all last exactly one second. By and large, a deviant or an unexpected stimulus in a series of similar events (same duration, same features can elicit a relative overestimation of subjective time (or "time dilation" but, as is shown here, this is not always the case. We conducted an event-related functional magnetic neuroimaging (fMRI study on the time dilation effect. Participants were presented with a series of five visual discs, all static and of equal duration (standards except for the fourth one, a looming or a receding target. The duration of the target was systematically varied and participants judged whether it was shorter or longer than all other standards in the sequence. Subjective time dilation was observed for the looming stimulus but not for the receding one, which was estimated to be of equal duration to the standards. The neural activation for targets (looming and receding contrasted with the standards revealed an increased activation of the anterior insula and of the anterior cingulate cortex. Contrasting the looming with the receding targets (i.e. capturing the time dilation effect proper revealed a specific activation of cortical midline structures. The implication of midline structures in the time dilation illusion is here interpreted in the context of self-referential processes.
Mechanisms and Neural Basis of Object and Pattern Recognition: A Study with Chess Experts
Bilalic, Merim; Langner, Robert; Erb, Michael; Grodd, Wolfgang
Comparing experts with novices offers unique insights into the functioning of cognition, based on the maximization of individual differences. Here we used this expertise approach to disentangle the mechanisms and neural basis behind two processes that contribute to everyday expertise: object and pattern recognition. We compared chess experts and…
An Adaptive Neural Mechanism for Acoustic Motion Perception with Varying Sparsity.
Biological motion-sensitive neural circuits are quite adept in perceiving the relative motion of a relevant stimulus. Motion perception is a fundamental ability in neural sensory processing and crucial in target tracking tasks. Tracking a stimulus entails the ability to perceive its motion, i.e., extracting information about its direction and velocity. Here we focus on auditory motion perception of sound stimuli, which is poorly understood as compared to its visual counterpart. In earlier work we have developed a bio-inspired neural learning mechanism for acoustic motion perception. The mechanism extracts directional information via a model of the peripheral auditory system of lizards. The mechanism uses only this directional information obtained via specific motor behaviour to learn the angular velocity of unoccluded sound stimuli in motion. In nature however the stimulus being tracked may be occluded by artefacts in the environment, such as an escaping prey momentarily disappearing behind a cover of trees. This article extends the earlier work by presenting a comparative investigation of auditory motion perception for unoccluded and occluded tonal sound stimuli with a frequency of 2.2 kHz in both simulation and practice. Three instances of each stimulus are employed, differing in their movement velocities-0.5°/time step, 1.0°/time step and 1.5°/time step. To validate the approach in practice, we implement the proposed neural mechanism on a wheeled mobile robot and evaluate its performance in auditory tracking.
Neural Mechanisms of Encoding Social and Non-Social Context Information in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Greimel, Ellen; Nehrkorn, Barbara; Fink, Gereon R.; Kukolja, Juraj; Kohls, Gregor; Muller, Kristin; Piefke, Martina; Kamp-Becker, Inge; Remschmidt, Helmut; Herpertz-Dahlmann, Beate; Konrad, Kerstin; Schulte-Ruther, Martin
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often fail to attach context to their memories and are specifically impaired in processing social aspects of contextual information. The aim of the present study was to investigate the modulatory influence of social vs. non-social context on neural mechanisms during encoding in ASD. Using…
Neural Mechanisms of Interference Control and Time Discrimination in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Vloet, Timo D.; Gilsbach, Susanne; Neufang, Susanne; Fink, Gereon R.; Herpertz-Dahlmann, Beate; Konrad, Kerstin
Objective: Both executive functions and time perception are typically impaired in subjects with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the exact neural mechanisms underlying these deficits remain to be investigated. Method: Fourteen subjects with ADHD and 14 age- and IQ-matched controls (aged 9 through 15 years) were assessed…
5-HTTLPR polymorphism is linked to neural mechanisms of selective attention in preschoolers from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds
Elif Isbell
Full Text Available While a growing body of research has identified experiential factors associated with differences in selective attention, relatively little is known about the contribution of genetic factors to the skill of sustained selective attention, especially in early childhood. Here, we assessed the association between the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR genotypes and the neural mechanisms of selective attention in young children from lower socioeconomic status (SES backgrounds. Event-related potentials (ERPs were recorded during a dichotic listening task from 121 children (76 females, aged 40–67 months, who were also genotyped for the short and long allele of 5-HTTLPR. The effect of selective attention was measured as the difference in ERP mean amplitudes elicited by identical probe stimuli embedded in stories when they were attended versus unattended. Compared to children homozygous for the long allele, children who carried at least one copy of the short allele showed larger effects of selective attention on neural processing. These findings link the short allele of the 5-HTTLPR to enhanced neural mechanisms of selective attention and lay the groundwork for future studies of gene-by-environment interactions in the context of key cognitive skills.
5-HTTLPR polymorphism is linked to neural mechanisms of selective attention in preschoolers from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds.
Isbell, Elif; Stevens, Courtney; Hampton Wray, Amanda; Bell, Theodore; Neville, Helen J
While a growing body of research has identified experiential factors associated with differences in selective attention, relatively little is known about the contribution of genetic factors to the skill of sustained selective attention, especially in early childhood. Here, we assessed the association between the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotypes and the neural mechanisms of selective attention in young children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during a dichotic listening task from 121 children (76 females, aged 40-67 months), who were also genotyped for the short and long allele of 5-HTTLPR. The effect of selective attention was measured as the difference in ERP mean amplitudes elicited by identical probe stimuli embedded in stories when they were attended versus unattended. Compared to children homozygous for the long allele, children who carried at least one copy of the short allele showed larger effects of selective attention on neural processing. These findings link the short allele of the 5-HTTLPR to enhanced neural mechanisms of selective attention and lay the groundwork for future studies of gene-by-environment interactions in the context of key cognitive skills. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Neural and Cellular Mechanisms of Fear and Extinction Memory Formation
Orsini, Caitlin A.; Maren, Stephen
Over the course of natural history, countless animal species have evolved adaptive behavioral systems to cope with dangerous situations and promote survival. Emotional memories are central to these defense systems because they are rapidly acquired and prepare organisms for future threat. Unfortunately, the persistence and intrusion of memories of fearful experiences are quite common and can lead to pathogenic conditions, such as anxiety and phobias. Over the course of the last thirty years, neuroscientists and psychologists alike have attempted to understand the mechanisms by which the brain encodes and maintains these aversive memories. Of equal interest, though, is the neurobiology of extinction memory formation as this may shape current therapeutic techniques. Here we review the extant literature on the neurobiology of fear and extinction memory formation, with a strong focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying these processes. PMID:22230704
Time to rethink the neural mechanisms of learning and memory.
Gallistel, Charles R; Balsam, Peter D
Most studies in the neurobiology of learning assume that the underlying learning process is a pairing - dependent change in synaptic strength that requires repeated experience of events presented in close temporal contiguity. However, much learning is rapid and does not depend on temporal contiguity, which has never been precisely defined. These points are well illustrated by studies showing that the temporal relations between events are rapidly learned- even over long delays- and that this knowledge governs the form and timing of behavior. The speed with which anticipatory responses emerge in conditioning paradigms is determined by the information that cues provide about the timing of rewards. The challenge for understanding the neurobiology of learning is to understand the mechanisms in the nervous system that encode information from even a single experience, the nature of the memory mechanisms that can encode quantities such as time, and how the brain can flexibly perform computations based on this information. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Identifying endogenous neural stem cells in the adult brain in vitro and in vivo: novel approaches.
Rueger, Maria Adele; Androutsellis-Theotokis, Andreas
In the 1960s, Joseph Altman reported that the adult mammalian brain is capable of generating new neurons. Today it is understood that some of these neurons are derived from uncommitted cells in the subventricular zone lining the lateral ventricles, and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The first area generates new neuroblasts which migrate to the olfactory bulb, whereas hippocampal neurogenesis seems to play roles in particular types of learning and memory. A part of these uncommitted (immature) cells is able to divide and their progeny can generate all three major cell types of the nervous system: neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes; these properties define such cells as neural stem cells. Although the roles of these cells are not yet clear, it is accepted that they affect functions including olfaction and learning/memory. Experiments with insults to the central nervous system also show that neural stem cells are quickly mobilized due to injury and in various disorders by proliferating, and migrating to injury sites. This suggests a role of endogenous neural stem cells in disease. New pools of stem cells are being discovered, suggesting an even more important role for these cells. To understand these cells and to coax them to contribute to tissue repair it would be very useful to be able to image them in the living organism. Here we discuss advances in imaging approaches as well as new concepts that emerge from stem cell biology with emphasis on the interface between imaging and stem cells.
Neural Mechanism of Facial Expression Perception in Intellectually Gifted Adolescents
Liu, Tongran; Xiao, Tong; Li, Xiaoyan
The current study investigated the relationship between general intelligence and the three stages of facial expression processing. Two groups of adolescents with different levels of general intelligence were required to identify three types of facial expressions (happy, sad, and neutral faces...
Molecular profiling of aged neural progenitors identifies Dbx2 as a candidate regulator of age-associated neurogenic decline.
Lupo, Giuseppe; Nisi, Paola S; Esteve, Pilar; Paul, Yu-Lee; Novo, Clara Lopes; Sidders, Ben; Khan, Muhammad A; Biagioni, Stefano; Liu, Hai-Kun; Bovolenta, Paola; Cacci, Emanuele; Rugg-Gunn, Peter J
Adult neurogenesis declines with aging due to the depletion and functional impairment of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs). An improved understanding of the underlying mechanisms that drive age-associated neurogenic deficiency could lead to the development of strategies to alleviate cognitive impairment and facilitate neuroregeneration. An essential step towards this aim is to investigate the molecular changes that occur in NSPC aging on a genomewide scale. In this study, we compare the transcriptional, histone methylation and DNA methylation signatures of NSPCs derived from the subventricular zone (SVZ) of young adult (3 months old) and aged (18 months old) mice. Surprisingly, the transcriptional and epigenomic profiles of SVZ-derived NSPCs are largely unchanged in aged cells. Despite the global similarities, we detect robust age-dependent changes at several hundred genes and regulatory elements, thereby identifying putative regulators of neurogenic decline. Within this list, the homeobox gene Dbx2 is upregulated in vitro and in vivo, and its promoter region has altered histone and DNA methylation levels, in aged NSPCs. Using functional in vitro assays, we show that elevated Dbx2 expression in young adult NSPCs promotes age-related phenotypes, including the reduced proliferation of NSPC cultures and the altered transcript levels of age-associated regulators of NSPC proliferation and differentiation. Depleting Dbx2 in aged NSPCs caused the reverse gene expression changes. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the molecular programmes that are affected during mouse NSPC aging, and uncover a new functional role for Dbx2 in promoting age-related neurogenic decline. © 2018 The Authors. Aging Cell published by the Anatomical Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Potential of isotope analysis (C, Cl) to identify dechlorination mechanisms
Cretnik, Stefan; Thoreson, Kristen; Bernstein, Anat; Ebert, Karin; Buchner, Daniel; Laskov, Christine; Haderlein, Stefan; Shouakar-Stash, Orfan; Kliegman, Sarah; McNeill, Kristopher; Elsner, Martin
Chloroethenes are commonly used in industrial applications, and detected as carcinogenic contaminants in the environment. Their dehalogenation is of environmental importance in remediation processes. However, a detailed understanding frequently accounted problem is the accumulation of toxic degradation products such as cis-dichloroethylene (cis-DCE) at contaminated sites. Several studies have addressed the reductive dehalogenation reactions using biotic and abiotic model systems, but a crucial question in this context has remained open: Do environmental transformations occur by the same mechanism as in their corresponding in vitro model systems? The presented study shows the potential to close this research gap using the latest developments in compound specific chlorine isotope analysis, which make it possible to routinely measure chlorine isotope fractionation of chloroethenes in environmental samples and complex reaction mixtures.1,2 In particular, such chlorine isotope analysis enables the measurement of isotope fractionation for two elements (i.e., C and Cl) in chloroethenes. When isotope values of both elements are plotted against each other, different slopes reflect different underlying mechanisms and are remarkably insensitive towards masking. Our results suggest that different microbial strains (G. lovleyi strain SZ, D. hafniense Y51) and the isolated cofactor cobalamin employ similar mechanisms of reductive dechlorination of TCE. In contrast, evidence for a different mechanism was obtained with cobaloxime cautioning its use as a model for biodegradation. The study shows the potential of the dual isotope approach as a tool to directly compare transformation mechanisms of environmental scenarios, biotic transformations, and their putative chemical lab scale systems. Furthermore, it serves as an essential reference when using the dual isotope approach to assess the fate of chlorinated compounds in the environment.
Selective attention on representations in working memory: cognitive and neural mechanisms.
Ku, Yixuan
Selective attention and working memory are inter-dependent core cognitive functions. It is critical to allocate attention on selected targets during the capacity-limited working memory processes to fulfill the goal-directed behavior. The trends of research on both topics are increasing exponentially in recent years, and it is considered that selective attention and working memory share similar underlying neural mechanisms. Different types of attention orientation in working memory are introduced by distinctive cues, and the means using retrospective cues are strengthened currently as it is manipulating the representation in memory, instead of the perceptual representation. The cognitive and neural mechanisms of the retro-cue effects are further reviewed, as well as the potential molecular mechanism. The frontal-parietal network that is involved in both attention and working memory is also the neural candidate for attention orientation during working memory. Neural oscillations in the gamma and alpha/beta oscillations may respectively be employed for the feedforward and feedback information transfer between the sensory cortices and the association cortices. Dopamine and serotonin systems might interact with each other subserving the communication between memory and attention. In conclusion, representations which attention shifts towards are strengthened, while representations which attention moves away from are degraded. Studies on attention orientation during working memory indicates the flexibility of the processes of working memory, and the beneficial way that overcome the limited capacity of working memory.
Selective attention on representations in working memory: cognitive and neural mechanisms
Yixuan Ku
Full Text Available Selective attention and working memory are inter-dependent core cognitive functions. It is critical to allocate attention on selected targets during the capacity-limited working memory processes to fulfill the goal-directed behavior. The trends of research on both topics are increasing exponentially in recent years, and it is considered that selective attention and working memory share similar underlying neural mechanisms. Different types of attention orientation in working memory are introduced by distinctive cues, and the means using retrospective cues are strengthened currently as it is manipulating the representation in memory, instead of the perceptual representation. The cognitive and neural mechanisms of the retro-cue effects are further reviewed, as well as the potential molecular mechanism. The frontal-parietal network that is involved in both attention and working memory is also the neural candidate for attention orientation during working memory. Neural oscillations in the gamma and alpha/beta oscillations may respectively be employed for the feedforward and feedback information transfer between the sensory cortices and the association cortices. Dopamine and serotonin systems might interact with each other subserving the communication between memory and attention. In conclusion, representations which attention shifts towards are strengthened, while representations which attention moves away from are degraded. Studies on attention orientation during working memory indicates the flexibility of the processes of working memory, and the beneficial way that overcome the limited capacity of working memory.
Neural Mechanisms of Improvements in Social Motivation after Pivotal Response Treatment: Two Case Studies
Voos, Avery C.; Pelphrey, Kevin A.; Tirrell, Jonathan; Bolling, Danielle Z.; Vander Wyk, Brent; Kaiser, Martha D.; McPartland, James C.; Volkmar, Fred R.; Ventola, Pamela
Pivotal response treatment (PRT) is an empirically validated behavioral treatment that has widespread positive effects on communication, behavior, and social skills in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For the first time, functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to identify the neural correlates of successful response to…
Cultural differences and similarities in beliefs, practices, and neural mechanisms of emotion regulation.
Qu, Yang; Telzer, Eva H
The current research examined whether culture shapes the beliefs, practices, and neural basis of emotion regulation. Twenty-nine American and Chinese participants reported their implicit theory of emotion and frequency of reappraisal use. They also underwent an fMRI scan while completing an emotion regulation task. Chinese (vs. American) participants reported more frequent use of reappraisal, which was mediated by their higher incremental theory of emotion (i.e., believing that emotion is changeable through effort). Although there were some cultural similarities in neural activation during emotion regulation, Chinese participants showed less ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) activation than American participants when regulating negative emotions. Lower VLPFC activation was associated with higher incremental theory of emotion and more frequent use of cognitive reappraisal. Findings suggest that culture may shape how individuals perceive and engage in emotion regulation, and ultimately, the neural mechanisms underlying emotion regulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).
Dextran as a fast resorbable and mechanically stiff coating for flexible neural probes
Kil, D.; Brancato, L.; Puers, R.
In this paper we report on the use of dextran as a temporary, fast dissolving stiff coating for flexible neural probes. Although polymer-based neural implants offer several advantages, compared to their rigid silicon counterparts, they pose significant challenges during implantation. Due to their extreme flexibility, they have the tendency to buckle under the axial load applied during insertion. The structural stiffness of the implants can be temporarily increased by applying a bioresorbable dextran coating which eases the penetration of neural tissue. For this application three types of dextran with different molecular weights are analysed. The dissolution rate of the coatings is reported as well as the increased bending stiffness resulting from the dextran coating of Parylene C neural probes. Based on these findings the dissolution rate can be linked to parameters such as molecular weight, coating thickness and the surface area exposed to the dissolution medium. The mechanical characterization yields information on how the structural stiffness of neural probes can be tuned by varying the dextran’s molecular weight and coating thickness.
Common Lung Microbiome Identified among Mechanically Ventilated Surgical Patients.
Ashley D Smith
Full Text Available The examination of the pulmonary microbiome in patients with non-chronic disease states has not been extensively examined. Traditional culture based screening methods are often unable to identify bacteria from bronchoalveolar lavage samples. The advancement of next-generation sequencing technologies allows for a culture-independent molecular based analysis to determine the microbial composition in the lung of this patient population. For this study, the Ion Torrent PGM system was used to assess the microbial complexity of culture negative bronchoalveolar lavage samples. A group of samples were identified that all displayed high diversity and similar relative abundance of bacteria. This group consisted of Hydrogenophaga, unclassified Bacteroidetes, Pedobacter, Thauera, and Acinetobacter. These bacteria may be representative of a common non-pathogenic pulmonary microbiome associated within this population of patients.
Neural mechanisms of mismatch negativity dysfunction in schizophrenia.
Lee, M; Sehatpour, P; Hoptman, M J; Lakatos, P; Dias, E C; Kantrowitz, J T; Martinez, A M; Javitt, D C
Schizophrenia is associated with cognitive deficits that reflect impaired cortical information processing. Mismatch negativity (MMN) indexes pre-attentive information processing dysfunction at the level of primary auditory cortex. This study investigates mechanisms underlying MMN impairments in schizophrenia using event-related potential, event-related spectral decomposition (ERSP) and resting state functional connectivity (rsfcMRI) approaches. For this study, MMN data to frequency, intensity and duration-deviants were analyzed from 69 schizophrenia patients and 38 healthy controls. rsfcMRI was obtained from a subsample of 38 patients and 23 controls. As expected, schizophrenia patients showed highly significant, large effect size (P=0.0004, d=1.0) deficits in MMN generation across deviant types. In ERSP analyses, responses to deviants occurred primarily the theta (4-7 Hz) frequency range consistent with distributed corticocortical processing, whereas responses to standards occurred primarily in alpha (8-12 Hz) range consistent with known frequencies of thalamocortical activation. Independent deficits in schizophrenia were observed in both the theta response to deviants (P=0.021) and the alpha-response to standards (P=0.003). At the single-trial level, differential patterns of response were observed for frequency vs duration/intensity deviants, along with At the network level, MMN deficits engaged canonical somatomotor, ventral attention and default networks, with a differential pattern of engagement across deviant types (Pschizophrenia. In addition, differences in ERSP and rsfcMRI profiles across deviant types suggest potential differential engagement of underlying generator mechanisms.
Soft tissue deformation modelling through neural dynamics-based reaction-diffusion mechanics.
Zhang, Jinao; Zhong, Yongmin; Gu, Chengfan
Soft tissue deformation modelling forms the basis of development of surgical simulation, surgical planning and robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery. This paper presents a new methodology for modelling of soft tissue deformation based on reaction-diffusion mechanics via neural dynamics. The potential energy stored in soft tissues due to a mechanical load to deform tissues away from their rest state is treated as the equivalent transmembrane potential energy, and it is distributed in the tissue masses in the manner of reaction-diffusion propagation of nonlinear electrical waves. The reaction-diffusion propagation of mechanical potential energy and nonrigid mechanics of motion are combined to model soft tissue deformation and its dynamics, both of which are further formulated as the dynamics of cellular neural networks to achieve real-time computational performance. The proposed methodology is implemented with a haptic device for interactive soft tissue deformation with force feedback. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed methodology exhibits nonlinear force-displacement relationship for nonlinear soft tissue deformation. Homogeneous, anisotropic and heterogeneous soft tissue material properties can be modelled through the inherent physical properties of mass points. Graphical abstract Soft tissue deformation modelling with haptic feedback via neural dynamics-based reaction-diffusion mechanics.
Functional MRI studies of the neural mechanisms of human brain attentional networks
Hao Jing; Li Kuncheng; Chen Qi; Wang Yan; Peng Xiaozhe; Zhou Xiaolin
Objective: To identify the neural mechanisms of the anterior attention network (AAN) and posterior attention network (PAN) , investigate the possible interaction between them with event-related functional MRI(ER-fMRI). Methods: Eight right-handed healthy volunteers participated in the experiment designed with inhibition of return in visual orienting and Stroop color-word interference effect. The fMRI data were collected on Siemens 1.5 T Sonata MRI systems and analyzed by AFNI to generate the activation map. Results: The data sets from 6 of 8 subjects were used in the study. The functional localizations of the Stroop and IOR, which manifest the function of the AAN and PAN respectively, were consistent with previous imaging researches. On cued locations, left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), area MT/V5, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) were significantly activated. On uncued locations, right superior parietal lobule (SPL) and bilateral area MT/V5 were significantly activated. Conclusion: The AAN exerts control over the PAN, while its function can be in turn modulated by the PAN. There are interaction between the AAN and PAN. In addition, it is also proved that ER-fMRI is a feasible method to revise preexisting cognitive model and theory. (authors)
Neural mechanisms of dissonance: an fMRI investigation of choice justification.
Kitayama, Shinobu; Chua, Hannah Faye; Tompson, Steven; Han, Shihui
Cognitive dissonance theory proposes that difficult choice produces negatively arousing cognitive conflict (called dissonance), which motivates the chooser to justify her decision by increasing her preference for the chosen option while decreasing her preference for the rejected option. At present, however, neural mechanisms of dissonance are poorly understood. To address this gap of knowledge, we scanned 24 young Americans as they made 60 choices between pairs of popular music CDs. As predicted, choices between CDs that were close (vs. distant) in attractiveness (referred to as difficult vs. easy choices) resulted in activations of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), a brain region associated with cognitive conflict, and the left anterior insula (left aINS), a region often linked with aversive emotional arousal. Importantly, a separate analysis showed that choice-justifying attitude change was predicted by the in-choice signal intensity of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), a region that is linked to self-processing. The three regions identified (dACC, left aINS, and PCC) were correlated, within-subjects, across choices. The results were interpreted to support the hypothesis that cognitive dissonance plays a key role in producing attitudes that justify the choice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Sediment tolerance mechanisms identified in sponges using advanced imaging techniques
Brian W. Strehlow
Full Text Available Terrestrial runoff, resuspension events and dredging can affect filter-feeding sponges by elevating the concentration of suspended sediments, reducing light intensity, and smothering sponges with sediments. To investigate how sponges respond to pressures associated with increased sediment loads, the abundant and widely distributed Indo-Pacific species Ianthella basta was exposed to elevated suspended sediment concentrations, sediment deposition, and light attenuation for 48 h (acute exposure and 4 weeks (chronic exposure. In order to visualise the response mechanisms, sponge tissue was examined by 3D X-ray microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. Acute exposures resulted in sediment rapidly accumulating in the aquiferous system of I. basta, although this sediment was fully removed within three days. Sediment removal took longer (>2 weeks following chronic exposures, and I. basta also exhibited tissue regression and a smaller aquiferous system. The application of advanced imaging approaches revealed that I. basta employs a multilevel system for sediment rejection and elimination, containing both active and passive components. Sponges responded to sediment stress through (i mucus production, (ii exclusion of particles by incurrent pores, (iii closure of oscula and pumping cessation, (iv expulsion of particles from the aquiferous system, and (v tissue regression to reduce the volume of the aquiferous system, thereby entering a dormant state. These mechanisms would result in tolerance and resilience to exposure to variable and high sediment loads associated with both anthropogenic impacts like dredging programs and natural pressures like flood events.
Developmental differences in the neural mechanisms of facial emotion labeling
Adleman, Nancy E.; Kim, Pilyoung; Oakes, Allison H.; Hsu, Derek; Reynolds, Richard C.; Chen, Gang; Pine, Daniel S.; Brotman, Melissa A.; Leibenluft, Ellen
Adolescence is a time of increased risk for the onset of psychological disorders associated with deficits in face emotion labeling. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine age-related differences in brain activation while adolescents and adults labeled the emotion on fearful, happy and angry faces of varying intensities [0% (i.e. neutral), 50%, 75%, 100%]. Adolescents and adults did not differ on accuracy to label emotions. In the superior temporal sulcus, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and middle temporal gyrus, adults show an inverted-U-shaped response to increasing intensities of fearful faces and a U-shaped response to increasing intensities of happy faces, whereas adolescents show the opposite patterns. In addition, adults, but not adolescents, show greater inferior occipital gyrus activation to negative (angry, fearful) vs positive (happy) emotions. In sum, when subjects classify subtly varying facial emotions, developmental differences manifest in several ‘ventral stream’ brain regions. Charting the typical developmental course of the brain mechanisms of socioemotional processes, such as facial emotion labeling, is an important focus for developmental psychopathology research. PMID:26245836
Neural, Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Active Forgetting
Medina, Jorge H.
The neurobiology of memory formation attracts much attention in the last five decades. Conversely, the rules that govern and the mechanisms underlying forgetting are less understood. In addition to retroactive interference, retrieval-induced forgetting and passive decay of time, it has been recently demonstrated that the nervous system has a diversity of active and inherent processes involved in forgetting. In Drosophila, some operate mainly at an early stage of memory formation and involves dopamine (DA) neurons, specific postsynaptic DA receptor subtypes, Rac1 activation and induces rapid active forgetting. In mammals, others regulate forgetting and persistence of seemingly consolidated memories and implicate the activity of DA receptor subtypes and AMPA receptors in the hippocampus (HP) and related structures to activate parallel signaling pathways controlling active time-dependent forgetting. Most of them may involve plastic changes in synaptic and extrasynaptic receptors including specific removal of GluA2 AMPA receptors. Forgetting at longer timescales might also include changes in adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the HP. Therefore, based on relevance or value considerations neuronal circuits may regulate in a time-dependent manner what is formed, stored, and maintained and what is forgotten. PMID:29467630
Developmental differences in the neural mechanisms of facial emotion labeling.
Wiggins, Jillian Lee; Adleman, Nancy E; Kim, Pilyoung; Oakes, Allison H; Hsu, Derek; Reynolds, Richard C; Chen, Gang; Pine, Daniel S; Brotman, Melissa A; Leibenluft, Ellen
Adolescence is a time of increased risk for the onset of psychological disorders associated with deficits in face emotion labeling. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine age-related differences in brain activation while adolescents and adults labeled the emotion on fearful, happy and angry faces of varying intensities [0% (i.e. neutral), 50%, 75%, 100%]. Adolescents and adults did not differ on accuracy to label emotions. In the superior temporal sulcus, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and middle temporal gyrus, adults show an inverted-U-shaped response to increasing intensities of fearful faces and a U-shaped response to increasing intensities of happy faces, whereas adolescents show the opposite patterns. In addition, adults, but not adolescents, show greater inferior occipital gyrus activation to negative (angry, fearful) vs positive (happy) emotions. In sum, when subjects classify subtly varying facial emotions, developmental differences manifest in several 'ventral stream' brain regions. Charting the typical developmental course of the brain mechanisms of socioemotional processes, such as facial emotion labeling, is an important focus for developmental psychopathology research. Published by Oxford University Press 2015. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.
Identifying autism from neural representations of social interactions: neurocognitive markers of autism.
Just, Marcel Adam; Cherkassky, Vladimir L; Buchweitz, Augusto; Keller, Timothy A; Mitchell, Tom M
Autism is a psychiatric/neurological condition in which alterations in social interaction (among other symptoms) are diagnosed by behavioral psychiatric methods. The main goal of this study was to determine how the neural representations and meanings of social concepts (such as to insult) are altered in autism. A second goal was to determine whether these alterations can serve as neurocognitive markers of autism. The approach is based on previous advances in fMRI analysis methods that permit (a) the identification of a concept, such as the thought of a physical object, from its fMRI pattern, and (b) the ability to assess the semantic content of a concept from its fMRI pattern. These factor analysis and machine learning methods were applied to the fMRI activation patterns of 17 adults with high-functioning autism and matched controls, scanned while thinking about 16 social interactions. One prominent neural representation factor that emerged (manifested mainly in posterior midline regions) was related to self-representation, but this factor was present only for the control participants, and was near-absent in the autism group. Moreover, machine learning algorithms classified individuals as autistic or control with 97% accuracy from their fMRI neurocognitive markers. The findings suggest that psychiatric alterations of thought can begin to be biologically understood by assessing the form and content of the altered thought's underlying brain activation patterns.
Identifying temporal and causal contributions of neural processes underlying the Implicit Association Test (IAT
Chad Edward Forbes
Full Text Available The Implicit Association Test (IAT is a popular behavioral measure that assesses the associative strength between outgroup members and stereotypical and counterstereotypical traits. Less is known, however, about the degree to which the IAT reflects automatic processing. Two studies examined automatic processing contributions to a gender-IAT using a data driven, social neuroscience approach. Performance on congruent (e.g., categorizing male names with synonyms of strength and incongruent (e.g., categorizing female names with synonyms of strength IAT blocks were separately analyzed using EEG (event-related potentials, or ERPs, and coherence; Study 1 and lesion (Study 2 methodologies. Compared to incongruent blocks, performance on congruent IAT blocks was associated with more positive ERPs that manifested in frontal and occipital regions at automatic processing speeds, occipital regions at more controlled processing speeds and was compromised by volume loss in the anterior temporal lobe, insula and medial PFC. Performance on incongruent blocks was associated with volume loss in supplementary motor areas, cingulate gyrus and a region in medial PFC similar to that found for congruent blocks. Greater coherence was found between frontal and occipital regions to the extent individuals exhibited more bias. This suggests there are separable neural contributions to congruent and incongruent blocks of the IAT but there is also a surprising amount of overlap. Given the temporal and regional neural distinctions, these results provide converging evidence that stereotypic associative strength assessed by the IAT indexes automatic processing to a degree.
Identifying the Neural Substrates of Procrastination: a Resting-State fMRI Study.
Zhang, Wenwen; Wang, Xiangpeng; Feng, Tingyong
Procrastination is a prevalent problematic behavior that brings serious consequences to individuals who suffer from it. Although this phenomenon has received increasing attention from researchers, the underpinning neural substrates of it is poorly studied. To examine the neural bases subserving procrastination, the present study employed resting-state fMRI. The main results were as follows: (1) the behavioral procrastination was positively correlated with the regional activity of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and the parahippocampal cortex (PHC), while negatively correlated with that of the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC). (2) The aPFC-seed connectivity with the anterior medial prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex was positively associated with procrastination. (3) The connectivity between vmPFC and several other regions, such as the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, the bilateral inferior prefrontal cortex showed a negative association with procrastination. These results suggested that procrastination could be attributed to, on the one hand, hyper-activity of the default mode network (DMN) that overrides the prefrontal control signal; while on the other hand, the failure of top-down control exerted by the aPFC on the DMN. Therefore, the present study unravels the biomarkers of procrastination and provides treatment targets for procrastination prevention.
Neural mechanisms of reactivation-induced updating that enhance and distort memory.
St Jacques, Peggy L; Olm, Christopher; Schacter, Daniel L
We remember a considerable number of personal experiences because we are frequently reminded of them, a process known as memory reactivation. Although memory reactivation helps to stabilize and update memories, reactivation may also introduce distortions if novel information becomes incorporated with memory. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural mechanisms mediating reactivation-induced updating in memory for events experienced during a museum tour. During scanning, participants were shown target photographs to reactivate memories from the museum tour followed by a novel lure photograph from an alternate tour. Later, participants were presented with target and lure photographs and asked to determine whether the photographs showed a stop they visited during the tour. We used a subsequent memory analysis to examine neural recruitment during reactivation that was associated with later true and false memories. We predicted that the quality of reactivation, as determined by online ratings of subjective recollection, would increase subsequent true memories but also facilitate incorporation of the lure photograph, thereby increasing subsequent false memories. The fMRI results revealed that the quality of reactivation modulated subsequent true and false memories via recruitment of left posterior parahippocampal, bilateral retrosplenial, and bilateral posterior inferior parietal cortices. However, the timing of neural recruitment and the way in which memories were reactivated contributed to differences in whether memory reactivation led to distortions or not. These data reveal the neural mechanisms recruited during memory reactivation that modify how memories will be subsequently retrieved, supporting the flexible and dynamic aspects of memory.
Why we stay with our social partners: Neural mechanisms of stay/leave decision-making.
Heijne, Amber; Rossi, Filippo; Sanfey, Alan G
How do we decide to keep interacting (e.g., stay) with a social partner or to switch (e.g., leave) to another? This paper investigated the neural mechanisms of stay/leave decision-making. We hypothesized that these decisions fit within a framework of value-based decision-making, and explored four potential mechanisms underlying a hypothesized bias to stay. Twenty-six participants underwent functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) while completing social and nonsocial versions of a stay/leave decision-making task. On each trial, participants chose between four alternative options, after which they received a monetary reward. Crucially, in the social condition, reward magnitude was ostensibly determined by the generosity of social partners, whereas in the nonsocial condition, reward amounts were ostensibly determined in a pre-programmed manner. Results demonstrated that participants were more likely to stay with options of relatively high expected value, with these values updated through Reinforcement Learning mechanisms and represented neurally within ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Moreover, we demonstrated that greater brain activity in ventromedial prefrontal cortex, caudate nucleus, and septo-hypothalamic regions for social versus nonsocial decisions to stay may underlie a bias towards staying with social partners in particular. These findings complement existing social psychological theories by investigating the neural mechanisms of actual stay/leave decisions.
Identifying mechanisms for superdiffusive dynamics in cell trajectories
Passucci, Giuseppe; Brasch, Megan; Henderson, James; Manning, M. Lisa
Self-propelled particle (SPP) models have been used to explore features of active matter such as motility-induced phase separation, jamming, and flocking, and are often used to model biological cells. However, many cells exhibit super-diffusive trajectories, where displacements scale faster than t 1 / 2 in all directions, and these are not captured by traditional SPP models. We extract cell trajectories from image stacks of mouse fibroblast cells moving on 2D substrates and find super-diffusive mean-squared displacements in all directions across varying densities. Two SPP model modifications have been proposed to capture super-diffusive dynamics: Levy walks and heterogeneous motility parameters. In mouse fibroblast cells displacement probability distributions collapse when time is rescaled by a power greater than 1/2, which is consistent with Levy walks. We show that a simple SPP model with heterogeneous rotational noise can also generate a similar collapse. Furthermore, a close examination of statistics extracted directly from cell trajectories is consistent with a heterogeneous mobility SPP model and inconsistent with a Levy walk model. Our work demonstrates that a simple set of analyses can distinguish between mechanisms for anomalous diffusion in active matter.
Predictive Modeling of Mechanical Properties of Welded Joints Based on Dynamic Fuzzy RBF Neural Network
ZHANG Yongzhi
Full Text Available A dynamic fuzzy RBF neural network model was built to predict the mechanical properties of welded joints, and the purpose of the model was to overcome the shortcomings of static neural networks including structural identification, dynamic sample training and learning algorithm. The structure and parameters of the model are no longer head of default, dynamic adaptive adjustment in the training, suitable for dynamic sample data for learning, learning algorithm introduces hierarchical learning and fuzzy rule pruning strategy, to accelerate the training speed of model and make the model more compact. Simulation of the model was carried out by using three kinds of thickness and different process TC4 titanium alloy TIG welding test data. The results show that the model has higher prediction accuracy, which is suitable for predicting the mechanical properties of welded joints, and has opened up a new way for the on-line control of the welding process.
Artificial neural networks in prediction of mechanical behavior of concrete at high temperature
Mukherjee, A.; Nag Biswas, S.
The behavior of concrete structures that are exposed to extreme thermo-mechanical loading is an issue of great importance in nuclear engineering. The mechanical behavior of concrete at high temperature is non-linear. The properties that regulate its response are highly temperature dependent and extremely complex. In addition, the constituent materials, e.g. aggregates, influence the response significantly. Attempts have been made to trace the stress-strain curve through mathematical models and rheological models. However, it has been difficult to include all the contributing factors in the mathematical model. This paper examines a new programming paradigm, artificial neural networks, for the problem. Implementing a feedforward network and backpropagation algorithm the stress-strain relationship of the material is captured. The neural networks for the prediction of uniaxial behavior of concrete at high temperature has been presented here. The results of the present investigation are very encouraging. (orig.)
An Integrative Model for the Neural Mechanism of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Coubard, Olivier A.
Since the seminal report by Shapiro that bilateral stimulation induces cognitive and emotional changes, twenty-six years of basic and clinical research have examined the effects of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in anxiety disorders, particularly in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The present article aims at better understanding EMDR neural mechanism. I first review procedural aspects of EMDR protocol and theoretical hypothesis about EMDR effects, and develop the ...
Neural mechanisms of reactivation-induced updating that enhance and distort memory
St. Jacques, Peggy L.; Olm, Christopher; Schacter, Daniel L.
We remember a considerable number of personal experiences because we are frequently reminded of them, a process known as memory reactivation. Although memory reactivation helps to stabilize and update memories, reactivation may also introduce distortions if novel information becomes incorporated with memory. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural mechanisms mediating reactivation-induced updating in memory for events experienced during a museum tou...
A review on mechanical considerations for chronically-implanted neural probes
Lecomte, Aziliz; Descamps, Emeline; Bergaud, Christian
This review intends to present a comprehensive analysis of the mechanical considerations for chronically-implanted neural probes. Failure of neural electrical recordings or stimulation over time has shown to arise from foreign body reaction and device material stability. It seems that devices that match most closely with the mechanical properties of the brain would be more likely to reduce the mechanical stress at the probe/tissue interface, thus improving body acceptance. The use of low Young’s modulus polymers instead of hard substrates is one way to enhance this mechanical mimetism, though compliance can be achieved through a variety of means. The reduction of probe width and thickness in comparison to a designated length, the use of soft hydrogel coatings and the release in device tethering to the skull, can also improve device compliance. Paradoxically, the more compliant the device, the more likely it will fail during the insertion process in the brain. Strategies have multiplied this past decade to offer partial or temporary stiffness to the device to overcome this buckling effect. A detailed description of the probe insertion mechanisms is provided to analyze potential sources of implantation failure and the need for a mechanically-enhancing structure. This leads us to present an overview of the strategies that have been put in place over the last ten years to overcome buckling issues. Particularly, great emphasis is put on bioresorbable polymers and their assessment for neural applications. Finally, a discussion is provided on some of the key features for the design of mechanically-reliable, polymer-based next generation of chronic neuroprosthetic devices.
Neural mechanisms underlying cognitive control of men with lifelong antisocial behavior.
Schiffer, Boris; Pawliczek, Christina; Mu Ller, Bernhard; Forsting, Michael; Gizewski, Elke; Leygraf, Norbert; Hodgins, Sheilagh
Results of meta-analyses suggested subtle deficits in cognitive control among antisocial individuals. Because almost all studies focused on children with conduct problems or adult psychopaths, however, little is known about cognitive control mechanisms among the majority of persistent violent offenders who present an antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). The present study aimed to determine whether offenders with ASPD, relative to non-offenders, display dysfunction in the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive control and to assess the extent to which these dysfunctions are associated with psychopathic traits and trait impulsivity. Participants comprised 21 violent offenders and 23 non-offenders who underwent event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a non-verbal Stroop task. The offenders, relative to the non-offenders, exhibited reduced response time interference and a different pattern of conflict- and error-related activity in brain areas involved in cognitive control, attention, language, and emotion processing, that is, the anterior cingulate, dorsolateral prefrontal, superior temporal and postcentral cortices, putamen, thalamus, and amygdala. Moreover, between-group differences in behavioural and neural responses revealed associations with core features of psychopathy and attentional impulsivity. Thus, the results of the present study confirmed the hypothesis that offenders with ASPD display alterations in the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive control and that those alterations relate, at least in part, to personality characteristics. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
[Research Progress on the Interaction Effects and Its Neural Mechanisms between Physical Fatigue and Mental Fatigue].
Zhang, Lixin; Zhang, Chuncui; He, Feng; Zhao, Xin; Qi, Hongzhi; Wan, Baikun; Ming, Dong
Fatigue is an exhaustion state caused by prolonged physical work and mental work, which can reduce working efficiency and even cause industrial accidents. Fatigue is a complex concept involving both physiological and psychological factors. Fatigue can cause a decline of concentration and work performance and induce chronic diseases. Prolonged fatigue may endanger life safety. In most of the scenarios, physical and mental workloads co-lead operator into fatigue state. Thus, it is very important to study the interaction influence and its neural mechanisms between physical and mental fatigues. This paper introduces recent progresses on the interaction effects and discusses some research challenges and future development directions. It is believed that mutual influence between physical fatigue and mental fatigue may occur in the central nervous system. Revealing the basal ganglia function and dopamine release may be important to explore the neural mechanisms between physical fatigue and mental fatigue. Future effort is to optimize fatigue models, to evaluate parameters and to explore the neural mechanisms so as to provide scientific basis and theoretical guidance for complex task designs and fatigue monitoring.
Synaptic energy drives the information processing mechanisms in spiking neural networks.
El Laithy, Karim; Bogdan, Martin
Flow of energy and free energy minimization underpins almost every aspect of naturally occurring physical mechanisms. Inspired by this fact this work establishes an energy-based framework that spans the multi-scale range of biological neural systems and integrates synaptic dynamic, synchronous spiking activity and neural states into one consistent working paradigm. Following a bottom-up approach, a hypothetical energy function is proposed for dynamic synaptic models based on the theoretical thermodynamic principles and the Hopfield networks. We show that a synapse exposes stable operating points in terms of its excitatory postsynaptic potential as a function of its synaptic strength. We postulate that synapses in a network operating at these stable points can drive this network to an internal state of synchronous firing. The presented analysis is related to the widely investigated temporal coherent activities (cell assemblies) over a certain range of time scales (binding-by-synchrony). This introduces a novel explanation of the observed (poly)synchronous activities within networks regarding the synaptic (coupling) functionality. On a network level the transitions from one firing scheme to the other express discrete sets of neural states. The neural states exist as long as the network sustains the internal synaptic energy.
[Neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA). A new mode of assisted mechanical ventilation].
Moerer, O; Barwing, J; Quintel, M
The aim of mechanical ventilation is to assure gas exchange while efficiently unloading the respiratory muscles and mechanical ventilation is an integral part of the care of patients with acute respiratory failure. Modern lung protective strategies of mechanical ventilation include low-tidal-volume ventilation and the continuation of spontaneous breathing which has been shown to be beneficial in reducing atelectasis and improving oxygenation. Poor patient-ventilator interaction is a major issue during conventional assisted ventilation. Neurally adjusted ventilator assist (NAVA) is a new mode of mechanical ventilation that uses the electrical activity of the diaphragm (EAdi) to control the ventilator. First experimental studies showed an improved patient-ventilator synchrony and an efficient unloading of the respiratory muscles. Future clinical studies will have to show that NAVA is of clinical advantage when compared to conventional modes of assisted mechanical ventilation. This review characterizes NAVA according to current publications on this topic.
The neural mechanisms of re-experiencing mental fatigue sensation: a magnetoencephalography study.
Akira Ishii
Full Text Available There have been several studies which have tried to clarify the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation; however fatigue sensation has multiple aspects. We hypothesized that past experience related to fatigue sensation is an important factor which contributes to future formation of fatigue sensation through the transfer to memories that are located within specific brain structures. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation related to memory. In the present study, we investigated the neural activity caused by re-experiencing the fatigue sensation that had been experienced during a fatigue-inducing session. Thirteen healthy volunteers participated in fatigue and non-fatigue experiments in a crossover fashion. In the fatigue experiment, they performed a 2-back test session for 40 min to induce fatigue sensation, a rest session for 15 min to recover from fatigue, and a magnetoencephalography (MEG session in which they were asked to re-experience the state of their body with fatigue that they had experienced in the 2-back test session. In the non-fatigue experiment, the participants performed a free session for 15 min, a rest session for 15 min, and an MEG session in which they were asked to re-experience the state of their body without fatigue that they had experienced in the free session. Spatial filtering analyses of oscillatory brain activity showed that the delta band power in the left Brodmann's area (BA 39, alpha band power in the right pulvinar nucleus and the left BA 40, and beta band power in the left BA 40 were lower when they re-experienced the fatigue sensation than when they re-experienced the fatigue-free sensation, indicating that these brain regions are related to re-experiencing the fatigue sensation. Our findings may help clarify the neural mechanisms underlying fatigue sensation.
There have been several studies which have tried to clarify the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation; however fatigue sensation has multiple aspects. We hypothesized that past experience related to fatigue sensation is an important factor which contributes to future formation of fatigue sensation through the transfer to memories that are located within specific brain structures. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation related to memory. In the present study, we investigated the neural activity caused by re-experiencing the fatigue sensation that had been experienced during a fatigue-inducing session. Thirteen healthy volunteers participated in fatigue and non-fatigue experiments in a crossover fashion. In the fatigue experiment, they performed a 2-back test session for 40 min to induce fatigue sensation, a rest session for 15 min to recover from fatigue, and a magnetoencephalography (MEG) session in which they were asked to re-experience the state of their body with fatigue that they had experienced in the 2-back test session. In the non-fatigue experiment, the participants performed a free session for 15 min, a rest session for 15 min, and an MEG session in which they were asked to re-experience the state of their body without fatigue that they had experienced in the free session. Spatial filtering analyses of oscillatory brain activity showed that the delta band power in the left Brodmann's area (BA) 39, alpha band power in the right pulvinar nucleus and the left BA 40, and beta band power in the left BA 40 were lower when they re-experienced the fatigue sensation than when they re-experienced the fatigue-free sensation, indicating that these brain regions are related to re-experiencing the fatigue sensation. Our findings may help clarify the neural mechanisms underlying fatigue sensation.
Neonatal brain hemorrhage (NBH) of prematurity: translational mechanisms of the vascular-neural network.
Lekic, Tim; Klebe, Damon; Poblete, Roy; Krafft, Paul R; Rolland, William B; Tang, Jiping; Zhang, John H
Neonatal brain hemorrhage (NBH) of prematurity is an unfortunate consequence of preterm birth. Complications result in shunt dependence and long-term structural changes such as posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus, periventricular leukomalacia, gliosis, and neurological dysfunction. Several animal models are available to study this condition, and many basic mechanisms, etiological factors, and outcome consequences, are becoming understood. NBH is an important clinical condition, of which treatment may potentially circumvent shunt complication, and improve functional recovery (cerebral palsy, and cognitive impairments). This review highlights key pathophysiological findings of the neonatal vascular-neural network in the context of molecular mechanisms targeting the posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus affecting this vulnerable infant population.
Neonatal Brain Hemorrhage (NBH) of Prematurity: Translational Mechanisms of the Vascular-Neural Network
Lekic, Tim; Klebe, Damon; Poblete, Roy; Krafft, Paul R.; Rolland, William B.; Tang, Jiping; Zhang, John H.
Neonatal brain hemorrhage (NBH) of prematurity is an unfortunate consequence of preterm birth. Complications result in shunt dependence and long-term structural changes such as post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus, periventricular leukomalacia, gliosis, and neurological dysfunction. Several animal models are available to study this condition, and many basic mechanisms, etiological factors, and outcome consequences, are becoming understood. NBH is an important clinical condition, of which treatment may potentially circumvent shunt complication, and improve functional recovery (cerebral palsy, and cognitive impairments). This review highlights key pathophysiological findings of the neonatal vascular-neural network in the context of molecular mechanisms targeting the post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus affecting this vulnerable infant population. PMID:25620100
Novel Mutation of LRP6 Identified in Chinese Han Population Links Canonical WNT Signaling to Neural Tube Defects.
Shi, Zhiwen; Yang, Xueyan; Li, Bin-Bin; Chen, Shuxia; Yang, Luming; Cheng, Liangping; Zhang, Ting; Wang, Hongyan; Zheng, Yufang
Neural tube defects (NTDs), the second most frequent cause of human congenital abnormalities, are debilitating birth defects due to failure of neural tube closure. It has been shown that noncanonical WNT/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling is required for convergent extension (CE), the initiation step of neural tube closure (NTC). But the effect of canonical WNT//β-catenin signaling during NTC is still elusive. LRP6 (low density lipoprotein receptor related proteins 6) was identified as a co-receptor for WNT/β-catenin signaling, but recent studies showed that it also can mediate WNT/PCP signaling. In this study, we screened mutations in the LRP6 gene in 343 NTDs and 215 ethnically matched normal controls of Chinese Han population. Three rare missense mutations (c.1514A>G, p.Y505C); c.2984A>G, p.D995G; and c.4280C>A, p.P1427Q) of the LRP6 gene were identified in Chinese NTD patients. The Y505C mutation is a loss-of-function mutation on both WNT/β-catenin and PCP signaling. The D995G mutation only partially lost inhibition on PCP signaling without affecting WNT/β-catenin signaling. The P1427Q mutation dramatically increased WNT/β-catenin signaling but only mildly loss of inhibition on PCP signaling. All three mutations failed to rescue CE defects caused by lrp6 morpholino oligos knockdown in zebrafish. Of interest, when overexpressed, D995G did not induce any defects, but Y505C and P1427Q caused more severe CE defects in zebrafish. Our results suggested that over-active canonical WNT signaling induced by gain-of-function mutation in LRP6 could also contribute to human NTDs, and a balanced WNT/β-catenin and PCP signaling is probably required for proper neural tube development. Birth Defects Research 110:63-71, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Diagnosis of mechanical pumping system using neural networks and system parameters analysis
Tsai, Tai Ming; Wang, Wei Hui
Normally, a mechanical pumping system is equipped to monitor some of the important input and output signals which are set to the prescribed values. This paper addressed dealing with these signals to establish the database of input- output relation by using a number of neural network models through learning algorithms. These signals encompass normal and abnormal running conditions. The abnormal running conditions were artificially generated. Meanwhile, for the purpose of setting up an on-line diagnosis network, the learning speed and accuracy of three kinds of networks, viz., the backpropagation (BPN), radial basis function (RBF) and adaptive linear (ADALINE) neural networks have been compared and assessed. The assessment criteria of the networks are compared with the correlation result matrix in terms of the neuron vectors. Both BPN and RBF are judged by the maximum vector based on the post-regression analysis, and the ADALINE is judged by the minimum vector based on the least mean square error analysis. By ignoring the neural network training time, it has been shown that if the mechanical diagnosis system is tackled off-line, the RBF method is suggested. However, for on-line diagnosis, the BPN method is recommended
Tsai, Tai Ming; Wang, Wei Hui [National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung (China)
Transcriptional Profiling of Hypoxic Neural Stem Cells Identifies Calcineurin-NFATc4 Signaling as a Major Regulator of Neural Stem Cell Biology
Moreno, Marta; Fernández, Virginia; Monllau, Josep M.; Borrell, VÃctor; Lerin, Carles; de la Iglesia, Núria
Summary Neural stem cells (NSCs) reside in a hypoxic microenvironment within the brain. However, the crucial transcription factors (TFs) that regulate NSC biology under physiologic hypoxia are poorly understood. Here we have performed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of microarray datasets from hypoxic versus normoxic NSCs with the aim of identifying pathways and TFs that are activated under oxygen concentrations mimicking normal brain tissue microenvironment. Integration of TF target (TFT) and pathway enrichment analysis identified the calcium-regulated TF NFATc4 as a major candidate to regulate hypoxic NSC functions. Nfatc4 expression was coordinately upregulated by top hypoxia-activated TFs, while NFATc4 target genes were enriched in hypoxic NSCs. Loss-of-function analyses further revealed that the calcineurin-NFATc4 signaling axis acts as a major regulator of NSC self-renewal and proliferation in vitro and in vivo by promoting the expression of TFs, including Id2, that contribute to the maintenance of the NSC state. PMID:26235896
Neural and Computational Mechanisms of Action Processing: Interaction between Visual and Motor Representations.
Giese, Martin A; Rizzolatti, Giacomo
Action recognition has received enormous interest in the field of neuroscience over the last two decades. In spite of this interest, the knowledge in terms of fundamental neural mechanisms that provide constraints for underlying computations remains rather limited. This fact stands in contrast with a wide variety of speculative theories about how action recognition might work. This review focuses on new fundamental electrophysiological results in monkeys, which provide constraints for the detailed underlying computations. In addition, we review models for action recognition and processing that have concrete mathematical implementations, as opposed to conceptual models. We think that only such implemented models can be meaningfully linked quantitatively to physiological data and have a potential to narrow down the many possible computational explanations for action recognition. In addition, only concrete implementations allow judging whether postulated computational concepts have a feasible implementation in terms of realistic neural circuits. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Separate neural mechanisms underlie choices and strategic preferences in risky decision making.
Venkatraman, Vinod; Payne, John W; Bettman, James R; Luce, Mary Frances; Huettel, Scott A
Adaptive decision making in real-world contexts often relies on strategic simplifications of decision problems. Yet, the neural mechanisms that shape these strategies and their implementation remain largely unknown. Using an economic decision-making task, we dissociate brain regions that predict specific choices from those predicting an individual's preferred strategy. Choices that maximized gains or minimized losses were predicted by functional magnetic resonance imaging activation in ventromedial prefrontal cortex or anterior insula, respectively. However, choices that followed a simplifying strategy (i.e., attending to overall probability of winning) were associated with activation in parietal and lateral prefrontal cortices. Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, through differential functional connectivity with parietal and insular cortex, predicted individual variability in strategic preferences. Finally, we demonstrate that robust decision strategies follow from neural sensitivity to rewards. We conclude that decision making reflects more than compensatory interaction of choice-related regions; in addition, specific brain systems potentiate choices depending on strategies, traits, and context.
Differences between mechanical and neural tuning at the apex of the intact guinea pig cochlea
Recio-Spinoso, Alberto; Oghalai, John S.
While most of human speech information is contained within frequencies guinea pig cochlea using volumetric optical coherence tomography vibrometry (VOCTV). We found that vibrations within apical cochlear regions, with neural tuning below 2 kHz, demonstrate low-pass filter characteristics. There was evidence of a low-level of broad-band cochlear amplification that did not sharpen frequency selectivity. We compared the vibratory responses we measured to previously-measured single-unit auditory nerve tuning curves in the same frequency range, and found that mechanical responses do not match neural responses. These data suggest that, for low frequency cochlear regions, inner hair cells not only transduce vibrations of the organ of Corti but also sharpen frequency tuning.
Neural mechanisms of mental schema: a triplet of delta, low beta/spindle and ripple oscillations.
Ohki, Takefumi; Takei, Yuichi
Schemas are higher-level knowledge structures that integrate and organise lower-level representations. As internal templates, schemas are formed according to how events are perceived, interpreted and remembered. Although these higher-level units are assumed to play a fundamental role in our daily life from an early age, the neuronal basis and mechanisms of schema formation and use remain largely unknown. It is important to elucidate how the brain constructs and maintains these higher-level units. In order to examine the possible neural underpinnings of schema, we recapitulate previous work and discuss their findings related to schemas as the brain template. We specifically focused on low beta/spindle oscillations, which are assumed to be the key components of schemas, and propose that the brain template is implemented with a triplet of neural oscillations, that is delta, low beta/spindle and ripple oscillations. © 2018 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Modeling mechanical properties of cast aluminum alloy using artificial neural network
Jokhio, M.H.; Panhwar, M.I.
