Boron Carbide Filled Neutron Shielding Textile Polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manzlak, Derrick Anthony

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Parallel Unstructured Grid Generation for Complex Real-World Aerodynamic Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zagaris, George

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Polymeric Radiation Shielding for Applications in Space: Polyimide Synthesis and Modeling of Multi-Layered Polymeric Shields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiavone, Clinton Cleveland

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Processing and Conversion of Algae to Bioethanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kampfe, Sara Katherine

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

The Development of the CALIPSO LiDAR Simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Kathleen A.

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Exploring a Novel Approach to Technical Nuclear Forensics Utilizing Atomic Force Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peeke, Richard Scot

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Modeling of Critically-Stratified Gravity Flows: Application to the Eel River Continental Shelf, Northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scully, Malcolm E.

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Production of Cyclohexylene-Containing Diamines in Pursuit of Novel Radiation Shielding Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bate, Norah G.

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Development of Boron-Containing Polyimide Materials and Poly(arylene Ether)s for Radiation Shielding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Brittani May

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Magnetization Dynamics and Anisotropy in Ferromagnetic/Antiferromagnetic Ni/NiO Bilayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petersen, Andreas

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Heart Rate Variability Responses of a Preterm Infant to Kangaroo Care

PubMed Central

McCain, Gail C.; Ludington-Hoe, Susan M.; Swinth, Joan Y.; Hadeed, Anthony J.

2006-01-01

A 35-week old preterm infant's behavior was fussy and restless in the open crib, but he calmed and fell asleep immediately on being placed skin-to-skin on his mother's chest. Heart rate variability (HRV), a noninvasive method to assess the autonomic nervous system's influence on heart rate, was increased with fussy behavior in the open crib and decreased with sleep during kangaroo care (KC). KC produced changes in behavior and HRV that are illustrative of decreasing stress. PMID:16282226

PeakVizor: Visual Analytics of Peaks in Video Clickstreams from Massive Open Online Courses.

PubMed

Chen, Qing; Chen, Yuanzhe; Liu, Dongyu; Shi, Conglei; Wu, Yingcai; Qu, Huamin

2016-10-01

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) aim to facilitate open-access and massive-participation education. These courses have attracted millions of learners recently. At present, most MOOC platforms record the web log data of learner interactions with course videos. Such large amounts of multivariate data pose a new challenge in terms of analyzing online learning behaviors. Previous studies have mainly focused on the aggregate behaviors of learners from a summative view; however, few attempts have been made to conduct a detailed analysis of such behaviors. To determine complex learning patterns in MOOC video interactions, this paper introduces a comprehensive visualization system called PeakVizor. This system enables course instructors and education experts to analyze the "peaks" or the video segments that generate numerous clickstreams. The system features three views at different levels: the overview with glyphs to display valuable statistics regarding the peaks detected; the flow view to present spatio-temporal information regarding the peaks; and the correlation view to show the correlation between different learner groups and the peaks. Case studies and interviews conducted with domain experts have demonstrated the usefulness and effectiveness of PeakVizor, and new findings about learning behaviors in MOOC platforms have been reported.

Creating system engineering products with executable models in a model-based engineering environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karban, Robert; Dekens, Frank G.; Herzig, Sebastian; Elaasar, Maged; Jankevičius, Nerijus

2016-08-01

Applying systems engineering across the life-cycle results in a number of products built from interdependent sources of information using different kinds of system level analysis. This paper focuses on leveraging the Executable System Engineering Method (ESEM) [1] [2], which automates requirements verification (e.g. power and mass budget margins and duration analysis of operational modes) using executable SysML [3] models. The particular value proposition is to integrate requirements, and executable behavior and performance models for certain types of system level analysis. The models are created with modeling patterns that involve structural, behavioral and parametric diagrams, and are managed by an open source Model Based Engineering Environment (named OpenMBEE [4]). This paper demonstrates how the ESEM is applied in conjunction with OpenMBEE to create key engineering products (e.g. operational concept document) for the Alignment and Phasing System (APS) within the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project [5], which is under development by the TMT International Observatory (TIO) [5].

Oculomatic: High speed, reliable, and accurate open-source eye tracking for humans and non-human primates.

PubMed

Zimmermann, Jan; Vazquez, Yuriria; Glimcher, Paul W; Pesaran, Bijan; Louie, Kenway

2016-09-01

Video-based noninvasive eye trackers are an extremely useful tool for many areas of research. Many open-source eye trackers are available but current open-source systems are not designed to track eye movements with the temporal resolution required to investigate the mechanisms of oculomotor behavior. Commercial systems are available but employ closed source hardware and software and are relatively expensive, limiting wide-spread use. Here we present Oculomatic, an open-source software and modular hardware solution to eye tracking for use in humans and non-human primates. Oculomatic features high temporal resolution (up to 600Hz), real-time eye tracking with high spatial accuracy (<0.5°), and low system latency (∼1.8ms, 0.32ms STD) at a relatively low-cost. Oculomatic compares favorably to our existing scleral search-coil system while being fully non invasive. We propose that Oculomatic can support a wide range of research into the properties and neural mechanisms of oculomotor behavior. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessing open-system behavior of 14C in terrestrial gastropod shells

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rech, Jason A.; Pigati, Jeffrey S.; Lehmann, Sophie B.; McGimpsey, Chelsea N.; Grimley, David A.; Nekola, Jeffrey C.

2011-01-01

In order to assess open-system behavior of radiocarbon in fossil gastropod shells, we measured the 14C activity on 10 aliquots of shell material recovered from Illinoian (~190-130 ka) and pre-Illinoian (~800 ka) loess and lacustrine deposits in the Midwestern USA. Eight of the 10 aliquots yielded measurable 14C activities that ranged from 0.25 to 0.53 percent modern carbon (pMC), corresponding to apparent 14C ages between 48.2 and 42.1 ka. This small level of open-system behavior is common in many materials that are used for 14C dating (e.g. charcoal), and typically sets the upper practical limit of the technique. Two aliquots of gastropod shells from the Illinoian-aged Petersburg Silt (Petersburg Section) in central Illinois, USA, however, yielded elevated 14C activities of 1.26 and 1.71 pMC, which correspond to apparent 14C ages of 35.1 and 32.7 ka. Together, these results suggest that while many fossil gastropods shells may not suffer from major (>1%) open-system problems, this is not always the case. We then examined the mineralogy, trace element chemistry, and physical characteristics of a suite of fossil and modern gastropod shells to identify the source of contamination in the Petersburg shells and assess the effectiveness of these screening techniques at identifying samples suitable for 14C dating. Mineralogical (XRD) and trace element analyses were inconclusive, which suggests that these techniques are not suitable for assessing open-system behavior in terrestrial gastropod shells. Analysis with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), however, identified secondary mineralization (calcium carbonate) primarily within the inner whorls of the Petersburg shells. This indicates that SEM examination, or possibly standard microscope examination, of the interior of gastropod shells should be used when selecting fossil gastropod shells for 14C dating.

Assessing open-system behavior of 14C in terrestrial gastropod shells

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rech, J.A.; Pigati, J.S.; Lehmann, S.B.; McGimpsey, C.N.; Grimley, D.A.; Nekola, J.C.

2011-01-01

In order to assess open-system behavior of radiocarbon in fossil gastropod shells, we measured the 14C activity on 10 aliquots of shell material recovered from Illinoian (~190-130 ka) and pre-Illinoian (~800 ka) loess and lacustrine deposits in the Midwestern USA. Eight of the 10 aliquots yielded measurable 14C activities that ranged from 0.25 to 0.53 percent modern carbon (pMC), corresponding to apparent 14C ages between 48.2 and 42.1 ka. This small level of open-system behavior is common in many materials that are used for 14C dating (e.g. charcoal), and typically sets the upper practical limit of the technique. Two aliquots of gastropod shells from the Illinoian-aged Petersburg Silt (Petersburg Section) in central Illinois, USA, however, yielded elevated 14C activities of 1.26 and 1.71 pMC, which correspond to apparent 14C ages of 35.1 and 32.7 ka. Together, these results suggest that while many fossil gastropods shells may not suffer from major (>1%) open-system problems, this is not always the case. We then examined the mineralogy, trace element chemistry, and physical characteristics of a suite of fossil and modern gastropod shells to identify the source of contamination in the Petersburg shells and assess the effectiveness of these screening techniques at identifying samples suitable for 14C dating. Mineralogical (XRD) and trace element analyses were inconclusive, which suggests that these techniques are not suitable for assessing open-system behavior in terrestrial gastropod shells. Analysis with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), however, identified secondary mineralization (calcium carbonate) primarily within the inner whorls of the Petersburg shells. This indicates that SEM examination, or possibly standard microscope examination, of the interior of gastropod shells should be used when selecting fossil gastropod shells for 14C dating. ?? 2011 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona.

A low-cost, computer-controlled robotic flower system for behavioral experiments.

PubMed

Kuusela, Erno; Lämsä, Juho

2016-04-01

Human observations during behavioral studies are expensive, time-consuming, and error prone. For this reason, automatization of experiments is highly desirable, as it reduces the risk of human errors and workload. The robotic system we developed is simple and cheap to build and handles feeding and data collection automatically. The system was built using mostly off-the-shelf components and has a novel feeding mechanism that uses servos to perform refill operations. We used the robotic system in two separate behavioral studies with bumblebees (Bombus terrestris): The system was used both for training of the bees and for the experimental data collection. The robotic system was reliable, with no flight in our studies failing due to a technical malfunction. The data recorded were easy to apply for further analysis. The software and the hardware design are open source. The development of cheap open-source prototyping platforms during the recent years has opened up many possibilities in designing of experiments. Automatization not only reduces workload, but also potentially allows experimental designs never done before, such as dynamic experiments, where the system responds to, for example, learning of the animal. We present a complete system with hardware and software, and it can be used as such in various experiments requiring feeders and collection of visitation data. Use of the system is not limited to any particular experimental setup or even species.

VideoHacking: Automated Tracking and Quantification of Locomotor Behavior with Open Source Software and Off-the-Shelf Video Equipment.

PubMed

Conklin, Emily E; Lee, Kathyann L; Schlabach, Sadie A; Woods, Ian G

2015-01-01

Differences in nervous system function can result in differences in behavioral output. Measurements of animal locomotion enable the quantification of these differences. Automated tracking of animal movement is less labor-intensive and bias-prone than direct observation, and allows for simultaneous analysis of multiple animals, high spatial and temporal resolution, and data collection over extended periods of time. Here, we present a new video-tracking system built on Python-based software that is free, open source, and cross-platform, and that can analyze video input from widely available video capture devices such as smartphone cameras and webcams. We validated this software through four tests on a variety of animal species, including larval and adult zebrafish (Danio rerio), Siberian dwarf hamsters (Phodopus sungorus), and wild birds. These tests highlight the capacity of our software for long-term data acquisition, parallel analysis of multiple animals, and application to animal species of different sizes and movement patterns. We applied the software to an analysis of the effects of ethanol on thigmotaxis (wall-hugging) behavior on adult zebrafish, and found that acute ethanol treatment decreased thigmotaxis behaviors without affecting overall amounts of motion. The open source nature of our software enables flexibility, customization, and scalability in behavioral analyses. Moreover, our system presents a free alternative to commercial video-tracking systems and is thus broadly applicable to a wide variety of educational settings and research programs.

Manual versus Automated Rodent Behavioral Assessment: Comparing Efficacy and Ease of Bederson and Garcia Neurological Deficit Scores to an Open Field Video-Tracking System.

PubMed

Desland, Fiona A; Afzal, Aqeela; Warraich, Zuha; Mocco, J

2014-01-01

Animal models of stroke have been crucial in advancing our understanding of the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia. Currently, the standards for determining neurological deficit in rodents are the Bederson and Garcia scales, manual assessments scoring animals based on parameters ranked on a narrow scale of severity. Automated open field analysis of a live-video tracking system that analyzes animal behavior may provide a more sensitive test. Results obtained from the manual Bederson and Garcia scales did not show significant differences between pre- and post-stroke animals in a small cohort. When using the same cohort, however, post-stroke data obtained from automated open field analysis showed significant differences in several parameters. Furthermore, large cohort analysis also demonstrated increased sensitivity with automated open field analysis versus the Bederson and Garcia scales. These early data indicate use of automated open field analysis software may provide a more sensitive assessment when compared to traditional Bederson and Garcia scales.

A Human Open Field Test Reveals Thigmotaxis Related to Agoraphobic Fear.

PubMed

Walz, Nora; Mühlberger, Andreas; Pauli, Paul

2016-09-01

Thigmotaxis refers to a specific behavior of animals (i.e., to stay close to walls when exploring an open space). Such behavior can be assessed with the open field test (OFT), which is a well-established indicator of animal fear. The detection of similar open field behavior in humans may verify the translational validity of this paradigm. Enhanced thigmotaxis related to anxiety may suggest the relevance of such behavior for anxiety disorders, especially agoraphobia. A global positioning system was used to analyze the behavior of 16 patients with agoraphobia and 18 healthy individuals with a risk for agoraphobia (i.e., high anxiety sensitivity) during a human OFT and compare it with appropriate control groups (n = 16 and n = 19). We also tracked 17 patients with agoraphobia and 17 control participants during a city walk that involved walking through an open market square. Our human OFT triggered thigmotaxis in participants; patients with agoraphobia and participants with high anxiety sensitivity exhibited enhanced thigmotaxis. This behavior was evident in increased movement lengths along the wall of the natural open field and fewer entries into the center of the field despite normal movement speed and length. Furthermore, participants avoided passing through the market square during the city walk, indicating again that thigmotaxis is related to agoraphobia. This study is the first to our knowledge to verify the translational validity of the OFT and to reveal that thigmotaxis, an evolutionarily adaptive behavior shown by most species, is related to agoraphobia, a pathologic fear of open spaces, and anxiety sensitivity, a risk factor for agoraphobia. Copyright © 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experiment 2033. Injection Test of Upper EE-3 Fracture Zone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grigsby, Charles O.

1983-09-12

This experiment is designed to investigate the apparent lithologic boundary between the low-opening-pressure fracture system (upper EE-3 fracture and Phase I system) and the high-opening-pressure fracture system (lower fracture in EE-3 and in EE-2). The experiment will test for resistence to breakthrough into the lower EE-2 fracture system at relatively low pressure and will define the veting behavior of the low pressure system.

Chronic fluoxetine treatment induces anxiolytic responses and altered social behaviors in medaka, Oryzias latipes.

PubMed

Ansai, Satoshi; Hosokawa, Hiroshi; Maegawa, Shingo; Kinoshita, Masato

2016-04-15

Medaka (Oryzias latipes) is a small freshwater teleost that is an emerging model system for neurobehavioral research and toxicological testing. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class of antidepressants such as fluoxetine is one of the widely prescribed drugs, but little is known about the effects of these drugs on medaka behaviors. To assess the behavioral effects of fluoxetine, we chronically administrated fluoxetine to medaka adult fish and analyzed the anxiety-related and social behaviors using five behavioral paradigms (diving, open-field, light-dark transition, mirror-biting, and social interaction) with an automated behavioral testing system. Fish chronically treated with fluoxetine exhibited anxiolytic responses such as an overall increased time spent in the top area in the diving test and an increased time spent in center area in the open-field test. Analysis of socially evoked behavior showed that chronic fluoxetine administration decreased the number of mirror biting times in the mirror-biting test and increased latency to first contact in the social interaction test. Additionally, chronic fluoxetine administration reduced the horizontal locomotor activity in the open-field test but not the vertical activity in the diving test. These investigations are mostly consistent with previous reports in the other teleost species and rodent models. These results indicate that behavioral assessment in medaka adult fish will become useful for screening of effects of pharmaceutical and toxicological compounds in animal behaviors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Telemetric recordings of single neuron activity and visual scenes in monkeys walking in an open field.

PubMed

Lei, Yanlin; Sun, Ninglei; Wilson, Fraser A W; Wang, Xiusong; Chen, Nanhui; Yang, Jianzhen; Peng, Yanping; Wang, Jianhong; Tian, Shaohua; Wang, Maohua; Miao, Yingda; Zhu, Weina; Qi, Hua; Ma, Yuanye

2004-05-30

This paper describes a portable recording system and methods for obtaining chronic recordings of single units and tracking rhesus monkey behavior in an open field. The integrated system consists of four major components: (1) microelectrode assembly; (2) head-stage; (3) recording station; and (4) data storage station, the first three of which are carried by the monkey and weigh 800 g. Our system provides synchronized video and electrophysiological signals, which are transmitted by a wireless system to a distance of 50 m. Its major advantages are that neuronal recordings are made in freely moving monkeys, and well-separated action potentials with amplitude five times higher than the background noise are usually recorded and readily kept for many hours. Using this system, we were able to study "place cells" in non-human primate brains. The described methods provide a new way to examine correlations between single neuron activity and primate behaviors, and can also be used to study the cellular basis of social behaviors in non-human primates.

Emergent phases and critical behavior in a non-Markovian open quantum system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheung, H. F. H.; Patil, Y. S.; Vengalattore, M.

2018-05-01

Open quantum systems exhibit a range of novel out-of-equilibrium behavior due to the interplay between coherent quantum dynamics and dissipation. Of particular interest in these systems are driven, dissipative transitions, the emergence of dynamical phases with novel broken symmetries, and critical behavior that lies beyond the conventional paradigm of Landau-Ginzburg phenomenology. Here, we consider a parametrically driven two-mode system in the presence of non-Markovian system-reservoir interactions. We show that the non-Markovian dynamics modifies the phase diagram of this system, resulting in the emergence of a broken symmetry phase in a universality class that has no counterpart in the corresponding Markovian system. This emergent phase is accompanied by enhanced two-mode entanglement that remains robust at finite temperatures. Such reservoir-engineered dynamical phases can potentially shed light on universal aspects of dynamical phase transitions in a wide range of nonequilibrium systems, and aid in the development of techniques for the robust generation of entanglement and quantum correlations at finite temperatures with potential applications to quantum control, state preparation, and metrology.

High-Performance Nanocomposites Designed for Radiation Shielding in Space and an Application of GIS for Analyzing Nanopowder Dispersion in Polymer Matrixes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auslander, Joseph Simcha

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Time-Resolved Magneto-Optical Imaging of Superconducting YBCO Thin Films in the High-Frequency AC Current Regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frey, Alexander

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Use of Remote Sensing to Identify Essential Habitat for Aeschynomene virginica (L.) BSP, a Threatened Tidal Freshwater Wetland Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mountz, Elizabeth M.

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Silver-Polyimide Nanocomposite Films: Single-Stage Synthesis and Analysis of Metalized Partially-Fluorinated Polyimide BTDA/4-BDAF Prepared from Silver(I) Complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abelard, Joshua Erold Robert

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

Multifunctional Polymer Synthesis and Incorporation of Gadolinium Compounds and Modified Tungsten Nanoparticles for Improvement of Radiation Shielding for use in Outer Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harbert, Emily Grace

We begin by defining the concept of `open' Markov processes, which are continuous-time Markov chains where probability can flow in and out through certain `boundary' states. We study open Markov processes which in the absence of such boundary flows admit equilibrium states satisfying detailed balance, meaning that the net flow of probability vanishes between all pairs of states. External couplings which fix the probabilities of boundary states can maintain such systems in non-equilibrium steady states in which non-zero probability currents flow. We show that these non-equilibrium steady states minimize a quadratic form which we call 'dissipation.' This is closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. We bound the rate of change of the entropy of a driven non-equilibrium steady state relative to the underlying equilibrium state in terms of the flow of probability through the boundary of the process. We then consider open Markov processes as morphisms in a symmetric monoidal category by splitting up their boundary states into certain sets of `inputs' and `outputs.' Composition corresponds to gluing the outputs of one such open Markov process onto the inputs of another so that the probability flowing out of the first process is equal to the probability flowing into the second. Tensoring in this category corresponds to placing two such systems side by side. We construct a `black-box' functor characterizing the behavior of an open Markov process in terms of the space of possible steady state probabilities and probability currents along the boundary. The fact that this is a functor means that the behavior of a composite open Markov process can be computed by composing the behaviors of the open Markov processes from which it is composed. We prove a similar black-boxing theorem for reaction networks whose dynamics are given by the non-linear rate equation. Along the way we describe a more general category of open dynamical systems where composition corresponds to gluing together open dynamical systems.

A compositional framework for Markov processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baez, John C.; Fong, Brendan; Pollard, Blake S.

2016-03-01

We define the concept of an "open" Markov process, or more precisely, continuous-time Markov chain, which is one where probability can flow in or out of certain states called "inputs" and "outputs." One can build up a Markov process from smaller open pieces. This process is formalized by making open Markov processes into the morphisms of a dagger compact category. We show that the behavior of a detailed balanced open Markov process is determined by a principle of minimum dissipation, closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. Using this fact, we set up a functor mapping open detailed balanced Markov processes to open circuits made of linear resistors. We also describe how to "black box" an open Markov process, obtaining the linear relation between input and output data that holds in any steady state, including nonequilibrium steady states with a nonzero flow of probability through the system. We prove that black boxing gives a symmetric monoidal dagger functor sending open detailed balanced Markov processes to Lagrangian relations between symplectic vector spaces. This allows us to compute the steady state behavior of an open detailed balanced Markov process from the behaviors of smaller pieces from which it is built. We relate this black box functor to a previously constructed black box functor for circuits.

Driver eye-scanning behavior at intersections at night.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-10-01

This research project analyzed drivers eye scanning behavior at night when approaching signalized : and unsignalized intersections using the data from a head-mounted eye-tracking system during open road : driving on a prescribed route. During the ...

Nonlinear dynamics and damage induced properties of soft matter with application in oncology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naimark, O.

2017-09-01

Molecular-morphological signs of oncogenesis could be linked to multiscale collective effects in molecular, cell and tissue related to defects (damage) dynamics. It was shown that nonlinear behavior of biological systems can be linked to the existence of characteristic collective open state modes providing the coherent expression dynamics. New type of criticality in nonequilibrium systems with defects—structural-scaling transition allows the definition of the `driving force' for a biological soft matter related to consolidated open states. The set of collective open states (breathers, autosolitons and blow-up modes) in the molecular ensembles provides the collective expression dynamics to attract the entire system (cell, tissue) toward a few preferred global states. The co-existence of three types of collective modes determines the multifractal scenario of biological soft matter dynamics. The appearance of `globally convergent' dynamics corresponding to the coherent behavior of multiscale blow-up open states (blow-up gene expression) leads to anomalous localized softening (blow-up localized damage) and the subjection of the cells (or tissue) to monofractal dynamics. This dynamics can be associated with cancer progression.

Intranasal administration of testosterone increased immobile-sniffing, exploratory behavior, motor behavior and grooming behavior in rats.

PubMed

Zhang, Guoliang; Shi, Geming; Tan, Huibing; Kang, Yunxiao; Cui, Huixian

2011-04-01

Currently, testosterone (T) replacement therapy is typically provided by oral medication, injectable T esters, surgically implanted T pellets, transdermal patches and gels. However, most of these methods of administration are still not ideal for targeting the central nervous system. Recently, therapeutic intranasal T administration (InT) has been considered as another option for delivering T to the brain. In the present study, the effects of 21-day InT treatment were assessed on open field behavior in gonadectomized (GDX) rats and intact rats. Subcutaneous injections of T at same dose were also tested in GDX rats. A total of 12 behavioral events were examined in GDX groups with or without T and in intact groups with or without InT. Significant decreases in open field activity were observed in rats after GDX without InT compared to sham-operated rats. The open field activity scores for most tests significantly increased with InT treatment in GDX rats and in intact rats compared with the corresponding GDX rats and intact rats. Intranasal administration of T improved the reduced behaviors resulted from T deficiency better than subcutaneous injection of T, demonstrating that T can be delivered to the brain by intranasal administration. Our results suggest that intranasal T delivery is an effective option for targeting the central nervous system. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

psiTurk: An open-source framework for conducting replicable behavioral experiments online.

PubMed

Gureckis, Todd M; Martin, Jay; McDonnell, John; Rich, Alexander S; Markant, Doug; Coenen, Anna; Halpern, David; Hamrick, Jessica B; Chan, Patricia

2016-09-01

Online data collection has begun to revolutionize the behavioral sciences. However, conducting carefully controlled behavioral experiments online introduces a number of new of technical and scientific challenges. The project described in this paper, psiTurk, is an open-source platform which helps researchers develop experiment designs which can be conducted over the Internet. The tool primarily interfaces with Amazon's Mechanical Turk, a popular crowd-sourcing labor market. This paper describes the basic architecture of the system and introduces new users to the overall goals. psiTurk aims to reduce the technical hurdles for researchers developing online experiments while improving the transparency and collaborative nature of the behavioral sciences.

Opening-assisted coherent transport in the semiclassical regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yang; Celardo, G. Luca; Borgonovi, Fausto; Kaplan, Lev

2017-02-01

We study quantum enhancement of transport in open systems in the presence of disorder and dephasing. Quantum coherence effects may significantly enhance transport in open systems even in the semiclassical regime (where the decoherence rate is greater than the intersite hopping amplitude), as long as the disorder is sufficiently strong. When the strengths of disorder and dephasing are fixed, there is an optimal opening strength at which the coherent transport enhancement is optimized. Analytic results are obtained in two simple paradigmatic tight-binding models of large systems: the linear chain and the fully connected network. The physical behavior is also reflected in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) photosynthetic complex, which may be viewed as intermediate between these paradigmatic models.

OpenControl: a free opensource software for video tracking and automated control of behavioral mazes.

PubMed

Aguiar, Paulo; Mendonça, Luís; Galhardo, Vasco

2007-10-15

Operant animal behavioral tests require the interaction of the subject with sensors and actuators distributed in the experimental environment of the arena. In order to provide user independent reliable results and versatile control of these devices it is vital to use an automated control system. Commercial systems for control of animal mazes are usually based in software implementations that restrict their application to the proprietary hardware of the vendor. In this paper we present OpenControl: an opensource Visual Basic software that permits a Windows-based computer to function as a system to run fully automated behavioral experiments. OpenControl integrates video-tracking of the animal, definition of zones from the video signal for real-time assignment of animal position in the maze, control of the maze actuators from either hardware sensors or from the online video tracking, and recording of experimental data. Bidirectional communication with the maze hardware is achieved through the parallel-port interface, without the need for expensive AD-DA cards, while video tracking is attained using an inexpensive Firewire digital camera. OpenControl Visual Basic code is structurally general and versatile allowing it to be easily modified or extended to fulfill specific experimental protocols and custom hardware configurations. The Visual Basic environment was chosen in order to allow experimenters to easily adapt the code and expand it at their own needs.

Singlet-paired coupled cluster theory for open shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez, John A.; Henderson, Thomas M.; Scuseria, Gustavo E.

2016-06-01

Restricted single-reference coupled cluster theory truncated to single and double excitations accurately describes weakly correlated systems, but often breaks down in the presence of static or strong correlation. Good coupled cluster energies in the presence of degeneracies can be obtained by using a symmetry-broken reference, such as unrestricted Hartree-Fock, but at the cost of good quantum numbers. A large body of work has shown that modifying the coupled cluster ansatz allows for the treatment of strong correlation within a single-reference, symmetry-adapted framework. The recently introduced singlet-paired coupled cluster doubles (CCD0) method is one such model, which recovers correct behavior for strong correlation without requiring symmetry breaking in the reference. Here, we extend singlet-paired coupled cluster for application to open shells via restricted open-shell singlet-paired coupled cluster singles and doubles (ROCCSD0). The ROCCSD0 approach retains the benefits of standard coupled cluster theory and recovers correct behavior for strongly correlated, open-shell systems using a spin-preserving ROHF reference.

Teaching Complex Organizations: A Survey Essay.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobratz, Betty

1988-01-01

Briefly reviews six textbooks for teaching about complex organizations: ORGANIZATIONS: STRUCTURES, PROCESSES, AND OUTCOMES (Hall, 1987); ORGANIZATIONS: RATIONAL, NATURAL, AND OPEN SYSTEMS (Scott, 1987); ORGANIZATIONS IN SOCIETY (Etzioni, 1985); ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (Hellriegel et al, 1986); ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR: EXPERIENCES AND CASES (Hai,…

Quantum Information Biology: From Theory of Open Quantum Systems to Adaptive Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asano, Masanari; Basieva, Irina; Khrennikov, Andrei; Ohya, Masanori; Tanaka, Yoshiharu; Yamato, Ichiro

This chapter reviews quantum(-like) information biology (QIB). Here biology is treated widely as even covering cognition and its derivatives: psychology and decision making, sociology, and behavioral economics and finances. QIB provides an integrative description of information processing by bio-systems at all scales of life: from proteins and cells to cognition, ecological and social systems. Mathematically QIB is based on the theory of adaptive quantum systems (which covers also open quantum systems). Ideologically QIB is based on the quantum-like (QL) paradigm: complex bio-systems process information in accordance with the laws of quantum information and probability. This paradigm is supported by plenty of statistical bio-data collected at all bio-scales. QIB re ects the two fundamental principles: a) adaptivity; and, b) openness (bio-systems are fundamentally open). In addition, quantum adaptive dynamics provides the most generally possible mathematical representation of these principles.

Sensation during Active Behaviors

PubMed Central

Cardin, Jessica A.; Chiappe, M. Eugenia; Halassa, Michael M.; McGinley, Matthew J.; Yamashita, Takayuki

2017-01-01

A substantial portion of our sensory experience happens during active behaviors such as walking around or paying attention. How do sensory systems work during such behaviors? Neural processing in sensory systems can be shaped by behavior in multiple ways ranging from a modulation of responsiveness or sharpening of tuning to a dynamic change of response properties or functional connectivity. Here, we review recent findings on the modulation of sensory processing during active behaviors in different systems: insect vision, rodent thalamus, and rodent sensory cortices. We discuss the circuit-level mechanisms that might lead to these modulations and their potential role in sensory function. Finally, we highlight the open questions and future perspectives of this exciting new field. PMID:29118211

True orbit simulation of piecewise linear and linear fractional maps of arbitrary dimension using algebraic numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Asaki; Yasutomi, Shin-ichi; Tamura, Jun-ichi; Ito, Shunji

2015-06-01

We introduce a true orbit generation method enabling exact simulations of dynamical systems defined by arbitrary-dimensional piecewise linear fractional maps, including piecewise linear maps, with rational coefficients. This method can generate sufficiently long true orbits which reproduce typical behaviors (inherent behaviors) of these systems, by properly selecting algebraic numbers in accordance with the dimension of the target system, and involving only integer arithmetic. By applying our method to three dynamical systems—that is, the baker's transformation, the map associated with a modified Jacobi-Perron algorithm, and an open flow system—we demonstrate that it can reproduce their typical behaviors that have been very difficult to reproduce with conventional simulation methods. In particular, for the first two maps, we show that we can generate true orbits displaying the same statistical properties as typical orbits, by estimating the marginal densities of their invariant measures. For the open flow system, we show that an obtained true orbit correctly converges to the stable period-1 orbit, which is inherently possessed by the system.

The stimulatory effects of caffeine with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) on light-dark behavior and open-field behavior in mice.

PubMed

Uchiyama, Hidemori; Toda, Akihisa; Imoto, Masumi; Nishimura, Satoko; Kuroki, Hiroaki; Soeda, Shinji; Shimeno, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Shigenori; Eyanagi, Reiko

2010-01-22

Abnormal behaviors and death associated with the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) have emerged as a major issue in influenza patients taking the drug. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the effects of oseltamivir on the behavior of mice using light-dark and open-field preference tests. Oseltamivir (75 and 150 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.)) alone affected neither time spent in the open area in the light-dark preference test nor ambulation in the open-field test at 2h post-injection. However, a non-selective adenosine A(1)/A(2) receptor antagonist, caffeine (10mg/kg, i.p.) in combination with oseltamivir (150 mg/kg, i.p.) increased time spent in the open area in the light-dark preference test. This enhancement was not inhibited by a benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, flumazenil (10-20mg/kg, subcutaneously (s.c.)). Enhancement of ambulation in the open-field test was also observed when caffeine (10mg/kg, i.p.) was combined with oseltamivir (150 mg/kg, i.p.). This enhancement was inhibited by a dopamine D(2) receptor antagonist, haloperidol (0.1mg/kg, s.c.). Furthermore, an adenosine A(2) receptor antagonist, SCH58261 (3mg/kg, i.p.) in combination with oseltamivir (150 mg/kg, i.p.) increased ambulation in the open-field test, while an adenosine A(1) receptor antagonist, DPCPX (1-3mg/kg, i.p.) did not. These findings suggest that the actions of oseltamivir may involve the dopamine and adenosine systems. Our findings suggest that due to the interaction between central blockade of adenosine A(2) receptors by caffeine, and oseltamivir-induced behavioral changes, patients being treated with oseltamivir should be closely monitored. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential effects of alpha-recoil on uranium-series dating of calcrete

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neymark, L.A.

2011-01-01

Evaluation of paleosol ages in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, at the time the site of a proposed high-level nuclear waste repository, is important for fault-displacement hazard assessment. Uranium-series isotope data were obtained for surface and subsurface calcrete samples from trenches and boreholes in Midway Valley, Nevada, adjacent to Yucca Mountain. 230Th/U ages of 33 surface samples range from 1.3 to 423 thousand years (ka) and the back-calculated 234U/238U initial activity ratios (AR) are relatively constant with a mean value of 1.54 ± 0.15 (1σ), which is consistent with the closed-system behavior. Subsurface calcrete samples are too old to be dated by the 230Th/U method. U-Pb data for post-pedogenic botryoidal opal from a subsurface calcrete sample show that these subsurface calcrete samples are older than ~ 1.65 million years (Ma), old enough to have attained secular equilibrium had their U-Th systems remained closed. However, subsurface calcrete samples show U-series disequilibrium indicating open-system behavior of 238U daughter isotopes, in contrast with the surface calcrete, where open-system behavior is not evident. Data for 21 subsurface calcrete samples yielded calculable 234U/238U model ages ranging from 130 to 1875 ka (assuming an initial AR of 1.54 ± 0.15, the mean value calculated for the surface calcrete samples). A simple model describing continuous α-recoil loss predicts that the 234U/238U and 230Th/238U ARs reach steady-state values ~ 2 Ma after calcrete formation. Potential effects of open-system behavior on 230Th/U ages and initial 234U/238U ARs for younger surface calcrete were estimated using data for old subsurface calcrete samples with the 234U loss and assuming that the total time of water-rock interaction is the only difference between these soils. The difference between the conventional closed-system and open-system ages may exceed errors of the calculated conventional ages for samples older than ~ 250 ka, but is negligible for younger soils.

Effects of early adolescent methamphetamine exposure on anxiety-like behavior and corticosterone levels in mice.

PubMed

Rud, Micaela A; Do, Thao N; Siegel, Jessica A

2016-10-28

Methamphetamine (MA) is an addictive psychomotor stimulant that affects the central nervous system and alters behavior. The effects of MA are modulated by age, and while much research has examined the effects of MA use in adults, relatively little research has examined the effects in adolescents. As the brain is developing during adolescence, it is important that we understand the effects of MA exposure in adolescence. This research examined the effects of acute MA exposure on locomotor and anxiety-like behavior in the open field test and plasma corticosterone levels in adolescent male C57BL/6J mice. Baseline locomotor and anxiety-like behaviors were assessed in the open field test. Immediately following baseline measurements, mice were exposed to saline or 4mg/kg MA and locomotor and anxiety-like behavior were measured. Serum was collected immediately after testing and plasma corticosterone levels measured. There were no group differences in baseline behavioral measurements. MA-exposed adolescent mice showed increased locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior in the open field compared with saline controls. There was no effect of MA on plasma corticosterone levels. These data suggest that acute MA exposure during adolescence increases locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior, but does not alter plasma corticosterone levels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Theory and Simulation of Multicomponent Osmotic Systems

PubMed Central

Karunaweera, Sadish; Gee, Moon Bae; Weerasinghe, Samantha; Smith, Paul E.

2012-01-01

Most cellular processes occur in systems containing a variety of components many of which are open to material exchange. However, computer simulations of biological systems are almost exclusively performed in systems closed to material exchange. In principle, the behavior of biomolecules in open and closed systems will be different. Here, we provide a rigorous framework for the analysis of experimental and simulation data concerning open and closed multicomponent systems using the Kirkwood-Buff (KB) theory of solutions. The results are illustrated using computer simulations for various concentrations of the solutes Gly, Gly2 and Gly3 in both open and closed systems, and in the absence or presence of NaCl as a cosolvent. In addition, KB theory is used to help rationalize the aggregation properties of the solutes. Here one observes that the picture of solute association described by the KB integrals, which are directly related to the solution thermodynamics, and that provided by more physical clustering approaches are different. It is argued that the combination of KB theory and simulation data provides a simple and powerful tool for the analysis of complex multicomponent open and closed systems. PMID:23329894

Behavior and the cholinergic parameters in olfactory bulbectomized female rodents: Difference between rats and mice.

PubMed

Stepanichev, Mikhail; Markov, Daniil; Pasikova, Natalia; Gulyaeva, Natalia

2016-01-15

Olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) in rodents induces a wide spectrum of functional disturbances, including behavioral, neurochemical, and neuromorphological alterations. We have examined the effects of OBX on behavior and the parameters of the cholinergic system in female rats and mice. In rats, OBX resulted in the appearance of some depressive-like behavioral marks, such as the decreased sucrose consumption, hyperactivity, impaired short-term memory and anxiety-like behavioral features, such as shortened presence in the center of the open field arena or open arms of the elevated plus-maze and an enhancement of avoidance behavior. These behavioral abnormalities could be associated with disturbances in hippocampal function, this suggestion being supported by the presence of cellular changes in this brain structure. No effect of OBX on the number of cholinergic neurons in the medial septum-diagonal band as well as on the acetylcholine content and acetylcholinesterase activity in the septum, hippocampus, and neocortex could be detected. In contrast, in mice, OBX impaired spontaneous alternation behavior and decreased the number of cholinergic neurons in the medial septum-diagonal band. These data demonstrate that rats and mice differently respond to OBX, in particular, OBX does not significantly affect the cholinergic system in rats. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of Mind-Body Training on Personality and Behavioral Activation and Inhibition System According to BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism.

PubMed

Jung, Ye-Ha; Lee, Ul Soon; Jang, Joon Hwan; Kang, Do-Hyung

2016-05-01

It has been known that mind-body training (MBT) can affect personality and behavior system as well as emotional well-being, but different effects of MBT on them has not been reported according to BDNF genetic polymorphism. Healthy subjects consisted of 64 subjects and the MBT group who practiced meditation regularly consisted of 72 practitioners. Participants completed neuroticism-extraversion-openness (NEO) Five-Factor Inventory and Behavioral Activation System/Behavioral Inhibition System (BAS/BIS) scales. All subjects were genotyped for the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. In the same genotypes of the BDNF Val/Val+Val/Met group, MBT group showed the increased Extraversion (p=0.033) and the increased Openness to Experience (p=0.004) compared to the control group. Also, in the same Met/Met carriers, MBT group exhibited the increase of Extraversion (p=0.008), the reduction of Neuroticism (p=0.002), and the increase of Openness to Experience (p=0.008) compared to the control group. In the same genotypes of the BDNF Val/Val+Val/Met group, MBT group showed the decreased BAS-Reward Responsiveness (p=0.016) and the decrease of BIS (p=0.004) compared to the control group. In the BDNF Met/Met group, MBT group increased BAS-Fun Seeking (p=0.045) and decreased BIS (p=0.013) compared to the control group. MBT would differently contribute to NEO personality and BAS/BIS according to BDNF genetic polymorphism, compensating for different vulnerable traits based on each genotype.

Effects of HIV-1 on Cognition in Humanized NSG Mice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhter, Sidra Pervez

Host species specificity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) creates a challenge to study the pathology, diagnostic tools, and therapeutic agents. The closely related simian immunodeficiency virus and studies of neurocognitive impairments on transgenic animals expressing partial viral genome have significant limitations. The humanized mice model provides a small animal system in which a human immune system can be engrafted and immunopathobiology of HIV-1 infection can be studied. However, features of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) were not evaluated in this model. Open field activity test was selected to characterize behavior of original strain NOD/scid-IL-2Rgammac null (NSG) mice, effects of engraftment of human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and functional human immune system (huNSG), and finally, investigate the behavior changes induced by chronic HIV-1 infection. Long-term infected HuNSG mice showed the loss of working memory and increased anxiety in the open field. Additionally, these animals were utilized for evaluation of central nervous system metabolic and structural changes. Detected behavioral abnormalities are correlated with obtained neuroimaging and histological abnormalities published.

Vibro-acoustic modeling and analysis of a coupled acoustic system comprising a partially opened cavity coupled with a flexible plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Shuangxia; Su, Zhu; Jin, Guoyong; Liu, Zhigang

2018-01-01

This paper is concerned with the modeling and solution method of a three-dimensional (3D) coupled acoustic system comprising a partially opened cavity coupled with a flexible plate and an exterior field of semi-infinite size, which is ubiquitously encountered in architectural acoustics and is a reasonable representation of many engineering occasions. A general solution method is presented to predict the dynamic behaviors of the three-dimensional (3D) acoustic coupled system, in which the displacement of the plate and the sound pressure in the cavity are respectively constructed in the form of the two-dimensional and three-dimensional modified Fourier series with several auxiliary functions introduced to ensure the uniform convergence of the solution over the entire solution domain. The effect of the opening is taken into account via the work done by the sound pressure acting at the coupling aperture that is contributed from the vibration of particles on the acoustic coupling interface and on the structural-acoustic coupling interface. Both the acoustic coupling between finite cavity and exterior field and the structural-acoustic coupling between flexible plate and interior acoustic field are considered in the vibro-acoustic modeling of the three-dimensional acoustic coupled acoustic system. The dynamic responses of the coupled structural-acoustic system are obtained using the Rayleigh-Ritz procedure based on the energy expressions for the coupled system. The accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method are validated through numerical examples and comparison with results obtained by the boundary element analysis. Furthermore, the influence of the opening and the cavity volume on the acoustic behaviors of opened cavity system is studied.

A comparative approach to closed-loop computation.

PubMed

Roth, E; Sponberg, S; Cowan, N J

2014-04-01

Neural computation is inescapably closed-loop: the nervous system processes sensory signals to shape motor output, and motor output consequently shapes sensory input. Technological advances have enabled neuroscientists to close, open, and alter feedback loops in a wide range of experimental preparations. The experimental capability of manipulating the topology-that is, how information can flow between subsystems-provides new opportunities to understand the mechanisms and computations underlying behavior. These experiments encompass a spectrum of approaches from fully open-loop, restrained preparations to the fully closed-loop character of free behavior. Control theory and system identification provide a clear computational framework for relating these experimental approaches. We describe recent progress and new directions for translating experiments at one level in this spectrum to predictions at another level. Operating across this spectrum can reveal new understanding of how low-level neural mechanisms relate to high-level function during closed-loop behavior. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stomatal Opening in Isolated Epidermal Strips of Vicia faba. I. Response to Light and to CO2-free Air 1

PubMed Central

Fischer, R. A.

1968-01-01

This paper reports a consistent and large opening response to light + CO2-free air in living stomata of isolated epidermal strips of Vicia faba. The response was compared to that of non-isolated stomata in leaf discs floating on water; stomatal apertures, guard cell solute potentials and starch contents were similar in the 2 situations. To obtain such stomatal behavior, it was necessary to float epidermal strips on dilute KCl solutions. This suggests that solute uptake is necessary for stomatal opening. The demonstration of normal stomatal behavior in isolated epidermal strips provides a very useful system in which to investigate the mechanism of stomatal opening. It was possible to show independent responses in stomatal aperture to light and to CO2-free air. PMID:16656995

Measurement-based reliability prediction methodology. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linn, Linda Shen

1991-01-01

In the past, analytical and measurement based models were developed to characterize computer system behavior. An open issue is how these models can be used, if at all, for system design improvement. The issue is addressed here. A combined statistical/analytical approach to use measurements from one environment to model the system failure behavior in a new environment is proposed. A comparison of the predicted results with the actual data from the new environment shows a close correspondence.

A neurorobotic platform to test the influence of neuromodulatory signaling on anxious and curious behavior

PubMed Central

Krichmar, Jeffrey L.

2013-01-01

The vertebrate neuromodulatory systems are critical for appropriate value-laden responses to environmental challenges. Whereas changes in the overall level of dopamine (DA) have an effect on the organism's reward or curiosity-seeking behavior, changes in the level of serotonin (5-HT) can affect its level of anxiety or harm aversion. Moreover, top-down signals from frontal cortex can exert cognitive control on these neuromodulatory systems. The cholinergic (ACh) and noradrenergic (NE) systems affect the ability to filter out noise and irrelevant events. We introduce a neural network for action selection that is based on these principles of neuromodulatory systems. The algorithm tested the hypothesis that high levels of serotonin lead to withdrawn behavior by suppressing DA action and that high levels of DA or low levels of 5-HT lead to curious, exploratory behavior. Furthermore, the algorithm tested the idea that top-down signals from the frontal cortex to neuromodulatory areas are critical for an organism to cope with both stressful and novel events. The neural network was implemented on an autonomous robot and tested in an open-field paradigm. The open-field test is often used to test for models anxiety or exploratory behavior in the rodent and allows for qualitative comparisons with the neurorobot's behavior. The present neurorobotic experiments can lead to a better understanding of how neuromodulatory signaling affects the balance between anxious and curious behavior. Therefore, this experimental paradigm may also be informative in exploring a wide range of neurological diseases such as anxiety, autism, attention deficit disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. PMID:23386829

A cellular automation model accounting for bicycle's group behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Tie-Qiao; Rui, Ying-Xu; Zhang, Jian; Shang, Hua-Yan

2018-02-01

Recently, bicycle has become an important traffic tool in China, again. Due to the merits of bicycle, the group behavior widely exists in urban traffic system. However, little effort has been made to explore the impacts of the group behavior on bicycle flow. In this paper, we propose a CA (cellular automaton) model with group behavior to explore the complex traffic phenomena caused by shoulder group behavior and following group behavior on an open road. The numerical results illustrate that the proposed model can qualitatively describe the impacts of the two kinds of group behaviors on bicycle flow and that the effects are related to the mode and size of group behaviors. The results can help us to better understand the impacts of the bicycle's group behaviors on urban traffic system and effectively control the bicycle's group behavior.

Assessment of mouse anxiety-like behavior in the light-dark box and open-field arena: role of equipment and procedure.

PubMed

Kulesskaya, Natalia; Voikar, Vootele

2014-06-22

Light-dark box and open field are conventional tests for assessment of anxiety-like behavior in the laboratory mice, based on approach-avoidance conflict. However, except the basic principles, variations in the equipment and procedures are very common. Therefore, contribution of certain methodological issues in different settings was investigated. Three inbred strains (C57BL/6, 129/Sv, DBA/2) and one outbred stock (ICR) of mice were used in the experiments. An effect of initial placement of mice either in the light or dark compartment was studied in the light-dark test. Moreover, two tracking systems were applied - position of the animals was detected either by infrared sensors in square box (1/2 dark) or by videotracking in rectangular box (1/3 dark). Both approaches revealed robust and consistent strain differences in the exploratory behavior. In general, C57BL/6 and ICR mice showed reduced anxiety-like behavior as compared to 129/Sv and DBA/2 strains. However, the latter two strains differed markedly in their behavior. DBA/2 mice displayed high avoidance of the light compartment accompanied by thigmotaxis, whereas the hypoactive 129 mice spent a significant proportion of time in risk-assessment behavior at the opening between two compartments. Starting from the light side increased the time spent in the light compartment and reduced the latency to the first transition. In the open field arena, black floor promoted exploratory behavior - increased time and distance in the center and increased rearing compared to white floor. In conclusion, modifications of the apparatus and procedure had significant effects on approach-avoidance behavior in general whereas the strain rankings remained unaffected. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Blood-Brain Barrier Opening in Behaving Non-Human Primates via Focused Ultrasound with Systemically Administered Microbubbles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downs, Matthew E.; Buch, Amanda; Karakatsani, Maria Eleni; Konofagou, Elisa E.; Ferrera, Vincent P.

2015-10-01

Over the past fifteen years, focused ultrasound coupled with intravenously administered microbubbles (FUS) has been proven an effective, non-invasive technique to open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vivo. Here we show that FUS can safely and effectively open the BBB at the basal ganglia and thalamus in alert non-human primates (NHP) while they perform a behavioral task. The BBB was successfully opened in 89% of cases at the targeted brain regions of alert NHP with an average volume of opening 28% larger than prior anesthetized FUS procedures. Safety (lack of edema or microhemorrhage) of FUS was also improved during alert compared to anesthetized procedures. No physiological effects (change in heart rate, motor evoked potentials) were observed during any of the procedures. Furthermore, the application of FUS did not disrupt reaching behavior, but in fact improved performance by decreasing reaction times by 23 ms, and significantly decreasing touch error by 0.76 mm on average.