Modeling is widely used to investigate the mechanical properties of engineering materials due to increasing demand of low cost and high strength to weight ratio for many engineering applications. The aluminum casting alloys are cost competitive material and possess the desired properties. The mechanical properties largely depend upon composition of alloys and their processing method. Alloy design involves controlling mechanical properties via optimization of the composition and processing parameters. For optimization the possible root is empirical modeling and its more refined version is the analysis of the wide range of data using ANN (Artificial Neural Networks) modeling. The modeling of mechanical properties of the aluminum alloys are the main objective of present work. For this purpose, some data were collected and experimentally prepared using conventional casting method. A MLP (Multilayer Perceptron) network was developed, which is trained by using the error back propagation algorithm. (author)
Neural Network Models of Simple Mechanical Systems Illustrating the Feasibility of Accelerated Life Testing
Fusaro, Robert L.; Jones, Steven P.; Jansen, Ralph
A complete evaluation of the tribological characteristics of a given material/mechanical system is a time-consuming operation since the friction and wear process is extremely systems sensitive. As a result, experimental designs (i.e., Latin Square, Taguchi) have been implemented in an attempt to not only reduce the total number of experimental combinations needed to fully characterize a material/mechanical system, but also to acquire life data for a system without having to perform an actual life test. Unfortunately, these experimental designs still require a great deal of experimental testing and the output does not always produce meaningful information. In order to further reduce the amount of experimental testing required, this study employs a computer neural network model to investigate different material/mechanical systems. The work focuses on the modeling of the wear behavior, while showing the feasibility of using neural networks to predict life data. The model is capable of defining which input variables will influence the tribological behavior of the particular material/mechanical system being studied based on the specifications of the overall system.
Predicting General Academic Performance and Identifying the Differential Contribution of Participating Variables Using Artificial Neural Networks
Musso, Mariel F.; Kyndt, Eva; Cascallar, Eduardo C.; Dochy, Filip
Many studies have explored the contribution of different factors from diverse theoretical perspectives to the explanation of academic performance. These factors have been identified as having important implications not only for the study of learning processes, but also as tools for improving curriculum designs, tutorial systems, and students'…
Neural mechanism of lmplicit and explicit memory retrieval: functional MR imaging
Kang, Heoung Keun; Jeong, Gwang Woo; Park, Tae Jin; Seo, Jeong Jin; Kim, Hyung Joong; Eun, Sung Jong; Chung, Tae Woong
To identify, using functional MR imaging, distinct cerebral centers and to evaluate the neural mechanism associated with implicit and explicit retrieval of words during conceptual processing. Seven healthy volunteers aged 21-25 (mean, 22) years underwent BOLD-based fMR imaging using a 1.5T signa horizon echospeed MR system. To activate the cerebral cortices, a series of tasks was performed as follows: the encoding of two-syllable words, and implicit and explicit retrieval of previously learned words during conceptual processing. The activation paradigm consisted of a cycle of alternating periods of 30 seconds of stimulation and 30 seconds of rest. Stimulation was accomplished by encoding eight two-syllable words and the retrieval of previously presented words, while the control condition was a white screen with a small fixed cross. During the tasks we acquired ten slices (6 mm slice thickness, 1 mm gap) parallel to the AC-PC line, and the resulting functional activation maps were reconstructed using a statistical parametric mapping program (SPM99). A comparison of activation ratios (percentages), based on the number of volunteers, showed that activation of Rhs-35, PoCiG-23 and ICiG-26·30 was associated with explicit retrieval only; other brain areas were activated during the performance of both implicit and explicit retrieval tasks. Activation ratios were higher for explicit tasks than for implicit; in the cingulate gyrus and temporal lobe they were 30% and 10% greater, respectively. During explicit retrieval, a distinct brain activation index (percentage) was seen in the temporal, parietal, and occipital lobe and cingulate gyrus, and PrCeG-4, Pr/ PoCeG-43 in the frontal lobe. During implicit retrieval, on the other hand, activity was greater in the frontal lobe, including the areas of SCA-25, SFG/MFG-10, IFG-44·45, OrbG-11·47, SFG-6·8 and MFG-9·46. Overall, activation was lateralized mainly in the left hemisphere during both implicit and explicit retrieval
Kang, Heoung Keun; Jeong, Gwang Woo; Park, Tae Jin; Seo, Jeong Jin; Kim, Hyung Joong; Eun, Sung Jong; Chung, Tae Woong [Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)
To identify, using functional MR imaging, distinct cerebral centers and to evaluate the neural mechanism associated with implicit and explicit retrieval of words during conceptual processing. Seven healthy volunteers aged 21-25 (mean, 22) years underwent BOLD-based fMR imaging using a 1.5T signa horizon echospeed MR system. To activate the cerebral cortices, a series of tasks was performed as follows: the encoding of two-syllable words, and implicit and explicit retrieval of previously learned words during conceptual processing. The activation paradigm consisted of a cycle of alternating periods of 30 seconds of stimulation and 30 seconds of rest. Stimulation was accomplished by encoding eight two-syllable words and the retrieval of previously presented words, while the control condition was a white screen with a small fixed cross. During the tasks we acquired ten slices (6 mm slice thickness, 1 mm gap) parallel to the AC-PC line, and the resulting functional activation maps were reconstructed using a statistical parametric mapping program (SPM99). A comparison of activation ratios (percentages), based on the number of volunteers, showed that activation of Rhs-35, PoCiG-23 and ICiG-26{center_dot}30 was associated with explicit retrieval only; other brain areas were activated during the performance of both implicit and explicit retrieval tasks. Activation ratios were higher for explicit tasks than for implicit; in the cingulate gyrus and temporal lobe they were 30% and 10% greater, respectively. During explicit retrieval, a distinct brain activation index (percentage) was seen in the temporal, parietal, and occipital lobe and cingulate gyrus, and PrCeG-4, Pr/ PoCeG-43 in the frontal lobe. During implicit retrieval, on the other hand, activity was greater in the frontal lobe, including the areas of SCA-25, SFG/MFG-10, IFG-44{center_dot}45, OrbG-11{center_dot}47, SFG-6{center_dot}8 and MFG-9{center_dot}46. Overall, activation was lateralized mainly in the left
Effects and mechanisms of melatonin on neural differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells.
Shu, Tao; Wu, Tao; Pang, Mao; Liu, Chang; Wang, Xuan; Wang, Juan; Liu, Bin; Rong, Limin
Melatonin, a lipophilic molecule mainly synthesized in the pineal gland, has properties of antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and antiapoptosis to improve neuroprotective functions. Here, we investigate effects and mechanisms of melatonin on neural differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). iPSCs were induced into neural stem cells (NSCs), then further differentiated into neurons in medium with or without melatonin, melatonin receptor antagonist (Luzindole) or Phosphatidylinositide 3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitor (LY294002). Melatonin significantly promoted the number of neurospheres and cell viability. In addition, Melatonin markedly up-regulated gene and protein expression of Nestin and MAP2. However, Luzindole or LY294002 attenuated these increase. The expression of pAKT/AKT were increased by Melatonin, while Luzindole or LY294002 declined these melatonin-induced increase. These results suggest that melatonin significantly increased neural differentiation of iPSCs via activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway through melatonin receptor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Neural mechanisms underlying sound-induced visual motion perception: An fMRI study.
Hidaka, Souta; Higuchi, Satomi; Teramoto, Wataru; Sugita, Yoichi
Studies of crossmodal interactions in motion perception have reported activation in several brain areas, including those related to motion processing and/or sensory association, in response to multimodal (e.g., visual and auditory) stimuli that were both in motion. Recent studies have demonstrated that sounds can trigger illusory visual apparent motion to static visual stimuli (sound-induced visual motion: SIVM): A visual stimulus blinking at a fixed location is perceived to be moving laterally when an alternating left-right sound is also present. Here, we investigated brain activity related to the perception of SIVM using a 7T functional magnetic resonance imaging technique. Specifically, we focused on the patterns of neural activities in SIVM and visually induced visual apparent motion (VIVM). We observed shared activations in the middle occipital area (V5/hMT), which is thought to be involved in visual motion processing, for SIVM and VIVM. Moreover, as compared to VIVM, SIVM resulted in greater activation in the superior temporal area and dominant functional connectivity between the V5/hMT area and the areas related to auditory and crossmodal motion processing. These findings indicate that similar but partially different neural mechanisms could be involved in auditory-induced and visually-induced motion perception, and neural signals in auditory, visual, and, crossmodal motion processing areas closely and directly interact in the perception of SIVM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Neural mechanisms linking social status and inflammatory responses to social stress.
Muscatell, Keely A; Dedovic, Katarina; Slavich, George M; Jarcho, Michael R; Breen, Elizabeth C; Bower, Julienne E; Irwin, Michael R; Eisenberger, Naomi I
Social stratification has important implications for health and well-being, with individuals lower in standing in a hierarchy experiencing worse outcomes than those higher up the social ladder. Separate lines of past research suggest that alterations in inflammatory processes and neural responses to threat may link lower social status with poorer outcomes. This study was designed to bridge these literatures to investigate the neurocognitive mechanisms linking subjective social status and inflammation. Thirty-one participants reported their subjective social status, and underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan while they were socially evaluated. Participants also provided blood samples before and after the stressor, which were analysed for changes in inflammation. Results showed that lower subjective social status was associated with greater increases in inflammation. Neuroimaging data revealed lower subjective social status was associated with greater neural activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) in response to negative feedback. Finally, results indicated that activation in the DMPFC in response to negative feedback mediated the relation between social status and increases in inflammatory activity. This study provides the first evidence of a neurocognitive pathway linking subjective social status and inflammation, thus furthering our understanding of how social hierarchies shape neural and physiological responses to social interactions. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Neural mechanisms of human perceptual learning: electrophysiological evidence for a two-stage process.
Hamamé, Carlos M; Cosmelli, Diego; Henriquez, Rodrigo; Aboitiz, Francisco
Humans and other animals change the way they perceive the world due to experience. This process has been labeled as perceptual learning, and implies that adult nervous systems can adaptively modify the way in which they process sensory stimulation. However, the mechanisms by which the brain modifies this capacity have not been sufficiently analyzed. We studied the neural mechanisms of human perceptual learning by combining electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings of brain activity and the assessment of psychophysical performance during training in a visual search task. All participants improved their perceptual performance as reflected by an increase in sensitivity (d') and a decrease in reaction time. The EEG signal was acquired throughout the entire experiment revealing amplitude increments, specific and unspecific to the trained stimulus, in event-related potential (ERP) components N2pc and P3 respectively. P3 unspecific modification can be related to context or task-based learning, while N2pc may be reflecting a more specific attentional-related boosting of target detection. Moreover, bell and U-shaped profiles of oscillatory brain activity in gamma (30-60 Hz) and alpha (8-14 Hz) frequency bands may suggest the existence of two phases for learning acquisition, which can be understood as distinctive optimization mechanisms in stimulus processing. We conclude that there are reorganizations in several neural processes that contribute differently to perceptual learning in a visual search task. We propose an integrative model of neural activity reorganization, whereby perceptual learning takes place as a two-stage phenomenon including perceptual, attentional and contextual processes.
Neural mechanisms by which attention modulates the comparison of remembered and perceptual representations.
Bo-Cheng Kuo
Full Text Available Attention is important for effectively comparing incoming perceptual information with the contents of visual short-term memory (VSTM, such that any differences can be detected. However, how attentional mechanisms operate upon these comparison processes remains largely unknown. Here we investigate the underlying neural mechanisms by which attention modulates the comparisons between VSTM and perceptual representations using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. Participants performed a cued change detection task. Spatial cues were presented to orient their attention either to the location of an item in VSTM prior to its comparison (retro-cues, or simultaneously (simultaneous-cues with the probe array. A no-cue condition was also included. When attention cannot be effectively deployed in advance (i.e. following the simultaneous-cues, we observed a distributed and extensive activation pattern in the prefrontal and parietal cortices in support of successful change detection. This was not the case when participants can deploy their attention in advance (i.e. following the retro-cues. The region-of-interest analyses confirmed that neural responses for successful change detection versus correct rejection in the visual and parietal regions were significantly different for simultaneous-cues compared to retro-cues. Importantly, we found enhanced functional connectivity between prefrontal and parietal cortices when detecting changes on the simultaneous-cue trials. Moreover, we demonstrated a close relationship between this functional connectivity and d' scores. Together, our findings elucidate the attentional and neural mechanisms by which items held in VSTM are compared with incoming perceptual information.
Neurobiology of pair bonding in fishes; convergence of neural mechanisms across distant vertebrate lineages
KAUST Repository
Nowicki, Jessica; Pratchett, Morgan; Walker, Stefan; Coker, Darren James; O'Connell, Lauren A.
Pair bonding has independently evolved numerous times among vertebrates. The governing neural mechanisms of pair bonding have only been studied in depth in the mammalian model species, the prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster. In this species, oxytocin (OT), arginine vasopressin (AVP), dopamine (DA), and opioid (OP) systems play key roles in signaling in the formation and maintenance of pair bonding by targeting specific social and reward-mediating brain regions. By contrast, the neural basis of pair bonding is poorly studied in other vertebrates, and especially those of early origins, limiting our understanding of the evolutionary history of pair bonding regulatory mechanisms. We compared receptor gene expression between pair bonded and solitary individuals across eight socio-functional brain regions. We found that in females, ITR and V1aR receptor expression varied in the lateral septum-like region (the Vv/Vl), while in both sexes D1R, D2R, and MOR expression varied within the mesolimbic reward system, including a striatum-like region (the Vc); mirroring sites of action in M. ochrogaster. This study provides novel insights into the neurobiology of teleost pair bonding. It also reveals high convergence in the neurochemical mechanisms governing pair bonding across actinopterygians and sarcopterygians, by repeatedly co-opting and similarly assembling deep neurochemical and neuroanatomical homologies that originated in ancestral osteithes.
On the Control of Social Approach-Avoidance Behavior: Neural and Endocrine Mechanisms.
Kaldewaij, Reinoud; Koch, Saskia B J; Volman, Inge; Toni, Ivan; Roelofs, Karin
The ability to control our automatic action tendencies is crucial for adequate social interactions. Emotional events trigger automatic approach and avoidance tendencies. Although these actions may be generally adaptive, the capacity to override these emotional reactions may be key to flexible behavior during social interaction. The present chapter provides a review of the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying this ability and their relation to social psychopathologies. Aberrant social behavior, such as observed in social anxiety or psychopathy, is marked by abnormalities in approach-avoidance tendencies and the ability to control them. Key neural regions involved in the regulation of approach-avoidance behavior are the amygdala, widely implicated in automatic emotional processing, and the anterior prefrontal cortex, which exerts control over the amygdala. Hormones, especially testosterone and cortisol, have been shown to affect approach-avoidance behavior and the associated neural mechanisms. The present chapter also discusses ways to directly influence social approach and avoidance behavior and will end with a research agenda to further advance this important research field. Control over approach-avoidance tendencies may serve as an exemplar of emotional action regulation and might have a great value in understanding the underlying mechanisms of the development of affective disorders.
An Integrative Model for the Neural Mechanism of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Coubard, Olivier A
Since the seminal report by Shapiro that bilateral stimulation induces cognitive and emotional changes, 26 years of basic and clinical research have examined the effects of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in anxiety disorders, particularly in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present article aims at better understanding EMDR neural mechanism. I first review procedural aspects of EMDR protocol and theoretical hypothesis about EMDR effects, and develop the reasons why the scientific community is still divided about EMDR. I then slide from psychology to physiology describing eye movements/emotion interaction from the physiological viewpoint, and introduce theoretical and technical tools used in movement research to re-examine EMDR neural mechanism. Using a recent physiological model for the neuropsychological architecture of motor and cognitive control, the Threshold Interval Modulation with Early Release-Rate of rIse Deviation with Early Release (TIMER-RIDER)-model, I explore how attentional control and bilateral stimulation may participate to EMDR effects. These effects may be obtained by two processes acting in parallel: (i) activity level enhancement of attentional control component; and (ii) bilateral stimulation in any sensorimotor modality, both resulting in lower inhibition enabling dysfunctional information to be processed and anxiety to be reduced. The TIMER-RIDER model offers quantitative predictions about EMDR effects for future research about its underlying physiological mechanisms.
An integrative model for the neural mechanism of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR
Olivier A. Coubard
Full Text Available Since the seminal report by Shapiro that bilateral stimulation induces cognitive and emotional changes, twenty-six years of basic and clinical research have examined the effects of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR in anxiety disorders, particularly in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD. The present article aims at better understanding EMDR neural mechanism. I first review procedural aspects of EMDR protocol and theoretical hypothesis about EMDR effects, and develop the reasons why the scientific community is still divided about EMDR. I then slide from psychology to physiology describing eye movements/emotion interaction from the physiological viewpoint, and introduce theoretical and technical tools used in movement research to re-examine EMDR neural mechanism. Using a recent physiological model for the neuropsychological architecture of motor and cognitive control, the Threshold Interval Modulation with Early Release-Rate of rIse Deviation with Early Release – TIMER-RIDER – model, I explore how attentional control and bilateral stimulation may participate to EMDR effects. These effects may be obtained by two processes acting in parallel: (i activity level enhancement of attentional control component; and (ii bilateral stimulation in any sensorimotor modality, both resulting in lower inhibition enabling dysfunctional information to be processed and anxiety to be reduced. The TIMER-RIDER model offers quantitative predictions about EMDR effects for future research about its underlying physiological mechanisms.
Nowicki, Jessica
Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Cost of Task Switching: An ERP Study
Li, Ling; Wang, Meng; Zhao, Qian-Jing; Fogelson, Noa
Background When switching from one task to a new one, reaction times are prolonged. This phenomenon is called switch cost (SC). Researchers have recently used several kinds of task-switching paradigms to uncover neural mechanisms underlying the SC. Task-set reconfiguration and passive dissipation of a previously relevant task-set have been reported to contribute to the cost of task switching. Methodology/Principal Findings An unpredictable cued task-switching paradigm was used, during which subjects were instructed to switch between a color and an orientation discrimination task. Electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral measures were recorded in 14 subjects. Response-stimulus interval (RSI) and cue-stimulus interval (CSI) were manipulated with short and long intervals, respectively. Switch trials delayed reaction times (RTs) and increased error rates compared with repeat trials. The SC of RTs was smaller in the long CSI condition. For cue-locked waveforms, switch trials generated a larger parietal positive event-related potential (ERP), and a larger slow parietal positivity compared with repeat trials in the short and long CSI condition. Neural SC of cue-related ERP positivity was smaller in the long RSI condition. For stimulus-locked waveforms, a larger switch-related central negative ERP component was observed, and the neural SC of the ERP negativity was smaller in the long CSI. Results of standardized low resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) for both ERP positivity and negativity showed that switch trials evoked larger activation than repeat trials in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC). Conclusions/Significance The results provide evidence that both RSI and CSI modulate the neural activities in the process of task-switching, but that these have a differential role during task-set reconfiguration and passive dissipation of a previously relevant task-set. PMID:22860090
Neural mechanisms underlying the cost of task switching: an ERP study.
Ling Li
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: When switching from one task to a new one, reaction times are prolonged. This phenomenon is called switch cost (SC. Researchers have recently used several kinds of task-switching paradigms to uncover neural mechanisms underlying the SC. Task-set reconfiguration and passive dissipation of a previously relevant task-set have been reported to contribute to the cost of task switching. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: An unpredictable cued task-switching paradigm was used, during which subjects were instructed to switch between a color and an orientation discrimination task. Electroencephalography (EEG and behavioral measures were recorded in 14 subjects. Response-stimulus interval (RSI and cue-stimulus interval (CSI were manipulated with short and long intervals, respectively. Switch trials delayed reaction times (RTs and increased error rates compared with repeat trials. The SC of RTs was smaller in the long CSI condition. For cue-locked waveforms, switch trials generated a larger parietal positive event-related potential (ERP, and a larger slow parietal positivity compared with repeat trials in the short and long CSI condition. Neural SC of cue-related ERP positivity was smaller in the long RSI condition. For stimulus-locked waveforms, a larger switch-related central negative ERP component was observed, and the neural SC of the ERP negativity was smaller in the long CSI. Results of standardized low resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA for both ERP positivity and negativity showed that switch trials evoked larger activation than repeat trials in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC and posterior parietal cortex (PPC. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results provide evidence that both RSI and CSI modulate the neural activities in the process of task-switching, but that these have a differential role during task-set reconfiguration and passive dissipation of a previously relevant task-set.
FGF signalling regulates chromatin organisation during neural differentiation via mechanisms that can be uncoupled from transcription.
Nishal S Patel
Full Text Available Changes in higher order chromatin organisation have been linked to transcriptional regulation; however, little is known about how such organisation alters during embryonic development or how it is regulated by extrinsic signals. Here we analyse changes in chromatin organisation as neural differentiation progresses, exploiting the clear spatial separation of the temporal events of differentiation along the elongating body axis of the mouse embryo. Combining fluorescence in situ hybridisation with super-resolution structured illumination microscopy, we show that chromatin around key differentiation gene loci Pax6 and Irx3 undergoes both decompaction and displacement towards the nuclear centre coincident with transcriptional onset. Conversely, down-regulation of Fgf8 as neural differentiation commences correlates with a more peripheral nuclear position of this locus. During normal neural differentiation, fibroblast growth factor (FGF signalling is repressed by retinoic acid, and this vitamin A derivative is further required for transcription of neural genes. We show here that exposure to retinoic acid or inhibition of FGF signalling promotes precocious decompaction and central nuclear positioning of differentiation gene loci. Using the Raldh2 mutant as a model for retinoid deficiency, we further find that such changes in higher order chromatin organisation are dependent on retinoid signalling. In this retinoid deficient condition, FGF signalling persists ectopically in the elongating body, and importantly, we find that inhibiting FGF receptor (FGFR signalling in Raldh2-/- embryos does not rescue differentiation gene transcription, but does elicit both chromatin decompaction and nuclear position change. These findings demonstrate that regulation of higher order chromatin organisation during differentiation in the embryo can be uncoupled from the machinery that promotes transcription and, for the first time, identify FGF as an extrinsic signal that
Incorporating deep learning with convolutional neural networks and position specific scoring matrices for identifying electron transport proteins.
Le, Nguyen-Quoc-Khanh; Ho, Quang-Thai; Ou, Yu-Yen
In several years, deep learning is a modern machine learning technique using in a variety of fields with state-of-the-art performance. Therefore, utilization of deep learning to enhance performance is also an important solution for current bioinformatics field. In this study, we try to use deep learning via convolutional neural networks and position specific scoring matrices to identify electron transport proteins, which is an important molecular function in transmembrane proteins. Our deep learning method can approach a precise model for identifying of electron transport proteins with achieved sensitivity of 80.3%, specificity of 94.4%, and accuracy of 92.3%, with MCC of 0.71 for independent dataset. The proposed technique can serve as a powerful tool for identifying electron transport proteins and can help biologists understand the function of the electron transport proteins. Moreover, this study provides a basis for further research that can enrich a field of applying deep learning in bioinformatics. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neural correlates of olfactory learning paradigms in an identified neuron in the honeybee brain.
Mauelshagen, J
1. Sensitization and classical odor conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex were functionally analyzed by repeated intracellular recordings from a single identified neuron (PE1-neuron) in the central bee brain. This neuron belongs to the class of "extrinsic cells" arising from the pedunculus of the mushroom bodies and has extensive arborizations in the median and lateral protocerebrum. The recordings were performed on isolated bee heads. 2. Two different series of physiological experiments were carried out with the use of a similar temporal succession of stimuli as in previous behavioral experiments. In the first series, one group of animals was used for a single conditioning trial [conditioned stimulus (CS), carnation; unconditioned stimulus (US), sucrose solution to the antennae and proboscis), a second group was used for sensitization (sensitizing stimulus, sucrose solution to the antennae and/or proboscis), and the third group served as control (no sucrose stimulation). In the second series, a differential conditioning paradigm (paired odor CS+, carnation; unpaired odor CS-, orange blossom) was applied to test the associative nature of the conditioning effect. 3. The PE1-neuron showed a characteristic burstlike odor response before the training procedures. The treatments resulted in different spike-frequency modulations of this response, which were specific for the nonassociative and associative stimulus paradigms applied. During differential conditioning, there are dynamic up and down modulations of spike frequencies and of the DC potentials underlying the responses to the CS+. Overall, only transient changes in the minute range were observed. 4. The results of the sensitization procedures suggest two qualitatively different US pathways. The comparison between sensitization and one-trial conditioning shows differential effects of nonassociative and associative stimulus paradigms on the response behavior of the PE1-neuron. The results of the differential
Potential psychological & neural mechanisms in binge eating disorder: Implications for treatment.
Kober, Hedy; Boswell, Rebecca G
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a newly-established eating disorder diagnosis in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Although systematic research on BED is in its infancy and many studies feature small samples, several observations emerge. First, we review diagnostic, developmental, and socio-demographic features of BED. Next, although BED and obesity are linked and frequently co-occur, we review data suggesting that BED is a distinct phenotype. Importantly, we take a mechanism-focused approach and propose four psychological processes with neurobiological bases that may uniquely differentiate BED from obesity: emotion reactivity, food-cue reactivity, food craving, and cognitive control. Further, we propose that interactions between impairments in cognitive control and increased emotional reactivity, food-cue reactivity, and craving may underlie emotion dysregulation and promote binge eating. Consistently, neuroimaging studies point towards neural alterations in the response to rewards and to food specifically, and suggest preliminary links between impaired cognitive-control-related neural activity and binge eating. However, additional systematic work is required in this area. We conclude with a detailed review of treatment approaches to BED; specifically, we suggest that psychological and pharmacological treatments that target core mechanisms - including cognitive control and emotion/craving dysregulation - may be particularly effective. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Associated Neural Defects: Complex Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutic Targets.
Muralidharan, Pooja; Sarmah, Swapnalee; Zhou, Feng C; Marrs, James A
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, can result in craniofacial dysmorphism, cognitive impairment, sensory and motor disabilities among other defects. FASD incidences are as high as 2% to 5 % children born in the US, and prevalence is higher in low socioeconomic populations. Despite various mechanisms being proposed to explain the etiology of FASD, the molecular targets of ethanol toxicity during development are unknown. Proposed mechanisms include cell death, cell signaling defects and gene expression changes. More recently, the involvement of several other molecular pathways was explored, including non-coding RNA, epigenetic changes and specific vitamin deficiencies. These various pathways may interact, producing a wide spectrum of consequences. Detailed understanding of these various pathways and their interactions will facilitate the therapeutic target identification, leading to new clinical intervention, which may reduce the incidence and severity of these highly prevalent preventable birth defects. This review discusses manifestations of alcohol exposure on the developing central nervous system, including the neural crest cells and sensory neural placodes, focusing on molecular neurodevelopmental pathways as possible therapeutic targets for prevention or protection.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD Associated Neural Defects: Complex Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutic Targets
James A. Marrs
Full Text Available Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD, caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, can result in craniofacial dysmorphism, cognitive impairment, sensory and motor disabilities among other defects. FASD incidences are as high as 2% to 5 % children born in the US, and prevalence is higher in low socioeconomic populations. Despite various mechanisms being proposed to explain the etiology of FASD, the molecular targets of ethanol toxicity during development are unknown. Proposed mechanisms include cell death, cell signaling defects and gene expression changes. More recently, the involvement of several other molecular pathways was explored, including non-coding RNA, epigenetic changes and specific vitamin deficiencies. These various pathways may interact, producing a wide spectrum of consequences. Detailed understanding of these various pathways and their interactions will facilitate the therapeutic target identification, leading to new clinical intervention, which may reduce the incidence and severity of these highly prevalent preventable birth defects. This review discusses manifestations of alcohol exposure on the developing central nervous system, including the neural crest cells and sensory neural placodes, focusing on molecular neurodevelopmental pathways as possible therapeutic targets for prevention or protection.
The Comorbidity Between Internet Gaming Disorder and Depression: Interrelationship and Neural Mechanisms
Full Text Available Internet gaming disorder (IGD is characterized by cognitive and emotional deficits. Previous studies have reported the co-occurrence of IGD and depression. However, extant brain imaging research has largely focused on cognitive deficits in IGD. Few studies have addressed the comorbidity between IGD and depression symptoms and underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we systematically investigated this issue by combining a longitudinal survey study, a cross-sectional resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC study and an intervention study. Autoregressive cross-lagged modeling on a longitudinal dataset of college students showed that IGD severity and depression are reciprocally predictive. At the neural level, individuals with IGD exhibited enhanced rsFC between the left amygdala and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, inferior frontal and precentral gyrus, compared with control participants, and the amygdala-frontoparietal connectivity at the baseline negatively predicted reduction in depression symptoms following a psychotherapy intervention. Further, following the intervention, individuals with IGD showed decreased connectivity between the left amygdala and left middle frontal and precentral gyrus, as compared with the non-intervention group. These findings together suggest that IGD may be closely associated with depression; aberrant rsFC between emotion and executive control networks may underlie depression and represent a therapeutic target in individuals with IGD.Registry name: The behavioral and brain mechanism of IGD;URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02550405;Registration number: NCT02550405.
Handedness is related to neural mechanisms underlying hemispheric lateralization of face processing
Frässle, Stefan; Krach, Sören; Paulus, Frieder Michel; Jansen, Andreas
While the right-hemispheric lateralization of the face perception network is well established, recent evidence suggests that handedness affects the cerebral lateralization of face processing at the hierarchical level of the fusiform face area (FFA). However, the neural mechanisms underlying differential hemispheric lateralization of face perception in right- and left-handers are largely unknown. Using dynamic causal modeling (DCM) for fMRI, we aimed to unravel the putative processes that mediate handedness-related differences by investigating the effective connectivity in the bilateral core face perception network. Our results reveal an enhanced recruitment of the left FFA in left-handers compared to right-handers, as evidenced by more pronounced face-specific modulatory influences on both intra- and interhemispheric connections. As structural and physiological correlates of handedness-related differences in face processing, right- and left-handers varied with regard to their gray matter volume in the left fusiform gyrus and their pupil responses to face stimuli. Overall, these results describe how handedness is related to the lateralization of the core face perception network, and point to different neural mechanisms underlying face processing in right- and left-handers. In a wider context, this demonstrates the entanglement of structurally and functionally remote brain networks, suggesting a broader underlying process regulating brain lateralization.
Hormonal and neural mechanisms of food reward, eating behaviour and obesity.
Murray, Susan; Tulloch, Alastair; Gold, Mark S; Avena, Nicole M
With rising rates of obesity, research continues to explore the contributions of homeostatic and hedonic mechanisms related to eating behaviour. In this Review, we synthesize the existing information on select biological mechanisms associated with reward-related food intake, dealing primarily with consumption of highly palatable foods. In addition to their established functions in normal feeding, three primary peripheral hormones (leptin, ghrelin and insulin) play important parts in food reward. Studies in laboratory animals and humans also show relationships between hyperphagia or obesity and neural pathways involved in reward. These findings have prompted questions regarding the possibility of addictive-like aspects in food consumption. Further exploration of this topic may help to explain aberrant eating patterns, such as binge eating, and provide insight into the current rates of overweight and obesity.
From sensation to perception: Using multivariate classification of visual illusions to identify neural correlates of conscious awareness in space and time.
Hogendoorn, Hinze
An important goal of cognitive neuroscience is understanding the neural underpinnings of conscious awareness. Although the low-level processing of sensory input is well understood in most modalities, it remains a challenge to understand how the brain translates such input into conscious awareness. Here, I argue that the application of multivariate pattern classification techniques to neuroimaging data acquired while observers experience perceptual illusions provides a unique way to dissociate sensory mechanisms from mechanisms underlying conscious awareness. Using this approach, it is possible to directly compare patterns of neural activity that correspond to the contents of awareness, independent from changes in sensory input, and to track these neural representations over time at high temporal resolution. I highlight five recent studies using this approach, and provide practical considerations and limitations for future implementations.
The Temporal Derivative of Expected Utility: A Neural Mechanism for Dynamic Decision-making
Zhang, Xian; Hirsch, Joy
Real world tasks involving moving targets, such as driving a vehicle, are performed based on continuous decisions thought to depend upon the temporal derivative of the expected utility (∂V/∂t), where the expected utility (V) is the effective value of a future reward. However, those neural mechanisms that underlie dynamic decision-making are not well understood. This study investigates human neural correlates of both V and ∂V/∂t using fMRI and a novel experimental paradigm based on a pursuit-evasion game optimized to isolate components of dynamic decision processes. Our behavioral data show that players of the pursuit-evasion game adopt an exponential discounting function, supporting the expected utility theory. The continuous functions of V and ∂V/∂t were derived from the behavioral data and applied as regressors in fMRI analysis, enabling temporal resolution that exceeded the sampling rate of image acquisition, hyper-temporal resolution, by taking advantage of numerous trials that provide rich and independent manipulation of those variables. V and ∂V/∂t were each associated with distinct neural activity. Specifically, ∂V/∂t was associated with anterior and posterior cingulate cortices, superior parietal lobule, and ventral pallidum, whereas V was primarily associated with supplementary motor, pre and post central gyri, cerebellum, and thalamus. The association between the ∂V/∂t and brain regions previously related to decision-making is consistent with the primary role of the temporal derivative of expected utility in dynamic decision-making. PMID:22963852
Mindfulness training applied to addiction therapy: insights into the neural mechanisms of positive behavioral change
Garl
Full Text Available Eric L Garland,1,2 Matthew O Howard,3 Sarah E Priddy,1 Patrick A McConnell,4 Michael R Riquino,1 Brett Froeliger4 1College of Social Work, 2Hunstsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; 3School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; 4Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA Abstract: Dual-process models from neuroscience suggest that addiction is driven by dysregulated interactions between bottom-up neural processes underpinning reward learning and top-down neural functions subserving executive function. Over time, drug use causes atrophy in prefrontally mediated cognitive control networks and hijacks striatal circuits devoted to processing natural rewards in service of compulsive seeking of drug-related reward. In essence, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs can be conceptualized as mental training programs for exercising, strengthening, and remediating these functional brain networks. This review describes how MBIs may remediate addiction by regulating frontostriatal circuits, thereby restoring an adaptive balance between these top-down and bottom-up processes. Empirical evidence is presented suggesting that MBIs facilitate cognitive control over drug-related automaticity, attentional bias, and drug cue reactivity, while enhancing responsiveness to natural rewards. Findings from the literature are incorporated into an integrative account of the neural mechanisms of mindfulness-based therapies for effecting positive behavior change in the context of addiction recovery. Implications of our theoretical framework are presented with respect to how these insights can inform the addiction therapy process. Keywords: mindfulness, frontostriatal, savoring, cue reactivity, hedonic dysregulation, reward, addiction
Temporal neural mechanisms underlying conscious access to different levels of facial stimulus contents.
Hsu, Shen-Mou; Yang, Yu-Fang
An important issue facing the empirical study of consciousness concerns how the contents of incoming stimuli gain access to conscious processing. According to classic theories, facial stimuli are processed in a hierarchical manner. However, it remains unclear how the brain determines which level of stimulus content is consciously accessible when facing an incoming facial stimulus. Accordingly, with a magnetoencephalography technique, this study aims to investigate the temporal dynamics of the neural mechanism mediating which level of stimulus content is consciously accessible. Participants were instructed to view masked target faces at threshold so that, according to behavioral responses, their perceptual awareness alternated from consciously accessing facial identity in some trials to being able to consciously access facial configuration features but not facial identity in other trials. Conscious access at these two levels of facial contents were associated with a series of differential neural events. Before target presentation, different patterns of phase angle adjustment were observed between the two types of conscious access. This effect was followed by stronger phase clustering for awareness of facial identity immediately during stimulus presentation. After target onset, conscious access to facial identity, as opposed to facial configural features, was able to elicit more robust late positivity. In conclusion, we suggest that the stages of neural events, ranging from prestimulus to stimulus-related activities, may operate in combination to determine which level of stimulus contents is consciously accessed. Conscious access may thus be better construed as comprising various forms that depend on the level of stimulus contents accessed. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present study investigates how the brain determines which level of stimulus contents is consciously accessible when facing an incoming facial stimulus. Using magnetoencephalography, we show that prestimulus
The temporal derivative of expected utility: a neural mechanism for dynamic decision-making.
Real world tasks involving moving targets, such as driving a vehicle, are performed based on continuous decisions thought to depend upon the temporal derivative of the expected utility (∂V/∂t), where the expected utility (V) is the effective value of a future reward. However, the neural mechanisms that underlie dynamic decision-making are not well understood. This study investigates human neural correlates of both V and ∂V/∂t using fMRI and a novel experimental paradigm based on a pursuit-evasion game optimized to isolate components of dynamic decision processes. Our behavioral data show that players of the pursuit-evasion game adopt an exponential discounting function, supporting the expected utility theory. The continuous functions of V and ∂V/∂t were derived from the behavioral data and applied as regressors in fMRI analysis, enabling temporal resolution that exceeded the sampling rate of image acquisition, hyper-temporal resolution, by taking advantage of numerous trials that provide rich and independent manipulation of those variables. V and ∂V/∂t were each associated with distinct neural activity. Specifically, ∂V/∂t was associated with anterior and posterior cingulate cortices, superior parietal lobule, and ventral pallidum, whereas V was primarily associated with supplementary motor, pre and post central gyri, cerebellum, and thalamus. The association between the ∂V/∂t and brain regions previously related to decision-making is consistent with the primary role of the temporal derivative of expected utility in dynamic decision-making. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Binding and segmentation via a neural mass model trained with Hebbian and anti-Hebbian mechanisms.
Cona, Filippo; Zavaglia, Melissa; Ursino, Mauro
Synchronization of neural activity in the gamma band, modulated by a slower theta rhythm, is assumed to play a significant role in binding and segmentation of multiple objects. In the present work, a recent neural mass model of a single cortical column is used to analyze the synaptic mechanisms which can warrant synchronization and desynchronization of cortical columns, during an autoassociation memory task. The model considers two distinct layers communicating via feedforward connections. The first layer receives the external input and works as an autoassociative network in the theta band, to recover a previously memorized object from incomplete information. The second realizes segmentation of different objects in the gamma band. To this end, units within both layers are connected with synapses trained on the basis of previous experience to store objects. The main model assumptions are: (i) recovery of incomplete objects is realized by excitatory synapses from pyramidal to pyramidal neurons in the same object; (ii) binding in the gamma range is realized by excitatory synapses from pyramidal neurons to fast inhibitory interneurons in the same object. These synapses (both at points i and ii) have a few ms dynamics and are trained with a Hebbian mechanism. (iii) Segmentation is realized with faster AMPA synapses, with rise times smaller than 1 ms, trained with an anti-Hebbian mechanism. Results show that the model, with the previous assumptions, can correctly reconstruct and segment three simultaneous objects, starting from incomplete knowledge. Segmentation of more objects is possible but requires an increased ratio between the theta and gamma periods.
Dynamics and genetic fuzzy neural network vibration control design of a smart flexible four-bar linkage mechanism
Rong Bao; Rui Xiaoting; Tao Ling
In this paper, a dynamic modeling method and an active vibration control scheme for a smart flexible four-bar linkage mechanism featuring piezoelectric actuators and strain gauge sensors are presented. The dynamics of this smart mechanism is described by the Discrete Time Transfer Matrix Method of Multibody System (MS-DTTMM). Then a nonlinear fuzzy neural network control is employed to suppress the vibration of this smart mechanism. For improving the dynamic performance of the fuzzy neural network, a genetic algorithm based on the MS-DTTMM is designed offline to tune the initial parameters of the fuzzy neural network. The MS-DTTMM avoids the global dynamics equations of the system, which results in the matrices involved are always very small, so the computational efficiency of the dynamic analysis and control system optimization can be greatly improved. Formulations of the method as well as a numerical simulation are given to demonstrate the proposed dynamic method and control scheme.
The critical chemical and mechanical regulation of folic acid on neural engineering.
Kim, Gloria B; Chen, Yongjie; Kang, Weibo; Guo, Jinshan; Payne, Russell; Li, Hui; Wei, Qiong; Baker, Julianne; Dong, Cheng; Zhang, Sulin; Wong, Pak Kin; Rizk, Elias B; Yan, Jiazhi; Yang, Jian
The mandate of folic acid supplementation in grained products has reduced the occurrence of neural tube defects by one third in the U.S since its introduction by the Food and Drug Administration in 1998. However, the advantages and possible mechanisms of action of using folic acid for peripheral nerve engineering and neurological diseases still remain largely elusive. Herein, folic acid is described as an inexpensive and multifunctional niche component that modulates behaviors in different cells in the nervous system. The multiple benefits of modulation include: 1) generating chemotactic responses on glial cells, 2) inducing neurotrophin release, and 3) stimulating neuronal differentiation of a PC-12 cell system. For the first time, folic acid is also shown to enhance cellular force generation and global methylation in the PC-12 cells, thereby enabling both biomechanical and biochemical pathways to regulate neuron differentiation. These findings are evaluated in vivo for clinical translation. Our results suggest that folic acid-nerve guidance conduits may offer significant benefits as a low-cost, off-the-shelf product for reaching the functional recovery seen with autografts in large sciatic nerve defects. Consequently, folic acid holds great potential as a critical and convenient therapeutic intervention for neural engineering, regenerative medicine, medical prosthetics, and drug delivery. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Internal mechanisms underlying anticipatory language processing: Evidence from event-related-potentials and neural oscillations.
Li, Xiaoqing; Zhang, Yuping; Xia, Jinyan; Swaab, Tamara Y
Although numerous studies have demonstrated that the language processing system can predict upcoming content during comprehension, there is still no clear picture of the anticipatory stage of predictive processing. This electroencephalograph study examined the cognitive and neural oscillatory mechanisms underlying anticipatory processing during language comprehension, and the consequences of this prediction for bottom-up processing of predicted/unpredicted content. Participants read Mandarin Chinese sentences that were either strongly or weakly constraining and that contained critical nouns that were congruent or incongruent with the sentence contexts. We examined the effects of semantic predictability on anticipatory processing prior to the onset of the critical nouns and on integration of the critical nouns. The results revealed that, at the integration stage, the strong-constraint condition (compared to the weak-constraint condition) elicited a reduced N400 and reduced theta activity (4-7Hz) for the congruent nouns, but induced beta (13-18Hz) and theta (4-7Hz) power decreases for the incongruent nouns, indicating benefits of confirmed predictions and potential costs of disconfirmed predictions. More importantly, at the anticipatory stage, the strongly constraining context elicited an enhanced sustained anterior negativity and beta power decrease (19-25Hz), which indicates that strong prediction places a higher processing load on the anticipatory stage of processing. The differences (in the ease of processing and the underlying neural oscillatory activities) between anticipatory and integration stages of lexical processing were discussed with regard to predictive processing models. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Evolutionary mechanisms that generate morphology and neural-circuit diversity of the cerebellum.
Hibi, Masahiko; Matsuda, Koji; Takeuchi, Miki; Shimizu, Takashi; Murakami, Yasunori
The cerebellum is derived from the dorsal part of the anterior-most hindbrain. The vertebrate cerebellum contains glutamatergic granule cells (GCs) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic Purkinje cells (PCs). These cerebellar neurons are generated from neuronal progenitors or neural stem cells by mechanisms that are conserved among vertebrates. However, vertebrate cerebella are widely diverse with respect to their gross morphology and neural circuits. The cerebellum of cyclostomes, the basal vertebrates, has a negligible structure. Cartilaginous fishes have a cerebellum containing GCs, PCs, and deep cerebellar nuclei (DCNs), which include projection neurons. Ray-finned fish lack DCNs but have projection neurons termed eurydendroid cells (ECs) in the vicinity of the PCs. Among ray-finned fishes, the cerebellum of teleost zebrafish has a simple lobular structure, whereas that of weakly electric mormyrid fish is large and foliated. Amniotes, which include mammals, independently evolved a large, foliated cerebellum, which contains massive numbers of GCs and has functional connections with the dorsal telencephalon (neocortex). Recent studies of cyclostomes and cartilaginous fish suggest that the genetic program for cerebellum development was already encoded in the genome of ancestral vertebrates. In this review, we discuss how alterations of the genetic and cellular programs generated diversity of the cerebellum during evolution. © 2017 Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists.
Distracted and down: neural mechanisms of affective interference in subclinical depression.
Kaiser, Roselinde H; Andrews-Hanna, Jessica R; Spielberg, Jeffrey M; Warren, Stacie L; Sutton, Bradley P; Miller, Gregory A; Heller, Wendy; Banich, Marie T
Previous studies have shown that depressed individuals have difficulty directing attention away from negative distractors, a phenomenon known as affective interference. However, findings are mixed regarding the neural mechanisms and network dynamics of affective interference. The present study addressed these issues by comparing neural activation during emotion-word and color-word Stroop tasks in participants with varying levels of (primarily subclinical) depression. Depressive symptoms predicted increased activation to negative distractors in areas of dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), regions implicated in cognitive control and internally directed attention, respectively. Increased dACC activity was also observed in the group-average response to incongruent distractors, suggesting that dACC activity during affective interference is related to overtaxed cognitive control. In contrast, regions of PCC were deactivated across the group in response to incongruent distractors, suggesting that PCC activity during affective interference represents task-independent processing. A psychophysiological interaction emerged in which higher depression predicted more positively correlated activity between dACC and PCC during affective interference, i.e. greater connectivity between cognitive control and internal-attention systems. These findings suggest that, when individuals high in depression are confronted by negative material, increased attention to internal thoughts and difficulty shifting resources to the external world interfere with goal-directed behavior. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Neural prostheses in clinical applications--trends from precision mechanics towards biomedical microsystems in neurological rehabilitation.
Stieglitz, T; Schuettler, M; Koch, K P
Neural prostheses partially restore body functions by technical nerve excitation after trauma or neurological diseases. External devices and implants have been developed since the early 1960s for many applications. Several systems have reached nowadays clinical practice: Cochlea implants help the deaf to hear, micturition is induced by bladder stimulators in paralyzed persons and deep brain stimulation helps patients with Parkinson's disease to participate in daily life again. So far, clinical neural prostheses are fabricated with means of precision mechanics. Since microsystem technology opens the opportunity to design and develop complex systems with a high number of electrodes to interface with the nervous systems, the opportunity for selective stimulation and complex implant scenarios seems to be feasible in the near future. The potentials and limitations with regard to biomedical microdevices are introduced and discussed in this paper. Target specifications are derived from existing implants and are discussed on selected applications that has been investigated in experimental research: a micromachined implant to interface a nerve stump with a sieve electrode, cuff electrodes with integrated electronics, and an epiretinal vision prosthesis.
Morphological covariance in anatomical MRI scans can identify discrete neural pathways in the brain and their disturbances in persons with neuropsychiatric disorders.
Bansal, Ravi; Hao, Xuejun; Peterson, Bradley S
We hypothesize that coordinated functional activity within discrete neural circuits induces morphological organization and plasticity within those circuits. Identifying regions of morphological covariation that are independent of morphological covariation in other regions therefore may therefore allow us to identify discrete neural systems within the brain. Comparing the magnitude of these variations in individuals who have psychiatric disorders with the magnitude of variations in healthy controls may allow us to identify aberrant neural pathways in psychiatric illnesses. We measured surface morphological features by applying nonlinear, high-dimensional warping algorithms to manually defined brain regions. We transferred those measures onto the surface of a unit sphere via conformal mapping and then used spherical wavelets and their scaling coefficients to simplify the data structure representing these surface morphological features of each brain region. We used principal component analysis (PCA) to calculate covariation in these morphological measures, as represented by their scaling coefficients, across several brain regions. We then assessed whether brain subregions that covaried in morphology, as identified by large eigenvalues in the PCA, identified specific neural pathways of the brain. To do so, we spatially registered the subnuclei for each eigenvector into the coordinate space of a Diffusion Tensor Imaging dataset; we used these subnuclei as seed regions to track and compare fiber pathways with known fiber pathways identified in neuroanatomical atlases. We applied these procedures to anatomical MRI data in a cohort of 82 healthy participants (42 children, 18 males, age 10.5 ± 2.43 years; 40 adults, 22 males, age 32.42 ± 10.7 years) and 107 participants with Tourette's Syndrome (TS) (71 children, 59 males, age 11.19 ± 2.2 years; 36 adults, 21 males, age 37.34 ± 10.9 years). We evaluated the construct validity of the identified covariation in morphology
A targeted sequencing panel identifies rare damaging variants in multiple genes in the cranial neural tube defect, anencephaly.
Ishida, M; Cullup, T; Boustred, C; James, C; Docker, J; English, C; Lench, N; Copp, A J; Moore, G E; Greene, N D E; Stanier, P
Neural tube defects (NTDs) affecting the brain (anencephaly) are lethal before or at birth, whereas lower spinal defects (spina bifida) may lead to lifelong neurological handicap. Collectively, NTDs rank among the most common birth defects worldwide. This study focuses on anencephaly, which despite having a similar frequency to spina bifida and being the most common type of NTD observed in mouse models, has had more limited inclusion in genetic studies. A genetic influence is strongly implicated in determining risk of NTDs and a molecular diagnosis is of fundamental importance to families both in terms of understanding the origin of the condition and for managing future pregnancies. Here we used a custom panel of 191 NTD candidate genes to screen 90 patients with cranial NTDs (n = 85 anencephaly and n = 5 craniorachischisis) with a targeted exome sequencing platform. After filtering and comparing to our in-house control exome database (N = 509), we identified 397 rare variants (minor allele frequency, MAF 
Neural network based automated algorithm to identify joint locations on hand/wrist radiographs for arthritis assessment
Duryea, J.; Zaim, S.; Wolfe, F.
Arthritis is a significant and costly healthcare problem that requires objective and quantifiable methods to evaluate its progression. Here we describe software that can automatically determine the locations of seven joints in the proximal hand and wrist that demonstrate arthritic changes. These are the five carpometacarpal (CMC1, CMC2, CMC3, CMC4, CMC5), radiocarpal (RC), and the scaphocapitate (SC) joints. The algorithm was based on an artificial neural network (ANN) that was trained using independent sets of digitized hand radiographs and manually identified joint locations. The algorithm used landmarks determined automatically by software developed in our previous work as starting points. Other than requiring user input of the location of nonanatomical structures and the orientation of the hand on the film, the procedure was fully automated. The software was tested on two datasets: 50 digitized hand radiographs from patients participating in a large clinical study, and 60 from subjects participating in arthritis research studies and who had mild to moderate rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It was evaluated by a comparison to joint locations determined by a trained radiologist using manual tracing. The success rate for determining the CMC, RC, and SC joints was 87%-99%, for normal hands and 81%-99% for RA hands. This is a first step in performing an automated computer-aided assessment of wrist joints for arthritis progression. The software provides landmarks that will be used by subsequent image processing routines to analyze each joint individually for structural changes such as erosions and joint space narrowing
Neural mechanisms of individual and sexual recognition in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).
Petrulis, Aras
Recognizing the individual and sexual identities of conspecifics is critical for adaptive social behavior and, in most mammals this information is communicated primarily by chemosensory cues. Due to its heavy reliance on odor cues, we have used the Syrian hamster as our model species for investigating the neural regulation of social recognition. Using lesion, electrophysiological and immunocytochemical techniques, separate neural pathways underlying recognition of individual odors and guidance of sex-typical responses to opposite-sex odors have been identified in both male and female hamsters. Specifically, we have found that recognition of individual odor identity requires olfactory bulb connections to entorhinal cortex (ENT) rather than other chemoreceptive brain regions. This kind of social memory does not appear to require the hippocampus and may, instead, depend on ENT connections with piriform cortex. In contrast, sexual recognition, through either differential investigation or scent marking toward opposite-sex odors, depends on both olfactory and vomeronasal system input to the corticomedial amygdala. Preference for investigating opposite-sex odors requires primarily olfactory input to the medial amygdala (ME) whereas appropriately targeted scent marking responses require vomeronasal input to ME as well as to other structures. Within the ME, the anterior section (MEa) appears important for evaluating or classifying social odors whereas the posterodorsal region (MEpd) may be more involved in generating approach to social odors. Evidence is presented that analysis of social odors may initially be done in MEa and then communicated to MEpd, perhaps through micro-circuits that separately process male and female odors.
Neural Mechanisms of the Transformation from Objective Value to Subjective Utility: Converting from Count to Worth
Kurnianingsih, Yoanna A.; Mullette-Gillman, O'Dhaniel A.
When deciding, we aim to choose the “best� possible outcome. This is not just selection of the option that is the most numerous or physically largest, as options are translated from objective value (count) to subjective value (worth or utility). We localized the neural instantiation of the value-to-utility transformation to the dorsal anterior midcingulate cortex (daMCC), with independent replication. The daMCC encodes the context-specific information necessary to convert from count to worth. This encoding is not simply a representation of utility or preference, but the interaction of the two. Specifically, the relationship of brain activation to value is dependent on individual preference, with both positive and negative slopes across the population depending on whether each individual's preference results in enhancement or diminishment of the valuation. For a given value, across participants, enhanced daMCC activation corresponds to diminished subjective valuation, deactivation to enhanced subjective valuation, and non-modulated activation with non-modulated subjective valuation. Further, functional connectivity analyses identified brain regions (positive connectivity with the inferior frontal gyrus and negative connectivity with the nucleus accumbens) through which contextual information may be integrated into the daMCC and allow for outputs to modulate valuation signals. All analyses were replicated through an independent within-study replication, with initial testing in the gains domain and replication in the intermixed and mirrored losses trials. We also present and discuss an ancillary finding: we were unable to identify parametric value signals for losses through whole-brain analyses, and ROI analyses of the vmPFC presented non-modulation across loss value levels. These results identify the neural locus of the value-to-utility transformation, and provide a specific computational function for the daMCC in the production of subjective valuation through
Cognitive abnormalities and neural mechanisms in post-traumatic stress disorder
Ting HU
Full Text Available Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD is an anxiety disorder that develops usually in response to an overwhelmingly terrifying or a life-threatening event. The symptoms including intrusion, flashback, re-experiencing, hyperarousal and avoidance can seriously impair the cognitive functions. At present, the researches have found PTSD patients had the difficulty in retrieving autobiographical memory and narrative disorder, attention bias toward traumatic stimulus and intellectual decline. Decrease in hippocampus and amygdala's volumes, excess endoplasmic reticulum stress, medial prefrontal cortex's low activation and highly excited response of the amygdala to the traumatic stimulus may be the neural mechanisms of cognitive abnormalities. In- depth research on cognitive abnormalities provides directions for PTSD prevention and treatment, and the cognitive treatment by prolonged exposure and attention control may be the effective method. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2017.09.14
Outsourcing neural active control to passive composite mechanics: a tissue engineered cyborg ray
Gazzola, Mattia; Park, Sung Jin; Park, Kyung Soo; Park, Shirley; di Santo, Valentina; Deisseroth, Karl; Lauder, George V.; Mahadevan, L.; Parker, Kevin Kit
Translating the blueprint that stingrays and skates provide, we create a cyborg swimming ray capable of orchestrating adaptive maneuvering and phototactic navigation. The impossibility of replicating the neural system of batoids fish is bypassed by outsourcing algorithmic functionalities to the body composite mechanics, hence casting the active control problem into a design, passive one. We present a first step in engineering multilevel "brain-body-flow" systems that couple sensory information to motor coordination and movement, leading to behavior. This work paves the way for the development of autonomous and adaptive artificial creatures able to process multiple sensory inputs and produce complex behaviors in distributed systems and may represent a path toward soft-robotic "embodied cognition".
Shaping vulnerability to addiction - the contribution of behavior, neural circuits and molecular mechanisms.
Egervari, Gabor; Ciccocioppo, Roberto; Jentsch, J David; Hurd, Yasmin L
Substance use disorders continue to impose increasing medical, financial and emotional burdens on society in the form of morbidity and overdose, family disintegration, loss of employment and crime, while advances in prevention and treatment options remain limited. Importantly, not all individuals exposed to abused substances effectively develop the disease. Genetic factors play a significant role in determining addiction vulnerability and interactions between innate predisposition, environmental factors and personal experiences are also critical. Thus, understanding individual differences that contribute to the initiation of substance use as well as on long-term maladaptations driving compulsive drug use and relapse propensity is of critical importance to reduce this devastating disorder. In this paper, we discuss current topics in the field of addiction regarding individual vulnerability related to behavioral endophenotypes, neural circuits, as well as genetics and epigenetic mechanisms. Expanded knowledge of these factors is of importance to improve and personalize prevention and treatment interventions in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Wood Modification at High Temperature and Pressurized Steam: a Relational Model of Mechanical Properties Based on a Neural Network
Full Text Available Thermally modified wood has high dimensional stability and biological durability.But if the process parameters of thermal modification are not appropriate, then there will be a decline in the physical properties of wood.A neural network algorithm was employed in this study to establish the relationship between the process parameters of high-temperature and high-pressure thermal modification and the mechanical properties of the wood. Three important parameters: temperature, relative humidity, and treatment time, were considered as the inputs to the neural network. Back propagation (BP neural network and radial basis function (RBF neural network models for prediction were built and compared. The comparison showed that the RBF neural network model had advantages in network structure, convergence speed, and generalization capacity. On this basis, the inverse model, reflecting the relationship between the process parameters and the mechanical properties of wood, was established. Given the desired mechanical properties of the wood, the thermal modification process parameters could be inversely optimized and predicted. The results indicated that the model has good learning ability and generalization capacity. This is of great importance for the theoretical and applicational studies of the thermal modification of wood.
Neural Mechanisms of Qigong Sensory Training Massage for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Feasibility Study.
Jerger, Kristin K; Lundegard, Laura; Piepmeier, Aaron; Faurot, Keturah; Ruffino, Amanda; Jerger, Margaret A; Belger, Aysenil
Despite the enormous prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), its global impact has yet to be realized. Millions of families worldwide need effective treatments to help them get through everyday challenges like eating, sleeping, digestion, and social interaction. Qigong Sensory Training (QST) is a nonverbal, parent-delivered intervention recently shown to be effective at reducing these everyday challenges in children with ASD. This study tested the feasibility of a protocol for investigating QST's neural mechanism. During a single visit, 20 children, 4- to 7-year-old, with ASD viewed images of emotional faces before and after receiving QST or watching a video (controls). Heart rate variability was recorded throughout the visit, and power in the high frequency band (0.15-0.4 Hz) was calculated to estimate parasympathetic tone in 5-s nonoverlapping windows. Cerebral oximetry of prefrontal cortex was recorded during rest and while viewing emotional faces. 95% completion rate and 7.6% missing data met a priori standards confirming protocol feasibility for future studies. Preliminary data suggest: (1) during the intervention, parasympathetic tone increased more in children receiving massage (M = 2.9, SD = 0.3) versus controls (M = 2.5, SD = 0.5); (2) while viewing emotional faces post-intervention, parasympathetic tone was more affected (reduced) in the massage group ( p  = 0.036); and (3) prefrontal cortex response to emotional faces was greater after massage compared to controls. These results did not reach statistical significance in this small study powered to test feasibility. This study demonstrates solid protocol feasibility. If replicated in a larger sample, these findings would provide important clues to the neural mechanism of action underlying QST's efficacy for improving sensory, social, and communication difficulties in children with autism.
Excitation of lateral habenula neurons as a neural mechanism underlying ethanol�induced conditioned taste aversion
Keefe, Kristen A.; Taha, Sharif A.
Key points The lateral habenula (LHb) has been implicated in regulation of drug�seeking behaviours through aversion�mediated learning.In this study, we recorded neuronal activity in the LHb of rats during an operant task before and after ethanol�induced conditioned taste aversion (CTA) to saccharin.Ethanol�induced CTA caused significantly higher baseline firing rates in LHb neurons, as well as elevated firing rates in response to cue presentation, lever press and saccharin taste.In a separate cohort of rats, we found that bilateral LHb lesions blocked ethanol�induced CTA.Our results strongly suggest that excitation of LHb neurons is required for ethanol�induced CTA, and point towards a mechanism through which LHb firing may regulate voluntary ethanol consumption. Abstract Ethanol, like other drugs of abuse, has both rewarding and aversive properties. Previous work suggests that sensitivity to ethanol's aversive effects negatively modulates voluntary alcohol intake and thus may be important in vulnerability to developing alcohol use disorders. We previously found that rats with lesions of the lateral habenula (LHb), which is implicated in aversion�mediated learning, show accelerated escalation of voluntary ethanol consumption. To understand neural encoding in the LHb contributing to ethanol�induced aversion, we recorded neural firing in the LHb of freely behaving, water�deprived rats before and after an ethanol�induced (1.5 g kg−1 20% ethanol, i.p.) conditioned taste aversion (CTA) to saccharin taste. Ethanol�induced CTA strongly decreased motivation for saccharin in an operant task to obtain the tastant. Comparison of LHb neural firing before and after CTA induction revealed four main differences in firing properties. First, baseline firing after CTA induction was significantly higher. Second, firing evoked by cues signalling saccharin availability shifted from a pattern of primarily inhibition before CTA to primarily excitation after CTA
Excitation of lateral habenula neurons as a neural mechanism underlying ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion.
Tandon, Shashank; Keefe, Kristen A; Taha, Sharif A
The lateral habenula (LHb) has been implicated in regulation of drug-seeking behaviours through aversion-mediated learning. In this study, we recorded neuronal activity in the LHb of rats during an operant task before and after ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion (CTA) to saccharin. Ethanol-induced CTA caused significantly higher baseline firing rates in LHb neurons, as well as elevated firing rates in response to cue presentation, lever press and saccharin taste. In a separate cohort of rats, we found that bilateral LHb lesions blocked ethanol-induced CTA. Our results strongly suggest that excitation of LHb neurons is required for ethanol-induced CTA, and point towards a mechanism through which LHb firing may regulate voluntary ethanol consumption. Ethanol, like other drugs of abuse, has both rewarding and aversive properties. Previous work suggests that sensitivity to ethanol's aversive effects negatively modulates voluntary alcohol intake and thus may be important in vulnerability to developing alcohol use disorders. We previously found that rats with lesions of the lateral habenula (LHb), which is implicated in aversion-mediated learning, show accelerated escalation of voluntary ethanol consumption. To understand neural encoding in the LHb contributing to ethanol-induced aversion, we recorded neural firing in the LHb of freely behaving, water-deprived rats before and after an ethanol-induced (1.5 g kg -1 20% ethanol, i.p.) conditioned taste aversion (CTA) to saccharin taste. Ethanol-induced CTA strongly decreased motivation for saccharin in an operant task to obtain the tastant. Comparison of LHb neural firing before and after CTA induction revealed four main differences in firing properties. First, baseline firing after CTA induction was significantly higher. Second, firing evoked by cues signalling saccharin availability shifted from a pattern of primarily inhibition before CTA to primarily excitation after CTA induction. Third, CTA induction reduced
Gene array analysis of neural crest cells identifies transcription factors necessary for direct conversion of embryonic fibroblasts into neural crest cells
Tsutomu Motohashi
Full Text Available Neural crest cells (NC cells are multipotent cells that emerge from the edge of the neural folds and migrate throughout the developing embryo. Although the gene regulatory network for generation of NC cells has been elucidated in detail, it has not been revealed which of the factors in the network are pivotal to directing NC identity. In this study we analyzed the gene expression profile of a pure NC subpopulation isolated from Sox10-IRES-Venus mice and investigated whether these genes played a key role in the direct conversion of Sox10-IRES-Venus mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs into NC cells. The comparative molecular profiles of NC cells and neural tube cells in 9.5-day embryos revealed genes including transcription factors selectively expressed in developing trunk NC cells. Among 25 NC cell-specific transcription factor genes tested, SOX10 and SOX9 were capable of converting MEFs into SOX10-positive (SOX10+ cells. The SOX10+ cells were then shown to differentiate into neurons, glial cells, smooth muscle cells, adipocytes and osteoblasts. These SOX10+ cells also showed limited self-renewal ability, suggesting that SOX10 and SOX9 directly converted MEFs into NC cells. Conversely, the remaining transcription factors, including well-known NC cell specifiers, were unable to convert MEFs into SOX10+ NC cells. These results suggest that SOX10 and SOX9 are the key factors necessary for the direct conversion of MEFs into NC cells.
Use of deep neural network ensembles to identify embryonic-fetal transition markers: repression of COX7A1 in embryonic and cancer cells.
West, Michael D; Labat, Ivan; Sternberg, Hal; Larocca, Dana; Nasonkin, Igor; Chapman, Karen B; Singh, Ratnesh; Makarev, Eugene; Aliper, Alex; Kazennov, Andrey; Alekseenko, Andrey; Shuvalov, Nikolai; Cheskidova, Evgenia; Alekseev, Aleksandr; Artemov, Artem; Putin, Evgeny; Mamoshina, Polina; Pryanichnikov, Nikita; Larocca, Jacob; Copeland, Karen; Izumchenko, Evgeny; Korzinkin, Mikhail; Zhavoronkov, Alex
Here we present the application of deep neural network (DNN) ensembles trained on transcriptomic data to identify the novel markers associated with the mammalian embryonic-fetal transition (EFT). Molecular markers of this process could provide important insights into regulatory mechanisms of normal development, epimorphic tissue regeneration and cancer. Subsequent analysis of the most significant genes behind the DNNs classifier on an independent dataset of adult-derived and human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived progenitor cell lines led to the identification of COX7A1 gene as a potential EFT marker. COX7A1 , encoding a cytochrome C oxidase subunit, was up-regulated in post-EFT murine and human cells including adult stem cells, but was not expressed in pre-EFT pluripotent embryonic stem cells or their in vitro -derived progeny. COX7A1 expression level was observed to be undetectable or low in multiple sarcoma and carcinoma cell lines as compared to normal controls. The knockout of the gene in mice led to a marked glycolytic shift reminiscent of the Warburg effect that occurs in cancer cells. The DNN approach facilitated the elucidation of a potentially new biomarker of cancer and pre-EFT cells, the embryo-onco phenotype, which may potentially be used as a target for controlling the embryonic-fetal transition.
The neural mechanisms of affect infusion in social economic decision-making: A mediating role of the anterior insula
Harlé, K.M.; Chang, L.J.; Wout, M. van 't; Sanfey, A.G.
Though emotions have been shown to have sometimes dramatic effects on decision-making, the neural mechanisms mediating these biases are relatively unexplored. Here, we investigated how incidental affect (i.e. emotional states unrelated to the decision at hand) may influence decisions, and how these
Neuromuscular mechanisms and neural strategies in the control of time-varying muscle contractions.
Erimaki, Sophia; Agapaki, Orsalia M; Christakos, Constantinos N
The organization of the neural input to motoneurons that underlies time-varying muscle force is assumed to depend on muscle transfer characteristics and neural strategies or control modes utilizing sensory signals. We jointly addressed these interlinked, but previously studied individually and partially, issues for sinusoidal (range 0.5-5.0 Hz) force-tracking contractions of a human finger muscle. Using spectral and correlation analyses of target signal, force signal, and motor unit (MU) discharges, we studied 1) patterns of such discharges, allowing inferences on the motoneuronal input; 2) transformation of MU population activity (EMG) into quasi-sinusoidal force; and 3) relation of force oscillation to target, carrying information on the input's organization. A broad view of force control mechanisms and strategies emerged. Specifically, synchronized MU and EMG modulations, reflecting a frequency-modulated motoneuronal input, accompanied the force variations. Gain and delay drops between EMG modulation and force oscillation, critical for the appropriate organization of this input, occurred with increasing target frequency. According to our analyses, gain compensation was achieved primarily through rhythmical activation/deactivation of higher-threshold MUs and secondarily through the adaptation of the input's strength expected during tracking tasks. However, the input's timing was not adapted to delay behaviors and seemed to depend on the control modes employed. Thus, for low-frequency targets, the force oscillation was highly coherent with, but led, a target, this timing error being compatible with predictive feedforward control partly based on the target's derivatives. In contrast, the force oscillation was weakly coherent, but in phase, with high-frequency targets, suggesting control mainly based on a target's rhythm.
Neural mechanisms of interference control in working memory: effects of interference expectancy and fluid intelligence.
Gregory C Burgess
Full Text Available A critical aspect of executive control is the ability to limit the adverse effects of interference. Previous studies have shown activation of left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex after the onset of interference, suggesting that interference may be resolved in a reactive manner. However, we suggest that interference control may also operate in a proactive manner to prevent effects of interference. The current study investigated the temporal dynamics of interference control by varying two factors - interference expectancy and fluid intelligence (gF - that could influence whether interference control operates proactively versus reactively.A modified version of the recent negatives task was utilized. Interference expectancy was manipulated across task blocks by changing the proportion of recent negative (interference trials versus recent positive (facilitation trials. Furthermore, we explored whether gF affected the tendency to utilize specific interference control mechanisms. When interference expectancy was low, activity in lateral prefrontal cortex replicated prior results showing a reactive control pattern (i.e., interference-sensitivity during probe period. In contrast, when interference expectancy was high, bilateral prefrontal cortex activation was more indicative of proactive control mechanisms (interference-related effects prior to the probe period. Additional results suggested that the proactive control pattern was more evident in high gF individuals, whereas the reactive control pattern was more evident in low gF individuals.The results suggest the presence of two neural mechanisms of interference control, with the differential expression of these mechanisms modulated by both experimental (e.g., expectancy effects and individual difference (e.g., gF factors.
Trans-differentiation of neural stem cells: a therapeutic mechanism against the radiation induced brain damage.
Kyeung Min Joo
Full Text Available Radiation therapy is an indispensable therapeutic modality for various brain diseases. Though endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs would provide regenerative potential, many patients nevertheless suffer from radiation-induced brain damage. Accordingly, we tested beneficial effects of exogenous NSC supplementation using in vivo mouse models that received whole brain irradiation. Systemic supplementation of primarily cultured mouse fetal NSCs inhibited radiation-induced brain atrophy and thereby preserved brain functions such as short-term memory. Transplanted NSCs migrated to the irradiated brain and differentiated into neurons, astrocytes, or oligodendrocytes. In addition, neurotrophic factors such as NGF were significantly increased in the brain by NSCs, indicating that both paracrine and replacement effects could be the therapeutic mechanisms of NSCs. Interestingly, NSCs also differentiated into brain endothelial cells, which was accompanied by the restoration the cerebral blood flow that was reduced from the irradiation. Inhibition of the VEGF signaling reduced the migration and trans-differentiation of NSCs. Therefore, trans-differentiation of NSCs into brain endothelial cells by the VEGF signaling and the consequential restoration of the cerebral blood flow would also be one of the therapeutic mechanisms of NSCs. In summary, our data demonstrate that exogenous NSC supplementation could prevent radiation-induced functional loss of the brain. Therefore, successful combination of brain radiation therapy and NSC supplementation would provide a highly promising therapeutic option for patients with various brain diseases.
Fracture Mechanics Method for Word Embedding Generation of Neural Probabilistic Linguistic Model.
Bi, Size; Liang, Xiao; Huang, Ting-Lei
Word embedding, a lexical vector representation generated via the neural linguistic model (NLM), is empirically demonstrated to be appropriate for improvement of the performance of traditional language model. However, the supreme dimensionality that is inherent in NLM contributes to the problems of hyperparameters and long-time training in modeling. Here, we propose a force-directed method to improve such problems for simplifying the generation of word embedding. In this framework, each word is assumed as a point in the real world; thus it can approximately simulate the physical movement following certain mechanics. To simulate the variation of meaning in phrases, we use the fracture mechanics to do the formation and breakdown of meaning combined by a 2-gram word group. With the experiments on the natural linguistic tasks of part-of-speech tagging, named entity recognition and semantic role labeling, the result demonstrated that the 2-dimensional word embedding can rival the word embeddings generated by classic NLMs, in terms of accuracy, recall, and text visualization.
Fracture Mechanics Method for Word Embedding Generation of Neural Probabilistic Linguistic Model
Size Bi
Full Text Available Word embedding, a lexical vector representation generated via the neural linguistic model (NLM, is empirically demonstrated to be appropriate for improvement of the performance of traditional language model. However, the supreme dimensionality that is inherent in NLM contributes to the problems of hyperparameters and long-time training in modeling. Here, we propose a force-directed method to improve such problems for simplifying the generation of word embedding. In this framework, each word is assumed as a point in the real world; thus it can approximately simulate the physical movement following certain mechanics. To simulate the variation of meaning in phrases, we use the fracture mechanics to do the formation and breakdown of meaning combined by a 2-gram word group. With the experiments on the natural linguistic tasks of part-of-speech tagging, named entity recognition and semantic role labeling, the result demonstrated that the 2-dimensional word embedding can rival the word embeddings generated by classic NLMs, in terms of accuracy, recall, and text visualization.
Staying cool when things get hot: Emotion regulation modulates neural mechanisms of memory encoding
Jasmeet P Hayes
Full Text Available During times of emotional stress, individuals often engage in emotion regulation to reduce the experiential and physiological impact of negative emotions. Interestingly, emotion regulation strategies also influence memory encoding of the event. Cognitive reappraisal is associated with enhanced memory while expressive suppression is associated with impaired explicit memory of the emotional event. However, the mechanism by which these emotion regulation strategies affect memory is unclear. We used event-related fMRI to investigate the neural mechanisms that give rise to memory formation during emotion regulation. Twenty-five participants viewed negative pictures while alternately engaging in cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, or passive viewing. As part of the subsequent memory design, participants returned to the laboratory two weeks later for a surprise memory test. Behavioral results showed a reduction in negative affect and a retention advantage for reappraised stimuli relative to the other conditions. Imaging results showed that successful encoding during reappraisal was uniquely associated with greater co-activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus, amygdala and hippocampus, suggesting a possible role for elaborative encoding of negative memories. This study provides neurobehavioral evidence that engaging in cognitive reappraisal is advantageous to both affective and mnemonic processes.
Neural robust stabilization via event-triggering mechanism and adaptive learning technique.
Wang, Ding; Liu, Derong
The robust control synthesis of continuous-time nonlinear systems with uncertain term is investigated via event-triggering mechanism and adaptive critic learning technique. We mainly focus on combining the event-triggering mechanism with adaptive critic designs, so as to solve the nonlinear robust control problem. This can not only make better use of computation and communication resources, but also conduct controller design from the view of intelligent optimization. Through theoretical analysis, the nonlinear robust stabilization can be achieved by obtaining an event-triggered optimal control law of the nominal system with a newly defined cost function and a certain triggering condition. The adaptive critic technique is employed to facilitate the event-triggered control design, where a neural network is introduced as an approximator of the learning phase. The performance of the event-triggered robust control scheme is validated via simulation studies and comparisons. The present method extends the application domain of both event-triggered control and adaptive critic control to nonlinear systems possessing dynamical uncertainties. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Identifying mechanisms in the control of quantum dynamics through Hamiltonian encoding
Mitra, Abhra; Rabitz, Herschel
A variety of means are now available to design control fields for manipulating the evolution of quantum systems. However, the underlying physical mechanisms often remain obscure, especially in the cases of strong fields and high quantum state congestion. This paper proposes a method to quantitatively determine the various pathways taken by a quantum system in going from the initial state to the final target. The mechanism is revealed by encoding a signal in the system Hamiltonian and decoding the resultant nonlinear distortion of the signal in the system time-evolution operator. The relevant interfering pathways determined by this analysis give insight into the physical mechanisms operative during the evolution of the quantum system. A hierarchy of mechanism identification algorithms with increasing ability to extract more detailed pathway information is presented. The mechanism identification concept is presented in the context of analyzing computer simulations of controlled dynamics. As illustrations of the concept, mechanisms are identified in the control of several simple, discrete-state quantum systems. The mechanism analysis tools reveal the roles of multiple interacting quantum pathways to maximally take advantage of constructive and destructive interference. Similar procedures may be applied directly in the laboratory to identify control mechanisms without resort to computer modeling, although this extension is not addressed in this paper
Petri neural network model for the effect of controlled thermomechanical process parameters on the mechanical properties of HSLA steels
Datta, S.
The effect of composition and controlled thermomechanical process parameters on the mechanical properties of HSLA steels is modelled using the Widrow-Hoff's concept of training a neural net with feed-forward topology by applying Rumelhart's back propagation type algorithm for supervised learning, using a Petri like net structure. The data used are from laboratory experiments as well as from the published literature. The results from the neural network are found to be consistent and in good agreement with the experimented results. (author)
Study Under AC Stimulation on Excitement Properties of Weighted Small-World Biological Neural Networks with Side-Restrain Mechanism
Yuan Wujie; Luo Xiaoshu; Jiang Pinqun
In this paper, we propose a new model of weighted small-world biological neural networks based on biophysical Hodgkin-Huxley neurons with side-restrain mechanism. Then we study excitement properties of the model under alternating current (AC) stimulation. The study shows that the excitement properties in the networks are preferably consistent with the behavior properties of a brain nervous system under different AC stimuli, such as refractory period and the brain neural excitement response induced by different intensities of noise and coupling. The results of the study have reference worthiness for the brain nerve electrophysiology and epistemological science.
Influence of the Training Set Value on the Quality of the Neural Network to Identify Selected Moulding Sand Properties
Jakubski J.
Full Text Available Artificial neural networks are one of the modern methods of the production optimisation. An attempt to apply neural networks for controlling the quality of bentonite moulding sands is presented in this paper. This is the assessment method of sands suitability by means of detecting correlations between their individual parameters. This paper presents the next part of the study on usefulness of artificial neural networks to support rebonding of green moulding sand, using chosen properties of moulding sands, which can be determined fast. The effect of changes in the training set quantity on the quality of the network is presented in this article. It has been shown that a small change in the data set would change the quality of the network, and may also make it necessary to change the type of network in order to obtain good results.
Genetic algorithm based on optimization of neural network structure for fault diagnosis of the clutch retainer mechanism of MF 285 tractor
S. F Mousavi
and error procedure was used to minimize the mean square error of the network output and the desired amount of training step. During the training step, four neural networks including Db4, Db30, Db35 and Db40 achieved a gradient descent weight in the learning bias and four neural networks including Db9, Db15, Db20 and Db25 achieved a gradient descent with momentum weight in the learning bias. The two of the achieved neural networks including Db4, Db20 have circular logarithm function and the remaining networks have annular hyperbolic tangent transfer function. The most appropriate networks configuration was acquired when the network exhibited the minimal error with the training and testing data sets. The results show that the highest accuracy of the GA-ANN Artificial neural networks for all rotational speeds (1000, 1500 and 2000 rpm, and working conditions (intact gear and shaft, damaged bearing and worn shaft observed for the network family of Db4. The highest error observed for the family of Db20 with MSE of 0.011. Conclusions Artificial neural networks can somewhat think and make decisions similar to an expert person. In this project in order to predict the occurrence of a failure of the clutch mechanism of MF 285 tractor, the experimental data were obtained using some sensors, and the data were transferred to a computer by means of a data analytical. By training of the neural networks, the errors were identified separately. The output data from the combined Neural Network and Genetic Algorithm shows that the performance of the prediction model is enhanced. Based on the experiments and calculations, the best data set belongs to the family of Db4 network with the least MSE equal to 4.09E-07 and r equal to 0.99999, indicating that the model could precisely detect the faulty bearings or shafts.
Investigation of gamma-ray fingerprint identifying mechanism for the types of radiation sources
Liu Su Ping; Gu Dang Chang; Gong-Jian; Hao Fan Hua; Hu Guang Chun
Radiation fingerprints sometimes can be used to label and identify the radiation resources. For instance, in a future nuclear reduction treaty that requires verification of irreversible dismantling of reduced nuclear warheads, the radiation fingerprints of nuclear warheads are expected to play a key role in labelling and identifying the reduced warheads. It would promote the development of nuclear warheads deep-cuts verification technologies if authors start right now some investigations on the issues related to the radiation fingerprints. The author dedicated to the investigation of gamma-ray fingerprint identifying mechanism for the types of radiation resources. The purpose of the identifying mechanism investigation is to find a credible way to tell whether any two gamma-ray spectral fingerprints that are under comparison are radiated from the same resource. The authors created the spectrum pattern comparison (SPC) to study the comparability of the two radiation fingerprints. Guided by the principle of SPC,...
Romantic love: an fMRI study of a neural mechanism for mate choice.
Fisher, Helen; Aron, Arthur; Brown, Lucy L
Scientists have described myriad traits in mammalian and avian species that evolved to attract mates. But the brain mechanisms by which conspecifics become attracted to these traits is largely unknown. Yet mammals and birds express mate preferences and make mate choices, and data suggest that this "attraction system" is associated with the dopaminergic reward system. It has been proposed that intense romantic love, a cross-cultural universal, is a developed form of this attraction system. To determine the neural mechanisms associated with romantic love we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and studied 17 people who were intensely "in love" (Aron et al. [2005] J Neurophysiol 94:327-337). Activation specific to the beloved occurred in the right ventral tegmental area and right caudate nucleus, dopamine-rich areas associated with mammalian reward and motivation. These and other results suggest that dopaminergic reward pathways contribute to the "general arousal" component of romantic love; romantic love is primarily a motivation system, rather than an emotion; this drive is distinct from the sex drive; romantic love changes across time; and romantic love shares biobehavioral similarities with mammalian attraction. We propose that this attraction mechanism evolved to enable individuals to focus their mating energy on specific others, thereby conserving energy and facilitating mate choice-a primary aspect of reproduction. Last, the corticostriate system, with its potential for combining diverse cortical information with reward signals, is an excellent anatomical substrate for the complex factors contributing to romantic love and mate choice. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Soft computing model for optimized siRNA design by identifying off target possibilities using artificial neural network model.
Murali, Reena; John, Philips George; Peter S, David
The ability of small interfering RNA (siRNA) to do posttranscriptional gene regulation by knocking down targeted genes is an important research topic in functional genomics, biomedical research and in cancer therapeutics. Many tools had been developed to design exogenous siRNA with high experimental inhibition. Even though considerable amount of work has been done in designing exogenous siRNA, design of effective siRNA sequences is still a challenging work because the target mRNAs must be selected such that their corresponding siRNAs are likely to be efficient against that target and unlikely to accidentally silence other transcripts due to sequence similarity. In some cases, siRNAs may tolerate mismatches with the target mRNA, but knockdown of genes other than the intended target could make serious consequences. Hence to design siRNAs, two important concepts must be considered: the ability in knocking down target genes and the off target possibility on any nontarget genes. So before doing gene silencing by siRNAs, it is essential to analyze their off target effects in addition to their inhibition efficacy against a particular target. Only a few methods have been developed by considering both efficacy and off target possibility of siRNA against a gene. In this paper we present a new design of neural network model with whole stacking energy (ΔG) that enables to identify the efficacy and off target effect of siRNAs against target genes. The tool lists all siRNAs against a particular target with their inhibition efficacy and number of matches or sequence similarity with other genes in the database. We could achieve an excellent performance of Pearson Correlation Coefficient (R=0. 74) and Area Under Curve (AUC=0.906) when the threshold of whole stacking energy is ≥-34.6 kcal/mol. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is one of the best score while considering the "combined efficacy and off target possibility" of siRNA for silencing a gene. The proposed model
Identifying and Investigating Difficult Concepts in Engineering Mechanics and Electric Circuits. Research Brief
Streveler, Ruth; Geist, Monica; Ammerman, Ravel; Sulzbach, Candace; Miller, Ronald; Olds, Barbara; Nelson, Mary
This study extends ongoing work to identify difficult concepts in thermal and transport science and measure students' understanding of those concepts via a concept inventory. Two research questions provided the focal point: "What important concepts in electric circuits and engineering mechanics do students find difficult to learn?" and…
Identifying serotonergic mechanisms underlying the corticolimbic response to threat in humans
Fisher, Patrick M; Hariri, Ahmad R
. Integrating these methodological approaches offers novel opportunities to identify mechanisms through which serotonin signalling contributes to differences in brain function and behaviour, which in turn can illuminate factors that confer risk for illness and inform the development of more effective treatment...
Moral foundations in an interacting neural networks society: A statistical mechanics analysis
Vicente, R.; Susemihl, A.; Jericó, J. P.; Caticha, N.
The moral foundations theory supports that people, across cultures, tend to consider a small number of dimensions when classifying issues on a moral basis. The data also show that the statistics of weights attributed to each moral dimension is related to self-declared political affiliation, which in turn has been connected to cognitive learning styles by the recent literature in neuroscience and psychology. Inspired by these data, we propose a simple statistical mechanics model with interacting neural networks classifying vectors and learning from members of their social neighbourhood about their average opinion on a large set of issues. The purpose of learning is to reduce dissension among agents when disagreeing. We consider a family of learning algorithms parametrized by δ, that represents the importance given to corroborating (same sign) opinions. We define an order parameter that quantifies the diversity of opinions in a group with homogeneous learning style. Using Monte Carlo simulations and a mean field approximation we find the relation between the order parameter and the learning parameter δ at a temperature we associate with the importance of social influence in a given group. In concordance with data, groups that rely more strongly on corroborating evidence sustain less opinion diversity. We discuss predictions of the model and propose possible experimental tests.
Short-term plasticity as a neural mechanism supporting memory and attentional functions.
Jääskeläinen, Iiro P; Ahveninen, Jyrki; Andermann, Mark L; Belliveau, John W; Raij, Tommi; Sams, Mikko
Based on behavioral studies, several relatively distinct perceptual and cognitive functions have been defined in cognitive psychology such as sensory memory, short-term memory, and selective attention. Here, we review evidence suggesting that some of these functions may be supported by shared underlying neuronal mechanisms. Specifically, we present, based on an integrative review of the literature, a hypothetical model wherein short-term plasticity, in the form of transient center-excitatory and surround-inhibitory modulations, constitutes a generic processing principle that supports sensory memory, short-term memory, involuntary attention, selective attention, and perceptual learning. In our model, the size and complexity of receptive fields/level of abstraction of neural representations, as well as the length of temporal receptive windows, increases as one steps up the cortical hierarchy. Consequently, the type of input (bottom-up vs. top down) and the level of cortical hierarchy that the inputs target, determine whether short-term plasticity supports purely sensory vs. semantic short-term memory or attentional functions. Furthermore, we suggest that rather than discrete memory systems, there are continuums of memory representations from short-lived sensory ones to more abstract longer-duration representations, such as those tapped by behavioral studies of short-term memory. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Neural mechanisms underlying sensitivity to reverse-phi motion in the fly
Meier, Matthias; Serbe, Etienne; Eichner, Hubert; Borst, Alexander
Optical illusions provide powerful tools for mapping the algorithms and circuits that underlie visual processing, revealing structure through atypical function. Of particular note in the study of motion detection has been the reverse-phi illusion. When contrast reversals accompany discrete movement, detected direction tends to invert. This occurs across a wide range of organisms, spanning humans and invertebrates. Here, we map an algorithmic account of the phenomenon onto neural circuitry in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Through targeted silencing experiments in tethered walking flies as well as electrophysiology and calcium imaging, we demonstrate that ON- or OFF-selective local motion detector cells T4 and T5 are sensitive to certain interactions between ON and OFF. A biologically plausible detector model accounts for subtle features of this particular form of illusory motion reversal, like the re-inversion of turning responses occurring at extreme stimulus velocities. In light of comparable circuit architecture in the mammalian retina, we suggest that similar mechanisms may apply even to human psychophysics. PMID:29261684
Neural mechanisms underlying sensitivity to reverse-phi motion in the fly.
Leonhardt, Aljoscha; Meier, Matthias; Serbe, Etienne; Eichner, Hubert; Borst, Alexander
Optical illusions provide powerful tools for mapping the algorithms and circuits that underlie visual processing, revealing structure through atypical function. Of particular note in the study of motion detection has been the reverse-phi illusion. When contrast reversals accompany discrete movement, detected direction tends to invert. This occurs across a wide range of organisms, spanning humans and invertebrates. Here, we map an algorithmic account of the phenomenon onto neural circuitry in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Through targeted silencing experiments in tethered walking flies as well as electrophysiology and calcium imaging, we demonstrate that ON- or OFF-selective local motion detector cells T4 and T5 are sensitive to certain interactions between ON and OFF. A biologically plausible detector model accounts for subtle features of this particular form of illusory motion reversal, like the re-inversion of turning responses occurring at extreme stimulus velocities. In light of comparable circuit architecture in the mammalian retina, we suggest that similar mechanisms may apply even to human psychophysics.
Modulatory effect of romantic love on value estimation and its neural mechanism.
Wang, Ying; Zhang, Yuting; Chen, Ying; Jing, Fang; Wang, Zhenni; Hao, Yaru; Yang, Lizhuang; Liu, Ying; Zhou, Yifeng; Zhang, Xiaochu
Any decision that is based upon personal preferences utilizes subjective values; however, for objectively equivalent items, whether romantic love modulates subjective value as well as the neural mechanism of this process remains unknown. In this functional MRI study, 30 items with equivalent value were first selected and assigned into three groups, and participants were trained to associate each group of items with their lover, a familiar person, or an unfamiliar person. Thereafter, the participant rated the values of the items during functional MRI scanning, after which they performed a post-test of memory of the associations. Behavioral results demonstrated that, although the items were well remembered, the items that were associated with the lover were rated significantly higher than the other images. Furthermore, we found higher activation related to the items associated with the lover than for those associated with a familiar person or an unfamiliar person in the striatum and the medial prefrontal cortex (related to cognitive control process). Finally, a morphometric analysis demonstrated that gray matter thickness in the striatum was positively associated with gray matter thickness in the medial prefrontal cortex but negatively correlated with the activation that was elicited by the items that were associated with the lover in the same brain area. Our results suggest that the romantic love-related brain region (the striatum) may modulate subjective value through the striatal-prefrontal pathway, further suggesting a potential bottom-up (control impulsivity) process.
Estimating the mechanical competence parameter of the trabecular bone: a neural network approach
Érica Regina Filletti
Full Text Available Abstract Introduction The mechanical competence parameter (MCP of the trabecular bone is a parameter that merges the volume fraction, connectivity, tortuosity and Young modulus of elasticity, to provide a single measure of the trabecular bone structural quality. Methods As the MCP is estimated for 3D images and the Young modulus simulations are quite consuming, in this paper, an alternative approach to estimate the MCP based on artificial neural network (ANN is discussed considering as the training set a group of 23 in vitro vertebrae and 12 distal radius samples obtained by microcomputed tomography (μCT, and 83 in vivo distal radius magnetic resonance image samples (MRI. Results It is shown that the ANN was able to predict with very high accuracy the MCP for 29 new samples, being 6 vertebrae and 3 distal radius bones by μCT and 20 distal radius bone by MRI. Conclusion There is a strong correlation (R2 = 0.97 between both techniques and, despite the small number of testing samples, the Bland-Altman analysis shows that ANN is within the limits of agreement to estimate the MCP.
Studying the mechanisms of the Somatic Marker Hypothesis in Spiking Neural Networks (SNN
Manuel GONZ�LEZ
Full Text Available Normal 0 21 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} In this paper, a mechanism of emotional bias in decision making is studied using Spiking Neural Networks to simulate the associative and recurrent networks involved. The results obtained are along the lines of those proposed by A. Damasio as part of the Somatic Marker Hypothesis, in particular, that, in absence of emotional input, the decision making is driven by the rational input alone. Appropriate representations for the Objective and Emotional Values are also suggested, provided a spike representation (code of the information.
Alejandro JIMÉNEZ-RODR�GUEZ
Neural oscillatory mechanisms during novel grammar learning underlying language analytical abilities.
Kepinska, Olga; Pereda, Ernesto; Caspers, Johanneke; Schiller, Niels O
The goal of the present study was to investigate the initial phases of novel grammar learning on a neural level, concentrating on mechanisms responsible for individual variability between learners. Two groups of participants, one with high and one with average language analytical abilities, performed an Artificial Grammar Learning (AGL) task consisting of learning and test phases. During the task, EEG signals from 32 cap-mounted electrodes were recorded and epochs corresponding to the learning phases were analysed. We investigated spectral power modulations over time, and functional connectivity patterns by means of a bivariate, frequency-specific index of phase synchronization termed Phase Locking Value (PLV). Behavioural data showed learning effects in both groups, with a steeper learning curve and higher ultimate attainment for the highly skilled learners. Moreover, we established that cortical connectivity patterns and profiles of spectral power modulations over time differentiated L2 learners with various levels of language analytical abilities. Over the course of the task, the learning process seemed to be driven by whole-brain functional connectivity between neuronal assemblies achieved by means of communication in the beta band frequency. On a shorter time-scale, increasing proficiency on the AGL task appeared to be supported by stronger local synchronisation within the right hemisphere regions. Finally, we observed that the highly skilled learners might have exerted less mental effort, or reduced attention for the task at hand once the learning was achieved, as evidenced by the higher alpha band power. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Modulating conscious movement intention by noninvasive brain stimulation and the underlying neural mechanisms.
Douglas, Zachary H; Maniscalco, Brian; Hallett, Mark; Wassermann, Eric M; He, Biyu J
Conscious intention is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. Despite long-standing interest in the basis and implications of intention, its underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Using high-definition transcranial DC stimulation (tDCS), we observed that enhancing spontaneous neuronal excitability in both the angular gyrus and the primary motor cortex caused the reported time of conscious movement intention to be ∼60-70 ms earlier. Slow brain waves recorded ∼2-3 s before movement onset, as well as hundreds of milliseconds after movement onset, independently correlated with the modulation of conscious intention by brain stimulation. These brain activities together accounted for 81% of interindividual variability in the modulation of movement intention by brain stimulation. A computational model using coupled leaky integrator units with biophysically plausible assumptions about the effect of tDCS captured the effects of stimulation on both neural activity and behavior. These results reveal a temporally extended brain process underlying conscious movement intention that spans seconds around movement commencement. Copyright © 2015 Douglas et al.
Differential effects of ethanol on feline rage and predatory attack behavior: an underlying neural mechanism.
Schubert, K; Shaikh, M B; Han, Y; Poherecky, L; Siegel, A
Previous studies have shown that, at certain dose levels, ethanol can exert a powerful, facilitatory effect on aggressive behavior in both animals and humans. In the cat, however, it was discovered that ethanol differentially alters two forms of aggression that are common to this species. Defensive rage behavior is significantly enhanced, whereas predatory attack behavior is suppressed by ethanol administration. One possible mechanism governing alcohol's potentiation of defensive rage behavior is that it acts on the descending pathway from the medial hypothalamus to the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG)-an essential pathway for the expression of defensive rage behavior that uses excitatory amino acids as a neurotransmitter. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that the excitatory effects of alcohol on defensive rage behavior are blocked by administration of the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist alpha-2-amino-7-phosphoheptanoic acid (AP-7) when microinjected into the periaqueductal gray, a primary neuronal target of descending fibers from the medial hypothalamus that mediate the expression of defensive rage behavior. Thus, the present study establishes for the first time a specific component of the neural circuit for defensive rage behavior over which the potentiating effects of ethanol are mediated.
Chronic Pain and Mental Health Disorders: Shared Neural Mechanisms, Epidemiology, and Treatment.
Hooten, W Michael
Chronic pain and mental health disorders are common in the general population, and epidemiological studies suggest that a bidirectional relationship exists between these 2 conditions. The observations from functional imaging studies suggest that this bidirectional relationship is due in part to shared neural mechanisms. In addition to depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders, individuals with chronic pain are at risk of other mental health problems including suicide and cigarette smoking and many have sustained sexual violence. Within the broader biopsychosocial model of pain, the fear-avoidance model explains how behavioral factors affect the temporal course of chronic pain and provides the framework for an array of efficacious behavioral interventions including cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance-based therapies, and multidisciplinary pain rehabilitation. Concomitant pain and mental health disorders often complicate pharmacological management, but several drug classes, including serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, and anticonvulsants, have efficacy for both conditions and should be considered first-line treatment agents. Copyright © 2016 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Liu Suping; Wu Huailong; Gu Dangchang; Gong Jian; Hao Fanhua; Hu Guangchun
Radiation fingerprints sometimes can be used to label and identify the radiation resources. For instance, in a future nuclear reduction treaty that requires verification of irreversible dismantling of reduced nuclear warheads, the radiation fingerprints of nuclear warheads are expected to play a key role in labelling and identifying the reduced warheads. It would promote the development of nuclear warheads deep-cuts verification technologies if authors start right now some investigations on the issues related to the radiation fingerprints. The author dedicated to the investigation of gamma-ray fingerprint identifying mechanism for the types of radiation resources. The purpose of the identifying mechanism investigation is to find a credible way to tell whether any two gamma-ray spectral fingerprints that are under comparison are radiated from the same resource. The authors created the spectrum pattern comparison (SPC) to study the comparability of the two radiation fingerprints. Guided by the principle of SPC, the authors programmed a software dedicated to identify the types of radiation resources. The efficiency of the software was tested by a series of experiments with some laboratory gamma-ray resources. The experiments were designed to look into the relations between comparability and radioactive statistics, and the relations between comparability and some measurement conditions such as real time, resource activity and background etc. Two main results can be drawn from the investigation: 1) it is quite feasible to use the concept of spectral comparability to answer the question whether any two gamma-ray fingerprints are identity or not; 2) the identifying mechanism can only identify the types of radiation resources, and cannot identify the individuals with the same type and small differences
Neural mechanisms of the influence of popularity on adolescent ratings of music.
Berns, Gregory S; Capra, C Monica; Moore, Sara; Noussair, Charles
It is well-known that social influences affect consumption decisions. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to elucidate the neural mechanisms associated with social influence with regard to a common consumer good: music. Our study population was adolescents, age 12-17. Music is a common purchase in this age group, and it is widely believed that adolescent behavior is influenced by perceptions of popularity in their reference group. Using 15-s clips of songs from MySpace.com, we obtained behavioral measures of preferences and neurobiological responses to the songs. The data were gathered with, and without, the overall popularity of the song revealed. Song popularity had a significant effect on the participants' likability ratings of the songs. fMRI results showed a strong correlation between the participants' rating and activity in the caudate nucleus, a region previously implicated in reward-driven actions. The tendency to change one's evaluation of a song was positively correlated with activation in the anterior insula and anterior cingulate, two regions that are associated with physiological arousal and negative affective states. Sensitivity to popularity was linked to lower activation levels in the middle temporal gyrus, suggesting a lower depth of musical semantic processing. Our results suggest that a principal mechanism whereby popularity ratings affect consumer choice is through the anxiety generated by the mismatch between one's own preferences and others'. This mismatch anxiety motivates people to switch their choices in the direction of the consensus. Our data suggest that this is a major force behind the conformity observed in music tastes in some teenagers. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Modeling the Insertion Mechanics of Flexible Neural Probes Coated with Sacrificial Polymers for Optimizing Probe Design
Full Text Available Single-unit recording neural probes have significant advantages towards improving signal-to-noise ratio and specificity for signal acquisition in brain-to-computer interface devices. Long-term effectiveness is unfortunately limited by the chronic injury response, which has been linked to the mechanical mismatch between rigid probes and compliant brain tissue. Small, flexible microelectrodes may overcome this limitation, but insertion of these probes without buckling requires supporting elements such as a stiff coating with a biodegradable polymer. For these coated probes, there is a design trade-off between the potential for successful insertion into brain tissue and the degree of trauma generated by the insertion. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a finite element model (FEM to simulate insertion of coated neural probes of varying dimensions and material properties into brain tissue. Simulations were performed to predict the buckling and insertion forces during insertion of coated probes into a tissue phantom with material properties of brain. The simulations were validated with parallel experimental studies where probes were inserted into agarose tissue phantom, ex vivo chick embryonic brain tissue, and ex vivo rat brain tissue. Experiments were performed with uncoated copper wire and both uncoated and coated SU-8 photoresist and Parylene C probes. Model predictions were found to strongly agree with experimental results (<10% error. The ratio of the predicted buckling force-to-predicted insertion force, where a value greater than one would ideally be expected to result in successful insertion, was plotted against the actual success rate from experiments. A sigmoidal relationship was observed, with a ratio of 1.35 corresponding to equal probability of insertion and failure, and a ratio of 3.5 corresponding to a 100% success rate. This ratio was dubbed the “safety factor�, as it indicated the degree to which the coating
Neural mechanisms underlying spatial realignment during adaptation to optical wedge prisms.
Chapman, Heidi L; Eramudugolla, Ranmalee; Gavrilescu, Maria; Strudwick, Mark W; Loftus, Andrea; Cunnington, Ross; Mattingley, Jason B
Visuomotor adaptation to a shift in visual input produced by prismatic lenses is an example of dynamic sensory-motor plasticity within the brain. Prism adaptation is readily induced in healthy individuals, and is thought to reflect the brain's ability to compensate for drifts in spatial calibration between different sensory systems. The neural correlate of this form of functional plasticity is largely unknown, although current models predict the involvement of parieto-cerebellar circuits. Recent studies that have employed event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify brain regions associated with prism adaptation have discovered patterns of parietal and cerebellar modulation as participants corrected their visuomotor errors during the early part of adaptation. However, the role of these regions in the later stage of adaptation, when 'spatial realignment' or true adaptation is predicted to occur, remains unclear. Here, we used fMRI to quantify the distinctive patterns of parieto-cerebellar activity as visuomotor adaptation develops. We directly contrasted activation patterns during the initial error correction phase of visuomotor adaptation with that during the later spatial realignment phase, and found significant recruitment of the parieto-cerebellar network--with activations in the right inferior parietal lobe and the right posterior cerebellum. These findings provide the first evidence of both cerebellar and parietal involvement during the spatial realignment phase of prism adaptation. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Identifying the receptor subtype selectivity of retinoid X and retinoic acid receptors via quantum mechanics.
Tsuji, Motonori; Shudo, Koichi; Kagechika, Hiroyuki
Understanding and identifying the receptor subtype selectivity of a ligand is an important issue in the field of drug discovery. Using a combination of classical molecular mechanics and quantum mechanical calculations, this report assesses the receptor subtype selectivity for the human retinoid X receptor (hRXR) and retinoic acid receptor (hRAR) ligand-binding domains (LBDs) complexed with retinoid ligands. The calculated energies show good correlation with the experimentally reported binding affinities. The technique proposed here is a promising method as it reveals the origin of the receptor subtype selectivity of selective ligands.
Language Learning Enhanced by Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and the Underlying Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms
Zhang, Yongjun; Song, Hongwen; Liu, Xiaoming; Tang, Dinghong; Chen, Yue-e; Zhang, Xiaochu
Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) have increased in popularity among children, juveniles, and adults since MMORPGs’ appearance in this digital age. MMORPGs can be applied to enhancing language learning, which is drawing researchers’ attention from different fields and many studies have validated MMORPGs’ positive effect on language learning. However, there are few studies on the underlying behavioral or neural mechanism of such effect. This paper reviews the educational app...
Interactions between neural networks: a mechanism for tuning chaos and oscillations.
Wang, Lipo
We show that chaos and oscillations in a higher-order binary neural network can be tuned effectively using interactions between neural networks. Our results suggest that network interactions may be useful as a means of adjusting the level of dynamic activities in systems that employ chaos and oscillations for information processing, or as a means of suppressing oscillatory behaviors in systems that require stability.
Artificial Neural Networks for Nonlinear Dynamic Response Simulation in Mechanical Systems
Christiansen, Niels Hørbye; Høgsberg, Jan Becker; Winther, Ole
It is shown how artificial neural networks can be trained to predict dynamic response of a simple nonlinear structure. Data generated using a nonlinear finite element model of a simplified wind turbine is used to train a one layer artificial neural network. When trained properly the network is ab...... to perform accurate response prediction much faster than the corresponding finite element model. Initial result indicate a reduction in cpu time by two orders of magnitude....
Mechanical and assembly units of viral capsids identified via quasi-rigid domain decomposition.
Guido Polles
Full Text Available Key steps in a viral life-cycle, such as self-assembly of a protective protein container or in some cases also subsequent maturation events, are governed by the interplay of physico-chemical mechanisms involving various spatial and temporal scales. These salient aspects of a viral life cycle are hence well described and rationalised from a mesoscopic perspective. Accordingly, various experimental and computational efforts have been directed towards identifying the fundamental building blocks that are instrumental for the mechanical response, or constitute the assembly units, of a few specific viral shells. Motivated by these earlier studies we introduce and apply a general and efficient computational scheme for identifying the stable domains of a given viral capsid. The method is based on elastic network models and quasi-rigid domain decomposition. It is first applied to a heterogeneous set of well-characterized viruses (CCMV, MS2, STNV, STMV for which the known mechanical or assembly domains are correctly identified. The validated method is next applied to other viral particles such as L-A, Pariacoto and polyoma viruses, whose fundamental functional domains are still unknown or debated and for which we formulate verifiable predictions. The numerical code implementing the domain decomposition strategy is made freely available.
Identifying mechanisms that structure ecological communities by snapping model parameters to empirically observed tradeoffs.
Thomas Clark, Adam; Lehman, Clarence; Tilman, David
Theory predicts that interspecific tradeoffs are primary determinants of coexistence and community composition. Using information from empirically observed tradeoffs to augment the parametrisation of mechanism-based models should therefore improve model predictions, provided that tradeoffs and mechanisms are chosen correctly. We developed and tested such a model for 35 grassland plant species using monoculture measurements of three species characteristics related to nitrogen uptake and retention, which previous experiments indicate as important at our site. Matching classical theoretical expectations, these characteristics defined a distinct tradeoff surface, and models parameterised with these characteristics closely matched observations from experimental multi-species mixtures. Importantly, predictions improved significantly when we incorporated information from tradeoffs by 'snapping' characteristics to the nearest location on the tradeoff surface, suggesting that the tradeoffs and mechanisms we identify are important determinants of local community structure. This 'snapping' method could therefore constitute a broadly applicable test for identifying influential tradeoffs and mechanisms. © 2018 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by CNRS and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Building bridges between perceptual and economic decision-making: neural and computational mechanisms
Christopher eSummerfield
Full Text Available Investigation into the neural and computational bases of decision-making has proceeded in two parallel but distinct streams. Perceptual decision making (PDM is concerned with how observers detect, discriminate and categorise noisy sensory information. Economic decision making (EDM explores how options are selected on the basis of their reinforcement history. Traditionally, the subfields of PDM and EDM have employed different paradigms, proposed different mechanistic models, explored different brain regions, disagreed about whether decisions approach optimality. Nevertheless, we argue that there is a common framework for understanding decisions made in both domains, under which an agent has to combine sensory information (what is the stimulus with value information (what is it worth. We review computational models of the decision process typically used in PDM, based around the idea that decisions involve a serial integration of evidence, and assess their applicability to decisions between good and gambles. Subsequently, we consider the contribution of three key brain regions – the parietal cortex, the basal ganglia, and the orbitofrontal cortex – to perceptual and economic decision-making, with a focus on the mechanisms by which sensory and reward information are integrated during choice. We find that although the parietal cortex is often implicated in the integration of sensory evidence, there is evidence for its role in encoding the expected value of a decision. Similarly, although much research has emphasised the role of the striatum and orbitofrontal cortex in value-guided choices, they may play an important role in categorisation of perceptual information. In conclusion, we consider how findings from the two fields might be brought together, in order to move towards a general framework for understanding decision-making in humans and other primates.
5-HTTLPR polymorphism modulates neural mechanisms of negative self-reflection.
Ma, Yina; Li, Bingfeng; Wang, Chenbo; Shi, Zhenhao; Sun, Yun; Sheng, Feng; Zhang, Yifan; Zhang, Wenxia; Rao, Yi; Han, Shihui
Cognitive distortion in depression is characterized by enhanced negative thoughts about both environment and oneself. Carriers of a risk allele for depression, that is, the short (s) allele of the serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), exhibit amygdala hyperresponsiveness to negative environmental stimuli relative to homozygous long variant (l/l). However, the neural correlates of negative self-schema in s allele carriers remain unknown. Using functional MRI, we scanned individuals with s/s or l/l genotype of the 5-HTTLPR during reflection on their own personality traits or a friend's personality traits. We found that relative to l/l carriers, s/s carriers showed stronger distressed feelings and greater activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC)/dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and the right anterior insula (AI) during negative self-reflection. The 5-HTTLPR effect on the distressed feelings was mediated by the AI/inferior frontal (IF) activity during negative self-reflection. The dACC/dmPFC activity explained 20% of the variation in harm-avoidance tendency in s/s but not l/l carriers. The genotype effects on distress and brain activity were not observed during reflection on a friend's negative traits. Our findings reveal that 5-HTTLPR polymorphism modulates distressed feelings and brain activities associated with negative self-schema and suggest a potential neurogenetic susceptibility mechanism for depression. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
The Neural Mechanisms of Meditative Practices: Novel Approaches for Healthy Aging.
Acevedo, Bianca P; Pospos, Sarah; Lavretsky, Helen
Meditation has been shown to have physical, cognitive, and psychological health benefits that can be used to promote healthy aging. However, the common and specific mechanisms of response remain elusive due to the diverse nature of mind-body practices. In this review, we aim to compare the neural circuits implicated in focused-attention meditative practices that focus on present-moment awareness to those involved in active-type meditative practices (e.g., yoga) that combine movement, including chanting, with breath practices and meditation. Recent meta-analyses and individual studies demonstrated common brain effects for attention-based meditative practices and active-based meditations in areas involved in reward processing and learning, attention and memory, awareness and sensory integration, and self-referential processing and emotional control, while deactivation was seen in the amygdala, an area implicated in emotion processing. Unique effects for mindfulness practices were found in brain regions involved in body awareness, attention, and the integration of emotion and sensory processing. Effects specific to active-based meditations appeared in brain areas involved in self-control, social cognition, language, speech, tactile stimulation, sensorimotor integration, and motor function. This review suggests that mind-body practices can target different brain systems that are involved in the regulation of attention, emotional control, mood, and executive cognition that can be used to treat or prevent mood and cognitive disorders of aging, such as depression and caregiver stress, or serve as "brain fitness" exercise. Benefits may include improving brain functional connectivity in brain systems that generally degenerate with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other aging-related diseases.
Neural predictors and mechanisms of cognitive behavioral therapy on threat processing in social anxiety disorder.
Klumpp, Heide; Fitzgerald, Daniel A; Phan, K Luan
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is "gold standard" psychotherapy for social anxiety disorder (SAD). Cognitive models posit that preferential processing of threat mediates excessive forms of anxiety, which is supported by exaggerated amygdala, insula, and cortical reactivity to threatening socio-emotional signals in SAD. However, little is known about neural predictors of CBT success or the mechanisms by which CBT exerts its therapeutic effects. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was conducted during responses to social signals of threat (fearful/angry faces) against positive signals (happy faces) in 14 patients with SAD before and after 12 weeks of CBT. For comparison, 14 healthy control (HC) participants also underwent two fMRI scans, 12 weeks apart. Whole-brain voxel-wise analyses showed therapeutic success was predicted by enhanced pre-treatment activation to threatening faces in higher-order visual (superior and middle temporal gyrus), cognitive, and emotion processing areas (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex). Moreover, a group by time interaction was revealed in prefrontal regions (dorsomedial, medial gyrus) and insula. The interaction was driven by relatively greater activity during threat processing in SAD, which significantly reduced after CBT but did not significantly predict response to CBT. Therefore, pre-treatment cortical hyperactivity to social threat signals may serve as a prognostic indicator of CBT success in SAD. Collectively, CBT-related brain changes involved a reduction in activity in insula, prefrontal, and extrastriate regions. Results are consistent with cognitive models, which associate decreases in threat processing bias with recovery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
“Intensity-Response� Effects of Electroacupuncture on Gastric Motility and Its Underlying Peripheral Neural Mechanism
Yang-Shuai Su
Full Text Available The aim of this study was to explore the “intensity-response� relationship between EAS and the effect of gastric motility of rats and its underlying peripheral neural mechanism by employing ASIC3 knockout (ASIC3−/−, TRPV1 knockout (TRPV1−/−, and C57BL/6 mice. For adult male Sprague-Dawley (n=18 rats, the intensities of EAS were 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 mA, respectively. For mice (n=8 in each group, only 1 mA was used, by which C fiber of the mice can be activated. Gastric antrum motility was measured by intrapyloric balloon. Gastric motility was facilitated by EAS at ST36 and inhibited by EAS at CV12. The half maximal facilitation intensity of EAS at ST36 was 2.1–2.3 mA, and the half maximal inhibitory intensity of EAS at CV12 was 2.8 mA. In comparison with C57BL/6 mice, the facilitatory effect of ST36 and inhibitive effect of CV12 in ASIC3−/− mice decreased, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05. However, these effects in TRPV1−/− mice decreased significantly (P<0.001. The results indicated that there existed an “intensity-response� relationship between EAS and the effect of gastric motility. TRPV1 receptor was involved in the regulation of gastric motility of EAS.
A neural model for temporal order judgments and their active recalibration: a common mechanism for space and time?