Low-cost three-dimensional gait analysis system for mice with an infrared depth sensor.

PubMed

Nakamura, Akihiro; Funaya, Hiroyuki; Uezono, Naohiro; Nakashima, Kinichi; Ishida, Yasumasa; Suzuki, Tomohiro; Wakana, Shigeharu; Shibata, Tomohiro

2015-11-01

Three-dimensional (3D) open-field gait analysis of mice is an essential procedure in genetic and nerve regeneration research. Existing gait analysis systems are generally expensive and may interfere with the natural behaviors of mice because of optical markers and transparent floors. In contrast, the proposed system captures the subjects shape from beneath using a low-cost infrared depth sensor (Microsoft Kinect) and an opaque infrared pass filter. This means that we can track footprints and 3D paw-tip positions without optical markers or a transparent floor, thereby preventing any behavioral changes. Our experimental results suggest with healthy mice that they are more active on opaque floors and spend more time in the center of the open-field, when compared with transparent floors. The proposed system detected footprints with a comparable performance to existing systems, and precisely tracked the 3D paw-tip positions in the depth image coordinates. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gomez, John A.; Henderson, Thomas M.; Scuseria, Gustavo E.

Restricted single-reference coupled cluster theory truncated to single and double excitations accurately describes weakly correlated systems, but often breaks down in the presence of static or strong correlation. Good coupled cluster energies in the presence of degeneracies can be obtained by using a symmetry-broken reference, such as unrestricted Hartree-Fock, but at the cost of good quantum numbers. A large body of work has shown that modifying the coupled cluster ansatz allows for the treatment of strong correlation within a single-reference, symmetry-adapted framework. The recently introduced singlet-paired coupled cluster doubles (CCD0) method is one such model, which recovers correct behavior formore » strong correlation without requiring symmetry breaking in the reference. Here, we extend singlet-paired coupled cluster for application to open shells via restricted open-shell singlet-paired coupled cluster singles and doubles (ROCCSD0). The ROCCSD0 approach retains the benefits of standard coupled cluster theory and recovers correct behavior for strongly correlated, open-shell systems using a spin-preserving ROHF reference.« less

Improvement of open and semi-open core wall system in tall buildings by closing of the core section in the last story

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kheyroddin, A.; Abdollahzadeh, D.; Mastali, M.

2014-09-01

Increasing number of tall buildings in urban population caused development of tall building structures. One of the main lateral load resistant systems is core wall system in high-rise buildings. Core wall system has two important behavioral aspects where the first aspect is related to reduce the lateral displacement by the core bending resistance and the second is governed by increasing of the torsional resistance and core warping of buildings. In this study, the effects of closed section core in the last story have been considered on the behavior of models. Regarding this, all analyses were performed by ETABS 9.2.v software (Wilson and Habibullah). Considering (a) drift and rotation of the core over height of buildings, (b) total and warping stress in the core body, (c) shear in beams due to warping stress, (d) effect of closing last story on period of models in various modes, (e) relative displacement between walls in the core system and (f) site effects in far and near field of fault by UBC97 spectra on base shear coefficient showed that the bimoment in open core is negative in the last quarter of building and it is similar to wall-frame structures. Furthermore, analytical results revealed that closed section core in the last story improves behavior of the last quarter of structure height, since closing of core section in the last story does not have significant effect on reducing base shear value in near and far field of active faults.

Colloquium: Non-Markovian dynamics in open quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breuer, Heinz-Peter; Laine, Elsi-Mari; Piilo, Jyrki; Vacchini, Bassano

2016-04-01

The dynamical behavior of open quantum systems plays a key role in many applications of quantum mechanics, examples ranging from fundamental problems, such as the environment-induced decay of quantum coherence and relaxation in many-body systems, to applications in condensed matter theory, quantum transport, quantum chemistry, and quantum information. In close analogy to a classical Markovian stochastic process, the interaction of an open quantum system with a noisy environment is often modeled phenomenologically by means of a dynamical semigroup with a corresponding time-independent generator in Lindblad form, which describes a memoryless dynamics of the open system typically leading to an irreversible loss of characteristic quantum features. However, in many applications open systems exhibit pronounced memory effects and a revival of genuine quantum properties such as quantum coherence, correlations, and entanglement. Here recent theoretical results on the rich non-Markovian quantum dynamics of open systems are discussed, paying particular attention to the rigorous mathematical definition, to the physical interpretation and classification, as well as to the quantification of quantum memory effects. The general theory is illustrated by a series of physical examples. The analysis reveals that memory effects of the open system dynamics reflect characteristic features of the environment which opens a new perspective for applications, namely, to exploit a small open system as a quantum probe signifying nontrivial features of the environment it is interacting with. This Colloquium further explores the various physical sources of non-Markovian quantum dynamics, such as structured environmental spectral densities, nonlocal correlations between environmental degrees of freedom, and correlations in the initial system-environment state, in addition to developing schemes for their local detection. Recent experiments addressing the detection, quantification, and control of non-Markovian quantum dynamics are also briefly discussed.

Behavioral and endocrine changes following antisense oligonucleotide-induced reduction in the rat NOP receptor.

PubMed

Blakley, Gregory G; Pohorecky, Larissa A; Benjamin, Daniel

2004-02-01

Compared with the use of classic receptor ligands, antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) targeted at specific central nervous system receptors are an effective alternative in experiments designed to examine the behavioral role of such systems. The nociception/orphaninFQ (N/OFQ) system has been implicated in mediating endocrine function, feeding, stress, pain, anxiety, and the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse. The objective of the current study was to examine whether long-term ASO-induced downregulation of N/OFQ's receptor (NOP) produced changes in endocrine, anxiety, nociception and ethanol's (EtOH's) locomotor activating properties. Male Long Evans rats were implanted with osmotic mini-pumps containing ASO for the NOP receptor. ASO was chronically infused for 26 days and, during this time, multiple behavioral and physiological measurements were conducted. ASO infusion significantly reduced expression of the NOP receptor in brain, confirmed by significant reductions of OFQ-stimulated [(35)S]-GTPgammaS binding in the paraventricular nucleus, prefrontal cortex, and septum. Behavioral changes were observed in ASO-treated animals including higher body temperature, increased water intake, decreased corticosterone (CORT) levels, decreased grooming in the open field, increased tail-flick latency, shorter durations on the open arms of the elevated plus maze, and heightened locomotor activity following EtOH. These behavioral, physiological and endocrine changes are relatively consistent with previous findings with agonists and antagonists for the NOP receptor and, taken together, suggest that ASO-induced downregulation of the NOP receptor is an effective method for studying the N/OFQ system.

Transient Behavior of Lumped-Constant Systems for Sensing Gas Pressures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delio, Gene J; Schwent, Glennon V; Cesaro, Richard S

1949-01-01

The development of theoretical equations describing the behavior of a lumped-constant pressure-sensing system under transient operation Is presented with experimental data that show agreement with the equations. A pressure-sensing system 'consisting of a tube terminating in a reservoir is investigated for the transient relation between a presSure disturbance at the open end of the tube and the pressure response in the reservoir. Design parameters are presented that can be adjusted to achieve a desired performance fran such a system when the system is considered as a transfer member of a control loop.

Civil commitment as a "street-level" bureaucracy: case-load, professionalization and administration.

PubMed

Wunsch, J S; Teply, L L; Zimmerman, J; Peters, G W

1981-01-01

This article applies street-level bureaucracy theories to "coping" patterns of behavior that developed in an involuntary commitment system. Daily procedures and routines of five Nebraska county boards of mental health and the attitudes of their members were studied. The results showed that the urban, high case-load, professionally-oriented board informally modified statutory procedures significantly to reduce face-to-face client contact, limit the scope of its decisions, and displace responsibility for the most ambiguous decisions to the treatment facility and board psychiatrist. Rural, low case-load, less professionally-specialized boards also modified the statutory procedures, but conducted the commitment process in a far more ambiguous, open-ended, and tense system with substantial face-to-face client contact. Both urban and rural boards had multifaceted role definitions; rural boards, however, had a more open-ended perception of their functions, and attempted more actively to modify antisocial behavior and redirect board subjects to sources of social counseling. Therefore, understanding street-level "coping" behavior in an actual commitment context is important to develop realistic changes in civil commitment systems and to preclude informal procedures that reduce a commitment system's effectiveness or undermine a proposed patient' s rights.

Open problems in active chaotic flows: Competition between chaos and order in granular materials.

PubMed

Ottino, J. M.; Khakhar, D. V.

2002-06-01

There are many systems where interaction among the elementary building blocks-no matter how well understood-does not even give a glimpse of the behavior of the global system itself. Characteristic for these systems is the ability to display structure without any external organizing principle being applied. They self-organize as a consequence of synthesis and collective phenomena and the behavior cannot be understood in terms of the systems' constitutive elements alone. A simple example is flowing granular materials, i.e., systems composed of particles or grains. How the grains interact with each other is reasonably well understood; as to how particles move, the governing law is Newton's second law. There are no surprises at this level. However, when the particles are many and the material is vibrated or tumbled, surprising behavior emerges. Systems self-organize in complex patterns that cannot be deduced from the behavior of the particles alone. Self-organization is often the result of competing effects; flowing granular matter displays both mixing and segregation. Small differences in either size or density lead to flow-induced segregation and order; similar to fluids, noncohesive granular materials can display chaotic mixing and disorder. Competition gives rise to a wealth of experimental outcomes. Equilibrium structures, obtained experimentally in quasi-two-dimensional systems, display organization in the presence of disorder, and are captured by a continuum flow model incorporating collisional diffusion and density-driven segregation. Several open issues remain to be addressed. These include analysis of segregating chaotic systems from a dynamical systems viewpoint, and understanding three-dimensional systems and wet granular systems (slurries). General aspects of the competition between chaos-enhanced mixing and properties-induced de-mixing go beyond granular materials and may offer a paradigm for other kinds of physical systems. (c) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Social isolation and chronic handling alter endocannabinoid signaling and behavioral reactivity to context in adult rats

PubMed Central

Sciolino, Natale R.; Bortolato, Marco; Eisenstein, Sarah A.; Fu, Jin; Oveisi, Fariba; Hohmann, Andrea G.; Piomelli, Daniele

2010-01-01

Social deprivation in early life disrupts emotionality and attentional processes in humans. Rearing rats in isolation reproduces some of these abnormalities, which are attenuated by daily handling. However, the neurochemical mechanisms underlying these responses remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that post-weaning social isolation alters the endocannabinoid system, a neuromodulatory system that controls emotional responding. We characterized behavioral consequences of social isolation and evaluated whether handling would reverse social isolation-induced alterations in behavioral reactivity to context and the endocannabinoid system. At weaning, pups were single or group housed and concomitantly handled or not handled daily until adulthood. Rats were tested in emotionality- and attentional-sensitive behavioral assays (open field, elevated plus maze, startle and prepulse inhibition). Cannabinoid receptor densities and endocannabinoid levels were quantified in a separate group of rats. Social isolation negatively altered behavioral responding. Socially-isolated rats that were handled showed less deficits in the open field, elevated plus maze, and prepulse inhibition tests. Social isolation produced site-specific alterations (supraoptic nucleus, ventrolateral thalamus, rostral striatum) in cannabinoid receptor densities compared to group rearing. Handling altered the endocannabinoid system in neural circuitry controlling emotional expression. Handling altered endocannabinoid content (prefrontal and piriform cortices, nucleus accumbens) and cannabinoid receptor densities (lateral globus pallidus, cingulate and piriform cortices, hippocampus) in a region-specific manner. Some effects of social isolation on the endocannabinoid system were moderated by handling. Isolates were unresponsive to handling-induced increases in cannabinoid receptor densities (caudal striatum, anterior thalamus), but were sensitive to handling-induced increases in endocannabinoid content (piriform cortex), compared to group-reared rats. Our findings suggest alterations in the endocannabinoid system may contribute to the abnormal isolate phenotype. Handling modifies the endocannabinoid system and behavioral reactivity to context, but surmounts only some effects of social isolation. These data implicate a pivotal role for the endocannabinoid system in stress adaptation and emotionality-related disturbances. PMID:20394803

Perinatal asphyxia in the guinea pig leads to morphologic but not neurologic, cognitive, or behavioral changes.

PubMed

Hoeger, Harald; Bubna-Littitz, Herrmann; Engelmann, Mario; Schwerdtner, Ingrid; Schmid, Diethard; Lahoda, Robert; Seidl, Rainer; Lubec, Gert; Lubec, Barbara

2003-07-01

In a recent publication, we described neurodegeneration along with neurotransmitter deficits and impaired differentiation in the guinea pig 3 months following severe perinatal asphyxia (PA). We were therefore interested in the clinical features in terms of neurology, cognitive functions, and behavior. We tested the long-term effects of PA in an animal model, which in the rat are well documented and resemble the clinical situation. Examinations consisted of an observational battery for motor and reflex functions and the acoustic startle response setting. We tested cognitive functions in the multiple T-maze and evaluated behavior using the elevated plus maze and open field studies. No neurologic deficits were observed in the observational battery, including the acoustic startle response. Cognitive functions of memory and learning were not impaired in the multiple T-maze. In the open field and in the elevated plus maze, the system to test anxiety-related behavior, guinea pigs performed well. Our findings of patent neurology, cognitive functions, and behavior do not reflect the prominent morphologic findings of neurodegeneration. This is in agreement with corresponding studies on PA in the rat at the identical time point. We learned from this study that both test systems, although representing the standard in neuroscience, are either not sensitive enough or central nervous system lesions are clinically fully compensated.

Effects of combined exposure to pyridostigmine bromide and shaker stress on acoustic startle response, pre-pulse inhibition and open field behavior in mice.

PubMed

Dubovicky, M; Paton, S; Morris, M; Mach, M; Lucot, J B

2007-01-01

The present study investigated the effect of combined exposure of pyridostigmine bromide (PB) and chronic shaker stress on acoustic startle responses (ASR), pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) and open field behavior of adult C57BL/6J mice. PB (10 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for 7 days) or saline was administered subcutaneously using osmotic Alzet minipumps implanted under the skin on the back of the mice. At the same time, the mice were exposed to 7 days of intermittent shaker stress. They were tested for ASR (100 dB and 120 dB stimuli) and PPI (70 dB + 100 dB and 70 dB + 120 dB) in the acoustic startle monitor system. The mice were assessed during the shaker stress on days 2 and 7 and 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after discontinuation of treatment. Separate groups of mice were tested in the open field in 15 min sessions on days 1, 3 and 6 during shaker stress and PB treatment. Exposure of mice to PB resulted in an exaggerated ASR, reduced PPI and non-significant decrease in locomotor activity. These behavioral changes were apparent only during exposure to PB. Repeated shaker stress did not have any effect on sensorimotor functions or open field behavior of mice. There was no prolonged or delayed effect of PB and/or stress on individual behavioral variables. The study found C57BL/6J mice to be behaviorally sensitive to PB treatment. (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Data Shaping in the Cultural Simulation Modeler Integrated Behavioral Assessment Capability. Phase I

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

articles that appeared in global media in the years 1999-2006. The articles were all open source information and were obtained in part through an...agreement between Factiva Dow Jones and the NRL for this project, and in part collected by IndaSea from the Open Source Center database and a variety of...This view implied that a system geared to assist analysts should be open and completely dynamic. It is IndaSea’s perspective that there are advantages

Interaction between Antagonist of Cannabinoid Receptor and Antagonist of Adrenergic Receptor on Anxiety in Male Rat.

PubMed

Komaki, Alireza; Abdollahzadeh, Fatemeh; Sarihi, Abdolrahman; Shahidi, Siamak; Salehi, Iraj

2014-01-01

Anxiety is among the most common and treatable mental disorders. Adrenergic and cannabinoid systems have an important role in the neurobiology of anxiety. The elevated plus-maze (EPM) has broadly been used to investigate anxiolytic and anxiogenic compounds. The present study investigated the effects of intraperitoneal (IP) injection of cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist (AM251) in the presence of alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist (Prazosin) on rat behavior in the EPM. In this study, the data were obtained from male Wistar rat, which weighing 200- 250 g. Animal behavior in EPM were videotaped and saved in computer for 10 min after IP injection of saline, AM251 (0.3 mg/kg), Prazosin (0.3 mg/kg) and AM251 + Prazosin, subsequently scored for conventional indices of anxiety. During the test period, the number of open and closed arms entries, the percentage of entries into the open arms of the EPM, and the spent time in open and closed arms were recorded. Diazepam was considered as a positive control drug with anxiolytic effect (0.3, 0.6, 1.2 mg/kg). Diazepam increased the number of open arm entries and the percentage of spent time on the open arms. IP injection of AM251 before EPM trial decreased open arms exploration and open arm entry. Whereas, Prazosin increased open arms exploration and open arm entry. This study showed that both substances in simultaneous injection have conflicting effects on the responses of each of these two compounds in a single injection. Injection of CB1 receptor antagonist may have an anxiogenic profile in rat, whereas adrenergic antagonist has an anxiolytic effect. Further investigations are essential for better understanding of anxiolytic and anxiogenic properties and neurobiological mechanisms of action and probable interactions of the two systems.

Toll-Like Receptor 4 Deficiency Causes Reduced Exploratory Behavior in Mice Under Approach-Avoidance Conflict.

PubMed

Li, Chunlu; Yan, Yixiu; Cheng, Jingjing; Xiao, Gang; Gu, Jueqing; Zhang, Luqi; Yuan, Siyu; Wang, Junlu; Shen, Yi; Zhou, Yu-Dong

2016-04-01

Abnormal approach-avoidance behavior has been linked to deficits in the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system of the brain. Recently, increasing evidence has indicated that toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), an important pattern-recognition receptor in the innate immune system, can be directly activated by substances of abuse, resulting in an increase of the extracellular DA level in the nucleus accumbens. We thus hypothesized that TLR4-dependent signaling might regulate approach-avoidance behavior. To test this hypothesis, we compared the novelty-seeking and social interaction behaviors of TLR4-deficient (TLR4(-/-)) and wild-type (WT) mice in an approach-avoidance conflict situation in which the positive motivation to explore a novel object or interact with an unfamiliar mouse was counteracted by the negative motivation to hide in exposed, large spaces. We found that TLR4(-/-) mice exhibited reduced novelty-seeking and social interaction in the large open spaces. In less stressful test apparatuses similar in size to the mouse cage, however, TLR4(-/-) mice performed normally in both novelty-seeking and social interaction tests. The reduced exploratory behaviors under approach-avoidance conflict were not due to a high anxiety level or an enhanced fear response in the TLR4(-/-) mice, as these mice showed normal anxiety and fear responses in the open field and passive avoidance tests, respectively. Importantly, the novelty-seeking behavior in the large open field induced a higher level of c-Fos activation in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) in TLR4(-/-) mice than in WT mice. Partially inactivating the NAcSh via infusion of GABA receptor agonists restored the novelty-seeking behavior of TLR4(-/-) mice. These data suggested that TLR4 is crucial for positive motivational behavior under approach-avoidance conflict. TLR4-dependent activation of neurons in the NAcSh may contribute to this phenomenon.

Assessing Changes in Medical Student Attitudes toward Non-Traditional Human Sexual Behaviors Using a Confidential Audience Response System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Phebe; Candler, Chris; Hamm, Robert M.; Smith, E. Michael; Hudson, Joseph C.

2010-01-01

Medical students encountering patients with unfamiliar, unconventional sexual practices may have attitudes that can affect open communication during sexual history-taking. We measured changes in first-year US medical student attitudes toward 22 non-traditional sexual behaviors before and after exposure to human sexuality instruction. An…

Characterization of Dynamical Phase Transitions in Quantum Jump Trajectories Beyond the Properties of the Stationary State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesanovsky, Igor; van Horssen, Merlijn; Guţă, Mădălin; Garrahan, Juan P.

2013-04-01

We describe how to characterize dynamical phase transitions in open quantum systems from a purely dynamical perspective, namely, through the statistical behavior of quantum jump trajectories. This approach goes beyond considering only properties of the steady state. While in small quantum systems dynamical transitions can only occur trivially at limiting values of the controlling parameters, in many-body systems they arise as collective phenomena and within this perspective they are reminiscent of thermodynamic phase transitions. We illustrate this in open models of increasing complexity: a three-level system, the micromaser, and a dissipative version of the quantum Ising model. In these examples dynamical transitions are accompanied by clear changes in static behavior. This is however not always the case, and, in general, dynamical phases need to be uncovered by observables which are strictly dynamical, e.g., dynamical counting fields. We demonstrate this via the example of a class of models of dissipative quantum glasses, whose dynamics can vary widely despite having identical (and trivial) stationary states.

Characterization of dynamical phase transitions in quantum jump trajectories beyond the properties of the stationary state.

PubMed

Lesanovsky, Igor; van Horssen, Merlijn; Guţă, Mădălin; Garrahan, Juan P

2013-04-12

We describe how to characterize dynamical phase transitions in open quantum systems from a purely dynamical perspective, namely, through the statistical behavior of quantum jump trajectories. This approach goes beyond considering only properties of the steady state. While in small quantum systems dynamical transitions can only occur trivially at limiting values of the controlling parameters, in many-body systems they arise as collective phenomena and within this perspective they are reminiscent of thermodynamic phase transitions. We illustrate this in open models of increasing complexity: a three-level system, the micromaser, and a dissipative version of the quantum Ising model. In these examples dynamical transitions are accompanied by clear changes in static behavior. This is however not always the case, and, in general, dynamical phases need to be uncovered by observables which are strictly dynamical, e.g., dynamical counting fields. We demonstrate this via the example of a class of models of dissipative quantum glasses, whose dynamics can vary widely despite having identical (and trivial) stationary states.

Local disturbance cycles and the maintenance of heterogeneity across scales in marine metapopulations.

PubMed

Gouhier, Tarik C; Guichard, Frédéric

2007-03-01

In marine systems, the occurrence and implications of disturbance-recovery cycles have been revealed at the landscape level, but only in demographically open or closed systems where landscape-level dynamics are assumed to have no feedback effect on regional dynamics. We present a mussel metapopulation model to elucidate the role of landscape-level disturbance cycles for regional response of mussel populations to onshore productivity and larval transport. Landscape dynamics are generated through spatially explicit rules, and each landscape is connected to its neighbor through unidirectional larval dispersal. The role of landscape disturbance cycles in the regional system behavior is elucidated (1) in demographically open vs. demographically coupled systems, in relation to (2) onshore reproductive output and (3) the temporal scale of landscape disturbance dynamics. By controlling for spatial structure at the landscape and metapopulation levels, we first demonstrate the interaction between landscape and oceanographic connectivity. The temporal scale of disturbance cycles, as controlled by mussel colonization rate, plays a critical role in the regional behavior of the system. Indeed, fast disturbance cycles are responsible for regional synchrony in relation to onshore reproductive output. Slow disturbance cycles, however, lead to increased robustness to changes in productivity and to demographic coupling. These testable predictions indicate that the occurrence and temporal scale of local disturbance-recovery dynamics can drive large-scale variability in demographically open systems, and the response of metapopulations to changes in nearshore productivity.

The Origins of Team Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swift, James S.

1971-01-01

An analysis of the factors that have led to team management, including classical principles of management, the human relations or behavioral school of management, and the systems theory both closed and open. (JF)

Mechanical oscillatory behavior of a C60 fullerene tunneling through open carbon nanocones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadeghi, F.; Ansari, R.

2017-07-01

This paper deals with the mechanical oscillatory behavior of a C60 fullerene inside open carbon nanocones (CNCs). The fullerene molecule is assumed to enter the nanocone through its small end or wide end. Following our previously published study, semi-analytical expressions for the evaluation of vdW interactions are presented which facilitate obtaining a formula for oscillation frequency. The equation of motion is numerically solved to attain the time histories of separation distance and velocity of the fullerene molecule. Based on the conservation of the mechanical energy law, a new semi-analytical formula is also derived to accurately evaluate the oscillation frequency of the system. With respect to the present formulation, a detailed parametric study is conducted to gain an insight into the effects of both geometrical parameters (small-end radius, wide-end radius and vertex angle of nanocone) and initial conditions (initial separation distance and initial velocity) on the oscillatory behavior of C60 fullerene-open CNC oscillators. For given geometrical parameters and initial conditions, it is shown that higher oscillation frequencies can be achieved when the fullerene molecule enters the open nanocone through its small end.

Integrating Symbolic and Statistical Methods for Testing Intelligent Systems Applications to Machine Learning and Computer Vision

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jha, Sumit Kumar; Pullum, Laura L; Ramanathan, Arvind

Embedded intelligent systems ranging from tiny im- plantable biomedical devices to large swarms of autonomous un- manned aerial systems are becoming pervasive in our daily lives. While we depend on the flawless functioning of such intelligent systems, and often take their behavioral correctness and safety for granted, it is notoriously difficult to generate test cases that expose subtle errors in the implementations of machine learning algorithms. Hence, the validation of intelligent systems is usually achieved by studying their behavior on representative data sets, using methods such as cross-validation and bootstrapping.In this paper, we present a new testing methodology for studyingmore » the correctness of intelligent systems. Our approach uses symbolic decision procedures coupled with statistical hypothesis testing to. We also use our algorithm to analyze the robustness of a human detection algorithm built using the OpenCV open-source computer vision library. We show that the human detection implementation can fail to detect humans in perturbed video frames even when the perturbations are so small that the corresponding frames look identical to the naked eye.« less

Effects of buspirone, diazepam, and zolpidem on open field behavior, and brain [3H]muscimol binding after buspirone pretreatment.

PubMed

Siemiatkowski, M; Sienkiewicz-Jarosz, H; Członkowska, A I; Bidziński, A; Płaźnik, A

2000-07-01

The effects of 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist buspirone, a nonselective (diazepam), and a selective (zolpidem) GABA(A) receptor agonist were compared in the open field test of neophobia. Unhabituated rats were pretreated with the drugs once, prior to a first exposure to the open field, and their behavior was recorded both during this test and during a second trial 24 h later. It has been hypothesized that the decrease in exploratory activity observed during the second test session may be considered an adaptive reaction to the first day aversive experience (neophobia). If so, a selective modulation of 5-HT and GABA systems activity during the test could bring about significant changes in animal behavior on the retest. Buspirone at the lowest dose of 0.3 mg/kg revealed anxiolytic-like properties on the first day, whereas the action of diazepam and zolpidem was modulated by the dose-related sedative effect. At the dose of 2.4 mg/kg buspirone elicited delayed in time anxiolytic-like action, i.e., produced the antithigmotactic effect during the retrial 24 h later. Diazepam and zolpidem failed to exhibit similar profile of action. Autoradiography of [3H]muscimol binding after pretreatment of rats with buspirone showed a significant increase in the selective radioligand binding within the frontal cortex and a similar, near-significant tendency in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The behavioral data validate buspirone as important drug for the treatment of anxiety disorders, devoid of disruptive influence on motor and cognitive processes. The open field test, as modified by us, appeared sensitive in distinguishing the behavioral profiles of action of different anxiolytic compounds, including 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist. The present results support the assumption that reduced turnover of 5-HT due to stimulation of 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors, may bring about changes in GABA(A) receptor system activity, in some brain structures, leading to the anxiolytic effect.

Dietary choline supplementation to dams during pregnancy and lactation mitigates the effects of in utero stress exposure on adult anxiety-related behaviors.

PubMed

Schulz, Kalynn M; Pearson, Jennifer N; Gasparrini, Mary E; Brooks, Kayla F; Drake-Frazier, Chakeer; Zajkowski, Megan E; Kreisler, Alison D; Adams, Catherine E; Leonard, Sherry; Stevens, Karen E

2014-07-15

Brain cholinergic dysfunction is associated with neuropsychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Maternal stress exposure is associated with these same illnesses in adult offspring, yet the relationship between prenatal stress and brain cholinergic function is largely unexplored. Thus, using a rodent model, the current study implemented an intervention aimed at buffering the potential effects of prenatal stress on the developing brain cholinergic system. Specifically, control and stressed dams were fed choline-supplemented or control chow during pregnancy and lactation, and the anxiety-related behaviors of adult offspring were assessed in the open field, elevated zero maze and social interaction tests. In the open field test, choline supplementation significantly increased center investigation in both stressed and nonstressed female offspring, suggesting that choline-supplementation decreases female anxiety-related behavior irrespective of prenatal stress exposure. In the elevated zero maze, prenatal stress increased anxiety-related behaviors of female offspring fed a control diet (normal choline levels). However, prenatal stress failed to increase anxiety-related behaviors in female offspring receiving supplemental choline during gestation and lactation, suggesting that dietary choline supplementation ameliorated the effects of prenatal stress on anxiety-related behaviors. For male rats, neither prenatal stress nor diet impacted anxiety-related behaviors in the open field or elevated zero maze. In contrast, perinatal choline supplementation mitigated prenatal stress-induced social behavioral deficits in males, whereas neither prenatal stress nor choline supplementation influenced female social behaviors. Taken together, these data suggest that perinatal choline supplementation ameliorates the sex-specific effects of prenatal stress. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Dietary choline supplementation to dams during pregnancy and lactation mitigates the effects of in utero stress exposure on adult anxiety-related behaviors

PubMed Central

Schulz, Kalynn M.; Pearson, Jennifer N.; Gasparrini, Mary E.; Brooks, Kayla F.; Drake-Frazier, Chakeer; Zajkowski, Megan E.; Kreisler, Alison D.; Adams, Catherine E.; Leonard, Sherry; Stevens, Karen E.

2014-01-01

Brain cholinergic dysfunction is associated with neuropsychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Maternal stress exposure is associated with these same illnesses in adult offspring, yet the relationship between prenatal stress and brain cholinergic function is largely unexplored. Thus, using a rodent model, the current study implemented an intervention aimed at buffering the potential effects of prenatal stress on the developing brain cholinergic system. Specifically, control and stressed dams were fed choline-supplemented or control chow during pregnancy and lactation, and the anxiety-related behaviors of adult offspring were assessed in the open field, elevated zero maze and social interaction tests. In the open field test, choline supplementation significantly increased center investigation in both stressed and nonstressed female offspring, suggesting that choline-supplementation decreases female anxiety-related behavior irrespective of prenatal stress exposure. In the elevated zero maze, prenatal stress increased anxiety-related behaviors of female offspring fed a control diet (normal choline levels). However, prenatal stress failed to increase anxiety-related behaviors in female offspring receiving supplemental choline during gestation and lactation, suggesting that dietary choline supplementation ameliorated the effects of prenatal stress on anxiety-related behaviors. For male rats, neither prenatal stress nor diet impacted anxiety-related behaviors in the open field or elevated zero maze. In contrast, perinatal choline supplementation mitigated prenatal stress-induced social behavioral deficits in males, whereas neither prenatal stress nor choline supplementation influenced female social behaviors. Taken together, these data suggest that perinatal choline supplementation ameliorates the sex-specific effects of prenatal stress. PMID:24675162

The influence of trees on the thermal environment and behaviour of grazing heifers in Brazilian Midwest.

PubMed

Lopes, Luciano Bastos; Eckstein, Camila; Pina, Douglas Santos; Carnevalli, Roberta Aparecida

2016-04-01

The intensification of the livestock production system has gained prominence over the last decades. In addition to the reduction of grazing areas and increased productivity per hectare, the intercropping involving forest tree species and ruminants has been established as a sustainable production model, generating income and valuation of natural capital. Besides the social, economic, and environmental aspects, the animal welfare is a noteworthy factor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microclimatic conditions in an open-pasture and in silvopastoral systems, considering the Temperature Humidity Index (THI) and alterations in animal behavior. Three different pasture arrangements were analyzed in this study: total absence of trees in an open-pasture (ArrA), presence of peripheral trees (Eucalyptus spp.) along the border fences (ArrB), and an intensive wooded area aggregated with pasture (ArrC). A herd of 24 crossbreed heifers (3/4 and 7/8 Holstein-Girolando breed) was evaluated. Behavior data were collected every 15 min starting at 08 h00 with readings ending at 16 h00. THI was used to evaluate the environmental comfort. The THI found in the system with open-pasture and in the two systems with silvopastoral arrangement reached critical levels. The two arrangements with eucalyptus rows were not capable of eliminating heat stress in the conditions found in the north region of Mato Grosso State although better conditions were obtained under the tree canopy. The differences between the microclimatic variables for the three arrangements modified the behavior of the animals regarding their location and activity, except for water consumption.

Sun Protection Preferences and Behaviors among Young Adult Males during Maximum Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure Activities

PubMed Central

Wickenheiser, Marilyn; Baker, Mary Kate; Gaber, Rikki; Blatt, Hanz; Robinson, June K.

2013-01-01

This study explores sun protection attitudes, preferences, and behaviors among young adult males participating in an open-field activity with extreme ultraviolet radiation exposure. Male drum corps members (n = 137) responded to survey questions regarding their behavior and willingness to engage in sun protection and barriers to sunscreen usage. A subset of members (n = 31) participated in cognitive interviews exploring various sunscreen products and intervention techniques. Participants were knowledgeable about health risks and protection benefits regarding sun exposure. Generally, males had positive attitudes and normative beliefs about using sunscreen. A barrier to sunscreen re-application was lack of adequate time to reapply sunscreen during the open field activity. Males preferred a towelette application method, but were unfamiliar with its efficacy and proper use. Thus, they were more likely to use the more familiar sunscreen spray. To increase sun protection behaviors and lower skin cancer risk for males participating in open-field activities, breaks must be allotted every 2 h and have sufficient time to allow sunscreen application. Future development and research into delivery systems that rapidly and evenly apply sunscreen may help lower exposure in this population. PMID:23912201

Dopaminergic system in CA1 modulates MK-801 induced anxiolytic-like responses.

PubMed

Zarrindast, Mohammad Reza; Nasehi, Mohammad; Pournaghshband, Mahnaz; Yekta, Batool Ghorbani

2012-11-01

Today, there is relatively no debate on the notion that NMDA receptor antagonist agents in the hippocampus induce anxiolytic-like effects through distinct mechanisms. There is also a bulk of studies showing the involvement of the dopaminergic system in NMDA induced behaviors. Thus, on the basis of the involvement of dopaminergic system in anxiety-related behaviors, the present study aimed to investigate the involvement of the dorsal hippocampal (CA1) dopaminergic system in anxiolytic-like responses induced by MK801 (NMDA receptor antagonist) in male Wistar rats. We used the elevated plus maze to test anxiety. This apparatus has widely been employed to test parameters of anxiety-related behaviors including the open arm time percentage (%OAT), open arm entries percentage (%OAE), locomotor activity, grooming (the rat rubs its face), rearing (the rat maintains an erect posture) and defecation (the number of boli defection). The data showed that, intra-CA1 injection of MK801 (2 μg/rat) increases %OAT and %OAE but not other exploratory behaviors, indicating an anxiolytic-like effect. Moreover, sole intra-CA1 injection of SCH23390, dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, (0.25, 0.5 and 1 μg/rat) and sulpiride, dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, (0.25,0.5 and 0.75 μg/rat) did not alter anxiety-like behaviors. Co-administration of subthreshold doses of SCH23390 (0.5 μg/rat) and MK801 (0.5 g/rat), induced anxiolytic-like behaviors. Furthermore, intra-CA1 administration of different doses of sulpiride (0.12, 0.5 and 0.75 μg/rat), 5 min before the injection of an effective dose of MK801 (2 μg/rat), decreased %OAT and %OAE, however did not alter other exploratory behaviors induced by MK801. Our results suggested a modulatory effect of the CA1 dopaminergic system on the anxiolytic-like effects induced by MK801.

Proactive malware detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gloster, Jonathan; Diep, Michael; Dredden, David; Mix, Matthew; Olsen, Mark; Price, Brian; Steil, Betty

2014-06-01

Small-to-medium sized businesses lack resources to deploy and manage high-end advanced solutions to deter sophisticated threats from well-funded adversaries, but evidence shows that these types of businesses are becoming key targets. As malicious code and network attacks become more sophisticated, classic signature-based virus and malware detection methods are less effective. To augment the current malware methods of detection, we developed a proactive approach to detect emerging malware threats using open source tools and intelligence to discover patterns and behaviors of malicious attacks and adversaries. Technical and analytical skills are combined to track adversarial behavior, methods and techniques. We established a controlled (separated domain) network to identify, monitor, and track malware behavior to increase understanding of the methods and techniques used by cyber adversaries. We created a suite of tools that observe the network and system performance looking for anomalies that may be caused by malware. The toolset collects information from open-source tools and provides meaningful indicators that the system was under or has been attacked. When malware is discovered, we analyzed and reverse engineered it to determine how it could be detected and prevented. Results have shown that with minimum resources, cost effective capabilities can be developed to detect abnormal behavior that may indicate malicious software.

Effects of beta-adrenergic antagonist, propranolol on spatial memory and exploratory behavior in mice.

PubMed

Sun, Huaying; Mao, Yu; Wang, Jianhong; Ma, Yuanye

2011-07-08

The beta-adrenergic system has been suggested to be involved in novelty detection and memory modulation. The present study aimed to investigate the role of beta-adrenergic receptors on novelty-based spatial recognition memory and exploratory behavior in mice using Y-maze test and open-field respectively. Mice were injected with three doses of beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, propranolol (2, 10 and 20 mg/kg) or saline at three different time points (15 min prior to training, immediately after training and 15 min before test). The results showed that higher doses of propranolol (10 and 20 mg/kg) given before the training trial impaired spatial recognition memory while those injected at other two time points did not. A detailed analysis of exploratory behavior in open-field showed that lower dose (2 mg/kg) of propranolol reduced exploratory behavior of mice. Our findings indicate that higher dose of propranolol can impair acquisition of spatial information in the Y-maze without altering locomotion, suggesting that the beta-adrenergic system may be involved in modulating memory processes at the time of learning. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

CATOS (Computer Aided Training/Observing System): Automating animal observation and training.

PubMed

Oh, Jinook; Fitch, W Tecumseh

2017-02-01

In animal behavioral biology, an automated observing/training system may be useful for several reasons: (a) continuous observation of animals for documentation of specific, irregular events, (b) long-term intensive training of animals in preparation for behavioral experiments, (c) elimination of potential cues and biases induced by humans during training and testing. Here, we describe an open-source-based system named CATOS (Computer Aided Training/Observing System) developed for such situations. There are several notable features in this system. CATOS is flexible and low cost because it is based on free open-source software libraries, common hardware parts, and open-system electronics based on Arduino. Automated video condensation is applied, leading to significantly reduced video data storage compared to the total active hours of the system. A data-viewing utility program helps a user browse recorded data quickly and more efficiently. With these features, CATOS has the potential to be applied to many different animal species in various environments such as laboratories, zoos, or even private homes. Also, an animal's free access to the device without constraint, and a gamified learning process, enhance the animal's welfare and enriches their environment. As a proof of concept, the system was built and tested with two different species. Initially, the system was tested for approximately 10 months with a domesticated cat. The cat was successfully and fully automatically trained to discriminate three different spoken words. Then, in order to test the system's adaptability to other species and hardware components, we used it to train a laboratory rat for 3 weeks.

Public Relations Roles and Systems Theory: Functional and Historicist Causal Models.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broom, Glen M.

The effectiveness of an organizations's adaptive behavior depends on the extent to which public relations concerns are considered in goal setting and program planning. The following five open systems propositions, based on a "functional" paradigm, address the complex relationship between public relations and organizational intelligence and do not…

Valve movement response of the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea following exposure to waterborne arsenic.

PubMed

Liao, Chung-Min; Jau, Sheng-Feng; Lin, Chieh-Ming; Jou, Li-John; Liu, Chen-Wuing; Liao, Vivian Hsiu-Chuan; Chang, Fi-John

2009-07-01

We developed an inductance-based valvometry technique as a detection system to measure the valve daily activity in freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea in response to waterborne arsenic. Our findings reveal that C. fluminea experiences a valve opening in the absence of arsenic predominantly in the morning hours (03:00-08:00) with a mean daily opening/closing period of 21.32 (95% CI: 20.58-22.05) h. Amplification of daily activity occurred in the presence of arsenic. Behavioral toxicity assays revealed arsenic detection thresholds of 0.60 (95% CI: 0.53-0.66) mg l(-1) and 0.35 (95% CI: 0.30-0.40) mg l(-1) for response times of 60 and 300 min, respectively. The proposed valve daily activity model was linked with response time-specific Hill dose-response functions to predict valve opening/closing behavior in response to arsenic. The predictive capabilities were verified satisfactory with the measurements. Our results implicate a biomonitoring system by valve daily activity in C. fluminea to identify safe water uses in areas with elevated arsenic.

Economic concepts for the analysis of behavior

PubMed Central

Hursh, Steven R.

1980-01-01

A review of the relationship between schedule of reinforcement, response rate, and choice suggests that certain unifying concepts from economics can contribute to a more complete science of behavior. Four points are made: 1) a behavioral experiment is an economic system and its characteristics—open or closed—can strongly determine the results; 2) reinforcers can be distinguished by a functional property called elasticity; 3) reinforcers may interact as complements as well as substitutes; 4) no simple choice rule, such as strict matching, can account for all choice behavior. PMID:16812188

Systemic L-Kynurenine sulfate administration disrupts object recognition memory, alters open field behavior and decreases c-Fos immunopositivity in C57Bl/6 mice.

PubMed

Varga, Dániel; Herédi, Judit; Kánvási, Zita; Ruszka, Marian; Kis, Zsolt; Ono, Etsuro; Iwamori, Naoki; Iwamori, Tokuko; Takakuwa, Hiroki; Vécsei, László; Toldi, József; Gellért, Levente

2015-01-01

L-Kynurenine (L-KYN) is a central metabolite of tryptophan degradation through the kynurenine pathway (KP). The systemic administration of L-KYN sulfate (L-KYNs) leads to a rapid elevation of the neuroactive KP metabolite kynurenic acid (KYNA). An elevated level of KYNA may have multiple effects on the synaptic transmission, resulting in complex behavioral changes, such as hypoactivity or spatial working memory deficits. These results emerged from studies that focused on rats, after low-dose L-KYNs treatment. However, in several studies neuroprotection was achieved through the administration of high-dose L-KYNs. In the present study, our aim was to investigate whether the systemic administration of a high dose of L-KYNs (300 mg/bwkg; i.p.) would produce alterations in behavioral tasks (open field or object recognition) in C57Bl/6j mice. To evaluate the changes in neuronal activity after L-KYNs treatment, in a separate group of animals we estimated c-Fos expression levels in the corresponding subcortical brain areas. The L-KYNs treatment did not affect the general ambulatory activity of C57Bl/6j mice, whereas it altered their moving patterns, elevating the movement velocity and resting time. Additionally, it seemed to increase anxiety-like behavior, as peripheral zone preference of the open field arena emerged and the rearing activity was attenuated. The treatment also completely abolished the formation of object recognition memory and resulted in decreases in the number of c-Fos-immunopositive-cells in the dorsal part of the striatum and in the CA1 pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampus. We conclude that a single exposure to L-KYNs leads to behavioral disturbances, which might be related to the altered basal c-Fos protein expression in C57Bl/6j mice.

An Examination of Open and Technology Leadership in Managerial Practices of Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akcil, Umut; Aksal, Fahriye Altinay; Mukhametzyanova, Farida Sh.; Gazi, Zehra Altinay

2017-01-01

In order for a smooth and problem-free transformation to take place in a digitalizing education system, efficient management is needed. Thus, educational managers need to improve their skills and develop behaviors suitable for taking education systems into the digital age. Social networks enable leaders to become digital citizens by embracing and…

Understanding Hawking radiation in the framework of open quantum systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu Hongwei; Zhang Jialin

2008-01-15

We study the Hawking radiation in the framework of open quantum systems by examining the time evolution of a detector (modeled by a two-level atom) interacting with vacuum massless scalar fields. The dynamics of the detector is governed by a master equation obtained by tracing over the field degrees of freedom from the complete system. The nonunitary effects are studied by analyzing the time behavior of a particular observable of the detector, i.e., its admissible state, in the Unruh, Hartle-Hawking, as well as Boulware vacua outside a Schwarzschild black hole. We find that the detector in both the Unruh andmore » Hartle-Hawking vacua would spontaneously excite with a nonvanishing probability the same as what one would obtain if there is thermal radiation at the Hawking temperature from the black hole, thus reproducing the basic results concerning the Hawking effect in the framework of open quantum systems.« less

Impact of heterogeneity and socioeconomic factors on individual behavior in decentralized sharing ecosystems.

PubMed

Gavaldà-Miralles, Arnau; Choffnes, David R; Otto, John S; Sánchez, Mario A; Bustamante, Fabián E; Amaral, Luís A N; Duch, Jordi; Guimerà, Roger

2014-10-28

Tens of millions of individuals around the world use decentralized content distribution systems, a fact of growing social, economic, and technological importance. These sharing systems are poorly understood because, unlike in other technosocial systems, it is difficult to gather large-scale data about user behavior. Here, we investigate user activity patterns and the socioeconomic factors that could explain the behavior. Our analysis reveals that (i) the ecosystem is heterogeneous at several levels: content types are heterogeneous, users specialize in a few content types, and countries are heterogeneous in user profiles; and (ii) there is a strong correlation between socioeconomic indicators of a country and users behavior. Our findings open a research area on the dynamics of decentralized sharing ecosystems and the socioeconomic factors affecting them, and may have implications for the design of algorithms and for policymaking.

Wigner distribution function and entropy of the damped harmonic oscillator within the theory of the open quantum systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Isar, Aurelian

1995-01-01

The harmonic oscillator with dissipation is studied within the framework of the Lindblad theory for open quantum systems. By using the Wang-Uhlenbeck method, the Fokker-Planck equation, obtained from the master equation for the density operator, is solved for the Wigner distribution function, subject to either the Gaussian type or the delta-function type of initial conditions. The obtained Wigner functions are two-dimensional Gaussians with different widths. Then a closed expression for the density operator is extracted. The entropy of the system is subsequently calculated and its temporal behavior shows that this quantity relaxes to its equilibrium value.

The effects of spaceflight on open-loop and closed-loop postural control mechanisms: human neurovestibular studies on SLS-2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collins, J. J.; De Luca, C. J.; Pavlik, A. E.; Roy, S. H.; Emley, M. S.; Young, L. R. (Principal Investigator)

1995-01-01

Stabilogram-diffusion analysis was used to examine how prolonged periods in microgravity affect the open-loop and closed-loop postural control mechanisms. It was hypothesized that following spaceflight: (1) the effective stochastic activity of the open-loop postural control schemes in astronauts is increased; (2) the effective stochastic activity and uncorrelated behavior, respectively, of the closed-loop postural control mechanisms in astronauts are increased; and (3) astronauts utilized open-loop postural controls schemes for shorter time intervals and smaller displacements. Four crew members and two alternates from the 14-day Spacelab Life Sciences 2 Mission were included in the study. Each subject was tested under eyes-open, quiet-standing conditions on multiple preflight and postflight days. The subjects' center-of-pressure trajectories were measured with a force platform and analyzed according to stabilogram-diffusion analysis. It was found that the effective stochastic activity of the open-loop postural control schemes in three of the four crew members was increased following spaceflight. This result is interpreted as an indication that there may be in-flight adaptations to higher-level descending postural control pathways, e.g., a postflight increase in the tonic activation of postural muscles. This change may also be the consequence of a compensatory (e.g., "stiffening") postural control strategy that is adopted by astronauts to account for general feeling of postflight unsteadiness. The crew members, as a group, did not exhibit any consistent preflight/postflight differences in the steady-state behavior of their closed-loop postural control mechanisms or in the functional interaction of their open-loop and closed-loop postural control mechanisms. These results are interpreted as indications that although there may be in-flight adaptations to the vestibular system and/or proprioceptive system, input from the visual system can compensate for such changes during undisturbed stance.

The Melanin-Concentrating Hormone as an Integrative Peptide Driving Motivated Behaviors.

PubMed

Diniz, Giovanne B; Bittencourt, Jackson C

2017-01-01

The melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is an important peptide implicated in the control of motivated behaviors. History, however, made this peptide first known for its participation in the control of skin pigmentation, from which its name derives. In addition to this peripheral role, MCH is strongly implicated in motivated behaviors, such as feeding, drinking, mating and, more recently, maternal behavior. It is suggested that MCH acts as an integrative peptide, converging sensory information and contributing to a general arousal of the organism. In this review, we will discuss the various aspects of energy homeostasis to which MCH has been associated to, focusing on the different inputs that feed the MCH peptidergic system with information regarding the homeostatic status of the organism and the exogenous sensory information that drives this system, as well as the outputs that allow MCH to act over a wide range of homeostatic and behavioral controls, highlighting the available morphological and hodological aspects that underlie these integrative actions. Besides the well-described role of MCH in feeding behavior, a prime example of hypothalamic-mediated integration, we will also examine those functions in which the participation of MCH has not yet been extensively characterized, including sexual, maternal, and defensive behaviors. We also evaluated the available data on the distribution of MCH and its function in the context of animals in their natural environment. Finally, we briefly comment on the evidence for MCH acting as a coordinator between different modalities of motivated behaviors, highlighting the most pressing open questions that are open for investigations and that could provide us with important insights about hypothalamic-dependent homeostatic integration.