Mingbo eCai
Full Text Available When observers experience a constant delay between their motor actions and sensory feedback, their perception of the temporal order between actions and sensations adapt (Stetson et al., 2006a. We present here a novel neural model that can explain temporal order judgments (TOJs and their recalibration. Our model employs three ubiquitous features of neural systems: 1 information pooling, 2 opponent processing, and 3 synaptic scaling. Specifically, the model proposes that different populations of neurons encode different delays between motor-sensory events, the outputs of these populations feed into rivaling neural populations (encoding before and after, and the activity difference between these populations determines the perceptual judgment. As a consequence of synaptic scaling of input weights, motor acts which are consistently followed by delayed sensory feedback will cause the network to recalibrate its point of subjective simultaneity. The structure of our model raises the possibility that recalibration of TOJs is a temporal analogue to the motion aftereffect. In other words, identical neural mechanisms may be used to make perceptual determinations about both space and time. Our model captures behavioral recalibration results for different numbers of adapting trials and different adapting delays. In line with predictions of the model, we additionally demonstrate that temporal recalibration can last through time, in analogy to storage of the motion aftereffect.
Anti-Inflammatory Mechanism of Neural Stem Cell Transplantation in Spinal Cord Injury
Zhijian Cheng
Full Text Available Neural stem cell (NSC transplantation has been proposed to promote functional recovery after spinal cord injury. However, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms of how NSCs exert their therapeutic plasticity is lacking. We transplanted mouse NSCs into the injured spinal cord seven days after SCI, and the Basso Mouse Scale (BMS score was performed to assess locomotor function. The anti-inflammatory effects of NSC transplantation was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining of neutrophil and macrophages and the detection of mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, interleukin-1β (IL-1β, interleukin-6 (IL-6 and interleukin-12 (IL-12. Furthermore, bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs were co-cultured with NSCs and followed by analyzing the mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 with quantitative real-time PCR. The production of TNF-α and IL-1β by BMDMs was examined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. Transplanted NSCs had significantly increased BMS scores (p < 0.05. Histological results showed that the grafted NSCs migrated from the injection site toward the injured area. NSCs transplantation significantly reduced the number of neutrophils and iNOS+/Mac-2+ cells at the epicenter of the injured area (p < 0.05. Meanwhile, mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-12 in the NSCs transplantation group were significantly decreased compared to the control group. Furthermore, NSCs inhibited the iNOS expression of BMDMs and the release of inflammatory factors by macrophages in vitro (p < 0.05. These results suggest that NSC transplantation could modulate SCI-induced inflammatory responses and enhance neurological function after SCI via reducing M1 macrophage activation and infiltrating neutrophils. Thus, this study provides a new insight into the mechanisms responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect of NSC transplantation after SCI.
Functional overlap of top-down emotion regulation and generation: an fMRI study identifying common neural substrates between cognitive reappraisal and cognitively generated emotions.
Otto, Benjamin; Misra, Supriya; Prasad, Aditya; McRae, Kateri
One factor that influences the success of emotion regulation is the manner in which the regulated emotion was generated. Recent research has suggested that reappraisal, a top-down emotion regulation strategy, is more effective in decreasing self-reported negative affect when emotions were generated from the top-down, versus the bottom-up. On the basis of a process overlap framework, we hypothesized that the neural regions active during reappraisal would overlap more with emotions that were generated from the top-down, rather than from the bottom-up. In addition, we hypothesized that increased neural overlap between reappraisal and the history effects of top-down emotion generation would be associated with increased reappraisal success. The results of several analyses suggested that reappraisal and emotions that were generated from the top-down share a core network of prefrontal, temporal, and cingulate regions. This overlap is specific; no such overlap was observed between reappraisal and emotions that were generated in a bottom-up fashion. This network consists of regions previously implicated in linguistic processing, cognitive control, and self-relevant appraisals, which are processes thought to be crucial to both reappraisal and top-down emotion generation. Furthermore, individuals with high reappraisal success demonstrated greater neural overlap between reappraisal and the history of top-down emotion generation than did those with low reappraisal success. The overlap of these key regions, reflecting overlapping processes, provides an initial insight into the mechanism by which generation history may facilitate emotion regulation.
A functional neuroimaging study assessing gender differences in the neural mechanisms underlying the ability to resist impulsive desires.
Diekhof, Esther K; Keil, Maria; Obst, Katrin U; Henseler, Ilona; Dechent, Peter; Falkai, Peter; Gruber, Oliver
There is ample evidence of gender differences in neural processes and behavior. Differences in reward-related behaviors have been linked to either temporary or permanent organizational influences of gonadal hormones on the mesolimbic dopamine system and reward-related activation. Still, little is known about the association between biological gender and the neural underpinnings of the ability to resist reward-related impulses. Here we assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging which neural processes enable men and women to successfully control their desire for immediate reward when this is required by a higher-order goal (i.e., during a 'desire-reason dilemma'; Diekhof and Gruber, 2010). Thirty-two participants (16 females) were closely matched for age, personality characteristics (e.g., novelty seeking) and behavioral performance in the 'desire-reason task'. On the neural level, men and women showed similarities in the general response of the nucleus accumbens and of the ventral tegmental area to predictors of immediate reward, but they differed in additional brain mechanisms that enabled self-controlled decisions against the preference for immediate reward. Firstly, men exhibited a stronger reduction of activation in the ventral pallidum, putamen, temporal pole and pregenual anterior cingulate cortex during the 'desire-reason dilemma'. Secondly, connectivity analyses revealed a significant change in the direction of the connectivity between anteroventral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens during decisions counteracting the reward-related impulse when comparing men and women. Together, these findings support the view of a sexual dimorphism that manifested in the recruitment of gender-specific neural resources during the successful deployment of self-control. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to study the underlying neural mechanisms of human motor learning and memory.
Censor, Nitzan; Cohen, Leonardo G
In the last two decades, there has been a rapid development in the research of the physiological brain mechanisms underlying human motor learning and memory. While conventional memory research performed on animal models uses intracellular recordings, microfusion of protein inhibitors to specific brain areas and direct induction of focal brain lesions, human research has so far utilized predominantly behavioural approaches and indirect measurements of neural activity. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a safe non-invasive brain stimulation technique, enables the study of the functional role of specific cortical areas by evaluating the behavioural consequences of selective modulation of activity (excitation or inhibition) on memory generation and consolidation, contributing to the understanding of the neural substrates of motor learning. Depending on the parameters of stimulation, rTMS can also facilitate learning processes, presumably through purposeful modulation of excitability in specific brain regions. rTMS has also been used to gain valuable knowledge regarding the timeline of motor memory formation, from initial encoding to stabilization and long-term retention. In this review, we summarize insights gained using rTMS on the physiological and neural mechanisms of human motor learning and memory. We conclude by suggesting possible future research directions, some with direct clinical implications.
Neural network approach for the calculation of potential coefficients in quantum mechanics
Ossandón, Sebastián; Reyes, Camilo; Cumsille, Patricio; Reyes, Carlos M.
A numerical method based on artificial neural networks is used to solve the inverse Schrödinger equation for a multi-parameter class of potentials. First, the finite element method was used to solve repeatedly the direct problem for different parametrizations of the chosen potential function. Then, using the attainable eigenvalues as a training set of the direct radial basis neural network a map of new eigenvalues was obtained. This relationship was later inverted and refined by training an inverse radial basis neural network, allowing the calculation of the unknown parameters and therefore estimating the potential function. Three numerical examples are presented in order to prove the effectiveness of the method. The results show that the method proposed has the advantage to use less computational resources without a significant accuracy loss.
Congenital amusics use a secondary pitch mechanism to identify lexical tones.
Bones, Oliver; Wong, Patrick C M
Amusia is a pitch perception disorder associated with deficits in processing and production of both musical and lexical tones, which previous reports have suggested may be constrained to fine-grained pitch judgements. In the present study speakers of tone-languages, in which lexical tones are used to convey meaning, identified words present in chimera stimuli containing conflicting pitch-cues in the temporal fine-structure and temporal envelope, and which therefore conveyed two distinct utterances. Amusics were found to be more likely than controls to judge the word according to the envelope pitch-cues. This demonstrates that amusia is not associated with fine-grained pitch judgements alone, and is consistent with there being two distinct pitch mechanisms and with amusics having an atypical reliance on a secondary mechanism based upon envelope cues. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Searching for Cross-Diagnostic Convergence: Neural Mechanisms Governing Excitation and Inhibition Balance in Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Foss-Feig, Jennifer H; Adkinson, Brendan D; Ji, Jie Lisa; Yang, Genevieve; Srihari, Vinod H; McPartland, James C; Krystal, John H; Murray, John D; Anticevic, Alan
Recent theoretical accounts have proposed excitation and inhibition (E/I) imbalance as a possible mechanistic, network-level hypothesis underlying neural and behavioral dysfunction across neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ). These two disorders share some overlap in their clinical presentation as well as convergence in their underlying genes and neurobiology. However, there are also clear points of dissociation in terms of phenotypes and putatively affected neural circuitry. We highlight emerging work from the clinical neuroscience literature examining neural correlates of E/I imbalance across children and adults with ASD and adults with both chronic and early-course SCZ. We discuss findings from diverse neuroimaging studies across distinct modalities, conducted with electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and functional magnetic resonance imaging, including effects observed both during task and at rest. Throughout this review, we discuss points of convergence and divergence in the ASD and SCZ literature, with a focus on disruptions in neural E/I balance. We also consider these findings in relation to predictions generated by theoretical neuroscience, particularly computational models predicting E/I imbalance across disorders. Finally, we discuss how human noninvasive neuroimaging can benefit from pharmacological challenge studies to reveal mechanisms in ASD and SCZ. Collectively, we attempt to shed light on shared and divergent neuroimaging effects across disorders with the goal of informing future research examining the mechanisms underlying the E/I imbalance hypothesis across neurodevelopmental disorders. We posit that such translational efforts are vital to facilitate development of neurobiologically informed treatment strategies across neuropsychiatric conditions. Copyright © 2017 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights
FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS IDENTIFIES TIS21-DEPENDENT MECHANISMS AND PUTATIVE CANCER DRUG TARGETS UNDERLYING MEDULLOBLASTOMA SHH-TYPE DEVELOPMENT
Giulia Gentile
Full Text Available We have recently generated a novel medulloblastoma (MB mouse model with activation of the Shh pathway and lacking the MB suppressor Tis21 (Patched1+-Tis21KO.ts main phenotype is a defect of migration of the cerebellar granule precursor cells (GCPs. By genomic analysis of GCPs in vivo, we identified as drug target and major responsible of this defect the down-regulation of the promigratory chemokine Cxcl3. Consequently, the GCPs remain longer in the cerebellum proliferative area, and the MB frequency is enhanced. Here, we further analyzed the genes deregulated in a Tis21-dependent manner (Patched1+-is21 wild-type versus Ptch1+-Tis21 knockout, among which are a number of down-regulated tumor inhibitors and up-regulated tumor facilitators, focusing on pathways potentially involved in the tumorigenesis and on putative new drug targets.The data analysis using bioinformatic tools revealed: i a link between the Shh signaling and the Tis21-dependent impairment of the GCPs migration, through a Shh-dependent deregulation of the clathrin-mediated chemotaxis operating in the primary cilium through the Cxcl3-Cxcr2 axis; ii a possible lineage shift of Shh-type GCPs toward retinal precursor phenotype the neural cell type involved in group 3 MB; iii the identification of a subset of putative drug targets for MB, involved, among the others, in the regulation of Hippo signaling and centrosome assembly. Finally, our findings define also the role of Tis21 in the regulation of gene expression, through epigenetic and RNA processing mechanisms, influencing the fate of the GCPs.
Identifying the nonlinear mechanical behaviour of micro-speakers from their quasi-linear electrical response
Zilletti, Michele; Marker, Arthur; Elliott, Stephen John; Holland, Keith
In this study model identification of the nonlinear dynamics of a micro-speaker is carried out by purely electrical measurements, avoiding any explicit vibration measurements. It is shown that a dynamic model of the micro-speaker, which takes into account the nonlinear damping characteristic of the device, can be identified by measuring the response between the voltage input and the current flowing into the coil. An analytical formulation of the quasi-linear model of the micro-speaker is first derived and an optimisation method is then used to identify a polynomial function which describes the mechanical damping behaviour of the micro-speaker. The analytical results of the quasi-linear model are compared with numerical results. This study potentially opens up the possibility of efficiently implementing nonlinear echo cancellers.
Identifying partial topology of complex dynamical networks via a pinning mechanism
Zhu, Shuaibing; Zhou, Jin; Lu, Jun-an
In this paper, we study the problem of identifying the partial topology of complex dynamical networks via a pinning mechanism. By using the network synchronization theory and the adaptive feedback controlling method, we propose a method which can greatly reduce the number of nodes and observers in the response network. Particularly, this method can also identify the whole topology of complex networks. A theorem is established rigorously, from which some corollaries are also derived in order to make our method more cost-effective. Several numerical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. In the simulation, an approach is also given to avoid possible identification failure caused by inner synchronization of the drive network.
Surgical treatment for central pain after stroke based on the neural mechanism
Hirato, Masafumi; Takahashi, Akio; Watanabe, Katsushige; Kazama, Ken; Yoshimoto, Yuhei
Previous neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies have suggested that functional changes might occur in the sensory thalamus, associated with reorganization of the thalamocortical system, in cases with central pain after stroke (thalamic pain). It might cause the misconduction of the sensory signal or a hyperactive response to peripheral natural stimulation on the thalamus, resulting in it playing an important roles in the genesis of central pain. Hyperactivity in the cerebral cortex adjacent to the central sulcus on the side ipsilateral to a cerebrovascular disease (CVD) lesion also might relate to central pain. We performed various kinds of surgical treatments in 29 cases with central pain after stroke based on the neural mechanism deserbed above. Epidural spinal cord stimulation was effective in 4 out of 7 cases with localized pain on the distal part of the leg and arm. We achieved pain control in these cases showing definite somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) originating in the sensory cortex before surgery. Stereotactic (Vim-Vcpc) thalamotomy with the aid of depth microrecording was effective in 4 out of 7 cases with diffuse pain. In good responders, we could find responses to natural peripheral stimulation and seldom encountered irregular burst discharges in the sensory thalamus during the operation. Preoperative positron emission tomography (PET) studies also revealed an increase of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the sensory cortex ipsilateral to the thalamic CVD lesion during contralateral thumb brushing. Gamma knife treatment was effective in 5 out of 7 cases after stereotactic thalamotomy. It became stable in 3 out of these 5 cases. Each case was treated with a maximum dose of 120-150 Gy using a 4 mm collimator. Precentral electrical cortical stimulation was performed in 8 cases. Sufficient pain relief was achieved in 3 out of 6 cases in which we could implant an importable pulse generator (IPG). In one of these cases, we found definite
Cluster analysis of spontaneous preterm birth phenotypes identifies potential associations among preterm birth mechanisms.
Esplin, M Sean; Manuck, Tracy A; Varner, Michael W; Christensen, Bryce; Biggio, Joseph; Bukowski, Radek; Parry, Samuel; Zhang, Heping; Huang, Hao; Andrews, William; Saade, George; Sadovsky, Yoel; Reddy, Uma M; Ilekis, John
We sought to use an innovative tool that is based on common biologic pathways to identify specific phenotypes among women with spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) to enhance investigators' ability to identify and to highlight common mechanisms and underlying genetic factors that are responsible for SPTB. We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective case-control multicenter study of SPTB. All cases delivered a preterm singleton at SPTB ≤34.0 weeks' gestation. Each woman was assessed for the presence of underlying SPTB causes. A hierarchic cluster analysis was used to identify groups of women with homogeneous phenotypic profiles. One of the phenotypic clusters was selected for candidate gene association analysis with the use of VEGAS software. One thousand twenty-eight women with SPTB were assigned phenotypes. Hierarchic clustering of the phenotypes revealed 5 major clusters. Cluster 1 (n = 445) was characterized by maternal stress; cluster 2 (n = 294) was characterized by premature membrane rupture; cluster 3 (n = 120) was characterized by familial factors, and cluster 4 (n = 63) was characterized by maternal comorbidities. Cluster 5 (n = 106) was multifactorial and characterized by infection (INF), decidual hemorrhage (DH), and placental dysfunction (PD). These 3 phenotypes were correlated highly by χ(2) analysis (PD and DH, P cluster 3 of SPTB. We identified 5 major clusters of SPTB based on a phenotype tool and hierarch clustering. There was significant correlation between several of the phenotypes. The INS gene was associated with familial factors that were underlying SPTB. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Identifying the causes of differences in ozone production from the CB05 and CBMIV chemical mechanisms
R. D. Saylor
Full Text Available An investigation was conducted to identify the mechanistic differences between two versions of the carbon bond gas-phase chemical mechanism (CB05 and CBMIV which consistently lead to larger ground-level ozone concentrations being produced in the CB05 version of the National Air Quality Forecasting Capability (NAQFC modeling system even though the two parallel forecast systems utilize the same meteorology and base emissions and similar initial and boundary conditions. Box models of each of the mechanisms as they are implemented in the NAQFC were created and a set of 12 sensitivity simulations was designed. The sensitivity simulations independently probed the conceptual mechanistic differences between CB05 and CBMIV and were exercised over a 45-scenario simulation suite designed to emulate the wide range of chemical regimes encountered in a continental-scale atmospheric chemistry model. Results of the sensitivity simulations indicate that two sets of reactions that were included in the CB05 mechanism, but which were absent from the CBMIV mechanism, are the primary causes of the greater ozone production in the CB05 version of the NAQFC. One set of reactions recycles the higher organic peroxide species of CB05 (ROOH, resulting in additional photochemically reactive products that act to produce additional ozone in some chemical regimes. The other set of reactions recycles reactive nitrogen from less reactive forms back to NO2, increasing the effective NOx concentration of the system. In particular, the organic nitrate species (NTR, which was a terminal product for reactive nitrogen in the CBMIV mechanism, acts as a reservoir species in CB05 to redistribute NOx from major source areas to potentially NOx-sensitive areas where additional ozone may be produced in areas remote from direct NOx sources.
Bird brains and songs : Neural mechanisms of auditory memory and perception in zebra finches
Gobes, S.M.H.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304832669
Songbirds, such as zebra finches, learn their songs from a ‘tutor’ (usually the father), early in life. There are strong parallels between the behavioural, cognitive and neural processes that underlie vocal learning in humans and songbirds. In both cases there is a sensitive period for auditory
Lithium - an update on the mechanisms of action. Part two: neural ...
... has a complicated multitude of diverse effects in the human nervous system. This new data is helping us understand the neurobiology of bipolar disorder. The focus of this review will be to distil this new knowledge.This, the second of a two part review will focus principally on neural effects and neuroanatomical substrates.
Comparable mechanisms for action and language: Neural systems behind intentions, goals and means
Schie, H.T. van; Toni, I.; Bekkering, H.
In this position paper we explore correspondence between neural systems for language and action starting from recent electrophysiological findings on the roles of posterior and frontal areas in goal-directed grasping actions. The paper compares the perceptual and motor organization for action and
Rapid, computer vision-enabled murine screening system identifies neuropharmacological potential of two new mechanisms
Steven L Roberds
Full Text Available The lack of predictive in vitro models for behavioral phenotypes impedes rapid advancement in neuropharmacology and psychopharmacology. In vivo behavioral assays are more predictive of activity in human disorders, but such assays are often highly resource-intensive. Here we describe the successful application of a computer vision-enabled system to identify potential neuropharmacological activity of two new mechanisms. The analytical system was trained using multiple drugs that are used clinically to treat depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, and other psychiatric or behavioral disorders. During blinded testing the PDE10 inhibitor TP-10 produced a signature of activity suggesting potential antipsychotic activity. This finding is consistent with TP-10’s activity in multiple rodent models that is similar to that of clinically used antipsychotic drugs. The CK1ε inhibitor PF-670462 produced a signature consistent with anxiolytic activity and, at the highest dose tested, behavioral effects similar to that of opiate analgesics. Neither TP-10 nor PF-670462 was included in the training set. Thus, computer vision-based behavioral analysis can facilitate drug discovery by identifying neuropharmacological effects of compounds acting through new mechanisms.
Mechanistic phenotypes: an aggregative phenotyping strategy to identify disease mechanisms using GWAS data.
Jonathan D Mosley
Full Text Available A single mutation can alter cellular and global homeostatic mechanisms and give rise to multiple clinical diseases. We hypothesized that these disease mechanisms could be identified using low minor allele frequency (MAF<0.1 non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs associated with "mechanistic phenotypes", comprised of collections of related diagnoses. We studied two mechanistic phenotypes: (1 thrombosis, evaluated in a population of 1,655 African Americans; and (2 four groupings of cancer diagnoses, evaluated in 3,009 white European Americans. We tested associations between nsSNPs represented on GWAS platforms and mechanistic phenotypes ascertained from electronic medical records (EMRs, and sought enrichment in functional ontologies across the top-ranked associations. We used a two-step analytic approach whereby nsSNPs were first sorted by the strength of their association with a phenotype. We tested associations using two reverse genetic models and standard additive and recessive models. In the second step, we employed a hypothesis-free ontological enrichment analysis using the sorted nsSNPs to identify functional mechanisms underlying the diagnoses comprising the mechanistic phenotypes. The thrombosis phenotype was solely associated with ontologies related to blood coagulation (Fisher's p = 0.0001, FDR p = 0.03, driven by the F5, P2RY12 and F2RL2 genes. For the cancer phenotypes, the reverse genetics models were enriched in DNA repair functions (p = 2×10-5, FDR p = 0.03 (POLG/FANCI, SLX4/FANCP, XRCC1, BRCA1, FANCA, CHD1L while the additive model showed enrichment related to chromatid segregation (p = 4×10-6, FDR p = 0.005 (KIF25, PINX1. We were able to replicate nsSNP associations for POLG/FANCI, BRCA1, FANCA and CHD1L in independent data sets. Mechanism-oriented phenotyping using collections of EMR-derived diagnoses can elucidate fundamental disease mechanisms.
Towards identifying the mechanisms underlying field-aligned edge-loss of HHFW power on NSTX
Perkins, R. J.; Bell, R. E.; Bertelli, N.; Diallo, A.; Gerhardt, S.; Hosea, J. C.; Jaworski, M. A.; LeBlanc, B. P.; Kramer, G. J.; Maingi, R.; Phillips, C. K.; Podestà , M.; Roquemore, L.; Scotti, F.; Taylor, G.; Wilson, J. R. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ (United States); Ahn, J-W.; Gray, T. K.; Green, D. L.; McLean, A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); and others
Fast-wave heating will be a major heating scheme on ITER, as it can heat ions directly and is relatively unaffected by the large machine size unlike neutral beams. However, fast-wave interactions with the plasma edge can lead to deleterious effects such as, in the case of the high-harmonic fast-wave (HHFW) system on NSTX, large losses of fast-wave power in the scrape off layer (SOL) under certain conditions. In such scenarios, a large fraction of the lost HHFW power is deposited on the upper and lower divertors in bright spiral shapes. The responsible mechanism(s) has not yet been identified but may include fast-wave propagation in the scrape off layer, parametric decay instability, and RF currents driven by the antenna reactive fields. Understanding and mitigating these losses is important not only for improving the heating and current-drive on NSTX-Upgrade but also for understanding fast-wave propagation across the SOL in any fast-wave system. This talk summarizes experimental results demonstrating that the flow of lost HHFW power to the divertor regions largely follows the open SOL magnetic field lines. This lost power flux is relatively large close to both the antenna and the last closed flux surface with a reduced level in between, so the loss mechanism cannot be localized to the antenna. At the same time, significant losses also occur along field lines connected to the inboard edge of the bottom antenna plate. The power lost within the spirals is roughly estimated, showing that these field-aligned losses to the divertor are significant but may not account for the total HHFW loss. To elucidate the role of the onset layer for perpendicular fast-wave propagation with regards to fast-wave propagation in the SOL, a cylindrical cold-plasma model is being developed. This model, in addition to advanced RF codes such as TORIC and AORSA, is aimed at identifying the underlying mechanism(s) behind these SOL losses, to minimize their effects in NSTX-U, and to predict
Perkins, R. J.; Bell, R. E.; Bertelli, N.; Diallo, A.; Gerhardt, S.; Hosea, J. C.; Jaworski, M. A.; LeBlanc, B. P.; Kramer, G. J.; Maingi, R.; Phillips, C. K.; Podestà , M.; Roquemore, L.; Scotti, F.; Taylor, G.; Wilson, J. R.; Ahn, J-W.; Gray, T. K.; Green, D. L.; McLean, A.
Comparing interventions and exploring neural mechanisms of exercise in Parkinson disease: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
Earhart, Gammon M; Duncan, Ryan P; Huang, John L; Perlmutter, Joel S; Pickett, Kristen A
Effective treatment of locomotor dysfunction in Parkinson disease (PD) is essential, as gait difficulty is an early and major contributor to disability. Exercise is recommended as an adjunct to traditional treatments for improving gait, balance, and quality of life. Among the exercise approaches known to improve walking, tango and treadmill training have recently emerged as two promising therapies for improving gait, disease severity and quality of life, yet these two interventions have not been directly compared to each other. Prior studies have been helpful in identifying interventions effective in improving gait function, but have done little to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying functional improvements. The primary objective of the proposed work is to compare the effects of three community-based exercise programs, tango, treadmill training and stretching, on locomotor function in individuals with PD. In addition, we aim to determine whether and how these interventions alter functional connectivity of locomotor control networks in the brain. One hundred and twenty right-handed individuals with idiopathic PD who are at least 30Â years of age will be assigned in successive waves to one of three community-based exercise groups: tango dancing, treadmill training or stretching (control). Each group will receive three months of exercise training with twice weekly one-hour group classes. Each participant will be evaluated at three time points: pre-intervention (baseline), post-intervention (3Â months), and follow-up (6Â months). All evaluations will include assessment of gait, balance, disease severity, and quality of life. Baseline and post-intervention evaluations will also include task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and resting state functional connectivity MRI. All MRI and behavioral measures will be conducted with participants OFF anti-Parkinson medication, with behavioral measures also assessed ON medication. This study will provide
The neural mechanisms of affect infusion in social economic decision-making: a mediating role of the anterior insula.
Harlé, Katia M; Chang, Luke J; van 't Wout, Mascha; Sanfey, Alan G
Though emotions have been shown to have sometimes dramatic effects on decision-making, the neural mechanisms mediating these biases are relatively unexplored. Here, we investigated how incidental affect (i.e. emotional states unrelated to the decision at hand) may influence decisions, and how these biases are implemented in the brain. Nineteen adult participants made decisions which involved accepting or rejecting monetary offers from others in an Ultimatum Game while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Prior to each set of decisions, participants watched a short video clip aimed at inducing either a sad or neutral emotional state. Results demonstrated that, as expected, sad participants rejected more unfair offers than those in the neutral condition. Neuroimaging analyses revealed that receiving unfair offers while in a sad mood elicited activity in brain areas related to aversive emotional states and somatosensory integration (anterior insula) and to cognitive conflict (anterior cingulate cortex). Sad participants also showed a diminished sensitivity in neural regions associated with reward processing (ventral striatum). Importantly, insular activation uniquely mediated the relationship between sadness and decision bias. This study is the first to reveal how subtle mood states can be integrated at the neural level to influence decision-making. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Applying of the Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to Identify and Characterize Sweet Spots in Shale Gas Formations
Puskarczyk, Edyta
The main goal of the study was to enhance and improve information about the Ordovician and Silurian gas-saturated shale formations. Author focused on: firstly, identification of the shale gas formations, especially the sweet spots horizons, secondly, classification and thirdly, the accurate characterization of divisional intervals. Data set comprised of standard well logs from the selected well. Shale formations are represented mainly by claystones, siltstones, and mudstones. The formations are also partially rich in organic matter. During the calculations, information about lithology of stratigraphy weren't taken into account. In the analysis, selforganizing neural network - Kohonen Algorithm (ANN) was used for sweet spots identification. Different networks and different software were tested and the best network was used for application and interpretation. As a results of Kohonen networks, groups corresponding to the gas-bearing intervals were found. The analysis showed diversification between gas-bearing formations and surrounding beds. It is also shown that internal diversification in sweet spots is present. Kohonen algorithm was also used for geological interpretation of well log data and electrofacies prediction. Reliable characteristic into groups shows that Ja Mb and Sa Fm which are usually treated as potential sweet spots only partially have good reservoir conditions. It is concluded that ANN appears to be useful and quick tool for preliminary classification of members and sweet spots identification.
LOGIC WITH EXCEPTION ON THE ALGEBRA OF FOURIER-DUAL OPERATIONS: NEURAL NET MECHANISM OF COGNITIVE DISSONANCE REDUCING
A. V. Pavlov
Full Text Available A mechanism of cognitive dissonance reducing is demonstrated with approach for non-monotonic fuzzy-valued logics by Fourier-holography technique implementation developing. Cognitive dissonance occurs under perceiving of new information that contradicts to the existing subjective pattern of the outside world, represented by double Fourier-transform cascade with a hologram – neural layers interconnections matrix of inner information representation and logical conclusion. The hologram implements monotonic logic according to “General Modus Ponens� rule. New information is represented by a hologram of exclusion that implements interconnections of logical conclusion and exclusion for neural layers. The latter are linked by Fourier transform that determines duality of the algebra forming operations of conjunction and disjunction. Hologram of exclusion forms conclusion that is dual to the “General Modus Ponens� conclusion. It is shown, that trained for the main rule and exclusion system can be represented by two-layered neural network with separate interconnection matrixes for direct and inverse iterations. The network energy function is involved determining the cyclic dynamics character; dissipative factor causing convergence type of the dynamics is analyzed. Both “General Modus Ponens� and exclusion holograms recording conditions on the dynamics and convergence of the system are demonstrated. The system converges to a stable status, in which logical conclusion doesn’t depend on the inner information. Such kind of dynamics, leading to tolerance forming, is typical for ordinary kind of thinking, aimed at inner pattern of outside world stability. For scientific kind of thinking, aimed at adequacy of the inner pattern of the world, a mechanism is needed to stop the net relaxation; the mechanism has to be external relative to the model of logic. Computer simulation results for the learning conditions adequate to real holograms recording are
Path synthesis of four-bar mechanisms using synergy of polynomial neural network and Stackelberg game theory
Ahmadi, Bahman; Nariman-zadeh, Nader; Jamali, Ali
In this article, a novel approach based on game theory is presented for multi-objective optimal synthesis of four-bar mechanisms. The multi-objective optimization problem is modelled as a Stackelberg game. The more important objective function, tracking error, is considered as the leader, and the other objective function, deviation of the transmission angle from 90° (TA), is considered as the follower. In a new approach, a group method of data handling (GMDH)-type neural network is also utilized to construct an approximate model for the rational reaction set (RRS) of the follower. Using the proposed game-theoretic approach, the multi-objective optimal synthesis of a four-bar mechanism is then cast into a single-objective optimal synthesis using the leader variables and the obtained RRS of the follower. The superiority of using the synergy game-theoretic method of Stackelberg with a GMDH-type neural network is demonstrated for two case studies on the synthesis of four-bar mechanisms.
Effective electric fields along realistic DTI-based neural trajectories for modelling the stimulation mechanisms of TMS
De Geeter, N; Crevecoeur, G; Dupré, L; Leemans, A
In transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), an applied alternating magnetic field induces an electric field in the brain that can interact with the neural system. It is generally assumed that this induced electric field is the crucial effect exciting a certain region of the brain. More specifically, it is the component of this field parallel to the neuron’s local orientation, the so-called effective electric field, that can initiate neuronal stimulation. Deeper insights on the stimulation mechanisms can be acquired through extensive TMS modelling. Most models study simple representations of neurons with assumed geometries, whereas we embed realistic neural trajectories computed using tractography based on diffusion tensor images. This way of modelling ensures a more accurate spatial distribution of the effective electric field that is in addition patient and case specific. The case study of this paper focuses on the single pulse stimulation of the left primary motor cortex with a standard figure-of-eight coil. Including realistic neural geometry in the model demonstrates the strong and localized variations of the effective electric field between the tracts themselves and along them due to the interplay of factors such as the tract’s position and orientation in relation to the TMS coil, the neural trajectory and its course along the white and grey matter interface. Furthermore, the influence of changes in the coil orientation is studied. Investigating the impact of tissue anisotropy confirms that its contribution is not negligible. Moreover, assuming isotropic tissues lead to errors of the same size as rotating or tilting the coil with 10 degrees. In contrast, the model proves to be less sensitive towards the not well-known tissue conductivity values. (paper)
Tinnitus Neural Mechanisms and Structural Changes in the Brain: The Contribution of Neuroimaging Research
Simonetti, Patricia
Full Text Available Introduction Tinnitus is an abnormal perception of sound in the absence of an external stimulus. Chronic tinnitus usually has a high impact in many aspects of patients' lives, such as emotional stress, sleep disturbance, concentration difficulties, and so on. These strong reactions are usually attributed to central nervous system involvement. Neuroimaging has revealed the implication of brain structures in the auditory system. Objective This systematic review points out neuroimaging studies that contribute to identifying the structures involved in the pathophysiological mechanism of generation and persistence of various forms of tinnitus. Data Synthesis Functional imaging research reveals that tinnitus perception is associated with the involvement of the nonauditory brain areas, including the front parietal area; the limbic system, which consists of the anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, and amygdala; and the hippocampal and parahippocampal area. Conclusion The neuroimaging research confirms the involvement of the mechanisms of memory and cognition in the persistence of perception, anxiety, distress, and suffering associated with tinnitus.
Statistical mechanics of a multiconnected Hopfield neural-network model in a transverse field
Ma, Y.; Gong, C.
The Hopfield neural-network model with p-spin interactions in the presence of a transverse field is introduced and solved exactly in the limit p→∞. In the phase diagrams drawn as a function of the temperature, the important results such as reentrance are found, and the effects of the quantum fluctuations on the phase transitions, the retrieval phase, and the storage ratio α are examined
Neural mechanisms of negative reinforcement in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders
Damiano, Cara R; Cockrell, Dillon C; Dunlap, Kaitlyn; Hanna, Eleanor K; Miller, Stephanie; Bizzell, Joshua; Kovac, Megan; Turner-Brown, Lauren; Sideris, John; Kinard, Jessica; Dichter, Gabriel S
Background Previous research has found accumulating evidence for atypical reward processing in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), particularly in the context of social rewards. Yet, this line of research has focused largely on positive social reinforcement, while little is known about the processing of negative reinforcement in individuals with ASD. Methods The present study examined neural responses to social negative reinforcement (a face displaying negative affect) and non-social negative re...
Artificial neural network and falls in community-dwellers: a new approach to identify the risk of recurrent falling?
Kabeshova, Anastasiia; Launay, Cyrille P; Gromov, Vasilii A; Annweiler, Cédric; Fantino, Bruno; Beauchet, Olivier
Identification of the risk of recurrent falls is complex in older adults. The aim of this study was to examine the efficiency of 3 artificial neural networks (ANNs: multilayer perceptron [MLP], modified MLP, and neuroevolution of augmenting topologies [NEAT]) for the classification of recurrent fallers and nonrecurrent fallers using a set of clinical characteristics corresponding to risk factors of falls measured among community-dwelling older adults. Based on a cross-sectional design, 3289 community-dwelling volunteers aged 65 and older were recruited. Age, gender, body mass index (BMI), number of drugs daily taken, use of psychoactive drugs, diphosphonate, calcium, vitamin D supplements and walking aid, fear of falling, distance vision score, Timed Up and Go (TUG) score, lower-limb proprioception, handgrip strength, depressive symptoms, cognitive disorders, and history of falls were recorded. Participants were separated into 2 groups based on the number of falls that occurred over the past year: 0 or 1 fall and 2 or more falls. In addition, total population was separated into training and testing subgroups for ANN analysis. Among 3289 participants, 18.9% (n = 622) were recurrent fallers. NEAT, using 15 clinical characteristics (ie, use of walking aid, fear of falling, use of calcium, depression, use of vitamin D supplements, female, cognitive disorders, BMI 4, vision score 9 seconds, handgrip strength score ≤29 (N), and age ≥75 years), showed the best efficiency for identification of recurrent fallers, sensitivity (80.42%), specificity (92.54%), positive predictive value (84.38), negative predictive value (90.34), accuracy (88.39), and Cohen κ (0.74), compared with MLP and modified MLP. NEAT, using a set of 15 clinical characteristics, was an efficient ANN for the identification of recurrent fallers in older community-dwellers. Copyright © 2015 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
A multicriteria approach to identify investment opportunities for the exploitation of the clean development mechanism
Diakoulaki, D.; Georgiou, P.; Tourkolias, C.; Georgopoulou, E.; Lalas, D.; Mirasgedis, S.; Sarafidis, Y.
The aim of the present paper is to investigate the prospects for the exploitation of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in Greece. The paper is addressing 3 questions: in which country, what kind of investment, with which economic and environmental return? The proposed approach is based on a multicriteria analysis for identifying priority countries and interesting investment opportunities in each priority country. These opportunities are then evaluated through a conventional financial analysis in order to assess their economic and environmental attractiveness. To this purpose, the IRR of a typical project in each investment category is calculated by taking into account country-specific parameters, such as baseline emission factors, load factors, costs, energy prices etc. The results reveal substantial differences in the economic and environmental return of different types of projects in different host-countries and show that for the full exploitation of the CDM a multifaceted approach to decision-making is necessary
Neural mechanisms of information storage in visual short-term memory.
Serences, John T
The capacity to briefly memorize fleeting sensory information supports visual search and behavioral interactions with relevant stimuli in the environment. Traditionally, studies investigating the neural basis of visual short term memory (STM) have focused on the role of prefrontal cortex (PFC) in exerting executive control over what information is stored and how it is adaptively used to guide behavior. However, the neural substrates that support the actual storage of content-specific information in STM are more controversial, with some attributing this function to PFC and others to the specialized areas of early visual cortex that initially encode incoming sensory stimuli. In contrast to these traditional views, I will review evidence suggesting that content-specific information can be flexibly maintained in areas across the cortical hierarchy ranging from early visual cortex to PFC. While the factors that determine exactly where content-specific information is represented are not yet entirely clear, recognizing the importance of task-demands and better understanding the operation of non-spiking neural codes may help to constrain new theories about how memories are maintained at different resolutions, across different timescales, and in the presence of distracting information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Intrusive images in psychological disorders: characteristics, neural mechanisms, and treatment implications.
Brewin, Chris R; Gregory, James D; Lipton, Michelle; Burgess, Neil
Involuntary images and visual memories are prominent in many types of psychopathology. Patients with posttraumatic stress disorder, other anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, and psychosis frequently report repeated visual intrusions corresponding to a small number of real or imaginary events, usually extremely vivid, detailed, and with highly distressing content. Both memory and imagery appear to rely on common networks involving medial prefrontal regions, posterior regions in the medial and lateral parietal cortices, the lateral temporal cortex, and the medial temporal lobe. Evidence from cognitive psychology and neuroscience implies distinct neural bases to abstract, flexible, contextualized representations (C-reps) and to inflexible, sensory-bound representations (S-reps). We revise our previous dual representation theory of posttraumatic stress disorder to place it within a neural systems model of healthy memory and imagery. The revised model is used to explain how the different types of distressing visual intrusions associated with clinical disorders arise, in terms of the need for correct interaction between the neural systems supporting S-reps and C-reps via visuospatial working memory. Finally, we discuss the treatment implications of the new model and relate it to existing forms of psychological therapy.
Neural Mechanisms of Information Storage in Visual Short-Term Memory
Serences, John T.
The capacity to briefly memorize fleeting sensory information supports visual search and behavioral interactions with relevant stimuli in the environment. Traditionally, studies investigating the neural basis of visual short term memory (STM) have focused on the role of prefrontal cortex (PFC) in exerting executive control over what information is stored and how it is adaptively used to guide behavior. However, the neural substrates that support the actual storage of content-specific information in STM are more controversial, with some attributing this function to PFC and others to the specialized areas of early visual cortex that initially encode incoming sensory stimuli. In contrast to these traditional views, I will review evidence suggesting that content-specific information can be flexibly maintained in areas across the cortical hierarchy ranging from early visual cortex to PFC. While the factors that determine exactly where content-specific information is represented are not yet entirely clear, recognizing the importance of task-demands and better understanding the operation of non-spiking neural codes may help to constrain new theories about how memories are maintained at different resolutions, across different timescales, and in the presence of distracting information. PMID:27668990
Neural mechanisms of subclinical depressive symptoms in women: a pilot functional brain imaging study
Felder Jennifer N
Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies of individuals who do not meet criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD but with subclinical levels of depressive symptoms may aid in the identification of neurofunctional abnormalities that possibly precede and predict the development of MDD. The purpose of this study was to evaluate relations between subclinical levels of depressive symptoms and neural activation patterns during tasks previously shown to differentiate individuals with and without MDD. Methods Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI was used to assess neural activations during active emotion regulation, a resting state scan, and reward processing. Participants were twelve females with a range of depressive symptoms who did not meet criteria for MDD. Results Increased depressive symptom severity predicted (1 decreased left midfrontal gyrus activation during reappraisal of sad stimuli; (2 increased right midfrontal gyrus activation during distraction from sad stimuli; (3 increased functional connectivity between a precuneus seed region and left orbitofrontal cortex during a resting state scan; and (4 increased paracingulate activation during non-win outcomes during a reward-processing task. Conclusions These pilot data shed light on relations between subclinical levels of depressive symptoms in the absence of a formal MDD diagnosis and neural activation patterns. Future studies will be needed to test the utility of these activation patterns for predicting MDD onset in at-risk samples.
Identifying social mechanisms for the prevention of adolescent drinking and driving.
Chen, Meng-Jinn; Grube, Joel W; Nygaard, Peter; Miller, Brenda A
This study identifies social mechanisms that might help prevent youth from being involved in driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) and riding with drinking drivers (RWDD). Data collected through telephone surveys with 1534 adolescents and young adults aged 15-20 years (mean=17.6, S.D.=1.6) in California, USA, were analyzed. Structural equation modeling analyses showed that DUI and RWDD were strongly related to drinking in unstructured situations, modeling of DUI by peers and parents, and perceived peer approval or disapproval of DUI. DUI outcome expectancies were indirectly related to DUI and RWDD through situational drinking. Parental monitoring and DUI law enforcement were also indirectly related to DUI and RWDD through DUI expectancies and other mechanisms. The findings, overall, suggest that parental influence remains important even through late adolescence. Parental monitoring, in particular, might help to reduce unstructured socializing with peers, drinking, and affiliation with peers who engage in DUI. Parental monitoring may also foster beliefs about the risks of DUI. Conversely, parents' own DUI behavior may normalize drinking and DUI behaviors, thus countering monitoring efforts.
Identifying Social Mechanisms for the Prevention of Adolescent Drinking and Driving
Chen, Meng-Jinn; Grube, Joel W.; Nygaard, Peter; Miller, Brenda A.
This study identifies social mechanisms that might help prevent youth from being involved in driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) and riding with drinking drivers (RWDD). Data collected through telephone surveys with 1,534 adolescents and young adults aged 15–20 years (mean = 17.6, SD = 1.6) in California, USA were analyzed. Structural equation modeling analyses showed that DUI and RWDD were strongly related to drinking in unstructured situations, modeling of DUI by peers and parents, and perceived peer approval or disapproval of DUI. DUI outcome expectancies were indirectly related to DUI and RWDD through situational drinking. Parental monitoring and DUI law enforcement were also indirectly related to DUI and RWDD through DUI expectancies and other mechanisms. The findings, overall, suggest that parental influence remains important even through late adolescence. Parental monitoring, in particular, might help to reduce unstructured socializing with peers, drinking, and affiliation with peers who engage in DUI. Parental monitoring may also foster beliefs about the risks of DUI. Conversely, parents’ own DUI behavior may normalize drinking and DUI behaviors, thus countering monitoring efforts. PMID:18329409
Identifying Intraplate Mechanism by B-Value Calculations in the South of Java Island
Bagus Suananda Y., Ida; Aufa, Irfan; Harlianti, Ulvienin
Java is the most populous island in Indonesia with 50 million people live there. This island geologically formed at the Eurasia plate margin by the subduction of the Australian oceanic crust. At the south part of Java, beside the occurrence of 2-plate convergence earthquake (interplate), there are also the activities of the intraplate earthquake. Research for distinguish this 2 different earthquake type is necessary for estimating the behavior of the earthquake that may occur. The aim of this research is to map the b-value in the south of Java using earthquake data from 1963 until 2008. The research area are divided into clusters based on the epicenter mapping results with magnitude more than 4 and three different depth (0-30 km, 30-60 km, 60-100 km). This location clustering indicate group of earthquakes occurred by the same structure or mechanism. On some cluster in the south of Java, b-value obtained are between 0.8 and 1.25. This range of b-value indicates the region was intraplate earthquake zone, with 0.72-1.2 b-value range is the indication of intraplate earthquake zone. The final validation is to determine the mechanism of a segment done by correlating the epicenter and b-value plot with the available structural geology data. Based on this research, we discover that the earthquakes occur in Java not only the interplate earthquake, the intraplate earthquake also occurred here. By identifying the mechanism of a segment in the south of Java, earthquake characterization that may occur can be done for developing the accurate earthquake disaster mitigation system.
41 CFR 102-85.175 - Are the standard level services for cleaning, mechanical operation, and maintenance identified in...
... services for cleaning, mechanical operation, and maintenance identified in an OA? 102-85.175 Section 102-85... of Service § 102-85.175 Are the standard level services for cleaning, mechanical operation, and maintenance identified in an OA? Unless specified otherwise in the OA, standard level services for cleaning...
Combat-Related Heterotopic Ossification: Development of Animal Models for Identifying Mechanisms and Testing Therapeutics
ulcerate, or envelop neurovascular structures causing pro- gressive deficits .10-14 As a result, up to 41% of patients with HO will ultimately require...in a logarithmic fashion under optimal culture and nutrient conditions re- sulting in a controlled cell growth rate. Next, 2 mL of the concentrated...Cooper RR, Saltzman CL. Bone and brain: a review of neural, hormonal , and muscu- loskeletal connections. Iowa Orthop J. 2004;24:123. 19. Mo IF, Yip KH
Identifying the Integrated Neural Networks Involved in Capsaicin-Induced Pain Using fMRI in Awake TRPV1 Knockout and Wild-Type Rats
Jason Richard Yee
Full Text Available In the present study, we used functional MRI in awake rats to investigate the pain response that accompanies intradermal injection of capsaicin into the hindpaw. To this end, we used BOLD imaging together with a 3D segmented, annotated rat atlas and computational analysis to identify the integrated neural circuits involved in capsaicin-induced pain. The specificity of the pain response to capsaicin was tested in a transgenic model that contains a biallelic deletion of the gene encoding for the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1. Capsaicin is an exogenous ligand for the TRPV1 receptor, and in wild-type rats, activated the putative pain neural circuit. In addition, capsaicin-treated wild-type rats exhibited activation in brain regions comprising the Papez circuit and habenular system, systems that play important roles in the integration of emotional information, and learning and memory of aversive information, respectively. As expected, capsaicin administration to TRPV1-KO rats failed to elicit the robust BOLD activation pattern observed in wild-type controls. However, the intradermal injection of formalin elicited a significant activation of the putative pain pathway as represented by such areas as the anterior cingulate, somatosensory cortex, parabrachial nucleus, and periaqueductal gray. Notably, comparison of neural responses to capsaicin in wild-type versus knock-out rats uncovered evidence that capsaicin may function in an antinociceptive capacity independent of TRPV1 signaling. Our data suggest that neuroimaging of pain in awake, conscious animals has the potential to inform the neurobiological basis of full and integrated perceptions of pain.
Intragastric preloads of l-tryptophan reduce ingestive behavior via oxytocinergic neural mechanisms in male mice.
Gartner, Sarah N; Aidney, Fraser; Klockars, Anica; Prosser, Colin; Carpenter, Elizabeth A; Isgrove, Kiriana; Levine, Allen S; Olszewski, Pawel K
Human and laboratory animal studies suggest that dietary supplementation of a free essential amino acid, l-tryptophan (TRP), reduces food intake. It is unclear whether an acute gastric preload of TRP decreases consumption and whether central mechanisms underlie TRP-driven hypophagia. We examined the effect of TRP administered via intragastric gavage on energy- and palatability-induced feeding in mice. We sought to identify central mechanisms through which TRP suppresses appetite. Effects of TRP on consumption of energy-dense and energy-dilute tastants were established in mice stimulated to eat by energy deprivation or palatability. A conditioned taste aversion (CTA) paradigm was used to assess whether hypophagia is unrelated to sickness. c-Fos immunohistochemistry was employed to detect TRP-induced activation of feeding-related brain sites and of oxytocin (OT) neurons, a crucial component of satiety circuits. Also, expression of OT mRNA was assessed with real-time PCR. The functional importance of OT in mediating TRP-driven hypophagia was substantiated by showing the ability of OT receptor blockade to abolish TRP-induced decrease in feeding. TRP reduced intake of energy-dense standard chow in deprived animals and energy-dense palatable chow in sated mice. Anorexigenic doses of TRP did not cause a CTA. TRP failed to affect intake of palatable yet calorie-dilute or noncaloric solutions (10% sucrose, 4.1% Intralipid or 0.1% saccharin) even for TRP doses that decreased water intake in thirsty mice. Fos analysis revealed that TRP increases activation of several key feeding-related brain areas, especially in the brain stem and hypothalamus. TRP activated hypothalamic OT neurons and increased OT mRNA levels, whereas pretreatment with an OT antagonist abolished TRP-driven hypophagia. We conclude that intragastric TRP decreases food and water intake, and TRP-induced hypophagia is partially mediated via central circuits that encompass OT. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All
Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) have increased in popularity among children, juveniles, and adults since MMORPGs’ appearance in this digital age. MMORPGs can be applied to enhancing language learning, which is drawing researchers’ attention from different fields and many studies have validated MMORPGs’ positive effect on language learning. However, there are few studies on the underlying behavioral or neural mechanism of such effect. This paper reviews the educational application of the MMORPGs based on relevant macroscopic and microscopic studies, showing that gamers’ overall language proficiency or some specific language skills can be enhanced by real-time online interaction with peers and game narratives or instructions embedded in the MMORPGs. Mechanisms underlying the educational assistant role of MMORPGs in second language learning are discussed from both behavioral and neural perspectives. We suggest that attentional bias makes gamers/learners allocate more cognitive resources toward task-related stimuli in a controlled or an automatic way. Moreover, with a moderating role played by activation of reward circuit, playing the MMORPGs may strengthen or increase functional connectivity from seed regions such as left anterior insular/frontal operculum (AI/FO) and visual word form area to other language-related brain areas. PMID:28303097
Language Learning Enhanced by Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and the Underlying Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms.
Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) have increased in popularity among children, juveniles, and adults since MMORPGs' appearance in this digital age. MMORPGs can be applied to enhancing language learning, which is drawing researchers' attention from different fields and many studies have validated MMORPGs' positive effect on language learning. However, there are few studies on the underlying behavioral or neural mechanism of such effect. This paper reviews the educational application of the MMORPGs based on relevant macroscopic and microscopic studies, showing that gamers' overall language proficiency or some specific language skills can be enhanced by real-time online interaction with peers and game narratives or instructions embedded in the MMORPGs. Mechanisms underlying the educational assistant role of MMORPGs in second language learning are discussed from both behavioral and neural perspectives. We suggest that attentional bias makes gamers/learners allocate more cognitive resources toward task-related stimuli in a controlled or an automatic way. Moreover, with a moderating role played by activation of reward circuit, playing the MMORPGs may strengthen or increase functional connectivity from seed regions such as left anterior insular/frontal operculum (AI/FO) and visual word form area to other language-related brain areas.
Identification of neural firing patterns, frequency and temporal coding mechanisms in individual aortic baroreceptors
Huaguang eGu
Full Text Available In rabbit depressor nerve fibers, an on-off firing pattern, period-1 firing, and integer multiple firing with quiescent state were observed as the static pressure level was increased. A bursting pattern with bursts at the systolic phase of blood pressure, continuous firing, and bursting with burst at diastolic phase and quiescent state at systolic phase were observed as the mean level of the dynamic blood pressure was increased. For both static and dynamic pressures, the firing frequency of the first two firing patterns increased and of the last firing pattern decreased due to the quiescent state. If the quiescent state is disregarded, the spike frequency becomes an increasing trend. The instantaneous spike frequency of the systolic phase bursting, continuous firing, and diastolic phase bursting can reflect the temporal process of the systolic phase, whole procedure, and diastolic phase of the dynamic blood pressure signal, respectively. With increasing the static current corresponding to pressure level, the deterministic Hodgkin-Huxley (HH model manifests a process from a resting state first to period-1 firing via a subcritical Hopf bifurcation and then to a resting state via a supercritical Hopf bifurcation, and the firing frequency increases. The on-off firing and integer multiple firing were here identified as noise-induced firing patterns near the subcritical and supercritical Hopf bifurcation points, respectively, using the stochastic HH model. The systolic phase bursting and diastolic phase bursting were identified as pressure-induced firings near the subcritical and supercritical Hopf bifurcation points, respectively, using an HH model with a dynamic signal. The firing, spike frequency, and instantaneous spike frequency observed in the experiment were simulated and explained using HH models. The results illustrate the dynamics of different firing patterns and the frequency and temporal coding mechanisms of aortic baroreceptor.
Vitiligo blood transcriptomics provides new insights into disease mechanisms and identifies potential novel therapeutic targets.
Dey-Rao, Rama; Sinha, Animesh A
Significant gaps remain regarding the pathomechanisms underlying the autoimmune response in vitiligo (VL), where the loss of self-tolerance leads to the targeted killing of melanocytes. Specifically, there is incomplete information regarding alterations in the systemic environment that are relevant to the disease state. We undertook a genome-wide profiling approach to examine gene expression in the peripheral blood of VL patients and healthy controls in the context of our previously published VL-skin gene expression profile. We used several in silico bioinformatics-based analyses to provide new insights into disease mechanisms and suggest novel targets for future therapy. Unsupervised clustering methods of the VL-blood dataset demonstrate a "disease-state"-specific set of co-expressed genes. Ontology enrichment analysis of 99 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) uncovers a down-regulated immune/inflammatory response, B-Cell antigen receptor (BCR) pathways, apoptosis and catabolic processes in VL-blood. There is evidence for both type I and II interferon (IFN) playing a role in VL pathogenesis. We used interactome analysis to identify several key blood associated transcriptional factors (TFs) from within (STAT1, STAT6 and NF-kB), as well as "hidden" (CREB1, MYC, IRF4, IRF1, and TP53) from the dataset that potentially affect disease pathogenesis. The TFs overlap with our reported lesional-skin transcriptional circuitry, underscoring their potential importance to the disease. We also identify a shared VL-blood and -skin transcriptional "hot spot" that maps to chromosome 6, and includes three VL-blood dysregulated genes (PSMB8, PSMB9 and TAP1) described as potential VL-associated genetic susceptibility loci. Finally, we provide bioinformatics-based support for prioritizing dysregulated genes in VL-blood or skin as potential therapeutic targets. We examined the VL-blood transcriptome in context with our (previously published) VL-skin transcriptional profile to address
[Neural Mechanisms That Facilitate Adaptive Behavior Based on Acquired Stimulus-Outcome Information].
Ogawa, Masaaki
In response to changing internal and external situations, we always need to adapt our behavior based on previous experiences, particularly, acquired stimulus-outcome information. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a prefrontal cortical region, is critical for this type of decision-making. The current understanding of the fundamental functions of the OFC has been reviewed by introducing, as an example, how the OFC contributes to the processing of uncertain rewards. Furthermore, the importance of revealing context and temporally specific causal roles of neural circuits including the OFC in decision-making, as well as the techniques to achieve the goal, have been discussed.
Physiological and Neural Adaptations to Eccentric Exercise: Mechanisms and Considerations for Training
Nosratollah Hedayatpour
Full Text Available Eccentric exercise is characterized by initial unfavorable effects such as subcellular muscle damage, pain, reduced fiber excitability, and initial muscle weakness. However, stretch combined with overload, as in eccentric contractions, is an effective stimulus for inducing physiological and neural adaptations to training. Eccentric exercise-induced adaptations include muscle hypertrophy, increased cortical activity, and changes in motor unit behavior, all of which contribute to improved muscle function. In this brief review, neuromuscular adaptations to different forms of exercise are reviewed, the positive training effects of eccentric exercise are presented, and the implications for training are considered.
Probing molecular mechanisms of the Hsp90 chaperone: biophysical modeling identifies key regulators of functional dynamics.