[Influence of environmental enrichment on parameters of behavior in open field test in the rats born from females with chronic alcoholization].

PubMed

Vakhnin, V A; Briukhin, G V

2014-04-01

The aim of this work was studying of morphology of a brain and the analysis of behavior at posterity of females of rats with a chronic alcoholic intoxication. As object of research were taken 60-day animals received from mothers with chronic alcoholic injury of hepatobiliary systems. During certain time (1.5 months) the part of animals grew in standard conditions, and another--in the "enriched" environment. The behavior analysis was spent in the open field test. Also was carried out research of a thickness of a cortex and a molecular layer of a forebrain. Work included three series of experiments. It is established, that the posterity of mothers with chronic injury of the hepatobiliary systems is characterized by the lowered motorial and research activity, increased by emotional reactivity that is accompanied by changes of structure of a cortex. The long finding of "alcoholic" animals in the "enriched" environment within 1.5 months promoted increasing of motorial and research activity, emotional reactance, change of structure of a cortex.

Academic Motivation among Urban & Rural Students: A Study on Traditional vs Open Education System in India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Shashi; Singh, Ajay; Singh, Kiran

2011-01-01

Higher education today is being viewed as a tool to achieve prosperity and high living standards. It is thus looked upon as a service to the society and a powerful weapon to change the society for its betterment. Motivation plays a crucial role in learning. Motivation energizes the behavior of the individual. It also directs the behavior towards…

Evaluating Student Response to WeBWorK, a Web-Based Homework Delivery and Grading System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Vicki; Ivanchenko, Volodymyr; Record, Nicholas

2008-01-01

As the use of web-based homework delivery and checking systems expands, we have greater need to evaluate how students engage with these systems and how changes in the systems influence student behavior. Reported here is the assessment of WeBWorK, an open-source web-based homework program used largely in postsecondary math and science courses, with…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roos, E.; Maier, V.; Nagel, G.

The break preclusion concept is based on {open_quotes}KTA rules{close_quotes}, {open_quotes}RSK guidelines{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}Rahmenspeziflkation Basissicherheit{close_quotes}. These fundamental rules containing for example requirements on material, design, calculation, manufacturing and testing procedures are explained and the technical realisation is shown by means of examples. The proof of the quality of these piping systems can be executed by means of fracture mechanics calculations by showing that in every case the leakage monitoring system already detect cracks which are clearly smaller than the critical crack. Thus the leak before break behavior and the break preclusion concept is implicitly affirmed. In order to further diminish conservativitiesmore » in the fracture mechanics procedures, specific research projects are executed which are explained in this contribution.« less

GPR30 activation decreases anxiety in the open field test but not in the elevated plus maze test in female mice.

PubMed

Anchan, Divya; Clark, Sara; Pollard, Kevin; Vasudevan, Nandini

2014-01-01

The GPR30 is a novel estrogen receptor (ER) that is a candidate membrane ER based on its binding to 17β estradiol and its rapid signaling properties such as activation of the extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. Its distribution in the mouse limbic system predicts a role for this receptor in the estrogenic modulation of anxiety behaviors in the mouse. A previous study showed that chronic administration of a selective agonist to the GPR30 receptor, G-1, in the female rat can improve spatial memory, suggesting that GPR30 plays a role in hippocampal-dependent cognition. In this study, we investigated the effect of a similar chronic administration of G-1 on behaviors that denote anxiety in adult ovariectomized female mice, using the elevated plus maze (EPM) and the open field test as well as the activation of the ERK pathway in the hippocampus. Although estradiol benzoate had no effect on behaviors in the EPM or the open field, G-1 had an anxiolytic effect solely in the open field that was independent of ERK signaling in either the ventral or dorsal hippocampus. Such an anxiolytic effect may underlie the ability of G-1 to increase spatial memory, by acting on the hippocampus.

Planetary Ions at Mercury: Unanswered Questions After MESSENGER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raines, J. M.

2018-05-01

We will discuss the key open questions relating to planetary ions, including the behavior of recently created photoions, the near absence of Ca+ / K+ in MESSENGER ion measurements, and the role of ion sputtering in the system.

A review of progress in the physics of open quantum systems: theory and experiment.

PubMed

Rotter, I; Bird, J P

2015-11-01

This report on progress explores recent advances in our theoretical and experimental understanding of the physics of open quantum systems (OQSs). The study of such systems represents a core problem in modern physics that has evolved to assume an unprecedented interdisciplinary character. OQSs consist of some localized, microscopic, region that is coupled to an external environment by means of an appropriate interaction. Examples of such systems may be found in numerous areas of physics, including atomic and nuclear physics, photonics, biophysics, and mesoscopic physics. It is the latter area that provides the main focus of this review, an emphasis that is driven by the capacity that exists to subject mesoscopic devices to unprecedented control. We thus provide a detailed discussion of the behavior of mesoscopic devices (and other OQSs) in terms of the projection-operator formalism, according to which the system under study is considered to be comprised of a localized region (Q), embedded into a well-defined environment (P) of scattering wavefunctions (with Q   +   P   =   1). The Q subspace must be treated using the concepts of non-Hermitian physics, and of particular interest here is: the capacity of the environment to mediate a coupling between the different states of Q; the role played by the presence of exceptional points (EPs) in the spectra of OQSs; the influence of EPs on the rigidity of the wavefunction phases, and; the ability of EPs to initiate a dynamical phase transition (DPT). EPs are singular points in the continuum, at which two resonance states coalesce, that is where they exhibit a non-avoided crossing. DPTs occur when the quantum dynamics of the open system causes transitions between non-analytically connected states, as a function of some external control parameter. Much like conventional phase transitions, the behavior of the system on one side of the DPT does not serve as a reliable indicator of that on the other. In addition to discussing experiments on mesoscopic quantum point contacts that provide evidence of the environmentally-mediated coupling of quantum states, we also review manifestations of DPTs in mesoscopic devices and other systems. These experiments include observations of resonance-trapping behavior in microwave cavities and open quantum dots, phase lapses in tunneling through single-electron transistors, and spin swapping in atomic ensembles. Other possible manifestations of this phenomenon are presented, including various superradiant phenomena in low-dimensional semiconductors. From these discussions a generic picture of OQSs emerges in which the environmentally-mediated coupling between different quantum states plays a critical role in governing the system behavior. The ability to control or manipulate this interaction may even lead to new applications in photonics and electronics.

Feeding Experimentation Device (FED): A flexible open-source device for measuring feeding behavior.

PubMed

Nguyen, Katrina P; O'Neal, Timothy J; Bolonduro, Olurotimi A; White, Elecia; Kravitz, Alexxai V

2016-07-15

Measuring food intake in rodents is a conceptually simple yet labor-intensive and temporally-imprecise task. Most commonly, food is weighed manually, with an interval of hours or days between measurements. Commercial feeding monitors are excellent, but are costly and require specialized caging and equipment. We have developed the Feeding Experimentation Device (FED): a low-cost, open-source, home cage-compatible feeding system. FED utilizes an Arduino microcontroller and open-source software and hardware. FED dispenses a single food pellet into a food well where it is monitored by an infrared beam. When the mouse removes the pellet, FED logs the timestamp to a secure digital (SD) card and dispenses a new pellet into the well. Post-hoc analyses of pellet retrieval timestamps reveal high-resolution details about feeding behavior. FED is capable of accurately measuring food intake, identifying discrete trends during light and dark-cycle feeding. Additionally, we show the utility of FED for measuring increases in feeding resulting from optogenetic stimulation of agouti-related peptide neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. With a cost of ∼$350 per device, FED is >10× cheaper than commercially available feeding systems. FED is also self-contained, battery powered, and designed to be placed in standard colony rack cages, allowing for monitoring of true home cage feeding behavior. Moreover, FED is highly adaptable and can be synchronized with emerging techniques in neuroscience, such as optogenetics, as we demonstrate here. FED allows for accurate, precise monitoring of feeding behavior in a home cage setting. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Ericson fluctuations in an open deterministic quantum system: theory meets experiment.

PubMed

Madroñero, Javier; Buchleitner, Andreas

2005-12-31

We provide numerically exact photoexcitation cross sections of rubidium Rydberg states in crossed, static electric, and magnetic fields, in quantitative agreement with recent experimental results. Their spectral backbone underpins a clear transition towards the Ericson regime, associated with a universal, fluctuating behavior of the cross section of strongly coupled, fragmenting quantum systems.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Quanhao; Wang, Yuming; Hu, Youqiu

Since only the magnetic conditions at the photosphere can be routinely observed in current observations, it is of great significance to determine the influences of photospheric magnetic conditions on solar eruptive activities. Previous studies about catastrophe indicated that the magnetic system consisting of a flux rope in a partially open bipolar field is subject to catastrophe, but not if the bipolar field is completely closed under the same specified photospheric conditions. In order to investigate the influence of the photospheric magnetic conditions on the catastrophic behavior of this system, we expand upon the 2.5-dimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamic model in Cartesian coordinatesmore » to simulate the evolution of the equilibrium states of the system under different photospheric flux distributions. Our simulation results reveal that a catastrophe occurs only when the photospheric flux is not concentrated too much toward the polarity inversion line and the source regions of the bipolar field are not too weak; otherwise no catastrophe occurs. As a result, under certain photospheric conditions, a catastrophe could take place in a completely closed configuration, whereas it ceases to exist in a partially open configuration. This indicates that whether the background field is completely closed or partially open is not the only necessary condition for the existence of catastrophe, and that the photospheric conditions also play a crucial role in the catastrophic behavior of the flux rope system.« less

Pre- and Neonatal Exposure to Lipopolysaccharide or the Enteric Metabolite, Propionic Acid, Alters Development and Behavior in Adolescent Rats in a Sexually Dimorphic Manner

PubMed Central

Foley, Kelly A.; Ossenkopp, Klaus-Peter; Kavaliers, Martin; MacFabe, Derrick F.

2014-01-01

Alterations in the composition of the gut microbiome and/or immune system function may have a role in the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The current study examined the effects of prenatal and early life administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial mimetic, and the short chain fatty acid, propionic acid (PPA), a metabolic fermentation product of enteric bacteria, on developmental milestones, locomotor activity, and anxiety-like behavior in adolescent male and female offspring. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were subcutaneously injected once a day with PPA (500 mg/kg) on gestation days G12–16, LPS (50 µg/kg) on G15–16, or vehicle control on G12–16 or G15–16. Male and female offspring were injected with PPA (500 mg/kg) or vehicle twice a day, every second day from postnatal days (P) 10–18. Physical milestones and reflexes were monitored in early life with prenatal PPA and LPS inducing delays in eye opening. Locomotor activity and anxiety were assessed in adolescence (P40–42) in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and open-field. Prenatal and postnatal treatments altered behavior in a sex-specific manner. Prenatal PPA decreased time spent in the centre of the open-field in males and females while prenatal and postnatal PPA increased anxiety behavior on the EPM in female rats. Prenatal LPS did not significantly influence those behaviors. Evidence for the double hit hypothesis was seen as females receiving a double hit of PPA (prenatal and postnatal) displayed increased repetitive behavior in the open-field. These results provide evidence for the hypothesis that by-products of enteric bacteria metabolism such as PPA may contribute to ASD, altering development and behavior in adolescent rats similar to that observed in ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. PMID:24466331

Optical-bistability-enabled control of resonant light transmission for an atom-cavity system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawant, Rahul; Rangwala, S. A.

2016-02-01

The control of light transmission through a standing-wave Fabry-Pérot cavity containing atoms is theoretically and numerically investigated, when the cavity mode beam and an intersecting control beam are both close to specific atomic resonances. A four-level atomic system is considered and its interaction with the cavity mode is studied by solving for the cavity field and atomic state populations. The conditions for optical bistability of the atom-cavity system are obtained. The response of the intracavity intensity to an intersecting beam on atomic resonance is understood in the presence of stationary atoms (closed system) and nonstatic atoms (open system) in the cavity. The nonstatic system of atoms is modelled by adjusting the atomic state populations to represent the exchange of atoms in the cavity mode, which corresponds to a thermal environment where atoms are moving in and out of the cavity mode volume. The control behavior with three- and two-level atomic systems is also studied, and the rich physics arising out of these systems for closed and open atomic systems is discussed. The solutions to the models are used to interpret the steady-state and transient behavior observed by Sharma et al. [Phys. Rev. A 91, 043824 (2015)], 10.1103/PhysRevA.91.043824.

Behavior and memory evaluation of Wistar rats exposed to 1·8 GHz radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation.

PubMed

Júnior, Luiz Carlos de Caires; Guimarães, Ernesto da Silveira Goulart; Musso, Camila Manso; Stabler, Collin Turner; Garcia, Raúl Marcel González; Mourão-Júnior, Carlos Alberto; Andreazzi, Ana Eliza

2014-09-01

The development of communication systems has brought great social and economic benefits to society. As mobile phone use has become widespread, concerns have emerged regarding the potential adverse effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) used by these devices. To verify potential effects of mobile phone radiation on the central nervous system (CNS) in an animal model. Male Wistar rats (60 days old) were exposed to RF-EMR from a Global System for Mobile (GSM) cell phone (1·8 GHz) for 3 days. At the end of the exposure, the following behavioral tests were performed: open field and object recognition. Our results showed that exposed animals did not present anxiety patterns or working memory impairment, but stress behavior actions were observed. Given the results of the present study, we speculate that RF-EMR does not promote CNS impairment, but suggest that it may lead to stressful behavioral patterns.

Impact of heterogeneity and socioeconomic factors on individual behavior in decentralized sharing ecosystems

PubMed Central

Gavaldà-Miralles, Arnau; Choffnes, David R.; Otto, John S.; Sánchez, Mario A.; Bustamante, Fabián E.; Amaral, Luís A. N.; Duch, Jordi; Guimerà, Roger

2014-01-01

Tens of millions of individuals around the world use decentralized content distribution systems, a fact of growing social, economic, and technological importance. These sharing systems are poorly understood because, unlike in other technosocial systems, it is difficult to gather large-scale data about user behavior. Here, we investigate user activity patterns and the socioeconomic factors that could explain the behavior. Our analysis reveals that (i) the ecosystem is heterogeneous at several levels: content types are heterogeneous, users specialize in a few content types, and countries are heterogeneous in user profiles; and (ii) there is a strong correlation between socioeconomic indicators of a country and users behavior. Our findings open a research area on the dynamics of decentralized sharing ecosystems and the socioeconomic factors affecting them, and may have implications for the design of algorithms and for policymaking. PMID:25288755

ROBucket: A low cost operant chamber based on the Arduino microcontroller.

PubMed

Devarakonda, Kavya; Nguyen, Katrina P; Kravitz, Alexxai V

2016-06-01

The operant conditioning chamber is a cornerstone of animal behavioral research. Operant boxes are used to assess learning and motivational behavior in animals, particularly for food and drug reinforcers. However, commercial operant chambers cost several thousands of dollars. We have constructed the Rodent Operant Bucket (ROBucket), an inexpensive and easily assembled open-source operant chamber based on the Arduino microcontroller platform, which can be used to train mice to respond for sucrose solution or other liquid reinforcers. The apparatus contains two nose pokes, a drinking well, and a solenoid-controlled liquid delivery system. ROBucket can run fixed ratio and progressive ratio training schedules, and can be programmed to run more complicated behavioral paradigms. Additional features such as motion sensing and video tracking can be added to the operant chamber through the array of widely available Arduino-compatible sensors. The design files and programming code are open source and available online for others to use.

An Analysis of the Modes and States for Generic Avionics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wray, Richard B.

1993-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop a topology for describing the behavior of mission, vehicle and system/substem entities in new flight vehicle designs based on the use of open standards. It also had to define and describe the modes and states which may be used in generic avionics behavioral descriptions, describe their interrelationships, and establish a method for applying generic avionics to actual flight vehicle designs.

Chewing Prevents Stress-Induced Hippocampal LTD Formation and Anxiety-Related Behaviors: A Possible Role of the Dopaminergic System

PubMed Central

Koizumi, So; Onozuka, Minoru

2015-01-01

The present study examined the effects of chewing on stress-induced long-term depression (LTD) and anxiogenic behavior. Experiments were performed in adult male rats under three conditions: restraint stress condition, voluntary chewing condition during stress, and control condition without any treatments except handling. Chewing ameliorated LTD development in the hippocampal CA1 region. It also counteracted the stress-suppressed number of entries to the center region of the open field when they were tested immediately, 30 min, or 60 min after restraint. At the latter two poststress time periods, chewing during restraint significantly increased the number of times of open arm entries in the elevated plus maze, when compared with those without chewing. The in vivo microdialysis further revealed that extracellular dopamine concentration in the ventral hippocampus, which is involved in anxiety-related behavior, was significantly greater in chewing rats than in those without chewing from 30 to 105 min after stress exposure. Development of LTD and anxiolytic effects ameliorated by chewing were counteracted by administering the D1 dopamine receptor antagonist SCH23390, which suggested that chewing may activate the dopaminergic system in the ventral hippocampus to suppress stress-induced anxiogenic behavior. PMID:26075223

Effects of rat sex differences and lighting on locomotor exploration of a circular open field with free-standing central corners and without peripheral walls.

PubMed

Alstott, Jeff; Timberlake, William

2009-01-23

A typical open field consists of a square enclosure, bounded by four straight walls joined by identical corners. For decades behavioral researchers have used the open center and more sheltered perimeter of such fields to examine the effects of drugs, sex differences, and illumination on the behavioral expression of fear and anxiety. The present study "reversed" the relative security of the center and periphery of a circular field to re-examine the functional relation of open field behavior to experience, sex differences and lighting. Across six daily exposures, males in both the light and dark rapidly increased their preference for the center. Females in the light developed a similar pattern, though more slowly; females in the dark continued to spend the great majority of their time in the open periphery, including the edge of the field. The behavior of all groups, but especially the dark females, strongly supports the continued importance of environmental assessment in open field behavior.

A neural learning classifier system with self-adaptive constructivism for mobile robot control.

PubMed

Hurst, Jacob; Bull, Larry

2006-01-01

For artificial entities to achieve true autonomy and display complex lifelike behavior, they will need to exploit appropriate adaptable learning algorithms. In this context adaptability implies flexibility guided by the environment at any given time and an open-ended ability to learn appropriate behaviors. This article examines the use of constructivism-inspired mechanisms within a neural learning classifier system architecture that exploits parameter self-adaptation as an approach to realize such behavior. The system uses a rule structure in which each rule is represented by an artificial neural network. It is shown that appropriate internal rule complexity emerges during learning at a rate controlled by the learner and that the structure indicates underlying features of the task. Results are presented in simulated mazes before moving to a mobile robot platform.

Open quantum random walks: Bistability on pure states and ballistically induced diffusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Michel; Bernard, Denis; Tilloy, Antoine

2013-12-01

Open quantum random walks (OQRWs) deal with quantum random motions on a line for systems with internal and orbital degrees of freedom. The internal system behaves as a quantum random gyroscope coding for the direction of the orbital moves. We reveal the existence of a transition, depending on OQRW moduli, in the internal system behaviors from simple oscillations to random flips between two unstable pure states. This induces a transition in the orbital motions from the usual diffusion to ballistically induced diffusion with a large mean free path and large effective diffusion constant at large times. We also show that mixed states of the internal system are converted into random pure states during the process. We touch upon possible experimental realizations.

The investigation of the lateral interaction effect's on traffic flow behavior under open boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouadi, M.; Jetto, K.; Benyoussef, A.; El Kenz, A.

2017-11-01

In this paper, an open boundaries traffic flow system is studied by taking into account the lateral interaction with spatial defects. For a random defects distribution, if the vehicles velocities are weakly correlated, the traffic phases can be predicted by considering the corresponding inflow and outflow functions. Conversely, if the vehicles velocities are strongly correlated, a phase segregation appears inside the system's bulk which induces the maximum current appearance. Such velocity correlation depends mainly on the defects densities and the probabilities of lateral deceleration. However, for a compact defects distribution, the traffic phases are predictable by using the inflow in the system beginning, the inflow entering the defects zone and the outflow function.

Application of 3-D imaging sensor for tracking minipigs in the open field test.

PubMed

Kulikov, Victor A; Khotskin, Nikita V; Nikitin, Sergey V; Lankin, Vasily S; Kulikov, Alexander V; Trapezov, Oleg V

2014-09-30

The minipig is a promising model in neurobiology and psychopharmacology. However, automated tracking of minipig behavior is still unresolved problem. The study was carried out on white, agouti and black (or spotted) minipiglets (n=108) bred in the Institute of Cytology and Genetics. New method of automated tracking of minipig behavior is based on Microsoft Kinect 3-D image sensor and the 3-D image reconstruction with EthoStudio software. The algorithms of distance run and time in the center evaluation were adapted for 3-D image data and new algorithm of vertical activity quantification was developed. The 3-D imaging system successfully detects white, black, spotted and agouti pigs in the open field test (OFT). No effect of sex or color on horizontal (distance run), vertical activities and time in the center was shown. Agouti pigs explored the arena more intensive than white or black animals, respectively. The OFT behavioral traits were compared with the fear reaction to experimenter. Time in the center of the OFT was positively correlated with fear reaction rank (ρ=0.21, p<0.05). Black pigs were significantly more fearful compared with white or agouti animals. The 3-D imaging system has three advantages over existing automated tracking systems: it avoids perspective distortion, distinguishes animals any color from any background and automatically evaluates vertical activity. The 3-D imaging system can be successfully applied for automated measurement of minipig behavior in neurobiological and psychopharmacological experiments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Brain mast cells link the immune system to anxiety-like behavior

PubMed Central

Nautiyal, Katherine M.; Ribeiro, Ana C.; Pfaff, Donald W.; Silver, Rae

2008-01-01

Mast cells are resident in the brain and contain numerous mediators, including neurotransmitters, cytokines, and chemokines, that are released in response to a variety of natural and pharmacological triggers. The number of mast cells in the brain fluctuates with stress and various behavioral and endocrine states. These properties suggest that mast cells are poised to influence neural systems underlying behavior. Using genetic and pharmacological loss-of-function models we performed a behavioral screen for arousal responses including emotionality, locomotor, and sensory components. We found that mast cell deficient KitW−sh/W−sh (sash−/−) mice had a greater anxiety-like phenotype than WT and heterozygote littermate control animals in the open field arena and elevated plus maze. Second, we show that blockade of brain, but not peripheral, mast cell activation increased anxiety-like behavior. Taken together, the data implicate brain mast cells in the modulation of anxiety-like behavior and provide evidence for the behavioral importance of neuroimmune links. PMID:19004805

Brain mast cells link the immune system to anxiety-like behavior.

PubMed

Nautiyal, Katherine M; Ribeiro, Ana C; Pfaff, Donald W; Silver, Rae

2008-11-18

Mast cells are resident in the brain and contain numerous mediators, including neurotransmitters, cytokines, and chemokines, that are released in response to a variety of natural and pharmacological triggers. The number of mast cells in the brain fluctuates with stress and various behavioral and endocrine states. These properties suggest that mast cells are poised to influence neural systems underlying behavior. Using genetic and pharmacological loss-of-function models we performed a behavioral screen for arousal responses including emotionality, locomotor, and sensory components. We found that mast cell deficient Kit(W-sh/W-sh) (sash(-/-)) mice had a greater anxiety-like phenotype than WT and heterozygote littermate control animals in the open field arena and elevated plus maze. Second, we show that blockade of brain, but not peripheral, mast cell activation increased anxiety-like behavior. Taken together, the data implicate brain mast cells in the modulation of anxiety-like behavior and provide evidence for the behavioral importance of neuroimmune links.

The Melanin-Concentrating Hormone as an Integrative Peptide Driving Motivated Behaviors

PubMed Central

Diniz, Giovanne B.; Bittencourt, Jackson C.

2017-01-01

The melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is an important peptide implicated in the control of motivated behaviors. History, however, made this peptide first known for its participation in the control of skin pigmentation, from which its name derives. In addition to this peripheral role, MCH is strongly implicated in motivated behaviors, such as feeding, drinking, mating and, more recently, maternal behavior. It is suggested that MCH acts as an integrative peptide, converging sensory information and contributing to a general arousal of the organism. In this review, we will discuss the various aspects of energy homeostasis to which MCH has been associated to, focusing on the different inputs that feed the MCH peptidergic system with information regarding the homeostatic status of the organism and the exogenous sensory information that drives this system, as well as the outputs that allow MCH to act over a wide range of homeostatic and behavioral controls, highlighting the available morphological and hodological aspects that underlie these integrative actions. Besides the well-described role of MCH in feeding behavior, a prime example of hypothalamic-mediated integration, we will also examine those functions in which the participation of MCH has not yet been extensively characterized, including sexual, maternal, and defensive behaviors. We also evaluated the available data on the distribution of MCH and its function in the context of animals in their natural environment. Finally, we briefly comment on the evidence for MCH acting as a coordinator between different modalities of motivated behaviors, highlighting the most pressing open questions that are open for investigations and that could provide us with important insights about hypothalamic-dependent homeostatic integration. PMID:28611599

Benchmarking and Evaluating Unified Memory for OpenMP GPU Offloading

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mishra, Alok; Li, Lingda; Kong, Martin

Here, the latest OpenMP standard offers automatic device offloading capabilities which facilitate GPU programming. Despite this, there remain many challenges. One of these is the unified memory feature introduced in recent GPUs. GPUs in current and future HPC systems have enhanced support for unified memory space. In such systems, CPU and GPU can access each other's memory transparently, that is, the data movement is managed automatically by the underlying system software and hardware. Memory over subscription is also possible in these systems. However, there is a significant lack of knowledge about how this mechanism will perform, and how programmers shouldmore » use it. We have modified several benchmarks codes, in the Rodinia benchmark suite, to study the behavior of OpenMP accelerator extensions and have used them to explore the impact of unified memory in an OpenMP context. We moreover modified the open source LLVM compiler to allow OpenMP programs to exploit unified memory. The results of our evaluation reveal that, while the performance of unified memory is comparable with that of normal GPU offloading for benchmarks with little data reuse, it suffers from significant overhead when GPU memory is over subcribed for benchmarks with large amount of data reuse. Based on these results, we provide several guidelines for programmers to achieve better performance with unified memory.« less

Is it all in the family? The effects of early social structure on neural-behavioral systems of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster).

PubMed

Greenberg, G D; van Westerhuyzen, J A; Bales, K L; Trainor, B C

2012-08-02

The transition to parenthood is generally associated with a reduction in anxiety or anxiety-like behavior across a wide range of species. In some species, juveniles provide supplementary parental care for younger siblings, a behavior known as alloparenting. Although the fitness consequences of alloparenting behavior have been a focus of evolutionary research, less is known about how alloparenting behavior impacts affective states. In the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), most juveniles exhibit alloparenting behavior, making the species an ideal model for examining the effects of alloparenting on future behavioral outcomes. We randomly assigned juvenile voles to alloparenting (AL) or no alloparenting (NoAL) groups and behaviorally phenotyped them for anxiety-like and social behaviors using the elevated plus maze (EPM), open field test (OFT), startle box, social interaction test, juvenile affiliation test, and partner preference test. AL voles displayed more anxiety-like and less exploratory behaviors than NoAL voles, spending significantly less time in the open arms of the EPM and center of an open field. We dissected the CA1 region of the hippocampus and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) from brains of behaviorally phenotyped voles and nontested siblings as well. Decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in CA1 has generally been associated with increased anxiety-like behavior in other rodents, while an anxiogenic role for BDNF in BNST is less established. Western blot analyses showed that alloparenting experience increased expression of BDNF in the BNST but decreased BDNF expression in the CA1 region of hippocampus (CA1) of nontested voles. There were similar differences in BNST BDNF of behaviorally phenotyped voles, and BDNF levels within this region were negatively correlated with exploratory behavior (i.e. time in center of OFT). Our results suggest that BDNF signaling in BNST and CA1 fluctuate with alloparenting experience, and they contribute to an increasingly complex "BDNF hypothesis" in which behavioral effects of this molecule are region-specific. Copyright © 2012 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regulation of inflammation and T cells by glycogen synthase kinase-3: Links to mood disorders

PubMed Central

Beurel, Eleonore

2014-01-01

Substantial evidence has implicated a role for the immune system in regulating the susceptibility to depression. Proinflammatory cytokines have been shown to be involved in promoting the induction of depressive behavior both in humans and mice, opening new avenues for therapeutic intervention. Because glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) was recently found to control the production of proinflammatory cytokines, and for many years GSK3 has been implicated in mood disorders, it has been proposed that the proinflammatory action of GSK3 may contribute to the promoting susceptibility to depressive behavior. Moreover, besides regulating cytokine production, GSK3 also promotes the differentiation of proinflammatory subtypes of Th cells, which are sufficient to induce depressive behavior in mice. Although the clear involvement of the immune system during depressive behavior still needs to be firmly demonstrated, there is growing evidence for the involvement of inflammation in the induction of depressive behavior. PMID:24557047

Histamine-dependent behavioral response to methamphetamine in 12-month-old male mice

PubMed Central

Acevedo, Summer F.; Raber, Jacob

2011-01-01

Methamphetamine (MA) use is a growing problem across the United States. Effects of MA include hyperactivity and increased anxiety. Using a mouse model system, we examined behavioral performance in the open field and elevated zero maze and shock-startle response of 12-month-old wild-type mice injected with MA once (1mg/kg) 30 min prior to behavioral testing. MA treatment resulted in behavioral sensitization in the open field, consistent with studies in younger mice. There was an increased activity in the elevated zero maze and an increased shock-startle response 30 and 60 min post-injection. Since histamine mediates some effects of MA in the brain, we assessed whether 12-month-old mice lacking histidine decarboxylase (Hdc−/−), the enzyme required to synthesize histamine, respond differently to MA than wild-type (Hdc+/+) mice. Compared to saline treatment, acute and repeated MA administration increased activity in the open field and measures of anxiety, though more so in Hdc−/− than Hdc+/+ mice. In the elevated zero maze, opposite effects of MA on activity and measures of anxiety were seen in Hdc+/+ mice. In contrast, MA similarly increased the shock-startle response in Hdc−/− and Hdc+/+ mice, compared to saline-treated genotype-matched mice. These results are similar to those in younger mice suggesting that the effects are not age-dependent. Overall, single or repeated MA treatment causes histamine-dependent changes in 12-month-old mice in the open field and elevated zero-maze, but not in the shock-startle response. PMID:21466792

Guaranteeing safety in spatially situated agents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kohout, R.C.; Hendler, J.A.; Musliner, D.J.

1996-12-31

{open_quote}Mission-critical{close_quotes} systems, which include such diverse applications as nuclear power plant controllers, {open_quotes}fly-by-wire{close_quotes} airplanes, medical care and monitoring systems, and autonomous mobile vehicles, are characterized by the fact that system failure is potentially catastrophic. The high cost of failure justifies the expenditure of considerable effort at design-time in order to guarantee the correctness of system behavior. This paper examines the problem of guaranteeing safety in a well studied class of robot motion problems known as the {open_quotes}asteroid avoidance problem.{close_quotes} We establish necessary and sufficient conditions for ensuring safety in the simple version of this problem which occurs most frequently inmore » the literature, as well as sufficient conditions for a more general and realistic case. In doing so, we establish functional relationships between the number, size and speed of obstacles, the robot`s maximum speed and the conditions which must be maintained in order to ensure safety.« less

Pseudothermalization in driven-dissipative non-Markovian open quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebreuilly, José; Chiocchetta, Alessio; Carusotto, Iacopo

2018-03-01

We investigate a pseudothermalization effect, where an open quantum system coupled to a nonequilibrated environment consisting of several non-Markovian reservoirs presents an emergent thermal behavior. This thermal behavior is visible at both static and dynamical levels and the system satisfies the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. Our analysis is focused on the exactly solvable model of a weakly interacting driven-dissipative Bose gas in presence of frequency-dependent particle pumping and losses, and is based on a quantum Langevin theory, which we derive starting from a microscopical quantum optics model. For generic non-Markovian reservoirs, we demonstrate that the emergence of thermal properties occurs in the range of frequencies corresponding to low-energy excitations. For the specific case of non-Markovian baths verifying the Kennard-Stepanov relation, we show that pseudothermalization can instead occur at all energy scales. The possible implications regarding the interpretation of thermal laws in low-temperature exciton-polariton experiments are discussed. We finally show that the presence of either a saturable pumping or a dispersive environment leads to a breakdown of the pseudothermalization effect.

Bonn eXperimental System (BoXS): An open-source platform for interactive experiments in psychology and economics.

PubMed

Seithe, Mirko; Morina, Jeronim; Glöckner, Andreas

2016-12-01

The increased interest in complex-interactive behavior on the one hand and the cognitive and affective processes underlying behavior on the other are a challenge for researchers in psychology and behavioral economics. Research often necessitates that participants strategically interact with each other in dyads or groups. At the same time, to investigate the underlying cognitive and affective processes in a fine-grained manner, not only choices but also other variables such as decision time, information search, and pupil dilation should be recorded. The Bonn eXperimental System (BoXS) introduced in this article is an open-source platform that allows interactive as well as non-interactive experiments to be conducted while recording process measures very efficiently and completely browser-based. In the current version, BoXS has particularly been extended to enable conducting interactive eye-tracking and mouse-tracking experiments. One core advantage of BoXS is its simplicity. Using BoXS does not require prior installation for both experimenters and participants, which allows for running studies outside the laboratory and over the internet. Learning to program for BoXS is easy even for researchers without previous programming experience.

The Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL) and PEBL Test Battery.

PubMed

Mueller, Shane T; Piper, Brian J

2014-01-30

We briefly describe the Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL), an open source software system for designing and running psychological experiments. We describe the PEBL Test Battery, a set of approximately 70 behavioral tests which can be freely used, shared, and modified. Included is a comprehensive set of past research upon which tests in the battery are based. We report the results of benchmark tests that establish the timing precision of PEBL. We consider alternatives to the PEBL system and battery tests. We conclude with a discussion of the ethical factors involved in the open source testing movement. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL) and PEBL Test Battery

PubMed Central

Mueller, Shane T.; Piper, Brian J.

2014-01-01

Background We briefly describe the Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL), an open source software system for designing and running psychological experiments. New Method We describe the PEBL test battery, a set of approximately 70 behavioral tests which can be freely used, shared, and modified. Included is a comprehensive set of past research upon which tests in the battery are based. Results We report the results of benchmark tests that establish the timing precision of PEBL. Comparison with Existing Method We consider alternatives to the PEBL system and battery tests. Conclusions We conclude with a discussion of the ethical factors involved in the open source testing movement. PMID:24269254

Towards a unified study of extreme events using universality concepts and transdisciplinary analysis methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balasis, George; Donner, Reik V.; Donges, Jonathan F.; Radebach, Alexander; Eftaxias, Konstantinos; Kurths, Jürgen

2013-04-01

The dynamics of many complex systems is characterized by the same universal principles. In particular, systems which are otherwise quite different in nature show striking similarities in their behavior near tipping points (bifurcations, phase transitions, sudden regime shifts) and associated extreme events. Such critical phenomena are frequently found in diverse fields such as climate, seismology, or financial markets. Notably, the observed similarities include a high degree of organization, persistent behavior, and accelerated energy release, which are common to (among others) phenomena related to geomagnetic variability of the terrestrial magnetosphere (intense magnetic storms), seismic activity (electromagnetic emissions prior to earthquakes), solar-terrestrial physics (solar flares), neurophysiology (epileptic seizures), and socioeconomic systems (stock market crashes). It is an open question whether the spatial and temporal complexity associated with extreme events arises from the system's structural organization (geometry) or from the chaotic behavior inherent to the nonlinear equations governing the dynamics of these phenomena. On the one hand, the presence of scaling laws associated with earthquakes and geomagnetic disturbances suggests understanding these events as generalized phase transitions similar to nucleation and critical phenomena in thermal and magnetic systems. On the other hand, because of the structural organization of the systems (e.g., as complex networks) the associated spatial geometry and/or topology of interactions plays a fundamental role in the emergence of extreme events. Here, a few aspects of the interplay between geometry and dynamics (critical phase transitions) that could result in the emergence of extreme events, which is an open problem, will be discussed.

Effects of fetal microwave radiation exposure on offspring behavior in mice

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yanchun; Li, Zhihui; Gao, Yan; Zhang, Chenggang

2015-01-01

Abstract The recent rapid development of electronic communication techniques is resulting in a marked increase in exposure of humans to electromagnetic fields (EMFs). This has raised public concerns about the health hazards of long-term environmental EMF exposure for fetuses and children. Some studies have suggested EMF exposure in children could induce nervous system disorders. However, gender-dependent effects of microwave radiation exposure on cognitive dysfunction have not previously been reported. Here we investigated whether in utero exposure to 9.417-GHz microwave throughout gestation (Days 3.5–18) affected behavior, using the open field test (OFT), elevated-plus maze (EPM), tail suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST) and Morris water maze (MWM). We found that mice showed less movement in the center of an open field (using the OFT) and in an open arm (using the EPM) after in utero exposure to 9.417-GHz radiation, which suggested that the mice had increased anxiety-related behavior. Mice demonstrated reduced immobility in TST and FST after in utero exposure to 9.417-GHz radiation, which suggested that the mice had decreased depression-related behavior. From the MWM test, we observed that male offspring demonstrated decreased learning and memory, while females were not affected in learning and memory, which suggested that microwaves had gender-dependent effects. In summary, we have provided the first experimental evidence of microwaves inducing gender-dependent effects. PMID:25359903

The effects of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor blockade during the early neurodevelopmental period on emotional behaviors and cognitive functions of adolescent Wistar rats.

PubMed

Kocahan, Sayad; Akillioglu, Kubra; Binokay, Secil; Sencar, Leman; Polat, Sait

2013-05-01

The N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor is expressed abundantly in the brain and plays an important role in neuronal development, learning and memory, neurodegenerative diseases, and neurogenesis. In this study, we evaluated the effects of NMDA receptor blockade during the early neurodevelopmental period on exploratory locomotion, anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive functions of adolescent Wistar rats. NMDA receptor hypofunction was induced 7-10 days after birth using MK-801 in rats (0.25 mg/kg twice a day for 4 days via intraperitoneal injection). The open-field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM) and passive avoidance (PA) tests were used to evaluate exploratory locomotion, anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive functions. In the OF test, MK-801 caused an increase in locomotion behavior (p < 0.01) and in the frequency of rearing (p < 0.05). In the EPM test, MK-801 treatment increased the time spent in the open arms, the number of open arm entries and the amount of head dipping (p < 0.01). MK-801 treatment caused no statistical difference compared to the control group in the PA test (p > 0.05). Chronic NMDA receptor blockade during the critical period of maturation for the glutamatergic brain system (postnatal days 7-10) produces locomotor hyperactivity and decreased anxiety levels, but has no significant main effect on cognitive function during adolescence.

Discrete Time-Crystalline Order in Cavity and Circuit QED Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Zongping; Hamazaki, Ryusuke; Ueda, Masahito

2018-01-01

Discrete time crystals are a recently proposed and experimentally observed out-of-equilibrium dynamical phase of Floquet systems, where the stroboscopic dynamics of a local observable repeats itself at an integer multiple of the driving period. We address this issue in a driven-dissipative setup, focusing on the modulated open Dicke model, which can be implemented by cavity or circuit QED systems. In the thermodynamic limit, we employ semiclassical approaches and find rich dynamical phases on top of the discrete time-crystalline order. In a deep quantum regime with few qubits, we find clear signatures of a transient discrete time-crystalline behavior, which is absent in the isolated counterpart. We establish a phenomenology of dissipative discrete time crystals by generalizing the Landau theory of phase transitions to Floquet open systems.

Robust mechanobiological behavior emerges in heterogeneous myosin systems.

PubMed

Egan, Paul F; Moore, Jeffrey R; Ehrlicher, Allen J; Weitz, David A; Schunn, Christian; Cagan, Jonathan; LeDuc, Philip

2017-09-26

Biological complexity presents challenges for understanding natural phenomenon and engineering new technologies, particularly in systems with molecular heterogeneity. Such complexity is present in myosin motor protein systems, and computational modeling is essential for determining how collective myosin interactions produce emergent system behavior. We develop a computational approach for altering myosin isoform parameters and their collective organization, and support predictions with in vitro experiments of motility assays with α-actinins as molecular force sensors. The computational approach models variations in single myosin molecular structure, system organization, and force stimuli to predict system behavior for filament velocity, energy consumption, and robustness. Robustness is the range of forces where a filament is expected to have continuous velocity and depends on used myosin system energy. Myosin systems are shown to have highly nonlinear behavior across force conditions that may be exploited at a systems level by combining slow and fast myosin isoforms heterogeneously. Results suggest some heterogeneous systems have lower energy use near stall conditions and greater energy consumption when unloaded, therefore promoting robustness. These heterogeneous system capabilities are unique in comparison with homogenous systems and potentially advantageous for high performance bionanotechnologies. Findings open doors at the intersections of mechanics and biology, particularly for understanding and treating myosin-related diseases and developing approaches for motor molecule-based technologies.

Robust mechanobiological behavior emerges in heterogeneous myosin systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egan, Paul F.; Moore, Jeffrey R.; Ehrlicher, Allen J.; Weitz, David A.; Schunn, Christian; Cagan, Jonathan; LeDuc, Philip

2017-09-01

Biological complexity presents challenges for understanding natural phenomenon and engineering new technologies, particularly in systems with molecular heterogeneity. Such complexity is present in myosin motor protein systems, and computational modeling is essential for determining how collective myosin interactions produce emergent system behavior. We develop a computational approach for altering myosin isoform parameters and their collective organization, and support predictions with in vitro experiments of motility assays with α-actinins as molecular force sensors. The computational approach models variations in single myosin molecular structure, system organization, and force stimuli to predict system behavior for filament velocity, energy consumption, and robustness. Robustness is the range of forces where a filament is expected to have continuous velocity and depends on used myosin system energy. Myosin systems are shown to have highly nonlinear behavior across force conditions that may be exploited at a systems level by combining slow and fast myosin isoforms heterogeneously. Results suggest some heterogeneous systems have lower energy use near stall conditions and greater energy consumption when unloaded, therefore promoting robustness. These heterogeneous system capabilities are unique in comparison with homogenous systems and potentially advantageous for high performance bionanotechnologies. Findings open doors at the intersections of mechanics and biology, particularly for understanding and treating myosin-related diseases and developing approaches for motor molecule-based technologies.

Holographic control of information and dynamical topology change for composite open quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aref'eva, I. Ya.; Volovich, I. V.; Inozemcev, O. V.

2017-12-01

We analyze how the compositeness of a system affects the characteristic time of equilibration. We study the dynamics of open composite quantum systems strongly coupled to the environment after a quantum perturbation accompanied by nonequilibrium heating. We use a holographic description of the evolution of entanglement entropy. The nonsmooth character of the evolution with holographic entanglement is a general feature of composite systems, which demonstrate a dynamical change of topology in the bulk space and a jumplike velocity change of entanglement entropy propagation. Moreover, the number of jumps depends on the system configuration and especially on the number of composite parts. The evolution of the mutual information of two composite systems inherits these jumps. We present a detailed study of the mutual information for two subsystems with one of them being bipartite. We find five qualitatively different types of behavior of the mutual information dynamics and indicate the corresponding regions of the system parameters.

[Comparative Analysis of Behavior in The Open-field Test in Wild Grey Rats (Rattus norvegicus) and in Grey Rats Subjected to Prolonged Selection for Tame And Aggressive Behavior].

PubMed

Kozhemyakina, R V; Konoshenko, M Yu; Sakharov, D G; Smagin, D A; Markel, A L

2016-01-01

The aim of this work is analysis of the open-field behavior in grey rats selected for the tame and aggressive behavior in comparison with the wild grey rats. Significant influences of the rat group factor on the 13 of 19 behavioral features studied in the open-field were found. This effect, in general, depends on existence of great differences between behaviors of the wild rats from the one hand and behaviors of the tame and aggressive rats from the other. The behaviors of the rats from the last two groups are practically identical. Multidimensional analysis confirms the distinct separation in coordinates of the two main components of the wild rat behavior from the behavior of both the tame and selectively bred aggressive rats. The first main component dimension corresponds to the grade of fear, which was significantly enhanced in the wild rats. So, in spite of the equality of behavioral aggressiveness of the wild rats and the rats selected for aggression with the glove test, the behavior of selected aggressive rats in the open-field is analogous to behavior of the rats selected for tameness. Comparison of behavioral features with the hormonal stress responsiveness allowed us to conclude that the aggressive behavior of the wild and se lected for aggression rats based on different motivational and neuroendocrine processes.

Simulation of intelligent object behavior in a virtual reality system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mironov, Sergey F.

1998-01-01

This article presents a technique for computer control of a power boat movement in real-time marine trainers or arcade games. The author developed and successfully implemented a general technique allowing intellectual navigation of computer controlled moving objects that proved to be appropriate for real-time applications. This technique covers significant part of necessary behavioral tasks that appear in such titles. At the same time the technique forms a part of a more general system that involves control of less complicated characters of another nature. The system being an open one can be easily used by an action or arcade programming to improve the overall quality of characters artificial intelligence style.

High-dimensional atom localization via spontaneously generated coherence in a microwave-driven atomic system.

PubMed

Wang, Zhiping; Chen, Jinyu; Yu, Benli

2017-02-20

We investigate the two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) atom localization behaviors via spontaneously generated coherence in a microwave-driven four-level atomic system. Owing to the space-dependent atom-field interaction, it is found that the detecting probability and precision of 2D and 3D atom localization behaviors can be significantly improved via adjusting the system parameters, the phase, amplitude, and initial population distribution. Interestingly, the atom can be localized in volumes that are substantially smaller than a cubic optical wavelength. Our scheme opens a promising way to achieve high-precision and high-efficiency atom localization, which provides some potential applications in high-dimensional atom nanolithography.

Modeling and Simulation Behavior Validation Methodology and Extension Model Validation for the Individual Soldier

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

domains. Major model functions include: • Ground combat: Light and heavy forces. • Air mobile forces. • Future forces. • Fixed-wing and rotary-wing...Constraints: • Study must be completed no later than 31 December 2014. • Entity behavior limited to select COMBATXXI Mobility , Unmanned Aerial System...and SQL backend , as well as any open application programming interface API. • Allows data transparency and data driven navigation through the model

Light Goose Conservation Order effects on nontarget waterfowl behavior and energy expenditure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dinges, Andrew J.; Webb, Elisabeth B.; Vrtiska, Mark P.

2016-01-01

When the Light Goose Conservation Order (LGCO) was established during 1999 in the Rainwater Basin of Nebraska, USA, LGCO activities were limited to 4 days/week and 16 public wetlands were closed to the LGCO to limit disturbance to nontarget waterfowl during this energetically important time period. However, the effects of LGCO activities on waterfowl behavior and energy expenditure are relatively unknown in this critical waterfowl staging area. To evaluate LGCO effects on target and nontarget species, we paired wetlands open and closed to LGCO and recorded waterfowl behavior and hunter encounters during springs 2011 and 2012. We constructed hourly energy expenditure models based on behavior data collected for mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and northern pintails (A. acuta). In 2011, dabbling ducks (Anas spp.) spent more time feeding and less time resting in wetlands closed to hunting during early season when the majority of hunting encounters occurred; behaviors did not differ between hunt categories during late season when hunting activities subsided. However, in 2012, dabbling ducks spent more time feeding and less time resting in wetlands open to hunting during early and late seasons. We detected no differences in behaviors of lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens) or greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) between hunting categories in early season. Mallards had slightly greater energy expenditure on wetlands closed to hunting (  = 38.94 ± 0.31 kJ/bird/hr), compared with wetlands open to hunting (  = 37.87 ± 0.32 kJ/bird/hr); therefore, greater energy spent by mallards cannot be attributed to hunting disturbance. We also detected no differences in dabbling duck behavior or energy expenditure between days open or closed to hunting in the region. A refuge system of wetlands closed to LGCO activities in the Rainwater Basin may be an important management strategy in providing reduced disturbance for nontarget waterfowl species in some years. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Open-field behavior of house mice selectively bred for high voluntary wheel-running.