Anshuman Dixit
Full Text Available Deciphering functional mechanisms of the Hsp90 chaperone machinery is an important objective in cancer biology aiming to facilitate discovery of targeted anti-cancer therapies. Despite significant advances in understanding structure and function of molecular chaperones, organizing molecular principles that control the relationship between conformational diversity and functional mechanisms of the Hsp90 activity lack a sufficient quantitative characterization. We combined molecular dynamics simulations, principal component analysis, the energy landscape model and structure-functional analysis of Hsp90 regulatory interactions to systematically investigate functional dynamics of the molecular chaperone. This approach has identified a network of conserved regions common to the Hsp90 chaperones that could play a universal role in coordinating functional dynamics, principal collective motions and allosteric signaling of Hsp90. We have found that these functional motifs may be utilized by the molecular chaperone machinery to act collectively as central regulators of Hsp90 dynamics and activity, including the inter-domain communications, control of ATP hydrolysis, and protein client binding. These findings have provided support to a long-standing assertion that allosteric regulation and catalysis may have emerged via common evolutionary routes. The interaction networks regulating functional motions of Hsp90 may be determined by the inherent structural architecture of the molecular chaperone. At the same time, the thermodynamics-based "conformational selection" of functional states is likely to be activated based on the nature of the binding partner. This mechanistic model of Hsp90 dynamics and function is consistent with the notion that allosteric networks orchestrating cooperative protein motions can be formed by evolutionary conserved and sparsely connected residue clusters. Hence, allosteric signaling through a small network of distantly connected
The Vallecas Project: a cohort to identify early markers and mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease
Javier eOlazarán
Full Text Available Introduction. Alzheimer’s disease (AD is a major threat for the well-being of an increasingly aged world population. The physiopathological mechanisms of late-onset AD are multiple, possibly heterogeneous, and not well understood. Different combinations of variables from several domains (i.e., clinical, neuropsychological, structural, and biochemical markers may predict dementia conversion, according to distinct physiopathological pathways, in different groups of subjects. Methods. We launched the Vallecas Project (VP, a cohort study of non-demented people aged 70 to 85, to characterize the social, clinical, neuropsychological, structural, and biochemical underpinnings of AD inception. Given the exploratory nature of the VP, multidimensional and machine learning techniques will be applied, in addition to the traditional multivariate statistical methods. Results. A total of 1,169 subjects were recruited between October 2011 and December 2013. Mean age was 74.4 years (SD 3.9, 63.5% of the subjects were women, and 17.9% of the subjects were carriers of at least one ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE gene. Cognitive diagnoses at inclusion were as follows: normal cognition 93.0% and mild cognitive impairment (MCI 7.0% (3.1% amnestic MCI, 0.1% non-amnestic MCI, 3.8% mixed MCI. Blood samples were obtained and stored for future determinations in 99.9% of the subjects and 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI study was conducted in 89.9% of the volunteers. The cohort is being followed up annually for four years after the baseline. Conclusion. We have established a valuable homogeneous single-center cohort which, by identifying groups of variables associated with high risk of MCI or dementia conversion, should help to clarify the early physiopathological mechanisms of AD and should provide avenues for prompt diagnosis and AD prevention.
Isotopic evidence for identifying the mechanism of salinization of groundwater in Bacolod City,Negros Occidental
Castaneda, Soledad S.; Almoneda, Rosalinda V.; Sucgang, Raymond J.; Desengano, Daisy; Lim, Fatima
Saline water is easily identified by measurement of the conductivity of the ionic species in the water. In groundwater, it is important to identify the mechanism of salinization for proper management of the resource. Salinization may come from: a) leaching of salts by percolating water, b) intrusion of modern saltwater bodies of connate water, and c) concentration of dissolved salts due to evaporation. The salinity and isotopic concentrations of 18 O, 2 H, and 3 H of the water sources were used to assess the processes which lead to the salinization of groundwater in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. The isotopic composition of deep groundwater, river water, and springs cluster along the LMWL with δ 18 O ranging from -7.9 ''promille'' to -6.5 ''promille'' and δ 2 H ranging from -52.6 ''promille'' to -39.1''promille''. Two isotopically distinct groups of deep groundwater were deleated; the higher elevation wells yielding isotopically depleted waters while the lowland wells yielding relatively enriched water with higher conductivity. The shallow coastal wells exhibited more enriched isotope values with δ 18 O values from 6.10 ''promille''-5.61''promille'' and δ 2 H from -43.1''promille'' to -38.8''promille'' and highest conductivity. The relative enrichment in the isotopic composition of the deep groundwater in the lowland and the shallow groundwater along the coast is attributed to saltwater intrusion. The process of salinization in these waters is differentiated based on the relationship between their isotopic compositions and the chlorine concentrations. The high salinity of the isotopically enriched and old deep groundwater inland is attributed to mixing with connate water. On the other hand , mixing with modern sea water is evident in the deep and shallow coastal wells. (author)
Moving towards causality in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: overview of neural and genetic mechanisms
Gallo, Eduardo F; Posner, Jonathan
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention and hyperactivity or impulsivity. The heterogeneity of its clinical manifestations and the differential responses to treatment and varied prognoses have long suggested myriad underlying causes. Over the past decade, clinical and basic research efforts have uncovered many behavioural and neurobiological alterations associated with ADHD, from genes to higher order neural networks. Here, we review the neurobiology of ADHD by focusing on neural circuits implicated in the disorder and discuss how abnormalities in circuitry relate to symptom presentation and treatment. We summarise the literature on genetic variants that are potentially related to the development of ADHD, and how these, in turn, might affect circuit function and relevant behaviours. Whether these underlying neurobiological factors are causally related to symptom presentation remains unresolved. Therefore, we assess efforts aimed at disentangling issues of causality, and showcase the shifting research landscape towards endophenotype refinement in clinical and preclinical settings. Furthermore, we review approaches being developed to understand the neurobiological underpinnings of this complex disorder including the use of animal models, neuromodulation, and pharmaco-imaging studies. PMID:27183902
Neural mechanisms regulating different forms of risk-related decision-making: Insights from animal models.
Orsini, Caitlin A; Moorman, David E; Young, Jared W; Setlow, Barry; Floresco, Stan B
Over the past 20 years there has been a growing interest in the neural underpinnings of cost/benefit decision-making. Recent studies with animal models have made considerable advances in our understanding of how different prefrontal, striatal, limbic and monoaminergic circuits interact to promote efficient risk/reward decision-making, and how dysfunction in these circuits underlies aberrant decision-making observed in numerous psychiatric disorders. This review will highlight recent findings from studies exploring these questions using a variety of behavioral assays, as well as molecular, pharmacological, neurophysiological, and translational approaches. We begin with a discussion of how neural systems related to decision subcomponents may interact to generate more complex decisions involving risk and uncertainty. This is followed by an overview of interactions between prefrontal-amygdala-dopamine and habenular circuits in regulating choice between certain and uncertain rewards and how different modes of dopamine transmission may contribute to these processes. These data will be compared with results from other studies investigating the contribution of some of these systems to guiding decision-making related to rewards vs. punishment. Lastly, we provide a brief summary of impairments in risk-related decision-making associated with psychiatric disorders, highlighting recent translational studies in laboratory animals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Neural correlates of informational cascades: brain mechanisms of social influence on belief updating.
Huber, Rafael E; Klucharev, Vasily; Rieskamp, Jörg
Informational cascades can occur when rationally acting individuals decide independently of their private information and follow the decisions of preceding decision-makers. In the process of updating beliefs, differences in the weighting of private and publicly available social information may modulate the probability that a cascade starts in a decisive way. By using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined neural activity while participants updated their beliefs based on the decisions of two fictitious stock market traders and their own private information, which led to a final decision of buying one of two stocks. Computational modeling of the behavioral data showed that a majority of participants overweighted private information. Overweighting was negatively correlated with the probability of starting an informational cascade in trials especially prone to conformity. Belief updating by private information was related to activity in the inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex; the more a participant overweighted private information, the higher the activity in the inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula and the lower in the parietal-temporal cortex. This study explores the neural correlates of overweighting of private information, which underlies the tendency to start an informational cascade. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Rapid Inhibition Profiling in Bacillus subtilis to Identify the Mechanism of Action of New Antimicrobials.
Lamsa, Anne; Lopez-Garrido, Javier; Quach, Diana; Riley, Eammon P; Pogliano, Joe; Pogliano, Kit
Increasing antimicrobial resistance has become a major public health crisis. New antimicrobials with novel mechanisms of action (MOA) are desperately needed. We previously developed a method, bacterial cytological profiling (BCP), which utilizes fluorescence microscopy to rapidly identify the MOA of antimicrobial compounds. BCP is based upon our discovery that cells treated with antibiotics affecting different metabolic pathways generate different cytological signatures, providing quantitative information that can be used to determine a compound's MOA. Here, we describe a system, rapid inhibition profiling (RIP), for creating cytological profiles of new antibiotic targets for which there are currently no chemical inhibitors. RIP consists of the fast, inducible degradation of a target protein followed by BCP. We demonstrate that degrading essential proteins in the major metabolic pathways for DNA replication, transcription, fatty acid biosynthesis, and peptidoglycan biogenesis in Bacillus subtilis rapidly produces cytological profiles closely matching that of antimicrobials targeting the same pathways. Additionally, RIP and antibiotics targeting different steps in fatty acid biosynthesis can be differentiated from each other. We utilize RIP and BCP to show that the antibacterial MOA of four nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory antibiotics differs from that proposed based on in vitro data. RIP is a versatile method that will extend our knowledge of phenotypes associated with inactivating essential bacterial enzymes and thereby allow for screening for molecules that inhibit novel essential targets.
Association of Irritability and Anxiety With the Neural Mechanisms of Implicit Face Emotion Processing in Youths With Psychopathology.
Stoddard, Joel; Tseng, Wan-Ling; Kim, Pilyoung; Chen, Gang; Yi, Jennifer; Donahue, Laura; Brotman, Melissa A; Towbin, Kenneth E; Pine, Daniel S; Leibenluft, Ellen
Psychiatric comorbidity complicates clinical care and confounds efforts to elucidate the pathophysiology of commonly occurring symptoms in youths. To our knowledge, few studies have simultaneously assessed the effect of 2 continuously distributed traits on brain-behavior relationships in children with psychopathology. To determine shared and unique effects of 2 major dimensions of child psychopathology, irritability and anxiety, on neural responses to facial emotions during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Cross-sectional functional magnetic resonance imaging study in a large, well-characterized clinical sample at a research clinic at the National Institute of Mental Health. The referred sample included youths ages 8 to 17 years, 93 youths with anxiety, disruptive mood dysregulation, and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders and 22 healthy youths. The child's irritability and anxiety were rated by both parent and child on the Affective Reactivity Index and Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders, respectively. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, neural response was measured across the brain during gender labeling of varying intensities of angry, happy, or fearful face emotions. In mixed-effects analyses, the shared and unique effects of irritability and anxiety were tested on amygdala functional connectivity and activation to face emotions. The mean (SD) age of participants was 13.2 (2.6) years; of the 115 included, 64 were male. Irritability and/or anxiety influenced amygdala connectivity to the prefrontal and temporal cortex. Specifically, irritability and anxiety jointly influenced left amygdala to left medial prefrontal cortex connectivity during face emotion viewing (F4,888 = 9.20; P differences in neural response to face emotions in several areas (F2, 888 ≥ 13.45; all P emotion dysregulation when very anxious and irritable youth process threat-related faces. Activation in the ventral visual circuitry suggests a mechanism
Postnatal Developmental Trajectories of Neural Circuits in the Primate Prefrontal Cortex: Identifying Sensitive Periods for Vulnerability to Schizophrenia
Hoftman, Gil D.; Lewis, David A.
Schizophrenia is a disorder of cognitive neurodevelopment with characteristic abnormalities in working memory attributed, at least in part, to alterations in the circuitry of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Various environmental exposures from conception through adolescence increase risk for the illness, possibly by altering the developmental trajectories of prefrontal cortical circuits. Macaque monkeys provide an excellent model system for studying the maturation of prefrontal cortical circuits. Here, we review the development of glutamatergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic circuits in macaque monkey prefrontal cortex and discuss how these trajectories may help to identify sensitive periods during which environmental exposures, such as those associated with increased risk for schizophrenia, might lead to the types of abnormalities in prefrontal cortical function present in schizophrenia. PMID:21505116
The watercolor illusion and neon color spreading: a unified analysis of new cases and neural mechanisms
Pinna, Baingio; Grossberg, Stephen
Coloration and figural properties of neon color spreading and the watercolor illusion are studied using phenomenal and psychophysical observations. Coloration properties of both effects can be reduced to a common limiting condition, a nearby color transition called the two-dot limiting case, which clarifies their perceptual similarities and dissimilarities. The results are explained by the FACADE neural model of biological vision. The model proposes how local properties of color transitions activate spatial competition among nearby perceptual boundaries, with boundaries of lower-contrast edges weakened by competition more than boundaries of higher-contrast edges. This asymmetry induces spreading of more color across these boundaries than conversely. The model also predicts how depth and figure-ground effects are generated in these illusions.
The changing brain--insights into the mechanisms of neural and behavioral adaptation to the environment
Bergersen, L H; Bramham, C R; Hugdahl, K
level and behavior. Thus a single amino acid change in a transcriptional repressor can disrupt gene regulation through neural activity (Greenberg). Deep sequencing analysis of the neuropil transcriptome indicates that a large fraction of the synaptic proteome is synthesized in situ in axons...... and dendrites, permitting local regulation (Schuman). The nature of the 'reset' function that makes animals dependent of sleep is being revealed (Cirelli). Maternal behavior can cause changes in gene expression that stably modify behavior in the offspring (Meaney). Removal of a single sensory channel protein...... in the vomero-nasal organ can switch off male-specific and switch on female-specific innate behavior of mice in response to environmental stimulation (Dulac). Innate behaviors can be stably transmitted from parent to offspring through generations even when those behaviors cannot be expressed, as illustrated...
Premonitory urges and tics in Tourette syndrome: computational mechanisms and neural correlates.
Conceição, Vasco A; Dias, Ângelo; Farinha, Ana C; Maia, Tiago V
Tourette syndrome is characterized by open motor behaviors - tics - but another crucial aspect of the disorder is the presence of premonitory urges: uncomfortable sensations that typically precede tics and are temporarily alleviated by tics. We review the evidence implicating the somatosensory cortices and the insula in premonitory urges and the motor cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop in tics. We consider how these regions interact during tic execution, suggesting that the insula plays an important role as a nexus linking the sensory and emotional character of premonitory urges with their translation into tics. We also consider how these regions interact during tic learning, integrating the neural evidence with a computational perspective on how premonitory-urge alleviation reinforces tics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Neural mechanisms underlying paradoxical performance for monetary incentives are driven by loss aversion.
Chib, Vikram S; De Martino, Benedetto; Shimojo, Shinsuke; O'Doherty, John P
Employers often make payment contingent on performance in order to motivate workers. We used fMRI with a novel incentivized skill task to examine the neural processes underlying behavioral responses to performance-based pay. We found that individuals' performance increased with increasing incentives; however, very high incentive levels led to the paradoxical consequence of worse performance. Between initial incentive presentation and task execution, striatal activity rapidly switched between activation and deactivation in response to increasing incentives. Critically, decrements in performance and striatal deactivations were directly predicted by an independent measure of behavioral loss aversion. These results suggest that incentives associated with successful task performance are initially encoded as a potential gain; however, when actually performing a task, individuals encode the potential loss that would arise from failure. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Evaluating the negative or valuing the positive? Neural mechanisms supporting feedback-based learning across development.
van Duijvenvoorde, Anna C K; Zanolie, Kiki; Rombouts, Serge A R B; Raijmakers, Maartje E J; Crone, Eveline A
How children learn from positive and negative performance feedback lies at the foundation of successful learning and is therefore of great importance for educational practice. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the neural developmental changes related to feedback-based learning when performing a rule search and application task. Behavioral results from three age groups (8-9, 11-13, and 18-25 years of age) demonstrated that, compared with adults, 8- to 9-year-old children performed disproportionally more inaccurately after receiving negative feedback relative to positive feedback. Additionally, imaging data pointed toward a qualitative difference in how children and adults use performance feedback. That is, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and superior parietal cortex were more active after negative feedback for adults, but after positive feedback for children (8-9 years of age). For 11- to 13-year-olds, these regions did not show differential feedback sensitivity, suggesting that the transition occurs around this age. Pre-supplementary motor area/anterior cingulate cortex, in contrast, was more active after negative feedback in both 11- to 13-year-olds and adults, but not 8- to 9-year-olds. Together, the current data show that cognitive control areas are differentially engaged during feedback-based learning across development. Adults engage these regions after signals of response adjustment (i.e., negative feedback). Young children engage these regions after signals of response continuation (i.e., positive feedback). The neural activation patterns found in 11- to 13-year-olds indicate a transition around this age toward an increased influence of negative feedback on performance adjustment. This is the first developmental fMRI study to compare qualitative changes in brain activation during feedback learning across distinct stages of development.
Neural Mechanisms Underlying Affective Theory of Mind in Violent Antisocial Personality Disorder and/or Schizophrenia.
Schiffer, Boris; Pawliczek, Christina; Müller, Bernhard W; Wiltfang, Jens; Brüne, Martin; Forsting, Michael; Gizewski, Elke R; Leygraf, Norbert; Hodgins, Sheilagh
Among violent offenders with schizophrenia, there are 2 sub-groups, one with and one without, conduct disorder (CD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), who differ as to treatment response and alterations of brain structure. The present study aimed to determine whether the 2 groups also differ in Theory of Mind and neural activations subsuming this task. Five groups of men were compared: 3 groups of violent offenders-schizophrenia plus CD/ASPD, schizophrenia with no history of antisocial behavior prior to illness onset, and CD/ASPD with no severe mental illness-and 2 groups of non-offenders, one with schizophrenia and one without (H). Participants completed diagnostic interviews, the Psychopathy Checklist Screening Version Interview, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, authorized access to clinical and criminal files, and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while completing an adapted version of the Reading-the-Mind-in-the-Eyes Task (RMET). Relative to H, nonviolent and violent men with schizophrenia and not CD/ASPD performed more poorly on the RMET, while violent offenders with CD/ASPD, both those with and without schizophrenia, performed similarly. The 2 groups of violent offenders with CD/ASPD, both those with and without schizophrenia, relative to the other groups, displayed higher levels of activation in a network of prefrontal and temporal-parietal regions and reduced activation in the amygdala. Relative to men without CD/ASPD, both groups of violent offenders with CD/ASPD displayed a distinct pattern of neural responses during emotional/mental state attribution pointing to distinct and comparatively successful processing of social information. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Atom Tunneling in the Hydroxylation Process of Taurine/α-Ketoglutarate Dioxygenase Identified by Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Simulations.
�lvarez-Barcia, Sonia; Kästner, Johannes
Taurine/α-ketoglutarate dioxygenase is one of the most studied α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases (αKGDs), involved in several biotechnological applications. We investigated the key step in the catalytic cycle of the αKGDs, the hydrogen transfer process, by a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics approach (B3LYP/CHARMM22). Analysis of the charge and spin densities during the reaction demonstrates that a concerted mechanism takes place, where the H atom transfer happens simultaneously with the electron transfer from taurine to the Fe�O cofactor. We found the quantum tunneling of the hydrogen atom to increase the rate constant by a factor of 40 at 5 °C. As a consequence, a quite high kinetic isotope effect close to 60 is obtained, which is consistent with the experimental value.
A Neural Mechanism for Surprise-related Interruptions of Visuospatial Working Memory.
Wessel, Jan R
Surprising perceptual events recruit a fronto-basal ganglia mechanism for inhibition, which suppresses motor activity following surprise. A recent study found that this inhibitory mechanism also disrupts the maintenance of verbal working memory (WM) after surprising tones. However, it is unclear whether this same mechanism also relates to surprise-related interruptions of non-verbal WM. We tested this hypothesis using a change-detection task, in which surprising tones impaired visuospatial WM. Participants also performed a stop-signal task (SST). We used independent component analysis and single-trial scalp-electroencephalogram to test whether the same inhibitory mechanism that reflects motor inhibition in the SST relates to surprise-related visuospatial WM decrements, as was the case for verbal WM. As expected, surprising tones elicited activity of the inhibitory mechanism, and this activity correlated strongly with the trial-by-trial level of surprise. However, unlike for verbal WM, the activity of this mechanism was unrelated to visuospatial WM accuracy. Instead, inhibition-independent activity that immediately succeeded the inhibitory mechanism was increased when visuospatial WM was disrupted. This shows that surprise-related interruptions of visuospatial WM are not effected by the same inhibitory mechanism that interrupts verbal WM, and instead provides evidence for a 2-stage model of distraction. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Determination of the mechanical and physical properties of cartilage by coupling poroelastic-based finite element models of indentation with artificial neural networks.
Arbabi, Vahid; Pouran, Behdad; Campoli, Gianni; Weinans, Harrie; Zadpoor, Amir A
One of the most widely used techniques to determine the mechanical properties of cartilage is based on indentation tests and interpretation of the obtained force-time or displacement-time data. In the current computational approaches, one needs to simulate the indentation test with finite element models and use an optimization algorithm to estimate the mechanical properties of cartilage. The modeling procedure is cumbersome, and the simulations need to be repeated for every new experiment. For the first time, we propose a method for fast and accurate estimation of the mechanical and physical properties of cartilage as a poroelastic material with the aid of artificial neural networks. In our study, we used finite element models to simulate the indentation for poroelastic materials with wide combinations of mechanical and physical properties. The obtained force-time curves are then divided into three parts: the first two parts of the data is used for training and validation of an artificial neural network, while the third part is used for testing the trained network. The trained neural network receives the force-time curves as the input and provides the properties of cartilage as the output. We observed that the trained network could accurately predict the properties of cartilage within the range of properties for which it was trained. The mechanical and physical properties of cartilage could therefore be estimated very fast, since no additional finite element modeling is required once the neural network is trained. The robustness of the trained artificial neural network in determining the properties of cartilage based on noisy force-time data was assessed by introducing noise to the simulated force-time data. We found that the training procedure could be optimized so as to maximize the robustness of the neural network against noisy force-time data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Neurofeedback of slow cortical potentials: neural mechanisms and feasibility of a placebo-controlled design in healthy adults
Holger eGevensleben
Full Text Available To elucidate basic mechanisms underlying neurofeedback we investigated neural mechanisms of training of slow cortical potentials by considering EEG- and fMRI. Additionally, we analyzed the feasibility of a double-blind, placebo-controlled design in NF research based on regulation performance during treatment sessions and self-assessment of the participants. Twenty healthy adults participated in 16 sessions of SCP training: 9 participants received regular SCP training, 11 participants received sham feedback. At three time points (pre, intermediate, post fMRI and EEG/ERP-measurements were conducted during a continuous performance test (CPT. Performance-data during the sessions (regulation performance in the treatment group and the placebo group were analyzed. Analysis of EEG-activity revealed in the SCP group a strong enhancement of the CNV (electrode Cz at the intermediate assessment, followed by a decrease back to baseline at the post-treatment assessment. In contrast, in the placebo group a continuous but smaller increase of the CNV could be obtained from pre to post assessment. The increase of the CNV in the SCP group at intermediate testing was superior to the enhancement in the placebo group. The changes of the CNV were accompanied by a continuous improvement in the test performance of the CPT from pre to intermediate to post assessment comparable in both groups. The change of the CNV in the SCP group is interpreted as an indicator of neural plasticity and efficiency while an increase of the CNV in the placebo group might reflect learning and improved timing due to the frequent task repetition.In the fMRI analysis evidence was obtained for neuronal plasticity. After regular SCP neurofeedback activation in the posterior parietal cortex decreased from the pre- to the intermediate measurement and increased again in the post measurement, inversely following the U-shaped increase and decrease of the tCNV EEG amplitude in the SCP-trained group
Prediction of mechanical properties of a warm compacted molybdenum prealloy using artificial neural network and adaptive neuro-fuzzy models
Zare, Mansour; Vahdati Khaki, Jalil
Highlights: â–º ANNs and ANFIS fairly predicted UTS and YS of warm compacted molybdenum prealloy. â–º Effects of composition, temperature, compaction pressure on output were studied. â–º ANFIS model was in better agreement with experimental data from published article. â–º Sintering temperature had the most significant effect on UTS and YS. -- Abstract: Predictive models using artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) were successfully developed to predict yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of warm compacted 0.85 wt.% molybdenum prealloy samples. To construct these models, 48 different experimental data were gathered from the literature. A portion of the data set was randomly chosen to train both ANN with back propagation (BP) learning algorithm and ANFIS model with Gaussian membership function and the rest was implemented to verify the performance of the trained network against the unseen data. The generalization capability of the networks was also evaluated by applying new input data within the domain covered by the training pattern. To compare the obtained results, coefficient of determination (R 2 ), root mean squared error (RMSE) and average absolute error (AAE) indexes were chosen and calculated for both of the models. The results showed that artificial neural network and adaptive neuro-fuzzy system were both potentially strong for prediction of the mechanical properties of warm compacted 0.85 wt.% molybdenum prealloy; however, the proposed ANFIS showed better performance than the ANN model. Also, the ANFIS model was subjected to a sensitivity analysis to find the significant inputs affecting mechanical properties of the samples.
Mindfulness Meditation-Based Pain Relief Employs Different Neural Mechanisms Than Placebo and Sham Mindfulness Meditation-Induced Analgesia
Emerson, Nichole M.; Farris, Suzan R.; Ray, Jenna N.; Jung, Youngkyoo; McHaffie, John G.; Coghill, Robert C.
Mindfulness meditation reduces pain in experimental and clinical settings. However, it remains unknown whether mindfulness meditation engages pain-relieving mechanisms other than those associated with the placebo effect (e.g., conditioning, psychosocial context, beliefs). To determine whether the analgesic mechanisms of mindfulness meditation are different from placebo, we randomly assigned 75 healthy, human volunteers to 4 d of the following: (1) mindfulness meditation, (2) placebo conditioning, (3) sham mindfulness meditation, or (4) book-listening control intervention. We assessed intervention efficacy using psychophysical evaluation of experimental pain and functional neuroimaging. Importantly, all cognitive manipulations (i.e., mindfulness meditation, placebo conditioning, sham mindfulness meditation) significantly attenuated pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings when compared to rest and the control condition (p Mindfulness meditation reduced pain intensity (p = 0.032) and pain unpleasantness (p Mindfulness meditation also reduced pain intensity (p = 0.030) and pain unpleasantness (p = 0.043) ratings more than sham mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness-meditation-related pain relief was associated with greater activation in brain regions associated with the cognitive modulation of pain, including the orbitofrontal, subgenual anterior cingulate, and anterior insular cortex. In contrast, placebo analgesia was associated with activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and deactivation of sensory processing regions (secondary somatosensory cortex). Sham mindfulness meditation-induced analgesia was not correlated with significant neural activity, but rather by greater reductions in respiration rate. This study is the first to demonstrate that mindfulness-related pain relief is mechanistically distinct from placebo analgesia. The elucidation of this distinction confirms the existence of multiple, cognitively driven, supraspinal mechanisms for pain
Mindfulness Meditation-Based Pain Relief Employs Different Neural Mechanisms Than Placebo and Sham Mindfulness Meditation-Induced Analgesia.
Zeidan, Fadel; Emerson, Nichole M; Farris, Suzan R; Ray, Jenna N; Jung, Youngkyoo; McHaffie, John G; Coghill, Robert C
Mindfulness meditation reduces pain in experimental and clinical settings. However, it remains unknown whether mindfulness meditation engages pain-relieving mechanisms other than those associated with the placebo effect (e.g., conditioning, psychosocial context, beliefs). To determine whether the analgesic mechanisms of mindfulness meditation are different from placebo, we randomly assigned 75 healthy, human volunteers to 4 d of the following: (1) mindfulness meditation, (2) placebo conditioning, (3) sham mindfulness meditation, or (4) book-listening control intervention. We assessed intervention efficacy using psychophysical evaluation of experimental pain and functional neuroimaging. Importantly, all cognitive manipulations (i.e., mindfulness meditation, placebo conditioning, sham mindfulness meditation) significantly attenuated pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings when compared to rest and the control condition (p pain intensity (p = 0.032) and pain unpleasantness (p pain intensity (p = 0.030) and pain unpleasantness (p = 0.043) ratings more than sham mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness-meditation-related pain relief was associated with greater activation in brain regions associated with the cognitive modulation of pain, including the orbitofrontal, subgenual anterior cingulate, and anterior insular cortex. In contrast, placebo analgesia was associated with activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and deactivation of sensory processing regions (secondary somatosensory cortex). Sham mindfulness meditation-induced analgesia was not correlated with significant neural activity, but rather by greater reductions in respiration rate. This study is the first to demonstrate that mindfulness-related pain relief is mechanistically distinct from placebo analgesia. The elucidation of this distinction confirms the existence of multiple, cognitively driven, supraspinal mechanisms for pain modulation. Recent findings have demonstrated that mindfulness meditation
Activational and effort-related aspects of motivation: neural mechanisms and implications for psychopathology
Yohn, Samantha E.; López-Cruz, Laura; San Miguel, NoemÃ; Correa, Mercè
Abstract Motivation has been defined as the process that allows organisms to regulate their internal and external environment, and control the probability, proximity and availability of stimuli. As such, motivation is a complex process that is critical for survival, which involves multiple behavioural functions mediated by a number of interacting neural circuits. Classical theories of motivation suggest that there are both directional and activational aspects of motivation, and activational aspects (i.e. speed and vigour of both the instigation and persistence of behaviour) are critical for enabling organisms to overcome work-related obstacles or constraints that separate them from significant stimuli. The present review discusses the role of brain dopamine and related circuits in behavioural activation, exertion of effort in instrumental behaviour, and effort-related decision-making, based upon both animal and human studies. Impairments in behavioural activation and effort-related aspects of motivation are associated with psychiatric symptoms such as anergia, fatigue, lassitude and psychomotor retardation, which cross multiple pathologies, including depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, this review also attempts to provide an interdisciplinary approach that integrates findings from basic behavioural neuroscience, behavioural economics, clinical neuropsychology, psychiatry, and neurology, to provide a coherent framework for future research and theory in this critical field. Although dopamine systems are a critical part of the brain circuitry regulating behavioural activation, exertion of effort, and effort-related decision-making, mesolimbic dopamine is only one part of a distributed circuitry that includes multiple neurotransmitters and brain areas. Overall, there is a striking similarity between the brain areas involved in behavioural activation and effort-related processes in rodents and in humans. Animal models of effort
Activational and effort-related aspects of motivation: neural mechanisms and implications for psychopathology.
Salamone, John D; Yohn, Samantha E; López-Cruz, Laura; San Miguel, NoemÃ; Correa, Mercè
Motivation has been defined as the process that allows organisms to regulate their internal and external environment, and control the probability, proximity and availability of stimuli. As such, motivation is a complex process that is critical for survival, which involves multiple behavioural functions mediated by a number of interacting neural circuits. Classical theories of motivation suggest that there are both directional and activational aspects of motivation, and activational aspects (i.e. speed and vigour of both the instigation and persistence of behaviour) are critical for enabling organisms to overcome work-related obstacles or constraints that separate them from significant stimuli. The present review discusses the role of brain dopamine and related circuits in behavioural activation, exertion of effort in instrumental behaviour, and effort-related decision-making, based upon both animal and human studies. Impairments in behavioural activation and effort-related aspects of motivation are associated with psychiatric symptoms such as anergia, fatigue, lassitude and psychomotor retardation, which cross multiple pathologies, including depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's disease. Therefore, this review also attempts to provide an interdisciplinary approach that integrates findings from basic behavioural neuroscience, behavioural economics, clinical neuropsychology, psychiatry, and neurology, to provide a coherent framework for future research and theory in this critical field. Although dopamine systems are a critical part of the brain circuitry regulating behavioural activation, exertion of effort, and effort-related decision-making, mesolimbic dopamine is only one part of a distributed circuitry that includes multiple neurotransmitters and brain areas. Overall, there is a striking similarity between the brain areas involved in behavioural activation and effort-related processes in rodents and in humans. Animal models of effort-related decision
A Method for Identifying the Mechanical Parameters in Resistance Spot Welding Machines
Wu, Pei; Zhang, Wenqi; Bay, Niels
Mechanical dynamic responses of resistance welding machine have a significant influence on weld quality and electrode service life, it must be considered when the real welding production is carried out or the welding process is stimulated. The mathematical models for characterizing the mechanical...
Neural mechanisms of human perceptual choice under focused and divided attention.
Wyart, Valentin; Myers, Nicholas E; Summerfield, Christopher
Perceptual decisions occur after the evaluation and integration of momentary sensory inputs, and dividing attention between spatially disparate sources of information impairs decision performance. However, it remains unknown whether dividing attention degrades the precision of sensory signals, precludes their conversion into decision signals, or dampens the integration of decision information toward an appropriate response. Here we recorded human electroencephalographic (EEG) activity while participants categorized one of two simultaneous and independent streams of visual gratings according to their average tilt. By analyzing trial-by-trial correlations between EEG activity and the information offered by each sample, we obtained converging behavioral and neural evidence that dividing attention between left and right visual fields does not dampen the encoding of sensory or decision information. Under divided attention, momentary decision information from both visual streams was encoded in slow parietal signals without interference but was lost downstream during their integration as reflected in motor mu- and beta-band (10-30 Hz) signals, resulting in a "leaky" accumulation process that conferred greater behavioral influence to more recent samples. By contrast, sensory inputs that were explicitly cued as irrelevant were not converted into decision signals. These findings reveal that a late cognitive bottleneck on information integration limits decision performance under divided attention, and places new capacity constraints on decision-theoretic models of information integration under cognitive load. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/353485-14$15.00/0.
Neural mechanisms of context-dependent processing of CO2 avoidance behavior in fruit flies.
Siju, K P; Bräcker, Lasse B; Grunwald Kadow, I C
The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, innately avoids even low levels of CO2. CO2 is part of the so-called Drosophila stress odor produced by stressed flies, but also a byproduct of fermenting fruit, a main food source, making the strong avoidance behavior somewhat surprising. Therefore, we addressed whether feeding states might influence the fly's behavior and processing of CO2. In a recent report, we showed that this innate behavior is differentially processed and modified according to the feeding state of the fly. Interestingly, we found that hungry flies require the function of the mushroom body, a higher brain center required for olfactory learning and memory, but thought to be dispensable for innate olfactory behaviors. In addition, we anatomically and functionally characterized a novel bilateral projection neuron connecting the CO2 sensory input to the mushroom body. This neuron was essential for processing of CO2 in the starved fly but not in the fed fly. In this Extra View article, we provide evidence for the potential involvement of the neuromodulator dopamine in state-dependent CO2 avoidance behavior. Taken together, our work demonstrates that CO2 avoidance behavior is mediated by alternative neural pathways in a context-dependent manner. Furthermore, it shows that the mushroom body is not only involved in processing of learned olfactory behavior, as previously suggested, but also in context-dependent innate olfaction.
Sex differences in the neural mechanisms mediating addiction: a new synthesis and hypothesis
Becker Jill B
Full Text Available Abstract In this review we propose that there are sex differences in how men and women enter onto the path that can lead to addiction. Males are more likely than females to engage in risky behaviors that include experimenting with drugs of abuse, and in susceptible individuals, they are drawn into the spiral that can eventually lead to addiction. Women and girls are more likely to begin taking drugs as self-medication to reduce stress or alleviate depression. For this reason women enter into the downward spiral further along the path to addiction, and so transition to addiction more rapidly. We propose that this sex difference is due, at least in part, to sex differences in the organization of the neural systems responsible for motivation and addiction. Additionally, we suggest that sex differences in these systems and their functioning are accentuated with addiction. In the current review we discuss historical, cultural, social and biological bases for sex differences in addiction with an emphasis on sex differences in the neurotransmitter systems that are implicated.
Neural Mechanisms of Reproduction in Females as a Predisposing Factor for Drug Addiction
Hedges, Valerie L.; Staffend, Nancy A.; Meisel, Robert L.
There is an increasing awareness that adolescent females differ from males in their response to drugs of abuse and consequently in their vulnerability to addiction. One possible component of this vulnerability to drug addiction is the neurobiological impact that reproductive physiology and behaviors have on the mesolimbic dopamine system, a key neural pathway mediating drug addiction. In this review, we examine animal models that address the impact of ovarian cyclicity, sexual affiliation, sexual behavior, and maternal care on the long-term plasticity of the mesolimbic dopamine system. The thesis is that this plasticity in synaptic neurotransmission stemming from an individual’s normal life history contributes to the pathological impact of drugs of abuse on the neurobiology of this system. Hormones released during reproductive cycles have only transient effects on these dopamine systems, whereas reproductive behaviors produce a persistent sensitization of dopamine release and postsynaptic neuronal responsiveness. Puberty itself may not represent a neurobiological risk factor for drug abuse, but attendant behavioral experiences may have a negative impact on females engaging in drug use. PMID:20176045
Computations Underlying Social Hierarchy Learning: Distinct Neural Mechanisms for Updating and Representing Self-Relevant Information.
Kumaran, Dharshan; Banino, Andrea; Blundell, Charles; Hassabis, Demis; Dayan, Peter
Knowledge about social hierarchies organizes human behavior, yet we understand little about the underlying computations. Here we show that a Bayesian inference scheme, which tracks the power of individuals, better captures behavioral and neural data compared with a reinforcement learning model inspired by rating systems used in games such as chess. We provide evidence that the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) selectively mediates the updating of knowledge about one's own hierarchy, as opposed to that of another individual, a process that underpinned successful performance and involved functional interactions with the amygdala and hippocampus. In contrast, we observed domain-general coding of rank in the amygdala and hippocampus, even when the task did not require it. Our findings reveal the computations underlying a core aspect of social cognition and provide new evidence that self-relevant information may indeed be afforded a unique representational status in the brain. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Music training relates to the development of neural mechanisms of selective auditory attention.
Strait, Dana L; Slater, Jessica; O'Connell, Samantha; Kraus, Nina
Selective attention decreases trial-to-trial variability in cortical auditory-evoked activity. This effect increases over the course of maturation, potentially reflecting the gradual development of selective attention and inhibitory control. Work in adults indicates that music training may alter the development of this neural response characteristic, especially over brain regions associated with executive control: in adult musicians, attention decreases variability in auditory-evoked responses recorded over prefrontal cortex to a greater extent than in nonmusicians. We aimed to determine whether this musician-associated effect emerges during childhood, when selective attention and inhibitory control are under development. We compared cortical auditory-evoked variability to attended and ignored speech streams in musicians and nonmusicians across three age groups: preschoolers, school-aged children and young adults. Results reveal that childhood music training is associated with reduced auditory-evoked response variability recorded over prefrontal cortex during selective auditory attention in school-aged child and adult musicians. Preschoolers, on the other hand, demonstrate no impact of selective attention on cortical response variability and no musician distinctions. This finding is consistent with the gradual emergence of attention during this period and may suggest no pre-existing differences in this attention-related cortical metric between children who undergo music training and those who do not. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Neural mechanisms of human perceptual choice under focused and divided attention
Wyart, Valentin; Myers, Nicholas E.; Summerfield, Christopher
Perceptual decisions occur after evaluation and integration of momentary sensory inputs, and dividing attention between spatially disparate sources of information impairs decision performance. However, it remains unknown whether dividing attention degrades the precision of sensory signals, precludes their conversion into decision signals, or dampens the integration of decision information towards an appropriate response. Here we recorded human electroencephalographic (EEG) activity whilst participants categorised one of two simultaneous and independent streams of visual gratings according to their average tilt. By analyzing trial-by-trial correlations between EEG activity and the information offered by each sample, we obtained converging behavioural and neural evidence that dividing attention between left and right visual fields does not dampen the encoding of sensory or decision information. Under divided attention, momentary decision information from both visual streams was encoded in slow parietal signals without interference but was lost downstream during their integration as reflected in motor mu- and beta-band (10–30 Hz) signals, resulting in a ‘leaky’ accumulation process which conferred greater behavioural influence to more recent samples. By contrast, sensory inputs that were explicitly cued as irrelevant were not converted into decision signals. These findings reveal that a late cognitive bottleneck on information integration limits decision performance under divided attention, and place new capacity constraints on decision-theoretic models of information integration under cognitive load. PMID:25716848
Neural mechanisms underlying valence inferences to sound: The role of the right angular gyrus.
Bravo, Fernando; Cross, Ian; Hawkins, Sarah; Gonzalez, Nadia; Docampo, Jorge; Bruno, Claudio; Stamatakis, Emmanuel Andreas
We frequently infer others' intentions based on non-verbal auditory cues. Although the brain underpinnings of social cognition have been extensively studied, no empirical work has yet examined the impact of musical structure manipulation on the neural processing of emotional valence during mental state inferences. We used a novel sound-based theory-of-mind paradigm in which participants categorized stimuli of different sensory dissonance level in terms of positive/negative valence. Whilst consistent with previous studies which propose facilitated encoding of consonances, our results demonstrated that distinct levels of consonance/dissonance elicited differential influences on the right angular gyrus, an area implicated in mental state attribution and attention reorienting processes. Functional and effective connectivity analyses further showed that consonances modulated a specific inhibitory interaction from associative memory to mental state attribution substrates. Following evidence suggesting that individuals with autism may process social affective cues differently, we assessed the relationship between participants' task performance and self-reported autistic traits in clinically typical adults. Higher scores on the social cognition scales of the AQ were associated with deficits in recognising positive valence in consonant sound cues. These findings are discussed with respect to Bayesian perspectives on autistic perception, which highlight a functional failure to optimize precision in relation to prior beliefs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Neural correlates of pantomiming familiar and unfamiliar tools: action semantics versus mechanical problem solving?
Vingerhoets, Guy; Vandekerckhove, Elisabeth; Honoré, Pieterjan; Vandemaele, Pieter; Achten, Eric
This study aims to reveal the neural correlates of planning and executing tool use pantomimes and explores the brain's response to pantomiming the use of unfamiliar tools. Sixteen right-handed volunteers planned and executed pantomimes of equally graspable familiar and unfamiliar tools while undergoing fMRI. During the planning of these pantomimes, we found bilateral temporo-occipital and predominantly left hemispheric frontal and parietal activation. The execution of the pantomimes produced additional activation in frontal and sensorimotor regions. In the left posterior parietal region both familiar and unfamiliar tool pantomimes elicit peak activity in the anterior portion of the lateral bank of the intraparietal sulcus--A region associated with the representation of action goals. The cerebral activation during these pantomimes is remarkably similar for familiar and unfamiliar tools, and direct comparisons revealed only few differences. First, the left cuneus is significantly active during the planning of pantomimes of unfamiliar tools, reflecting increased visual processing of the novel objects. Second, executing (but not planning) familiar tool pantomimes showed significant activation on the convex portion of the inferior parietal lobule, a region believed to serve as a repository for skilled object-related gestures. Given the striking similarity in brain activation while pantomiming familiar and unfamiliar tools, we argue that normal subjects use both action semantics and function from structure inferences simultaneously and interactively to give rise to flexible object-to-goal directed behavior. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Disentangling the neural mechanisms involved in Hinduism- and Buddhism-related meditations.
Tomasino, Barbara; Chiesa, Alberto; Fabbro, Franco
The most diffuse forms of meditation derive from Hinduism and Buddhism spiritual traditions. Different cognitive processes are set in place to reach these meditation states. According to an historical-philological hypothesis (Wynne, 2009) the two forms of meditation could be disentangled. While mindfulness is the focus of Buddhist meditation reached by focusing sustained attention on the body, on breathing and on the content of the thoughts, reaching an ineffable state of nothigness accompanied by a loss of sense of self and duality (Samadhi) is the main focus of Hinduism-inspired meditation. It is possible that these different practices activate separate brain networks. We tested this hypothesis by conducting an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. The network related to Buddhism-inspired meditation (16 experiments, 263 subjects, and 96 activation foci) included activations in some frontal lobe structures associated with executive attention, possibly confirming the fundamental role of mindfulness shared by many Buddhist meditations. By contrast, the network related to Hinduism-inspired meditation (8 experiments, 54 activation foci and 66 subjects) triggered a left lateralized network of areas including the postcentral gyrus, the superior parietal lobe, the hippocampus and the right middle cingulate cortex. The dissociation between anterior and posterior networks support the notion that different meditation styles and traditions are characterized by different patterns of neural activation. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Neural mechanisms of negative reinforcement in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.
Previous research has found accumulating evidence for atypical reward processing in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), particularly in the context of social rewards. Yet, this line of research has focused largely on positive social reinforcement, while little is known about the processing of negative reinforcement in individuals with ASD. The present study examined neural responses to social negative reinforcement (a face displaying negative affect) and non-social negative reinforcement (monetary loss) in children with ASD relative to typically developing children, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We found that children with ASD demonstrated hypoactivation of the right caudate nucleus while anticipating non-social negative reinforcement and hypoactivation of a network of frontostriatal regions (including the nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, and putamen) while anticipating social negative reinforcement. In addition, activation of the right caudate nucleus during non-social negative reinforcement was associated with individual differences in social motivation. These results suggest that atypical responding to negative reinforcement in children with ASD may contribute to social motivational deficits in this population.
Why Social Pain Can Live on: Different Neural Mechanisms Are Associated with Reliving Social and Physical Pain.
Meyer, Meghan L; Williams, Kipling D; Eisenberger, Naomi I
Although social and physical pain recruit overlapping neural activity in regions associated with the affective component of pain, the two pains can diverge in their phenomenology. Most notably, feelings of social pain can be re-experienced or "relived," even when the painful episode has long passed, whereas feelings of physical pain cannot be easily relived once the painful episode subsides. Here, we observed that reliving social (vs. physical) pain led to greater self-reported re-experienced pain and greater activity in affective pain regions (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula). Moreover, the degree of relived pain correlated positively with affective pain system activity. In contrast, reliving physical (vs. social) pain led to greater activity in the sensory-discriminative pain system (primary and secondary somatosensory cortex and posterior insula), which did not correlate with relived pain. Preferential engagement of these different pain mechanisms may reflect the use of different top-down neurocognitive pathways to elicit the pain. Social pain reliving recruited dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, often associated with mental state processing, which functionally correlated with affective pain system responses. In contrast, physical pain reliving recruited inferior frontal gyrus, known to be involved in body state processing, which functionally correlated with activation in the sensory pain system. These results update the physical-social pain overlap hypothesis: while overlapping mechanisms support live social and physical pain, distinct mechanisms guide internally-generated pain.
Neural mechanisms of intermuscular coherence: Implications for the rectification of surface electromyography
Boonstra, T.W.; Breakspear, M.
Oscillatory activity plays a crucial role in corticospinal control of muscle synergies and is widely investigated using corticospinal and intermuscular synchronization. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms that translate these rhythmic patterns into surface electromyography (EMG) are not well
Neural mechanisms underlying catastrophic failure in human-machine interaction during aerial navigation
Saproo, Sameer; Shih, Victor; Jangraw, David C.; Sajda, Paul
Objective. We investigated the neural correlates of workload buildup in a fine visuomotor task called the boundary avoidance task (BAT). The BAT has been known to induce naturally occurring failures of human-machine coupling in high performance aircraft that can potentially lead to a crash—these failures are termed pilot induced oscillations (PIOs). Approach. We recorded EEG and pupillometry data from human subjects engaged in a flight BAT simulated within a virtual 3D environment. Main results. We find that workload buildup in a BAT can be successfully decoded from oscillatory features in the electroencephalogram (EEG). Information in delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma spectral bands of the EEG all contribute to successful decoding, however gamma band activity with a lateralized somatosensory topography has the highest contribution, while theta band activity with a fronto-central topography has the most robust contribution in terms of real-world usability. We show that the output of the spectral decoder can be used to predict PIO susceptibility. We also find that workload buildup in the task induces pupil dilation, the magnitude of which is significantly correlated with the magnitude of the decoded EEG signals. These results suggest that PIOs may result from the dysregulation of cortical networks such as the locus coeruleus (LC)—anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) circuit. Significance. Our findings may generalize to similar control failures in other cases of tight man-machine coupling where gains and latencies in the control system must be inferred and compensated for by the human operators. A closed-loop intervention using neurophysiological decoding of workload buildup that targets the LC-ACC circuit may positively impact operator performance in such situations.
Physiological mechanisms of dyspnea during exercise with external thoracic restriction: Role of increased neural respiratory drive
Mendonca, Cassandra T.; Schaeffer, Michele R.; Riley, Patrick
We tested the hypothesis that neuromechanical uncoupling of the respiratory system forms the mechanistic basis of dyspnea during exercise in the setting of “abnormal� restrictive constraints on ventilation (VE). To this end, we examined the effect of chest wall strapping (CWS) sufficient to mimic a “mild� restrictive lung deficit on the interrelationships between VE, breathing pattern, dynamic operating lung volumes, esophageal electrode-balloon catheter-derived measures of the diaphragm electromyogram (EMGdi) and the transdiaphragmatic pressure time product (PTPdi), and sensory intensity and unpleasantness ratings of dyspnea during exercise. Twenty healthy men aged 25.7 ± 1.1 years (means ± SE) completed symptom-limited incremental cycle exercise tests under two randomized conditions: unrestricted control and CWS to reduce vital capacity (VC) by 21.6 ± 0.5%. Compared with control, exercise with CWS was associated with 1) an exaggerated EMGdi and PTPdi response; 2) no change in the relationship between EMGdi and each of tidal volume (expressed as a percentage of VC), inspiratory reserve volume, and PTPdi, thus indicating relative preservation of neuromechanical coupling; 3) increased sensory intensity and unpleasantness ratings of dyspnea; and 4) no change in the relationship between increasing EMGdi and each of the intensity and unpleasantness of dyspnea. In conclusion, the increased intensity and unpleasantness of dyspnea during exercise with CWS could not be readily explained by increased neuromechanical uncoupling but likely reflected the awareness of increased neural respiratory drive (EMGdi) needed to achieve any given VE during exercise in the setting of “abnormal� restrictive constraints on tidal volume expansion. PMID:24356524
Individual Differences in Neural Mechanisms of Selective Auditory Attention in Preschoolers from Lower Socioeconomic Status Backgrounds: An Event-Related Potentials Study
Isbell, Elif; Wray, Amanda Hampton; Neville, Helen J.
Selective attention, the ability to enhance the processing of particular input while suppressing the information from other concurrent sources, has been postulated to be a foundational skill for learning and academic achievement. The neural mechanisms of this foundational ability are both vulnerable and enhanceable in children from lower…
Differences in the Neural Mechanisms of Selective Attention in Children from Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds: An Event-Related Brain Potential Study
Stevens, Courtney; Lauinger, Brittni; Neville, Helen
Previous research indicates that children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds show deficits in aspects of attention, including a reduced ability to filter irrelevant information and to suppress prepotent responses. However, less is known about the neural mechanisms of group differences in attention, which could reveal the stages of processing at…
Failing to learn from negative prediction errors: Obesity is associated with alterations in a fundamental neural learning mechanism.
Mathar, David; Neumann, Jane; Villringer, Arno; Horstmann, Annette
Prediction errors (PEs) encode the difference between expected and actual action outcomes in the brain via dopaminergic modulation. Integration of these learning signals ensures efficient behavioral adaptation. Obesity has recently been linked to altered dopaminergic fronto-striatal circuits, thus implying impairments in cognitive domains that rely on its integrity. 28 obese and 30 lean human participants performed an implicit stimulus-response learning paradigm inside an fMRI scanner. Computational modeling and psycho-physiological interaction (PPI) analysis was utilized for assessing PE-related learning and associated functional connectivity. We show that human obesity is associated with insufficient incorporation of negative PEs into behavioral adaptation even in a non-food context, suggesting differences in a fundamental neural learning mechanism. Obese subjects were less efficient in using negative PEs to improve implicit learning performance, despite proper coding of PEs in striatum. We further observed lower functional coupling between ventral striatum and supplementary motor area in obese subjects subsequent to negative PEs. Importantly, strength of functional coupling predicted task performance and negative PE utilization. These findings show that obesity is linked to insufficient behavioral adaptation specifically in response to negative PEs, and to associated alterations in function and connectivity within the fronto-striatal system. Recognition of neural differences as a central characteristic of obesity hopefully paves the way to rethink established intervention strategies: Differential behavioral sensitivity to negative and positive PEs should be considered when designing intervention programs. Measures relying on penalization of unwanted behavior may prove less effective in obese subjects than alternative approaches. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
An adaptive neural mechanism for acoustic motion perception with varying sparsity
extracts directional information via a model of the peripheral auditory system of lizards. The mechanism uses only this directional information obtained via specific motor behaviour to learn the angular velocity of unoccluded sound stimuli in motion. In nature however the stimulus being tracked may...
Identifying the Oscillatory Mechanism of the Glucose Oxidase-Catalase Coupled Enzyme System.
Muzika, František; Jurašek, Radovan; Schreiberová, Lenka; Radojković, Vuk; Schreiber, Igor
We provide experimental evidence of periodic and aperiodic oscillations in an enzymatic system of glucose oxidase-catalase in a continuous-flow stirred reactor coupled by a membrane with a continuous-flow reservoir supplied with hydrogen peroxide. To describe such dynamics, we formulate a detailed mechanism based on partial results in the literature. Finally, we introduce a novel method for estimation of unknown kinetic parameters. The method is based on matching experimental data at an oscillatory instability with stoichiometric constraints of the mechanism formulated by applying the stability theory of reaction networks. This approach has been used to estimate rate coefficients in the catalase part of the mechanism. Remarkably, model simulations show good agreement with the observed oscillatory dynamics, including apparently chaotic intermittent behavior. Our method can be applied to any reaction system with an experimentally observable dynamical instability.
Toward an understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying dual-task performance: Contribution of comparative approaches using animal models.
Watanabe, Kei; Funahashi, Shintaro
The study of dual-task performance in human subjects has received considerable interest in cognitive neuroscience because it can provide detailed insights into the neural mechanisms underlying higher-order cognitive control. Despite many decades of research, our understanding of the neurobiological basis of dual-task performance is still limited, and some critical questions are still under debate. Recently, behavioral and neurophysiological studies of dual-task performance in animals have begun to provide intriguing evidence regarding how dual-task information is processed in the brain. In this review, we first summarize key evidence in neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies in humans and discuss possible reasons for discrepancies across studies. We then provide a comprehensive review of the literature on dual-task studies in animals and provide a novel working hypothesis that may reconcile the divergent results in human studies toward a unified view of the mechanisms underlying dual-task processing. Finally, we propose possible directions for future dual-task experiments in the framework of comparative cognitive neuroscience. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
High-Content Screening in hPSC-Neural Progenitors Identifies Drug Candidates that Inhibit Zika Virus Infection in Fetal-like Organoids and Adult Brain.
Zhou, Ting; Tan, Lei; Cederquist, Gustav Y; Fan, Yujie; Hartley, Brigham J; Mukherjee, Suranjit; Tomishima, Mark; Brennand, Kristen J; Zhang, Qisheng; Schwartz, Robert E; Evans, Todd; Studer, Lorenz; Chen, Shuibing
Zika virus (ZIKV) infects fetal and adult human brain and is associated with serious neurological complications. To date, no therapeutic treatment is available to treat ZIKV-infected patients. We performed a high-content chemical screen using human pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) and found that hippeastrine hydrobromide (HH) and amodiaquine dihydrochloride dihydrate (AQ) can inhibit ZIKV infection in hNPCs. Further validation showed that HH also rescues ZIKV-induced growth and differentiation defects in hNPCs and human fetal-like forebrain organoids. Finally, HH and AQ inhibit ZIKV infection in adult mouse brain in vivo. Strikingly, HH suppresses viral propagation when administered to adult mice with active ZIKV infection, highlighting its therapeutic potential. Our approach highlights the power of stem cell-based screens and validation in human forebrain organoids and mouse models in identifying drug candidates for treating ZIKV infection and related neurological complications in fetal and adult patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
A novel mechanism for switching a neural system from one state to another
Chethan Pandarinath
Full Text Available An animal’s ability to rapidly adjust to new conditions is essential to its survival. The nervous system, then, must be built with the flexibility to adjust, or shift, its processing capabilities on the fly. To understand how this flexibility comes about, we tracked a well-known behavioral shift, a visual integration shift, down to its underlying circuitry, and found that it is produced by a novel mechanism – a change in gap junction coupling that can turn a cell class on and off. The results showed that the turning on and off of a cell class shifted the circuit’s behavior from one state to another, and, likewise, the animal’s behavior. The widespread presence of similar gap junction-coupled networks in the brain suggests that this mechanism may underlie other behavioral shifts as well.
Smith, Patrick I.