PubMed

Bronikowski, A M; Carter, P A; Swallow, J G; Girard, I A; Rhodes, J S; Garland, T

2001-05-01

Open-field behavioral assays are commonly used to test both locomotor activity and emotionality in rodents. We performed open-field tests on house mice (Mus domesticus) from four replicate lines genetically selected for high voluntary wheel-running for 22 generations and from four replicate random-bred control lines. Individual mice were recorded by video camera for 3 min in a 1-m2 open-field arena on 2 consecutive days. Mice from selected lines showed no statistical differences from control mice with respect to distance traveled, defecation, time spent in the interior, or average distance from the center of the arena during the trial. Thus, we found little evidence that open-field behavior, as traditionally defined, is genetically correlated with wheel-running behavior. This result is a useful converse test of classical studies that report no increased wheel-running in mice selected for increased open-field activity. However, mice from selected lines turned less in their travel paths than did control-line mice, and females from selected lines had slower travel times (longer latencies) to reach the wall. We discuss these results in the context of the historical open-field test and newly defined measures of open-field activity.

Early deprivation increases high-leaning behavior, a novel anxiety-like behavior, in the open field test in rats.

PubMed

Kuniishi, Hiroshi; Ichisaka, Satoshi; Yamamoto, Miki; Ikubo, Natsuko; Matsuda, Sae; Futora, Eri; Harada, Riho; Ishihara, Kohei; Hata, Yoshio

2017-10-01

The open field test is one of the most popular ethological tests to assess anxiety-like behavior in rodents. In the present study, we examined the effect of early deprivation (ED), a model of early life stress, on anxiety-like behavior in rats. In ED animals, we failed to find significant changes in the time spent in the center or thigmotaxis area of the open field, the common indexes of anxiety-like behavior. However, we found a significant increase in high-leaning behavior in which animals lean against the wall standing on their hindlimbs while touching the wall with their forepaws at a high position. The high-leaning behavior was decreased by treatment with an anxiolytic, diazepam, and it was increased under intense illumination as observed in the center activity. In addition, we compared the high-leaning behavior and center activity under various illumination intensities and found that the high-leaning behavior is more sensitive to illumination intensity than the center activity in the particular illumination range. These results suggest that the high-leaning behavior is a novel anxiety-like behavior in the open field test that can complement the center activity to assess the anxiety state of rats. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

Educational Supervisors' Locus of Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konan, Necdet

2013-01-01

Problem statement: In social open systems, there are basically two determinant of organizational behavior: "organizational" and "personal." The former is mostly related to the aim of the organization, the necessities of the work, whereas the latter is concerned with the traits of the employee. Various studies have focused on…

Which Individual Therapist Behaviors Elicit Client Change Talk and Sustain Talk in Motivational Interviewing?

PubMed

Apodaca, Timothy R; Jackson, Kristina M; Borsari, Brian; Magill, Molly; Longabaugh, Richard; Mastroleo, Nadine R; Barnett, Nancy P

2016-02-01

To identify individual therapist behaviors which elicit client change talk or sustain talk in motivational interviewing sessions. Motivational interviewing sessions from a single-session alcohol intervention delivered to college students were audio-taped, transcribed, and coded using the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code (MISC), a therapy process coding system. Participants included 92 college students and eight therapists who provided their treatment. The MISC was used to code 17 therapist behaviors related to the use of motivational interviewing, and client language reflecting movement toward behavior change (change talk), away from behavior change (sustain talk), or unrelated to the target behavior (follow/neutral). Client change talk was significantly more likely to immediately follow individual therapist behaviors [affirm (p=.013), open question (p<.001), simple reflection (p<.001), and complex reflection (p<.001)], but significantly less likely to immediately follow others (giving information (p<.001) and closed question (p<.001)]. Sustain talk was significantly more likely to follow therapist use of open questions (p<.001), simple reflections (p<.001), and complex reflections (p<.001), and significantly less likely to occur following therapist use of therapist affirm (p=.012), giving information (p<.001), and closed questions (p<.001). Certain individual therapist behaviors within motivational interviewing can either elicit both client change talk and sustain talk or suppress both types of client language. Affirm was the only therapist behavior that both increased change talk and also reduced sustain talk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strategies for Competition Beyond Open Architecture (OA): Acquisition at the Edge of Chaos

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-08

critical region in which the global properties of the system take on regular behavior, such as a power-law distribution of event sizes. Such ideas are...standardization can improve system developments. For example, satellite development can be improved by using standard interfaces for the sensors...installed on the satellite bus. This allows for more adaptability within the system.1 The adaptability is a key foundation for realizing capability on demand

CACTI: free, open-source software for the sequential coding of behavioral interactions.

PubMed

Glynn, Lisa H; Hallgren, Kevin A; Houck, Jon M; Moyers, Theresa B

2012-01-01

The sequential analysis of client and clinician speech in psychotherapy sessions can help to identify and characterize potential mechanisms of treatment and behavior change. Previous studies required coding systems that were time-consuming, expensive, and error-prone. Existing software can be expensive and inflexible, and furthermore, no single package allows for pre-parsing, sequential coding, and assignment of global ratings. We developed a free, open-source, and adaptable program to meet these needs: The CASAA Application for Coding Treatment Interactions (CACTI). Without transcripts, CACTI facilitates the real-time sequential coding of behavioral interactions using WAV-format audio files. Most elements of the interface are user-modifiable through a simple XML file, and can be further adapted using Java through the terms of the GNU Public License. Coding with this software yields interrater reliabilities comparable to previous methods, but at greatly reduced time and expense. CACTI is a flexible research tool that can simplify psychotherapy process research, and has the potential to contribute to the improvement of treatment content and delivery.

Effect of interleukin-1beta on the behavior of rats during mild stress in the open-field test.

PubMed

Pertsov, S S; Koplik, E V; Simbirtsev, A S; Kalinichenko, L S

2009-11-01

We studied the effect of interleukin-1beta on the behavior of rats with different individual typological characteristics during mild stress in the open-field test. Intraperitoneal injection of interleukin-1beta (5 microg/kg, 108 U/mg) was followed by a decrease in orientation and exploratory activity of passive and, particularly, of active animals in the open field. As differentiated from rats receiving physiological saline, the initial differences in behavioral characteristics of active and passive animals were not revealed in the repeated test after injection of interleukin-1beta. We conclude that interleukin-1beta abolishes the behavioral differences between active and passive specimens in the open field. These data suggest that administration of interleukin-1beta to rats leads to reorganization of the mechanisms for emotional evaluation of adverse emotiogenic factors under conditions of mild stress in the open-field test.

Anxiolytic-Like Effects and Increase in Locomotor Activity Induced by Infusions of NMDA into the Ventral Hippocampus in Rat: Interaction with GABAergic System.

PubMed

Bina, Payvand; Rezvanfard, Mehrnaz; Ahmadi, Shamseddin; Zarrindast, Mohammad Reza

2014-10-01

In this study, we investigated the role of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the ventral hippocampus (VH) and their possible interactions with GABAA system on anxiety-like behaviors. We used an elevated-plus maze test (EPM) to assess anxiety-like behaviors and locomotor activity in male Wistar rats. The results showed that intra-VH infusions of different doses of NMDA (0.25 and 0.5 μg/rat) increased locomotor activity, and also induced anxiolytic-like behaviors, as revealed by a tendency to increase percentage of open arm time (%OAT), and a significant increase in percentage of open arm entries (%OAE). The results also showed that intra-VH infusions of muscimol (0.5 and 1 μg/rat) or bicuculline (0.5 and 1 μg/rat) did not significantly affect anxiety-like behaviors, but bicuculline at dose of 1 μg/rat increased locomotor activity. Intra-VH co-infusions of muscimol (0.5 μg/rat) along with low doses of NMDA (0.0625 and 0.125 μg/rat) showed a tendency to increase %OAT, %OAE and locomotor activity; however, no interaction was observed between the drugs. Interestingly, intra-VH co-infusions of bicuculline (0.5 μg/rat) along with effective doses of NMDA (0.25 and 0.5 μg/rat) decreased %OAT, %OAE and locomotor activity, and a significant interaction between two drugs was observed. It can be concluded that GABAergic system may mediate the anxiolytic-like effects and increase in locomotor activity induced by NMDA in the VH.

Differential effects of exposure to low-light or high-light open-field on anxiety-related behaviors; relationship to c-Fos expression in serotonergic and non-serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus

PubMed Central

Bouwknecht, J. Adriaan; Spiga, Francesca; Staub, Daniel R.; Hale, Matthew W.; Shekhar, Anantha; Lowry, Christopher A.

2007-01-01

Serotonergic systems arising from the mid-rostrocaudal and caudal dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) have been implicated in the facilitation of anxiety-related behavioral responses by anxiogenic drugs or aversive stimuli. In this study we attempted to determine a threshold to engage serotonergic neurons in the DR following exposure to aversive conditions in an anxiety-related behavioral test. We manipulated the intensity of anxiogenic stimuli in studies of male Wistar rats by leaving them undisturbed (CO), briefly handling them (HA), or exposing them to an open-field arena for 15-min under low-light (LL: 8-13 lux) or high-light (HL: 400-500 lux) conditions. Rats exposed to HL conditions responded with reduced locomotor activity, reduced time spent exploring the center of the arena, a lower frequency of rearing and grooming, and an increased frequency of facing the corner of the arena compared to LL rats. Rats exposed to HL conditions had small but significant increases in c-Fos expression within serotonergic neurons in subdivisions of the rostral DR. Exposure to HL conditions did not alter c-Fos responses in serotonergic neurons in any other DR subdivision. In contrast, rats exposed to the open-field arena had increased c-Fos expression in non-serotonergic cells throughout the DR compared to CO rats, and this effect was particularly apparent in the dorsolateral part of the DR. We conclude that exposure to HL conditions, compared to LL conditions, increased anxiety-related behavioral responses in an open-field arena but this stimulus was at or below the threshold required to increase c-Fos expression in serotonergic neurons. PMID:17303505

[OPEN FIELD BEHAVIOR AS A PREDICTIVE CRITERIA REFLECTING RATS CORTICOSTERONELEVEL BEFORE AND AFTER STRESS].

PubMed

Umriukhin, P E; Grigorchuk, O S

2015-12-01

In the presented study we investigated the possibility to use the open field behavior data for prediction of corticosterone level in rat blood plasma before and after stress. It is shown that the most reliable open field behavior parameters, reflecting high probability of significant upregulation of corticosterone after 3 hours of immobilization, are the short latency of first movement and low locomotor activity during the test. Rats with high corticosterone at normal non-stress conditions are characterized by low locomotor activity and on the contrary long latency period for the entrance of open field center.

Simulation of hydrostatic water level measuring system for pressure vessels with the ATHLET-code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hampel, R.; Vandreier, B.; Kaestner, W.

1996-11-01

The static and dynamic behavior of measuring systems determine the value indicated by the measuring systems in relation to the true operating conditions. This paper demonstrates the necessity to involve the behavior of measuring systems in accident analysis with the thermohydraulic code ATHLET (developed by GRS Germany) by the example of hydrostatic water level measurement for horizontal steam generators on NPP (VVER). The modelling of a comparison vessel for the level measuring system with high sensitivity and a limited range of measurement (narrow-range level measuring system) by using ATHLET components and the checking of the function of the module weremore » realized. A good correspondence (maximal deviation 3%) between the measured and calculated narrow-range water level by the module was obtained for a realized post calculation of a measured operational transient in a NPP (VVER). The research carried out was sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology within the projects {open_quotes}Basic research of process and system behaviour of NPP, control technique for accident management{close_quotes} (Project number 150 0855/7) and the project RS 978. The research work appertains to the theoretic and experimental work of institute {open_quotes}Institut fuer ProzeBtechnik, ProzeBautomatisierung und MeBtechnik (IPM){close_quotes} for accident analysis and accident management.« less

CONFERENCE ON SYSTEMS APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION IN THE OPEN-DOOR COLLEGE (UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES, JULY 18-20, 1966).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

JOHNSON, BYRON LAMAR

THE SYSTEMS APPROACH TO INSTRUCTION INVOLVES A CAREFUL SPECIFICATION OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES IN BEHAVIORAL AND MEASURABLE FORM, FOLLOWED BY A SUCCESSION OF EVALUATION-REVISION CYCLES IN THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS, UNTIL NEW STUDENTS EXPOSED TO THE PROCESS ACHIEVE THE DESIRED OBJECTIVES. SEVEN MAJOR PAPERS WERE PRESENTED AT THE CONFERENCE--(1) THE…

Connexin31.1 deficiency in the mouse impairs object memory and modulates open-field exploration, acetylcholine esterase levels in the striatum, and cAMP response element-binding protein levels in the striatum and piriform cortex.

PubMed

Dere, E; Zheng-Fischhöfer, Q; Viggiano, D; Gironi Carnevale, U A; Ruocco, L A; Zlomuzica, A; Schnichels, M; Willecke, K; Huston, J P; Sadile, A G

2008-05-02

Neuronal gap junctions in the brain, providing intercellular electrotonic signal transfer, have been implicated in physiological and behavioral correlates of learning and memory. In connexin31.1 (Cx31.1) knockout (KO) mice the coding region of the Cx31.1 gene was replaced by a LacZ reporter gene. We investigated the impact of Cx31.1 deficiency on open-field exploration, the behavioral response to an odor, non-selective attention, learning and memory performance, and the levels of memory-related proteins in the hippocampus, striatum and the piriform cortex. In terms of behavior, the deletion of the Cx31.1 coding DNA in the mouse led to increased exploratory behaviors in a novel environment, and impaired one-trial object recognition at all delays tested. Despite strong Cx31.1 expression in the peripheral and central olfactory system, Cx31.1 KO mice exhibited normal behavioral responses to an odor. We found increased levels of acetylcholine esterase (AChE) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in the striatum of Cx31.1 KO mice. In the piriform cortex the Cx31.1 KO mice had an increased heterogeneity of CREB expression among neurons. In conclusion, gap-junctions featuring the Cx31.1 protein might be involved in open-field exploration as well as object memory and modulate levels of AChE and CREB in the striatum and piriform cortex.

Whole-brain activity mapping onto a zebrafish brain atlas.

PubMed

Randlett, Owen; Wee, Caroline L; Naumann, Eva A; Nnaemeka, Onyeka; Schoppik, David; Fitzgerald, James E; Portugues, Ruben; Lacoste, Alix M B; Riegler, Clemens; Engert, Florian; Schier, Alexander F

2015-11-01

In order to localize the neural circuits involved in generating behaviors, it is necessary to assign activity onto anatomical maps of the nervous system. Using brain registration across hundreds of larval zebrafish, we have built an expandable open-source atlas containing molecular labels and definitions of anatomical regions, the Z-Brain. Using this platform and immunohistochemical detection of phosphorylated extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) as a readout of neural activity, we have developed a system to create and contextualize whole-brain maps of stimulus- and behavior-dependent neural activity. This mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP)-mapping assay is technically simple, and data analysis is completely automated. Because MAP-mapping is performed on freely swimming fish, it is applicable to studies of nearly any stimulus or behavior. Here we demonstrate our high-throughput approach using pharmacological, visual and noxious stimuli, as well as hunting and feeding. The resultant maps outline hundreds of areas associated with behaviors.

The enhancement of quantum entanglement under an open Dirac system with the Hawking effect in Schwarzschild space-time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Wen-Yang; Wang, Dong; Fang, Bao-Long; Shi, Jia-Dong; Ye, Liu

2018-06-01

In this letter, we mainly investigate how to enhance the damaged quantum entanglement under an open Dirac system with the Hawking effect within Schwarzschild space-time. We consider that particle A held by Alice undergoes generalized amplitude damping noise in a flat space-time, and that another particle B by Bob entangled with A is under a Schwarzschild space-time. Subsequently, we put forward a physical scheme to recover the damaged quantum entanglement by prior weak measurement on subsystem A before the interaction with the decoherence noise followed by post-measurement filtering operation. The results indicate that our scheme can effectively recover the damaged quantum entanglement affected by the Hawking effect and the noisy channel. Thus, our work might be beneficial to understand the dynamic behavior of the quantum state and recover the damaged quantum entanglement with open Dirac systems under the Hawking effect in the background of a Schwarzschild black hole.

Noise switching at a dynamical critical point in a cavity-conductor hybrid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armour, Andrew D.; Kubala, Björn; Ankerhold, Joachim

2017-12-01

Coupling a mesoscopic conductor to a microwave cavity can lead to fascinating feedback effects which generate strong correlations between the dynamics of photons and charges. We explore the connection between cavity dynamics and charge transport in a model system consisting of a voltage-biased Josephson junction embedded in a high-Q cavity, focusing on the behavior as the system is tuned through a dynamical critical point. On one side of the critical point the noise is strongly suppressed, signaling the existence of a regime of highly coherent transport, but on the other side it switches abruptly to a much larger value. Using a semiclassical approach we show that this behavior arises because of the strongly nonlinear cavity drive generated by the Cooper pairs. We also uncover an equivalence between charge and photonic current noise in the system which opens up a route to detecting the critical behavior through straightforward microwave measurements.

A Record of Uranium-Series Transport in Fractured, Unsaturated Tuff at Nopal I, Sierra Peña Blanca, Chihuahua, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denton, J.; Goldstein, S. J.; Paviet, P.; Nunn, A. J.; Amato, R. S.; Hinrichs, K. A.

2015-12-01

In this study we utilize U-series disequilibria measurements to investigate mineral fluid interactions and the role fractures play in the geochemical evolution of an analogue for a high level nuclear waste repository, the Nopal I uranium ore deposit. Samples of fracture-fill materials have been collected from a vertical drill core and surface fractures. High uranium concentrations in these materials (12-7700 ppm) indicate U mobility and transport from the deposit in the past. U concentrations generally decrease with horizontal distance away from the ore deposit but show no trend with depth. Isotopic activity ratios indicate a complicated geochemical evolution in terms of the timing and extent of actinide mobility, possibly due to changing environmental (redox) conditions over the history of the deposit. 234U/238U activity ratios are generally distinct from secular equilibrium and indicate some degree of open system U behavior during the past 1.2 Ma. However, calculated closed system 238U-234U-230Th model ages are generally >313 ka and >183 ka for the surface fracture and drill core samples respectively, suggesting closed system behavior for U and Th over this most recent time period. Whole rock isochrons drawn for the drill core samples show that at two of three depths fractures have remained closed with respect to U and Th mobility for >200 ka. However, open system behavior for U in the last 350 ka is suggested at 67 m depth. 231Pa/235U activity ratios within error of unity suggest closed system behavior for U and Pa for at least the past 185 ka. 226Ra/230Th activity ratios are typically <1 (0.7-1.2), suggesting recent (<8 ka) radium loss and mobility due to ongoing fluid flow in the fractures. Overall, the mainly closed system behavior of U-Th-Pa over the past ~200 ka provides one indicator of the geochemical immobility of these actinides over long time-scales for potential nuclear waste repositories sited in fractured, unsaturated tuff.

Quantization of the damped harmonic oscillator revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldiotti, M. C.; Fresneda, R.; Gitman, D. M.

2011-04-01

We return to the description of the damped harmonic oscillator with an assessment of previous works, in particular the Bateman-Caldirola-Kanai model and a new model proposed by one of the authors. We argue the latter has better high energy behavior and is connected to existing open-systems approaches.

An investigation of equilibrium concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prozan, R. J.

1982-01-01

A different approach to modeling of the thermochemistry of rocket engine combustion phenomena is presented. The methodology described is based on the hypothesis of a new variational principle applicable to compressible fluid mechanics. This hypothesis is extended to treat the thermochemical behavior of a reacting (equilibrium) gas in an open system.

SER 2, ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATIONS. SER, SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS RESEARCH.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CARSON, DANIEL H.; AND OTHERS

AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ALREADY EXISTS AND IS EVALUATED HERE IN THE SECOND OF A SERIES OF REPORTS INTENDED TO BE VALUABLE TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN HOW ENVIRONMENT AFFECTS LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR. MAN IS A NONSTATIONARY OPEN SYSTEM UNDERGOING CONTINUOUS INTERCHANGE WITH HIS ENVIRONMENT. THIS INTERACTION, AND THE SEVERAL ASPECTS OF HIS…

Intermittency and dynamical Lee-Yang zeros of open quantum systems.

PubMed

Hickey, James M; Flindt, Christian; Garrahan, Juan P

2014-12-01

We use high-order cumulants to investigate the Lee-Yang zeros of generating functions of dynamical observables in open quantum systems. At long times the generating functions take on a large-deviation form with singularities of the associated cumulant generating functions-or dynamical free energies-signifying phase transitions in the ensemble of dynamical trajectories. We consider a driven three-level system as well as the dissipative Ising model. Both systems exhibit dynamical intermittency in the statistics of quantum jumps. From the short-time behavior of the dynamical Lee-Yang zeros, we identify critical values of the counting field which we attribute to the observed intermittency and dynamical phase coexistence. Furthermore, for the dissipative Ising model we construct a trajectory phase diagram and estimate the value of the transverse field where the stationary state changes from being ferromagnetic (inactive) to paramagnetic (active).

Open-system coral ages reveal persistent suborbital sea-level cycles.

PubMed

Thompson, William G; Goldstein, Steven L

2005-04-15

Sea level is a sensitive index of global climate that has been linked to Earth's orbital variations, with a minimum periodicity of about 21,000 years. Although there is ample evidence for climate oscillations that are too frequent to be explained by orbital forcing, suborbital-frequency sea-level change has been difficult to resolve, primarily because of problems with uranium/thorium coral dating. Here we use a new approach that corrects coral ages for the frequently observed open-system behavior of uranium-series nuclides, substantially improving the resolution of sea-level reconstruction. This curve reveals persistent sea-level oscillations that are too frequent to be explained exclusively by orbital forcing.

Absence of system xc- in mice decreases anxiety and depressive-like behavior without affecting sensorimotor function or spatial vision.

PubMed

Bentea, Eduard; Demuyser, Thomas; Van Liefferinge, Joeri; Albertini, Giulia; Deneyer, Lauren; Nys, Julie; Merckx, Ellen; Michotte, Yvette; Sato, Hideyo; Arckens, Lutgarde; Massie, Ann; Smolders, Ilse

2015-06-03

There is considerable preclinical and clinical evidence indicating that abnormal changes in glutamatergic signaling underlie the development of mood disorders. Astrocytic glutamate dysfunction, in particular, has been recently linked with the pathogenesis and treatment of mood disorders, including anxiety and depression. System xc- is a glial cystine/glutamate antiporter that is responsible for nonvesicular glutamate release in various regions of the brain. Although system xc- is involved in glutamate signal transduction, its possible role in mediating anxiety or depressive-like behaviors is currently unknown. In the present study, we phenotyped adult and aged system xc- deficient mice in a battery of tests for anxiety and depressive-like behavior (open field, light/dark test, elevated plus maze, novelty suppressed feeding, forced swim test, tail suspension test). Concomitantly, we evaluated the sensorimotor function of system xc- deficient mice, using motor and sensorimotor based tests (rotarod, adhesive removal test, nest building test). Finally, due to the presence and potential functional relevance of system xc- in the eye, we investigated the visual acuity of system xc- deficient mice (optomotor test). Our results indicate that loss of system xc- does not affect motor or sensorimotor function, in either adult or aged mice, in any of the paradigms investigated. Similarly, loss of system xc- does not affect basic visual acuity, in either adult or aged mice. On the other hand, in the open field and light/dark tests, and forced swim and tail suspension tests respectively, we could observe significant anxiolytic and antidepressive-like effects in system xc- deficient mice that in certain cases (light/dark, forced swim) were age-dependent. These findings indicate that, under physiological conditions, nonvesicular glutamate release via system xc- mediates aspects of higher brain function related to anxiety and depression, but does not influence sensorimotor function or spatial vision. As such, modulation of system xc- might constitute the basis of innovative interventions in mood disorders. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A reference architecture for integrated EHR in Colombia.

PubMed

de la Cruz, Edgar; Lopez, Diego M; Uribe, Gustavo; Gonzalez, Carolina; Blobel, Bernd

2011-01-01

The implementation of national EHR infrastructures has to start by a detailed definition of the overall structure and behavior of the EHR system (system architecture). Architectures have to be open, scalable, flexible, user accepted and user friendly, trustworthy, based on standards including terminologies and ontologies. The GCM provides an architectural framework created with the purpose of analyzing any kind of system, including EHR system´s architectures. The objective of this paper is to propose a reference architecture for the implementation of an integrated EHR in Colombia, based on the current state of system´s architectural models, and EHR standards. The proposed EHR architecture defines a set of services (elements) and their interfaces, to support the exchange of clinical documents, offering an open, scalable, flexible and semantically interoperable infrastructure. The architecture was tested in a pilot tele-consultation project in Colombia, where dental EHR are exchanged.

Effect of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate on the neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction in adult male rats and its relationship to anxiogenic behavior: Participation of GABAergic system.

PubMed

Carbone, S; Ponzo, O J; Gobetto, N; Samaniego, Y A; Reynoso, R; Moguilevsky, J A; Cutrera, R A

2018-01-01

The endocrine disruptor di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is used in a variety of consumer products made with polyvinyl chloride and also in the manufacture of medical devices. DEHP disrupts reproductive tract development in an antiandrogenic manner and also may induce neurobehavioral changes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic postnatal exposure to DEHP (30 mg/kg body weight/day, orally from birth to day 60) on the neuroendocrine regulation of the gonadal axis and its impact on the anxiety-like behavior in adult male rats, as well as the probable participation of the GABAergic system in these effects. DEHP produced a significant increase in plasmatic luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone, as well as significant testosterone decrease, accompanied with a decrease in hypothalamic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration. On the other hand, DEHP increased the anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze test, evidenced by a significant decrease in the percentages of time spent in the open arms and the frequency in the open arm entries and a significant increase in the percentage of time spent in closed arms. Neuroendocrine and behavioral effects were reversed by GABA agonists, muscimol (2 mg/kg i.p. ) and baclofen (10 mg/kg i.p.). In conclusion, chronic DEHP postnatal exposure induced a disruption in the neuroendocrine regulation of the testicular axis in young adult male rats, and this effect was correlated with an anxiety-like behavior. Since GABA agonists reversed these effects, the results suggest that GABA could participate in the modulation of reproductive and behavioral DEHP effects.

Individual differences in the elevated plus-maze and the forced swim test.

PubMed

Estanislau, Celio; Ramos, Anna Carolina; Ferraresi, Paula Daniele; Costa, Naiara Fernanda; de Carvalho, Heloisa Maria Cotta Pires; Batistela, Silmara

2011-01-01

The elevated plus-maze is an apparatus composed of enclosed and open (elevated) arms and time spent in the open arms by a rat can be increased/decreased by anxiolytic/anxiogenic agents. In the forced swim test, floating behavior is used as an index of behavioral despair and can be decreased by antidepressant agents. As the comorbidity between anxiety and depression is a remarkable issue in human behavioral disorders, a possible relationship between the behaviors seen in the cited tests is of great relevance. In the present study, fifty-four male rats (Rattus norvegicus) were submitted to a plus-maze session and to a 2-day forced swim protocol. According to their time in the open arms, they were divided into three groups: Low Open, Medium Open and High Open. Some plus-maze measures were found to be coherent with time in the open arms and are suggested to also be reliable anxiety indexes. In the forced swim test, the Low Open group showed decreases in floating duration from forced swim Session 1 to Session 2, an alteration opposite to that observed in the other groups (particularly, the Medium Open group). The Low Open group also showed increases in floating latency, again in sharp contrast with the alteration found in the other groups. Accordingly, positive and negative correlation were found between time in the open arms and floating duration and latency, respectively. Results are compared to previous studies and mediation of the effect by reactivity to aversive stimulation or alterations induced by open arm exposure is discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New control strategies for neuroprosthetic systems.

PubMed

Crago, P E; Lan, N; Veltink, P H; Abbas, J J; Kantor, C

1996-04-01

The availability of techniques to artificially excite paralyzed muscles opens enormous potential for restoring both upper and lower extremity movements with neuroprostheses. Neuroprostheses must stimulate muscle, and control and regulate the artificial movements produced. Control methods to accomplish these tasks include feedforward (open-loop), feedback, and adaptive control. Feedforward control requires a great deal of information about the biomechanical behavior of the limb. For the upper extremity, an artificial motor program was developed to provide such movement program input to a neuroprosthesis. In lower extremity control, one group achieved their best results by attempting to meet naturally perceived gait objectives rather than to follow an exact joint angle trajectory. Adaptive feedforward control, as implemented in the cycle-to-cycle controller, gave good compensation for the gradual decrease in performance observed with open-loop control. A neural network controller was able to control its system to customize stimulation parameters in order to generate a desired output trajectory in a given individual and to maintain tracking performance in the presence of muscle fatigue. The authors believe that practical FNS control systems must exhibit many of these features of neurophysiological systems.

Study of the human postural control system during quiet standing using detrended fluctuation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teresa Blázquez, M.; Anguiano, Marta; de Saavedra, Fernando Arias; Lallena, Antonio M.; Carpena, Pedro

2009-05-01

The detrended fluctuation analysis is used to study the behavior of different time series obtained from the trajectory of the center of pressure, the output of the activity of the human postural control system. The results suggest that these trajectories present two different regimes in their scaling properties: persistent (for high frequencies, short-range time scale) to antipersistent (for low frequencies, long-range time scale) behaviors. The similitude between the results obtained for the measurements, done with both eyes open and eyes closed, indicate either that the visual system may be disregarded by the postural control system while maintaining the quiet standing, or that the control mechanisms associated with each type of information (visual, vestibular and somatosensory) cannot be disentangled with the type of analysis performed here.

Implementation and characterization of a controllable dephasing channel based on coupling polarization and spatial degrees of freedom of light.

PubMed

Urrego, Daniel F; Álvarez, Juan-Rafael; Calderón-Losada, Omar; Svozilík, Jiří; Nuñez, Mayerlin; Valencia, Alejandra

2018-04-30

We present the experimental implementation and theoretical model of a controllable dephasing quantum channel using photonic systems. The channel is implemented by coupling the polarization and the spatial distribution of light that play, in the perspective of open quantum systems, the role of quantum system and environment, respectively. The capability of controlling our channel allows us to visualize its effects in a quantum system. Different from standard dephasing channels, our channel presents an exotic behavior in the sense that the evolution of a state, from a pure to a mixed state, shows an oscillatory behavior if tracked in the Bloch sphere. Additionally, we report the evolution of the purity and perform a quantum process tomography to obtain the χ matrix associated to our channel.

Deletion of Numb/Numblike in glutamatergic neurons leads to anxiety-like behavior in mice.

PubMed

Qian, Wenyu; Hong, Yang; Zhu, Minyan; Zhou, Liang; Li, Hongchang; Li, Huashun

2017-06-15

Endocytic adaptor protein Numb is the first identified cell fate determinant in Drosophila melanogaster. It has been implicated in Notch signaling pathway and regulation of neural stem cells proliferation in the central nervous system. Numb is also expressed in postmitotic neurons, in vitro studies showed that Numb is involved in neuronal morphologic development, such as neurite growth, axonal growth and spine development. However, in vivo functions of Numb in the postmitotic neurons are largely unknown. Here we show that deletion of Numb/Numblike in glutamatergic neurons causes anxiety-like behavior in mouse. In this study, we conditionally deleted Numb and its homologous gene Numblike in the glutamatergic neurons in dorsal forebrain, and thoroughly characterized the behavioral phenotypes of mutant mice. On a battery of tests for anxiety-like behavior, the conditional double knockout mice showed increased anxiety-like behavior on light/dark exploration and novel open field tests, but not on elevated zero maze tests. The conditional double knockout mice also displayed novelty induced hyperactivity in novel open field test. Control measures of general health, motor functions, startle response, sensorimotor gating, depression-related behaviors did not show differences between genotypes. Our present findings provide new insight into the indispensable functions of Numb/Numblike in the brain and behavior, and suggest that Numb/Numblike may play a role in mediating neuronal functions that underlie behaviors related to anxiety. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Tendency towards maximum complexity in a nonequilibrium isolated system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Calbet, Xavier; Lopez-Ruiz, Ricardo

2001-06-01

The time evolution equations of a simplified isolated ideal gas, the {open_quotes}tetrahedral{close_quotes} gas, are derived. The dynamical behavior of the Lopez-Ruiz{endash}Mancini{endash}Calbet complexity [R. Lopez-Ruiz, H. L. Mancini, and X. Calbet, Phys. Lett. A >209, 321 (1995)] is studied in this system. In general, it is shown that the complexity remains within the bounds of minimum and maximum complexity. We find that there are certain restrictions when the isolated {open_quotes}tetrahedral{close_quotes} gas evolves towards equilibrium. In addition to the well-known increase in entropy, the quantity called disequilibrium decreases monotonically with time. Furthermore, the trajectories of the system in phase space approach themore » maximum complexity path as it evolves toward equilibrium.« less

Hierarchical resilience with lightweight threads.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wheeler, Kyle Bruce

2011-10-01

This paper proposes methodology for providing robustness and resilience for a highly threaded distributed- and shared-memory environment based on well-defined inputs and outputs to lightweight tasks. These inputs and outputs form a failure 'barrier', allowing tasks to be restarted or duplicated as necessary. These barriers must be expanded based on task behavior, such as communication between tasks, but do not prohibit any given behavior. One of the trends in high-performance computing codes seems to be a trend toward self-contained functions that mimic functional programming. Software designers are trending toward a model of software design where their core functions are specifiedmore » in side-effect free or low-side-effect ways, wherein the inputs and outputs of the functions are well-defined. This provides the ability to copy the inputs to wherever they need to be - whether that's the other side of the PCI bus or the other side of the network - do work on that input using local memory, and then copy the outputs back (as needed). This design pattern is popular among new distributed threading environment designs. Such designs include the Barcelona STARS system, distributed OpenMP systems, the Habanero-C and Habanero-Java systems from Vivek Sarkar at Rice University, the HPX/ParalleX model from LSU, as well as our own Scalable Parallel Runtime effort (SPR) and the Trilinos stateless kernels. This design pattern is also shared by CUDA and several OpenMP extensions for GPU-type accelerators (e.g. the PGI OpenMP extensions).« less

Acute administration of fluoxetine normalizes rapid eye movement sleep abnormality, but not depressive behaviors in olfactory bulbectomized rats.

PubMed

Wang, Yi-Qun; Tu, Zhi-Cai; Xu, Xing-Yuan; Li, Rui; Qu, Wei-Min; Urade, Yoshihiro; Huang, Zhi-Li

2012-01-01

In humans, depression is associated with altered rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. However, the exact nature of the relationship between depressive behaviors and sleep abnormalities is debated. In this study, bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) was carried out to create a model of depression in rats. The sleep-wake profiles were assayed using a cutting-edge sleep bioassay system, and depressive behaviors were evaluated by open field and forced swimming tests. The monoamine content and monoamine metabolite levels in the brain were determined by a HPLC-electrochemical detection system. OBX rats exhibited a significant increase in REM sleep, especially between 15:00 and 18:00 hours during the light period. Acute treatment with fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) immediately abolished the OBX-induced increase in REM sleep, but hyperactivity in the open field test and the time spent immobile in the forced swimming test remained unchanged. Neurochemistry studies revealed that acute administration of fluoxetine increased serotonin (5-HT) levels in the hippocampus, thalamus, and midbrain and decreased levels of the 5-HT metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). The ratio of 5-HIAA to 5-HT decreased in almost all regions of the brain. These results indicate that acute administration of fluoxetine can reduce the increase in REM sleep but does not change the depressive behaviors in OBX rats, suggesting that there was no causality between REM sleep abnormalities and depressive behaviors in OBX rats. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Neurochemistry © 2011 International Society for Neurochemistry.

A Valepotriate Fraction of Valeriana glechomifolia Shows Sedative and Anxiolytic Properties and Impairs Recognition But Not Aversive Memory in Mice

PubMed Central

Maurmann, Natasha; Reolon, Gustavo Kellermann; Rech, Sandra Beatriz; Fett-Neto, Arthur Germano; Roesler, Rafael

2011-01-01

Plants of the genus Valeriana (Valerianaceae) are used in traditional medicine as a mild sedative, antispasmodic and tranquilizer in many countries. This study was undertaken to explore the neurobehavioral effects of systemic administration of a valepotriate extract fraction of known quantitative composition of Valeriana glechomifolia (endemic of southern Brazil) in mice. Adult animals were treated with a single intraperitoneal injection of valepotriate fraction (VF) in the concentrations of 1, 3 or 10 mg kg−1, or with vehicle in the pre-training period before each behavioral test. During the exploration of an open field, mice treated with 10 mg kg−1 of VF showed reduced locomotion and exploratory behavior. Although overall habituation sessions for locomotion and exploratory behavior among vehicle control and doses of VF were not affected, comparison between open-field and habituation sessions within each treatment showed that VF administration at 1 and 10 mg kg−1 impaired habituation. In the elevated plus-maze test, mice treated with VF (10 mg kg−1) showed a significant increase in the percentage of time spent in the open arms without significant effects in the number of total arm entries. VF at 3 mg kg−1 produced an impairment of novel-object recognition memory. In contrast, VF did not affect fear-related memory assessed in an inhibitory avoidance task. The results indicate that VF can have sedative effects and affect behavioral parameters related to recognition memory. PMID:20047889

Understanding User Behavioral Patterns in Open Knowledge Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Xianmin; Song, Shuqiang; Zhao, Xinshuo; Yu, Shengquan

2018-01-01

Open knowledge communities (OKCs) have become popular in the era of knowledge economy. This study aimed to explore how users collaboratively create and share knowledge in OKCs. In particular, this research identified the behavior distribution and behavioral patterns of users by conducting frequency distribution and lag sequential analyses. Some…

The TimeStudio Project: An open source scientific workflow system for the behavioral and brain sciences.

PubMed

Nyström, Pär; Falck-Ytter, Terje; Gredebäck, Gustaf

2016-06-01

This article describes a new open source scientific workflow system, the TimeStudio Project, dedicated to the behavioral and brain sciences. The program is written in MATLAB and features a graphical user interface for the dynamic pipelining of computer algorithms developed as TimeStudio plugins. TimeStudio includes both a set of general plugins (for reading data files, modifying data structures, visualizing data structures, etc.) and a set of plugins specifically developed for the analysis of event-related eyetracking data as a proof of concept. It is possible to create custom plugins to integrate new or existing MATLAB code anywhere in a workflow, making TimeStudio a flexible workbench for organizing and performing a wide range of analyses. The system also features an integrated sharing and archiving tool for TimeStudio workflows, which can be used to share workflows both during the data analysis phase and after scientific publication. TimeStudio thus facilitates the reproduction and replication of scientific studies, increases the transparency of analyses, and reduces individual researchers' analysis workload. The project website ( http://timestudioproject.com ) contains the latest releases of TimeStudio, together with documentation and user forums.

Continuous variable quantum optical simulation for time evolution of quantum harmonic oscillators

PubMed Central

Deng, Xiaowei; Hao, Shuhong; Guo, Hong; Xie, Changde; Su, Xiaolong

2016-01-01

Quantum simulation enables one to mimic the evolution of other quantum systems using a controllable quantum system. Quantum harmonic oscillator (QHO) is one of the most important model systems in quantum physics. To observe the transient dynamics of a QHO with high oscillation frequency directly is difficult. We experimentally simulate the transient behaviors of QHO in an open system during time evolution with an optical mode and a logical operation system of continuous variable quantum computation. The time evolution of an atomic ensemble in the collective spontaneous emission is analytically simulated by mapping the atomic ensemble onto a QHO. The measured fidelity, which is used for quantifying the quality of the simulation, is higher than its classical limit. The presented simulation scheme provides a new tool for studying the dynamic behaviors of QHO. PMID:26961962

Open source tracking and analysis of adult Drosophila locomotion in Buridan's paradigm with and without visual targets.

PubMed

Colomb, Julien; Reiter, Lutz; Blaszkiewicz, Jedrzej; Wessnitzer, Jan; Brembs, Bjoern

2012-01-01

Insects have been among the most widely used model systems for studying the control of locomotion by nervous systems. In Drosophila, we implemented a simple test for locomotion: in Buridan's paradigm, flies walk back and forth between two inaccessible visual targets [1]. Until today, the lack of easily accessible tools for tracking the fly position and analyzing its trajectory has probably contributed to the slow acceptance of Buridan's paradigm. We present here a package of open source software designed to track a single animal walking in a homogenous environment (Buritrack) and to analyze its trajectory. The Centroid Trajectory Analysis (CeTrAn) software is coded in the open source statistics project R. It extracts eleven metrics and includes correlation analyses and a Principal Components Analysis (PCA). It was designed to be easily customized to personal requirements. In combination with inexpensive hardware, these tools can readily be used for teaching and research purposes. We demonstrate the capabilities of our package by measuring the locomotor behavior of adult Drosophila melanogaster (whose wings were clipped), either in the presence or in the absence of visual targets, and comparing the latter to different computer-generated data. The analysis of the trajectories confirms that flies are centrophobic and shows that inaccessible visual targets can alter the orientation of the flies without changing their overall patterns of activity. Using computer generated data, the analysis software was tested, and chance values for some metrics (as well as chance value for their correlation) were set. Our results prompt the hypothesis that fixation behavior is observed only if negative phototaxis can overcome the propensity of the flies to avoid the center of the platform. Together with our companion paper, we provide new tools to promote Open Science as well as the collection and analysis of digital behavioral data.

Effect of 7-nitroindazole, a neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, on behavioral and physiological parameters.

PubMed

Brožíčková, C; Mikulecká, A; Otáhal, J

2014-01-01

The role of brain derived nitric oxide in the physiology and behavior remains disputable. One of the reasons of the controversies might be systemic side effects of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors. Therefore, under nNOS inhibition by 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) we carried out recordings of blood gasses, blood pressure and spontaneous EEG in conscious adult rats. Locomotion and spontaneous behavior were assessed in an open field. In addition skilled walking and limb coordination were evaluated using a ladder rung walking test. The blood gas analysis revealed a significant increase in pCO(2) 180 min and 240 min after the application of 7-NI. The power and entropy decreased simultaneously with a shift of the mean frequency of the spontaneous EEG toward slow oscillations after 7-NI treatment. The thresholds of evoked potentials underwent a significant drop and a trend towards a slight increase in the I-O curve slope was observed. 7-NI significantly suppressed open field behavior expressed as distance moved, exploratory rearing and grooming. As for the ladder rung walking test the 7-NI treated animals had more errors in foot placement indicating impairment in limb coordination. Therefore our findings suggest that 7-NI increased cortical excitability and altered some physiological and behavioral parameters.

Dynamics of Mouth Opening in Hydra

PubMed Central

Carter, Jason A.; Hyland, Callen; Steele, Robert E.; Collins, Eva-Maria S.

2016-01-01

Hydra, a simple freshwater animal famous for its regenerative capabilities, must tear a hole through its epithelial tissue each time it opens its mouth. The feeding response of Hydra has been well-characterized physiologically and is regarded as a classical model system for environmental chemical biology. However, due to a lack of in vivo labeling and imaging tools, the biomechanics of mouth opening have remained completely unexplored. We take advantage of the availability of transgenic Hydra lines to perform the first dynamical analysis, to our knowledge, of Hydra mouth opening and test existing hypotheses regarding the underlying cellular mechanisms. Through cell position and shape tracking, we show that mouth opening is accompanied by changes in cell shape, but not cellular rearrangements as previously suggested. Treatment with a muscle relaxant impairs mouth opening, supporting the hypothesis that mouth opening is an active process driven by radial contractile processes (myonemes) in the ectoderm. Furthermore, we find that all events exhibit the same relative rate of opening. Because one individual can open consecutively to different amounts, this suggests that the degree of mouth opening is controlled through neuronal signaling. Finally, from the opening dynamics and independent measurements of the elastic properties of the tissues, we estimate the forces exerted by the myonemes to be on the order of a few nanoNewtons. Our study provides the first dynamical framework, to our knowledge, for understanding the remarkable plasticity of the Hydra mouth and illustrates that Hydra is a powerful system for quantitative biomechanical studies of cell and tissue behaviors in vivo. PMID:26958895

Dynamics of Mouth Opening in Hydra.

PubMed

Carter, Jason A; Hyland, Callen; Steele, Robert E; Collins, Eva-Maria S

2016-03-08

Hydra, a simple freshwater animal famous for its regenerative capabilities, must tear a hole through its epithelial tissue each time it opens its mouth. The feeding response of Hydra has been well-characterized physiologically and is regarded as a classical model system for environmental chemical biology. However, due to a lack of in vivo labeling and imaging tools, the biomechanics of mouth opening have remained completely unexplored. We take advantage of the availability of transgenic Hydra lines to perform the first dynamical analysis, to our knowledge, of Hydra mouth opening and test existing hypotheses regarding the underlying cellular mechanisms. Through cell position and shape tracking, we show that mouth opening is accompanied by changes in cell shape, but not cellular rearrangements as previously suggested. Treatment with a muscle relaxant impairs mouth opening, supporting the hypothesis that mouth opening is an active process driven by radial contractile processes (myonemes) in the ectoderm. Furthermore, we find that all events exhibit the same relative rate of opening. Because one individual can open consecutively to different amounts, this suggests that the degree of mouth opening is controlled through neuronal signaling. Finally, from the opening dynamics and independent measurements of the elastic properties of the tissues, we estimate the forces exerted by the myonemes to be on the order of a few nanoNewtons. Our study provides the first dynamical framework, to our knowledge, for understanding the remarkable plasticity of the Hydra mouth and illustrates that Hydra is a powerful system for quantitative biomechanical studies of cell and tissue behaviors in vivo. Copyright © 2016 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Post-adoption contact, adoption communicative openness, and satisfaction with contact as predictors of externalizing behavior in adolescence and emerging adulthood.

PubMed

Grotevant, Harold D; Rueter, Martha; Von Korff, Lynn; Gonzalez, Christopher

2011-05-01

This study examined the relation between three variables related to adoptive family relationships (post-adoption contact between adoptive and birth family members, adoption communicative openness, and satisfaction with contact) and adoptee externalizing behavior in adolescence and emerging adulthood. The study included 190 families of infant-placed, domestic adoptees during childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze predictors of externalizing behavior from contact (adoptive parents and adolescent reports), adoption communicative openness (adoptive mothers), and satisfaction with contact (adoptive parents and adolescent). Externalizing behavior showed moderate stability across childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Contact and adoption communicative openness were related to each other, but not to externalizing behaviors in adolescence or emerging adulthood. Controlling for the effect of Childhood Externalizing, adoptive families most satisfied with contact reported relative declines in adoptee externalizing behavior during adolescence compared to those in less satisfied families. Satisfaction was also indirectly associated with Emerging Adult Externalizing, through its effect on Adolescent Externalizing. Although contact and adoption communicative openness were highly correlated with each other, neither was related to adoptees' externalizing behavior in adolescence or emerging adulthood. Family-level satisfaction with contact was more predictive of externalizing outcomes. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2010 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Anxiolytic Treatment Impairs Helping Behavior in Rats

PubMed Central

Ben-Ami Bartal, Inbal; Shan, Haozhe; Molasky, Nora M. R.; Murray, Teresa M.; Williams, Jasper Z.; Decety, Jean; Mason, Peggy

2016-01-01

Despite decades of research with humans, the biological mechanisms that motivate an individual to help others remain poorly understood. In order to investigate the roots of pro-sociality in mammals, we established the helping behavior test, a paradigm in which rats are faced with a conspecific trapped in a restrainer that can only be opened from the outside. Over the course of repeated test sessions, rats exposed to a trapped cagemate learn to open the door to the restrainer, thereby helping the trapped rat to escape (Ben-Ami Bartal et al., 2011). The discovery of this natural behavior provides a unique opportunity to probe the motivation of rodent helping behavior, leading to a deeper understanding of biological influences on human pro-sociality. To determine if an affective response motivates door-opening, rats receiving midazolam, a benzodiazepine anxiolytic, were tested in the helping behavior test. Midazolam-treated rats showed less helping behavior than saline-treated rats or rats receiving no injection. Yet, midazolam-treated rats opened a restrainer containing chocolate, highlighting the socially specific effects of the anxiolytic. To determine if midazolam interferes with helping through a sympatholytic effect, the peripherally restricted beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist nadolol was administered; nadolol did not interfere with helping. The corticosterone response of rats exposed to a trapped cagemate was measured and compared to the rats’ subsequent helping behavior. Rats with the greatest corticosterone responses showed the least helping behavior and those with the smallest responses showed the most consistent helping at the shortest latency. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for the interaction between stress and pro-social behavior. Finally, we observed that door-opening appeared to be reinforcing. A novel analytical tool was designed to interrogate the pattern of door-opening for signs that a rat’s behavior on one session influenced his behavior on the next session. Results suggest that helping a trapped rat has a greater motivational value than does chocolate. In sum, this series of experiments clearly demonstrates the fundamental role of affect in motivating pro-social behavior in rodents and the need for a helper to resonate with the affect of a victim. PMID:27375528

Track-A-Worm, An Open-Source System for Quantitative Assessment of C. elegans Locomotory and Bending Behavior

PubMed Central

Wang, Sijie Jason; Wang, Zhao-Wen

2013-01-01

A major challenge of neuroscience is to understand the circuit and gene bases of behavior. C. elegans is commonly used as a model system to investigate how various gene products function at specific tissue, cellular, and synaptic foci to produce complicated locomotory and bending behavior. The investigation generally requires quantitative behavioral analyses using an automated single-worm tracker, which constantly records and analyzes the position and body shape of a freely moving worm at a high magnification. Many single-worm trackers have been developed to meet lab-specific needs, but none has been widely implemented for various reasons, such as hardware difficult to assemble, and software lacking sufficient functionality, having closed source code, or using a programming language that is not broadly accessible. The lack of a versatile system convenient for wide implementation makes data comparisons difficult and compels other labs to develop new worm trackers. Here we describe Track-A-Worm, a system rich in functionality, open in source code, and easy to use. The system includes plug-and-play hardware (a stereomicroscope, a digital camera and a motorized stage), custom software written to run with Matlab in Windows 7, and a detailed user manual. Grayscale images are automatically converted to binary images followed by head identification and placement of 13 markers along a deduced spline. The software can extract and quantify a variety of parameters, including distance traveled, average speed, distance/time/speed of forward and backward locomotion, frequency and amplitude of dominant bends, overall bending activities measured as root mean square, and sum of all bends. It also plots worm travel path, bend trace, and bend frequency spectrum. All functionality is performed through graphical user interfaces and data is exported to clearly-annotated and documented Excel files. These features make Track-A-Worm a good candidate for implementation in other labs. PMID:23922769

Empathy in Medical Students Is Moderated by Openness to Spirituality.

PubMed

Damiano, Rodolfo F; DiLalla, Lisabeth F; Lucchetti, Giancarlo; Dorsey, J Kevin

2017-01-01

Empathy is one component of medical student education that may be important to nurture, but there are many potential psychological barriers to empathy, such as student depression, burnout, and low quality of life or wellness behaviors. However, few studies have addressed how positive behaviors such as wellness and spirituality, in combination with these barriers, might affect empathy. We hypothesized a negative relationship between psychological distress and empathy, and a positive relationship between empathy and wellness behaviors. We also hypothesized that openness to others' spirituality would moderate the effects of psychological distress on empathy in medical students. This cross-sectional study included 106 medical students in a public medical school in the U.S. Midwest. Mailed questionnaires collected student information on specialty choice and sociodemographics, empathy, spirituality openness, religiosity, wellness, burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted, with empathy as the dependent variable, psychological distress and all wellness behaviors as predictors, and spirituality openness as a moderator. Specialty choice, burnout, wellness behaviors, spirituality openness, and religiosity were significant independent predictors of empathy. In addition, when added singly, one interaction was significant: Spirituality Openness × Depression. Spirituality openness was related to empathy only in nondepressed students. Empathy of students with higher levels of depression was generally lower and not affected by spirituality openness. Nondepressed students who reported lower openness to spirituality might benefit most from empathy training, because these students reported the lowest empathy. Highly depressed or disengaged students may require interventions before empathy can be addressed. In addition, burnout was related to lower levels of empathy and wellness was related to higher levels. These provide potential points of intervention for medical schools developing tools to increase medical trainees' empathy levels.

Scaling law in free walking of mice in circular open fields of various diameters.

PubMed

Shoji, Hiroto

2016-03-01

Open-field tests are routinely used to study locomotor activity in rodents. I studied the effects of apparatus size on rodent locomotor activity, specifically with respect to how resting and walking periods are interwoven. I explored the open-field behavior of mice utilizing circular open fields of various diameters. When the diameter of the test apparatus was greater than 75 cm, the durations of the resting and moving periods of free walking behavior obeyed bounded power-law distribution functions. I found that the properties of the scaling exponents and model selection became similar for test apparatus diameters greater than 75 cm. These results can provide a guide for the selection of the size of the test apparatus for use in the study of the open-field behavior of rodents.

Identification and impact of discoverers in online social systems

PubMed Central

Medo, Matúš; Mariani, Manuel S.; Zeng, An; Zhang, Yi-Cheng

2016-01-01

Understanding the behavior of users in online systems is of essential importance for sociology, system design, e-commerce, and beyond. Most existing models assume that individuals in diverse systems, ranging from social networks to e-commerce platforms, tend to what is already popular. We propose a statistical time-aware framework to identify the users who differ from the usual behavior by being repeatedly and persistently among the first to collect the items that later become hugely popular. Since these users effectively discover future hits, we refer them as discoverers. We use the proposed framework to demonstrate that discoverers are present in a wide range of real systems. Once identified, discoverers can be used to predict the future success of new items. We finally introduce a simple network model which reproduces the discovery patterns observed in the real data. Our results open the door to quantitative study of detailed temporal patterns in social systems. PMID:27687588

Identification and impact of discoverers in online social systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medo, Matúš; Mariani, Manuel S.; Zeng, An; Zhang, Yi-Cheng

2016-09-01

Understanding the behavior of users in online systems is of essential importance for sociology, system design, e-commerce, and beyond. Most existing models assume that individuals in diverse systems, ranging from social networks to e-commerce platforms, tend to what is already popular. We propose a statistical time-aware framework to identify the users who differ from the usual behavior by being repeatedly and persistently among the first to collect the items that later become hugely popular. Since these users effectively discover future hits, we refer them as discoverers. We use the proposed framework to demonstrate that discoverers are present in a wide range of real systems. Once identified, discoverers can be used to predict the future success of new items. We finally introduce a simple network model which reproduces the discovery patterns observed in the real data. Our results open the door to quantitative study of detailed temporal patterns in social systems.

Identification and impact of discoverers in online social systems.

PubMed

Medo, Matúš; Mariani, Manuel S; Zeng, An; Zhang, Yi-Cheng

2016-09-30

Understanding the behavior of users in online systems is of essential importance for sociology, system design, e-commerce, and beyond. Most existing models assume that individuals in diverse systems, ranging from social networks to e-commerce platforms, tend to what is already popular. We propose a statistical time-aware framework to identify the users who differ from the usual behavior by being repeatedly and persistently among the first to collect the items that later become hugely popular. Since these users effectively discover future hits, we refer them as discoverers. We use the proposed framework to demonstrate that discoverers are present in a wide range of real systems. Once identified, discoverers can be used to predict the future success of new items. We finally introduce a simple network model which reproduces the discovery patterns observed in the real data. Our results open the door to quantitative study of detailed temporal patterns in social systems.

Initial Open Trial of a Computerized Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spates, C. Richard; Kalata, Alyssa H.; Ozeki, Satoshi; Stanton, Cory E.; Peters, Sofia

2013-01-01

This article presents preliminary findings from use of a novel computer program that implements an evidence-based psychological intervention to treat depression based on behavioral activation (BA) therapy. The program is titled “Building a Meaningful Life Through Behavioral Activation”. The findings derive from an open trial with moderate to…

Controlled progressive innate immune stimulation regimen prevents the induction of sickness behavior in the open field test

PubMed Central

Chen, Qun; Tarr, Andrew J; Liu, Xiaoyu; Wang, Yufen; Reed, Nathaniel S; DeMarsh, Cameron P; Sheridan, John F; Quan, Ning

2013-01-01

Peripheral immune activation by bacterial mimics or live replicating pathogens is well known to induce central nervous system activation. Sickness behavior alterations are often associated with inflammation-induced increases in peripheral proinflammatory cytokines (eg, interleukin [IL]-1β and IL-6). However, most researchers have used acute high dose endotoxin/bacterial challenges to observe these outcomes. Using this methodology may pose inherent risks in the translational interpretation of the experimental data in these studies. Studies using Escherichia coli have yet to establish the full kinetics of repeated E. coli peripheral injections. Therefore, we sought to examine the effects of repeated low dose E. coli on sickness behavior and local peripheral inflammation in the open field test. Results from the current experiments showed a behavioral dose response, where increased amounts of E. coli resulted in correspondingly increased sickness behavior. Furthermore, animals that received a subthreshold dose (ie, one that did not cause sickness behavior) of E. coli 24 hours prior were able to withstand a larger dose of E. coli on the second day (a dose that would normally cause sickness behavior in mice without prior exposure) without inducing sickness behavior. In addition, animals that received escalating subthreshold doses of E. coli on days 1 and 2 behaviorally tolerated a dose of E. coli 25 times higher than what would normally cause sickness behavior if given acutely. Lastly, increased levels of E. coli caused increased IL-6 and IL-1β protein expression in the peritoneal cavity, and this increase was blocked by administering a subthreshold dose of E. coli 24 hours prior. These data show that progressive challenges with subthreshold levels of E. coli may obviate the induction of sickness behavior and proinflammatory cytokine expression. PMID:23950656

Controlled progressive innate immune stimulation regimen prevents the induction of sickness behavior in the open field test.

PubMed

Chen, Qun; Tarr, Andrew J; Liu, Xiaoyu; Wang, Yufen; Reed, Nathaniel S; Demarsh, Cameron P; Sheridan, John F; Quan, Ning

2013-01-01

Peripheral immune activation by bacterial mimics or live replicating pathogens is well known to induce central nervous system activation. Sickness behavior alterations are often associated with inflammation-induced increases in peripheral proinflammatory cytokines (eg, interleukin [IL]-1β and IL-6). However, most researchers have used acute high dose endotoxin/bacterial challenges to observe these outcomes. Using this methodology may pose inherent risks in the translational interpretation of the experimental data in these studies. Studies using Escherichia coli have yet to establish the full kinetics of repeated E. coli peripheral injections. Therefore, we sought to examine the effects of repeated low dose E. coli on sickness behavior and local peripheral inflammation in the open field test. Results from the current experiments showed a behavioral dose response, where increased amounts of E. coli resulted in correspondingly increased sickness behavior. Furthermore, animals that received a subthreshold dose (ie, one that did not cause sickness behavior) of E. coli 24 hours prior were able to withstand a larger dose of E. coli on the second day (a dose that would normally cause sickness behavior in mice without prior exposure) without inducing sickness behavior. In addition, animals that received escalating subthreshold doses of E. coli on days 1 and 2 behaviorally tolerated a dose of E. coli 25 times higher than what would normally cause sickness behavior if given acutely. Lastly, increased levels of E. coli caused increased IL-6 and IL-1β protein expression in the peritoneal cavity, and this increase was blocked by administering a subthreshold dose of E. coli 24 hours prior. These data show that progressive challenges with subthreshold levels of E. coli may obviate the induction of sickness behavior and proinflammatory cytokine expression.

Infant titi monkey behavior in the open field test and the effect of early adversity

PubMed Central

Larke, Rebecca H.; Toubiana, Alice; Lindsay, Katrina A.; Mendoza, Sally P.; Bales, Karen L.

2017-01-01

The open field test is commonly used to measure anxiety-related behavior and exploration in rodents. Here, we used it as a standardized novel environment in which to evaluate the behavioral response of infant titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus), to determine the effect of presence of individual family members, and to assess how adverse early experience alters infant behavior. Infants were tested in the open field for 5 days at ages 4 and 6 months in four successive 5 min trials on each day. A transport cage, which was situated on one side of the open field, was either empty (non-social control) or contained the father, mother, or sibling. Infant locomotor, vocalization, and exploratory behavior were quantified. Results indicated that age, sex, social condition, and early experience all had significant effects on infant behavior. Specifically, infants were generally more exploratory at 6 months and male infants were more exploratory than females. Infants distinguished between social and non-social conditions but made few behavioral distinctions between the attachment figure and other individuals. Infants which had adverse early life experience demonstrated greater emotional and physical independence, suggesting that early adversity led to resiliency in the novel environment. PMID:28605039

Perceived Learning in Three MOOCS Targeting Attitudinal Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, WooRi; Watson, Sunnie L.; Watson, William R.

2016-01-01

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have gained significant attention in recent years for their potential to impact education at a global scale. This paper presents the findings from a study that examined the cases of three MOOCs, including Human Trafficking, US Food System, and Animal Behavior and Welfare, that were specifically designed to…

A Physiological and Behavioral Mechanism for Leaf Herbivore-Induced Systemic Root Resistance1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Erb, Matthias; Robert, Christelle A.M.; Marti, Guillaume; Lu, Jing; Doyen, Gwladys R.; Villard, Neil; Barrière, Yves; Wolfender, Jean-Luc; Turlings, Ted C.J.

2015-01-01

Indirect plant-mediated interactions between herbivores are important drivers of community composition in terrestrial ecosystems. Among the most striking examples are the strong indirect interactions between spatially separated leaf- and root-feeding insects sharing a host plant. Although leaf feeders generally reduce the performance of root herbivores, little is known about the underlying systemic changes in root physiology and the associated behavioral responses of the root feeders. We investigated the consequences of maize (Zea mays) leaf infestation by Spodoptera littoralis caterpillars for the root-feeding larvae of the beetle Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, a major pest of maize. D. virgifera strongly avoided leaf-infested plants by recognizing systemic changes in soluble root components. The avoidance response occurred within 12 h and was induced by real and mimicked herbivory, but not wounding alone. Roots of leaf-infested plants showed altered patterns in soluble free and soluble conjugated phenolic acids. Biochemical inhibition and genetic manipulation of phenolic acid biosynthesis led to a complete disappearance of the avoidance response of D. virgifera. Furthermore, bioactivity-guided fractionation revealed a direct link between the avoidance response of D. virgifera and changes in soluble conjugated phenolic acids in the roots of leaf-attacked plants. Our study provides a physiological mechanism for a behavioral pattern that explains the negative effect of leaf attack on a root-feeding insect. Furthermore, it opens up the possibility to control D. virgifera in the field by genetically mimicking leaf herbivore-induced changes in root phenylpropanoid patterns. PMID:26430225

QTL and systems genetics analysis of mouse grooming and behavioral responses to novelty in an open field.

PubMed

Delprato, A; Algéo, M-P; Bonheur, B; Bubier, J A; Lu, L; Williams, R W; Chesler, E J; Crusio, W E

2017-11-01

The open field is a classic test used to assess exploratory behavior, anxiety and locomotor activity in rodents. Here, we mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying behaviors displayed in an open field, using a panel of 53 BXD recombinant inbred mouse strains with deep replication (10 per strain and sex). The use of these strains permits the integration and comparison of data obtained in different laboratories, and also offers the possibility to study trait covariance by exploiting powerful bioinformatics tools and resources. We quantified behavioral traits during 20-min test sessions including (1) percent time spent and distance traveled near the wall (thigmotaxis), (2) leaning against the wall, (3) rearing, (4) jumping, (5) grooming duration, (6) grooming frequency, (7) locomotion and (8) defecation. All traits exhibit moderate heritability making them amenable to genetic analysis. We identified a significant QTL on chromosome M.m. 4 at approximately 104 Mb that modulates grooming duration in both males and females (likelihood ratio statistic values of approximately 18, explaining 25% and 14% of the variance, respectively) and a suggestive QTL modulating locomotion that maps to the same locus. Bioinformatic analysis indicates Disabled 1 (Dab1, a key protein in the reelin signaling pathway) as a particularly strong candidate gene modulating these behaviors. We also found 2 highly suggestive QTLs for a sex by strain interaction for grooming duration on chromosomes 13 and 17. In addition, we identified a pairwise epistatic interaction between loci on chromosomes 12 at 36-37 Mb and 14 at 34-36 Mb that influences rearing frequency in males. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

Increased sensitivity to the acute effects of MDMA ("ecstasy") in female rats.

PubMed

Palenicek, T; Votava, M; Bubenikova, V; Horacek, J

2005-11-15

Behavioral effects of +/-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) are relatively well described in humans as well as in animals. However, little is known about gender differences to the effects of MDMA. The aim of our study was to evaluate gender differences in stimulant effects of MDMA (2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/kg subcutaneously (s.c.)) in male and female Wistar rats. We have used three behavioral methods (activity cage, open field, and elevated plus-maze) each describing a different pattern of spontaneous behavior. In the activity cage, 30 min after the MDMA administration, horizontal and vertical locomotor activities were registered for a period of 3 min. In the open field test rats were placed into an arena 15 min after drug treatment and locomotor activity was registered for a period of 30 min. Finally, in the elevated plus-maze test, rats were given MDMA 30 min prior to measurements and subsequently they were tested in the maze for a period of 5 min. In our experiments we observed a dose-dependent locomotion-enhancing effect of MDMA both in male and female rats in both locomotor tests. Female rats were more sensitive to the locomotor-stimulating effect than males in both tests, suggesting higher sensitivity to the stimulatory effect of MDMA. Further on, MDMA increased thigmotaxis in female rats in the open field test and decreased "anxious-like" behavior in the elevated plus-maze in both genders. In conclusion, we observed higher sensitivity of females to the locomotor-stimulant effect of MDMA. Increased sensitivity of females to the behavioral effects of MDMA can be explained by increased reactivity of serotonergic and dopaminergic systems.

Effects of cholinergic system of dorsal hippocampus of rats on MK-801 induced anxiolytic-like behavior.

PubMed

Zarrindast, Mohammad Reza; Nasehi, Mohammad; Piri, Morteza; Heidari, Negar

2011-11-14

Some investigations have shown that the glutamate receptors play a critical role in cognitive processes such as learning and anxiety. The possible involvement of the cholinergic system of the dorsal hippocampus in the anxiolytic-like response induced by MK-801, NMDA receptor antagonist, was investigated in the present study. Male Wistar rats were used in the elevated plus maze apparatus to test the parameters: open arm time (%OAT), open arm entries (%OAE), close arm time (%CAT), close arm entries (%CAE) and other exploratory behaviors (locomotor activity, grooming, rearing and defecation) of anxiety-like response. The data indicated that intra-CA1 administration of MK-801 increased %OAT (2μg/rat) and %OAE (1 and 2μg/rat) while decreased %CAT and %CAE and did not alter other exploratory behaviors, indicating an anxiolytic-like effect. Moreover, intra-hippocampal injections of mecamylamine, a cholinergic receptor antagonists (2μg/rat) and scopolamine (4μg/rat), by themselves, 5min before testing, increased %OAT and %OAE but decreased %CAT and %CAE and did not alter locomotor activity and other exploratory behaviors, suggesting an anxiolytic-like effect. On the other hand, intra-CA1 co-administration of an ineffective dose of scopolamine (3μg/rat), but not mecamylamine (1μg/rat), with an ineffective dose of MK-801 (0.5μg/rat) increased %OAT and %OAE and decreased %CAT and %CAE. The data may indicate the possible involvement of the cholinergic system of the CA1 in the anxiolytic-like response induced by MK-801. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of Model-based Prognostics to a Pneumatic Valves Testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew; Kulkarni, Chetan S.; Gorospe, George

2014-01-01

Pneumatic-actuated valves play an important role in many applications, including cryogenic propellant loading for space operations. Model-based prognostics emphasizes the importance of a model that describes the nominal and faulty behavior of a system, and how faulty behavior progresses in time, causing the end of useful life of the system. We describe the construction of a testbed consisting of a pneumatic valve that allows the injection of faulty behavior and controllable fault progression. The valve opens discretely, and is controlled through a solenoid valve. Controllable leaks of pneumatic gas in the testbed are introduced through proportional valves, allowing the testing and validation of prognostics algorithms for pneumatic valves. A new valve prognostics approach is developed that estimates fault progression and predicts remaining life based only on valve timing measurements. Simulation experiments demonstrate and validate the approach.

Event-driven simulation in SELMON: An overview of EDSE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rouquette, Nicolas F.; Chien, Steve A.; Charest, Leonard, Jr.

1992-01-01

EDSE (event-driven simulation engine), a model-based event-driven simulator implemented for SELMON, a tool for sensor selection and anomaly detection in real-time monitoring is described. The simulator is used in conjunction with a causal model to predict future behavior of the model from observed data. The behavior of the causal model is interpreted as equivalent to the behavior of the physical system being modeled. An overview of the functionality of the simulator and the model-based event-driven simulation paradigm on which it is based is provided. Included are high-level descriptions of the following key properties: event consumption and event creation, iterative simulation, synchronization and filtering of monitoring data from the physical system. Finally, how EDSE stands with respect to the relevant open issues of discrete-event and model-based simulation is discussed.

Thermodynamic Presynthetic Considerations for Ring-Opening Polymerization

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The need for polymers for high-end applications, coupled with the desire to mimic nature’s macromolecular machinery fuels the development of innovative synthetic strategies every year. The recently acquired macromolecular-synthetic tools increase the precision and enable the synthesis of polymers with high control and low dispersity. However, regardless of the specificity, the polymerization behavior is highly dependent on the monomeric structure. This is particularly true for the ring-opening polymerization of lactones, in which the ring size and degree of substitution highly influence the polymer formation properties. In other words, there are two important factors to contemplate when considering the particular polymerization behavior of a specific monomer: catalytic specificity and thermodynamic equilibrium behavior. This perspective focuses on the latter and undertakes a holistic approach among the different lactones with regard to the equilibrium thermodynamic polymerization behavior and its relation to polymer synthesis. This is summarized in a monomeric overview diagram that acts as a presynthetic directional cursor for synthesizing highly specific macromolecules; the means by which monomer equilibrium conversion relates to starting temperature, concentration, ring size, degree of substitution, and its implications for polymerization behavior are discussed. These discussions emphasize the importance of considering not only the catalytic system but also the monomer size and structure relations to thermodynamic equilibrium behavior. The thermodynamic equilibrium behavior relation with a monomer structure offers an additional layer of complexity to our molecular toolbox and, if it is harnessed accordingly, enables a powerful route to both monomer formation and intentional macromolecular design. PMID:26795940

Thermodynamic Presynthetic Considerations for Ring-Opening Polymerization.

PubMed

Olsén, Peter; Odelius, Karin; Albertsson, Ann-Christine

2016-03-14

The need for polymers for high-end applications, coupled with the desire to mimic nature's macromolecular machinery fuels the development of innovative synthetic strategies every year. The recently acquired macromolecular-synthetic tools increase the precision and enable the synthesis of polymers with high control and low dispersity. However, regardless of the specificity, the polymerization behavior is highly dependent on the monomeric structure. This is particularly true for the ring-opening polymerization of lactones, in which the ring size and degree of substitution highly influence the polymer formation properties. In other words, there are two important factors to contemplate when considering the particular polymerization behavior of a specific monomer: catalytic specificity and thermodynamic equilibrium behavior. This perspective focuses on the latter and undertakes a holistic approach among the different lactones with regard to the equilibrium thermodynamic polymerization behavior and its relation to polymer synthesis. This is summarized in a monomeric overview diagram that acts as a presynthetic directional cursor for synthesizing highly specific macromolecules; the means by which monomer equilibrium conversion relates to starting temperature, concentration, ring size, degree of substitution, and its implications for polymerization behavior are discussed. These discussions emphasize the importance of considering not only the catalytic system but also the monomer size and structure relations to thermodynamic equilibrium behavior. The thermodynamic equilibrium behavior relation with a monomer structure offers an additional layer of complexity to our molecular toolbox and, if it is harnessed accordingly, enables a powerful route to both monomer formation and intentional macromolecular design.

Opinion evolution and rare events in an open community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Yusong; Yang, Zhuoqin; Zhang, Zili

2016-11-01

There are many multi-stable phenomena in society. To explain these multi-stable phenomena, we have studied opinion evolution in an open community. We focus on probability of transition (or the mean transition time) that the system transfer from one state to another. We suggest a bistable model to provide an interpretation of these phenomena. The quasi-potential method that we used is the most important method to calculate the transition time and it can be used to determine the whole probability density. We study the condition of bistability and then discuss rare events in a multi-stable system. In our model, we find that two parameters, ;temperature; and ;persuading intensity,; influence the behavior of the system; a suitable ;persuading intensity; and low ;temperature; make the system more stable. This means that the transition rarely happens. The asymmetric phenomenon caused by ;public-opinion; is also discussed.

Behavioral school psychology goes outdoors: the effect of organized games on playground aggression.

PubMed

Murphy, H A; Hutchison, J M; Bailey, J S

1983-01-01

This research focuses on the inappropriate, largely aggressive, behaviors of 344 K-2 children assigned to a playground prior to the beginning of the school day. Initially, a system for observing large numbers of children freely roaming over a large, open area was developed. This observational method was then used to determine the effectiveness of providing organized games for reducing potentially dangerous playground behaviors. Using a reversal (ABAB) design, it was found that the games, rope jumping, and foot racing, along with an infrequently used time-out procedure, significantly reduced the frequency of inappropriate incidents. It is suggested that when dealing with large groups, antecedent environmental manipulations may be more practical than providing consequences for the behaviors exhibited by identified individuals.

Sensor Open System Architecture (SOSA) evolution for collaborative standards development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collier, Charles Patrick; Lipkin, Ilya; Davidson, Steven A.; Baldwin, Rusty; Orlovsky, Michael C.; Ibrahim, Tim

2017-04-01

The Sensor Open System Architecture (SOSA) is a C4ISR-focused technical and economic collaborative effort between the Air Force, Navy, Army, the Department of Defense (DoD), Industry, and other Governmental agencies to develop (and incorporate) a technical Open Systems Architecture standard in order to maximize C4ISR sub-system, system, and platform affordability, re-configurability, and hardware/software/firmware re-use. The SOSA effort will effectively create an operational and technical framework for the integration of disparate payloads into C4ISR systems; with a focus on the development of a modular decomposition (defining functions and behaviors) and associated key interfaces (physical and logical) for common multi-purpose architecture for radar, EO/IR, SIGINT, EW, and Communications. SOSA addresses hardware, software, and mechanical/electrical interfaces. The modular decomposition will produce a set of re-useable components, interfaces, and sub-systems that engender reusable capabilities. This, in effect, creates a realistic and affordable ecosystem enabling mission effectiveness through systematic re-use of all available re-composed hardware, software, and electrical/mechanical base components and interfaces. To this end, SOSA will leverage existing standards as much as possible and evolve the SOSA architecture through modification, reuse, and enhancements to achieve C4ISR goals. This paper will present accomplishments over the first year of SOSA initiative.

Anxiolytic-like effects of ursolic acid in mice.

PubMed

Colla, André R S; Rosa, Julia M; Cunha, Mauricio P; Rodrigues, Ana Lúcia S

2015-07-05

Ursolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpenoid that possesses several biological and neuropharmacological effects including antidepressant-like activity. Anxiety disorders represent common and disability psychiatric conditions that are often associated with depressive symptoms. This work investigated the anxiolytic-like effects of ursolic acid administration in different behavioral paradigms that evaluate anxiety in mice: open field test, elevated plus maze test, light/dark box test and marble burying test. To this end, mice were administered with ursolic acid (0.1, 1 and 10mg/kg, p.o.) or diazepam (2mg/kg, p.o.), positive control, and submitted to the behavioral tests. The results show that ursolic acid (10mg/kg) elicited an anxiolytic-like effect observed by the increased total time in the center and decreased number of rearings responses in the open field test and an increased percentage of entries and total time spent in the open arms of elevated plus maze, similarly to diazepam. No significant effects of ursolic acid were shown in the light/dark box and marble burying test. These data indicate that ursolic acid exhibits anxiolytic-like effects in the open field and elevated plus maze test, but not in the light/dark box and marble burying test, showing the relevance of testing several behavioral paradigms in the evaluation of anxiolytic-like actions. Of note, the results extend the understanding on the effects of ursolic acid in the central nervous system and suggest that it may be a novel approach for the management of anxiety-related disorders. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Anti-HIV drugs nevirapine and efavirenz affect anxiety-related behavior and cognitive performance in mice.

PubMed

Romão, Pedro R T; Lemos, Joelson C; Moreira, Jeverson; de Chaves, Gisele; Moretti, Morgana; Castro, Adalberto A; Andrade, Vanessa M; Boeck, Carina R; Quevedo, João; Gavioli, Elaine C

2011-01-01

Nevirapine (NVP) and efavirenz (EFV) belong to the class of anti-HIV drugs called non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), commonly used as part of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Although the HAART is able to bring down viral load to undetectable levels and restore immune function, their prolonged use causes several adverse effects. It has been demonstrated that both NVP and EFV are able to cross the blood-brain barrier, causing important central nervous system-related side effects. Thus, this study investigated the effects of chronic administration of EFV (10 mg/kg) and NVP (3.3 mg/kg) in mice submitted to two distinct series of experiments, which aimed to evaluate: (1) the emotional behavior (elevated plus-maze, forced swimming, and open-field test) and (2) the cognitive performance (object recognition and inhibitory avoidance test) of mice. Our results demonstrated that EFV, but not NVP, reduced the exploration to open arms in the elevated plus-maze test. Neither NVP nor EFV altered mouse behavior in the forced swimming and open-field tests. Both drugs reduced the recognition index in the object recognition test, but only EFV significantly impaired the aversive memory assessed in the inhibitory avoidance test 24 h after training. In conclusion, our findings point to a genuine anxiogenic-like effect to EFV, since it reduced exploration to open arms of elevated plus-maze test without affecting spontaneous locomotion. Additionally, both drugs impaired recognition memory, while only the treatment with EFV impaired significantly aversive memory.

The Experiment Factory: Standardizing Behavioral Experiments.

PubMed

Sochat, Vanessa V; Eisenberg, Ian W; Enkavi, A Zeynep; Li, Jamie; Bissett, Patrick G; Poldrack, Russell A

2016-01-01

The administration of behavioral and experimental paradigms for psychology research is hindered by lack of a coordinated effort to develop and deploy standardized paradigms. While several frameworks (Mason and Suri, 2011; McDonnell et al., 2012; de Leeuw, 2015; Lange et al., 2015) have provided infrastructure and methods for individual research groups to develop paradigms, missing is a coordinated effort to develop paradigms linked with a system to easily deploy them. This disorganization leads to redundancy in development, divergent implementations of conceptually identical tasks, disorganized and error-prone code lacking documentation, and difficulty in replication. The ongoing reproducibility crisis in psychology and neuroscience research (Baker, 2015; Open Science Collaboration, 2015) highlights the urgency of this challenge: reproducible research in behavioral psychology is conditional on deployment of equivalent experiments. A large, accessible repository of experiments for researchers to develop collaboratively is most efficiently accomplished through an open source framework. Here we present the Experiment Factory, an open source framework for the development and deployment of web-based experiments. The modular infrastructure includes experiments, virtual machines for local or cloud deployment, and an application to drive these components and provide developers with functions and tools for further extension. We release this infrastructure with a deployment (http://www.expfactory.org) that researchers are currently using to run a set of over 80 standardized web-based experiments on Amazon Mechanical Turk. By providing open source tools for both deployment and development, this novel infrastructure holds promise to bring reproducibility to the administration of experiments, and accelerate scientific progress by providing a shared community resource of psychological paradigms.

The Experiment Factory: Standardizing Behavioral Experiments

PubMed Central

Sochat, Vanessa V.; Eisenberg, Ian W.; Enkavi, A. Zeynep; Li, Jamie; Bissett, Patrick G.; Poldrack, Russell A.

2016-01-01

The administration of behavioral and experimental paradigms for psychology research is hindered by lack of a coordinated effort to develop and deploy standardized paradigms. While several frameworks (Mason and Suri, 2011; McDonnell et al., 2012; de Leeuw, 2015; Lange et al., 2015) have provided infrastructure and methods for individual research groups to develop paradigms, missing is a coordinated effort to develop paradigms linked with a system to easily deploy them. This disorganization leads to redundancy in development, divergent implementations of conceptually identical tasks, disorganized and error-prone code lacking documentation, and difficulty in replication. The ongoing reproducibility crisis in psychology and neuroscience research (Baker, 2015; Open Science Collaboration, 2015) highlights the urgency of this challenge: reproducible research in behavioral psychology is conditional on deployment of equivalent experiments. A large, accessible repository of experiments for researchers to develop collaboratively is most efficiently accomplished through an open source framework. Here we present the Experiment Factory, an open source framework for the development and deployment of web-based experiments. The modular infrastructure includes experiments, virtual machines for local or cloud deployment, and an application to drive these components and provide developers with functions and tools for further extension. We release this infrastructure with a deployment (http://www.expfactory.org) that researchers are currently using to run a set of over 80 standardized web-based experiments on Amazon Mechanical Turk. By providing open source tools for both deployment and development, this novel infrastructure holds promise to bring reproducibility to the administration of experiments, and accelerate scientific progress by providing a shared community resource of psychological paradigms. PMID:27199843

Experimental investigation of door dynamic opening caused by impinging shock wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biamino, L.; Jourdan, G.; Mariani, C.; Igra, O.; Massol, A.; Houas, L.

2011-02-01

To prevent damage caused by accidental overpressure inside a closed duct (e.g. jet engine) safety valves are introduced. The present study experimentally investigates the dynamic opening of such valves by employing a door at the end of a shock tube driven section. The door is hung on an axis and is free to rotate, thereby opening the tube. The evolved flow and wave pattern due to a collision of an incident shock wave with the door, causing the door opening, is studied by employing a high speed schlieren system and recording pressures at different places inside the tube as well as on the rotating door. Analyzing this data sheds light on the air flow evolution and the behavior of the opening door. In the present work, emphasis is given to understanding the complex, unsteady flow developed behind the transmitted shock wave as it diffracts over the opening door. It is shown that both the door inertia and the shock wave strength influence the opening dynamic evolution, but not in the proportions that might be expected.

Structural Behavioral Study on the General Aviation Network Based on Complex Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Liang; Lu, Na

2017-12-01

The general aviation system is an open and dissipative system with complex structures and behavioral features. This paper has established the system model and network model for general aviation. We have analyzed integral attributes and individual attributes by applying the complex network theory and concluded that the general aviation network has influential enterprise factors and node relations. We have checked whether the network has small world effect, scale-free property and network centrality property which a complex network should have by applying degree distribution of functions and proved that the general aviation network system is a complex network. Therefore, we propose to achieve the evolution process of the general aviation industrial chain to collaborative innovation cluster of advanced-form industries by strengthening network multiplication effect, stimulating innovation performance and spanning the structural hole path.

Assessing the Impact of Security Behavior on the Awareness of Open-Source Intelligence: A Quantitative Study of IT Knowledge Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniels, Daniel B., III

2014-01-01

There is a lack of literature linking end-user behavior to the availability of open-source intelligence (OSINT). Most OSINT literature has been focused on the use and assessment of open-source intelligence, not the proliferation of personally or organizationally identifiable information (PII/OII). Additionally, information security studies have…

Modifying Student Behavior in an Open Classroom through Changes in the Physical Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinstein, Carol S.

1977-01-01

Spatial distribution of activity in a second-third grade open classroom was observed before and after a change in the physical design, to test the hypothesis that minor changes in the physical setting would produce predictable, desirable changes in student behavior. In most cases the desired behavior changes were produced. (Author/MV)

Temporal Causal Diagrams for Diagnosing Failures in Cyber Physical Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-02

11 P Open Close C Close none St Close Table 3. Transition Information for Distance Relay’s behavioral model. Rows 1-7 deal with the anomaly detection ... PROGNOSTICS AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT SOCIETY 2014 238 ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE PROGNOSTICS AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT SOCIETY 2014 fall into the Zone settings of...OF THE PROGNOSTICS AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT SOCIETY 2014 239 ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE PROGNOSTICS AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT SOCIETY 2014 event systems has

A Look at the Residue: The Accidental/Incidental Contribution of Observational Field Research Methodology to the Understanding of the Social System of Woodmound (an Elementary School).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Traylor, Elwood B.

The focus of this study was the differential effects of a bilingual teacher and a nonbilingual teacher on the activity and interaction systems of classes where approximately 80 percent of the children were from bilingual homes. Special emphasis is on the general effects of teacher behavior on learning. Two teachers in an open-classroom school were…

Aggression and violence in psychiatric hospitals with and without open door policies: A 15-year naturalistic observational study.

PubMed

Schneeberger, Andres R; Kowalinski, Eva; Fröhlich, Daniela; Schröder, Katrin; von Felten, Stefanie; Zinkler, Martin; Beine, Karl H; Heinz, Andreas; Borgwardt, Stefan; Lang, Undine E; Bux, Donald A; Huber, Christian G

2017-12-01

Aggressive behavior and violence in psychiatric patients have often been quoted to justify more restrictive settings in psychiatric facilities. However, the effects of open vs. locked door policies on aggressive incidents remain unclear. This study had a naturalistic observational design and analyzed the occurrence of aggressive behavior as well as the use of seclusion or restraint in 21 German hospitals. The analysis included data from 1998 to 2012 and contained a total of n = 314,330 cases, either treated in one of 17 hospitals with (n = 68,135) or in one of 4 hospitals without an open door policy (n = 246,195). We also analyzed the data according to participants' stay on open, partially open, or locked wards. To compare hospital and ward types, we used generalized linear mixed-effects models on a propensity score matched subset (n = 126,268) and on the total dataset. The effect of open vs. locked door policy was non-significant in all analyses of aggressive behavior during treatment. Restraint or seclusion during treatment was less likely in hospitals with an open door policy. On open wards, any aggressive behavior and restraint or seclusion were less likely, whereas bodily harm was more likely than on closed wards. Hospitals with open door policies did not differ from hospitals with locked wards regarding different forms of aggression. Other restrictive interventions used to control aggression were significantly reduced in open settings. Open wards seem to have a positive effect on reducing aggression. Future research should focus on mental health care policies targeted at empowering treatment approaches, respecting the patient's autonomy and promoting reductions of institutional coercion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk-assessment and risk-taking behavior predict potassium- and amphetamine-induced dopamine response in the dorsal striatum of rats

PubMed Central

Palm, Sara; Momeni, Shima; Lundberg, Stina; Nylander, Ingrid; Roman, Erika

2014-01-01

Certain personality types and behavioral traits display high correlations to drug use and an increased level of dopamine in the reward system is a common denominator of all drugs of abuse. Dopamine response to drugs has been suggested to correlate with some of these personality types and to be a key factor influencing the predisposition to addiction. This study investigated if behavioral traits can be related to potassium- and amphetamine-induced dopamine response in the dorsal striatum, an area hypothesized to be involved in the shift from drug use to addiction. The open field and multivariate concentric square field™ tests were used to assess individual behavior in male Wistar rats. Chronoamperometric recordings were then made to study the potassium- and amphetamine-induced dopamine response in vivo. A classification based on risk-taking behavior in the open field was used for further comparisons. Risk-taking behavior was correlated between the behavioral tests and high risk takers displayed a more pronounced response to the dopamine uptake blocking effects of amphetamine. Behavioral parameters from both tests could also predict potassium- and amphetamine-induced dopamine responses showing a correlation between neurochemistry and behavior in risk-assessment and risk-taking parameters. In conclusion, the high risk-taking rats showed a more pronounced reduction of dopamine uptake in the dorsal striatum after amphetamine indicating that this area may contribute to the sensitivity of these animals to psychostimulants and proneness to addiction. Further, inherent dopamine activity was related to risk-assessment behavior, which may be of importance for decision-making and inhibitory control, key components in addiction. PMID:25076877

The open quantum Brownian motions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Michel; Bernard, Denis; Tilloy, Antoine

2014-09-01

Using quantum parallelism on random walks as the original seed, we introduce new quantum stochastic processes, the open quantum Brownian motions. They describe the behaviors of quantum walkers—with internal degrees of freedom which serve as random gyroscopes—interacting with a series of probes which serve as quantum coins. These processes may also be viewed as the scaling limit of open quantum random walks and we develop this approach along three different lines: the quantum trajectory, the quantum dynamical map and the quantum stochastic differential equation. We also present a study of the simplest case, with a two level system as an internal gyroscope, illustrating the interplay between the ballistic and diffusive behaviors at work in these processes. Notation H_z : orbital (walker) Hilbert space, {C}^{{Z}} in the discrete, L^2({R}) in the continuum H_c : internal spin (or gyroscope) Hilbert space H_sys=H_z\\otimesH_c : system Hilbert space H_p : probe (or quantum coin) Hilbert space, H_p={C}^2 \\rho^tot_t : density matrix for the total system (walker + internal spin + quantum coins) \\bar \\rho_t : reduced density matrix on H_sys : \\bar\\rho_t=\\int dxdy\\, \\bar\\rho_t(x,y)\\otimes | x \\rangle _z\\langle y | \\hat \\rho_t : system density matrix in a quantum trajectory: \\hat\\rho_t=\\int dxdy\\, \\hat\\rho_t(x,y)\\otimes | x \\rangle _z\\langle y | . If diagonal and localized in position: \\hat \\rho_t=\\rho_t\\otimes| X_t \\rangle _z\\langle X_t | ρt: internal density matrix in a simple quantum trajectory Xt: walker position in a simple quantum trajectory Bt: normalized Brownian motion ξt, \\xi_t^\\dagger : quantum noises

Universality in voting behavior: an empirical analysis

PubMed Central

Chatterjee, Arnab; Mitrović, Marija; Fortunato, Santo

2013-01-01

Election data represent a precious source of information to study human behavior at a large scale. In proportional elections with open lists, the number of votes received by a candidate, rescaled by the average performance of all competitors in the same party list, has the same distribution regardless of the country and the year of the election. Here we provide the first thorough assessment of this claim. We analyzed election datasets of 15 countries with proportional systems. We confirm that a class of nations with similar election rules fulfill the universality claim. Discrepancies from this trend in other countries with open-lists elections are always associated with peculiar differences in the election rules, which matter more than differences between countries and historical periods. Our analysis shows that the role of parties in the electoral performance of candidates is crucial: alternative scalings not taking into account party affiliations lead to poor results. PMID:23308342

Disturbed jaw behavior in whiplash-associated disorders during rhythmic jaw movements.

PubMed

Häggman-Henrikson, B; Zafar, H; Eriksson, P-O

2002-11-01

As shown previously, "functional jaw movements" are the result of coordinated activation of jaw as well as neck muscles, leading to simultaneous movements in the temporomandibular, atlanto-occipital, and cervical spine joints. In this study, the effect of neck trauma on natural jaw function was evaluated in 12 individuals suffering from whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). Spatiotemporal characteristics of mandibular and concomitant head movements were evaluated for three different modes of rhythmic jaw activities: self-paced continuous maximal jaw-opening/-closing movements, paced continuous maximal jaw-opening/-closing movements at 50 cycles/minute, and unilateral chewing. Compared with healthy subjects, the WAD group showed smaller magnitude and altered coordination pattern (a change in temporal relations) of mandibular and head movements. In conclusion, these results show that neck trauma can derange integrated jaw and neck behavior, and underline the functional coupling between the jaw and head-neck motor systems.

CACTI: Free, Open-Source Software for the Sequential Coding of Behavioral Interactions

PubMed Central

Glynn, Lisa H.; Hallgren, Kevin A.; Houck, Jon M.; Moyers, Theresa B.

2012-01-01

The sequential analysis of client and clinician speech in psychotherapy sessions can help to identify and characterize potential mechanisms of treatment and behavior change. Previous studies required coding systems that were time-consuming, expensive, and error-prone. Existing software can be expensive and inflexible, and furthermore, no single package allows for pre-parsing, sequential coding, and assignment of global ratings. We developed a free, open-source, and adaptable program to meet these needs: The CASAA Application for Coding Treatment Interactions (CACTI). Without transcripts, CACTI facilitates the real-time sequential coding of behavioral interactions using WAV-format audio files. Most elements of the interface are user-modifiable through a simple XML file, and can be further adapted using Java through the terms of the GNU Public License. Coding with this software yields interrater reliabilities comparable to previous methods, but at greatly reduced time and expense. CACTI is a flexible research tool that can simplify psychotherapy process research, and has the potential to contribute to the improvement of treatment content and delivery. PMID:22815713

Using Mobile Health Gamification to Facilitate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Skills Practice in Child Anxiety Treatment: Open Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Pramana, Gede; Lomas, James; Lindhiem, Oliver; Kendall, Philip C; Silk, Jennifer

2018-01-01

Background Cognitive behavioral therapy is an efficacious treatment for child anxiety disorders. Although efficacious, many children (40%-50%) do not show a significant reduction in symptoms or full recovery from primary anxiety diagnoses. One possibility is that they are unwilling to learn and practice cognitive behavioral therapy skills beyond therapy sessions. This can occur for a variety of reasons, including a lack of motivation, forgetfulness, and a lack of cognitive behavioral therapy skills understanding. Mobile health (mHealth) gamification provides a potential solution to improve cognitive behavioral therapy efficacy by delivering more engaging and interactive strategies to facilitate cognitive behavioral therapy skills practice in everyday lives (in vivo). Objective The goal of this project was to redesign an existing mHealth system called SmartCAT (Smartphone-enhanced Child Anxiety Treatment) so as to increase user engagement, retention, and learning facilitation by integrating gamification techniques and interactive features. Furthermore, this project assessed the effectiveness of gamification in improving user engagement and retention throughout posttreatment. Methods We redesigned and implemented the SmartCAT system consisting of a smartphone app for children and an integrated clinician portal. The gamified app contains (1) a series of interactive games and activities to reinforce skill understanding, (2) an in vivo skills coach that cues the participant to use cognitive behavioral therapy skills during real-world emotional experiences, (3) a home challenge module to encourage home-based exposure tasks, (4) a digital reward system that contains digital points and trophies, and (5) a therapist-patient messaging interface. Therapists used a secure Web-based portal connected to the app to set up required activities for each session, receive or send messages, manage participant rewards and challenges, and view data and figures summarizing the app usage. The system was implemented as an adjunctive component to brief cognitive behavioral therapy in an open clinical trial. To evaluate the effectiveness of gamification, we compared the app usage data at posttreatment with the earlier version of SmartCAT without gamification. Results Gamified SmartCAT was used frequently throughout treatment. On average, patients spent 35.59 min on the app (SD 64.18) completing 13.00 activities between each therapy session (SD 12.61). At the 0.10 significance level, the app usage of the gamified system (median 68.00) was higher than that of the earlier, nongamified SmartCAT version (median 37.00, U=76.00, P<.01). The amount of time spent on the gamified system (median 173.15) was significantly different from that of the earlier version (median 120.73, U=173.00, P=.06). Conclusions The gamified system showed good acceptability, usefulness, and engagement among anxious children receiving brief cognitive behavioral therapy treatment. Integrating an mHealth gamification platform within treatment for anxious children seems to increase involvement in shorter treatment. Further study is needed to evaluate increase in involvement in full-length treatment. PMID:29748165

[REM sleep behavior disorders in Parkinson's disease].

PubMed

Liashenko, E A; Poluéktov, M G; Levin, O S

2014-01-01

The article presents a literature review on REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). The loss of REM atonia of sleep, such that patients act out the contents of their dreams, is described. The most important implication of research into this area is that patients with idiopathic RBD are at very high risk of developing synuclein-mediated neurodegenerative disease (Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy), with risk estimates that approximate 40-65% at 10 years. Thus, RBD is a reliable marker of prodromal synucleinopathy that open possibilities for neuroprotective therapy.

Lithium ameliorates open-field and elevated plus maze behaviors, and brain phospho-glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta expression in fragile X syndrome model mice.

PubMed

Chen, Xi; Sun, Weiwen; Pan, Ying; Yang, Quan; Cao, Kaiyi; Zhang, Jin; Zhang, Yizhi; Chen, Mincong; Chen, Feidi; Huang, Yueling; Dai, Lijun; Chen, Shengqiang

2013-10-01

To investigate whether lithium modifies open-field and elevated plus maze behavior, and brain phospho-glycogen synthase kinase 3 (P-GSK3beta) expression in Fmr1 knockout mice. One hundred and eighty FVB mice, including knockout and wild type, with an age of 30 days were used. An open-field and elevated plus maze was utilized to test behavior, while western blot was used to measure the P-GSK3beta expression. Six groups were formed: control (saline), lithium chloride 30, 60, 90, 120, and 200 mg/kg. The experiments were carried out in the Institute of Neuroscience, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China between January and June 2012. Lithium significantly decreased total distance, crossing, central area time, and center entry in the open-field test (p<0.05), and significantly reduced open-arm tracking, open-arm entry, and open-arm time in the elevated plus maze (p<0.05) in knockout mice. In wild type mice, significant changes were observed in both behavior tests in some treatment groups. Lithium ameliorated P-GSK3beta expression in the hippocampus of all the treatment groups in knockout mice (p<0.05). However, lithium did not modify either GSK3beta expression in tissues of knockout mice, or P-GSK3beta or GSK3beta expression in tissues of wild type mice. Lithium ameliorated open-field and elevated plus maze behaviors of Fmr1 knockout mice. This effect may be related to its enhancement of P-GSK3beta expression. Our findings suggest that lithium might have a therapeutic effect in fragile X syndrome.

Open Source Tools for Temporally Controlled Rodent Behavior Suitable for Electrophysiology and Optogenetic Manipulations.