Physicists use large detectors to measure particles created in high-energy collisions at particle accelerators. These detectors typically produce signals indicating either where ionization occurs along the path of the particle, or where energy is deposited by the particle. The data produced by these signals is fed into pattern recognition programs to try to identify what particles were produced, and to measure the energy and direction of these particles. Ideally, there are many techniques used in this pattern recognition software. One technique, neural networks, is particularly suitable for identifying what type of particle caused by a set of energy deposits. Neural networks can derive meaning from complicated or imprecise data, extract patterns, and detect trends that are too complex to be noticed by either humans or other computer related processes. To assist in the advancement of this technology, Physicists use a tool kit to experiment with several neural network techniques. The goal of this research is interface a neural network tool kit into Java Analysis Studio (JAS3), an application that allows data to be analyzed from any experiment. As the final result, a physicist will have the ability to train, test, and implement a neural network with the desired output while using JAS3 to analyze the results or output. Before an implementation of a neural network can take place, a firm understanding of what a neural network is and how it works is beneficial. A neural network is an artificial representation of the human brain that tries to simulate the learning process [5]. It is also important to think of the word artificial in that definition as computer programs that use calculations during the learning process. In short, a neural network learns by representative examples. Perhaps the easiest way to describe the way neural networks learn is to explain how the human brain functions. The human brain contains billions of neural cells that are responsible for processing
Short-term plasticity as a neural mechanism supporting memory and attentional functions
Jääskeläinen, Iiro P.; Ahveninen, Jyrki; Andermann, Mark L.; Belliveau, John W.; Raij, Tommi; Sams, Mikko
Based on behavioral studies, several relatively distinct perceptual and cognitive functions have been defined in cognitive psychology such as sensory memory, short-term memory, and selective attention. Here, we review evidence suggesting that some of these functions may be supported by shared underlying neuronal mechanisms. Specifically, we present, based on an integrative review of the literature, a hypothetical model wherein short-term plasticity, in the form of transient center-excitatory ...
Modulating Conscious Movement Intention by Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and the Underlying Neural Mechanisms
Douglas, Zachary H.; Maniscalco, Brian; Hallett, Mark; Wassermann, Eric M.; He, Biyu J.
Conscious intention is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. Despite long-standing interest in the basis and implications of intention, its underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Using high-definition transcranial DC stimulation (tDCS), we observed that enhancing spontaneous neuronal excitability in both the angular gyrus and the primary motor cortex caused the reported time of conscious movement intention to be ∼60–70 ms earlier. Slow brain waves recorded ∼2–...
Similar verbal memory impairments in schizophrenia and healthy aging. Implications for understanding of neural mechanisms.
Silver, Henry; Bilker, Warren B
Memory is impaired in schizophrenia patients but it is not clear whether this is specific to the illness and whether different types of memory (verbal and nonverbal) or memories in different cognitive domains (executive, object recognition) are similarly affected. To study relationships between memory impairments and schizophrenia we compared memory functions in 77 schizophrenia patients, 58 elderly healthy individuals and 41 young healthy individuals. Tests included verbal associative and logical memory and memory in executive and object recognition domains. We compared relationships of memory functions to each other and to other cognitive functions including psychomotor speed and verbal and spatial working memory. Compared to the young healthy group, schizophrenia patients and elderly healthy individuals showed similar severe impairment in logical memory and in the ability to learn new associations (NAL), and similar but less severe impairment in spatial working memory and executive and object memory. Verbal working memory was significantly more impaired in schizophrenia patients than in the healthy elderly. Verbal episodic memory impairment in schizophrenia may share common mechanisms with similar impairment in healthy aging. Impairment in verbal working memory in contrast may reflect mechanisms specific to schizophrenia. Study of verbal explicit memory impairment tapped by the NAL index may advance understanding of abnormal hippocampus dependent mechanisms common to schizophrenia and aging. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Tissue heterogeneity as a mechanism for localized neural stimulation by applied electric fields
Miranda, P C; Correia, L; Salvador, R; Basser, P J
We investigate the heterogeneity of electrical conductivity as a new mechanism to stimulate excitable tissues via applied electric fields. In particular, we show that stimulation of axons crossing internal boundaries can occur at boundaries where the electric conductivity of the volume conductor changes abruptly. The effectiveness of this and other stimulation mechanisms was compared by means of models and computer simulations in the context of transcranial magnetic stimulation. While, for a given stimulation intensity, the largest membrane depolarization occurred where an axon terminates or bends sharply in a high electric field region, a slightly smaller membrane depolarization, still sufficient to generate action potentials, also occurred at an internal boundary where the conductivity jumped from 0.143 S m -1 to 0.333 S m -1 , simulating a white-matter-grey-matter interface. Tissue heterogeneity can also give rise to local electric field gradients that are considerably stronger and more focal than those impressed by the stimulation coil and that can affect the membrane potential, albeit to a lesser extent than the two mechanisms mentioned above. Tissue heterogeneity may play an important role in electric and magnetic 'far-field' stimulation
Miranda, P C [Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon (Portugal); Correia, L [Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon (Portugal); Salvador, R [Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon (Portugal); Basser, P J [Section on Tissue Biophysics and Biomimetics, NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1428 (United States)
We investigate the heterogeneity of electrical conductivity as a new mechanism to stimulate excitable tissues via applied electric fields. In particular, we show that stimulation of axons crossing internal boundaries can occur at boundaries where the electric conductivity of the volume conductor changes abruptly. The effectiveness of this and other stimulation mechanisms was compared by means of models and computer simulations in the context of transcranial magnetic stimulation. While, for a given stimulation intensity, the largest membrane depolarization occurred where an axon terminates or bends sharply in a high electric field region, a slightly smaller membrane depolarization, still sufficient to generate action potentials, also occurred at an internal boundary where the conductivity jumped from 0.143 S m{sup -1} to 0.333 S m{sup -1}, simulating a white-matter-grey-matter interface. Tissue heterogeneity can also give rise to local electric field gradients that are considerably stronger and more focal than those impressed by the stimulation coil and that can affect the membrane potential, albeit to a lesser extent than the two mechanisms mentioned above. Tissue heterogeneity may play an important role in electric and magnetic 'far-field' stimulation.
Neural mechanisms of transient neocortical beta rhythms: Converging evidence from humans, computational modeling, monkeys, and mice
Sherman, Maxwell A.; Lee, Shane; Law, Robert; Haegens, Saskia; Thorn, Catherine A.; Hämäläinen, Matti S.; Moore, Christopher I.; Jones, Stephanie R.
Human neocortical 15–29-Hz beta oscillations are strong predictors of perceptual and motor performance. However, the mechanistic origin of beta in vivo is unknown, hindering understanding of its functional role. Combining human magnetoencephalography (MEG), computational modeling, and laminar recordings in animals, we present a new theory that accounts for the origin of spontaneous neocortical beta. In our MEG data, spontaneous beta activity from somatosensory and frontal cortex emerged as noncontinuous beta events typically lasting drive targeting proximal and distal dendrites of pyramidal neurons, where the defining feature of a beta event was a strong distal drive that lasted one beta period (∼50 ms). This beta mechanism rigorously accounted for the beta event profiles; several other mechanisms did not. The spatial location of synaptic drive in the model to supragranular and infragranular layers was critical to the emergence of beta events and led to the prediction that beta events should be associated with a specific laminar current profile. Laminar recordings in somatosensory neocortex from anesthetized mice and awake monkeys supported these predictions, suggesting this beta mechanism is conserved across species and recording modalities. These findings make several predictions about optimal states for perceptual and motor performance and guide causal interventions to modulate beta for optimal function. PMID:27469163
Lifelong bilingualism and neural reserve against Alzheimer's disease: a review of findings and potential mechanisms.
Gold, Brian T
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive brain disorder that initially affects medial temporal lobe circuitry and memory functions. Current drug treatments have only modest effects on the symptomatic course of the disease. In contrast, a growing body of evidence suggests that lifelong bilingualism may delay the onset of clinical AD symptoms by several years. The purpose of the present review is to summarize evidence for bilingualism as a reserve variable against AD and discuss potential underlying neurocognitive mechanisms. Evidence is reviewed suggesting that bilingualism may delay clinical AD symptoms by protecting frontostriatal and frontoparietal executive control circuitry rather than medial temporal lobe memory circuitry. Cellular and molecular mechanisms that may contribute to bilingual cognitive reserve effects are discussed, including those that may affect neuronal metabolic functions, dynamic neuronal-glial interactions, vascular factors, myelin structure and neurochemical signaling. Future studies that may test some of these potential mechanisms of bilingual CR effects are proposed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Neural Mechanisms Underlying Social Intelligence and Their Relationship with the Performance of Sales Managers
R.C. Dietvorst (Roeland)
textabstractIdentifying the drivers of salespeople’s performance, strategies and moral behavior have been under the scrutiny of marketing scholars for many years. The functioning of the drivers of salespeople’s behaviors rests on processes going on in the minds of salespeople. However, research to
How viral capsids adapt to mismatched cargoes—identifying mechanisms of morphology control with simulations
Elrad, Oren
During the replication of many viruses, hundreds to thousands of protein subunits assemble around the viral nucleic acid to form a protein shell called a capsid. Most viruses form one particular structure with astonishing fidelity; yet, recent experiments demonstrate that capsids can assemble with different sizes and morphologies to accommodate nucleic acids or other cargoes such as functionalized nanoparticles. In this talk, we will explore the mechanisms of simultaneous assembly and cargo encapsidation with a computational model that describes the assembly of icosahedral capsids around functionalized nanoparticles. With this model, we find parameter values for which subunits faithfully form empty capsids with a single morphology, but adaptively assemble into different icosahedral morphologies around nanoparticles with different diameters. Analyzing trajectories in which adaptation is or is not successful sheds light on the mechanisms by which capsid morphology may be controlled in vitro and in vivo, and suggests experiments to test these mechanisms. We compare the simulation results to recent experiments in which Brome Mosaic Virus capsid proteins assemble around functionalized nanoparticles, and describe how future experiments can test the model predictions.
Identifying the mechanism : is there a bank lending channel of monetary transmission in the Netherlands?
Kakes, J
The paper investigates the role of bank lending in the monetary transmission process in the Netherlands. The Johansen approach is used to identify supply and demand relationships in the credit market, and it is concluded from the short-run dynamics that this market is demand-determined. In this way,
Development of neural mechanisms of conflict and error processing during childhood: implications for self-regulation.
Checa, Purificación; Castellanos, M C; Abundis-Gutiérrez, Alicia; Rosario Rueda, M
Regulation of thoughts and behavior requires attention, particularly when there is conflict between alternative responses or when errors are to be prevented or corrected. Conflict monitoring and error processing are functions of the executive attention network, a neurocognitive system that greatly matures during childhood. In this study, we examined the development of brain mechanisms underlying conflict and error processing with event-related potentials (ERPs), and explored the relationship between brain function and individual differences in the ability to self-regulate behavior. Three groups of children aged 4-6, 7-9, and 10-13 years, and a group of adults performed a child-friendly version of the flanker task while ERPs were registered. Marked developmental changes were observed in both conflict processing and brain reactions to errors. After controlling by age, higher self-regulation skills are associated with smaller amplitude of the conflict effect but greater amplitude of the error-related negativity. Additionally, we found that electrophysiological measures of conflict and error monitoring predict individual differences in impulsivity and the capacity to delay gratification. These findings inform of brain mechanisms underlying the development of cognitive control and self-regulation.
Development of neural mechanisms of conflict and error processing during childhood: Implications for self-regulation
Purificación eCheca
Full Text Available Regulation of thoughts and behavior requires attention, particularly when there is conflict between alternative responses or when errors are to be prevented or corrected. Conflict monitoring and error processing are functions of the executive attention network, a neurocognitive system that greatly matures during childhood. In this study, we examined the development of brain mechanisms underlying conflict and error processing with event-related potentials (ERPs, and explored the relationship between brain function and individual differences in the ability to self-regulate behavior. Three groups of children aged 4 to 6, 7 to 9, and 10 to 13 years, and a group of adults performed a child-friendly version of the flanker task while ERPs were registered. Marked developmental changes were observed in both conflict processing and brain reactions to errors. After controlling by age, higher self-regulation skills are associated with smaller amplitude of the conflict effect but greater amplitude of the error-related negativity. Additionally, we found that electrophysiological measures of conflict and error monitoring predict individual differences in impulsivity and the capacity to delay gratification. These findings inform of brain mechanisms underlying the development of cognitive control and self-regulation.
Checa, Purificación; Castellanos, M. C.; Abundis-Gutiérrez, Alicia; Rosario Rueda, M.
Regulation of thoughts and behavior requires attention, particularly when there is conflict between alternative responses or when errors are to be prevented or corrected. Conflict monitoring and error processing are functions of the executive attention network, a neurocognitive system that greatly matures during childhood. In this study, we examined the development of brain mechanisms underlying conflict and error processing with event-related potentials (ERPs), and explored the relationship between brain function and individual differences in the ability to self-regulate behavior. Three groups of children aged 4–6, 7–9, and 10–13 years, and a group of adults performed a child-friendly version of the flanker task while ERPs were registered. Marked developmental changes were observed in both conflict processing and brain reactions to errors. After controlling by age, higher self-regulation skills are associated with smaller amplitude of the conflict effect but greater amplitude of the error-related negativity. Additionally, we found that electrophysiological measures of conflict and error monitoring predict individual differences in impulsivity and the capacity to delay gratification. These findings inform of brain mechanisms underlying the development of cognitive control and self-regulation. PMID:24795676
A preconscious neural mechanism of hypnotically altered colors: a double case study.
Mika Koivisto
Full Text Available Hypnotic suggestions may change the perceived color of objects. Given that chromatic stimulus information is processed rapidly and automatically by the visual system, how can hypnotic suggestions affect perceived colors in a seemingly immediate fashion? We studied the mechanisms of such color alterations by measuring electroencephalography in two highly suggestible participants as they perceived briefly presented visual shapes under posthypnotic color alternation suggestions such as "all the squares are blue". One participant consistently reported seeing the suggested colors. Her reports correlated with enhanced evoked upper beta-band activity (22 Hz 70-120 ms after stimulus in response to the shapes mentioned in the suggestion. This effect was not observed in a control condition where the participants merely tried to simulate the effects of the suggestion on behavior. The second participant neither reported color alterations nor showed the evoked beta activity, although her subjective experience and event-related potentials were changed by the suggestions. The results indicate a preconscious mechanism that first compares early visual input with a memory representation of the suggestion and consequently triggers the color alteration process in response to the objects specified by the suggestion. Conscious color experience is not purely the result of bottom-up processing but it can be modulated, at least in some individuals, by top-down factors such as hypnotic suggestions.
Free allocation in the European Emissions Trading System (EU ETS): identifying efficient mechanisms through to 2030
Jalard, Matthieu; Alberola, Emilie
In a world with asymmetrical climate policies, the conclusions of the European Council of October 2014 agreed on continuing the allocation of free CO 2 emissions allowances beyond 2020 to industrial sectors in the EU ETS. This statement has been confirmed in the European Commission's proposal to revise EU ETS directive for phase IV disclosed in July 2015. The stated objective is to ensure that the most efficient industrial installations do not face undue carbon costs which would lead to carbon leakages. Furthermore, free allocations should not undermine the incentive to cut CO 2 emissions, lead to distortions or windfall profits and reduce the auctioning share of allowances. From 2013 to 2020, the allocation of free allowances has been defined according to harmonized European rules based on benchmarks (carbon intensity targets) and historical output adjusted to the free allocation cap by applying the Cross-Sectoral Correction Factor (CSCF). What would be the impact of pursuing the current mechanism through to 2030? Does the EU Commissions' proposal of 15 July respond to the Council's requirements? Which alternative mechanisms could do so? This study examines four scenarios and their potential consequences. - Scenario 1 continues the current free allocation mechanism until 2030. The volume of free allocations thus calculated would be higher than the available free allocation cap and would need to be reduced by a Cross-Sectoral Correction Factor (CSCF) of 66% in 2030. Carbon costs would thus increase for all installations, regardless their exposure to carbon leakages, reducing the protection of most exposed sectors, while widely allocating sectors with limited exposure. - Scenario 2 analyses the proposal to implement an allocation mechanism based on recent industrial output combined with appropriate updating of benchmarks. This allocation method is more effective in combating carbon leakage, as it gives clearer incentive to maintain domestic production
Identifying deformation mechanisms in the NEEM ice core using EBSD measurements
Kuiper, Ernst-Jan; Weikusat, Ilka; Drury, Martyn R.; Pennock, Gill M.; de Winter, Matthijs D. A.
Deformation of ice in continental sized ice sheets determines the flow behavior of ice towards the sea. Basal dislocation glide is assumed to be the dominant deformation mechanism in the creep deformation of natural ice, but non-basal glide is active as well. Knowledge of what types of deformation mechanisms are active in polar ice is critical in predicting the response of ice sheets in future warmer climates and its contribution to sea level rise, because the activity of deformation mechanisms depends critically on deformation conditions (such as temperature) as well as on the material properties (such as grain size). One of the methods to study the deformation mechanisms in natural materials is Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD). We obtained ca. 50 EBSD maps of five different depths from a Greenlandic ice core (NEEM). The step size varied between 8 and 25 micron depending on the size of the deformation features. The size of the maps varied from 2000 to 10000 grid point. Indexing rates were up to 95%, partially by saving and reanalyzing the EBSP patterns. With this method we can characterize subgrain boundaries and determine the lattice rotation configurations of each individual subgrain. Combining these observations with arrangement/geometry of subgrain boundaries the dislocation types can be determined, which form these boundaries. Three main types of subgrain boundaries have been recognized in Antarctic (EDML) ice core¹². Here, we present the first results obtained from EBSD measurements performed on the NEEM ice core samples from the last glacial period, focusing on the relevance of dislocation activity of the possible slip systems. Preliminary results show that all three subgrain types, recognized in the EDML core, occur in the NEEM samples. In addition to the classical boundaries made up of basal dislocations, subgrain boundaries made of non-basal dislocations are also common. ¹Weikusat, I.; de Winter, D. A. M.; Pennock, G. M.; Hayles, M
Neurocognitive mechanisms underlying social learning in infancy: infants' neural processing of the effects of others' actions.
Paulus, Markus; Hunnius, Sabine; Bekkering, Harold
Social transmission of knowledge is one of the reasons for human evolutionary success, and it has been suggested that already human infants possess eminent social learning abilities. However, nothing is known about the neurocognitive mechanisms that subserve infants' acquisition of novel action knowledge through the observation of other people's actions and their consequences in the physical world. In an electroencephalogram study on social learning in infancy, we demonstrate that 9-month-old infants represent the environmental effects of others' actions in their own motor system, although they never achieved these effects themselves before. The results provide first insights into the neurocognitive basis of human infants' unique ability for social learning of novel action knowledge.
A Neural Path Integration Mechanism for Adaptive Vector Navigation in Autonomous Agents
Goldschmidt, Dennis; Dasgupta, Sakyasingha; Wörgötter, Florentin
Animals show remarkable capabilities in navigating their habitat in a fully autonomous and energy-efficient way. In many species, these capabilities rely on a process called path integration, which enables them to estimate their current location and to find their way back home after long-distance...... of autonomous agent navigation, but it also reproduces various aspects of animal navigation. Finally, we discuss how the proposed path integration mechanism may be used as a scaffold for spatial learning in terms of vector navigation.......Animals show remarkable capabilities in navigating their habitat in a fully autonomous and energy-efficient way. In many species, these capabilities rely on a process called path integration, which enables them to estimate their current location and to find their way back home after long...
Behavioral and neural Darwinism: selectionist function and mechanism in adaptive behavior dynamics.
McDowell, J J
An evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics and a theory of neuronal group selection share a common selectionist framework. The theory of behavior dynamics instantiates abstractly the idea that behavior is selected by its consequences. It implements Darwinian principles of selection, reproduction, and mutation to generate adaptive behavior in virtual organisms. The behavior generated by the theory has been shown to be quantitatively indistinguishable from that of live organisms. The theory of neuronal group selection suggests a mechanism whereby the abstract principles of the evolutionary theory may be implemented in the nervous systems of biological organisms. According to this theory, groups of neurons subserving behavior may be selected by synaptic modifications that occur when the consequences of behavior activate value systems in the brain. Together, these theories constitute a framework for a comprehensive account of adaptive behavior that extends from brain function to the behavior of whole organisms in quantitative detail. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Criterion learning in rule-based categorization: simulation of neural mechanism and new data.
Helie, Sebastien; Ell, Shawn W; Filoteo, J Vincent; Maddox, W Todd
In perceptual categorization, rule selection consists of selecting one or several stimulus-dimensions to be used to categorize the stimuli (e.g., categorize lines according to their length). Once a rule has been selected, criterion learning consists of defining how stimuli will be grouped using the selected dimension(s) (e.g., if the selected rule is line length, define 'long' and 'short'). Very little is known about the neuroscience of criterion learning, and most existing computational models do not provide a biological mechanism for this process. In this article, we introduce a new model of rule learning called Heterosynaptic Inhibitory Criterion Learning (HICL). HICL includes a biologically-based explanation of criterion learning, and we use new category-learning data to test key aspects of the model. In HICL, rule selective cells in prefrontal cortex modulate stimulus-response associations using pre-synaptic inhibition. Criterion learning is implemented by a new type of heterosynaptic error-driven Hebbian learning at inhibitory synapses that uses feedback to drive cell activation above/below thresholds representing ionic gating mechanisms. The model is used to account for new human categorization data from two experiments showing that: (1) changing rule criterion on a given dimension is easier if irrelevant dimensions are also changing (Experiment 1), and (2) showing that changing the relevant rule dimension and learning a new criterion is more difficult, but also facilitated by a change in the irrelevant dimension (Experiment 2). We conclude with a discussion of some of HICL's implications for future research on rule learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Identifying a cooperative control mechanism between an applied field and the environment of open quantum systems
Gao, Fang; Rey-de-Castro, Roberto; Wang, Yaoxiong; Rabitz, Herschel; Shuang, Feng
Many systems under control with an applied field also interact with the surrounding environment. Understanding the control mechanisms has remained a challenge, especially the role played by the interaction between the field and the environment. In order to address this need, here we expand the scope of the Hamiltonian-encoding and observable-decoding (HE-OD) technique. HE-OD was originally introduced as a theoretical and experimental tool for revealing the mechanism induced by control fields in closed quantum systems. The results of open-system HE-OD analysis presented here provide quantitative mechanistic insights into the roles played by a Markovian environment. Two model open quantum systems are considered for illustration. In these systems, transitions are induced by either an applied field linked to a dipole operator or Lindblad operators coupled to the system. For modest control yields, the HE-OD results clearly show distinct cooperation between the dynamics induced by the optimal field and the environment. Although the HE-OD methodology introduced here is considered in simulations, it has an analogous direct experimental formulation, which we suggest may be applied to open systems in the laboratory to reveal mechanistic insights.
Biomechanical approaches to identify and quantify injury mechanisms and risk factors in women's artistic gymnastics.
Bradshaw, Elizabeth J; Hume, Patria A
Targeted injury prevention strategies, based on biomechanical analyses, have the potential to help reduce the incidence and severity of gymnastics injuries. This review outlines the potential benefits of biomechanics research to contribute to injury prevention strategies for women's artistic gymnastics by identification of mechanisms of injury and quantification of the effects of injury risk factors. One hundred and twenty-three articles were retained for review after searching electronic databases using key words, including 'gymnastic', 'biomech*', and 'inj*', and delimiting by language and relevance to the paper aim. Impact load can be measured biomechanically by the use of instrumented equipment (e.g. beatboard), instrumentation on the gymnast (accelerometers), or by landings on force plates. We need further information on injury mechanisms and risk factors in gymnastics and practical methods of monitoring training loads. We have not yet shown, beyond a theoretical approach, how biomechanical analysis of gymnastics can help reduce injury risk through injury prevention interventions. Given the high magnitude of impact load, both acute and accumulative, coaches should monitor impact loads per training session, taking into consideration training quality and quantity such as the control of rotation and the height from which the landings are executed.
Multi-omics approach identifies molecular mechanisms of plant-fungus mycorrhizal interaction
Peter E Larsen
Full Text Available In mycorrhizal symbiosis, plant roots form close, mutually beneficial interactions with soil fungi. Before this mycorrhizal interaction can be established however, plant roots must be capable of detecting potential beneficial fungal partners and initiating the gene expression patterns necessary to begin symbiosis. To predict a plant root – mycorrhizal fungi sensor systems, we analyzed in vitro experiments of Populus tremuloides (aspen tree and Laccaria bicolor (mycorrhizal fungi interaction and leveraged over 200 previously published transcriptomic experimental data sets, 159 experimentally validated plant transcription factor binding motifs, and more than 120-thousand experimentally validated protein-protein interactions to generate models of pre-mycorrhizal sensor systems in aspen root. These sensor mechanisms link extracellular signaling molecules with gene regulation through a network comprised of membrane receptors, signal cascade proteins, transcription factors, and transcription factor biding DNA motifs. Modeling predicted four pre-mycorrhizal sensor complexes in aspen that interact with fifteen transcription factors to regulate the expression of 1184 genes in response to extracellular signals synthesized by Laccaria. Predicted extracellular signaling molecules include common signaling molecules such as phenylpropanoids, salicylate, and, jasmonic acid. This multi-omic computational modeling approach for predicting the complex sensory networks yielded specific, testable biological hypotheses for mycorrhizal interaction signaling compounds, sensor complexes, and mechanisms of gene regulation.
Application of hierarchical dissociated neural network in closed-loop hybrid system integrating biological and mechanical intelligence.
Yongcheng Li
Full Text Available Neural networks are considered the origin of intelligence in organisms. In this paper, a new design of an intelligent system merging biological intelligence with artificial intelligence was created. It was based on a neural controller bidirectionally connected to an actual mobile robot to implement a novel vehicle. Two types of experimental preparations were utilized as the neural controller including 'random' and '4Q' (cultured neurons artificially divided into four interconnected parts neural network. Compared to the random cultures, the '4Q' cultures presented absolutely different activities, and the robot controlled by the '4Q' network presented better capabilities in search tasks. Our results showed that neural cultures could be successfully employed to control an artificial agent; the robot performed better and better with the stimulus because of the short-term plasticity. A new framework is provided to investigate the bidirectional biological-artificial interface and develop new strategies for a future intelligent system using these simplified model systems.
Li, Yongcheng; Sun, Rong; Zhang, Bin; Wang, Yuechao; Li, Hongyi
Neural networks are considered the origin of intelligence in organisms. In this paper, a new design of an intelligent system merging biological intelligence with artificial intelligence was created. It was based on a neural controller bidirectionally connected to an actual mobile robot to implement a novel vehicle. Two types of experimental preparations were utilized as the neural controller including 'random' and '4Q' (cultured neurons artificially divided into four interconnected parts) neural network. Compared to the random cultures, the '4Q' cultures presented absolutely different activities, and the robot controlled by the '4Q' network presented better capabilities in search tasks. Our results showed that neural cultures could be successfully employed to control an artificial agent; the robot performed better and better with the stimulus because of the short-term plasticity. A new framework is provided to investigate the bidirectional biological-artificial interface and develop new strategies for a future intelligent system using these simplified model systems.
Spike frequency adaptation is a possible mechanism for control of attractor preference in auto-associative neural networks
Roach, James; Sander, Leonard; Zochowski, Michal
Auto-associative memory is the ability to retrieve a pattern from a small fraction of the pattern and is an important function of neural networks. Within this context, memories that are stored within the synaptic strengths of networks act as dynamical attractors for network firing patterns. In networks with many encoded memories, some attractors will be stronger than others. This presents the problem of how networks switch between attractors depending on the situation. We suggest that regulation of neuronal spike-frequency adaptation (SFA) provides a universal mechanism for network-wide attractor selectivity. Here we demonstrate in a Hopfield type attractor network that neurons minimal SFA will reliably activate in the pattern corresponding to a local attractor and that a moderate increase in SFA leads to the network to converge to the strongest attractor state. Furthermore, we show that on long time scales SFA allows for temporal sequences of activation to emerge. Finally, using a model of cholinergic modulation within the cortex we argue that dynamic regulation of attractor preference by SFA could be critical for the role of acetylcholine in attention or for arousal states in general. This work was supported by: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant No. DGE 1256260 (JPR), NSF CMMI 1029388 (MRZ) and NSF PoLS 1058034 (MRZ & LMS).
Probing neural mechanisms underlying auditory stream segregation in humans by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
Deike, Susann; Deliano, Matthias; Brechmann, André
One hypothesis concerning the neural underpinnings of auditory streaming states that frequency tuning of tonotopically organized neurons in primary auditory fields in combination with physiological forward suppression is necessary for the separation of representations of high-frequency A and low-frequency B tones. The extent of spatial overlap between the tonotopic activations of A and B tones is thought to underlie the perceptual organization of streaming sequences into one coherent or two separate streams. The present study attempts to interfere with these mechanisms by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and to probe behavioral outcomes reflecting the perception of ABAB streaming sequences. We hypothesized that tDCS by modulating cortical excitability causes a change in the separateness of the representations of A and B tones, which leads to a change in the proportions of one-stream and two-stream percepts. To test this, 22 subjects were presented with ambiguous ABAB sequences of three different frequency separations (∆F) and had to decide on their current percept after receiving sham, anodal, or cathodal tDCS over the left auditory cortex. We could confirm our hypothesis at the most ambiguous ∆F condition of 6 semitones. For anodal compared with sham and cathodal stimulation, we found a significant decrease in the proportion of two-stream perception and an increase in the proportion of one-stream perception. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using tDCS to probe mechanisms underlying auditory streaming through the use of various behavioral measures. Moreover, this approach allows one to probe the functions of auditory regions and their interactions with other processing stages. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Neural Mechanisms of Cortical Motion Computation Based on a Neuromorphic Sensory System
Abdul-Kreem, Luma Issa; Neumann, Heiko
The visual cortex analyzes motion information along hierarchically arranged visual areas that interact through bidirectional interconnections. This work suggests a bio-inspired visual model focusing on the interactions of the cortical areas in which a new mechanism of feedforward and feedback processing are introduced. The model uses a neuromorphic vision sensor (silicon retina) that simulates the spike-generation functionality of the biological retina. Our model takes into account two main model visual areas, namely V1 and MT, with different feature selectivities. The initial motion is estimated in model area V1 using spatiotemporal filters to locally detect the direction of motion. Here, we adapt the filtering scheme originally suggested by Adelson and Bergen to make it consistent with the spike representation of the DVS. The responses of area V1 are weighted and pooled by area MT cells which are selective to different velocities, i.e. direction and speed. Such feature selectivity is here derived from compositions of activities in the spatio-temporal domain and integrating over larger space-time regions (receptive fields). In order to account for the bidirectional coupling of cortical areas we match properties of the feature selectivity in both areas for feedback processing. For such linkage we integrate the responses over different speeds along a particular preferred direction. Normalization of activities is carried out over the spatial as well as the feature domains to balance the activities of individual neurons in model areas V1 and MT. Our model was tested using different stimuli that moved in different directions. The results reveal that the error margin between the estimated motion and synthetic ground truth is decreased in area MT comparing with the initial estimation of area V1. In addition, the modulated V1 cell activations shows an enhancement of the initial motion estimation that is steered by feedback signals from MT cells. PMID:26554589
Neural Mechanisms of Cortical Motion Computation Based on a Neuromorphic Sensory System.
Luma Issa Abdul-Kreem
Full Text Available The visual cortex analyzes motion information along hierarchically arranged visual areas that interact through bidirectional interconnections. This work suggests a bio-inspired visual model focusing on the interactions of the cortical areas in which a new mechanism of feedforward and feedback processing are introduced. The model uses a neuromorphic vision sensor (silicon retina that simulates the spike-generation functionality of the biological retina. Our model takes into account two main model visual areas, namely V1 and MT, with different feature selectivities. The initial motion is estimated in model area V1 using spatiotemporal filters to locally detect the direction of motion. Here, we adapt the filtering scheme originally suggested by Adelson and Bergen to make it consistent with the spike representation of the DVS. The responses of area V1 are weighted and pooled by area MT cells which are selective to different velocities, i.e. direction and speed. Such feature selectivity is here derived from compositions of activities in the spatio-temporal domain and integrating over larger space-time regions (receptive fields. In order to account for the bidirectional coupling of cortical areas we match properties of the feature selectivity in both areas for feedback processing. For such linkage we integrate the responses over different speeds along a particular preferred direction. Normalization of activities is carried out over the spatial as well as the feature domains to balance the activities of individual neurons in model areas V1 and MT. Our model was tested using different stimuli that moved in different directions. The results reveal that the error margin between the estimated motion and synthetic ground truth is decreased in area MT comparing with the initial estimation of area V1. In addition, the modulated V1 cell activations shows an enhancement of the initial motion estimation that is steered by feedback signals from MT cells.
Identifying Mechanical Properties of Viscoelastic Materials in Time Domain Using the Fractional Zener Model
Ana Paula Delowski Ciniello
Full Text Available Abstract The present paper aims at presenting a methodology for characterizing viscoelastic materials in time domain, taking into account the fractional Zener constitutive model and the influence of temperature through Williams, Landel, and Ferry’s model. To that effect, a set of points obtained experimentally through uniaxial tensile tests with different constant strain rates is considered. The approach is based on the minimization of the quadratic relative distance between the experimental stress-strain curves and the corresponding ones given by the theoretical model. In order to avoid the local minima in the process of optimization, a hybrid technique based on genetic algorithms and non-linear programming techniques is used. The methodology is applied in the characterization of two different commercial viscoelastic materials. The results indicate that the proposed methodology is effective in identifying thermorheologically simple viscoelastic materials.
Tumor-Protective Mechanism Identified from Premature Aging Disease | Center for Cancer Research
Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is an extraordinarily rare genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the LMNA gene, which encodes architectural proteins of the human cell nucleus. The mutation causes the production of a mutant protein called progerin. Patients with HGPS display signs of premature aging, such as hair loss, slowed growth, weakening of bone and joint integrity, and cardiovascular disease. Most die in their mid-teens of heart disease or stroke. Intriguingly, these patients do not develop another aging-related disease, cancer, despite having dramatically elevated levels of DNA damage. Tom Misteli, Ph.D., of CCR’s Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, and his colleagues hypothesized that, rather than patients not living long enough to develop cancer, a resistance mechanism was operating in HGPS cells to prevent cancer formation. To begin testing this idea, the researchers transformed fibroblasts from HGPS patients or age-matched, healthy controls with telomerase, constitutively-activated HRAS, and SV40 large and small T antigens. Transformed HGPS cells displayed morphological changes and increased proliferation similar to transformed controls but formed fewer colonies in soft agar and fewer tumors when injected into mice. When the investigators examined global gene expression in the two populations of cells, they found that transformed HGPS cells failed to activate many of the genes that are induced in response to transformation in controls, including oncogenic and proliferation pathways. In addition the transformed HGPS cells were unable to undergo oncogenic de-differentiation. Importantly, the tumor resistance in HGPS cells was due to the presence of the progerin protein, which was both necessary and sufficient to protect cells from oncogenic transformation. Together these results suggested that HGPS cells resist cancer-inducing stimuli by not undergoing the genetic reprogramming necessary for tumor initiation. The scientists
ULF Wave Activity in the Magnetosphere: Resolving Solar Wind Interdependencies to Identify Driving Mechanisms
Bentley, S. N.; Watt, C. E. J.; Owens, M. J.; Rae, I. J.
Ultralow frequency (ULF) waves in the magnetosphere are involved in the energization and transport of radiation belt particles and are strongly driven by the external solar wind. However, the interdependency of solar wind parameters and the variety of solar wind-magnetosphere coupling processes make it difficult to distinguish the effect of individual processes and to predict magnetospheric wave power using solar wind properties. We examine 15 years of dayside ground-based measurements at a single representative frequency (2.5 mHz) and a single magnetic latitude (corresponding to L ˜ 6.6RE). We determine the relative contribution to ULF wave power from instantaneous nonderived solar wind parameters, accounting for their interdependencies. The most influential parameters for ground-based ULF wave power are solar wind speed vsw, southward interplanetary magnetic field component Bzstill account for significant amounts of power. We suggest that these three parameters correspond to driving by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, formation, and/or propagation of flux transfer events and density perturbations from solar wind structures sweeping past the Earth. We anticipate that this new parameter reduction will aid comparisons of ULF generation mechanisms between magnetospheric sectors and will enable more sophisticated empirical models predicting magnetospheric ULF power using external solar wind driving parameters.
An organelle-specific protein landscape identifies novel diseases and molecular mechanisms.
Boldt, Karsten; van Reeuwijk, Jeroen; Lu, Qianhao; Koutroumpas, Konstantinos; Nguyen, Thanh-Minh T; Texier, Yves; van Beersum, Sylvia E C; Horn, Nicola; Willer, Jason R; Mans, Dorus A; Dougherty, Gerard; Lamers, Ideke J C; Coene, Karlien L M; Arts, Heleen H; Betts, Matthew J; Beyer, Tina; Bolat, Emine; Gloeckner, Christian Johannes; Haidari, Khatera; Hetterschijt, Lisette; Iaconis, Daniela; Jenkins, Dagan; Klose, Franziska; Knapp, Barbara; Latour, Brooke; Letteboer, Stef J F; Marcelis, Carlo L; Mitic, Dragana; Morleo, Manuela; Oud, Machteld M; Riemersma, Moniek; Rix, Susan; Terhal, Paulien A; Toedt, Grischa; van Dam, Teunis J P; de Vrieze, Erik; Wissinger, Yasmin; Wu, Ka Man; Apic, Gordana; Beales, Philip L; Blacque, Oliver E; Gibson, Toby J; Huynen, Martijn A; Katsanis, Nicholas; Kremer, Hannie; Omran, Heymut; van Wijk, Erwin; Wolfrum, Uwe; Kepes, François; Davis, Erica E; Franco, Brunella; Giles, Rachel H; Ueffing, Marius; Russell, Robert B; Roepman, Ronald
Cellular organelles provide opportunities to relate biological mechanisms to disease. Here we use affinity proteomics, genetics and cell biology to interrogate cilia: poorly understood organelles, where defects cause genetic diseases. Two hundred and seventeen tagged human ciliary proteins create a final landscape of 1,319 proteins, 4,905 interactions and 52 complexes. Reverse tagging, repetition of purifications and statistical analyses, produce a high-resolution network that reveals organelle-specific interactions and complexes not apparent in larger studies, and links vesicle transport, the cytoskeleton, signalling and ubiquitination to ciliary signalling and proteostasis. We observe sub-complexes in exocyst and intraflagellar transport complexes, which we validate biochemically, and by probing structurally predicted, disruptive, genetic variants from ciliary disease patients. The landscape suggests other genetic diseases could be ciliary including 3M syndrome. We show that 3M genes are involved in ciliogenesis, and that patient fibroblasts lack cilia. Overall, this organelle-specific targeting strategy shows considerable promise for Systems Medicine.
Recursive expectation-maximization clustering: A method for identifying buffering mechanisms composed of phenomic modules
Guo, Jingyu; Tian, Dehua; McKinney, Brett A.; Hartman, John L.
Interactions between genetic and/or environmental factors are ubiquitous, affecting the phenotypes of organisms in complex ways. Knowledge about such interactions is becoming rate-limiting for our understanding of human disease and other biological phenomena. Phenomics refers to the integrative analysis of how all genes contribute to phenotype variation, entailing genome and organism level information. A systems biology view of gene interactions is critical for phenomics. Unfortunately the problem is intractable in humans; however, it can be addressed in simpler genetic model systems. Our research group has focused on the concept of genetic buffering of phenotypic variation, in studies employing the single-cell eukaryotic organism, S. cerevisiae. We have developed a methodology, quantitative high throughput cellular phenotyping (Q-HTCP), for high-resolution measurements of gene-gene and gene-environment interactions on a genome-wide scale. Q-HTCP is being applied to the complete set of S. cerevisiae gene deletion strains, a unique resource for systematically mapping gene interactions. Genetic buffering is the idea that comprehensive and quantitative knowledge about how genes interact with respect to phenotypes will lead to an appreciation of how genes and pathways are functionally connected at a systems level to maintain homeostasis. However, extracting biologically useful information from Q-HTCP data is challenging, due to the multidimensional and nonlinear nature of gene interactions, together with a relative lack of prior biological information. Here we describe a new approach for mining quantitative genetic interaction data called recursive expectation-maximization clustering (REMc). We developed REMc to help discover phenomic modules, defined as sets of genes with similar patterns of interaction across a series of genetic or environmental perturbations. Such modules are reflective of buffering mechanisms, i.e., genes that play a related role in the maintenance
A Novel Robot System Integrating Biological and Mechanical Intelligence Based on Dissociated Neural Network-Controlled Closed-Loop Environment.
Full Text Available We propose the architecture of a novel robot system merging biological and artificial intelligence based on a neural controller connected to an external agent. We initially built a framework that connected the dissociated neural network to a mobile robot system to implement a realistic vehicle. The mobile robot system characterized by a camera and two-wheeled robot was designed to execute the target-searching task. We modified a software architecture and developed a home-made stimulation generator to build a bi-directional connection between the biological and the artificial components via simple binomial coding/decoding schemes. In this paper, we utilized a specific hierarchical dissociated neural network for the first time as the neural controller. Based on our work, neural cultures were successfully employed to control an artificial agent resulting in high performance. Surprisingly, under the tetanus stimulus training, the robot performed better and better with the increasement of training cycle because of the short-term plasticity of neural network (a kind of reinforced learning. Comparing to the work previously reported, we adopted an effective experimental proposal (i.e. increasing the training cycle to make sure of the occurrence of the short-term plasticity, and preliminarily demonstrated that the improvement of the robot's performance could be caused independently by the plasticity development of dissociated neural network. This new framework may provide some possible solutions for the learning abilities of intelligent robots by the engineering application of the plasticity processing of neural networks, also for the development of theoretical inspiration for the next generation neuro-prostheses on the basis of the bi-directional exchange of information within the hierarchical neural networks.
Li, Yongcheng; Sun, Rong; Wang, Yuechao; Li, Hongyi; Zheng, Xiongfei
We propose the architecture of a novel robot system merging biological and artificial intelligence based on a neural controller connected to an external agent. We initially built a framework that connected the dissociated neural network to a mobile robot system to implement a realistic vehicle. The mobile robot system characterized by a camera and two-wheeled robot was designed to execute the target-searching task. We modified a software architecture and developed a home-made stimulation generator to build a bi-directional connection between the biological and the artificial components via simple binomial coding/decoding schemes. In this paper, we utilized a specific hierarchical dissociated neural network for the first time as the neural controller. Based on our work, neural cultures were successfully employed to control an artificial agent resulting in high performance. Surprisingly, under the tetanus stimulus training, the robot performed better and better with the increasement of training cycle because of the short-term plasticity of neural network (a kind of reinforced learning). Comparing to the work previously reported, we adopted an effective experimental proposal (i.e. increasing the training cycle) to make sure of the occurrence of the short-term plasticity, and preliminarily demonstrated that the improvement of the robot's performance could be caused independently by the plasticity development of dissociated neural network. This new framework may provide some possible solutions for the learning abilities of intelligent robots by the engineering application of the plasticity processing of neural networks, also for the development of theoretical inspiration for the next generation neuro-prostheses on the basis of the bi-directional exchange of information within the hierarchical neural networks.
Identifying the cellular mechanisms of symbiont-induced epithelial morphogenesis in the squid-Vibrio association.
Koropatnick, Tanya; Goodson, Michael S; Heath-Heckman, Elizabeth A C; McFall-Ngai, Margaret
The symbiotic association between the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes and the luminous marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri provides a unique opportunity to study epithelial morphogenesis. Shortly after hatching, the squid host harvests bacteria from the seawater using currents created by two elaborate fields of ciliated epithelia on the surface of the juvenile light organ. After light organ colonization, the symbiont population signals the gradual loss of the ciliated epithelia through apoptosis of the cells, which culminates in the complete regression of these tissues. Whereas aspects of this process have been studied at the morphological, biochemical, and molecular levels, no in-depth analysis of the cellular events has been reported. Here we describe the cellular structure of the epithelial field and present evidence that the symbiosis-induced regression occurs in two steps. Using confocal microscopic analyses, we observed an initial epithelial remodeling, which serves to disable the function of the harvesting apparatus, followed by a protracted regression involving actin rearrangements and epithelial cell extrusion. We identified a metal-dependent gelatinolytic activity in the symbiont-induced morphogenic epithelial fields, suggesting the involvement of Zn-dependent matrix metalloproteinase(s) (MMP) in light organ morphogenesis. These data show that the bacterial symbionts not only induce apoptosis of the field, but also change the form, function, and biochemistry of the cells as part of the morphogenic program.
Use of neural network techniques to identify cosmic ray electrons and positrons during the 1993 balloon flight of the NMSU/Wizard-TS93 instrument
Bellotti, R.; Castellano, M. [Bari Univ. (Italy)]|[INFN, Bari (Italy); Candusso, M.; Casolino, M.; Morselli, A.; Picozza, P. [Rome Univ. `Tor Vergata` (Italy)]|[INFN, Rome (Italy); Aversa, F.; Boezio, M. [Trieste Univ. (Italy)]|[INFN, Trieste (Italy); Barbiellini, G. [Trieste Univ. (Italy)]|[INFN, Trieste (Italy); Basini, G. [INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Rome (Italy)
The detectors used in the TS93 balloon flight produced a large volume of information for each cosmic ray trigger. Some of the data was visual in nature, other portions contained energy deposition and timing information. The data sets are amenable to conventional analysis techniques but there is no assurance that conventional techniques make full use of subtle correlations and relations amongst the detector responses. With the advent of neural network technologies, particularly adept at classification of complex phenomena, it would seem appropriate to explore the utility of neural network techniques to classify particles observed with the instruments. In this paper neural network based methodology for signal/background discrimination in a cosmic ray space experiment is discussed. Results are presented for electron and positron classification in the TS93 flight data set and will be compared to conventional analyses.
Abdominal pain in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: a review of putative psychological, neural and neuro-immune mechanisms.
Elsenbruch, Sigrid
Chronic abdominal pain is a common symptom of great clinical significance in several areas of medicine. In many cases no organic cause can be established resulting in the classification as functional gastrointestinal disorder. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most common of these conditions and is considered an important public health problem because it can be disabling and constitutes a major social and economic burden given the lack of effective treatments. IBS aetiology is most likely multi-factorial involving biological, psychological and social factors. Visceral hyperalgesia (or hypersensitivity) and visceral hypervigilance, which could be mediated by peripheral, spinal, and/or central pathways, constitute key concepts in current research on pathophysiological mechanisms of visceral hyperalgesia. The role of central nervous system mechanisms along the "brain-gut axis" is increasingly appreciated, owing to accumulating evidence from brain imaging studies that neural processing of visceral stimuli is altered in IBS together with long-standing knowledge regarding the contribution of stress and negative emotions to symptom frequency and severity. At the same time, there is also growing evidence suggesting that peripheral immune mechanisms and disturbed neuro-immune communication could play a role in the pathophysiology of visceral hyperalgesia. This review presents recent advances in research on the pathophysiology of visceral hyperalgesia in IBS, with a focus on the role of stress and anxiety in central and peripheral response to visceral pain stimuli. Together, these findings support that in addition to lower pain thresholds displayed by a significant proportion of patients, the evaluation of pain appears to be altered in IBS. This may be attributable to affective disturbances, negative emotions in anticipation of or during visceral stimulation, and altered pain-related expectations and learning processes. Disturbed "top-down" emotional and cognitive pain
Cluster Analysis of an International Pressure Pain Threshold Database Identifies 4 Meaningful Subgroups of Adults With Mechanical Neck Pain
Walton, David M; Kwok, Timothy S H; Mehta, Swati
OBJECTIVE: To determine pressure pain detection threshold (PPDT) related phenotypes of individuals with mechanical neck pain that may be identifiable in clinical practice. METHODS: This report describes a secondary analysis of 5 independent, international mechanical neck pain databases of PPDT...... values taken at both a local and distal region (total N=1176). Minor systematic differences in mean PPDT values across cohorts necessitated z-transformation before analysis, and each cohort was split into male and female sexes. Latent profile analysis (LPA) using the k-means approach was undertaken...... to identify the most parsimonious set of PPDT-based phenotypes that were both statistically and clinically meaningful. RESULTS: LPA revealed 4 distinct clusters named according to PPDT levels at the local and distal zones: low-low PPDT (67%), mod-mod (25%), mod-high (4%), and high-high (4%). Secondary...
Mechanisms underlying metabolic and neural defects in zebrafish and human multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD.
Yuanquan Song
Full Text Available In humans, mutations in electron transfer flavoprotein (ETF or electron transfer flavoprotein dehydrogenase (ETFDH lead to MADD/glutaric aciduria type II, an autosomal recessively inherited disorder characterized by a broad spectrum of devastating neurological, systemic and metabolic symptoms. We show that a zebrafish mutant in ETFDH, xavier, and fibroblast cells from MADD patients demonstrate similar mitochondrial and metabolic abnormalities, including reduced oxidative phosphorylation, increased aerobic glycolysis, and upregulation of the PPARG-ERK pathway. This metabolic dysfunction is associated with aberrant neural proliferation in xav, in addition to other neural phenotypes and paralysis. Strikingly, a PPARG antagonist attenuates aberrant neural proliferation and alleviates paralysis in xav, while PPARG agonists increase neural proliferation in wild type embryos. These results show that mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to an increase in aerobic glycolysis, affects neurogenesis through the PPARG-ERK pathway, a potential target for therapeutic intervention.
RNA sequencing of Populus x canadensis roots identifies key molecular mechanisms underlying physiological adaption to excess zinc.
Andrea Ariani
Full Text Available Populus x canadensis clone I-214 exhibits a general indicator phenotype in response to excess Zn, and a higher metal uptake in roots than in shoots with a reduced translocation to aerial parts under hydroponic conditions. This physiological adaptation seems mainly regulated by roots, although the molecular mechanisms that underlie these processes are still poorly understood. Here, differential expression analysis using RNA-sequencing technology was used to identify the molecular mechanisms involved in the response to excess Zn in root. In order to maximize specificity of detection of differentially expressed (DE genes, we consider the intersection of genes identified by three distinct statistical approaches (61 up- and 19 down-regulated and validate them by RT-qPCR, yielding an agreement of 93% between the two experimental techniques. Gene Ontology (GO terms related to oxidation-reduction processes, transport and cellular iron ion homeostasis were enriched among DE genes, highlighting the importance of metal homeostasis in adaptation to excess Zn by P. x canadensis clone I-214. We identified the up-regulation of two Populus metal transporters (ZIP2 and NRAMP1 probably involved in metal uptake, and the down-regulation of a NAS4 gene involved in metal translocation. We identified also four Fe-homeostasis transcription factors (two bHLH38 genes, FIT and BTS that were differentially expressed, probably for reducing Zn-induced Fe-deficiency. In particular, we suggest that the down-regulation of FIT transcription factor could be a mechanism to cope with Zn-induced Fe-deficiency in Populus. These results provide insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in adaption to excess Zn in Populus spp., but could also constitute a starting point for the identification and characterization of molecular markers or biotechnological targets for possible improvement of phytoremediation performances of poplar trees.
Neural mechanisms of behavioral change in young adults with high-functioning autism receiving virtual reality social cognition training: A pilot study.
Yang, Y J Daniel; Allen, Tandra; Abdullahi, Sebiha M; Pelphrey, Kevin A; Volkmar, Fred R; Chapman, Sandra B
Measuring treatment efficacy in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) relies primarily on behaviors, with limited evidence as to the neural mechanisms underlying these behavioral gains. This pilot study addresses this void by investigating neural and behavioral changes in a Phase I trial in young adults with high-functioning ASD who received an evidence-based behavioral intervention, Virtual Reality-Social Cognition Training over 5 weeks for a total of 10 hr. The participants were tested pre- and post-training with a validated biological/social versus scrambled/nonsocial motion neuroimaging task, previously shown to activate regions within the social brain networks. Three significant brain-behavior changes were identified. First, the right posterior superior temporal sulcus, a hub for socio-cognitive processing, showed increased brain activation to social versus nonsocial stimuli in individuals with greater gains on a theory-of-mind measure. Second, the left inferior frontal gyrus, a region for socio-emotional processing, tracked individual gains in emotion recognition with decreased activation to social versus nonsocial stimuli. Finally, the left superior parietal lobule, a region for visual attention, showed significantly decreased activation to nonsocial versus social stimuli across all participants, where heightened attention to nonsocial contingencies has been considered a disabling aspect of ASD. This study provides, albeit preliminary, some of the first evidence of the harnessable neuroplasticity in adults with ASD through an age-appropriate intervention in brain regions tightly linked to social abilities. This pilot trial motivates future efforts to develop and test social interventions to improve behaviors and supporting brain networks in adults with ASD. Autism Res 2018, 11: 713-725. © 2018 The Authors Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. This study addresses how the behavioral
Influences of social reward experience on behavioral responses to drugs of abuse: Review of shared and divergent neural plasticity mechanisms for sexual reward and drugs of abuse.
Beloate, Lauren N; Coolen, Lique M
Different factors influence the development of drug addiction in humans, including social reward experiences. In animals, experience with social rewards, such as sexual behavior, pair bonding, social and environmental enrichment, can be protective. However, loss or lack of social rewards can lead to a vulnerability to drug-seeking behavior. The effects of social reward experience on drug-seeking behavior are associated with changes in the neural pathways that control drug-related behavior. This review will provide an introduction and overview of the mesolimbic pathway and the influence of social reward experience on drug-seeking behavior in rodents. Moreover, the research from our laboratory on effects of sexual experience and loss of sex reward on psychostimulant and opiate reward will be reviewed. Finally, we will review current knowledge of the neural mechanisms that underlie these interactions. Investigations of the neural underpinnings by which social and drug rewards interact contribute to improved understanding of the neural basis of vulnerability for drug addiction and reward-related behaviors in general. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
From sensation to perception: : Using multivariate classification of visual illusions to identify neural correlates of conscious awareness in space and time
An important goal of cognitive neuroscience is understanding the neural underpinnings of conscious awareness. Although the low-level processing of sensory input is well understood in most modalities, it remains a challenge to understand how the brain translates such input into conscious awareness.
[Neural mechanisms of mastication].
Inoue, Tomio
Abstract Comminution of food by mastication contributes to an increase in the efficiency of energy intake from food, which supports the high metabolic rate of mammals. The central pattern-generating circuit for mastication produces motor commands for mastication by using sensory information from periodontal mechanoreceptors and muscle spindles in the jaw-closing muscles. The motor commands that are glutamatergic, glycinergic, and GABAergic are transmitted to motoneurons for the jaw, tongue, etc., through premotor neurons that are located in the supratrigeminal region, reticular formation dorsal to the facial nucleus, etc. Our previous studies of N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced fictive suckling using isolated brainstem-spinal cord preparations obtained from neonatal mice revealed that the neuronal network that contributes to the synchronized activity of the jaw and tongue muscles is located in both the right and left sides. The network of either side sends its command to the trigeminal motoneurons mainly via the commissural pathway, while the command is sent to the hypoglossal motoneurons on the same side.
Teaching assistants’ performance at identifying common introductory student difficulties in mechanics revealed by the Force Concept Inventory
Alexandru Maries
Full Text Available The Force Concept Inventory (FCI has been widely used to assess student understanding of introductory mechanics concepts by a variety of educators and physics education researchers. One reason for this extensive use is that many of the items on the FCI have strong distractor choices which correspond to students’ alternate conceptions in mechanics. Instruction is unlikely to be effective if instructors do not know the common alternate conceptions of introductory physics students and explicitly take into account students’ initial knowledge states in their instructional design. Here, we discuss research involving the FCI to evaluate one aspect of the pedagogical content knowledge of teaching assistants (TAs: knowledge of introductory student alternate conceptions in mechanics as revealed by the FCI. For each item on the FCI, the TAs were asked to identify the most common incorrect answer choice of introductory physics students. This exercise was followed by a class discussion with the TAs related to this task, including the importance of knowing student difficulties in teaching and learning. Then, we used FCI pretest and post-test data from a large population (∼900 of introductory physics students to assess the extent to which TAs were able to identify alternate conceptions of introductory students related to force and motion. In addition, we carried out think-aloud interviews with graduate students who had more than two semesters of teaching experience in recitations to examine how they reason about the task. We find that while the TAs, on average, performed better than random guessing at identifying introductory students’ difficulties with FCI content, they did not identify many common difficulties that introductory physics students have after traditional instruction. We discuss specific alternate conceptions, the extent to which TAs are able to identify them, and results from the think-aloud interviews that provided valuable information
Mechanisms of change in psychotherapy for depression: An empirical update and evaluation of research aimed at identifying psychological mediators.