PubMed

Solari, Nicola; Sviatkó, Katalin; Laszlovszky, Tamás; Hegedüs, Panna; Hangya, Balázs

2018-01-01

Understanding how the brain controls behavior requires observing and manipulating neural activity in awake behaving animals. Neuronal firing is timed at millisecond precision. Therefore, to decipher temporal coding, it is necessary to monitor and control animal behavior at the same level of temporal accuracy. However, it is technically challenging to deliver sensory stimuli and reinforcers as well as to read the behavioral responses they elicit with millisecond precision. Presently available commercial systems often excel in specific aspects of behavior control, but they do not provide a customizable environment allowing flexible experimental design while maintaining high standards for temporal control necessary for interpreting neuronal activity. Moreover, delay measurements of stimulus and reinforcement delivery are largely unavailable. We combined microcontroller-based behavior control with a sound delivery system for playing complex acoustic stimuli, fast solenoid valves for precisely timed reinforcement delivery and a custom-built sound attenuated chamber using high-end industrial insulation materials. Together this setup provides a physical environment to train head-fixed animals, enables calibrated sound stimuli and precisely timed fluid and air puff presentation as reinforcers. We provide latency measurements for stimulus and reinforcement delivery and an algorithm to perform such measurements on other behavior control systems. Combined with electrophysiology and optogenetic manipulations, the millisecond timing accuracy will help interpret temporally precise neural signals and behavioral changes. Additionally, since software and hardware provided here can be readily customized to achieve a large variety of paradigms, these solutions enable an unusually flexible design of rodent behavioral experiments.

Quantum thermodynamics from the nonequilibrium dynamics of open systems: Energy, heat capacity, and the third law.

PubMed

Hsiang, J-T; Chou, C H; Subaşı, Y; Hu, B L

2018-01-01

In a series of papers, we intend to take the perspective of open quantum systems and examine from their nonequilibrium dynamics the conditions when the physical quantities, their relations, and the laws of thermodynamics become well defined and viable for quantum many-body systems. We first describe how an open-system nonequilibrium dynamics (ONEq) approach is different from the closed combined system +  environment in a global thermal state (CGTs) setup. Only after the open system equilibrates will it be amenable to conventional thermodynamics descriptions, thus quantum thermodynamics (QTD) comes at the end rather than assumed in the beginning. The linkage between the two comes from the reduced density matrix of ONEq in that stage having the same form as that of the system in the CGTs. We see the open-system approach having the advantage of dealing with nonequilibrium processes as many experiments in the near future will call for. Because it spells out the conditions of QTD's existence, it can also aid us in addressing the basic issues in quantum thermodynamics from first principles in a systematic way. We then study one broad class of open quantum systems where the full nonequilibrium dynamics can be solved exactly, that of the quantum Brownian motion of N strongly coupled harmonic oscillators, interacting strongly with a scalar-field environment. In this paper, we focus on the internal energy, heat capacity, and the third law. We show for this class of physical models, amongst other findings, the extensive property of the internal energy, the positivity of the heat capacity, and the validity of the third law from the perspective of the behavior of the heat capacity toward zero temperature. These conclusions obtained from exact solutions and quantitative analysis clearly disprove claims of negative specific heat in such systems and dispel allegations that in such systems the validity of the third law of thermodynamics relies on quantum entanglement. They are conceptually and factually unrelated issues. Entropy and entanglement will be the main theme of our second paper on this subject matter.

Quantum thermodynamics from the nonequilibrium dynamics of open systems: Energy, heat capacity, and the third law

DOE PAGES

Hsiang, Jen -Tsung; Chou, Chung Hsien; Subasi, Yigit; ...

2018-01-23

In a series of papers, we intend to take the perspective of open quantum systems and examine from their nonequilibrium dynamics the conditions when the physical quantities, their relations, and the laws of thermodynamics become well defined and viable for quantum many-body systems. We first describe how an open-system nonequilibrium dynamics (ONEq) approach is different from the closed combined system + environment in a global thermal state (CGTs) setup. Only after the open system equilibrates will it be amenable to conventional thermodynamics descriptions, thus quantum thermodynamics (QTD) comes at the end rather than assumed in the beginning. The linkage betweenmore » the two comes from the reduced density matrix of ONEq in that stage having the same form as that of the system in the CGTs. We see the open-system approach having the advantage of dealing with nonequilibrium processes as many experiments in the near future will call for. Because it spells out the conditions of QTD's existence, it can also aid us in addressing the basic issues in quantum thermodynamics from first principles in a systematic way. We then study one broad class of open quantum systems where the full nonequilibrium dynamics can be solved exactly, that of the quantum Brownian motion of N strongly coupled harmonic oscillators, interacting strongly with a scalar-field environment. In this paper, we focus on the internal energy, heat capacity, and the third law. We show for this class of physical models, amongst other findings, the extensive property of the internal energy, the positivity of the heat capacity, and the validity of the third law from the perspective of the behavior of the heat capacity toward zero temperature. These conclusions obtained from exact solutions and quantitative analysis clearly disprove claims of negative specific heat in such systems and dispel allegations that in such systems the validity of the third law of thermodynamics relies on quantum entanglement. They are conceptually and factually unrelated issues. As a result, entropy and entanglement will be the main theme of our second paper on this subject matter.« less

Quantum thermodynamics from the nonequilibrium dynamics of open systems: Energy, heat capacity, and the third law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsiang, J.-T.; Chou, C. H.; Subaşı, Y.; Hu, B. L.

2018-01-01

In a series of papers, we intend to take the perspective of open quantum systems and examine from their nonequilibrium dynamics the conditions when the physical quantities, their relations, and the laws of thermodynamics become well defined and viable for quantum many-body systems. We first describe how an open-system nonequilibrium dynamics (ONEq) approach is different from the closed combined system + environment in a global thermal state (CGTs) setup. Only after the open system equilibrates will it be amenable to conventional thermodynamics descriptions, thus quantum thermodynamics (QTD) comes at the end rather than assumed in the beginning. The linkage between the two comes from the reduced density matrix of ONEq in that stage having the same form as that of the system in the CGTs. We see the open-system approach having the advantage of dealing with nonequilibrium processes as many experiments in the near future will call for. Because it spells out the conditions of QTD's existence, it can also aid us in addressing the basic issues in quantum thermodynamics from first principles in a systematic way. We then study one broad class of open quantum systems where the full nonequilibrium dynamics can be solved exactly, that of the quantum Brownian motion of N strongly coupled harmonic oscillators, interacting strongly with a scalar-field environment. In this paper, we focus on the internal energy, heat capacity, and the third law. We show for this class of physical models, amongst other findings, the extensive property of the internal energy, the positivity of the heat capacity, and the validity of the third law from the perspective of the behavior of the heat capacity toward zero temperature. These conclusions obtained from exact solutions and quantitative analysis clearly disprove claims of negative specific heat in such systems and dispel allegations that in such systems the validity of the third law of thermodynamics relies on quantum entanglement. They are conceptually and factually unrelated issues. Entropy and entanglement will be the main theme of our second paper on this subject matter.

Quantum thermodynamics from the nonequilibrium dynamics of open systems: Energy, heat capacity, and the third law

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hsiang, Jen -Tsung; Chou, Chung Hsien; Subasi, Yigit

In a series of papers, we intend to take the perspective of open quantum systems and examine from their nonequilibrium dynamics the conditions when the physical quantities, their relations, and the laws of thermodynamics become well defined and viable for quantum many-body systems. We first describe how an open-system nonequilibrium dynamics (ONEq) approach is different from the closed combined system + environment in a global thermal state (CGTs) setup. Only after the open system equilibrates will it be amenable to conventional thermodynamics descriptions, thus quantum thermodynamics (QTD) comes at the end rather than assumed in the beginning. The linkage betweenmore » the two comes from the reduced density matrix of ONEq in that stage having the same form as that of the system in the CGTs. We see the open-system approach having the advantage of dealing with nonequilibrium processes as many experiments in the near future will call for. Because it spells out the conditions of QTD's existence, it can also aid us in addressing the basic issues in quantum thermodynamics from first principles in a systematic way. We then study one broad class of open quantum systems where the full nonequilibrium dynamics can be solved exactly, that of the quantum Brownian motion of N strongly coupled harmonic oscillators, interacting strongly with a scalar-field environment. In this paper, we focus on the internal energy, heat capacity, and the third law. We show for this class of physical models, amongst other findings, the extensive property of the internal energy, the positivity of the heat capacity, and the validity of the third law from the perspective of the behavior of the heat capacity toward zero temperature. These conclusions obtained from exact solutions and quantitative analysis clearly disprove claims of negative specific heat in such systems and dispel allegations that in such systems the validity of the third law of thermodynamics relies on quantum entanglement. They are conceptually and factually unrelated issues. As a result, entropy and entanglement will be the main theme of our second paper on this subject matter.« less

Comparison of the effects of adrafinil, propentofylline, and nicergoline on behavior in aged dogs.

PubMed

Siwak, C T; Gruet, P; Woehrlé, F; Muggenburg, B A; Murphey, H L; Milgram, N W

2000-11-01

To compare the efficacy of adrafinil, propentofylline, and nicergoline for enhancing behavior of aged dogs. 36 Beagles between 9 and 16 years old. Dogs were randomly assigned to receive adrafinil (20 mg/kg of body weight, PO, q 24 h; n = 12), propentofylline (5 mg/kg, PO, q 12 h; 12), or nicergoline (0.5 mg/kg, PO, q 24 h; 12) for 33 days. Baseline behaviors in an open field and in kennels (home cage) were recorded before treatment. After treatment, behaviors in the open field were recorded 2 hours after drug administration on days 2, 15, and 28, and 10 hours after administration on days 7, 20, and 33. Behaviors in the home cage were recorded 2 and 7 hours after drug administration on days 4, 17, and 30. Treatment with adrafinil resulted in a significant increase in locomotion in each of the open-field tests and an increase in locomotion in the home cage. This latter increase was smaller and more variable than that in the open field. Locomotion was not affected by treatment with propentofylline or nicergoline. In the open field, sniffing decreased over time in all 3 groups, but the largest decline was observed in the propentofylline group. Treatment with adrafinil may improve the quality of life of aged dogs by increasing exploratory behavior and alertness.

Thermal modeling of a secondary concentrator integrated with an open direct-absorption molten-salt volumetric receiver in a beam-down tower system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahlou, Radia; Armstrong, Peter; Grange, Benjamin; Almheiri, Saif; Calvet, Nicolas; Slocum, Alexander; Shamim, Tariq

2016-05-01

An upward-facing three-dimensional secondary concentrator, herein termed Final Optical Element (FOE), is designed to be used in a beam-down tower in combination with an open volumetric direct-absorption molten-salt receiver tank acting simultaneously as a thermal energy storage system. It allows reducing thermal losses from the open receiver by decreasing its aperture area while keeping minimal spillage losses. The FOE is exposed to high solar fluxes, a part of which is absorbed by its reflector material, leading to material degradation by overheating. Consequently, the FOE may require active cooling. A thermal model of the FOE under passive cooling mechanism is proposed as a first step to evaluate its sensitivity to some design parameters. Then, it will be used to evaluate the requirements for the active cooling system. The model provides insights on the FOE thermal behavior and highlights the effectiveness of a design modification on passive cooling enhancement. First prototype tests under reduced flux and with no active cooling will be used for model adjustment.

Quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects in open quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zixian; Lü, Zhiguo; Zheng, Hang; Goan, Hsi-Sheng

2017-09-01

The traditional approach to the quantum Zeno effect (QZE) and quantum anti-Zeno effect (QAZE) in open quantum systems (implicitly) assumes that the bath (environment) state returns to its original state after each instantaneous projective measurement on the system and thus ignores the cross-correlations of the bath operators between different Zeno intervals. However, this assumption is not generally true, especially for a bath with a considerably nonnegligible memory effect and for a system repeatedly projected into an initial general superposition state. We find that, in stark contrast to the result of a constant value found in the traditional approach, the scaled average decay rate in unit Zeno interval of the survival probability is generally time dependent or shows an oscillatory behavior. In the case of a strong bath correlation, the transition between the QZE and the QAZE depends sensitively on the number of measurements N . For a fixed N , a QZE region predicted by the traditional approach may in fact already be in the QAZE region. We illustrate our findings using an exactly solvable open qubit system model with a Lorentzian bath spectral density, which is directly related to realistic circuit cavity quantum electrodynamics systems. Thus the results and dynamics presented here can be verified with current superconducting circuit technology.

Optogenetic interrogation of neural circuits: technology for probing mammalian brain structures

PubMed Central

Zhang, Feng; Gradinaru, Viviana; Adamantidis, Antoine R; Durand, Remy; Airan, Raag D; de Lecea, Luis; Deisseroth, Karl

2015-01-01

Elucidation of the neural substrates underlying complex animal behaviors depends on precise activity control tools, as well as compatible readout methods. Recent developments in optogenetics have addressed this need, opening up new possibilities for systems neuroscience. Interrogation of even deep neural circuits can be conducted by directly probing the necessity and sufficiency of defined circuit elements with millisecond-scale, cell type-specific optical perturbations, coupled with suitable readouts such as electrophysiology, optical circuit dynamics measures and freely moving behavior in mammals. Here we collect in detail our strategies for delivering microbial opsin genes to deep mammalian brain structures in vivo, along with protocols for integrating the resulting optical control with compatible readouts (electrophysiological, optical and behavioral). The procedures described here, from initial virus preparation to systems-level functional readout, can be completed within 4–5 weeks. Together, these methods may help in providing circuit-level insight into the dynamics underlying complex mammalian behaviors in health and disease. PMID:20203662

Whole-brain activity mapping onto a zebrafish brain atlas

PubMed Central

Randlett, Owen; Wee, Caroline L.; Naumann, Eva A.; Nnaemeka, Onyeka; Schoppik, David; Fitzgerald, James E.; Portugues, Ruben; Lacoste, Alix M.B.; Riegler, Clemens; Engert, Florian; Schier, Alexander F.

2015-01-01

In order to localize the neural circuits involved in generating behaviors, it is necessary to assign activity onto anatomical maps of the nervous system. Using brain registration across hundreds of larval zebrafish, we have built an expandable open source atlas containing molecular labels and anatomical region definitions, the Z-Brain. Using this platform and immunohistochemical detection of phosphorylated-Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK/MAPK) as a readout of neural activity, we have developed a system to create and contextualize whole brain maps of stimulus- and behavior-dependent neural activity. This MAP-Mapping (Mitogen Activated Protein kinase – Mapping) assay is technically simple, fast, inexpensive, and data analysis is completely automated. Since MAP-Mapping is performed on fish that are freely swimming, it is applicable to nearly any stimulus or behavior. We demonstrate the utility of our high-throughput approach using hunting/feeding, pharmacological, visual and noxious stimuli. The resultant maps outline hundreds of areas associated with behaviors. PMID:26778924

Automated tracking of animal posture and movement during exploration and sensory orientation behaviors.

PubMed

Gomez-Marin, Alex; Partoune, Nicolas; Stephens, Greg J; Louis, Matthieu; Brembs, Björn

2012-01-01

The nervous functions of an organism are primarily reflected in the behavior it is capable of. Measuring behavior quantitatively, at high-resolution and in an automated fashion provides valuable information about the underlying neural circuit computation. Accordingly, computer-vision applications for animal tracking are becoming a key complementary toolkit to genetic, molecular and electrophysiological characterization in systems neuroscience. We present Sensory Orientation Software (SOS) to measure behavior and infer sensory experience correlates. SOS is a simple and versatile system to track body posture and motion of single animals in two-dimensional environments. In the presence of a sensory landscape, tracking the trajectory of the animal's sensors and its postural evolution provides a quantitative framework to study sensorimotor integration. To illustrate the utility of SOS, we examine the orientation behavior of fruit fly larvae in response to odor, temperature and light gradients. We show that SOS is suitable to carry out high-resolution behavioral tracking for a wide range of organisms including flatworms, fishes and mice. Our work contributes to the growing repertoire of behavioral analysis tools for collecting rich and fine-grained data to draw and test hypothesis about the functioning of the nervous system. By providing open-access to our code and documenting the software design, we aim to encourage the adaptation of SOS by a wide community of non-specialists to their particular model organism and questions of interest.

Lack of Tryptophan Hydroxylase-1 in Mice Results in Gait Abnormalities

PubMed Central

Suidan, Georgette L.; Vanderhorst, Veronique; Hampton, Thomas G.; Wong, Siu Ling; Voorhees, Jaymie R.; Wagner, Denisa D.

2013-01-01

The role of peripheral serotonin in nervous system development is poorly understood. Tryptophan hydroxylase-1 (TPH1) is expressed by non-neuronal cells including enterochromaffin cells of the gut, mast cells and the pineal gland and is the rate-limiting enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of peripheral serotonin. Serotonin released into circulation is taken up by platelets via the serotonin transporter and stored in dense granules. It has been previously reported that mouse embryos removed from Tph1-deficient mothers present abnormal nervous system morphology. The goal of this study was to assess whether Tph1-deficiency results in behavioral abnormalities. We did not find any differences between Tph1-deficient and wild-type mice in general motor behavior as tested by rotarod, grip-strength test, open field and beam walk. However, here we report that Tph1 (−/−) mice display altered gait dynamics and deficits in rearing behavior compared to wild-type (WT) suggesting that tryptophan hydroxylase-1 expression has an impact on the nervous system. PMID:23516593

Lack of tryptophan hydroxylase-1 in mice results in gait abnormalities.

PubMed

Suidan, Georgette L; Duerschmied, Daniel; Dillon, Gregory M; Vanderhorst, Veronique; Hampton, Thomas G; Wong, Siu Ling; Voorhees, Jaymie R; Wagner, Denisa D

2013-01-01

The role of peripheral serotonin in nervous system development is poorly understood. Tryptophan hydroxylase-1 (TPH1) is expressed by non-neuronal cells including enterochromaffin cells of the gut, mast cells and the pineal gland and is the rate-limiting enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of peripheral serotonin. Serotonin released into circulation is taken up by platelets via the serotonin transporter and stored in dense granules. It has been previously reported that mouse embryos removed from Tph1-deficient mothers present abnormal nervous system morphology. The goal of this study was to assess whether Tph1-deficiency results in behavioral abnormalities. We did not find any differences between Tph1-deficient and wild-type mice in general motor behavior as tested by rotarod, grip-strength test, open field and beam walk. However, here we report that Tph1 (-/-) mice display altered gait dynamics and deficits in rearing behavior compared to wild-type (WT) suggesting that tryptophan hydroxylase-1 expression has an impact on the nervous system.

Imagining a Gold Open Access Future: Attitudes, Behaviors, and Funding Scenarios among Authors of Academic Scholarship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tenopir, Carol; Dalton, Elizabeth D.; Christian, Lisa; Jones, Misty K.; McCabe, Mark; Smith, MacKenzie; Fish, Allison

2017-01-01

The viability of gold open access publishing models into the future will depend, in part, on the attitudes of authors toward open access (OA). In a survey of academics at four major research universities in North America, we examine academic authors' opinions and behaviors toward gold OA. The study allows us to see what academics know and perceive…

Infant titi monkey behavior in the open field test and the effect of early adversity.

PubMed

Larke, Rebecca H; Toubiana, Alice; Lindsay, Katrina A; Mendoza, Sally P; Bales, Karen L

2017-09-01

The open field test is commonly used to measure anxiety-related behavior and exploration in rodents. Here, we used it as a standardized novel environment in which to evaluate the behavioral response of infant titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus), to determine the effect of presence of individual family members, and to assess how adverse early experience alters infant behavior. Infants were tested in the open field for 5 days at ages 4 and 6 months in four successive 5 min trials on each day. A transport cage, which was situated on one side of the open field, was either empty (non-social control) or contained the father, mother, or sibling. Infant locomotor, vocalization, and exploratory behavior were quantified. Results indicated that age, sex, social condition, and early experience all had significant effects on infant behavior. Specifically, infants were generally more exploratory at 6 months and male infants were more exploratory than females. Infants distinguished between social and non-social conditions but made few behavioral distinctions between the attachment figure and other individuals. Infants which had adverse early life experience demonstrated greater emotional and physical independence, suggesting that early adversity led to resiliency in the novel environment. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evolution of the Campanian Ignimbrite Magmatic System II: Trace Element and Th Isotopic Evidence for Open-System Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohrson, W. A.; Spera, F. J.; Fowler, S.; Belkin, H.; de Vivo, B.

2005-12-01

The Campanian Ignimbrite, a large volume (~200 km3 DRE) trachytic to phonolitic ignimbrite was deposited at ~39.3 ka and represents the largest of a number of highly explosive volcanic events in the region near Naples, Italy. Thermodynamic modeling of the major element evolution using the MELTS algorithm (see companion contribution by Fowler et al.) provides detailed information about the identity of and changes in proportions of solids along the liquid line of descent during isobaric fractional crystallization. We have derived trace element mass balance equations that explicitly accommodate changing mineral-melt bulk distribution coefficients during crystallization and also simultaneously satisfy energy and major element mass conservation. Although major element patterns are reasonably modeled assuming closed system fractional crystallization, modeling of trace elements that represent a range of behaviors (e.g. Zr, Nb, Th, U, Rb, Sm, Sr) yields trends for closed system fractionation that are distinct from those observed. These results suggest open-system processes were also important in the evolution of the Campanian magmatic system. Th isotope data yield an apparent isochron that is ~20 kyr younger than the age of the deposit, and age-corrected Th isotope data indicate that the magma body was an open-system at the time of eruption. Because open-system processes can profoundly change isotopic characteristics of a magma body, these results illustrate that it is critical to understand the contribution that open-system processes make to silicic magma bodies prior to assigning relevance to age or timescale information derived from isotope systematics. Fluid-magma interaction has been proposed as a mechanism to change isotopic and elemental characteristics of magma bodies, but an evaluation of the mass and thermal constraints on such a process suggest large-scale fluid-melt interaction at liquidus temperatures is unlikely. In the case of the magma body associated with the Campanian Ignimbrite, the most likely source of open-system signatures is assimilation of partial melts of compositionally heterogeneous basement composed of older cumulates and intrusive equivalents of volcanic activity within the Campanian region. Additional trace element modeling, explicitly evaluating the mass and energy balance effects that fluid, solids, and melt have on trace element evolution, will further elucidate the contributions of open vs. closed system processes within the Campanian magma body.

[C57BL/6 mice open field behaviour qualitatively depends on arena size].

PubMed

Lebedev, I V; Pleskacheva, M G; Anokhin, K V

2012-01-01

Open field behavior is well known to depend on physical characteristics of the apparatus. However many of such effects are poorly described especially with using of modern methods of behavioral registration and analysis. The previous results of experiments on the effect of arena size on behavior are not numerous and contradictory. We compared the behavioral scores of four groups of C57BL/6 mice in round open field arenas of four different sizes (diameter 35, 75, 150 and 220 cm). The behavior was registered and analyzed using Noldus EthoVision, WinTrack and SegmentAnalyzer software. A significant effect of arena size was found. Traveled distance and velocity increased, but not in proportion to increase of arena size. Moreover a significant effect on segment characteristics of the trajectory was revealed. Detailed behavior analysis revealed drastic differences in trajectory structure and number of rears between smaller (35 and 75 cm) and bigger (150 and 220 cm) arenas. We conclude, that the character of exploration in smaller and bigger arenas depends on relative size of central open zone in arena. Apparently its extension increases the motivational heterogeneity of space, that requires another than in smaller arenas, strategy of exploration.

Ethical Perspectives in Open and Distance Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anitha, C.; Harsha, T. S.

2013-01-01

Today, e-learning and various online education applications are used in many countries and educational institutions than ever before. Ethics deals with the principle governing ideal or good behavior, it focuses on what is right or what is wrong. Although in education, the ethical issues that they may be facing are not about of life and death…

Enteric nervous system: sensory physiology, diarrhea and constipation.

PubMed

Wood, Jackie D

2010-03-01

The enteric nervous system integrates secretion and motility into homeostatic patterns of behavior susceptible to disorder. Progress in understanding mechanosensory detection in these processes, disordered enteric nervous system integration in diarrhea and constipation and pharmacotherapy is summarized. Most neurons in the enteric nervous system discharge in response to distortion. Drugs acting directly to open chloride conductance channels in the mucosal epithelium are therapeutic options for constipation. Mechanoreception is required for negative feedback control. At issue is identification of the neurons that fulfil the requirement for mechanoreception. Understanding secretomotor neurons is basic to understanding neurogenic secretory diarrhea and constipation and therapeutic strategies. A strategy for treatment of chronic constipation is development of agents that act directly to open Cl channels, which thereby increases the liquidity of the luminal contents. Lubiprostone, a recently Food and Drug Administration-approved drug, increases intraluminal liquidity by opening Cl channels. The future for the drug is clouded by controversy over whether its action is directly at one or the other of chloride channel type 2 (ClC-2) or cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channels or both and whether action reflects involvement of G protein-coupled prostaglandin receptors expressed by mucosal epithelial cells.

Open-Ended Evolution: Perspectives from the OEE Workshop in York.

PubMed

Taylor, Tim; Bedau, Mark; Channon, Alastair; Ackley, David; Banzhaf, Wolfgang; Beslon, Guillaume; Dolson, Emily; Froese, Tom; Hickinbotham, Simon; Ikegami, Takashi; McMullin, Barry; Packard, Norman; Rasmussen, Steen; Virgo, Nathaniel; Agmon, Eran; Clark, Edward; McGregor, Simon; Ofria, Charles; Ropella, Glen; Spector, Lee; Stanley, Kenneth O; Stanton, Adam; Timperley, Christopher; Vostinar, Anya; Wiser, Michael

2016-01-01

We describe the content and outcomes of the First Workshop on Open-Ended Evolution: Recent Progress and Future Milestones (OEE1), held during the ECAL 2015 conference at the University of York, UK, in July 2015. We briefly summarize the content of the workshop's talks, and identify the main themes that emerged from the open discussions. Two important conclusions from the discussions are: (1) the idea of pluralism about OEE-it seems clear that there is more than one interesting and important kind of OEE; and (2) the importance of distinguishing observable behavioral hallmarks of systems undergoing OEE from hypothesized underlying mechanisms that explain why a system exhibits those hallmarks. We summarize the different hallmarks and mechanisms discussed during the workshop, and list the specific systems that were highlighted with respect to particular hallmarks and mechanisms. We conclude by identifying some of the most important open research questions about OEE that are apparent in light of the discussions. The York workshop provides a foundation for a follow-up OEE2 workshop taking place at the ALIFE XV conference in Cancún, Mexico, in July 2016. Additional materials from the York workshop, including talk abstracts, presentation slides, and videos of each talk, are available at http://alife.org/ws/oee1 .

Effects of neonatal paternal deprivation or early deprivation on anxiety and social behaviors of the adults in mandarin voles.

PubMed

Jia, Rui; Tai, Fadao; An, Shucheng; Zhang, Xia; Broders, Hugh

2009-11-01

This study examined whether neonatal paternal deprivation (PD: father was removed and pups were raised just by mother) or early deprivation (ED: pups were raised by both parents except separated from not only the dam but also the peers for three hours a day from PND 0 to 13) has long-term effects on anxiety and social behaviors of adult mandarin voles. Newborn mandarin voles of F2 generation were randomly assigned to one of three groups: bi-parental care (PC: pups were raised by both parents), PD and ED. The parental care behaviors of F1 generation were observed at the age of 0, 13 and 21 days (PND 0, 13, 21) of F2 generation of PC and PD groups. Moreover, each mandarin vole of F2 generation received an open field test and a social interaction test on PND 70 and PND 75, respectively. No significant differences of parental behavior were observed between mothers and fathers from PC families, showing typical parental behavior of socially monogamous rodents. In addition, no significant differences of maternal behaviors were found between mothers from PC and PD families, indicating no maternal compensation towards pups for the absence of the paternal care. In the open field test, mandarin voles from both PD and ED families displayed higher levels of anxiety and lower locomotor activity, relative to offspring of PC family. In the social interaction test, both PD and ED mandarin voles also showed lower levels of social behavior and higher levels of anxiety. Thus, both PD and ED significantly increase anxiety and reduce social behavior of adult mandarin voles, suggesting that variation in parental investment may lead to variation in anxiety and social behaviors in rodents with different mating systems.

Probing the structural flexibility of MOFs by constructing metal oxide@MOF-based heterostructures for size-selective photoelectrochemical response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhan, Wenwen; He, Yue; Guo, Jiangbin; Chen, Luning; Kong, Xiangjian; Zhao, Haixia; Kuang, Qin; Xie, Zhaoxiong; Zheng, Lansun

2016-07-01

It is becoming a challenge to achieve simpler characterization and wider application of flexible metal organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibiting the gate-opening or breathing behavior. Herein, we designed an intelligent MOF-based system where the gate-opening or breathing behavior of MOFs can be facially visualized in solution. Two types of metal oxide@MOF core-shell heterostructures, ZnO@ZIF-7 and ZnO@ZIF-71, were prepared using ZnO nanorods as self-sacrificial templates. The structural flexibility of both the MOFs can be easily judged from the distinct molecular-size-related formation modes and photoelectrochemical performances between the two ZnO@ZIF heterostructures. Moreover, the rotational dynamics of the flexible parts of ZIF-7 were studied by analyzing the intrinsic physical properties, such as dielectric constants, of the structure. The present work reminds us to pay particular attention to the influences of the structural flexibility of MOFs on the structure and properties of MOF-involved heterostructures in future studies.It is becoming a challenge to achieve simpler characterization and wider application of flexible metal organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibiting the gate-opening or breathing behavior. Herein, we designed an intelligent MOF-based system where the gate-opening or breathing behavior of MOFs can be facially visualized in solution. Two types of metal oxide@MOF core-shell heterostructures, ZnO@ZIF-7 and ZnO@ZIF-71, were prepared using ZnO nanorods as self-sacrificial templates. The structural flexibility of both the MOFs can be easily judged from the distinct molecular-size-related formation modes and photoelectrochemical performances between the two ZnO@ZIF heterostructures. Moreover, the rotational dynamics of the flexible parts of ZIF-7 were studied by analyzing the intrinsic physical properties, such as dielectric constants, of the structure. The present work reminds us to pay particular attention to the influences of the structural flexibility of MOFs on the structure and properties of MOF-involved heterostructures in future studies. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details, XRD patterns and SEM images of products in other reactions, concentration-dependent photocurrent responses, and supplementary data of dielectric measurements. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr02257j

Impact of a Casino Opening on Gambling Behaviors of People Engaged in Methadone Maintenance.

PubMed

Palmer-Bacon, Jessica; Miles-McLean, Haley; Welsh, Christopher; Rugle, Loreen; Medoff, Deborah; Potts, Wendy; Himelhoch, Seth

2017-06-01

This study examined gambling behavior in the context of a newly opening casino, comparing disordered gamblers to non-disordered gamblers, in a population of individuals involved in methadone maintenance treatment. Disordered gamblers (N = 50) and non-disordered gamblers (N = 50) were surveyed before and after the opening of a new casino on gambling behaviors, substance use, and psychological symptoms. No statistically significant changes in gambling behaviors were observed for disordered gamblers or non-disordered gamblers across time points; however, non-disordered gamblers demonstrated non-significant increases in horse and dog race betting, electronic games, and casino table games. As expected, disordered gamblers were found to spend significantly more money on electronic games and casino table games (p < 0.05) and demonstrated higher rates of drug use and impulsivity than non-disordered gamblers. The introduction of a new casino did not appear to have a major impact on gambling behaviors of individuals attending methadone maintenance treatment, though the non-significant increases in gambling among non-disordered gamblers may indicate that this population is preferentially impacted by the opening of a new casino. Future investigation into the longer term effects of opening a new casino on this population may be warranted.

GPR40/FFAR1 deficient mice increase noradrenaline levels in the brain and exhibit abnormal behavior.

PubMed

Aizawa, Fuka; Nishinaka, Takashi; Yamashita, Takuya; Nakamoto, Kazuo; Kurihara, Takashi; Hirasawa, Akira; Kasuya, Fumiyo; Miyata, Atsuro; Tokuyama, Shogo

2016-12-01

The free fatty acid receptor 1 (GPR40/FFAR1) is a G protein-coupled receptor, which is activated by long chain fatty acids. We have previously demonstrated that activation of brain GPR40/FFAR1 exerts an antinociceptive effect that is mediated by the modulation of the descending pain control system. However, it is unclear whether brain GPR40/FFAR1 contributes to emotional function. In this study, we investigated the involvement of GPR40/FFAR1 in emotional behavior using GPR40/FFAR1 deficient (knockout, KO) mice. The emotional behavior in wild and KO male mice was evaluated at 9-10 weeks of age by the elevated plus-maze test, open field test, social interaction test, and sucrose preference test. Brain monoamines levels were measured using LC-MS/MS. The elevated plus-maze test and open field tests revealed that the KO mice reduced anxiety-like behavior. There were no differences in locomotor activity or social behavior between the wild and KO mice. In the sucrose preference test, the KO mice showed reduction in sucrose preference and intake. The level of noradrenaline was higher in the hippocampus, medulla oblongata, hypothalamus and midbrain of KO mice. Therefore, these results suggest that brain GPR40/FFAR1 is associated with anxiety- and depression-related behavior regulated by the increment of noradrenaline in the brain. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Guaranteeing Isochronous Control of Networked Motion Control Systems Using Phase Offset Adjustment

PubMed Central

Kim, Ikhwan; Kim, Taehyoun

2015-01-01

Guaranteeing isochronous transfer of control commands is an essential function for networked motion control systems. The adoption of real-time Ethernet (RTE) technologies may be profitable in guaranteeing deterministic transfer of control messages. However, unpredictable behavior of software in the motion controller often results in unexpectedly large deviation in control message transmission intervals, and thus leads to imprecise motion. This paper presents a simple and efficient heuristic to guarantee the end-to-end isochronous control with very small jitter. The key idea of our approach is to adjust the phase offset of control message transmission time in the motion controller by investigating the behavior of motion control task. In realizing the idea, we performed a pre-runtime analysis to determine a safe and reliable phase offset and applied the phase offset to the runtime code of motion controller by customizing an open-source based integrated development environment (IDE). We also constructed an EtherCAT-based motion control system testbed and performed extensive experiments on the testbed to verify the effectiveness of our approach. The experimental results show that our heuristic is highly effective even for low-end embedded controller implemented in open-source software components under various configurations of control period and the number of motor drives. PMID:26076407

Application of the Transtheoretical Model to Exercise Behavior and Physical Activity in Patients after Open Heart Surgery.

PubMed

Huang, Hsin-Yi; Lin, Yu-Shan; Chuang, Yi-Cheng; Lin, Wei-Hsuan; Kuo, Li Ying; Chen, Jui Chun; Hsu, Ching Ling; Chen, Bo Yan; Tsai, Hui Yu; Cheng, Fei Hsin; Tsai, Mei-Wun

2015-05-01

To assess exercise behavior and physical activity levels after open heart surgery. This prospective cohort study included 130 patients (70.8% male, aged 61.0 ± 12.2 years, 53.8% coronary bypass grafting) who underwent open heart surgery. The exercise behavior and physical activity of these patients were assessed at the 3- and 6-month follow-up appointments. Additional interviews were also conducted to further assess exercise behavior. Physical activity duration and metabolic equivalents were calculated from self-reported questionnaire responses. Moreover, possible related demographic factors, clinical features, participation in cardiac rehabilitation programs, and physical activity levels were additionally evaluated. Six months after hospital discharge, most patients were in the action (39.2%) and maintenance (37.7%) stages. Other subjects were in the precontemplation (11.5%), contemplation (5.4%), and preparation (6.2%) stages. The average physical activity level was 332.6 ± 377.1 min/week and 1198.1 ± 1396.9 KJ/week. Subjects in the action and maintenance stages exercised an average of 399.4 ± 397.6 min/week, significantly longer than those in other stages (116.2 ± 176.2 min/week, p = 0.02). Subjects that participated in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs after discharge may have the better exercise habit. Gender had no significant effect on exercise behavior 6 months after hospital discharge. Most subjects following open heart surgery may maintain regular exercise behavior at 6 months after hospital discharge. Physical activity levels sufficient for cardiac health were achieved by subjects in the active and maintenance stages. Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs are valuable for encouraging exercise behavior after heart surgery. Exercise behavior; Open heart surgery; Physical activity; Transtheoretical model.

A concept of dynamic permission mechanism on android

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aron, Lukas; Hanacek, Petr

2016-02-01

This paper discuss the main security topic in mobile security area and this topic is protect user against the leakage of data. This work primarily contains the proposal of concept of dynamic permission mechanism for Android operating system. This mechanism deals with assignment or enforcement permissions to the application according to files that the application works with. Application has set of permissions that can use, but if the user opens confident files the application permissions should change its permission set and there should not be possible leakage of this secret data. The permissions set should be stricter according to opened confidential file or more open (without restriction) if the file is not secret file. The concept proposes the solution for protecting this data leakage. Idea covers rule that user should be avoided of change this permissions himself, but this behavior should be dynamic, automatic and independent. This proposal is mainly aimed to Android operating system, but the concept can be applied to other mobile platforms with some implementation changes.

Combustion Instabilities In Solid Propellant Rocket Motors

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

instability in a self-excited system, sketched in Figure 1.5(a). In contrast, the initial transient in a linear system forced by an invariant external agent ...because the driving agent supplies only ¯nite power. (a) (b) Figure 1.5. Transient behavior of (a) Self Excited Linearly Unstable Motions; (b) Forced...the vibration of a Helmholtz resonator obtained, for example, by blowing over the open end of a bottle. The cause in a combustion chamber may be the

Effect of interactions for one-dimensional asymmetric exclusion processes under periodic and bath-adapted coupling environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Midha, Tripti; Kolomeisky, Anatoly B.; Gupta, Arvind Kumar

2018-04-01

Stimulated by the effect of the nearest neighbor interactions in vehicular traffic and motor proteins, we study a 1D driven lattice gas model, in which the nearest neighbor particle interactions are taken in accordance with the thermodynamic concepts. The non-equilibrium steady-state properties of the system are analyzed under both open and periodic boundary conditions using a combination of cluster mean-field analysis and Monte Carlo simulations. Interestingly, the fundamental diagram of current versus density shows a complex behavior with a unimodal dependence for attractions and weak repulsions that turns into the bimodal behavior for stronger repulsive interactions. Specific details of system-reservoir coupling for the open system have a strong effect on the stationary phases. We produce the steady-state phase diagrams for the bulk-adapted coupling to the reservoir using the minimum and maximum current principles. The strength and nature of interaction energy has a striking influence on the number of stationary phases. We observe that interactions lead to correlations having a strong impact on the system dynamical properties. The correlation between any two sites decays exponentially as the distance between the sites increases. Moreover, they are found to be short-range for repulsions and long-range for attractions. Our results also suggest that repulsions and attractions asymmetrically modify the dynamics of interacting particles in exclusion processes.

The Adaptive Calibration Model of stress responsivity

PubMed Central

Ellis, Bruce J.; Shirtcliff, Elizabeth A.

2010-01-01

This paper presents the Adaptive Calibration Model (ACM), an evolutionary-developmental theory of individual differences in the functioning of the stress response system. The stress response system has three main biological functions: (1) to coordinate the organism’s allostatic response to physical and psychosocial challenges; (2) to encode and filter information about the organism’s social and physical environment, mediating the organism’s openness to environmental inputs; and (3) to regulate the organism’s physiology and behavior in a broad range of fitness-relevant areas including defensive behaviors, competitive risk-taking, learning, attachment, affiliation and reproductive functioning. The information encoded by the system during development feeds back on the long-term calibration of the system itself, resulting in adaptive patterns of responsivity and individual differences in behavior. Drawing on evolutionary life history theory, we build a model of the development of stress responsivity across life stages, describe four prototypical responsivity patterns, and discuss the emergence and meaning of sex differences. The ACM extends the theory of biological sensitivity to context (BSC) and provides an integrative framework for future research in the field. PMID:21145350

Exploring performance and energy tradeoffs for irregular applications: A case study on the Tilera many-core architecture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Panyala, Ajay; Chavarría-Miranda, Daniel; Manzano, Joseph B.

High performance, parallel applications with irregular data accesses are becoming a critical workload class for modern systems. In particular, the execution of such workloads on emerging many-core systems is expected to be a significant component of applications in data mining, machine learning, scientific computing and graph analytics. However, power and energy constraints limit the capabilities of individual cores, memory hierarchy and on-chip interconnect of such systems, thus leading to architectural and software trade-os that must be understood in the context of the intended application’s behavior. Irregular applications are notoriously hard to optimize given their data-dependent access patterns, lack of structuredmore » locality and complex data structures and code patterns. We have ported two irregular applications, graph community detection using the Louvain method (Grappolo) and high-performance conjugate gradient (HPCCG), to the Tilera many-core system and have conducted a detailed study of platform-independent and platform-specific optimizations that improve their performance as well as reduce their overall energy consumption. To conduct this study, we employ an auto-tuning based approach that explores the optimization design space along three dimensions - memory layout schemes, GCC compiler flag choices and OpenMP loop scheduling options. We leverage MIT’s OpenTuner auto-tuning framework to explore and recommend energy optimal choices for different combinations of parameters. We then conduct an in-depth architectural characterization to understand the memory behavior of the selected workloads. Finally, we perform a correlation study to demonstrate the interplay between the hardware behavior and application characteristics. Using auto-tuning, we demonstrate whole-node energy savings and performance improvements of up to 49:6% and 60% relative to a baseline instantiation, and up to 31% and 45:4% relative to manually optimized variants.« less

Environment and initial state engineered dynamics of quantum and classical correlations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Cheng-Zhi, E-mail: czczwang@outlook.com; Li, Chun-Xian; Guo, Yu

Based on an open exactly solvable system coupled to an environment with nontrivial spectral density, we connect the features of quantum and classical correlations with some features of the environment, initial states of the system, and the presence of initial system–environment correlations. Some interesting features not revealed before are observed by changing the structure of environment, the initial states of system, and the presence of initial system–environment correlations. The main results are as follows. (1) Quantum correlations exhibit temporary freezing and permanent freezing even at high temperature of the environment, for which the necessary and sufficient conditions are given bymore » three propositions. (2) Quantum correlations display a transition from temporary freezing to permanent freezing by changing the structure of environment. (3) Quantum correlations can be enhanced all the time, for which the condition is put forward. (4) The one-to-one dependency relationship between all kinds of dynamic behaviors of quantum correlations and the initial states of the system as well as environment structure is established. (5) In the presence of initial system–environment correlations, quantum correlations under local environment exhibit temporary multi-freezing phenomenon. While under global environment they oscillate, revive, and damp, an explanation for which is given. - Highlights: • Various interesting behaviors of quantum and classical correlations are observed in an open exactly solvable model. • The important effects of the bath structure on quantum and classical correlations are revealed. • The one-to-one correspondence between the type of dynamical behavior of quantum discord and the initial state is given. • Quantum correlations are given in the presence of initial qubits–bath correlations.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pin, F.G.

Sensor-based operation of autonomous robots in unstructured and/or outdoor environments has revealed to be an extremely challenging problem, mainly because of the difficulties encountered when attempting to represent the many uncertainties which are always present in the real world. These uncertainties are primarily due to sensor imprecisions and unpredictability of the environment, i.e., lack of full knowledge of the environment characteristics and dynamics. An approach. which we have named the {open_quotes}Fuzzy Behaviorist Approach{close_quotes} (FBA) is proposed in an attempt to remedy some of these difficulties. This approach is based on the representation of the system`s uncertainties using Fuzzy Set Theory-basedmore » approximations and on the representation of the reasoning and control schemes as sets of elemental behaviors. Using the FBA, a formalism for rule base development and an automated generator of fuzzy rules have been developed. This automated system can automatically construct the set of membership functions corresponding to fuzzy behaviors. Once these have been expressed in qualitative terms by the user. The system also checks for completeness of the rule base and for non-redundancy of the rules (which has traditionally been a major hurdle in rule base development). Two major conceptual features, the suppression and inhibition mechanisms which allow to express a dominance between behaviors are discussed in detail. Some experimental results obtained with the automated fuzzy, rule generator applied to the domain of sensor-based navigation in aprion unknown environments. using one of our autonomous test-bed robots as well as a real car in outdoor environments, are then reviewed and discussed to illustrate the feasibility of large-scale automatic fuzzy rule generation using the {open_quotes}Fuzzy Behaviorist{close_quotes} concepts.« less

Entrainment and Control of Bacterial Populations: An in Silico Study over a Spatially Extended Agent Based Model.

PubMed

Mina, Petros; Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira; Bernardo, Mario di

2016-07-15

We extend a spatially explicit agent based model (ABM) developed previously to investigate entrainment and control of the emergent behavior of a population of synchronized oscillating cells in a microfluidic chamber. Unlike most of the work in models of control of cellular systems which focus on temporal changes, we model individual cells with spatial dependencies which may contribute to certain behavioral responses. We use the model to investigate the response of both open loop and closed loop strategies, such as proportional control (P-control), proportional-integral control (PI-control) and proportional-integral-derivative control (PID-control), to heterogeinities and growth in the cell population, variations of the control parameters and spatial effects such as diffusion in the spatially explicit setting of a microfluidic chamber setup. We show that, as expected from the theory of phase locking in dynamical systems, open loop control can only entrain the cell population in a subset of forcing periods, with a wide variety of dynamical behaviors obtained outside these regions of entrainment. Closed-loop control is shown instead to guarantee entrainment in a much wider region of control parameter space although presenting limitations when the population size increases over a certain threshold. In silico tracking experiments are also performed to validate the ability of classical control approaches to achieve other reference behaviors such as a desired constant output or a linearly varying one. All simulations are carried out in BSim, an advanced agent-based simulator of microbial population which is here extended ad hoc to include the effects of control strategies acting onto the population.

Dorsal hippocampal opioidergic system modulates anxiety-like behaviors in adult male Wistar rats.

PubMed

Solati, Jalal; Zarrindast, Mohammad-Reza; Salari, Ali-Akbar

2010-12-01

In the present study, we investigated the possible influence of the opioidergic system of the dorsal hippocampus on anxiety-like behaviors. Elevated plus-maze, which is one of the methods used for testing anxiety, was used in the present study. Rats were anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine and special cannulas were inserted stereotaxically into the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus. After 1 week of recovery, the effects of intra-CA1 administration of morphine (0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 µg/rat; 1 µl/rat; 0.5 µl/in each side), naloxone (2, 4, 6 and 8 µg/rat), enkephalin (1, 2, 5 and 10 µg/rat) and naltrindole (0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 µg/rat) on percentage open arm time (%OAT) and percentage open arm entries (%OAE) were determined. Bilateral administration of morphine into CA1 decreases %OAT and %OAE, indicating an anxiogenic-like effect. Intra-CA1 injection of naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist, increased both %OAT and %OAE, parameters of anxiolytic-like behavior. Bilateral administration of δ-opioid receptor agonist, [D-Pen(2,5) ]-enkephalin acetate hydrate into the CA1, induced an anxiolytic-like effect. Furthermore, intra-CA1 injection of δ-opioid receptor antagonist, naltrindole hydrochloride, increased anxiety-related behaviors. The results of the present study demonstrate that activation of μ-opioid receptors in this area produce an anxiogenic response while activation of δ-opioid receptors produces an anxiolytic response. © 2010 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2010 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Comparison of the long-term behavioral effects of neonatal exposure to retigabine or phenobarbital in rats.

PubMed

Frankel, Sari; Medvedeva, Natalia; Gutherz, Samuel; Kulick, Catherine; Kondratyev, Alexei; Forcelli, Patrick A

2016-04-01

Anticonvulsant drugs, when given during vulnerable periods of brain development, can have long-lasting consequences on nervous system function. In rats, the second postnatal week approximately corresponds to the late third trimester of gestation/early infancy in humans. Exposure to phenobarbital during this period has been associated with deficits in learning and memory, anxiety-like behavior, and social behavior, among other domains. Phenobarbital is the most common anticonvulsant drug used in neonatology. Several other drugs, such as lamotrigine, phenytoin, and clonazepam, have also been reported to trigger behavioral changes. A new generation anticonvulsant drug, retigabine, has not previously been evaluated for long-term effects on behavior. Retigabine acts as an activator of KCNQ channels, a mechanism that is unique among anticonvulsants. Here, we examined the effects retigabine exposure from postnatal day (P)7 to P14 on behavior in adult rats. We compared these effects with those produced by phenobarbital (as a positive control) and saline (as a negative control). Motor behavior was assessed by using the open field and rotarod, anxiety-like behavior by the open field, elevated plus maze, and light-dark transition task, and learning/memory by the passive avoidance task; social interactions were assessed in same-treatment pairs, and nociceptive sensitivity was assessed via the tail-flick assay. Motor behavior was unaltered by exposure to either drug. We found that retigabine exposure and phenobarbital exposure both induced increased anxiety-like behavior in adult animals. Phenobarbital, but not retigabine, exposure impaired learning and memory. These drugs also differed in their effects on social behavior, with retigabine-exposed animals displaying greater social interaction than phenobarbital-exposed animals. These results indicate that neonatal retigabine induces a subset of behavioral alterations previously described for other anticonvulsant drugs and extend our knowledge of drug-induced behavioral teratogenesis to a new mechanism of anticonvulsant action. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the long-term behavioral effects of neonatal exposure to retigabine or phenobarbital in rats

PubMed Central

Frankel, Sari; Medvedeva, Natalia; Gutherz, Samuel; Kulick, Catherine; Kondratyev, Alexei; Forcelli, Patrick A.

2016-01-01

Anticonvulsant drugs, when given during vulnerable periods of brain development, can have long-lasting consequences on nervous system function. In rats, the second postnatal week approximately corresponds to the late third trimester of gestation/early infancy in humans. Exposure to phenobarbital during this period has been associated with deficits in learning and memory, anxiety-like behavior, and social behavior, among other domains. Phenobarbital is the most common anticonvulsant drug used in neonatology. Several other drugs, such as lamotrigine, phenytoin, and clonazepam have also been reported to trigger behavioral changes. A new generation anticonvulsant drug, retigabine, has not previously been evaluated for long-term effects on behavior. Retigabine acts as an activator of KCNQ channels, a mechanism that is unique among anticonvulsants. Here, we examined the effects retigabine exposure from postnatal day (P)7 to P14 on behavior in adult rats. We compared these effects to those produced by phenobarbital (as a positive control) and saline (as a negative control). Motor behavior was assessed using the open field and rotarod, anxiety-like behavior by the open field, elevated plus maze, and light-dark transition task, and learning/memory by the passive avoidance task; social interactions were assessed in same-treatment pairs and nociceptive sensitivity was assessed via the tail-flick assay. Motor behavior was unaltered by exposure to either drug. We found that retigabine and phenobarbital exposure both induced increased anxiety-like behavior in adult animals. Phenobarbital, but not retigabine exposure impaired learning and memory. These drugs also differed in their effects on social behavior, with retigabine-exposed animals displaying greater social interaction than phenobarbital-exposed animals. These results indicate that neonatal retigabine induces a subset of behavioral alterations previously described for other anticonvulsant drugs, and extend our knowledge of drug-induced behavioral teratogenesis to a new mechanism of anticonvulsant action. PMID:26921596

On Chaotic and Hyperchaotic Complex Nonlinear Dynamical Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmoud, Gamal M.

Dynamical systems described by real and complex variables are currently one of the most popular areas of scientific research. These systems play an important role in several fields of physics, engineering, and computer sciences, for example, laser systems, control (or chaos suppression), secure communications, and information science. Dynamical basic properties, chaos (hyperchaos) synchronization, chaos control, and generating hyperchaotic behavior of these systems are briefly summarized. The main advantage of introducing complex variables is the reduction of phase space dimensions by a half. They are also used to describe and simulate the physics of detuned laser and thermal convection of liquid flows, where the electric field and the atomic polarization amplitudes are both complex. Clearly, if the variables of the system are complex the equations involve twice as many variables and control parameters, thus making it that much harder for a hostile agent to intercept and decipher the coded message. Chaotic and hyperchaotic complex systems are stated as examples. Finally there are many open problems in the study of chaotic and hyperchaotic complex nonlinear dynamical systems, which need further investigations. Some of these open problems are given.

Open field locomotor activity and anxiety-related behaviors in mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA mice.

PubMed

Lau, Adeline A; Crawley, Allison C; Hopwood, John J; Hemsley, Kim M

2008-08-05

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IIIA, or Sanfilippo syndrome, is a lysosomal storage disorder characterized by severe and progressive neuropathology. Following an asymptomatic period, patients may present with sleep disturbances, cognitive decline, aggressive tendencies and hyperactivity. A naturally-occurring mouse model of MPS IIIA also exhibits many of these behavioral features and has been recently back-crossed onto a C57BL/6 genetic background. To more thoroughly characterize the behavioral phenotype of congenic MPS IIIA mice, we assessed exploratory activity and unconditioned anxiety-related behavior in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field locomotor activity. Although MPS IIIA male mice were less active in the EPM at 18 and 20 weeks of age, they were more likely to explore the open arms than their normal counter-parts suggesting reduced anxiety. Repeated EPM testing reduced exploration of the open arms in MPS IIIA mice. In the open field test, significant reductions in activity were evident in naïve-tested male MPS IIIA mice from 10 weeks of age. Female normal and MPS IIIA mice displayed similar exploratory activity in the open field test. These differences in anxiety and locomotor activity will allow us to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic regimes for MPS IIIA as a forerunner to developing safe and effective therapies for Sanfilippo patients.

Aspects of jamming in two-dimensional athermal frictionless systems.

PubMed

Reichhardt, C; Reichhardt, C J Olson

2014-05-07

In this work we provide an overview of jamming transitions in two dimensional systems focusing on the limit of frictionless particle interactions in the absence of thermal fluctuations. We first discuss jamming in systems with short range repulsive interactions, where the onset of jamming occurs at a critical packing density and where certain quantities show a divergence indicative of critical behavior. We describe how aspects of the dynamics change as the jamming density is approached and how these dynamics can be explored using externally driven probes. Different particle shapes can produce jamming densities much lower than those observed for disk-shaped particles, and we show how jamming exhibits fragility for some shapes while for other shapes this is absent. Next we describe the effects of long range interactions and jamming behavior in systems such as charged colloids, vortices in type-II superconductors, and dislocations. We consider the effect of adding obstacles to frictionless jamming systems and discuss connections between this type of jamming and systems that exhibit depinning transitions. Finally, we discuss open questions such as whether the jamming transition in all these different systems can be described by the same or a small subset of universal behaviors, as well as future directions for studies of jamming transitions in two dimensional systems, such as jamming in self-driven or active matter systems.

Risperidone in Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders and Subaverage Intelligence: A 1-Year, Open-Label Study of 504 Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Croonenberghs, Jan; Fegert, Joerg M.; Findling, Robert L.; de Smedt, Goedele; van Dongen, Stefan

2005-01-01

Objective: To determine the long-term safety and effectiveness of risperidone for severe disruptive behaviors in children. Method: A multisite, 1-year, open-label study of patients aged 5 to 14 years with disruptive behaviors and subaverage intelligence was conducted. Results: Seventy-three percent of the 504 patients enrolled completed the study.…

Increased anxiety-like behavior but no cognitive impairments in adult rats exposed to constant light conditions during perinatal development.

PubMed

Roman, Erika; Karlsson, Oskar

2013-11-01

Shift-work is suggested to affect fetal development negatively. In particular, maternal hormonal disturbance arising from sleep deprivation or circadian rhythm changes may disturb fetal growth or lead to complications during pregnancy. Exposure to constant light is an environmental stressor that can affect the circadian system and has been shown to induce neurochemical and behavioral changes when used during the prenatal and/or postnatal period in experimental animals. However, studies investigating long-term effects of constant light in the offspring are sparse. An accidental power outage resulted in pregnant females being housed under constant light (LL) conditions for seven days of the offspring perinatal development (embryonic day 20 to postnatal day 4). The long-term effects of constant light on the behavior in the adult offspring were assessed by means of open field, object recognition, and water maze tests. In adulthood, LL-animals displayed an intact recognition memory and no deficits in spatial learning or memory. In the open field test, LL-animals exhibited higher anxiety-like behavior, observed as significantly more thigmotaxis and less ambulation. These results were confirmed in the other behavioral tests as the LL-animals spent less time exploring the objects in the object recognition test, and showed thigmotactic behavior also in the water maze test. The results confirm that early life experience can cause changes in brain development that shape brain function and add to the sparse literature on long-term effects of constant light conditions during perinatal development on specific behaviors in adulthood.

Sema4D/CD100 deficiency leads to superior performance in mouse motor behavior.

PubMed

Yukawa, Kazunori; Tanaka, Tetsuji; Takeuchi, Noriko; Iso, Hiroyuki; Li, Li; Kohsaka, Akira; Waki, Hidefumi; Miyajima, Masayasu; Maeda, Masanobu; Kikutani, Hitoshi; Kumanogoh, Atsushi

2009-05-01

Sema4D/CD100 is a type of class 4 semaphorin, exhibiting crucial roles in growth cone guidance in developing neurons. Sema4D is widely expressed throughout the central nervous system in embryonic mouse brain, and is selectively localized to oligodendrocytes and myelin in the postnatal brain. However, direct evidence of the actual involvement of Sema4D in the neuronal network development crucial for neurobehavioral performance is still lacking. The present study therefore examined whether Sema4D deficiency leads to abnormal behavioral development. Both wild-type and Sema4D-deficient mice were subjected to behavioral analyses including open-field, adhesive tape removal, rotarod tests and a water maze task. Open-field tests revealed increased locomotor activity in Sema4D-deficient mice with less percentage of time spent in the center of the field. In both the adhesive tape removal and rotarod tests, which examine motor coordination and balance, Sema4D-deficient mice showed significantly superior performance, suggesting facilitated motor behavior. Both Sema4D-deficient and wild-type mice successfully learnt the water maze task, locating a hidden escape platform, and also showed precise memory for the platform position in probe tests. However, the swimming speed of Sema4D-deficient mice was significantly faster than that of wild-type mice, providing further evidence of their accelerated motor behavior. Our mouse behavioral analyses revealed enhanced motor activity in Sema4D-deficient mice, suggesting the crucial involvement of Sema4D in the neurodevelopmental processes of the central structures mediating motor behavior in mice.

Combining Trust and Behavioral Analysis to Detect Security Threats in Open Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-11-01

behavioral feature values. This would provide a baseline notional object trust and is formally defined as follows: TO(1)[0, 1] = ∑ 0,n:νbt wtP (S) (8...TO(2)[0, 1] = ∑ wtP (S) · identity(O,P ) (9) 28- 12 RTO-MP-IST-091 Combining Trust and Behavioral Analysis to Detect Security Threats in Open...respectively. The wtP weight function determines the significance of a particular behavioral feature in the final trust calculation. Note that the weight

Permanency analysis on human electroencephalogram signals for pervasive Brain-Computer Interface systems.

PubMed

Sadeghi, Koosha; Junghyo Lee; Banerjee, Ayan; Sohankar, Javad; Gupta, Sandeep K S

2017-07-01

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) systems use some permanent features of brain signals to recognize their corresponding cognitive states with high accuracy. However, these features are not perfectly permanent, and BCI system should be continuously trained over time, which is tedious and time consuming. Thus, analyzing the permanency of signal features is essential in determining how often to repeat training. In this paper, we monitor electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, and analyze their behavior through continuous and relatively long period of time. In our experiment, we record EEG signals corresponding to rest state (eyes open and closed) from one subject everyday, for three and a half months. The results show that signal features such as auto-regression coefficients remain permanent through time, while others such as power spectral density specifically in 5-7 Hz frequency band are not permanent. In addition, eyes open EEG data shows more permanency than eyes closed data.

Random unitary evolution model of quantum Darwinism with pure decoherence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balanesković, Nenad

2015-10-01

We study the behavior of Quantum Darwinism [W.H. Zurek, Nat. Phys. 5, 181 (2009)] within the iterative, random unitary operations qubit-model of pure decoherence [J. Novotný, G. Alber, I. Jex, New J. Phys. 13, 053052 (2011)]. We conclude that Quantum Darwinism, which describes the quantum mechanical evolution of an open system S from the point of view of its environment E, is not a generic phenomenon, but depends on the specific form of input states and on the type of S-E-interactions. Furthermore, we show that within the random unitary model the concept of Quantum Darwinism enables one to explicitly construct and specify artificial input states of environment E that allow to store information about an open system S of interest with maximal efficiency.

The relationship between brain behavioral systems and the characteristics of the five factor model of personality with aggression among Iranian students.

PubMed

Komasi, Saeid; Saeidi, Mozhgan; Soroush, Ali; Zakiei, Ali

2016-07-01

Aggression is one of the negative components of emotion and it is usually considered to be the outcome of the activity of the Behavioral Inhibition and the Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS): components which can be considered as predisposing factors for personality differences. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between brain behavioral systems and the characteristics of the five factor model of personality with aggression among students. The present study has a correlation descriptive design. The research population included all of the Razi University students in the academic year of 2012-2013. The sampling was carried out with a random stratified method and 360 people (308 female and 52 male) were studied according to a table of Morgan. The study instruments were Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire, NEO Personality Inventory (Short Form), and Carver and White scale for BAS/BIS. Finally, SPSS20 was utilized to analyze the data using Pearson correlation, regression analysis, and canonical correlation. The data showed a significant positive relationship between the neurosis and agreeableness personality factors with aggression; but there is a significant negative relationship between the extroversion, openness, and conscientiousness personality factors with aggression. Furthermore, there is a significant positive relationship between all the components of brain behavioral systems (impulsivity, novelty seeking, sensitivity, tender) and aggression. The results of regression analysis indicated the personality characteristics and the brain behavioral systems which can predict 29 percent of the changes to aggression, simultaneously. According to a predictable level of aggressiveness by the personality characteristics and brain behavioral systems, it is possible to identify the personality characteristics and template patterns of brain behavioral systems for the students which be presented to them as a necessary training in order to control and manage of anger and aggression. © 2016 KUMS, All rights reserved.

Behavioral assessments of BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J mice by tests of object attention and elevated open platform: Implications for an animal model of psychiatric comorbidity in autism.

PubMed

Chao, Owen Y; Yunger, Richelle; Yang, Yi-Mei

2018-07-16

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are diagnosed based on the behavioral criteria of impaired social interaction, defective communication and repetitive behaviors. Psychiatric comorbidities, such as anxiety and intellectual disability, are commonly present in ASD. The BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice display a range of autistic phenotypes, yet whether this mouse model is appropriate to study psychiatric comorbidity in ASD remains unclear. We addressed this issue by subjecting the BTBR animals to three-chambered apparatus, open field, object attention test and elevated open platform. Compared to C57BL/6J control mice, the BTBR mice displayed hyperactivity in most of the tests. In the three-chamber assessment, they exhibited deficits in sociability. In the open field, more grooming and thigmotaxis and less rearing behaviors were observed. They also showed impaired object-based attention. On the elevated open platform, the BTBR animals stayed more to the edges than in the center of the platform. To further examine the properties of this test, naïve C57BL/6J mice were randomly administrated with saline or an anxiogenic substance, caffeine. The caffeine group demonstrated a similar behavioral pattern as the BTBR mice. When the saline group was re-exposed to the same platform, the time they stayed in the center substantially increased, likely due to reduced anxiety by habituation. These results indicate that the BTBR were more anxious than control mice on the open platform. Taken together, the BTBR strain exhibit emotional and cognitive impairments in addition to autistic behaviors, suggesting that they can be a valid model for ASD with psychiatric comorbidity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A security mechanism based on evolutionary game in fog computing.

PubMed

Sun, Yan; Lin, Fuhong; Zhang, Nan

2018-02-01

Fog computing is a distributed computing paradigm at the edge of the network and requires cooperation of users and sharing of resources. When users in fog computing open their resources, their devices are easily intercepted and attacked because they are accessed through wireless network and present an extensive geographical distribution. In this study, a credible third party was introduced to supervise the behavior of users and protect the security of user cooperation. A fog computing security mechanism based on human nervous system is proposed, and the strategy for a stable system evolution is calculated. The MATLAB simulation results show that the proposed mechanism can reduce the number of attack behaviors effectively and stimulate users to cooperate in application tasks positively.

Adaptive optics system for the IRSOL solar observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramelli, Renzo; Bucher, Roberto; Rossini, Leopoldo; Bianda, Michele; Balemi, Silvano

2010-07-01

We present a low cost adaptive optics system developed for the solar observatory at Istituto Ricerche Solari Locarno (IRSOL), Switzerland. The Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor is based on a Dalsa CCD camera with 256 pixels × 256 pixels working at 1kHz. The wavefront compensation is obtained by a deformable mirror with 37 actuators and a Tip-Tilt mirror. A real time control software has been developed on a RTAI-Linux PC. Scicos/Scilab based software has been realized for an online analysis of the system behavior. The software is completely open source.

Autonomous choices among deterministic evolution-laws as source of uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trujillo, Leonardo; Meyroneinc, Arnaud; Campos, Kilver; Rendón, Otto; Sigalotti, Leonardo Di G.

2018-03-01

We provide evidence of an extreme form of sensitivity to initial conditions in a family of one-dimensional self-ruling dynamical systems. We prove that some hyperchaotic sequences are closed-form expressions of the orbits of these pseudo-random dynamical systems. Each chaotic system in this family exhibits a sensitivity to initial conditions that encompasses the sequence of choices of the evolution rule in some collection of maps. This opens a possibility to extend current theories of complex behaviors on the basis of intrinsic uncertainty in deterministic chaos.

Methylmercuric Chloride Induces Activation of Neuronal Stress Circuitry and Alters Exploratory Behavior in the Mouse

PubMed Central

Cooper, Joel F.

2007-01-01

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a well known neurotoxicant, responsible for neurological and cognitive alterations. However, there is very little information available on the effects of MeHg administration on activation of murine neuronal pathways involved in the stress response, and whether this is altered as a function of repeated exposure to MeHg. Moreover, interactions between MeHg and other psychogenic and inflammatory stressors have yet to be fully determined. Acute intraperitoneal (IP) exposure of male C57BL/6J mice to MeHg (2−8 mg/Kg) dose-dependently attenuated exploratory behavior in the open field in the presence and absence of a novel object. In addition, increased numbers of c-Fos immunoreactive cells appeared in response to acute IP and ICV MeHg within thalamic (PVA/PV), hypothalamic (PVN), central amygdaloid (CeC), septal and hippocampal (dentate gyrus) nuclei, medial bed nucleus (BSTm) and the locus coeruleus (Lc). The increase in c-Fos positive cells in response to acute IP and ICV MeHg did not appear to be influenced further by open field exposure. Repeated administration of MeHg led to an attenuation of most parameters of open field behavior altered by acute MeHg. However, increased c-Fos was significant in the CeC, Dg, supracapsular bed nucleus (BSTs), and Lc. Moreover, open field exposure after repeated treatments resulted in significant c-Fos responses in similar areas. Interestingly, 3 days after the final repeated MeHg dose (2 or 4 mg/kg) c-Fos increases to an immunogenic stressor (LPS) were not affected by MeHg pretreatment. These results demonstrate that systemic exposure to acute and repeated MeHg serves to activate the brain's stress circuitry, and furthermore appears to engage normal neuronal habituation processes. PMID:17764854

Association Between Electronic Cigarette Use and Openness to Cigarette Smoking Among US Young Adults

PubMed Central

Apelberg, Benjamin J.; Ambrose, Bridget K.; Green, Kerry M.; Choiniere, Conrad J.; Bunnell, Rebecca; King, Brian A.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), is increasing. One concern is the appeal of these products to youth and young adults and the potential to influence perceptions and use of conventional cigarettes. Methods: Using data from the 2012–2013 National Adult Tobacco Survey, characteristics of adults aged 18–29 years who had never established cigarette smoking behavior were examined by ever use of e-cigarettes, demographics, and ever use of other tobacco products (smokeless tobacco, cigars, hookah, and cigarettes). Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between e-cigarette use and openness to cigarette smoking among young adults, defined as the lack of a firm intention not to smoke soon or in the next year. Results: Among young adults who had never established cigarette smoking behavior (unweighted n = 4,310), 7.9% reported having ever tried e-cigarettes, and 14.6% of those who reported having ever tried e-cigarettes also reported current use of the product. Ever e-cigarette use was associated with being open to cigarette smoking (adjusted odds ratio = 2.4; 95% confidence interval = 1.7, 3.3), as was being male, aged 18–24 years, less educated, and having ever used hookah or experimented with conventional cigarettes. Conclusions: Ever use of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products was associated with being open to cigarette smoking. This study does not allow us to assess the directionality of this association, so future longitudinal research is needed to illuminate tobacco use behaviors over time as well as provide additional insight on the relationship between ENDS use and conventional cigarette use among young adult populations. PMID:25378683

[Comparative analysis of the maternal motivation expression in WAG/Rij and Wistar rats in the place preference and open field tests].

PubMed

Dobriakova, Iu V; Tanaeva, K K; Dubynin, V A; Sarkisova, K Iu

2014-01-01

Maternal behavior in females of WAG/Rij and Wistar rats was compared in the place preference test from 2 to 8 days after delivery, as well as in the open field test from 4 to 6 days after delivery. In females of WAG/Rij rats compared with females of Wistar rats weaker expression of maternal motivation has been revealed in both tests: they spend less time in the compartment associated with pups. Moreover, in females of WAG/Rij rats, number of approaches to pups, number of pup-carryings and time spent with pups (time of contacts) were less than in females of Wistar rats. Reduced maternal motivation in females of WAG/Rij rats in the place preference test persisted in repeated testing, while in the open field test it was detected only in the first testing, indicating higher reliability of the place preference test for revealing inter-strain differences in the expression of maternal motivation. It is supposed that weaker expression of maternal behavior and preference is due to hypo-function of the mesolimbic dopaminergic bran system in WAG/Rij rats as a genetic model of depression associated with absence epilepsy.

Evolution of a fracture network in an elastic medium with internal fluid generation and expulsion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobchenko, Maya; Hafver, Andreas; Jettestuen, Espen; Renard, François; Galland, Olivier; Jamtveit, Bjørn; Meakin, Paul; Dysthe, Dag Kristian

2014-11-01

A simple and reproducible analog experiment was used to simulate fracture formation in a low-permeability elastic solid during internal fluid/gas production, with the objective of developing a better understanding of the mechanisms that control the dynamics of fracturing, fracture opening and closing, and fluid transport. In the experiment, nucleation, propagation, and coalescence of fractures within an elastic gelatin matrix, confined in a Hele-Shaw cell, occurred due to CO2 production via fermentation of sugar, and it was monitored by optical means. We first quantified how a fracture network develops, and then how intermittent fluid transport is controlled by the dynamics of opening and closing of fractures. The gas escape dynamics exhibited three characteristic behaviors: (1) Quasiperiodic release of gas with a characteristic frequency that depends on the gas production rate but not on the system size. (2) A 1 /f power spectrum for the fluctuations in the total open fracture area over an intermediate range of frequencies (f ), which we attribute to collective effects caused by interaction between fractures in the drainage network. (3) A 1 /f2 power spectrum was observed at high frequencies, which can be explained by the characteristic behavior of single fractures.

Leptin/LepRb in the Ventral Tegmental Area Mediates Anxiety-Related Behaviors

PubMed Central

Liu, Jing; Guo, Ming

2016-01-01

Background: Leptin, an adipose-derived hormone, has been implicated in emotional regulation. We have previously shown that systemic administration of leptin produces anxiolytic-like effects and deletion of the leptin receptor, LepRb, in midbrain dopamine neurons leads to an anxiogenic phenotype. This study investigated whether activation or deletion of LepRb in the ventral tegmental area of adult mice is capable of inducing anxiolytic and anxiogenic effects, respectively. Methods: Mice were cannulated in the ventral tegmental area and received bilateral intra-ventral tegmental area infusions of leptin or the JAK2/STAT3 inhibitor AG490. Anxiety-like behaviors were assessed using the elevated plus-maze, light-dark box, and novelty suppressed feeding tests. Deletion of LepRb in the ventral tegmental area was achieved by bilateral injection of AAV-Cre into the ventral tegmental area of adult Leprflox/flox mice. Anxiety-related behaviors were evaluated 3 weeks after viral injection. Results: Intra-ventral tegmental area infusions of leptin reduced anxiety-like behaviors, as indicated by increased percent open-arm time and open-arm entries in the elevated plus-maze test, increased time spent in the light side and decreased latency to enter the light side of the light-dark box, and decreased latency to feed in the novelty suppressed feeding test. Blockade of JAK2/STAT3 signaling in the ventral tegmental area by AG490 attenuated the anxiolytic effect produced by systemic administration of leptin. Leprflox/flox mice injected with AAV-Cre into the ventral tegmental area showed decreased leptin-induced STAT3 phosphorylation and enhanced anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated plus-maze test and the novelty suppressed feeding test. Conclusions: These findings suggest that leptin-LepRb signaling in the ventral tegmental area plays an important role in the regulation of anxiety-related behaviors. PMID:26438799

Eruption cycles in a basaltic andesite system: insights from numerical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smekens, J. F.; Clarke, A. B.; De'Michieli Vitturi, M.

2015-12-01

Persistently active explosive volcanoes are characterized by short explosive bursts, which often occur at periodic intervals numerous times per day, spanning years to decades. Many of these systems present relatively evolved compositions (andesite to rhyolite), and their cyclic activity has been the subject of extensive work (e.g., Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat). However, the same periodic behavior can also be observed at open systems of more mafic compositions, such as Semeru in Indonesia or Karymsky in Kamchatka for example. In this work, we use DOMEFLOW, a 1D transient numerical model of magma ascent, to identify the conditions that lead to and control periodic eruptions in basaltic andesite systems, where the viscosity of the liquid phase can be drastically lower. Periodic behavior occurs for a very narrow range of conditions, for which the mass balance between magma flux and open-system gas escape repeatedly generates a viscous plug, pressurizes the magma beneath the plug, and then explosively disrupts it. The characteristic timescale and magnitude of the eruptive cycles are controlled by the overall viscosity of the magmatic mixture, with higher viscosities leading to longer cycles and lower flow rates at the top of the conduit. Cyclic eruptions in basaltic andesite systems are observed for higher crystal contents, smaller conduit radii, and over a wider range of chamber pressures than the andesitic system, all of which are the direct consequence of a decrease in viscosity of the melt phase, and in turn in the intensity of the viscous forces generated by the system. Results suggest that periodicity can exist in more mafic systems with relatively lower chamber pressures than andesite and rhyolite systems, and may explain why more mafic magmas sometimes remain active for decades.

Evolutionary game based control for biological systems with applications in drug delivery.

PubMed

Li, Xiaobo; Lenaghan, Scott C; Zhang, Mingjun

2013-06-07

Control engineering and analysis of biological systems have become increasingly important for systems and synthetic biology. Unfortunately, no widely accepted control framework is currently available for these systems, especially at the cell and molecular levels. This is partially due to the lack of appropriate mathematical models to describe the unique dynamics of biological systems, and the lack of implementation techniques, such as ultra-fast and ultra-small devices and corresponding control algorithms. This paper proposes a control framework for biological systems subject to dynamics that exhibit adaptive behavior under evolutionary pressures. The control framework was formulated based on evolutionary game based modeling, which integrates both the internal dynamics and the population dynamics. In the proposed control framework, the adaptive behavior was characterized as an internal dynamic, and the external environment was regarded as an external control input. The proposed open-interface control framework can be integrated with additional control algorithms for control of biological systems. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework, an optimal control strategy was developed and validated for drug delivery using the pathogen Giardia lamblia as a test case. In principle, the proposed control framework can be applied to any biological system exhibiting adaptive behavior under evolutionary pressures. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavioral and neurochemical effects of repeated MDMA administration during late adolescence in the rat

PubMed Central

Cox, Brittney M.; Shah, Mrudang M.; Cichon, Teri; Tancer, Manuel E.; Galloway, Matthew P.; Thomas, David M.; Perrine, Shane A.

2015-01-01

Adolescents and young adults disproportionately abuse 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ‘Ecstasy’); however, since most MDMA research has concentrated on adults, the effects of MDMA on the developing brain remain obscure. Therefore, we evaluated place conditioning to MDMA (or saline) during late adolescence and assessed anxiety-like behavior and monoamine levels during abstinence. Rats were conditioned to associate 5 or 10 mg/kg MDMA or saline with contextual cues over 4 twice-daily sessions. Five days after conditioning, anxiety-like behavior was examined with the open field test and brain tissue was collected to assess serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the dorsal raphe, amygdala, and hippocampus by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). In a separate group of rats, anxiety-like and avoidant behaviors were measured using the light–dark box test under similar experimental conditions. MDMA conditioning caused a place aversion at 10, but not at 5, mg/kg, as well as increased anxiety-like behavior in the open field and avoidant behavior in light–dark box test at the same dose. Additionally, 10 mg/kg MDMA decreased 5-HT in the dorsal raphe, increased 5-HT and 5-HIAA in the amygdala, and did not alter levels in the hippocampus. Overall, we show that repeated high (10 mg/kg), but not low (5 mg/kg), dose MDMA during late adolescence in rats increases anxiety-like and avoidant behaviors, accompanied by region-specific alterations in 5-HT levels during abstinence. These results suggest that MDMA causes a region-specific dysregulation of the serotonin system during adolescence that may contribute to maladaptive behavior. PMID:24121061

Simultaneous assessment of autonomic function and anxiety-related behavior in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice.

PubMed

Depino, Amaicha Mara; Gross, Cornelius

2007-02-27

In humans, anxiety is accompanied by changes in autonomic nervous system function, including increased heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure, and decreased heart rate variability. In rodents, anxiety is inferred by examining anxiety-related behavioral responses such as avoidance and freezing, and more infrequently by assessing autonomic responses to anxiogenic stimuli. However, few studies have simultaneously measured behavioral and autonomic responses to aversive stimuli in rodents and it remains unclear whether autonomic measures are reliable correlates of anxiety-related behavior in these animal models. Here we recorded for the first time heart rate and body temperature in freely moving BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice during exposure to an unfamiliar environment. Our data show that upon exposure to a novel open field, BALB/c mice showed increased anxiety-related behavior, reduced heart rate and higher heart rate variability (HRV) when compared with C57BL/6 mice. Regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between both heart rate and long-term HRV measures and locomotor activity and time spent in the center of the open field, but no correlation between body temperature and any behavioral variables. In the free exploration test, in which animals were allowed direct access to a novel environment from a familiar environment without experimenter handling, significant correlations were found only between heart rate and total locomotor activity, but not time spent in the unfamiliar chamber despite increased anxiety-related behavior in BALB/c mice. These findings demonstrate that increased anxiety-related behavior in BALB/c mice is not associated with specific changes in heart rate, HRV, or body temperature.

Behavioral and neurochemical effects of repeated MDMA administration during late adolescence in the rat.

PubMed

Cox, Brittney M; Shah, Mrudang M; Cichon, Teri; Tancer, Manuel E; Galloway, Matthew P; Thomas, David M; Perrine, Shane A

2014-01-03

Adolescents and young adults disproportionately abuse 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'Ecstasy'); however, since most MDMA research has concentrated on adults, the effects of MDMA on the developing brain remain obscure. Therefore, we evaluated place conditioning to MDMA (or saline) during late adolescence and assessed anxiety-like behavior and monoamine levels during abstinence. Rats were conditioned to associate 5 or 10mg/kg MDMA or saline with contextual cues over 4 twice-daily sessions. Five days after conditioning, anxiety-like behavior was examined with the open field test and brain tissue was collected to assess serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the dorsal raphe, amygdala, and hippocampus by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). In a separate group of rats, anxiety-like and avoidant behaviors were measured using the light-dark box test under similar experimental conditions. MDMA conditioning caused a place aversion at 10, but not at 5, mg/kg, as well as increased anxiety-like behavior in the open field and avoidant behavior in light-dark box test at the same dose. Additionally, 10mg/kg MDMA decreased 5-HT in the dorsal raphe, increased 5-HT and 5-HIAA in the amygdala, and did not alter levels in the hippocampus. Overall, we show that repeated high (10mg/kg), but not low (5mg/kg), dose MDMA during late adolescence in rats increases anxiety-like and avoidant behaviors, accompanied by region-specific alterations in 5-HT levels during abstinence. These results suggest that MDMA causes a region-specific dysregulation of the serotonin system during adolescence that may contribute to maladaptive behavior. © 2013.

Experimental and analytical studies on the seismic behavior of conventional and hybrid braced frames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Jiun-Wei

This dissertation summarizes both experimental and analytical studies on the seismic response of conventional steel concentrically braced frame systems of the type widely used in North America, and preliminary studies of an innovative hybrid braced frame system: the Strong-Back System. The research work is part of NEES small group project entitled "International Hybrid Simulation of Tomorrow's Braced Frames." In the experimental phase, a total of four full-scale, one-bay, two-story conventional braced frame specimens with different bracing member section shapes and gusset plate-to-beam connection details were designed and tested at the NEES Berkeley Laboratory. Three braced frame specimens were tested quasi-statically using the same predefined loading protocol to investigate the inelastic cyclic behavior of code-compliant braced frames at both the global and local level. The last braced frame specimen was nearly identical to one of those tested quasi-statically. However, it was tested using hybrid simulation techniques to examine the sensitivity of inelastic behavior on loading sequence and to relate the behavior observed to different levels of seismic hazard. Computer models of the test specimens were developed using two different computer software programs. In the software framework OpenSees fiber-based line elements were used to simulate global buckling of members and yielding and low-cycle fatigue failure at sections. The LS-DYNA analysis program was also used to model individual struts and the test specimens using shell elements with adaptive meshing and element erosion features. This program provided enhanced ability to simulate section local buckling, strain concentrations and crack development. The numerical results were compared with test results to assess and refine and the ability of the models to predict braced frame behavior. A series of OpenSees numerical cyclic component simulations were then conducted using the validated modeling approach. Two hundred and forty pin-ended struts with square hollow structural section shape were simulated under cyclic loading to examine the effect of width-to-thickness ratios and member slenderness ratios on the deformation capacity and energy dissipation characteristics of brace members. The concept of a hybrid system, consisting of a vertical elastic truss or strong-back, and a braced frame that responds inelastically, is proposed herein to mitigate the tendency of weak-story mechanisms to form in conventional steel braced frames. A simple design strategy about member sizing of the proposed Strong-Back System is provided in this study. To assess the ability of the new Strong-Back System to perform well under seismic loading, a series of inelastic analyses were performed considering three six-story hybrid braced frames having different bracing elements, and three six-story conventional brace frames having different brace configurations. Monotonic and cyclic quasi-static inelastic analyses and inelastic time history analyses were carried out. The braced frame system behavior, bracing member force-displacement hysteresis loops, and system residual drifts were the primary response quantities examined. These indicated that the new hybrid system was able to achieve its design goals. Experimental results show for the same loading history that the braced frame specimen using round hollow structural sections as brace members has the largest deformation capacity among the three types of bracing elements studied. Beams connected to gusset plates at the column formed plastic hinges adjacent to the gusset plate. The gusset plates tend to amplify the rotation demands at these locations and stress concentrations tended to result in early fractures of the plastic hinges that form. To remedy this problem, pinned connection details used in the last two specimens; these proved to prevent failures at these locations under both quasi-static and pseudo-dynamic tests. Failure modes observed near the column to base plate connections in all of the specimens suggest the need for further study. Both OpenSees and LS-DYNA models developed in this study predict the global braced frame behavior with acceptable accuracy. In both models, low-cycle fatigue damage models were needed to achieve an acceptable level of fidelity. Shell element models were able to predict local behavior and the mode of failures with greater but not perfect confidence. OpenSees analysis results show that the proposed hybrid braced frames would perform better than conventional braced frames and that the story deformations are more uniform. Finally, future research targets are briefly discussed at the end of this dissertation.

Translations on USSR Science and Technology, Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences, Number 46

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-09-25

AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES No. 46 CONTENTS PAGE AGROTECHNOLOGY Open Lot Facility for Cattle Fattening (M.G. Karpov, et al.; ZHIVOTNOVODSTVO, No 6...636.22/.28.OQk.522 OPEN LOT FACILITY FOR CATTLE FATTENING Moscow ZHIVOTNOVODSTVO in Russian No 6, 1978 pp 55-59 [Article by Moskalevskiy Sovkhoz...Institute of Livestock Raising; and Moskalevskiy Sovkhoz Chief Zootechnician Z. A. Zhanburshinov: "Experience of Fattening Cattle on Open Lot on

Open Source Tools for Temporally Controlled Rodent Behavior Suitable for Electrophysiology and Optogenetic Manipulations

PubMed Central

Solari, Nicola; Sviatkó, Katalin; Laszlovszky, Tamás; Hegedüs, Panna; Hangya, Balázs

2018-01-01

Understanding how the brain controls behavior requires observing and manipulating neural activity in awake behaving animals. Neuronal firing is timed at millisecond precision. Therefore, to decipher temporal coding, it is necessary to monitor and control animal behavior at the same level of temporal accuracy. However, it is technically challenging to deliver sensory stimuli and reinforcers as well as to read the behavioral responses they elicit with millisecond precision. Presently available commercial systems often excel in specific aspects of behavior control, but they do not provide a customizable environment allowing flexible experimental design while maintaining high standards for temporal control necessary for interpreting neuronal activity. Moreover, delay measurements of stimulus and reinforcement delivery are largely unavailable. We combined microcontroller-based behavior control with a sound delivery system for playing complex acoustic stimuli, fast solenoid valves for precisely timed reinforcement delivery and a custom-built sound attenuated chamber using high-end industrial insulation materials. Together this setup provides a physical environment to train head-fixed animals, enables calibrated sound stimuli and precisely timed fluid and air puff presentation as reinforcers. We provide latency measurements for stimulus and reinforcement delivery and an algorithm to perform such measurements on other behavior control systems. Combined with electrophysiology and optogenetic manipulations, the millisecond timing accuracy will help interpret temporally precise neural signals and behavioral changes. Additionally, since software and hardware provided here can be readily customized to achieve a large variety of paradigms, these solutions enable an unusually flexible design of rodent behavioral experiments. PMID:29867383

Anxiety, Stress, and Fear Response in Mice With Reduced Endocannabinoid Levels.

PubMed

Jenniches, Imke; Ternes, Svenja; Albayram, Onder; Otte, David M; Bach, Karsten; Bindila, Laura; Michel, Kerstin; Lutz, Beat; Bilkei-Gorzo, Andras; Zimmer, Andreas

2016-05-15

Disruption of the endocannabinoid system through pharmacological or genetic invalidation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors has been linked to depression in humans and depression-like behaviors in mice. The two main endogenous cannabinoids, anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), are produced on demand from phospholipids. The pathways and enzymes involved in endocannabinoid biosynthesis thus play a major role in regulating the activity of this system. This study investigates the role of the main 2-AG producing enzyme diacylglycerol lipase α (DAGL-α). We generated and used knockout mice lacking DAGL-α (Dagla(-/-)) to assess the behavioral consequences of reduced endocannabinoid levels in the brain. We performed different behavior tests to determine anxiety- and depression-related behavioral changes in Dagla(-/-) mice. We also analyzed expression of genes related to the endocannabinoid system via real-time polymerase chain reaction and used the mitotic marker 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine to analyze adult neurogenesis. Dagla(-/-) animals show an 80% reduction of brain 2-AG levels but also a reduction in cortical and amygdalar anandamide. The behavioral changes induced by Dagla deletion include a reduced exploration of the central area of the open field, a maternal neglect behavior, a fear extinction deficit, increased behavioral despair, increased anxiety-related behaviors in the light/dark box, and reduced hippocampal neurogenesis. Some of these behavioral changes resemble those observed in animals lacking the CB1 receptor. Our findings demonstrate that the deletion of Dagla adversely affects the emotional state of animals and results in enhanced anxiety, stress, and fear responses. Copyright © 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Unveiling the decoherence effect of noise on the entropic uncertainty relation and its control by partially collapsed operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Min-Nan; Sun, Wen-Yang; Huang, Ai-Jun; Ming, Fei; Wang, Dong; Ye, Liu

2018-01-01

In this work, we investigate the dynamics of quantum-memory-assisted entropic uncertainty relations under open systems, and how to steer the uncertainty under different types of decoherence. Specifically, we develop the dynamical behaviors of the uncertainty of interest under two typical categories of noise; bit flipping and depolarizing channels. It has been shown that the measurement uncertainty firstly increases and then decreases with the growth of the decoherence strength in bit flipping channels. In contrast, the uncertainty monotonically increases with the increase of the decoherence strength in depolarizing channels. Notably, and to a large degree, it is shown that the uncertainty depends on both the systematic quantum correlation and the minimal conditional entropy of the observed subsystem. Moreover, we present a possible physical interpretation for these distinctive behaviors of the uncertainty within such scenarios. Furthermore, we propose a simple and effective strategy to reduce the entropic uncertainty by means of a partially collapsed operation—quantum weak measurement. Therefore, our investigations might offer an insight into the dynamics of the measurment uncertainty under decoherence, and be of importance to quantum precision measurement in open systems.

Understanding the acceptance factors of an Hospital Information System: evidence from a French University Hospital.

PubMed

Ologeanu-Taddei, R; Morquin, D; Domingo, H; Bourret, R

2015-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine the perceived usefulness, the perceived ease of use and the perceived behavioral control of a Hospital Information System (HIS) for the care staff. We administrated a questionnaire composed of open-end and closed questions, based on the main concepts of Technology Acceptance Model. As results, the perceived usefulness, ease of use and behavioral control (self-efficacy and organizational support) are correlated with medical occupations. As an example, we found that a half of the medical secretaries consider the HIS is ease of use, at the opposite to the anesthesiologists, surgeons and physicians. Medical secretaries reported also the highest rate of PBC and a high rate of PU. Pharmacists reported the highest rate of PU but a low rate of PBC, which is similar to the rate of the surgeons and physicians. Content analysis of open questions highlights factors influencing these constructs: ergonomics, errors in the documenting process, insufficient compatibility with the medical department or the occupational group. Consequently, we suggest that the gap between the perceptions of the different occupational groups may be explained by the use of different modules and by interdependency of the care stare staff.

Altered synaptic phospholipid signaling in PRG-1 deficient mice induces exploratory behavior and motor hyperactivity resembling psychiatric disorders.

PubMed

Schneider, Patrick; Petzold, Sandra; Sommer, Angela; Nitsch, Robert; Schwegler, Herbert; Vogt, Johannes; Roskoden, Thomas

2018-01-15

Plasticity related gene 1 (PRG-1) is a neuron specific membrane protein located at the postsynaptic density of glutamatergic synapses. PRG-1 modulates signaling pathways of phosphorylated lipid substrates such as lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). Deletion of PRG-1 increases presynaptic glutamate release probability leading to neuronal over-excitation. However, due to its cortical expression, PRG-1 deficiency leading to increased glutamatergic transmission is supposed to also affect motor pathways. We therefore analyzed the effects of PRG-1 function on exploratory and motor behavior using homozygous PRG-1 knockout (PRG-1 -/- ) mice and PRG-1/LPA 2 -receptor double knockout (PRG-1 -/- /LPA 2 -/- ) mice in two open field settings of different size and assessing motor behavior in the Rota Rod test. PRG-1 -/- mice displayed significantly longer path lengths and higher running speed in both open field conditions. In addition, PRG-1 -/- mice spent significantly longer time in the larger open field and displayed rearing and self-grooming behavior. Furthermore PRG-1 -/- mice displayed stereotypical behavior resembling phenotypes of psychiatric disorders in the smaller sized open field arena. Altogether, this behavior is similar to the stereotypical behavior observed in animal models for psychiatric disease of autistic spectrum disorders which reflects a disrupted balance between glutamatergic and GABAergic synapses. These differences indicate an altered excitation/inhibition balance in neuronal circuits in PRG-1 -/- mice as recently shown in the somatosensory cortex [38]. In contrast, PRG-1 -/- /LPA 2 -/- did not show significant changes in behavior in the open field suggesting that these specific alterations were abolished when the LPA 2 -receptor was lacking. Our findings indicate that PRG-1 deficiency led to over-excitability caused by an altered LPA/LPA 2 -R signaling inducing a behavioral phenotype typically observed in animal models for psychiatric disorders. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flow Through Cement Fracture Under Geological Carbon Sequestration Conditions: Critical Residence Time as a Unifying Parameter for Fracture Opening or Self-Sealing Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L.; Brunet, J. P. L.; Karpyn, Z.; Huerta, N. J.

2016-12-01

During geological carbon sequestration (GCS) large quantities of CO2 are injected in underground formations. Cement fractures represent preferential leakage pathways in abandoned wells upon exposure to CO2-rich fluid. Contrasting self- healing and fracture opening behavior have been observed while a unifying framework is still missing. The modelling of this process is challenging as it involves complex chemical, mechanical and transport interactions. We developed a process-based reactive transport model that explicitly simulates flow and multi-component reactive transport in fractured cement by reproducing experimental observations of sharp flow rate reduction during exposure to carbonated water. Mechanical interactions have not been included. The simulation shows a similar reaction network as in diffusion-controlled systems without flow. That is, CO2-rich water induced portlandite dissolution, releasing calcium that further reacted with carbonate to form calcite. This created localized changes in porosity and permeability inducing large differences in the long term response of the system through a complex positive feedback loop (e.g., a decrease in local permeability induces a decrease in flow that in turn amplifies the precipitation of calcite through a reduced acidic brine flow). The calibrated model was used to generate 250 numerical experiments of CO2-flooding in cement fractures with varying initial hydraulic apertures (b) and residence times (τ) defined as the ratio of fracture volume over flow rate. A long τ leads to slow replenishment of carbonated water, calcite precipitation, and self-sealing. The opposite occurs when τ is small with short fractures and fast flow rates. Simulation results indicate that a critical residence time τc - the minimum τ required for self-sealing -divides the conditions that trigger the diverging opening and self-sealing behavior. The τc value depends on the initial aperture size (see figure). Among the 250 simulated fracture cases, significant changes in effective permeability - self-healing or opening - typically occurs within hours to a day, thus providing a supporting argument for the extrapolation of short-term laboratory observations (hours to months) to long-term predictions at relevant GCS time scales (years to hundreds of years).

Use of the Open Field Maze to measure locomotor and anxiety-like behavior in mice.

PubMed

Seibenhener, Michael L; Wooten, Michael C

2015-02-06

Animal models have proven to be invaluable to researchers trying to answer questions regarding the mechanisms of behavior. The Open Field Maze is one of the most commonly used platforms to measure behaviors in animal models. It is a fast and relatively easy test that provides a variety of behavioral information ranging from general ambulatory ability to data regarding the emotionality of the subject animal. As it relates to rodent models, the procedure allows the study of different strains of mice or rats both laboratory bred and wild-captured. The technique also readily lends itself to the investigation of different pharmacological compounds for anxiolytic or anxiogenic effects. Here, a protocol for use of the open field maze to describe mouse behaviors is detailed and a simple analysis of general locomotor ability and anxiety-related emotional behaviors between two strains of C57BL/6 mice is performed. Briefly, using the described protocol we show Wild Type mice exhibited significantly less anxiety related behaviors than did age-matched Knock Out mice while both strains exhibited similar ambulatory ability.

Précis of The brain and emotion.

PubMed

Rolls, E T

2000-04-01

The topics treated in The brain and emotion include the definition, nature, and functions of emotion (Ch. 3); the neural bases of emotion (Ch. 4); reward, punishment, and emotion in brain design (Ch. 10); a theory of consciousness and its application to understanding emotion and pleasure (Ch. 9); and neural networks and emotion-related learning (Appendix). The approach is that emotions can be considered as states elicited by reinforcers (rewards and punishers). This approach helps with understanding the functions of emotion, with classifying different emotions, and in understanding what information-processing systems in the brain are involved in emotion, and how they are involved. The hypothesis is developed that brains are designed around reward- and punishment-evaluation systems, because this is the way that genes can build a complex system that will produce appropriate but flexible behavior to increase fitness (Ch. 10). By specifying goals rather than particular behavioral patterns of responses, genes leave much more open the possible behavioral strategies that might be required to increase fitness. The importance of reward and punishment systems in brain design also provides a basis for understanding the brain mechanisms of motivation, as described in Chapters 2 for appetite and feeding, 5 for brain-stimulation reward, 6 for addiction, 7 for thirst, and 8 for sexual behavior.

PyMICE: APython library for analysis of IntelliCage data.

PubMed

Dzik, Jakub M; Puścian, Alicja; Mijakowska, Zofia; Radwanska, Kasia; Łęski, Szymon

2018-04-01

IntelliCage is an automated system for recording the behavior of a group of mice housed together. It produces rich, detailed behavioral data calling for new methods and software for their analysis. Here we present PyMICE, a free and open-source library for analysis of IntelliCage data in the Python programming language. We describe the design and demonstrate the use of the library through a series of examples. PyMICE provides easy and intuitive access to IntelliCage data, and thus facilitates the possibility of using numerous other Python scientific libraries to form a complete data analysis workflow.

Generalized Hydrodynamic Treatment of the Interplay between Restricted Transport and Catalytic Reactions in Nanoporous Materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ackerman, David M.; Wang, Jing; Evans, James W.