Lemmens, Lotte H J M; Müller, Viola N L S; Arntz, Arnoud; Huibers, Marcus J H
We present a systematic empirical update and critical evaluation of the current status of research aimed at identifying a variety of psychological mediators in various forms of psychotherapy for depression. We summarize study characteristics and results of 35 relevant studies, and discuss the extent to which these studies meet several important requirements for mechanism research. Our review indicates that in spite of increased attention for the topic, advances in theoretical consensus about necessities for mechanism research, and sophistication of study designs, research in this field is still heterogeneous and unsatisfactory in methodological respect. Probably the biggest challenge in the field is demonstrating the causal relation between change in the mediator and change in depressive symptoms. The field would benefit from a further refinement of research methods to identify processes of therapeutic change. Recommendations for future research are discussed. However, even in the most optimal research designs, explaining psychotherapeutic change remains a challenge. Psychotherapy is a multi-dimensional phenomenon that might work through interplay of multiple mechanisms at several levels. As a result, it might be too complex to be explained in relatively simple causal models of psychological change. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Application of Hierarchical Dissociated Neural Network in Closed-Loop Hybrid System Integrating Biological and Mechanical Intelligence
Zhang, Bin; Wang, Yuechao; Li, Hongyi
Neural networks are considered the origin of intelligence in organisms. In this paper, a new design of an intelligent system merging biological intelligence with artificial intelligence was created. It was based on a neural controller bidirectionally connected to an actual mobile robot to implement a novel vehicle. Two types of experimental preparations were utilized as the neural controller including ‘random’ and ‘4Q’ (cultured neurons artificially divided into four interconnected parts) neural network. Compared to the random cultures, the ‘4Q’ cultures presented absolutely different activities, and the robot controlled by the ‘4Q’ network presented better capabilities in search tasks. Our results showed that neural cultures could be successfully employed to control an artificial agent; the robot performed better and better with the stimulus because of the short-term plasticity. A new framework is provided to investigate the bidirectional biological-artificial interface and develop new strategies for a future intelligent system using these simplified model systems. PMID:25992579
A Simple fMRI Compatible Robotic Stimulator to Study the Neural Mechanisms of Touch and Pain.
Riillo, F; Bagnato, C; Allievi, A G; Takagi, A; Fabrizi, L; Saggio, G; Arichi, T; Burdet, E
This paper presents a simple device for the investigation of the human somatosensory system with functional magnetic imaging (fMRI). PC-controlled pneumatic actuation is employed to produce innocuous or noxious mechanical stimulation of the skin. Stimulation patterns are synchronized with fMRI and other relevant physiological measurements like electroencephalographic activity and vital physiological parameters. The system allows adjustable regulation of stimulation parameters and provides consistent patterns of stimulation. A validation experiment demonstrates that the system safely and reliably identifies clusters of functional activity in brain regions involved in the processing of pain. This new device is inexpensive, portable, easy-to-assemble and customizable to suit different experimental requirements. It provides robust and consistent somatosensory stimulation, which is of crucial importance to investigating the mechanisms of pain and its strong connection with the sense of touch.
A systems biology strategy to identify molecular mechanisms of action and protein indicators of traumatic brain injury.
Yu, Chenggang; Boutté, Angela; Yu, Xueping; Dutta, Bhaskar; Feala, Jacob D; Schmid, Kara; Dave, Jitendra; Tawa, Gregory J; Wallqvist, Anders; Reifman, Jaques
The multifactorial nature of traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially the complex secondary tissue injury involving intertwined networks of molecular pathways that mediate cellular behavior, has confounded attempts to elucidate the pathology underlying the progression of TBI. Here, systems biology strategies are exploited to identify novel molecular mechanisms and protein indicators of brain injury. To this end, we performed a meta-analysis of four distinct high-throughput gene expression studies involving different animal models of TBI. By using canonical pathways and a large human protein-interaction network as a scaffold, we separately overlaid the gene expression data from each study to identify molecular signatures that were conserved across the different studies. At 24 hr after injury, the significantly activated molecular signatures were nonspecific to TBI, whereas the significantly suppressed molecular signatures were specific to the nervous system. In particular, we identified a suppressed subnetwork consisting of 58 highly interacting, coregulated proteins associated with synaptic function. We selected three proteins from this subnetwork, postsynaptic density protein 95, nitric oxide synthase 1, and disrupted in schizophrenia 1, and hypothesized that their abundance would be significantly reduced after TBI. In a penetrating ballistic-like brain injury rat model of severe TBI, Western blot analysis confirmed our hypothesis. In addition, our analysis recovered 12 previously identified protein biomarkers of TBI. The results suggest that systems biology may provide an efficient, high-yield approach to generate testable hypotheses that can be experimentally validated to identify novel mechanisms of action and molecular indicators of TBI. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Neuroscience Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The association between type of spine fracture and the mechanism of trauma: A useful tool for identifying mechanism of trauma on legal medicine field.
Aghakhani, Kamran; Kordrostami, Roya; Memarian, Azadeh; Asl, Nahid Dadashzadeh; Zavareh, Fatemeh Noorian
Determining the association between mechanism of trauma, and the type of spine column fracture is a useful approach for exactly describing spine injury on forensic medicine field. We aimed to determine mechanism of trauma based on distribution of the transition of spinal column fractures. This cross-sectional survey was performed on 117 consecutive patients with the history of spinal trauma who were admitted to emergency ward of Rasoul-e-Akram Hospital in Tehran, Iran from April 2015 to March 2016. The baseline characteristics were collected by reviewing the hospital recorded files. With respect to mechanism of fracture, 63.2% of fractures were caused by falling, 30.8% by collisions with motor vehicles, and others caused by the violence. Regarding site of fracture, lumbosacral was affected in 47.9%, thoracic in 29.9%, and cervical in 13.7%. Regarding type of fracture, burst fracture was the most common type (71.8%) followed by compressive fracture (14.5%). The site of fracture was specifically associated with the mechanism of injury; the most common injuries induced by falling from height were found in lumbosacral and cervical sites, and the most frequent injuries by traffic accidents were found in thoracic site; also the injuries following violence were observed more in lumbar vertebrae. The burst fractures were more revealed in the patients affected by falling from height and by traffic accidents, and both burst and compressive fractures were more observed with the same result in the patients injured with violence (p = 0.003). The type of spine fracture due to trauma is closely associated with the mechanism of trauma that can be helpful in legal medicine to identify the mechanism of trauma in affected patients. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
A Neural Circuit Mechanism for the Involvements of Dopamine in Effort-Related Choices: Decay of Learned Values, Secondary Effects of Depletion, and Calculation of Temporal Difference Error
Abstract Dopamine has been suggested to be crucially involved in effort-related choices. Key findings are that dopamine depletion (i) changed preference for a high-cost, large-reward option to a low-cost, small-reward option, (ii) but not when the large-reward option was also low-cost or the small-reward option gave no reward, (iii) while increasing the latency in all the cases but only transiently, and (iv) that antagonism of either dopamine D1 or D2 receptors also specifically impaired selection of the high-cost, large-reward option. The underlying neural circuit mechanisms remain unclear. Here we show that findings i–iii can be explained by the dopaminergic representation of temporal-difference reward-prediction error (TD-RPE), whose mechanisms have now become clarified, if (1) the synaptic strengths storing the values of actions mildly decay in time and (2) the obtained-reward-representing excitatory input to dopamine neurons increases after dopamine depletion. The former is potentially caused by background neural activity–induced weak synaptic plasticity, and the latter is assumed to occur through post-depletion increase of neural activity in the pedunculopontine nucleus, where neurons representing obtained reward exist and presumably send excitatory projections to dopamine neurons. We further show that finding iv, which is nontrivial given the suggested distinct functions of the D1 and D2 corticostriatal pathways, can also be explained if we additionally assume a proposed mechanism of TD-RPE calculation, in which the D1 and D2 pathways encode the values of actions with a temporal difference. These results suggest a possible circuit mechanism for the involvements of dopamine in effort-related choices and, simultaneously, provide implications for the mechanisms of TD-RPE calculation. PMID:29468191
Neural Mechanism of Inferring Person's Inner Attitude towards Another Person through Observing the Facial Affect in an Emotional Context.
Kim, Ji-Woong; Kim, Jae-Jin; Jeong, Bumseok; Kim, Sung-Eun; Ki, Seon Wan
The goal of the present study was to identify the brain mechanism involved in the attribution of person's attitude toward another person, using facial affective pictures and pictures displaying an affectively-loaded situation. Twenty four right-handed healthy subjects volunteered for our study. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine brain activation during attitude attribution task as compared to gender matching tasks. We identified activation in the left inferior frontal cortex, left superior temporal sulcus, and left inferior parietal lobule during the attitude attribution task, compared to the gender matching task. This study suggests that mirror neuron system and ventrolateral inferior frontal cortex play a critical role in the attribution of a person's inner attitude towards another person in an emotional situation.
Defended to the Nines: 25 Years of Resistance Gene Cloning Identifies Nine Mechanisms for R Protein Function[OPEN
Plants have many, highly variable resistance (R) gene loci, which provide resistance to a variety of pathogens. The first R gene to be cloned, maize (Zea mays) Hm1, was published over 25 years ago, and since then, many different R genes have been identified and isolated. The encoded proteins have provided clues to the diverse molecular mechanisms underlying immunity. Here, we present a meta-analysis of 314 cloned R genes. The majority of R genes encode cell surface or intracellular receptors, and we distinguish nine molecular mechanisms by which R proteins can elevate or trigger disease resistance: direct (1) or indirect (2) perception of pathogen-derived molecules on the cell surface by receptor-like proteins and receptor-like kinases; direct (3) or indirect (4) intracellular detection of pathogen-derived molecules by nucleotide binding, leucine-rich repeat receptors, or detection through integrated domains (5); perception of transcription activator-like effectors through activation of executor genes (6); and active (7), passive (8), or host reprogramming-mediated (9) loss of susceptibility. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying the functions of R genes are only understood for a small proportion of known R genes, a clearer understanding of mechanisms is emerging and will be crucial for rational engineering and deployment of novel R genes. PMID:29382771
Defended to the Nines: 25 Years of Resistance Gene Cloning Identifies Nine Mechanisms for R Protein Function.
Kourelis, Jiorgos; van der Hoorn, Renier A L
Plants have many, highly variable resistance ( R ) gene loci, which provide resistance to a variety of pathogens. The first R gene to be cloned, maize ( Zea mays ) Hm1 , was published over 25 years ago, and since then, many different R genes have been identified and isolated. The encoded proteins have provided clues to the diverse molecular mechanisms underlying immunity. Here, we present a meta-analysis of 314 cloned R genes. The majority of R genes encode cell surface or intracellular receptors, and we distinguish nine molecular mechanisms by which R proteins can elevate or trigger disease resistance: direct (1) or indirect (2) perception of pathogen-derived molecules on the cell surface by receptor-like proteins and receptor-like kinases; direct (3) or indirect (4) intracellular detection of pathogen-derived molecules by nucleotide binding, leucine-rich repeat receptors, or detection through integrated domains (5); perception of transcription activator-like effectors through activation of executor genes (6); and active (7), passive (8), or host reprogramming-mediated (9) loss of susceptibility. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying the functions of R genes are only understood for a small proportion of known R genes, a clearer understanding of mechanisms is emerging and will be crucial for rational engineering and deployment of novel R genes. © 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.
Muscle and neural isoforms of agrin increase utrophin expression in cultured myotubes via a transcriptional regulatory mechanism.
Gramolini, A O; Burton, E A; Tinsley, J M; Ferns, M J; Cartaud, A; Cartaud, J; Davies, K E; Lunde, J A; Jasmin, B J
. Furthermore, this increase in transcriptional activity in response to agrin resulted from a greater number of myonuclei expressing the 1.3-kilobase pair utrophin promoter-nlsLacZ construct. Deletion of 800 base pairs 5' from this fragment decreased the basal levels of nlsLacZ expression and abolished the sensitivity of the utrophin promoter to exogenously applied agrin. In addition, site-directed mutagenesis of an N-box motif contained within this 800-base pair fragment demonstrated its essential contribution in this regulatory mechanism. Finally, direct gene transfer studies performed in vivo further revealed the importance of this DNA element for the synapse-specific expression of the utrophin gene along multinucleated muscle fibers. These data show that both muscle and neural isoforms of agrin can regulate expression of the utrophin gene and further indicate that agrin is not only involved in the mechanisms leading to the formation of clusters containing presynthesized synaptic molecules but that it can also participate in the local regulation of genes encoding synaptic proteins. Together, these observations are therefore relevant for our basic understanding of the events involved in the assembly and maintenance of the postsynaptic membrane domain of the neuromuscular junction and for the potential use of utrophin as a therapeutic strategy to counteract the effects of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Function of FEZF1 during early neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cells.
Liu, Xin; Su, Pei; Lu, Lisha; Feng, Zicen; Wang, Hongtao; Zhou, Jiaxi
The understanding of the mechanism underlying human neural development has been hampered due to lack of a cellular system and complicated ethical issues. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) provide an invaluable model for dissecting human development because of unlimited self-renewal and the capacity to differentiate into nearly all cell types in the human body. In this study, using a chemical defined neural induction protocol and molecular profiling, we identified Fez family zinc finger 1 (FEZF1) as a potential regulator of early human neural development. FEZF1 is rapidly up-regulated during neural differentiation in hESCs and expressed before PAX6, a well-established marker of early human neural induction. We generated FEZF1-knockout H1 hESC lines using CRISPR-CAS9 technology and found that depletion of FEZF1 abrogates neural differentiation of hESCs. Moreover, loss of FEZF1 impairs the pluripotency exit of hESCs during neural specification, which partially explains the neural induction defect caused by FEZF1 deletion. However, enforced expression of FEZF1 itself fails to drive neural differentiation in hESCs, suggesting that FEZF1 is necessary but not sufficient for neural differentiation from hESCs. Taken together, our findings identify one of the earliest regulators expressed upon neural induction and provide insight into early neural development in human.
Anosognosia for memory deficits in mild cognitive impairment: Insight into the neural mechanism using functional and molecular imaging
Patrizia Vannini
Full Text Available Anosognosia, or loss of insight of memory deficits, is a common and striking symptom in Alzheimer's disease (AD. Previous findings in AD dementia patients suggest that anosognosia is due to both functional metabolic changes within cortical midline structures involved in self-referential processes, as well as functional disconnection between these regions. The present study aims to extend these findings by investigating the neural correlates of anosognosia in the prodromal stage of AD. Here, we used regional brain metabolism (resting state 18-F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET to unravel the metabolic correlates of anosognosia in subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI and subsequently resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI to investigate the intrinsic connectivity disruption between brain regions. Thirty-one subjects (mean age: 74.1; Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR global score: 0.5 with aMCI, and 251 cognitively normal (CN older adults (mean age: 73.3; CDR: 0 were included as a reference group for behavioral and FDG data. An anosognosia index was obtained by calculating a discrepancy score between subjective and objective memory scores. All subjects underwent FDG-PET for glucose metabolism measurement, and aMCI subjects underwent additional rs-fMRI for intrinsic connectivity measurement. Voxel-wise correlations between anosognosia and neuroimaging data were conducted in the aMCI subjects. Subjects with aMCI had significantly decreased memory awareness as compared to the CN older adults. Greater anosognosia in aMCI subjects was associated with reduced glucose metabolism in the posterior cingulate (PCC cortices and hippocampus. Intrinsic connectivity analyses revealed a significant association between anosognosia and attenuated functional connectivity between the PCC seed region and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC as well as bilateral inferior parietal lobes (IPL. These findings provide further
Exploring Possible Neural Mechanisms of Intelligence Differences Using Processing Speed and Working Memory Tasks: An fMRI Study
Waiter, Gordon D.; Deary, Ian J.; Staff, Roger T.; Murray, Alison D.; Fox, Helen C.; Starr, John M.; Whalley, Lawrence J.
To explore the possible neural foundations of individual differences in intelligence test scores, we examined the associations between Raven's Matrices scores and two tasks that were administered in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) setting. The two tasks were an n-back working memory (N = 37) task and inspection time (N = 47). The…
De Geeter, N.; Crevecoeur, G.; Leemans, A.; Dupré, L.
In transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), an applied alternating magnetic field induces an electric field in the brain that can interact with the neural system. It is generally assumed that this induced electric field is the crucial effect exciting a certain region of the brain. More specifically,
Identifying Green Infrastructure as a Basis for an Incentive Mechanism at the Municipality Level in Biscay (Basque Country
Gloria RodrÃguez-Loinaz
Full Text Available The contributions of green infrastructure (GI to human well-being have been widely recognised; however, pathways for its systematic implementation are missing. Local governments can play a crucial role in the conservation of GI, and a formal recognition of this role in budgeting systems would foster the inclusion of GI in their agenda. The aim of this study is to identify the principal components of GI at the local level to form a basis for a compensatory economic scheme. We identified the principal components of GI based on the mapping of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services provision. Furthermore, we analysed the potentiality of an incentive mechanism to promote GI based on the protection status of GI. Finally, an incentive mechanism to promote GI at the municipality level was proposed. The results showed that the GI of Biscay is mainly composed of the natural forests presented in the area, and that 50% of the principal components of the GI are not protected. Furthermore, one third of the protected principal components of the GI only has protection at the municipality level. So, we propose a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES-like scheme at the municipality level based on the cover of natural forests, where the objective is the conservation and promotion of the GI.
Utilization of metabonomics to identify serum biomarkers in murine H22 hepatocarcinoma and deduce antitumor mechanism of Rhizoma Paridis saponins.
Qiu, Peiyu; Man, Shuli; Yang, He; Fan, Wei; Yu, Peng; Gao, Wenyuan
Murine H22 hepatocarcinoma model is so popular to be used for the preclinical anticancer candidate's evaluation. However, the metabolic biomarkers of this model were not identified. Meanwhile, Rhizoma Paridis saponins (RPS) as natural products have been found to show strong antitumor activity, while its anti-cancer mechanism is not clear. To search for potential metabolite biomarkers of this model, serum metabonomics approach was applied to detect the variation of metabolite biomarkers and the related metabolism genes and signaling pathway were used to deduce the antitumor mechanisms of RPS. As a result, ten serum metabolites were identified in twenty-four mice including healthy mice, non-treated cancer mice, RPS-treated cancer mice and RPS-treated healthy mice. RPS significantly decreased tumor weight correlates to down-regulating lactate, acetate, N-acetyl amino acid and glutamine signals (p mechanism of RPS. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the utility of (1)H NMR metabolic profiles taken together with tumor weight and viscera index was a promising screening tool for evaluating the antitumor effect of candidates. In addition, RPS was a potent anticancer agent through inhibiting cancer cellular metabolism to suppress proliferation in hepatoma H22 tumor murine, which promoted the
Study of the aging processes in polyurethane adhesives using thermal treatment and differential calorimetric, dielectric, and mechanical techniques ; 1, identifying the aging processes ; 2, quantifying the aging effect
Althouse, L P
A Genetic Approach to Identifying Signal Transduction Mechanisms Initiated by Receptors for TGF-B-Related Factors.
Foundation neural imaging laboratory. Drosophila stocks Drosophila stocks were cultured on standard cornmeal yeast extract and sucrose medium at 25°C...synergistically with dpp in several developmental processes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Drosophila stocks Drosophila stocks were cultured on standard cornmeal
Sharpened cortical tuning and enhanced cortico-cortical communication contribute to the long-term neural mechanisms of visual motion perceptual learning.
Chen, Nihong; Bi, Taiyong; Zhou, Tiangang; Li, Sheng; Liu, Zili; Fang, Fang
Much has been debated about whether the neural plasticity mediating perceptual learning takes place at the sensory or decision-making stage in the brain. To investigate this, we trained human subjects in a visual motion direction discrimination task. Behavioral performance and BOLD signals were measured before, immediately after, and two weeks after training. Parallel to subjects' long-lasting behavioral improvement, the neural selectivity in V3A and the effective connectivity from V3A to IPS (intraparietal sulcus, a motion decision-making area) exhibited a persistent increase for the trained direction. Moreover, the improvement was well explained by a linear combination of the selectivity and connectivity increases. These findings suggest that the long-term neural mechanisms of motion perceptual learning are implemented by sharpening cortical tuning to trained stimuli at the sensory processing stage, as well as by optimizing the connections between sensory and decision-making areas in the brain. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The neural mechanisms of semantic and response conflicts: an fMRI study of practice-related effects in the Stroop task.
Chen, Zhencai; Lei, Xu; Ding, Cody; Li, Hong; Chen, Antao
Previous studies have demonstrated that there are separate neural mechanisms underlying semantic and response conflicts in the Stroop task. However, the practice effects of these conflicts need to be elucidated and the possible involvements of common neural mechanisms are yet to be established. We employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a 4-2 mapping practice-related Stroop task to determine the neural substrates under these conflicts. Results showed that different patterns of brain activations are associated with practice in the attentional networks (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and posterior parietal cortex (PPC)) for both conflicts, response control regions (e.g., inferior frontal junction (IFJ), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)/insula, and pre-supplementary motor areas (pre-SMA)) for semantic conflict, and posterior cortex for response conflict. We also found areas of common activation in the left hemisphere within the attentional networks, for the early practice stage in semantic conflict and the late stage in "pure" response conflict using conjunction analysis. The different practice effects indicate that there are distinct mechanisms underlying these two conflict types: semantic conflict practice effects are attributable to the automation of stimulus processing, conflict and response control; response conflict practice effects are attributable to the proportional increase of conflict-related cognitive resources. In addition, the areas of common activation suggest that the semantic conflict effect may contain a partial response conflict effect, particularly at the beginning of the task. These findings indicate that there are two kinds of response conflicts contained in the key-pressing Stroop task: the vocal-level (mainly in the early stage) and key-pressing (mainly in the late stage) response conflicts; thus, the use of the subtraction method for the exploration of semantic and response conflicts
The neural basis of financial risk taking.
Kuhnen, Camelia M; Knutson, Brian
Investors systematically deviate from rationality when making financial decisions, yet the mechanisms responsible for these deviations have not been identified. Using event-related fMRI, we examined whether anticipatory neural activity would predict optimal and suboptimal choices in a financial decision-making task. We characterized two types of deviations from the optimal investment strategy of a rational risk-neutral agent as risk-seeking mistakes and risk-aversion mistakes. Nucleus accumbens activation preceded risky choices as well as risk-seeking mistakes, while anterior insula activation preceded riskless choices as well as risk-aversion mistakes. These findings suggest that distinct neural circuits linked to anticipatory affect promote different types of financial choices and indicate that excessive activation of these circuits may lead to investing mistakes. Thus, consideration of anticipatory neural mechanisms may add predictive power to the rational actor model of economic decision making.
Using Neural Pattern Classifiers to Quantify the Modularity of Conflict–Control Mechanisms in the Human Brain
Jiang, Jiefeng; Egner, Tobias
Resolving conflicting sensory and motor representations is a core function of cognitive control, but it remains uncertain to what degree control over different sources of conflict is implemented by shared (domain general) or distinct (domain specific) neural resources. Behavioral data suggest conflict–control to be domain specific, but results from neuroimaging studies have been ambivalent. Here, we employed multivoxel pattern analyses that can decode a brain region's informational content, allowing us to distinguish incidental activation overlap from actual shared information processing. We trained independent sets of “searchlight� classifiers on functional magnetic resonance imaging data to decode control processes associated with stimulus-conflict (Stroop task) and ideomotor-conflict (Simon task). Quantifying the proportion of domain-specific searchlights (capable of decoding only one type of conflict) and domain-general searchlights (capable of decoding both conflict types) in each subject, we found both domain-specific and domain-general searchlights, though the former were more common. When mapping anatomical loci of these searchlights across subjects, neural substrates of stimulus- and ideomotor-specific conflict–control were found to be anatomically consistent across subjects, whereas the substrates of domain-general conflict–control were not. Overall, these findings suggest a hybrid neural architecture of conflict–control that entails both modular (domain specific) and global (domain general) components. PMID:23402762
Using neural pattern classifiers to quantify the modularity of conflict-control mechanisms in the human brain.
Resolving conflicting sensory and motor representations is a core function of cognitive control, but it remains uncertain to what degree control over different sources of conflict is implemented by shared (domain general) or distinct (domain specific) neural resources. Behavioral data suggest conflict-control to be domain specific, but results from neuroimaging studies have been ambivalent. Here, we employed multivoxel pattern analyses that can decode a brain region's informational content, allowing us to distinguish incidental activation overlap from actual shared information processing. We trained independent sets of "searchlight" classifiers on functional magnetic resonance imaging data to decode control processes associated with stimulus-conflict (Stroop task) and ideomotor-conflict (Simon task). Quantifying the proportion of domain-specific searchlights (capable of decoding only one type of conflict) and domain-general searchlights (capable of decoding both conflict types) in each subject, we found both domain-specific and domain-general searchlights, though the former were more common. When mapping anatomical loci of these searchlights across subjects, neural substrates of stimulus- and ideomotor-specific conflict-control were found to be anatomically consistent across subjects, whereas the substrates of domain-general conflict-control were not. Overall, these findings suggest a hybrid neural architecture of conflict-control that entails both modular (domain specific) and global (domain general) components. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Functional mechanisms of drought tolerance in subtropical maize (Zea mays L.) identified using genome-wide association mapping.
Thirunavukkarasu, Nepolean; Hossain, Firoz; Arora, Kanika; Sharma, Rinku; Shiriga, Kaliyugam; Mittal, Swati; Mohan, Sweta; Namratha, Pottekatt Mohanlal; Dogga, Sreelatha; Rani, Tikka Shobha; Katragadda, Sumalini; Rathore, Abhishek; Shah, Trushar; Mohapatra, Trilochan; Gupta, Hari Shankar
Earlier studies were focused on the genetics of temperate and tropical maize under drought. We identified genetic loci and their association with functional mechanisms in 240 accessions of subtropical maize using a high-density marker set under water stress. Out of 61 significant SNPs (11 were false-discovery-rate-corrected associations), identified across agronomic traits, models, and locations by subjecting the accessions to water stress at flowering stage, 48% were associated with drought-tolerant genes. Maize gene models revealed that SNPs mapped for agronomic traits were in fact associated with number of functional traits as follows: stomatal closure, 28; flowering, 15; root development, 5; detoxification, 4; and reduced water potential, 2. Interactions of these SNPS through the functional traits could lead to drought tolerance. The SNPs associated with ABA-dependent signalling pathways played a major role in the plant's response to stress by regulating a series of functions including flowering, root development, auxin metabolism, guard cell functions, and scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). ABA signalling genes regulate flowering through epigenetic changes in stress-responsive genes. ROS generated by ABA signalling are reduced by the interplay between ethylene, ABA, and detoxification signalling transductions. Integration of ABA-signalling genes with auxin-inducible genes regulates root development which in turn, maintains the water balance by regulating electrochemical gradient in plant. Several genes are directly or indirectly involved in the functioning of agronomic traits related to water stress. Genes involved in these crucial biological functions interacted significantly in order to maintain the primary as well as exclusive functions related to coping with water stress. SNPs associated with drought-tolerant genes involved in strategic biological functions will be useful to understand the mechanisms of drought tolerance in subtropical maize.
Using a standing-tree acoustic tool to identify forest stands for the production of mechanically-graded lumber.
Paradis, Normand; Auty, David; Carter, Peter; Achim, Alexis
This study investigates how the use of a Hitman ST300 acoustic sensor can help identify the best forest stands to be used as supply sources for the production of Machine Stress-Rated (MSR) lumber. Using two piezoelectric sensors, the ST300 measures the velocity of a mechanical wave induced in a standing tree. Measurements were made on 333 black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) trees from the North Shore region, Quebec (Canada) selected across a range of locations and along a chronosequence of elapsed time since the last fire (TSF). Logs were cut from a subsample of 39 trees, and sawn into 77 pieces of 38 mm × 89 mm cross-section before undergoing mechanical testing according to ASTM standard D-4761. A linear regression model was developed to predict the static modulus of elasticity of lumber using tree acoustic velocity and stem diameter at 1.3 m above ground level (R2 = 0.41). Results suggest that, at a regional level, 92% of the black spruce trees meet the requirements of MSR grade 1650Fb-1.5E, whilst 64% and 34% meet the 2100Fb-1.8E and 2400Fb-2.0E, respectively. Mature stands with a TSF < 150 years had 11 and 18% more boards in the latter two categories, respectively, and therefore represented the best supply source for MSR lumber.
Global transcriptomic profiling of aspen trees under elevated [CO2] to identify potential molecular mechanisms responsible for enhanced radial growth.
Wei, Hairong; Gou, Jiqing; Yordanov, Yordan; Zhang, Huaxin; Thakur, Ramesh; Jones, Wendy; Burton, Andrew
Aspen (Populus tremuloides) trees growing under elevated [CO(2)] at a free-air CO(2) enrichment (FACE) site produced significantly more biomass than control trees. We investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the observed increase in biomass by producing transcriptomic profiles of the vascular cambium zone (VCZ) and leaves, and then performed a comparative study to identify significantly changed genes and pathways after 12 years exposure to elevated [CO(2)]. In leaves, elevated [CO(2)] enhanced expression of genes related to Calvin cycle activity and linked pathways. In the VCZ, the pathways involved in cell growth, cell division, hormone metabolism, and secondary cell wall formation were altered while auxin conjugation, ABA synthesis, and cytokinin glucosylation and degradation were inhibited. Similarly, the genes involved in hemicellulose and pectin biosynthesis were enhanced, but some genes that catalyze important steps in lignin biosynthesis pathway were inhibited. Evidence from systemic analysis supported the functioning of multiple molecular mechanisms that underpin the enhanced radial growth in response to elevated [CO(2)].
Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Identify Mechanisms of Change: An Application From a Pharmacotherapy Trial With Adolescent Cannabis Users.
Treloar Padovano, Hayley; Miranda, Robert
The present study used youth's in vivo reports of subjective responses to cannabis while smoking in their natural environments to identify real-world mechanisms of topiramate treatment for cannabis misuse. Participants were 40 cannabis users (≥ twice weekly in past 30 days), ages 15-24 years (47.5% female), with at least one cannabis use episode during the final 3 weeks of a 6-week, randomized clinical trial. Youth reported subjective "high" while smoking, stimulation, sedation, stress, craving, and grams of marijuana used in the natural environment via wireless electronic devices. Bayesian multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) evaluated mediation via indirect effect tests. Significant within (daily) and between (person) variability and distinctive within and between effects supported the MSEM approach. Subjective high while smoking was significantly reduced for youth in the topiramate condition, relative to placebo, and the indirect effect of reduced subjective high on total grams of cannabis smoked that day was significant. Indirect effects through other subjective responses were not significant. The results of this initial study suggest that altering subjective responses to smoking, specifically subjective high, may be a key target for developing adjunctive pharmacotherapies for cannabis misuse. More generally, this work provides an example for applying ecological momentary assessment and analytic techniques to evaluate mechanisms of behavior change in longitudinal data.
Conserved gene regulatory module specifies lateral neural borders across bilaterians.
Li, Yongbin; Zhao, Di; Horie, Takeo; Chen, Geng; Bao, Hongcun; Chen, Siyu; Liu, Weihong; Horie, Ryoko; Liang, Tao; Dong, Biyu; Feng, Qianqian; Tao, Qinghua; Liu, Xiao
The lateral neural plate border (NPB), the neural part of the vertebrate neural border, is composed of central nervous system (CNS) progenitors and peripheral nervous system (PNS) progenitors. In invertebrates, PNS progenitors are also juxtaposed to the lateral boundary of the CNS. Whether there are conserved molecular mechanisms determining vertebrate and invertebrate lateral neural borders remains unclear. Using single-cell-resolution gene-expression profiling and genetic analysis, we present evidence that orthologs of the NPB specification module specify the invertebrate lateral neural border, which is composed of CNS and PNS progenitors. First, like in vertebrates, the conserved neuroectoderm lateral border specifier Msx/vab-15 specifies lateral neuroblasts in Caenorhabditis elegans Second, orthologs of the vertebrate NPB specification module ( Msx/vab-15 , Pax3/7/pax-3 , and Zic/ref-2 ) are significantly enriched in worm lateral neuroblasts. In addition, like in other bilaterians, the expression domain of Msx/vab-15 is more lateral than those of Pax3/7/pax-3 and Zic/ref- 2 in C. elegans Third, we show that Msx/vab-15 regulates the development of mechanosensory neurons derived from lateral neural progenitors in multiple invertebrate species, including C. elegans , Drosophila melanogaster , and Ciona intestinalis We also identify a novel lateral neural border specifier, ZNF703/tlp-1 , which functions synergistically with Msx/vab- 15 in both C. elegans and X
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Judge in video beating is back at work
Posted 10:00 am, November 15, 2012, by Shellie Nelson
from abcnews.go.com
(CNN) — A judge, who was suspended after an online video showing him beating his teenage daughter went viral, was reinstated by the Texas Supreme Court.
Judge William Adams was back working Wednesday at Aransas County after his suspension was lifted by the state’s high court, a court clerk said.
The state’s Commission on Judicial Conduct earlier ruled that Adams would receive a public warning for the incident, which cleared the way for the suspension to be lifted.
The move to allow the judge back on the bench angered Adams’ former wife and daughter.
“My first feeling is extreme sadness,” said Hallie Adams, the former wife. “I feel sad for the public. I see the justice system is failing and justice review system is failing.”
Hillary Adams, the judge’s daughter, was also upset.
“I’m embarrassed to live in Texas,” said the girl who was the buzz on the Internet last year after releasing the beating video.
Adams was suspended last year after the 2004 video went public. It showed him beating his then-16-year-old daughter because she downloaded online music and games.
The beating occurred when her father was punishing her for using the Internet “to acquire music and games that were unavailable for legal purchase at the time,” Hillary Adams, wrote on the Internet posting. She said she released the video after being harassed by her father.
“It was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” she said last November. “It wasn’t any huge happening or anything.”
She said she told her father she had the video, “and he didn’t seem to think anything of it, and basically dared me to post it.”
The video posting said, “Judge William Adams is not fit to be anywhere near the law system if he can’t even exercise fit judgment as a parent himself. Do not allow this man to ever be re-elected again. His ‘judgment’ is a giant farce. Signed, Hillary Adams, his daughter.”
The 7 1/2-minute video is punctuated by cracks of the man’s belt and the girl’s screams and cries.
At one point, the man says to his near-hysterical daughter, “What happened to you, Hillary? Once you were an obedient, nice little girl. Now you lie, cheat and steal.”
At another point, he yells at her, “You want to put some more computer games on? You want some more?”
William Adams has acknowledged that the man in the video was him.
As a judge, William Adams handles misdemeanor cases, including family-related and juvenile court issues.
Topics: beating, judge, Texas, video, william adams
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Egypt opens 1st phase of "Concentration, Extraction of Black Sand Minerals" in Rasheed - Daily News Egypt
Business Egypt opens 1st phase of “Concentration, Extraction of Black Sand Minerals” in Rasheed
Egypt opens 1st phase of “Concentration, Extraction of Black Sand Minerals” in Rasheed
Chinese companies received equipment in return for 30% of raw material for 5 years
Mohamed Farag July 9, 2019 Comments Off on Egypt opens 1st phase of “Concentration, Extraction of Black Sand Minerals” in Rasheed
The Nuclear Materials Authority and the Egyptian Black Sand Company have opened the first phase of the Black Sands Metals Concentration and Extraction Project in Rasheed.
Hamed Mira, head of the Nuclear Materials Authority, told Daily News Egypt that Chinese companies supplied equipment, tools, and machines for Rasheed’s Black Sand Concentrate and Extraction Project in exchange for 30% of the raw material for five years.
He explained that the first stage consists of three units of extraction and concentration of economic minerals, and two magnetic separation units with a capacity of 31,000 tonnes of metal ore annually. The second phase is scheduled for completion in October with the arrival of three units of separation and extraction of black sand minerals and a magnetic separation unit with a capacity of 35,000 tonnes ore annually.
The number of workers in the first phase are 75 workers, and 52 employees were recruited from the governorate of Beheira and the number of employees is set to increase as work starts in the second phase of the project.
He added that the project is to utilise black sand ore and aims to maximise the benefits of one of the most important mineral axes in terms of increasing the rates of national income and nationalisation of technology, as well as bridging the gap between our needs and the volume of what is imported from abroad.
He explained that the project contributes toward the advancement of economic and social development and participation in the establishment of projects based on the utilisation of natural resources, as well as the concentration and separation of economic and strategic minerals located in the residue of black sand with high economic returns.
In addition to creating industrial entities based on the treatment and enhancement of the added value of the resulting minerals, as well as community development and job creation for the youth in the governorates where crude materials are utilised, alongside environmental treatment of coastal sediments and disposing of radioactive materials, in addition to rehabilitating vast areas for coastal investment.
Egypt has 11 sites of black sands on the Mediterranean coast, in addition to what has been recently explored along the Red Sea coast in southern Egypt, according to Mira.
The importance of black sands is due to the fact that these sediments contain a large number of metals of high economic and strategic value. These are mainly aluminium, rutile, zircon, monazite, granite, and magnetite.
These steps came within the framework of cooperation between the Egyptian Black Sand Company and the Nuclear Materials Authority, which resulted in evaluating the reserve of the black sand and its economic minerals, in addition to studying the feasibility of exploiting them in many areas. Therefore, factories of concentration and separation of the black sand minerals were started with in Borollos, to open new horizons of mineral and social development in the governorates of Egypt.
Topics: Rasheed The Egyptian Black Sand Company The Nuclear Materials Authority
Mohamed Farag
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Egypt plans to establish its first religious tolerance museum
Farah Tawfeek
A committee will be tasked with creating Egypt’s first museum of religious tolerance, Minister of Antiquities Khaled Anany announced on Thursday.
The museum will aim to demonstrate how Islam’s teachings of tolerance, combined with Egypt’s inclusive culture, created a diverse environment for religions to flourish. It will include pieces from Pharaonic, Islamic, Coptic and Jewish civilizations.
Located in the New Administrative Capital, the museum will neighbor the city’s main mosque on a 50×15 meter stretch of land, with the possibility of added length. The council is currently collecting a pick of centerpieces, to be ready for display by the time the museum is built, and arranged by a panel of professionals.
The panel includes esteemed archaeologist and ex-Antiquities Minister Zahi Hawas, General Manager of the Tahrir Egyptian Museum Sabah Abdel Razik, and General Manager of the Islamic Museum Mamdouh Othman.
Egypt has shown a recent interest in portraying minority faiths in its history. In 2017, the Egyptian Museum held a display titled “Egypt: the cradle of religions”, where it displayed several Islamic and Coptic artifacts. Moreover, Egypt hosts an Islamic Art Museum and a Coptic Museum, while Magda Haroun, head of Egypt’s Jewish Community Council, is undergoing efforts to create a national Jewish museum.
Egypt plays a central role in the New and Old Testaments; the land of Egypt is mentioned 750 times while the word “Pharaoh” is mentioned over 200 times, according to theologist Peter Görg.
In the numerous Islamic empires since, minorities have faced a fluctuating history of tolerance. Copts enjoyed unmatched prosperity and official positions of influence under early caliphs such as Abdelaziz Ben Marwan. Yet under his son Amr, Copts faced legal ostracization, prompting many to convert or flee, according to UCLA historian Luke Yarbrough. The decades-long relationship between Islamic Egypt and its minorities is a reflection of the diversity of Islamic thought, and its differing perspectives on religious pluralism.
Tags egypt establish religions museum egypt religions museum Zahi Hawas
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Strike the UW open records exemption
This petition made change with 3,589 supporters!
Alliance for Animals started this petition to Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee and 16 others
Dear legislators and engaged citizens,
Hidden in the 2015 Budget Bill is an item that exempts UW Madison from our state's open records law. The open records law allows citizens to request government records, including UW research records. With that exemption, citizens are unable to know what is happening in experiments involving animals, psychedelic drugs, and much more. A similar item was included in the 2013 budget bill (JSOnline), and a similar amendment was introduced in 2014 (AP). Both were intelligently thrown in the trash can, and that is what should be done with this 2015 item. The text reads:
“The bill creates an exception to the open records law for information produced or collected by or for UWSA faculty or staff with respect to commercial, scientific, or technical research until that information is publicly disseminated or patented.”
Legislators, I ask that you listen to your constituents and throw out this item. Please keep UW Madison transparent to the taxpayers.
Citizens, if you care about freedom of information, tell your legislators to keep the records open.
If you care about animals, tell your legislators to keep the records open.
Without open records requests, animal advocacy groups can't find out the truth about university experiments on animals. Dane County has more primates used in lab experiments than anywhere else in the world and we need to know what goes on behind closed doors.
Without open records requests, we don't know the results of non-classified military research, psychedelic drug tests, and so much more (JSOnline).
You can act now by attending a hearing and speaking out against the open records exemption (list provided by AFSCME), contacting your legislator, and signing the petition.
Find out more information at allanimals.org/open-records.php. The following information is pasted from that site.
What is open records law?
The open records law lets citizens request access to government records, including records of UW campus research. The law shows the public that transparency matters.
“[I]t is declared to be the public policy of this state that all persons are entitled to the greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those officers and employees who represent them.” Wis. Stat. § 19.31. This is one of the strongest declarations of policy found in the Wisconsin statutes. Zellner v. Cedarburg Sch. Dist. (“Zellner I”), 2007 WI 53, ¶ 49, 300 Wis. 2d 290, ¶ 49, 731 N.W.2d 240, ¶ 49.
Why is it in danger?
The 2015 budget bill threatens that transparency. Language in the bill gives UW a right to not supply records of campus research until that research is publically available.
In the words of Freedom of Information Council founder Bill Lueders,
"This blanket exemption would spare the UW from needing a good reason to deny access to these records, as current law requires. Instead, universities could categorically spurn inquiries from citizens, media and even lawmakers looking into controversial research, potential threats to public safety, conflicts of interest or how tax dollars are spent (Lueders, “March: Don’t let the UW hide research records,” Your Right to Know Column, March 2015).
Wisconsin's Open Records law is part of a national series of laws called "Sunshine Laws" that govern public access to government records. We need to keep the sun shining on UW. After all, as former Supreme Court Justice Brandeis said,
"Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants."
Start a petition of your own
This petition starter stood up and took action. Will you do the same?
Share this petition
Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee: Strike the UW open records exemption
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Today: Alliance for Animals is counting on you
Alliance for Animals needs your help with “Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee: Strike the UW open records exemption”. Join Alliance for Animals and 3,588 supporters today.
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⇑ back to "Fire in My Bones"
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False Prophets, Foreign Charlatans and Global Deception
8:41AM EDT 6/27/2012 J. Lee Grady
Chris Oyakhilome (Facebook)
Chris Oyakhilome, a popular African preacher with questionable credentials, is sparking international concern.
When I arrived in eastern Europe·a few days ago I learned that Romanian Christians have quite a spiritual battle on their hands. Believers here struggled for years under communism. But now that they are free, they face an equally sinister struggle against cults, New Age teachings and—worst of all—charlatans who claim to be powerful Christian prophets.
One of the most controversial figures in Romania today is Chris Oyakhilome, a Nigerian broadcaster and faith healer who lives in South Africa. Although this smooth-talking preacher has never been to Romania, his influence has grown through his TV programs and books. Meanwhile, some gullible Romanian church leaders have visited his ministry base in Johannesburg and then returned to impart his miracle power to their congregations.
“As much as I want to see healing miracles restored to the church today, I’m not willing to fling open the door to deception. The devil can fake miracles, and if we don’t apply discernment in this vulnerable hour, impostors will sneak into the church and unleash their doctrines—with deadly results.”
But Oyakhilome’s “power” is questionable—and it is spreading not only in eastern Europe but in many other parts of the world, including the United States.
You may have never heard of Oyakhilome, but don’t be surprised if his programs soon appear on a Christian television station near you. The founder of a movement called Christ Embassy, which began in Lagos, Nigeria, Oyakhilome already has 16 churches in the U.S., mostly attracting African immigrants in cities such as Dallas, Houston, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. He has 39 churches in the United Kingdom (where many Nigerians live) and 18 in Canada, and his daily devotional books called Rhapsody of Realities are supposedly available in 70 languages.
Why is he so controversial? Consider a few facts:
Nigerian Christians have long complained that Christ Embassy is a cult—mainly because members reportedly are forced to give money in offerings and are pressured to marry only within their church.
Oyakhilome was accused of engineering a money laundering scheme in Nigeria in 2010, and questions swirl around his finances because of his glamorous lifestyle.
Theologians and cult-monitoring groups have documented their concerns about Oyakhilome’s “New Creation” doctrine—a form of gnosticism that says after a person becomes a Christian, any sin they commit is only in the body and will not affect the spirit. Oyakhilome mixes this doctrine with a hybrid version of the American prosperity gospel, claiming that God wants all people to be rich.
Oyakhilome’s reputation as a faith healer was tarnished badly in 2008 in Johannesburg when a man told a Soweto newspaper that Christ Embassy offered him more than $1,200 (U.S.) to sit in a wheelchair and pretend to be crippled until Oyakhilome prayed for him. The man went to the media instead of taking the money, sparking concerns that healings were being faked to impress growing crowds.
Perhaps most disturbing is Oyakhilome’s connection with T.B. Joshua, a Nigerian occult healer who leads a mysterious group called The Synagogue, Church of All Nations. Joshua, who claims his mother carried him in her womb for 15 months because he was a special prophet, mixes Pentecostal fervor with pagan spirituality. After coming under Joshua’s influence a few years ago, Oyakhilome began copying some of his bizarre mannerisms.
When I came to Romania last week I was surprised to learn how many Christians here had come under Oyakhilome’s influence. But as I did further research I found that Oyakhilome’s popularity is growing far beyond eastern Europe. Thanks to YouTube, Internet TV channels and a public that is often biblically illiterate, Christians today are as vulnerable as ever to religious impostors and deceptive con-artists.
Jude, the brother of Jesus, warned us 2,000 years ago about such false prophets. “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed … ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 4, NASB). Paul also warned that people will demand false teachers to fulfill their lusts, and that those teachers will “turn away their ears from the truth” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Those ancient words are painfully relevant today.
Some Romanian church leaders have sounded an alarm. One of them, Ioan Peia, released a public warning in 2011 listing various false doctrines promoted by Oyakhilome. Peia urged Romanian church leaders to “repent and ask God’s forgiveness, and ask the forgiveness of our brothers, because we allowed a part of these teachings to be spread among us and through us.”
I feel I must sound an alarm as well. As much as I want to see healing miracles restored to the church today, I’m not willing to fling open the door to deception. The devil can fake miracles, and if we don’t apply discernment in this vulnerable hour, impostors will sneak into the church and unleash their doctrines—with deadly results. Please don’t be duped by counterfeits.
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady.
Scriptures for Faith, Deliverance and Healing
Charisma Subscription + David the Great
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Nothing Else Mattered After That Wig Came Off On "How To Get Away With Murder"
Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) dared to go bare on Thursday night's How to Get Away With Murder. WARNING: Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the fourth episode!
Posted on October 17, 2014, 15:45 GMT
Kelley L. Carter
On the fourth episode of ABC's How to Get Away With Murder, there's a moment where Viola Davis' Annalise Keating sits down and looks herself squarely in the mirror.
She'd just learned something groundbreaking from one of her law students: Murder suspect Rebecca Sutter (Kate Findlay) had dead student Lila Standgard's phone all this time with what could be some pretty damning evidence.
But that bit of news played second fiddle to what happened next, when she calmly retreated to her bedroom and did what so many of us do every night.
She revealed her natural hair, matted up from being tucked under the fake (some might add horrible, too) mane all day...
Tap to play or pause GIF Tap to play or pause GIF
Took off her eyelash extensions...
And rubbed off her makeup.
Davis already made waves at the 2012 Academy Awards ceremony when, as a nominated actress, she dared to do what we rarely see black women in Hollywood attempt: go sans wig and let the world see her natural, chemical-free, light brown TWA.
Back then, she let the world in on a secret and launched a hair and beauty conversation. Making a statement on a stage as big as the Academy Awards when you're one of the actresses in the spotlight was one bold move.
JOE KLAMAR/AFP / Getty Images
Davis arrives on the red carpet for the 84th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 26, 2012.
And last night, she did it again in character, a choice How to Get Away With Murder creator Peter Nowalk says came from Davis.
Pete Nowalk @petenowa
In our very first convo @violadavis pitched a scene where we see Annalise take off her wig. #inspiring #breathtaking #gifted #HTGAWM
06:17 AM - 17 Oct 2014
Pete Nowalk@petenowaFollow
2:17 AM - 17 Oct 14ReplyRetweetFavorite
After Annalise stripped down from the neck up, her husband walked in and kissed the side of her neck. Then, she delivered the last nine words of the episode: "Why is your penis on a dead girl's phone?"
Because before you drop a nugget like that, you have to take off all your armor. And lotion up your hands.
Because it's...about...to...go...down.
View this video on YouTube
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ShopBot Tools to cut your design at AWFS Fair 2019 in Las Vegas
ShopBot Tools of Durham, NC, an industry leader in the design and manufacturing of professional and affordable CNC routers, has announced a special offering for attendees at this summer's Association of Woodworkers and Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) Fair in Las Vegas, NV July 17-20. For those who are seriously exploring CNC solutions in woodworking (or virtually any material), ShopBot will demonstrate the cutting of your design, live at the event.
Ryan Patterson, ShopBot Engineer, noted, “Our tools enable tremendous efficiencies for manufacturers, and really the best way to understand the power and precision of CNC technology is to see it in action. That's why we're providing this opportunity for interested professionals.”
Patterson invites show attendees to send him information about their product and production needs, and include a design, that ShopBot will cut on either the ShopBot PRSalpha 96 x 48, with Automatic Tool Changer, or the ShopBot Desktop MAX ATC. The design can be anything from a pencil sketch to a CAD drawing file. Get in touch via email at ryan.p@shopbottools.com. Contact Ryan by July 5th in order to “make the cut.” The ShopBot team will perform material cutting for a limited number of AWFS Fair attendees on a first-come, first-served basis.
ShopBot Tools has specialized in serving the needs of small to medium-size cabinetmaking, furniture, and other woodworking businesses for years. But their tools are also widely used on materials such as plastics, MDF, styrofoam, and non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, in a wide array of industries. "This includes aerospace, transportation, consumer products, sign making... the list is endless," noted Patterson.
Manufacturers using wood or other materials are encouraged to get in touch with the ShopBot team to discuss their production needs. “We're not just about providing tools, ShopBot is here to help solve problems. Aside from providing affordable CNC tools, what sets us apart is the group of services and resources we offer to support your success,” says Ted Hall, ShopBot CEO and Founder. Resources include free access to user forums, in-person and online training classes, and technical support.
About ShopBot Tools, Inc. (www.shopbottools.com)
Founded in 1996, ShopBot's mission is to make the empowering technology of digital fabrication widely accessible and usable. ShopBot's subtractive digital fabrication tools, working across a range of sizes, deliver the power, precision and reliability of digital tools traditionally costing thousands of dollars more. ShopBot tools are designed and built in Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Elias Woodwork introduces a new line of 5-piece Thermofoil doors
Elias Woodwork is excited to continue expanding their Thermofoil products with the introduction of a new line of 5-piece Rigid Thermofoil (RTF) doors and drawer fronts. Using a 5-piece miter construction, these doors more closely resemble real wood doors and drawer fronts with the grain running in the direction of the stile and rail. Not only do RTF products offer color consistency throughout your project, they offer simulated exotic wood grain and painted doors at a considerable savings. They also offer the added benefit of being scratch, fade and stain resistant with joints that are not as affected by temperature variations. A significant feature to consider with RTF is the availability of nearly any accessory for your project including hundreds of molding profiles, corbels, valances, shelves and more. See our selection of wood molding profiles which can be wrapped to match the color of your project. With a 5 year warranty and shorter lead times, this product line can be an ideal option for new remodel and refacing projects.
Currently these doors are available in 5 frame profiles and 10 trendy colors that include wood grains and solid colors. Be sure to see the online gallery to view the new doors style and colors available. Elias is working on expanding the color collection and hope to have more options available in the near future.
Since 1983, Elias Woodwork has been manufacturing cabinetry and millwork components. Over the years we have developed a vast product selection with high quality finishes and competitive prices that continue to grow as we meet the needs of industry professionals. As a lean manufacturer, we can cater to a wide range of industries across North America and internationally.
Richelieu presents the Qanto electric lift-up system for ergonomic cabinet storage
The QANTO Electric Lift-Up System is the ultimate cabinet storage solution that maximizes space and accessibility. This innovative system adds functionality and style to usually difficult-to-access areas such as base corner cabinets in L-shaped and U-shaped kitchens and end cabinets of kitchen islands.
Ergonomic, QANTO is composed of two trays that rise from inside the cabinet at the push of a button, displaying their contents in full view and making everything easy to reach. Push the same button to make them descend back inside the cabinet. The trays are designed with an elegant crystal-glass effect rim that outlines the QANTO on the countertop.
The QANTO system comes pre-assembled in a complete cabinet with adjustable legs for easy integration. The unit simply plugs into a standard 120 V outlet.
Optimize every corner storage space by taking full advantage of the effortless movement to store heavier small appliances or a concealed serving station.
For more information on this product, please visit our website at: https://www.richelieu.com/QR/C/1209506
Richelieu is a leading distributor, importer and manufacturer of specialty hardware and complementary products for over 50 years. Offering a broad mix of more than 110,000 products sourced from suppliers around the world, Richelieu serves a customer base of more than 80,000 manufacturers and retailers through a network of 77 centers across North America and a high-performance e-commerce website. Richelieu remains at the forefront of design, style and innovation for 21st-century lifestyles.
New Leadership Team for the CMA
The Cabinet Makers Association (CMA) is pleased to announce the results of their annual election for the organization’s Board of Directors and the installment of their officers.
The CMA members re-elected James Fox of Fox Woodworking (Phoenixville, PA) and Chris Dehmer of Dark Horse Woodworking (Atlanta, GA) to serve another three-year term. Brian Clancy of Clancy Woodworking (Sherman, CT) was elected as a new board member to also serve for three years.
The Board has appointed the following officers effective July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020:
Chris Dehmer, President
James Fox, Vice President
Matt Wehner of Custom Cabinets by Design (Springfield, MO), Treasurer
Brian Clancy, Secretary
Past president Leland Thomasset (Pawling, NY) will serve as a member-at-large along with Ken Kumph of Premier Builders (Georgetown, MA) and Monika Soos of Sofo Kitchens (Maple Ridge, BC).
Exiting the board is Matt Krig of Northland Woodworks (Blaine, MN). The CMA expresses gratitude to Matt for his contributions for the betterment of the association during his six years on the board, which include serving as president for four years.
To contact any of the board members of the Cabinet Makers Association, please visit www.cabinetmakers.org/contact-us.
CMA's New Board President: Chris Dehmer
Guy Bucey to deliver keynote at CMA's 2020 conference
The Cabinet Makers Association (CMA) announces that Guy Bucey will be the opening keynote speaker at the organization’s 2020 national conference, which will be held March 4-6 in St. Charles, Illinois.
To kick off the CMA’s second national conference, Bucey will share why you should “Stay in Your Lane” when it comes to being an effective leader. Bucey is the COO of Inova, a leading manufacturer and innovator in the furniture industry. Located in upstate New York, Inova focuses on the hospitality, contract, multi-family, student housing, and military markets. Bucey began his career at the company following his service in the Marines and quickly became a role model, known for demonstrating the power of teamwork.
“At Inova, we put a lot of focus on our leadership — we want to be mentors and teachers and not just people who are telling other people what to do. The exact term we use is ‘servant’ leadership,” explained Bucey. “We’re always working to cultivate, train, and teach other employees.”
Bucey’s keynote address coincides with the event theme which focuses on “2020 Vision” and the three sight lines of driving: looking in the rearview mirror to see where we have been, checking the blind spot to see what’s happening around us, and shifting gears to accelerate forward.
You don’t want to miss this event! For more information and to register, visit www.cabinetmakers.org/2020
Woodwork Career Alliance to present three free seminars at AWFS Fair
Owners and managers of woodworking businesses challenged by a low number of job applicants and/or high employee turnover rate are encouraged to attend free College of Woodworking Knowledge seminar sessions featuring the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America at the AWFS Fair, July 17-20 in Las Vegas.
The WCA is scheduled to participate in a pair of free seminars of the fair’s Culture & Workforce Track and one free seminar in the Teacher track. The sessions include:
WCA – WIIFM: What’s In It For Me?
1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 17
Presenter: Patrick Molzahn, director of Cabinetmaking & Millwork, Madison College and secretary of the WCA
Whether you are in education or in industry, this session will provide ideas that you can use to implement the Woodwork Career Alliance credentialing system to create and manage a training program in your school or business. The presenter, who has used the WCA Skill Standards to shape his curriculum, will demonstrate how to improve your training program and discuss how members can take advantage of the WCA’s online library of videos, educational materials and other training resources to help you accomplish your goals faster and better.
Finding, Training and Retaining Workers
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Thursday, July 18
Where are all the workers? If only I could find someone with skills. These millennials just don’t have the work ethic we expect. Does this sound familiar? In a tight labor market, you need to get creative. This seminar will provide strategies to overcome many of the challenges you face recruiting and retaining quality employees.
Building a Training Program for Your Workers
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 19
Presenters: Scott Nelson, president of the WCA & Patrick Molzahn, director of Cabinetmaking & Millwork, Madison College and secretary of the WCA
Are you looking to create you own in-house training program? This ‘nuts & bolts’ session will show you how to get started and how you can access ready-made resources to make the job easier. The presenters will discuss how to assess new candidates on layout and measurement and how to customize your training template. Come to this session to learn:
How to access quality training resources;
How to develop and structure a training plan – including creating a template; and
The benefits of doing in-house training.
In addition to those three free seminars, instructors of two WCA EDUcation™ institutions will present sessions in the Teacher track. John Stearns of the MiLL is scheduled to talk on Classroom Tool Safety, Teacher Curriculum and Resources, and How to Get Money for Your Program & Spend It Wisely. Mark Smith of Reed Cutler High School will discuss AutoCAD for the Woodworking Program and Marketing Your Program: How to Get Started.
To learn more and register for AWFS Fair seminars, visit awfsfair.org.
ShopBot Tools launches "Subscription CNC"
ShopBot announces the launch of its Subscription CNC program, emphasizing a simple, straightforward service that makes it easy to put a ShopBot CNC tool to work for your business. For one monthly payment, Subscribers can put a Handibot® Smart Power Tool, ShopBot Desktop, ShopBot Desktop MAX, or ShopBot Buddy® tool into production and access ShopBot’s world-class team of trainers, web training resources, and in-house support. There are no shipping fees and no cancellation fees. Subscription terms start with a minimum three-month commitment.
Making CNC technology and tools accessible to everyone has been a commitment from ShopBot Tools since first starting in 1996. ShopBot continues to believe that even the ‘little guy’ should be able to successfully employ the capabilities of CNC—making small- to medium-size shops competitive in today’s market.
The ability to cut, drill, machine, and sculpt with precision and repeatability is not just for big companies any longer. CNC lets you produce things that cannot be made effectively by hand. The progress of modern mechanization makes the technology much more affordable, easier to master, and practical. Subscription CNC now makes it possible for just about anyone to access.
“This is a service of a special kind available to individuals, companies, schools, and groups interested in having production assets at hand without distraction. When the subscription has served its function for you, and you’ve developed the resources and confidence for an investment, then you can cancel the subscription and build-out with equipment—now with a better understanding as to what you need,” Jeanne Taylor, ShopBot’s Director of Sales and Marketing, explains. There is no long-term obligation or cancellation fee. Subscribers can trade-up or down on tool size as necessary.
Subscription CNC is not a sale or a financed-sale. Subscription CNC is different from leasing. Lease and rent-to-own programs are good, but they create a sales transaction rather than a partnership. ShopBot has 20+ years of experience in providing CNC tools to businesses and individuals alike—something that is readily apparent by the success of over 10,000 ShopBotters. “We know how to deliver the goods, the tools, the training, the support, and the resources to be productive and creative,” adds Taylor.
Subscribers will be shipped new or ‘good-as-new’ tools. ShopBot will continuously refurbish and recycle tools within the program and after these tools become heavily used, they will be offered to communities in need. Prolonging the life-cycle of products is the best way to get a full life out of all the things we make.
ShopBot Tools Founder and CEO, Ted Hall summarizes, “Just like a traditional tool sale, we take responsibility for delivering tools that work and keep working. Subscription CNC is a new kind of accessibility that can help a small shop, program, a group, or an individual jump-start their work. It is our plan for making CNC even more obtainable to anyone who wants to make use of it.”
Visit the ShopBot website for details on ShopBot’s Subscription CNC program: www.shopbottools.com/SubscriptionCNC
ABOUT SHOPBOT
ShopBot Tools celebrated its 20th year in 2016 and continues to live their mission of making digital fabrication tools widely accessible and user-friendly. ShopBot's CNC routers deliver the power, precision, and reliability of tools traditionally costing thousands of dollars more.
ShopBot is one of the largest producers of digital fabrication equipment for small-to-mid sized manufacturing, DIY, and education markets. The company also provides unparalleled support for its user community with forums, production support services, and specialized training classes. All ShopBot tools are designed, built in, and supported from ShopBot’s Durham, NC headquarters.
This section of our site contains industry news relevant to CMA members.
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East Ridge, TN
Home > Tennessee > East Ridge
According to independent consumer surveys of satellite TV providers and cable companies in East Ridge, TN, DIRECTV has earned the title of best TV service provider in East Ridge.
Are you looking for a quick way to find and evaluate all of the cable companies and other paid television services available in your area? It's possible, thanks to data from independent consumer surveys. For example, among satellite TV and cable companies in East Ridge, TN, DIRECTV comes out on top as the best TV service provider, according to independent consumer survey data.
You need to think about more than cost when selecting the best cable company in East Ridge, TN. It is also critical to look at the channels available with each of the packages offered in your area. Standard packages include most major channels, but the availability of smaller networks and local channels will vary depending on your area. This means that the channel selection with TV packages in East Ridge may not feature the same local channels as comparable packages in neighboring towns. We give you quick and easy access to the important details you need, so you can differentiate among the highest rated providers available in East Ridge. That way, you'll know which providers offer premier packages with the extra channels and features you need to ensure you never miss your favorite show, movie, or the latest or Tennessee Titans game.
There's more than one factor that goes into CableTV.com's satellite TV and cable service recommendations. You see, we know that when you're looking for the cable company in East Ridge, TN that's right for you, dependable coverage and friendly customer service are key. When you follow our recommendations on the best TV provider for your area, you can trust that both your needs and your expectations will be met.
CableTV.com Recommends ViaSat Satellite Internet for your Internet service
Ratings for the Internet service providers available in East Ridge, TN are in, and ViaSat Satellite Internet has come out on top.Speed is one of the most important factors to consider when comparing Internet providers in East Ridge, TN. The average speed in Tennessee is 27 Mbps. While we base our rankings partly on each provider's speed compared to this average, you should still keep in mind that a provider's speed can vary from location to location. That's why it's important to do plenty of research before making your decision. Be sure to look at the speeds each provider offers for your specific area and choose a provider that offers the fastest available Internet speed for your home.
Did you know that bundling Internet service with a cable TV package can help you save money? In fact, TV and Internet bundles can help you save more than $100 every year. Explore current deals on TV and Internet bundles available in East Ridge and compare them to your current bill to get an idea of your potential savings.
CableTV.com makes it easy to pick an Internet and TV service provider in East Ridge. We've consolidated all the information you need on your Internet and TV provider options in East Ridge, TN, including package selections, prices, and product reviews. That way, you can make decisive decision on which Internet and TV providers are right for you in as little time as possible.
Summary of Cable TV and Internet Providers in East Ridge, TN
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916 Mulberry Ave
Selmer, TN 38375
8950 Hwy 64, Suite 115
Lakeland, TN 38002
870 Hwy 321 N, Suite 2
Lenoir City, TN 37771
712 N Ellington Pkwy, Suite 104
704 W Market St, Suite B
Bolivar, TN 38008
6631 Clinton Hwy, Suite 113
640 E Broadway Blvd
541 W Church St, Suite F
Lexington, TN 38351
5400 Clinton Hwy
Rossville, GA Chattanooga, TN Fort Oglethorpe, GA Lupton City, TN Lookout Mountain, GA
Rossville, GA Chattanooga, TN Fort Oglethorpe, GA Lupton City, TN Lookout Mountain, GA Graysville, GA Flintstone, GA Red Bank, TN Hixson, TN Signal Mountain, TN Harrison, TN Wildwood, GA Chickamauga, GA Ringgold, GA Summertown, TN Ooltewah, TN Collegedale, TN Apison, TN Rock Spring, GA Whiteside, TN Guild, TN Soddy Daisy, TN Mc Donald, TN Tunnel Hill, GA Cohutta, GA Trenton, GA Varnell, GA Rocky Face, GA Whitwell, TN Sequatchie, TN La Fayette, GA Jasper, TN Cleveland, TN Rising Fawn, GA Union Point, GA Georgetown, TN South Pittsburg, TN Dunlap, TN Bridgeport, AL Sale Creek, TN Birchwood, TN Tennga, GA Palmer, TN Cisco, GA Conasauga, TN Crandall, GA Ocoee, TN Ider, AL Tracy City, TN Gruetli Laager, TN Chatsworth, GA Trion, GA Coalmont, TN Sugar Valley, GA Resaca, GA Stevenson, AL Benton, TN Mentone, AL Dayton, TN Damascus, GA Monteagle, TN Valley Head, AL Summerville, GA Midway, TN Beersheba Springs, TN Menlo, GA Altamont, TN Henagar, AL Calhoun, GA Sewanee, TN Fackler, AL Riceville, TN Pisgah, AL Pikeville, TN Evensville, TN
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Man damaged counter door
TWENTY-year-old Adam Jackson broke a counter door at Chilli Hut in March after a night on the town, a court heard. He had been out drinking with friends before he went into the takeaway restaurant and was abusive to staff, and caused the damage. Jackson,
TWENTY-year-old Adam Jackson broke a counter door at Chilli Hut in March after a night on the town, a court heard.He had been out drinking with friends before he went into the takeaway restaurant and was abusive to staff, and caused the damage.Jackson, of City Road, March, admitted damaging the door on April 15 last year, failing to attend Wisbech police station on December 5, and not turning up at court on January 4.In mitigation, Martin Newton said Jackson had been reckless, and had lashed out but had not meant to cause the damage.Jackson was given a 12-month community order with a supervision element, and 40 hours of unpaid community work. He must pay £100 compensation.
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Technical University of Beijing
China University of Geosciences
Shenzhen Virtual University Park
Indian Institute of Technology of Mumbai (Bombay)
Indian Institute of Technology of Delhi
Isfahan University of Technology
University of Kirkuk
Shizuoka University
Tokai University
SOFTOPIA, Gifu Prefecture
Chonbuk National University
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Chongju University
K-JIST (Kwang – ju Institute of Science & Technology)
Korean Advanced Institute of Technology (KAIST), Taejon
Kyungpook National University
Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) (formerly K-JIST (Kwang – ju Institute of Science & Technology)
Nanyang Technological University
Taipei National University
Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok
King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology
Siam University
Hanoi University of Technology
Hanoi Open University
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Universidade Estadual de Londrina
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Instituto Superior Politécnico José Antonio Echeverría
Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Mc Master University
Université Laval
University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee
Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas
Ohio State University, Columbus
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Florida State University, Tallahassee,
Florida Institute of Technology, FloridaTech, Melbourne
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
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Colorado State University, Fort Collins
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Mississippi State University, Mississippi State
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City University, Bellevue, Washington
Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri
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Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan
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University of Technology, Sydney
Université des Sciences et de la Technologie d’Oran
Cairo University
Suez Canal University, Faculty of Engineering, Port Said
Tanta University
Zagazig University
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The SourceIsabella Welch February 14, 2019 promo, food, fern bar, north bay, sebastopol, north, bay, Fern Bar, Fern, fern
Off The Menu: An Evening at Fern Bar
Historically speaking, “Fern Bar” is an American slang term for an trendy, upscale bar frequented by single twenty and thirty-somethings, often decorated with an array of greenery, including but not limited to ferns and other members of the plant kingdom.
The phrase peaked in popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today in the Bay Area, however, Fern Bar is the name of Sebastopol’s new and immediately beloved restaurant, imbibing the North Bay with live music and drinks worth crossing a bridge for.
Bob Cut ventured over to Fern Bar this season and logged a few hours in the moody, glamorous space. We got to watch the sausage being made, so to speak, as we arrived at the oh-so-cool spot before opening time. We saw the prep, the misting of plants, the hustle of staff much like the crew of a movie before the director calls action.
A movie set is truly a near-perfect description of this Sebastopol bar, as the aesthetic is strong and on brand, offering a transportive experience for restaurant-goers. From the music to the mood lighting and the living, breathing plants that blanket most surfaces, it’s easy to forget the world from where you came once you set foot in Fern Bar. Co-founder Sam Levy explained that from design to execution, the interior of Fern Bar was premeditated and intentional. The goal was to give Sebastopol something the town had never seen before.
Equally as crucial as the design and physical restaurant buildout was the hiring of staff for Fern Bar. Levy said he wanted to make sure the team assembled was completely bought into the mission and passionate about the work to be done. He also was adamant that the team atmosphere be supportive and close-knit
“I don’t like the word ‘server’ - we’re not servants,” Levy said of his team. “I like to think of us as captains.”
Coming from a strict, at times unhealthy environment at past restaurants, Levy wanted the team at Fern Bar to be founded on a shared pride for their work and a genuine care for their craft. Bar Director Alec Vlastnik, who has also manned the bars of Spoonbar! and Perch + Plow, takes that mission and runs with it, moving and cocktail shaking a plethora of drinks with speed and diligence, right on the money with that perfect fizzy balance each time a beverage is served.
Since its opening in late December, Fern Bar has been attracting people be the troves. The immediate positive response speaks to the tremendous need for something fresh and out of the ordinary. And truly - Fern Bar has all the trappings of a proper escape.
The drink menu rivals any top-notch SF bar without a shade of doubt. What’s more, they’ve taken the “mock” out of mocktail and lent Fern Bar’s non-alcoholic drinks the pomp and circumstance we never knew they deserved. With such variety and flavor, being your tipsy friends’ D.D. just got a whole lot more enjoyable. (We recommend the Blue Dream - it tastes like a cotton candy marshmallow cloud and is the color of a perfect summer sky.)
Food and drinks aside, it’s the internal vibe of Fern Bar that keeps locals and out of towners alike coming back multiple times a month - often multiple times a weekend, even. From our perch at the bar, we heard a considerable amount of passing positive buzz. One bar-goer sipped her Hot-Blooded cocktail and mused, “Now, this place I could never get tired of.” Put that on yelp, will you sister?
From a personal level, few times have we seen such a tangible camaraderie amongst a staff. Fern Bar, can you feed and imbibe us every night of the week? We could sit at this marble countertop until closing time, and afterwards if you let us, too.
// Fern Bar is located at 6780 Depot Street, Suite 120, in Sebastopol. Operating hours are Thurs-Mon from 4p.m. to midnight. Photography by Isabella Welch.
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Isabella Welch
Isabella Welch is a graduate of UCLA with a degree in history. Her writing has been featured in history journals, travel blogs, arts & culture magazines, and more. Director of Editorial & Creative Development at Bob Cut Mag, lover of stories and tinto de verano, she’s usually found wandering the Headlands.
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The SourceBob Cut Editors February 19, 2019 food, promo, ice cream, things to do, eat, dessert, desserts, sf desserts, san francisco, bay area, east bay, 2017
Transparent By The Bottle: A. N. Other Is Trailblazing The Perfume Industry
The SourceBob Cut Partner February 07, 2019 partner, fashion, promo, san francisco, ANOTHER, A.N.Other, Miami
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Home Press Release Press Release, Abuja, Tuesday 19th February 2019 | The Postponed Elections: Our Concerns on Ethnic Stereotyping
Press Release, Abuja, Tuesday 19th February 2019 | The Postponed Elections: Our Concerns on Ethnic Stereotyping
Published On - February 20, 2019
Admin Cdd Press Release
Press Release, Abuja, Tuesday 19th February 2019
The Postponed Elections: Our Concerns on Ethnic Stereotyping
This morning, we learnt that Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu, INEC National Commissioner was summoned to report to the Department of State Security (DSS) for interrogation. Others from INEC summoned with him include Chidi Nwafor, the Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Ken Ukeagu, Director of Procurement; Osaze Uzzi, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity and Bimbo Oladunjoye, the Assistant Director of ICT. The DSS has the responsibility to convene and interrogate anyone suspected to be a threat to national security and we do not in any way question that.
We understand that the DSS has since withdrawn the summons but we remain concerned. Our concerns stem from a web design that suddenly emerged on the social media yesterday presenting alleged linkages between the Atiku Campaign Organisation and leading civil society activists of Igbo ethnicity and Professor Ibeanu in INEC. Key civil society activists were targeted in the campaign – Olisa Agbakoba SAN, Clement Nwankwo, Sam Amadi, Innocent Chukwuma and Chidi Odinkalu. Alleged linkages were then drawn to Professor Ibeanu and Mike Ogini of INEC, Bukola Saraki in Senate and the Ballard facilitation of the Atiku trip to the United States and even Donald Trump. Within hours of the circulation of this web, a massive social media campaign with the hashtag #INECIbeanuMustGo was trending presenting Ibeanu as the Atiku Campaign mole in INEC with responsibility for scuttling last Saturday’s election and rigging the forthcoming elections.
We know Okechukwu Ibeanu to be a committed democrat who has devoted his life to the struggle for peace and democracy in Nigeria. He is a respected professor of political science and was in charge of logistics, having taken over from Amina Zakari in October 2018. Subsequently, a different ad hoc committee was set up specifically for the elections. The ad hoc committee has 17 members, and is headed by Ahmed Tijjani Mu’azu, a retired Air Vice Marshal. Making Ibeanu the fall guy for the botched elections is therefore completely wrong. INEC has collective responsibility for the failure.
There appears to be an orchestrated campaign against Okechukwu Ibeanu. His house in Enugu and his car have been broken into with valuables, including laptops and iPads, taken away. On Monday, an article written by Ibeanu in December 2015 resurfaced on the social media followed with a comment: “Nigeria has a Biafran agitator as the REC for Logistics, no wonder this unpatriotic individual, Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu who has made his mission to undermine the Nigerian state.” The article in question was a rejoinder to an opinion written by Ibrahim Jibrin (“Jibo”), one of the signatories of this press release on perceptions of the Igbo Question and Biafara
Professor Ibeanu has had a distinguished academic career at home and abroad and was special rapporteur of the United Nations from 2004-2010. In 2016, he was appointed INEC national commissioner representing the south-east. He was the Chief Technical Officer to Professor Attahiru Jega, the INEC Chairman between 2010 and 2015 and contributed enormously to the success of the 2011 and 2015 elections.
We have the following concerns:
1) There are too many conspiracy theories in circulation and a great deal of mudslinging in the campaigns. In addition, the campaign has been characterized by strong ethno-religious mobilization on all sides, which can be harmful to nation building.
2) This is a clearly orchestrated campaign to smear the names of these people, most of whom have devoted their lives to the struggle against military rule and for democracy for the past three to four decades.
3) The said campaign is divisive and is geared to smear an ethnic group and present them as enemies of democracy and free and fair elections.
4) The smear campaign can only do harm to the difficult process of consolidation of Nigerian democracy.
We therefore appeal to all stakeholders to desist from pursuing campaigns of calumny against any group, and to instead, focus on ensuring that the elections hold in a spirit of nation building that would allow the winners of the elections carry forward the Nigerian national project. Let us all work with INEC and all other authorities involved in the electoral process to re-build trust, and to ensure that there is peace and concord before, during and after the elections.
Professor Adele Jinadu, Chair, Election Analysis Centre
Femi Falana SAN, Legal Practitioner
Professor Ebere Onwudiwe, Political Economist
Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, Political Scientist
Y.Z, Ya’u, Co-Chair, Situation Room
Idayat Hassan, Director, Centre for Democracy and Development
Ms. Ayo Obe, Legal Practioner
Dr. Hussaini Abdu, Country Director, Plan International
Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director, CISLAC
Professor Jibrin Ibrahim
Centre for Democracy and Development, Abuja
Follow me on twitter @jibrinibrahim17
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Safaricom’s Deborah Mallowah on how the 4IR can bridge inequality gap
WHO sending urgent health assistance after Cyclone Idai displaces thousands of people in Southern Africa
Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is providing urgent assistance to meet the health needs of thousands of people impacted by flooding in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The floods were triggered by Tropical Cyclone Idai, which swept through the region last week.
Cyclone Idai, which formed over the northern Mozambique channel, made landfall at the port of Beira and left 500 000 residents without power and means of communication. The Government of Mozambique estimates that more than 1 000 people may have died, with 600 000 persons affected in the northern provinces of Niassa, Tete and Zambezia.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that a total of 1.6 million people have been affected in the three countries.
Given the disruption of health services, WHO and partners are supporting all three governments in ramping up the health response to the disaster. Deployed over the weekend, an initial surge team of WHO experts is working with the three health ministries and other partners to target support where it is needed most. WHO has already dispatched medicines for injuries and primary health care (including malaria treatment) to the affected countries. The supplies cover the primary health care needs for 10 000 people for three months, including treatment for severely injured persons.
WHO is deploying a full incident management team to Mozambique for scaling up the health response. Similar response actions with the deployment of health experts, medicines and medical materials and equipment are also ongoing for Malawi and Zimbabwe.
With most of the affected populations now housed in temporary shelter centres, the emergency supplies are providing support to outreach clinics and to better manage potential outbreaks of waterborne diseases, among others in those centres.
“The displacement of large numbers of people and the flooding triggered by Cyclone Idai significantly increases the risk of malaria, typhoid and cholera,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “WHO stands with the affected people and is organizing assistance to address their urgent health needs.”
State authorities in the three countries continue search and rescue missions. In Malawi, 922 000 people have been affected, with 82 700 people displaced, 577 injuries and 56 deaths. The cyclone also stormed through Chimanimani District in Zimbabwe, causing 65 deaths and displacing between 8 000 and 9 600 people.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.
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Turkey - International Politics
The Palmer Report on the Gaza Flotilla Incident
CJPME Factsheet 137, published September, 2011: This factsheet provides a summary analysis of the Palmer Report, a commission appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki‐moon to hold an inquiry over Israel’s attack on the Gaza Aid Flotilla in 2010.
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CJPME Factsheet 90, published July, 2010: This factsheet looks at Turkish-Israeli relations overtime and what the future might hold for them. Turkey has been Israel’s closest ally in the Muslim world since Israel’s creation. Turkey was among one of the first states to recognize Israel in 1949. But tensions between the two escalated after Israel’s 2008-2009 assault on Gaza during which nearly 1,400 Palestinians were killed. Relations reached a new low in May, 2010, after Israel attacked an aid ship bound for Gaza, killing nine people—eight Turks and a U.S. national of Turkish origin.
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Los Angeles Rams Calendar
History of Rams Nation
THE 2018 LOS ANGELES RAMS SEASON
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The good and bad from Rams OTAs, before this week’s three-day minicamp
Rams Nation MVP
-06-11-2019, 06:52 AM
By Vincent Bonsignore Jun 10, 2019 1
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Rams have wrapped up the organized team activity phase of their offseason program, and all that stands between them and the opening of training camp in late July is a mandatory three-day minicamp that begins Tuesday.
If recent history repeats, the minicamp likely will be condensed by a day or two, because coach Sean McVay typically cuts it short to reward players for the work they put in during the offseason program. And after observing the Rams during the open portions of OTAs, I suspect that will be the case this year.
Among the many observations from OTAs, one that stands out is how the Rams attacked the program with focus and energy. This isn’t your typical, positive-natured OTAs hyperbole, either. I sincerely wondered what sort of mindset the Rams would have, given the gut-wrenching manner in which their season ended, with a disappointing loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Or whether the obvious disappointment would linger into this season.
That doesn’t appear to be the case, at least not yet. The team I watched the last few weeks looks much more decisive and purposeful than this time last year.
Some poking around behind the scenes revealed that the work ethic, demeanor and spirit has stood out within the Rams’ building. The resulting sentiment, as expressed in a recent text from a team insider, is that while there’s no guarantee they’ll match or exceed their 13-win total from a year ago, there is confidence that this year’s team has a chance to be better overall than the one that reached the Super Bowl last year.
That said, here are some specific observations from OTAs:
The absence of Todd Gurley lingers
No doubt the Rams are pleased with the work they’ve put in thus far, and even just from eyeballing it from the sidelines, it appears their content is warranted. But the notable absence of Todd Gurley, who was held out of on-field activities while adhering to a training program designed to get his left knee through an entire season, cast a definite shadow.
The murkiness surrounding Gurley’s health has been cause for boundless discussion, speculation, worry and frustration among pundits and fans. The manner in which he ended last season — he missed the final two regular-season games and appeared to be a shell of himself in the playoffs (save for a powerful performance in the divisional round against Dallas) — and the lack of clarity ever since has been an ominous stain on an otherwise positive offseason.
Nevertheless, I still believe it’s overly pessimistic to assume the worst about Gurley. Obviously something is up with the knee. All signs are pointing to a condition that needs to be managed, rather than an actual injury that needs to be fixed. Reading between the lines regarding the plan they have in place, it appears the days of Gurley being the undisputed, heavy-load bell cow running back are over.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t still be a hugely significant piece of the Rams’ offense. In fact, by altering his usage rate the Rams hope to avoid reaching a point of diminishing returns, which seemed to be the issue last year.
The Rams created cover for Gurley — no matter the severity of the situation — by re-signing Malcolm Brown and drafting dynamic Memphis running back Darrell Henderson. Brown is expected to reclaim his backup duties after he missed the last four regular-season games and all of the postseason with a knee injury, and Henderson showed in OTAs that his speed, explosiveness and versatility as a runner and pass-catcher will add an exciting new element to the Rams’ offense.
The question is, will he do it more as a complement to Gurley or in place of him?
Jared Goff and the offense look next level
One thing that really stood out in OTAs is the obviousness that this is an offense going into its third year under the same coach.
That isn’t to suggest it has hit some type of plateau, either. In fact, with the foundation of McVay’s offense securely in place, the Rams are adding and building on it.
The face of that familiarity and decisiveness is fourth-year quarterback Jared Goff, who has looked completely in charge with his operation and leadership inside the huddle, at the line of scrimmage and in actual execution. Quite a bit of that has been against zone-coverage looks, which gave him trouble late last season and in particular against the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
The blame for that is not exclusive to Goff, as the Rams’ coaching staff was slow to make adjustments to the defensive schemes the Patriots utilized. But if OTAs provided any evidence, the Rams seem more prepared, should teams deploy a similar game plan.
Circling back to Goff and the command he’s showing, it makes the idea of the Rams walking away from him at the end of his rookie contract seem all the more ludicrous. It makes no sense, after investing the resources it took to acquire Goff, then developing and grooming him, to simply part ways just as he’s hitting his prime years, in order to start over with a younger, cheaper replacement.
Yes, keeping Goff will be expensive. And there will be salary-cap challenges when it comes to building a championship-caliber team around a highly paid quarterback. But Goff will be in the prime years of his career, with a master’s degree in this offense, and that will provide far more benefit than whatever savings an unproven, younger replacement might provide.
Inside linebacker is still a question, but there are answers
The Rams took a huge leap of faith this time last year by anointing Cory Littleton as the replacement at inside linebacker for veteran Alec Ogletree, a fixture they surprisingly traded. Littleton delivered on the Rams’ faith with a Pro Bowl-caliber season while excelling against both the run and pass.
The Rams hope history repeats this year, because they cut veteran Mark Barron in a salary-cap move, which left the linebacker spot opposite Littleton wide open.
Micah Kiser, now in his second year after spending most of his rookie year on special teams, got a bunch of snaps with the first-team defense during OTAs. And while he looks bigger and stronger from this time a year ago — he more than looked the starter’s part during practice — until he actually gets on the field for an extended period, he remains a question mark.
The depth behind Littleton and Kiser is mostly thin, save for Bryce Hager, a veteran backup who can provide capable work in short stints. It opens the door for youngsters such as Travin Howard, in whom the Rams invested a year of development last season, and rookie Dakota Allen, who they drafted in the seventh round this year out of Texas Tech.
The Rams were noticeably quiet on the ILB front during the offseason, which leads you to believe they’re comfortable that a combination of Kiser and others will adequately man the position. Keep in mind, also, the amount of time they spend in their base defense is not extensive. Whatever learning curve Kiser might experience in pass coverage can be mitigated by sub-package looks, in which he yields his spot to a defensive back.
It will be interesting to see how quickly rookie safety Taylor Rapp grasps the defense. You can certainly envision situations where he’s on the field in three-safety looks, in which either he or John Johnson drop down to linebacker. Rapp, much like Johnson, was utilized all over the field at Washington and his versatility was particularly attractive to the Rams.
Lots of numbers on the defensive line
One of the more intriguing positions to watch in OTAs — and into training camp — is the defensive line. Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers are back at tackle and end, respectively, but who lines up between them (in their base defense) and alongside them (in sub packages) remains in question.
The good news is, there are plenty of available options.
The most likely candidate to start at nose tackle in the base defense is rookie Greg Gaines, but don’t sleep on second-year tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, who put in a ton of work in the weight room this offseason and looks ready to earn a role. Joseph-Day was on the 53-man roster for all of last year after being selected in the sixth round out of Rutgers, a sign of the Rams’ confidence that he could deliver if called upon. As it turns out, he was able to take a virtual redshirt season and quietly develop behind the scenes. He has a huge opportunity to forge a role this year, and his work in OTAs shows he’s taken the necessary steps to compete for a job.
Tanzel Smart is also in the mix, but has some work ahead of him with the addition of Gaines and what appears to be an improved Joseph-Day.
On the outside, veteran Clay Matthews took some snaps as a hand-in-dirt defensive end, although he was much more prominent at outside linebacker — usually while rotating with Samson Ebukam — and (at times) at inside linebacker.
Matthews will likely rotate among all three positions during the season, as coordinator Wade Phillips wants to deploy him from various launch points and try to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
When the Rams do line up with four linemen, expect to see a lot of John Franklin-Myers, who showed natural pass-rush skill as a rookie while notching two sacks, and Morgan Fox, who is back at defensive end after missing all of last year with a knee injury.
Fox stood out during OTAs with his speed and athletic ability, which served to remind everyone why the Rams were so high on him before the injury. The combination of Fox, Franklin-Myers and Matthews has a chance to create enticing pass-rush pressure off the bench, and help supplement the heat created by Donald in the interior and Dante Fowler Jr. off the edge.
RealRam
Well, so far so good - so to speak (in general terms). Sans Gurley of course, the Mystery Man.
KoaKoi
Glad to see Bonsignore is back to actually writing (some of his recent stuff has been drivel). No real eye openers here for hardy fans, but if I hadn't been following the team much, this would have been a fantastic update on the offseason.
I definitely think Kiser will be rotating with a safety depending on the package/playcall...
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Mission and you
Transport and accommodation needs
Your church and CMS SANT
Youth and CMS SANT
Kids resources
Mexico was under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence early in the nineteenth century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 plunged Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over 50 years.
The nation continues to recover. Ongoing economic and social concerns include low wages, underemployment for a large segment of the population, inequitable income distribution and marginalised indigenous people. Forty per cent of the population live below the national poverty line.
Mexico is a secular state that allows for freedom of religion. However, evangelicals have suffered persecution, particularly in the poor southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca where there have been instances of mob violence, destruction of crops, homes and churches, and arrests of believers on trumped up charges.
Leadership training is important for the Church. There are well over 100 Bible schools training thousands of leaders, as well as Theological Education by Extension programs.
Country Facts
Region: Latin America
Capital: Mexico City
Population: 129.5 million
Area: 1,964,375 km2
Religions: Roman Catholic 84.6%, Protestant 6.8%
Languages: Spanish
Other countries in this region
Missionaries In Mexico
Peter and Sarah Sholl
View Missionary
Pray that the government would address the economic and social difficulties in Mexico to bring changes that benefit all sections of society.
Pray that persecuted believers would demonstrate the meekness and love of Jesus.
Pray that God would continue to raise up leaders for the Church.
E: sa.nt@cms.org.au
37 Angas Street
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12 Cincinnati Bengals targets for Day 2 of the NFL Draft
Looking at who the Bengals could target in the second and third round on Friday.
12 Cincinnati Bengals targets for Day 2 of the NFL Draft Looking at who the Bengals could target in the second and third round on Friday. Check out this story on cincinnati.com: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2019/04/26/2019-cincinnati-bengals-nfl-draft-12-targets-day-2/3584161002/
Paul Dehner Jr., Cincinnati Enquirer Published 12:30 a.m. ET April 26, 2019
Bengals beat writers Fletcher Page and Paul Dehner Jr. break down the Cincinnati Bengals' first-round pick in offensive tackle Jonah Williams. Kareem Elgazzar, kelgazzar@enquirer.com
With the first-round in the books and Jonah Williams locked into the offensive line, we can set focus on the Bengals’ two selections on Friday. They pick No. 42 and 74 overall.
Here’s a look at 10 players to keep an eye on for the Bengals on Friday as the second and third round unfolds. Linebacker and edge rusher are now the top positional priorities remaining, but the second-round pick, in particular, is wide open to go in almost any direction.
Te’von Coney, LB, Notre Dame
The Bengals still need to fill the linebacker hole. Coney brings instincts and productivity from the Irish. He might not have the explosion and twitch of Devin White and Devin Bush, but his feel for the game, three-down potential and playmaking are things the Bengals lack.
Blake Cashman, LB, Minnesota
Moved from walk-on to the centerpiece of one of the best defensive turnarounds in football last year. Cashman can run, too, with his 4.5 40. Have to love everything about the makeup and football IQ here.
Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State
The Bengals can’t count on John Ross. Maybe he starts to make good on the Round 1 potential this year, but that’s far from guaranteed. Campbell visited the Bengals and made important fans inside the organization. The unique skill set that helped him excel in gadget plays and the slot at OSU, would be the perfect match with a creative new offensive head coach.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Parris Campbell (21) breaks a tackle against Northwestern Wildcats linebacker Paddy Fisher (42) in the second half in the Big Ten conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. (Photo: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports)
Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina
File this under the same heading as Campbell. Samuel showed the ability to dominate in the slot and excelled at the Senior Bowl. He could come in and start on opening day inside of A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd. The Bengals will be watching his name.
Jaylon Ferguson, DE, Louisiana Tech
Well, 17.5 sacks and 26 tackles for loss last season, let’s start there. Then move on to breaking the FBS record for career sacks set by Terrell Suggs. And at 6-foot-5 and 271 pounds, he brings plenty of mass to the edge spot with significant speed-to-power pass rush ability.
Kahale Warring, TE, San Diego State
A rare athlete who could be comparable to Tyler Eifert after a year of molding. Convenient considering Eifert is on a one-year deal and his health is always a question. His addition would make for a versatile and dynamic tight end room.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and offensive line coach Jim Turner discuss the impact of 2019 NFL Draft first-round pick offensive tackle Jonah Williams. Kareem Elgazzar, kelgazzar@enquirer.com
Jace Sternberger, TE, Texas A&M
Need to know if the tight end will work in this system? How about going to where offensive line coach Jim Turner coached last year and Sternberger blew up for 832 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Max Scharping, OT, Northern Illinois
Doesn’t own ideal NFL tackle traits, but he understands what he doesn’t have and knows how to make it all work. PFF ranks him as the 50th overall prospect and slots him as top 10 in both run blocking success and pass blocking efficiency. He did everything well and at 6-5, 327 brings plenty of size to the table.
Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
Not many expected Lock to slip out of the first round. Now, many of the quarterback-needy teams already have their man with Washington, Arizona and the Giants already matched up. He would be a steal at 42 and could develop into something much bigger down the line.
Cody Ford, OT, Oklahoma
Would the Bengals re-visit the nightmare of the 2015 draft and go with back-to-back tackles again? Considering Ford slipped out of the first round, him shockingly being there when they pick might be the only way possible. Put Jawaan Taylor, of Florida, and Dalton Risner, of Kansas State, in that boat as well.
Khalen Saunders, DT, Western Illinois
Massive nose guard at 6-0, 324 pounds. He would fill in the Andrew Billings role. The two would likely rotate this year before Saunders takes over fully next season. Ferguson would offer more as a potential pass rusher down the line.
Ryan Finley, QB, N.C. State
Owns many of the traits the Bengals like in Andy Dalton. Shown accuracy and anticipation. Leaves plenty to be desired outside of the structure of the offense, but when working with the scheme knows how to execute what is asked. For a projected backup who maybe could be developed into something more, that’s what the Bengals could use.
Doc: It's OK, Reds fans, go ahead and wonder
New FC Cincinnati stadium design unveiled
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Carpet - How It Is Made
Wall-to-wall knowledge on how carpet is manufactured.
Knowing how carpet is made can be very advantageous. It enables you to understand the product’s materials right from their birth. Remember that these are materials you will be living with, and on, should you choose to have carpet installed in your home.
Knowing the different materials that make up various carpets also helps you understand and evaluate their performance aspects: why certain carpets are easier to install, why some wear better, longer, and why others are easier to care for and clean.
Plus, perhaps most important, understanding carpet manufacturing and materials can make you a smarter shopper, help you better determine carpet value and keep you inside the borders of your home improvement budget.
Now, before we take you through how carpet is made, remember that, when selecting carpet, thicker is not always better. What you need to look at is the construction of the carpet.
You want a tight twist in each yarn, not loose and frayed at the end.
A firm, dense pile is also the mark of a quality carpet. How to check the density? Bend a corner of the carpet and see how much backing shows. The more backing you see, the less dense and durable the carpet.
And for high traffic areas, consider lower profile carpets that won’t have the potential to matte and crush.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. To start at the beginning, check out our materials and manufacturing story that follows.
To understand carpet is to know about fiber.
Fiber is the basic material that a carpet is made up of. Over ninety percent of all of the carpet made today is made up of synthetic fiber.
The rest is natural fiber, most commonly wool. First, let’s look at the most common synthetic fibers.
Synthetic fibers are usually made up of one of three materials: nylon, polypropylene or polyester. All three are created by similar chemical processes using oil and natural gas.
Nylon leads the way.
Almost 75% of carpet today is made of nylon and, compared to the other fibers below, it performs the best overall. Nylon is the leader in: appearance retention, fade and heat resistance, soil and stain resistance, and color and styling. The highest performance nylon is Type 6.6, which has a tighter molecular construction, making the carpet more resistant to stain penetration.
Polypropylene is popular and naturally resistant.
The next most common material used in carpet manufacturing is polypropylene. Introduced in the late 1950’s in Italy, polypropylene BCF has seen fast growth over the last twenty years, and today represents more than thirty-five percent of the total fibers used in the carpet industry.
While polypropylene is not as resilient or resistant to abrasion as nylon, it is naturally stain and fade resistant. Its natural resistance to moisture means that it must be dyed before being extruded, resulting in a more limited range of color options. Polypropylene is most often used in loop pile carpet constructions.
Polyester’s performance satisfies many.
The third type of material commonly used in carpet manufacturing is polyester. Polyester was introduced to the carpet industry in the mid 1960’s, and has been well accepted for its bulkiness, color clarity, and good stain and fade resistance. While not as resilient as nylon, Polyester fiber carpet constructed with today’s new technologies can be a good performer.
Wool is natural but expensive.
The above three materials make up the majority of synthetic fibers. The other type of fiber used in carpet construction is staple fiber. While some synthetics are used in the creation of staple fibers, the original staple fiber used in the making of carpet is wool.
The wool used in today’s carpet comes primarily from New Zealand, Argentina, and the United Kingdom. Since wool is a natural fiber, it ranges in color from off-white to black, with many earthen tones between.
Berber, now considered a type of carpet construction, actually comes from the name of a group of North African sheepherders called the Berbers. The Berbers were known to produce very coarse wool, with characteristic color flecks in their yarns.
Although wool doesn’t stand up to abrasion and moisture as well as synthetics, it cleans well and is known to age gracefully. Wool is the most expensive carpet fiber, and represents less than one percent of the U.S. carpet market.
How carpet is made is a 3-part process.
There are basically three steps to manufacturing carpet. The first step is tufting.
Tufting begins with the process of weaving the synthetic or staple fiber into a primary backing material. The primary backing material is usually made of woven polypropylene, and its main value is to provide a base cloth to hold the yarn in place while the tufting happens.
The tufting machine looks like a really big sewing machine.
It has anywhere from 800 to 2000 needles working in concert to pull the yarn through the primary backing material. The typical tufting machine sits about 12 feet wide, and as its needles penetrate the backing, a small hook called a looper grabs the yarn and holds it in place. This process results in what is called loop pile construction.
Loop pile products hold their appearance exceptionally well. Since there are no exposed yarn tips, only the sides of the yarn are exposed to wear and stress. Generally speaking, low profile loop carpet stands up to heavy traffic best.
Here, an alternative step may occur.
In some carpet styles the looper then rocks back against a knife, where the small loops of yarn are cut, creating what we call a cut pile carpet. The length of these cut pieces of yarn is referred to as the pile height, and is basically the distance between the looper and the primary backing.
These precision cuts are controlled by a computer, and are sometimes programmed to cut only some of the loops. This method of selectively cutting, called cut and loop construction, creates a recognizable pattern on the surface of the carpet.
Now let’s pause in our construction story to identify and explain some terms and construction variables that you may want to know about while making a carpet purchase decision.
Pile height, or nap, is the length of the tuft measured from the primary backing to the yarn tips. It’s usually shown as a fraction, or sometimes its decimal equivalent. Usually shorter pile heights are more durable than longer pile heights.
The stitch rate of a carpet is the measure of how close the yarns are together. Stitch rate is measured in penetrations, or tufts, in a given length of carpet, usually an inch. The stitch rate is controlled by how fast the carpet is moved through the tufting machine. Seven to eight tufts per inch is a good number, while three or four is pretty poor.
Face weight is determined by the actual amount of fiber per square yard, and is measured in ounces. A typical carpet may have a face weight of 35 to 45 ounces for example.
Finally, density is a measure of how tightly the yarn is stitched into the primary backing. Higher density carpet will typically wear better than low density carpet.
The second step of carpet manufacturing is the application of dye.
Now the carpet is taken through one of two dyeing processes.
The first method of dyeing is called yarn dyeing, or sometimes pre-dyeing, where the color is applied to the yarn prior to tufting.
The advantages of all yarn dyeing methods include good side-by-side color consistency, large lot sizes, and uniformity.
The second method involves applying color to the yarn after the carpet has been tufted.
This method is called carpet dyeing. There are several carpet dyeing methods in use, each producing a unique end result.
The first technique, often referred to as Beck, or batch dyeing, involves stitching the ends of the carpet together, and then running the tufted carpet loop through large vats of dye and water for several hours. The Beck process is ideal for smaller production runs, and heavier face weight products.
Continuous dyeing is a similar process to Beck dyeing, but involves running the carpet through several processes in addition to just the dye application. Continuous dyeing applies the color directly to the carpet face by spraying or printing. This process is also used to create multicolor or patterned effects in the carpet.
Screen printing is another common method of carpet coloring, where color is applied through anywhere from one to as many as eight silk-screens.
The major benefits of carpet dyeing, that is dyeing the carpet after the tufting process, are greater color flexibility, and lower cost.
The third and last step in the manufacturing of carpet is the finishing process.
This process is typically a single production line that completes the final stage of the carpet construction.
In the finishing process, a coating of latex is applied to both the tufted, dyed carpet’s primary backing, and also to secondary backing. Secondary backing is typically made of a woven synthetic polypropylene material.
The two parts are squeezed together in a large heated press, where they are held firmly to preserve their shape.
Shearing, one of the last stages in the manufacture of carpet, is the process of removing all of the little loose ends and projecting fibers that might have been created during the tufting process. It also helps achieve the yarn’s tip definition of the finished carpet.
Finally, each carpet is carefully inspected for color uniformity and other manufacturing defects before it is rolled, wrapped, and shipped.
That’s our story on how carpet is made. We believe that the right knowledge can be as functional and practical as carpet itself. We also hope that the information we’ve featured here leads you to a better understanding of how this beautiful and versatile product is created, and helps you be a better, smarter, more savvy carpet shopper.
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Subscribe To Machete Kills' President Charlie Sheen Calls For Legal Marijuana And Nude Tuesdays Updates
Machete Kills' President Charlie Sheen Calls For Legal Marijuana And Nude Tuesdays
If Charlie Sheen, er, Carlos Estevez were President, this would be a really strange country. And I’m writing this minutes after the U.S. Government shut down. Anyway, we only have to worry about Estevez showing up as Commander in Chief on screen in Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming insanity-fest Machete Kills. The above clip, via IndieWire, presents just a piece of the radical world that Danny Trejo’s titular character Machete calls home. The (hypothetical) President wants marijuana legalized, and also wants to incorporate Nude Tuesdays into the daily way of life. Aw shit yeah, right? But he wants Twitter criminalized and made punishable by death. Hmm, I still see no problem with this, but I’m betting it would cause more of an uproar than Obamacare.
Judging from the trailers, it doesn’t look like the character of The President has anything to do with anything beyond just hanging around the oval office making bold statements. And if this were a bit on Anger Management, I would have a huge problem with it. Luckily, there are a slew of other things going on with this movie, as well as a couple dozen other guest stars’ appearances to revel in. One of those stars finally got her own character poster, weeks after the others had been released. Check out the poster below from Maxim, which is NSFW if you have a huge weapon fetish.
That would be Amber Heard in her role as Miss San Antonio, which is no real mystery if you actually look at the poster. I’m not even sure who Miss San Antonio is supposed to be, beyond Machete’s weapon dealer. In the poster, she’s holding the “Swiss Army knife of machetes,” and it looks like it could be used to take on the entire Swiss Army. At least, if Machete is the one holding it.
And if those two weren’t awesome enough by themselves, we’ve also got quite a few interesting stills from the film. Carrying on from where we left off a second ago, here’s Heard holding a gun that looks like a tape recorder I had as a kid.
Hopefully you're into women looking like badasses, because here's Michelle Rodriguez' Shé, aiming with her good boob. I mean cleavage. I mean eye.
Not to be outdone, here's the villainous Luthor Voz (Mel Gibson), holding the next iteration of the Magic Bullet blender.
And now here's Mendez the Madman, played by The Bridge's Demian Bichir, with some kind of a Tony Stark contraption over his heart. Or maybe it's just jewelry.
And saving the best man for last, here are two of Trejo, both is killer mode, and in "do you need anymore water?" mode.
Machete Kills comes out on October 11. Be there or be launched into the propellers of the nearest helicopter. Check out the Miss San Antonio clip released last week and the amazing red-band trailer on the bottom.
How James Franco Got Roped Into Johnny Depp And Amber Heard's Legal Issues
Johnny Depp's Pirates Of The Caribbean-Related Lawsuit Against Amber Heard Set A Trial Date
CBS All Access' The Stand TV Show May Star James Marsden And More Big Names
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CKD-MBD
Find news, scientific data and broad educational material in the field of CKD-MBD – from experts for experts.
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Iron Deficiency/Anemia
Helping patients to achieve target phosphate levels – a question and answer session with Professor Fouque (Part 2)
In a new 2-part video interview, Professor Denis Fouque from the Université de Lyon discusses how to help patients achieve target phosphate levels during a question and an answer session. In Part 2, Professor Fouque discusses:
Measures that can be taken to support patients with poor adherence
Thoughts on the new phosphate binder, sucroferric oxyhydroxide, and its potential impact on adherence and pill burden
To increase compliance to the drug, there are many options. First, we have to make the patient convinced that the medication is important for his or her disease and will help him to reduce consequences of abnormal metabolic patterns. Second, the number of pills, of course, is extremely important.
– Professor Denis Fouque
Video: https://player.vimeo.com/video/160744262
Based on your experience, what support is needed to help improve medication adherence?
[The] important thing [is] that chronic kidney disease is a chronic disease, which will last for many years, probably 20 to 30 years. The road is not that easy. Every year, every new step, every CKD stage, patient[s] will meet new challenges, will become a little bit sicker every year, will have more restrictions, more diet control, more pills to take, more frequent hospitalisation referrals, more frequent blood draws, etc. It is very important to help the patient to cope with their disease and the diet is a very important step. They should first meet a dietician, frequently, to help them to focus on the best food and nutrition intake during all these CKD stages.
To increase compliance to the drug, there are many options. First, we have to make the patient convinced that the medication is important for his or her disease and will help him to reduce consequences of abnormal metabolic patterns. Second, the number of pills, of course, is extremely important, because if you have to take 20 pills per day, you have to drink water. This may reduce your appetite if you take these drugs before lunch, for example.
So we really have to make the patient understand how important is to take these pills. Of course, [reducing] the number of pills is a primary goal to achieve, and reducing the pill number may help the compliance of the patients.
What is your opinion on the new iron-based phosphate binder, sucroferric oxyhydroxide?
Sucroferric oxyhydroxide, a new iron-based, calcium-free phosphate binders, may be an interesting option because it binds phosphate extremely strong[ly] throughout the entire gastrointestinal lumen. It is pH [insensitive], which means that the binding will occur all along the gastrointestinal tract. This represents an interesting option as compared to other binders. The binding of phosphate with this new iron-based binder will be definitive. This is interesting because it may not be reabsorbed further along the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, the iron will not be absorbed because of this strong phosphate binding. In recent studies, there was no need to monitor iron status because there was no difference as compared to the other tested non-iron phosphate binders. So as a consequence, this new drug may be of interest, because it will bind phosphate very strongly and in a definitive fashion along the gastrointestinal tract.
What is your opinion on the pill burden and compliance issues with regard to this new phosphate binder?
I think with sucroferric oxyhydroxide, the positive thing is that the patient can take one pill per meal, which corresponds to the protein and phosphate load. There is a kind of logic to explain to the patient that if he eats proteins and phosphate, he has to take one pill per meal. I think he may better understand the necessity to associate protein and this new binder.
Expert article by
Professor Denis Fouque
Professor of Nephrology at the University Claude Bernard Lyon1, and Chief of the Division of Nephrology at the Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud in Lyon, France
In a new two-part video interview, Professor Denis Fouque from the Université de Lyon discusses how to help patients achieve target phosphate levels during a question and an answer session. In Part 1, Professor Fouque discusses: The importance of phosphate binders for CKD patients Why patients fail to reach recommended…
NDD-CKD
Unmet needs in CKD-MBD
Congress Coverage
FGF-23
Further Articles
Adherence & Pill Burden
The Compact Renal news-mail keeps you updated on new content.
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Compact Renal is funded and initiated by Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma. Working with a panel of healthcare professionals responsible for the care of patients with chronic kidney disease.
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Neither the name of Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma nor any of Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma’s other trademarks, service marks or copyrighted materials may be used in any way, including in any advertising, hyperlink, publicity or promotional materials of any kind, whether relating to the website or otherwise, without Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma’s prior written permission, except that a third party website that desires to link to the website may use the name “Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma” in text format only in or as part of that link. === Limited liability === While Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma has made reasonable efforts to compile the Content in an accurate and professional manner, Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma makes no representations or warranties that the Content is accurate, up-to-date or complete, and all users of the Content agree that they use the Content at their own risk. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, VIFOR FRESENIUS MEDICAL RENAL PHARMA EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. In particular, we must ask you to be aware that the Content may no longer be up to date, and you are responsible to check the Content prior to using it in whatever form. Contributions on this website express the view of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma or the latest scientific insight. The Content does not constitute medical or health care advice for any individual problem, nor is it a substitute for medical or other professional advice and services from a qualified health care provider familiar with the facts of an individual case. Our provision of the Content does not exempt you from the responsibility of conducting your own checks. IN NO EVENT WILL VIFOR FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE RENAL PHARMA NOR ANY THIRD PARTIES INVOLVED IN CREATION OF THE CONTENT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTENT OR ANY USE OF THE CONTENT, OR ANY LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF THE CONTENT OR THIS WEBSITE, WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARISE IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, UNDER STATUTE, OR OTHERWISE, AND WHETHER OR NOT SUCH DAMAGES WERE FORESEEABLE. === Websites of third-party vendors/links === This website contains links/references to third-party websites. By providing such links, Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma does not give its approval to their contents. Neither does Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma accept any responsibility for the availability or the contents of such websites or any liability for damage or injury resulting from the use of such contents, of whatever form. Links to other websites are provided to website users merely for the sake of convenience. Users access such websites at their own risk. === International users === This website is checked and updated by Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma, St. Gallen, Switzerland. This website is exclusively intended for international use. However Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma gives no guarantee that the details presented on this website are also correct worldwide, and, in particular, that products and services will be available with the same appearance, in the same sizes or on the same conditions throughout the world. Should you call up this website or download contents from such a place, please note that it is your own responsibility to ensure that you act in compliance with local legislation applicable in that place. === Applicable law === These Terms of Use shall be governed by the laws of Switzerland. The courts of Zurich 1, Zurich, Switzerland, shall have exclusive jurisdiction. If any provision of the Terms of Use is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, then the Terms of Use will remain in full force and effect and will be reformed to be valid and enforceable while reflecting the intent of the parties to the greatest extent permitted by law. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, these Terms of Use sets forth the entire agreement between you and Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma regarding its subject matter, and supersedes all prior promises, agreements or representations, whether written or oral, regarding such subject matter. These Terms of Use may be assigned by Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma in its discretion and will inure to its successors and assigns.” === Medical issues / Medicinal products === The site will not place any information that qualifies as advertising of licensed pharmaceutical products. Pharmaceutical products can be mentioned only in relation to the scientific data and without any promotional purpose. The information made available on this website may refer to medicines or indications which may not be approved in your country. They are presented in the spirit of education and the right of the scientific and medical community to be fully informed concerning scientific and medical progress, as stipulated in the IFPMA Code. === Adverse Events / Complaints === Any information on adverse events related to Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma’s products should be directed at the earliest notice to: Safety@viforpharma.com Phone number: +41(0) 79 788 03 09 Last updated: 26 April 2016
I am a healthcare professional and I accept the Terms of Use.
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From all of us at CSF: Thank you!
Leandro Pampin| 19 December 2016
Every day, support from donors like you makes our work possible. Are you willing to make a special year-end donation to help us protect ecosystems around the world?
Please, click here to make your donation now.
BUILD Synthesis Report
Date: Wednesday, 6 July 2016
Type of publication: Project report
Location: Amazon Basin, South America
Themes: Dams, Roads, Economic Tools, Infrastructure, Smart Energy + Transportation Infrastructure
Project report:
Biodiversity Understanding in Infrastructure and Landscape Development (BUILD)
Kim Bonine
Irene Burgues Arrea
Niki Gribi
Courtney Lewis Cheng
From 2011-2015, CSF engaged in a comprehensive global initiative through the Biodiversity Understanding in Infrastructure and Landscape Development (BUILD) program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This report highlights key elements of this multi-year, multi-continent set of infrastructure related projects, and includes an appendix of all activities by region.
Economic tools for responsible infrastructure
Irene Burgués (staff)| 31 October 2013
p>This past June I spent three weeks in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) facilitating one of CSF’s flagship Economics Tools for Conservation courses. The course focused on infrastructure planning and biodiversity conservation in the Albertine Rift. The course was delivered in partnership with L'École Régionale post-universitaire d'Aménagement et de gestion Intégrés des Forêts et territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT). Holding the course in DRC was a great opportunity to share economic tools with conservationists and infrastructure planners that work in an area which faces new and rapid development options.
Outils Économiques pour la Conservation et la Planification d’Infrastructures dans le Rift Albertin
Economic Tools, Protected Areas, Smart Energy + Transportation Infrastructure, Wildlife Protection
Monday, 17 June, 2013 - Friday, 28 June, 2013
Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa
Conservation Strategy Fund accepte dès à présent les demandes d'inscription pour le cours d’Outils Économiques pour la Conservation et la Planification d’Infrastructures dans le Rift Albertin, du 17 au 28 juin 2013 en RDC. Ce cours est offert en partenariat avec L'École Régionale post-universitaire d'Aménagement et de gestion Intégrés des Forêts et territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT) et est rendu possible grâce aux soutiens de l´USAID (United States Agency for International Development), Wildlife Conservation Network, et l´Handsel Foundation.
Dams, Indigenous Economies, Natural Resource Industries and Livelihoods, Roads, Economic Tools, Infrastructure, Incentives for Thriving Landscapes, Protected Areas, Smart Energy + Transportation Infrastructure, Wildlife Protection
Through an agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) has launched a comprehensive initiative in central Africa, expand CSF’s programs in the Andes-Amazon region, and initiate a limited program in Asia’s Himalayan region. The goal of the program is to promote biodiversity conservation through infrastructure best practices.
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