2012-05-30

Behavior of catalytic reactions in narrow pores is controlled by a delicate interplay between fluctuations in adsorption-desorption at pore openings, restricted diffusion, and reaction. This behavior is captured by a generalized hydrodynamic formulation of appropriate reaction-diffusion equations (RDE). These RDE incorporate an unconventional description of chemical diffusion in mixed-component quasi-single-file systems based on a refined picture of tracer diffusion for finite-length pores. The RDE elucidate the nonexponential decay of the steady-state reactant concentration into the pore and the non-mean-field scaling of the reactant penetration depth.

Generalized hydrodynamic treatment of the interplay between restricted transport and catalytic reactions in nanoporous materials.

PubMed

Ackerman, David M; Wang, Jing; Evans, James W

2012-06-01

Behavior of catalytic reactions in narrow pores is controlled by a delicate interplay between fluctuations in adsorption-desorption at pore openings, restricted diffusion, and reaction. This behavior is captured by a generalized hydrodynamic formulation of appropriate reaction-diffusion equations (RDE). These RDE incorporate an unconventional description of chemical diffusion in mixed-component quasi-single-file systems based on a refined picture of tracer diffusion for finite-length pores. The RDE elucidate the nonexponential decay of the steady-state reactant concentration into the pore and the non-mean-field scaling of the reactant penetration depth.

Magnetic and optoelectronic properties of gold nanocluster-thiophene assembly.

PubMed

Qin, Wei; Lohrman, Jessica; Ren, Shenqiang

2014-07-07

Nanohybrids consisting of Au nanocluster and polythiophene nanowire assemblies exhibit unique thermal-responsive optical behaviors and charge-transfer controlled magnetic and optoelectronic properties. The ultrasmall Au nanocluster enhanced photoabsorption and conductivity effectively improves the photocurrent of nanohybrid based photovoltaics, leading to an increase of power conversion efficiency by 14 % under AM 1.5 illumination. In addition, nanohybrids exhibit electric field controlled spin resonance and magnetic field sensing behaviors, which open up the potential of charge-transfer complex system where the magnetism and optoelectronics interact. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Probiotics Improve Inflammation-Associated Sickness Behavior by Altering Communication between the Peripheral Immune System and the Brain.

PubMed

D'Mello, Charlotte; Ronaghan, Natalie; Zaheer, Raza; Dicay, Michael; Le, Tai; MacNaughton, Wallace K; Surrette, Michael G; Swain, Mark G

2015-07-29

Patients with systemic inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic liver disease) commonly develop debilitating symptoms (i.e., sickness behaviors) that arise from changes in brain function. The microbiota-gut-brain axis alters brain function and probiotic ingestion can influence behavior. However, how probiotics do this remains unclear. We have previously described a novel periphery-to-brain communication pathway in the setting of peripheral organ inflammation whereby monocytes are recruited to the brain in response to systemic TNF-α signaling, leading to microglial activation and subsequently driving sickness behavior development. Therefore, we investigated whether probiotic ingestion (i.e., probiotic mixture VSL#3) alters this periphery-to-brain communication pathway, thereby reducing subsequent sickness behavior development. Using a well characterized mouse model of liver inflammation, we now show that probiotic (VSL#3) treatment attenuates sickness behavior development in mice with liver inflammation without affecting disease severity, gut microbiota composition, or gut permeability. Attenuation of sickness behavior development was associated with reductions in microglial activation and cerebral monocyte infiltration. These events were paralleled by changes in markers of systemic immune activation, including decreased circulating TNF-α levels. Our observations highlight a novel pathway through which probiotics mediate cerebral changes and alter behavior. These findings allow for the potential development of novel therapeutic interventions targeted at the gut microbiome to treat inflammation-associated sickness behaviors in patients with systemic inflammatory diseases. This research shows that probiotics, when eaten, can improve the abnormal behaviors (including social withdrawal and immobility) that are commonly associated with inflammation. Probiotics are able to cause this effect within the body by changing how the immune system signals the brain to alter brain function. These findings broaden our understanding of how probiotics may beneficially affect brain function in the context of inflammation occurring within the body and may open potential new therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of these alterations in behavior that can greatly affect patient quality of life. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/3510822-10$15.00/0.

Using Mobile Health Gamification to Facilitate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Skills Practice in Child Anxiety Treatment: Open Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Pramana, Gede; Parmanto, Bambang; Lomas, James; Lindhiem, Oliver; Kendall, Philip C; Silk, Jennifer

2018-05-10

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an efficacious treatment for child anxiety disorders. Although efficacious, many children (40%-50%) do not show a significant reduction in symptoms or full recovery from primary anxiety diagnoses. One possibility is that they are unwilling to learn and practice cognitive behavioral therapy skills beyond therapy sessions. This can occur for a variety of reasons, including a lack of motivation, forgetfulness, and a lack of cognitive behavioral therapy skills understanding. Mobile health (mHealth) gamification provides a potential solution to improve cognitive behavioral therapy efficacy by delivering more engaging and interactive strategies to facilitate cognitive behavioral therapy skills practice in everyday lives (in vivo). The goal of this project was to redesign an existing mHealth system called SmartCAT (Smartphone-enhanced Child Anxiety Treatment) so as to increase user engagement, retention, and learning facilitation by integrating gamification techniques and interactive features. Furthermore, this project assessed the effectiveness of gamification in improving user engagement and retention throughout posttreatment. We redesigned and implemented the SmartCAT system consisting of a smartphone app for children and an integrated clinician portal. The gamified app contains (1) a series of interactive games and activities to reinforce skill understanding, (2) an in vivo skills coach that cues the participant to use cognitive behavioral therapy skills during real-world emotional experiences, (3) a home challenge module to encourage home-based exposure tasks, (4) a digital reward system that contains digital points and trophies, and (5) a therapist-patient messaging interface. Therapists used a secure Web-based portal connected to the app to set up required activities for each session, receive or send messages, manage participant rewards and challenges, and view data and figures summarizing the app usage. The system was implemented as an adjunctive component to brief cognitive behavioral therapy in an open clinical trial. To evaluate the effectiveness of gamification, we compared the app usage data at posttreatment with the earlier version of SmartCAT without gamification. Gamified SmartCAT was used frequently throughout treatment. On average, patients spent 35.59 min on the app (SD 64.18) completing 13.00 activities between each therapy session (SD 12.61). At the 0.10 significance level, the app usage of the gamified system (median 68.00) was higher than that of the earlier, nongamified SmartCAT version (median 37.00, U=76.00, P<.01). The amount of time spent on the gamified system (median 173.15) was significantly different from that of the earlier version (median 120.73, U=173.00, P=.06). The gamified system showed good acceptability, usefulness, and engagement among anxious children receiving brief cognitive behavioral therapy treatment. Integrating an mHealth gamification platform within treatment for anxious children seems to increase involvement in shorter treatment. Further study is needed to evaluate increase in involvement in full-length treatment. ©Gede Pramana, Bambang Parmanto, James Lomas, Oliver Lindhiem, Philip C Kendall, Jennifer Silk. Originally published in JMIR Serious Games (http://games.jmir.org), 10.05.2018.

An ontogenic study of the behavioral effects of chronic intermittent exposure to ayahuasca in mice.

PubMed

Correa-Netto, N F; Masukawa, M Y; Nishide, F; Galfano, G S; Tamura, F; Shimizo, M K; Marcato, M P; Santos, J G; Linardi, A

2017-06-05

Ayahuasca is a beverage obtained from decoctions of the Banisteriopsis caapi plus Psychotria viridis. In religious contexts, ayahuasca is used by different age groups. However, little is known of the effects of ayahuasca during ontogenic development, particularly with regard to the functional characteristics of the central nervous system. Animal models are useful for studying the ontogenic effects of ayahuasca because they allow exclusion of the behavioral influence associated with the ritualistic use. We investigated the effects of exposure to ayahuasca (1.5 mL/kg, orally, twice a week) on memory and anxiety in C57BL/6 mice, with the post-natal day (PND) being used as the ontogenic criterion for classification: childhood (PND21 to PND35), adolescence (PND35 to PND63), adulthood (PND90-PND118), childhood-adolescence (PND21 to PND63), childhood-adulthood (PND21 to PND118) and adolescence-adulthood (PND35 to PND118). One day after the last ayahuasca exposure, the mice were subjected to the Morris water maze (MWM), open field and elevated plus maze tasks (EPM). Ayahuasca did not affect locomotion in the open field or open arms exploration in the EPM, but increased the risk assessment behavior in the childhood group. Ayahuasca did not cause any change in acquisition of spatial reference memory in the MWM task, but decreased the time spent on the platform quadrant during the test session in the adolescence group. These results suggest that, in mice, exposure to ayahuasca in childhood and adolescence promoted anxiety and memory impairment, respectively. However, these behavioral changes were not long-lasting since they were not observed in the childhood-adulthood and adolescence-adulthood groups.

An ontogenic study of the behavioral effects of chronic intermittent exposure to ayahuasca in mice

PubMed Central

Correa-Netto, N.F.; Masukawa, M.Y.; Nishide, F.; Galfano, G.S.; Tamura, F.; Shimizo, M.K.; Marcato, M.P.; Santos, J.G.; Linardi, A.

2017-01-01

Ayahuasca is a beverage obtained from decoctions of the Banisteriopsis caapi plus Psychotria viridis. In religious contexts, ayahuasca is used by different age groups. However, little is known of the effects of ayahuasca during ontogenic development, particularly with regard to the functional characteristics of the central nervous system. Animal models are useful for studying the ontogenic effects of ayahuasca because they allow exclusion of the behavioral influence associated with the ritualistic use. We investigated the effects of exposure to ayahuasca (1.5 mL/kg, orally, twice a week) on memory and anxiety in C57BL/6 mice, with the post-natal day (PND) being used as the ontogenic criterion for classification: childhood (PND21 to PND35), adolescence (PND35 to PND63), adulthood (PND90-PND118), childhood-adolescence (PND21 to PND63), childhood-adulthood (PND21 to PND118) and adolescence-adulthood (PND35 to PND118). One day after the last ayahuasca exposure, the mice were subjected to the Morris water maze (MWM), open field and elevated plus maze tasks (EPM). Ayahuasca did not affect locomotion in the open field or open arms exploration in the EPM, but increased the risk assessment behavior in the childhood group. Ayahuasca did not cause any change in acquisition of spatial reference memory in the MWM task, but decreased the time spent on the platform quadrant during the test session in the adolescence group. These results suggest that, in mice, exposure to ayahuasca in childhood and adolescence promoted anxiety and memory impairment, respectively. However, these behavioral changes were not long-lasting since they were not observed in the childhood-adulthood and adolescence-adulthood groups. PMID:28591379

SNMG: a social-level norm-based methodology for macro-governing service collaboration processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Ji; Lv, Hexin; Jin, Zhiyong; Xu, Ping

2017-08-01

In order to adapt to the accelerative open tendency of collaborations between enterprises, this paper proposes a Social-level Norm-based methodology for Macro-Governing service collaboration processes, called SNMG, to regulate and control the social-level visible macro-behaviors of the social individuals participating in collaborations. SNMG not only can remove effectively the uncontrollability hindrance confronted with by open social activities, but also enables across-management-domain collaborations to be implemented by uniting the centralized controls of social individuals for respective social activities. Therefore, this paper provides a brand-new system construction mode to promote the development and large-scale deployment of service collaborations.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of risperidone in adults with autistic disorder and other pervasive developmental disorders.

PubMed

McDougle, C J; Holmes, J P; Carlson, D C; Pelton, G H; Cohen, D J; Price, L H

1998-07-01

Neurobiological research has implicated the dopamine and serotonin systems in the pathogenesis of autism. Open-label reports suggest that the serotonin2A-dopamine D2 antagonist risperidone may be safe and effective in reducing the interfering symptoms of patients with autism. Thirty-one adults (age [mean+/-SD], 28.1+/-7.3 years) with autistic disorder (n=17) or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (n=14) participated in a 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of risperidone. Patients treated with placebo subsequently received a 12-week open-label trial of risperidone. For persons completing the study, 8 (57%) of 14 patients treated with risperidone were categorized as responders (daily dose [mean+/-SD], 2.9+/-1.4 mg) compared with none of 16 in the placebo group (P<.002). Risperidone was superior to placebo in reducing repetitive behavior (P<.001), aggression (P<.001), anxiety or nervousness (P<.02), depression (P<.03), irritability (P<.01), and the overall behavioral symptoms of autism (P<.02). Objective, measurable change in social behavior and language did not occur. Nine (60%) of 15 patients who received treatment with open-label risperidone following the double-blind placebo phase responded. Other than mild, transient sedation, risperidone was well tolerated, with no evidence of extrapyramidal effects, cardiac events, or seizures. Risperidone is more effective than placebo in the short-term treatment of symptoms of autism in adults.

Automated Tracking of Animal Posture and Movement during Exploration and Sensory Orientation Behaviors

PubMed Central

Gomez-Marin, Alex; Partoune, Nicolas; Stephens, Greg J.; Louis, Matthieu

2012-01-01

Background The nervous functions of an organism are primarily reflected in the behavior it is capable of. Measuring behavior quantitatively, at high-resolution and in an automated fashion provides valuable information about the underlying neural circuit computation. Accordingly, computer-vision applications for animal tracking are becoming a key complementary toolkit to genetic, molecular and electrophysiological characterization in systems neuroscience. Methodology/Principal Findings We present Sensory Orientation Software (SOS) to measure behavior and infer sensory experience correlates. SOS is a simple and versatile system to track body posture and motion of single animals in two-dimensional environments. In the presence of a sensory landscape, tracking the trajectory of the animal's sensors and its postural evolution provides a quantitative framework to study sensorimotor integration. To illustrate the utility of SOS, we examine the orientation behavior of fruit fly larvae in response to odor, temperature and light gradients. We show that SOS is suitable to carry out high-resolution behavioral tracking for a wide range of organisms including flatworms, fishes and mice. Conclusions/Significance Our work contributes to the growing repertoire of behavioral analysis tools for collecting rich and fine-grained data to draw and test hypothesis about the functioning of the nervous system. By providing open-access to our code and documenting the software design, we aim to encourage the adaptation of SOS by a wide community of non-specialists to their particular model organism and questions of interest. PMID:22912674

Promoting organ donation through an entertainment-education TV program in Korea: Open Your Eyes.

PubMed

Byoung Kwan Lee; Hyun Soon Park; Choi, Myung-Il; Cheon Soo Kim

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the characteristics of the program, Open Your Eyes, an entertainment-education TV program in Korea, on parasocial interaction and behavioral intention for organ donation. The results indicated that affective evaluation positively affected parasocial interaction with the program but cognitive evaluation negatively affected involvement with beneficiaries in the program. Also, it was found that cognitive evaluation of Open Your Eyes had a significant positive effect on behavioral intention. In addition, a significant positive effect of program engagement on the behavioral intention was found. Thus, the results indicate that individuals who feel program engagement of Open Your Eyes will be more likely to proceed with organ donation. However, no direct effect of involvement with the beneficiary and program hosts was found.

[Effects of psychological stress on performances in open-field test of rats and tyrosine's modulation].

PubMed

Chen, Wei-Qiang; Cheng, Yi-Yong; Li, Shu-Tian; Hong, Yan; Wang, Dong-Lan; Hou, Yue

2009-02-01

To explore the effects of different doses of tyrosine modulation on behavioral performances in open field test of psychological stress rats. The animal model of psychological stress was developed by restraint stress for 21 days. Wistar rats were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 10) as follows: control group (CT), stress control group (SCT), low, medium and high-doses of tyrosine modulation stress groups (SLT, SMT and SIT). The changes of behavioral performances were examined by open-field test. Serum levels of cortisol, norepinephrine and dopamine were also detected. The levels of serum cortisol were all increased obviously in the four stress groups, and their bodyweight gainings were diminished. The behavioral performances of SCT rats in open-field test were changed significantly in contrast to that of CT rats. However, The behavioral performances of SMT and SHT rats were not different from that of CT rats. In addition, the serum levels of norepinephrine and dopamine were downregulated obviously in SCT and SLT groups, and no differences were observed in other groups. Psychological stress can impair body behavioral performances, and moderate tyrosine modulation may improve these abnormal changes. The related mechanisms may be involved with the changes of norepinephrine and dopamine.

Habituation of medaka (Oryzias latipes) demonstrated by open-field testing.

PubMed

Matsunaga, Wataru; Watanabe, Eiji

2010-10-01

Habituation to novel environments is frequently studied to analyze cognitive phenotypes in animals, and an open-field test is generally conducted to investigate the changes that occur in animals during habituation. The test has not been used in behavioral studies of medaka (Oryzias latipes), which is recently being used in behavioral research. Therefore, we examined the open-field behavior of medaka on the basis of temporal changes in 2 conventional indexes of locomotion and position. The findings of our study clearly showed that medaka changed its behavior through multiple temporal phases as it became more familiar with new surroundings; this finding is consistent with those of other ethological studies in animals. During repeated open-field testing on 2 consecutive days, we observed that horizontal locomotion on the second day was less than that on the first day, which suggested that habituation is retained in fish for days. This temporal habituation was critically affected by water factors or visual cues of the tank, thereby suggesting that fish have spatial memory of their surroundings. Thus, the data from this study will afford useful fundamental information for behavioral phenotyping of medaka and for elucidating cognitive phenotypes in animals. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of transverse crack upon parametric instability of a rotor-bearing system with an asymmetric disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Qinkai; Chu, Fulei

2012-12-01

It is well known that either the asymmetric disk or transverse crack brings parametric inertia (or stiffness) excitation to the rotor-bearing system. When both of them appear in a rotor system, the parametric instability behaviors have not gained sufficient attentions. Thus, the effect of transverse crack upon parametric instability of a rotor-bearing system with an asymmetric disk is studied. First, the finite element equations of motion are established for the asymmetric rotor system. Both the open and breathing transverse cracks are taken into account in the model. Then, the discrete state transition matrix (DSTM) method is introduced for numerically acquiring the instability regions. Based upon these, some computations for a practical asymmetric rotor system with open or breathing transverse crack are conducted, respectively. Variations of the primary and combination instability regions induced by the asymmetric disk with the crack depth are observed, and the effect of the orientation angle between the crack and asymmetric disk on various instability regions are discussed in detail. It is shown that for the asymmetric angle around 0, the existence of transverse (either open or breathing) crack has attenuation effect upon the instability regions. Under certain crack depth, the instability regions could be vanished by the transverse crack. When the asymmetric angle is around π/2, increasing the crack depth would enhance the instability regions.

Understanding magnetotransport signatures in networks of connected permalloy nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, B. L.; Park, J.; Sklenar, J.; Chern, G.-W.; Nisoli, C.; Watts, J. D.; Manno, M.; Rench, D. W.; Samarth, N.; Leighton, C.; Schiffer, P.

2017-02-01

The change in electrical resistance associated with the application of an external magnetic field is known as the magnetoresistance (MR). The measured MR is quite complex in the class of connected networks of single-domain ferromagnetic nanowires, known as "artificial spin ice," due to the geometrically induced collective behavior of the nanowire moments. We have conducted a thorough experimental study of the MR of a connected honeycomb artificial spin ice, and we present a simulation methodology for understanding the detailed behavior of this complex correlated magnetic system. Our results demonstrate that the behavior, even at low magnetic fields, can be well described only by including significant contributions from the vertices at which the legs meet, opening the door to new geometrically induced MR phenomena.

Cooper Pair-Like Systems at High Temperature and their Role on Fluctuations Near the Critical Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ausloos, M.; Dorbolo, S.

A logarithmic behavior is hidden in the linear temperature regime of the electrical resistivity R(T) of some YBCO sample below 2Tc where "pairs" break apart, fluctuations occur and "a gap is opening". An anomalous effect also occurs near 200 K in the normal state Hall coefficient. In a simulation of oxygen diffusion in planar 123 YBCO, an anomalous behavior is found in the oxygen-vacancy motion near such a temperature. We claim that the behavior of the specific heat above and near the critical temperature should be reexamined in order to show the influence and implications of fluctuations and dimensionality on the nature of the phase transition and on the true onset temperature.

Association between alcohol-impaired driving enforcement-related strategies and alcohol-impaired driving.

PubMed

Sanem, Julia R; Erickson, Darin J; Rutledge, Patricia C; Lenk, Kathleen M; Nelson, Toben F; Jones-Webb, Rhonda; Toomey, Traci L

2015-05-01

All states in the U.S. prohibit alcohol-impaired driving but active law enforcement is necessary for effectively reducing this behavior. Sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, open container laws, and media campaigns related to enforcement efforts are all enforcement-related strategies for reducing alcohol-impaired driving. We conducted surveys of all state patrol agencies and a representative sample of local law enforcement agencies to assess their use of alcohol-impaired driving enforcement-related strategies and to determine the relationship between these enforcement-related strategies and self-reported alcohol-impaired driving behavior obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. We found that sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, and enforcement of open container laws were associated with a lower prevalence of alcohol-impaired driving but, more importantly, a combination of enforcement-related strategies was associated with a greater decrease in alcohol-impaired driving than any individual enforcement-related activity. In addition, alcohol-impaired driving enforcement-related strategies were associated with decreased alcohol-impaired driving above and beyond their association with decreased binge drinking. Results suggest law enforcement agencies should give greater priority to using a combination of strategies rather than relying on any one individual enforcement activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical period for acoustic preference in mice

PubMed Central

Yang, Eun-Jin; Lin, Eric W.; Hensch, Takao K.

2012-01-01

Preference behaviors are often established during early life, but the underlying neural circuit mechanisms remain unknown. Adapting a unique nesting behavior assay, we confirmed a “critical period” for developing music preference in C57BL/6 mice. Early music exposure between postnatal days 15 and 24 reversed their innate bias for silent shelter, which typically could not be altered in adulthood. Instead, exposing adult mice treated acutely with valproic acid or carrying a targeted deletion of the Nogo receptor (NgR−/−) unmasked a strong plasticity of preference consistent with a reopening of the critical period as seen in other systems. Imaging of cFos expression revealed a prominent neuronal activation in response to the exposed music in the prelimbic and infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex only under conditions of open plasticity. Neither behavioral changes nor selective medial prefrontal cortex activation was observed in response to pure tone exposure, indicating a music-specific effect. Open-field center crossings were increased concomitant with shifts in music preference, suggesting a potential anxiolytic effect. Thus, music may offer both a unique window into the emotional state of mice and a potentially efficient assay for molecular “brakes” on critical period plasticity common to sensory and higher order brain areas. PMID:23045690

Critical period for acoustic preference in mice.

PubMed

Yang, Eun-Jin; Lin, Eric W; Hensch, Takao K

2012-10-16

Preference behaviors are often established during early life, but the underlying neural circuit mechanisms remain unknown. Adapting a unique nesting behavior assay, we confirmed a "critical period" for developing music preference in C57BL/6 mice. Early music exposure between postnatal days 15 and 24 reversed their innate bias for silent shelter, which typically could not be altered in adulthood. Instead, exposing adult mice treated acutely with valproic acid or carrying a targeted deletion of the Nogo receptor (NgR(-/-)) unmasked a strong plasticity of preference consistent with a reopening of the critical period as seen in other systems. Imaging of cFos expression revealed a prominent neuronal activation in response to the exposed music in the prelimbic and infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex only under conditions of open plasticity. Neither behavioral changes nor selective medial prefrontal cortex activation was observed in response to pure tone exposure, indicating a music-specific effect. Open-field center crossings were increased concomitant with shifts in music preference, suggesting a potential anxiolytic effect. Thus, music may offer both a unique window into the emotional state of mice and a potentially efficient assay for molecular "brakes" on critical period plasticity common to sensory and higher order brain areas.

The use of artificially intelligent agents with bounded rationality in the study of economic markets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rajan, V.; Slagle, J.R.

The concepts of {open_quote}knowledge{close_quote} and {open_quote}rationality{close_quote} are of central importance to fields of science that are interested in human behavior and learning, such as artificial intelligence, economics, and psychology. The similarity between artificial intelligence and economics - both are concerned with intelligent thought, rational behavior, and the use and acquisition of knowledge - has led to the use of economic models as a paradigm for solving problems in distributed artificial intelligence (DAI) and multi agent systems (MAS). What we propose is the opposite; the use of artificial intelligence in the study of economic markets. Over the centuries various theories ofmore » market behavior have been advanced. The prevailing theory holds that an asset`s current price converges to the risk adjusted value of the rationally expected dividend stream. While this rational expectations model holds in equilibrium or near-equilibrium conditions, it does not sufficiently explain conditions of market disequilibrium. An example of market disequilibrium is the phenomenon of a speculative bubble. We present an example of using artificially intelligent agents with bounded rationality in the study of speculative bubbles.« less

The joint effect of personality traits and perceived stress on pedestrian behavior in a Chinese sample

PubMed Central

Zheng, Tingting; Ge, Yan; Sun, Xianghong; Zhang, Kan

2017-01-01

While improper pedestrian behavior has become an important factor related to road traffic fatalities, especially in developing countries, the effects of personality traits and/or stress on pedestrian behavior have been rarely reported. The current study explored the joint effects of five personality traits (i.e., extraversion, openness, neuroticism, normlessness and altruism) and global perceived stress (measured with the Perceived Stress Scale-10) on pedestrian behavior (measured with the Pedestrian Behavior Scale) in 311 Chinese individuals. Results showed that altruism, neuroticism and openness significantly affected different pedestrian behavior dimensions, while global perceived stress also significantly and positively predicted positive behavior. Moreover, the effect of neuroticism on positive behavior was fully mediated by stress. Some explanations and implications are provided in the discussion section. PMID:29190750

Small Collision Systems at RHIC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novitzky, Norbert

2018-02-01

The observation of long range correlations in highly asymmetric systems, as in p+Pb and d+Au collisions, suggests a creation of a medium with collective behavior. It is still an open question if the quark-gluon plasma is formed in these collision. Hence, the RHIC collider invested time to study the small systems in different collision systems and energies. Here we discuss the recent results from the PHENIX and STAR collaborations in four different collision systems p+Al, p+Au, d+Au and 3He+Au at = 200 GeV, and also for the energy scan in d+Au collisions between = 19.6 - 200 GeV.

Analysis of the trajectory of Drosophila melanogaster in a circular open field arena.

PubMed

Valente, Dan; Golani, Ilan; Mitra, Partha P

2007-10-24

Obtaining a complete phenotypic characterization of a freely moving organism is a difficult task, yet such a description is desired in many neuroethological studies. Many metrics currently used in the literature to describe locomotor and exploratory behavior are typically based on average quantities or subjectively chosen spatial and temporal thresholds. All of these measures are relatively coarse-grained in the time domain. It is advantageous, however, to employ metrics based on the entire trajectory that an organism takes while exploring its environment. To characterize the locomotor behavior of Drosophila melanogaster, we used a video tracking system to record the trajectory of a single fly walking in a circular open field arena. The fly was tracked for two hours. Here, we present techniques with which to analyze the motion of the fly in this paradigm, and we discuss the methods of calculation. The measures we introduce are based on spatial and temporal probability distributions and utilize the entire time-series trajectory of the fly, thus emphasizing the dynamic nature of locomotor behavior. Marginal and joint probability distributions of speed, position, segment duration, path curvature, and reorientation angle are examined and related to the observed behavior. The measures discussed in this paper provide a detailed profile of the behavior of a single fly and highlight the interaction of the fly with the environment. Such measures may serve as useful tools in any behavioral study in which the movement of a fly is an important variable and can be incorporated easily into many setups, facilitating high-throughput phenotypic characterization.

Stochastic dynamics in a two-dimensional oscillator near a saddle-node bifurcation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Inchiosa, M. E.; In, V.; Bulsara, A. R.

We study the oscillator equations describing a particular class of nonlinear amplifier, exemplified in this work by a two-junction superconducting quantum interference device. This class of dynamic system is described by a potential energy function that can admit minima (corresponding to stable solutions of the dynamic equations), or {open_quotes}running states{close_quotes} wherein the system is biased so that the potential minima disappear and the solutions display spontaneous oscillations. Just beyond the onset of the spontaneous oscillations, the system is known to show significantly enhanced sensitivity to very weak magnetic signals. The global phase space structure allows us to apply a centermore » manifold technique to approximate analytically the oscillatory behavior just past the (saddle-node) bifurcation and compute the oscillation period, which obeys standard scaling laws. In this regime, the dynamics can be represented by an {open_quotes}integrate-fire{close_quotes} model drawn from the computational neuroscience repertoire; in fact, we obtain an {open_quotes}interspike interval{close_quotes} probability density function and an associated power spectral density (computed via Renewal theory) that agree very well with the results obtained via numerical simulations. Notably, driving the system with one or more time sinusoids produces a noise-lowering injection locking effect and/or heterodyning.« less

A novel system for tracking social preference dynamics in mice reveals sex- and strain-specific characteristics.

PubMed

Netser, Shai; Haskal, Shani; Magalnik, Hen; Wagner, Shlomo

2017-01-01

Deciphering the biological mechanisms underlying social behavior in animal models requires standard behavioral paradigms that can be unbiasedly employed in an observer- and laboratory-independent manner. During the past decade, the three-chamber test has become such a standard paradigm used to evaluate social preference (sociability) and social novelty preference in mice. This test suffers from several caveats, including its reliance on spatial navigation skills and negligence of behavioral dynamics. Here, we present a novel experimental apparatus and an automated analysis system which offer an alternative to the three-chamber test while solving the aforementioned caveats. The custom-made apparatus is simple for production, and the analysis system is publically available as an open-source software, enabling its free use. We used this system to compare the dynamics of social behavior during the social preference and social novelty preference tests between male and female C57BL/6J mice. We found that in both tests, male mice keep their preference towards one of the stimuli for longer periods than females. We then employed our system to define several new parameters of social behavioral dynamics in mice and revealed that social preference behavior is segregated in time into two distinct phases. An early exploration phase, characterized by high rate of transitions between stimuli and short bouts of stimulus investigation, is followed by an interaction phase with low transition rate and prolonged interactions, mainly with the preferred stimulus. Finally, we compared the dynamics of social behavior between C57BL/6J and BTBR male mice, the latter of which are considered as asocial strain serving as a model for autism spectrum disorder. We found that BTBR mice ( n  = 8) showed a specific deficit in transition from the exploration phase to the interaction phase in the social preference test, suggesting a reduced tendency towards social interaction. We successfully employed our new experimental system to unravel previously unidentified sex- and strain-specific differences in the dynamics of social behavior in mice. Thus, the system presented here facilitates a more thorough and detailed analysis of social behavior in small rodent models, enabling a better comparison between strains and treatments.

Periodic behavior in lava dome eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barmin, A.; Melnik, O.; Sparks, R. S. J.

2002-05-01

Lava dome eruptions commonly display fairly regular alternations between periods of high activity and periods of low or no activity. The time scale for these alternations is typically months to several years. Here we develop a generic model of magma discharge through a conduit from an open-system magma chamber with continuous replenishment. The model takes account of the principal controls on flow, namely the replenishment rate, magma chamber size, elastic deformation of the chamber walls, conduit resistance, and variations of magma viscosity, which are controlled by degassing during ascent and kinetics of crystallization. The analysis indicates a rich diversity of behavior with periodic patterns similar to those observed. Magma chamber size can be estimated from the period with longer periods implying larger chambers. Many features observed in volcanic eruptions such as alternations between periodic behaviors and continuous discharge, sharp changes in discharge rate, and transitions from effusive to catastrophic explosive eruption can be understood in terms of the non-linear dynamics of conduit flows from open-system magma chambers. The dynamics of lava dome growth at Mount St. Helens (1980-1987) and Santiaguito (1922-2000) was analyzed with the help of the model. The best-fit models give magma chamber volumes of ∼0.6 km3 for Mount St. Helens and ∼65 km3 for Santiaguito. The larger magma chamber volume is the major factor in explaining why Santiaguito is a long-lived eruption with a longer periodicity of pulsations in comparison with Mount St. Helens.

Locations of Joint Physical Activity in Parent-Child Pairs Based on Accelerometer and GPS Monitoring

PubMed Central

Dunton, Genevieve Fridlund; Liao, Yue; Almanza, Estela; Jerrett, Micheal; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Pentz, Mary Ann

2012-01-01

Background Parental factors may play an important role in influencing children’s physical activity levels. Purpose This cross-sectional study sought to describe the locations of joint physical activity among parents and children. Methods Parent-child pairs (N = 291) wore an Actigraph GT2M accelerometer and GlobalSat BT-335 Global Positioning Systems (GPS) device over the same 7-day period. Children were ages 8–14 years. Joint behavior was defined by a linear separation distance of less than 50m between parent and child. Land use classifications were assigned to GPS data points. Results Joint physical activity was spread across residential locations (35%), and commercial venues (24%), and open spaces/parks (20%). Obese children and parents performed less joint physical activity in open spaces/parks than under/normal weight children and parents (p’s < .01). Conclusions Understanding where joint parent-child physical activity naturally occurs may inform location-based interventions to promote these behaviors. PMID:23011914

Apple juice improved behavioral but not cognitive symptoms in moderate-to-late stage Alzheimer's disease in an open-label pilot study.

PubMed

Remington, Ruth; Chan, Amy; Lepore, Alicia; Kotlya, Elizabeth; Shea, Thomas B

2010-06-01

Preclinical studies demonstrate that apple juice exerts multiple beneficial effects including reduction of central nervous system oxidative damage, suppression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) hallmarks, improved cognitive performance, and organized synaptic signaling. Herein, we initiated an open-label clinical trial in which 21 institutionalized individuals with moderate-to-severe AD consumed 2 4-oz glasses of apple juice daily for 1 month. Participants demonstrated no change in the Dementia Rating Scale, and institutional caregivers reported no change in Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS)-Activities of Daily Living (ADL) in this brief study. However, caregivers reported an approximate 27% (P < .01) improvement in behavioral and psychotic symptoms associated with dementia as quantified by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, with the largest changes in anxiety, agitation, and delusion. This pilot study suggests that apple juice may be a useful supplement, perhaps to augment pharmacological approaches, for attenuating the decline in mood that accompanies progression of AD, which may also reduce caregiver burden.

Steady states of OQBM: Central Limit Theorem, Gaussian and non-Gaussian behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petruccione, Francesco; Sinayskiy, Ilya

Open Quantum Brownian Motion (OQBM) describes a Brownian particle with an additional internal quantum degree of freedom. Originally, it was introduced as a scaling limit of Open Quantum Walks (OQWs). Recently, it was noted, that for the model of free OQBM with a two-level system as an internal degree of freedom and decoherent coupling to a dissipative environment, one could use weak external driving of the internal degree of freedom to manipulate the steady-state position of the walker. This observation establishes a useful connection between controllable parameters of the OQBM, e.g. driving strengths and magnitude of detuning, and its steady state properties. Although OQWs satisfy a central limit theorem (CLT), it is known, that OQBM, in general, does not. The aim of this work is to derive steady states for some particular OQBMs and observe possible transitions from Gaussian to non-Gaussian behavior depending on the choice of quantum coin and as a function of diffusion coefficient and dissipation strength.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas, Gregory S.; Nickless, William K.; Thiede, David R.

Enterprise level cyber security requires the deployment, operation, and monitoring of many sensors across geographically dispersed sites. Communicating with the sensors to gather data and control behavior is a challenging task when the number of sensors is rapidly growing. This paper describes the system requirements, design, and implementation of T3, the third generation of our transport software that performs this task. T3 relies on open source software and open Internet standards. Data is encoded in MIME format messages and transported via NNTP, which provides scalability. OpenSSL and public key cryptography are used to secure the data. Robustness and ease ofmore » development are increased by defining an internal cryptographic API, implemented by modules in C, Perl, and Python. We are currently using T3 in a production environment. It is freely available to download and use for other projects.« less

The effect of opiodergic system and testosterone on anxiety behavior in gonadectomized rats.

PubMed

Khakpai, Fatemeh

2014-04-15

Removal of the testes (gonadectomy; GDX), the primary source of androgens, increases anxiety behavior in several tasks. Opioids are known to play a role in mediating the effects of androgen. In the present study, the effect of testosterone and opioidergic system on anxiety behavior was investigated. Adult male Wistar rats were bilaterally castrated. The elevated plus maze which is a useful test to investigate the effects of anxiogenic or anxiolytic drugs in rodents was used. The data indicated that there is a decrease, 10 days after castration, in the percentage of OAT (the ratio of time spent in the open arms to total times spent in any arms × 100) and OAE (the ratio of entries into open arms to total entries × 100) but not locomotor activity, showing anxiogenic-like effects of gonadectomy. Intraperitoneal injection of testosterone (200, 300 and 450 mg/kg) and morphine (2.5, 5 and 7.5mg/kg), before testing 10 days after castration, showed an increase in OAT and OAE. Furthermore, injection of naloxone (5 and 7.5mg/kg, i.p.), 5 min before testing 10 days after castration, decreased OAT and OAE. Also, injection of a significant dose of testosterone (300 mg/kg, i.p.), 1h before the injection of different doses of morphine (1, 2.5, 5 and 7.5mg/kg, i.p.), 10 days after castration, did not significantly alter OAT, OAE and locomotor activity. While, administration of a significant dose of testosterone (300 mg/kg, i.p.), 1h before the infusion of different doses of naloxone (1, 2.5, 5 and 7.5mg/kg, i.p.), 10 days after castration, decreased OAT and OAE. The results show the involvement of testosterone and opioidergic system in anxiogenic-like behaviors induced by gonadectomy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estrogen Receptor-β Agonist Diarylpropionitrile: Biological Activities of R- and S-Enantiomers on Behavior and Hormonal Response to Stress

PubMed Central

Weiser, Michael J.; Wu, T. John; Handa, Robert J.

2009-01-01

Estrogens have been shown to have positive and negative effects on anxiety and depressive-like behaviors, perhaps explained by the existence of two distinct estrogen receptor (ER) systems, ERα and ERβ. The ERβ agonist, diarylpropionitrile (DPN) has been shown to have anxiolytic properties in rats. DPN exists as a racemic mixture of two enantiomers, R-DPN and S-DPN. In this study, we compared R-DPN and S-DPN for their in vitro binding affinity, ability to activate transcription in vitro at an estrogen response element, and in vivo endocrine and behavioral responses. In vitro binding studies using recombinant rat ERβ revealed that S-DPN has a severalfold greater relative binding affinity for ERβ than does R-DPN. Furthermore, cotransfection of N-38 immortalized hypothalamic cells with an estrogen response element-luc reporter and ERβ revealed that S-DPN is a potent activator of transcription in vitro, whereas R-DPN is not. Subsequently, we examined anxiety-like behaviors using the open-field test and elevated plus maze or depressive-like behaviors, using the forced swim test. Ovariectomized young adult female Sprague Dawley rats treated with racemic DPN, S-DPN, and the ERβ agonist, WAY-200070, showed significantly decreased anxiety-like behaviors in both the open-field and elevated plus maze and significantly less depressive-like behaviors in the forced swim test compared with vehicle-, R-DPN-, or propylpyrazoletriol (ERα agonist)-treated animals. In concordance with the relative binding affinity and transcriptional potency, these results demonstrate that the S-enantiomer is the biologically active form of DPN. These studies also indicate that estrogen's positive effects on mood, including its anxiolytic and antidepressive actions, are due to its actions at ERβ. PMID:19074580

Adaptation to a blood pressure telemetry system revealed by measures of activity, agility and operant learning in mice.

PubMed

Popova, Anfisa; Tsvirkun, Darya; Dolgov, Oleg; Anokhin, Konstantin; Alberts, Jeffrey; Lagereva, Evgeniia; Custaud, Marc-Antoine; Gauquelin-Koch, Guillemette; Vinogradova, Olga; Andreev-Andrievskiy, Alexander

Implantable telemetry enables continuous monitoring of physiological functions in freely moving animals and can greatly complement pharmacological research. Despite its miniaturization, a sensor/transmitter constitutes 5% or more of a mouse's bodyweight. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether factors related to the presence of a probe/transmitter influence the ambulatory activity, strength, agility, or operant, motivated behaviors of this small rodent. Adult male mice (C57BL/6N, 22-25g, 9-10weeks; implanted n=26, intact n=45) were evaluated during week-long tests, conducted three and eight weeks after surgical implantation of the PA-C10 blood pressure probe. An open field test, grip force measurement, Rotarod test were performed, followed by 7-day continuous monitoring of spontaneous wheel running activity and positively reinforced operant conditioning in an automated data collection system. An implanted blood pressure transmitter did not affect behavior of mice in the open field test, on the Rotarod or their grip force, compared to unoperated controls. Voluntary wheel running distance was reduced three, but not eight weeks after implantation. Three weeks after the surgery, performance in the positively reinforced operant conditioning in operated mice was slightly decreased compared to intact animals, while retention and acquisition of a 2nd, reversal-learning task eight weeks after the surgery were unaffected. We conclude that an implantable transmitter may have detectable effects in the first few weeks following implantation on some elements of mouse behavior. With sufficient recovery, mice perform comparably to unoperated controls in tests of strength, endurance, agility and learned operant behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Performance & Emotion--A Study on Adaptive E-Learning Based on Visual/Verbal Learning Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beckmann, Jennifer; Bertel, Sven; Zander, Steffi

2015-01-01

Adaptive e-Learning systems are able to adjust to a user's learning needs, usually by user modeling or tracking progress. Such learner-adaptive behavior has rapidly become a hot topic for e-Learning, furthered in part by the recent rapid increase in the use of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). A lack of general, individual, and situational data…

Quantifying the behavior of price dynamics at opening time in stock market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ochiai, Tomoshiro; Takada, Hideyuki; Nacher, Jose C.

2014-11-01

The availability of huge volume of financial data has offered the possibility for understanding the markets as a complex system characterized by several stylized facts. Here we first show that the time evolution of the Japan’s Nikkei stock average index (Nikkei 225) futures follows the resistance and breaking-acceleration effects when the complete time series data is analyzed. However, in stock markets there are periods where no regular trades occur between the close of the market on one day and the next day’s open. To examine these time gaps we decompose the time series data into opening time and intermediate time. Our analysis indicates that for the intermediate time, both the resistance and the breaking-acceleration effects are still observed. However, for the opening time there are almost no resistance and breaking-acceleration effects, and volatility is always constantly high. These findings highlight unique dynamic differences between stock markets and forex market and suggest that current risk management strategies may need to be revised to address the absence of these dynamic effects at the opening time.

A detailed analysis of open-field habituation and behavioral and neurochemical antidepressant-like effects in postweaning enriched rats.

PubMed

Brenes, Juan C; Padilla, Michael; Fornaguera, Jaime

2009-01-30

Our previous work has shown that male Sprague-Dawley rats reared in social isolation, standard housing and environmental enrichment differ in their spontaneous open-field activity and in some neurobehavioral depressive-like parameters. Here, we extended this evidence by using a shorter postweaning rearing period (1 month) and including additional evaluations. First, in order to obtain a better characterization of the exploratory strategies among rearing conditions we analyzed in detail the spontaneous activity at the first minute and during the 10-min session. Second, we asked whether the changes in open-field activity were related with basal anxiety levels in the elevated plus-maze. Third, behavior in the forced-swimming test was analyzed and afterward, the tissue levels of hippocampal norepinephrine and serotonin were assessed. The possible relationship between neurotransmitters and forced-swimming behavior were explored through correlation analyses. We found that rearing conditions (i) differed on locomotor habituation and on sensory-motor exploration at the first minute and during the 10-min session without modifying the plus-maze behavior; (ii) affected differentially the grooming time, its sequential components, and the relationship between grooming and locomotor parameters; (iii) modified forced-swimming behavior and the hippocampal concentration of norepinephrine, serotonin, and its turnover; and (iv) produced different correlation patterns between both neurotransmitters and forced-swimming behaviors. Overall, environmental enrichment accelerated open-field habituation and led to behavioral and neurochemical antidepressant-like effects. In contract, isolation rearing strongly impaired habituation and simple information processing, but showed marginal effects on depressive-like behavior and on hippocampal neurochemistry. The current results suggest that differential rearing is not only a useful procedure to study behavioral plasticity or rigidity in response to early experience, but also to modeling some developmental protective or risk factors underlying depressive disorders.

Open-Label, Prospective Trial of Olanzapine in Adolescents with Subaverage Intelligence and Disruptive Behavioral Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Handen, Benjamin L.; Hardan, Antonio Y.

2006-01-01

Objective: Olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic, has been shown to be efficacious for treatment of psychotic and mood disorders in adults. This prospective, open-label study was conducted to examine the safety and usefulness of olanzapine in treating disruptive behavior disorders in adolescents with subaverage intelligence. Method: Sixteen…

Comparing Learner Community Behavior in Multiple Presentations of a Massive Open Online Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Silvia Elena; Savage, Timothy

2015-01-01

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) can create large scale communities of learners who collaborate, interact and discuss learning materials and activities. MOOCs are often delivered multiple times with similar content to different cohorts of learners. However, research into the differences of learner communication, behavior and expectation between…

Comparing Learner Community Behavior in Multiple Presentations of a Massive Open Online Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Silvia Elena; Savage, Timothy

2016-01-01

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) can create large scale communities of learners who collaborate, interact and discuss learning materials and activities. MOOCs are often delivered multiple times with similar content to different cohorts of learners. However, research into the differences of learner communication, behavior and expectation between…

Enriched Open Field Facilitates Exercise and Social Interaction in 2 Strains of Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus)

PubMed Central

Brewer, Jacob S; Bellinger, Seanceray A; Joshi, Prianca; Kleven, Gale A

2014-01-01

Current housing guidelines for laboratory rodents include recommendations for enrichment. Working with guinea pigs, we have developed an open-field enrichment paradigm that provides several aspects of this species’ natural environment. These naturalistic aspects include access to increased space for exploration, access to western timothy (Phleum pratense L.) hay, and grouping as a herd to facilitate social interaction. To determine the immediate effect on behavior from access to the enriched environment, female guinea pigs from 2 strains, IAF Hairless and NIH Hartley, were observed in both standard home cages and an open-field enriched environment. Subjects were housed with cagemates in pairs for the home-cage observation and were grouped as a herd when in the open-field arena. Behaviors were videorecorded for 1 h and then scored. Salivary cortisol levels were measured both prior to and immediately after behavioral observations. Analyses revealed higher levels of activity and social interaction in the open-field arena compared with the home cage, with no significant change in salivary cortisol levels. These results suggest that exposure to the open-field environment provide increased opportunities for exercise and social enrichment. Although additional studies are needed to determine long-term effects on experimental outcomes, the open-field configuration holds promise as a laboratory enrichment paradigm for guinea pigs. PMID:25199089

Enriched open field facilitates exercise and social interaction in 2 strains of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus).

PubMed

Brewer, Jacob S; Bellinger, Seanceray A; Joshi, Prianca; Kleven, Gale A

2014-07-01

Current housing guidelines for laboratory rodents include recommendations for enrichment. Working with guinea pigs, we have developed an open-field enrichment paradigm that provides several aspects of this species' natural environment. These naturalistic aspects include access to increased space for exploration, access to western timothy (Phleum pratense L.) hay, and grouping as a herd to facilitate social interaction. To determine the immediate effect on behavior from access to the enriched environment, female guinea pigs from 2 strains, IAF Hairless and NIH Hartley, were observed in both standard home cages and an open-field enriched environment. Subjects were housed with cagemates in pairs for the home-cage observation and were grouped as a herd when in the open-field arena. Behaviors were videorecorded for 1 h and then scored. Salivary cortisol levels were measured both prior to and immediately after behavioral observations. Analyses revealed higher levels of activity and social interaction in the open-field arena compared with the home cage, with no significant change in salivary cortisol levels. These results suggest that exposure to the open-field environment provide increased opportunities for exercise and social enrichment. Although additional studies are needed to determine long-term effects on experimental outcomes, the open-field configuration holds promise as a laboratory enrichment paradigm for guinea pigs.

Sudden transition and sudden change from open spin environments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hu, Zheng-Da; School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122; Xu, Jing-Bo, E-mail: xujb@zju.edu.cn

2014-11-15

We investigate the necessary conditions for the existence of sudden transition or sudden change phenomenon for appropriate initial states under dephasing. As illustrative examples, we study the behaviors of quantum correlation dynamics of two noninteracting qubits in independent and common open spin environments, respectively. For the independent environments case, we find that the quantum correlation dynamics is closely related to the Loschmidt echo and the dynamics exhibits a sudden transition from classical to quantum correlation decay. It is also shown that the sudden change phenomenon may occur for the common environment case and stationary quantum discord is found at themore » high temperature region of the environment. Finally, we investigate the quantum criticality of the open spin environment by exploring the probability distribution of the Loschmidt echo and the scaling transformation behavior of quantum discord, respectively. - Highlights: • Sudden transition or sudden change from open spin baths are studied. • Quantum discord is related to the Loschmidt echo in independent open spin baths. • Steady quantum discord is found in a common open spin bath. • The probability distribution of the Loschmidt echo is analyzed. • The scaling transformation behavior of quantum discord is displayed.« less

Modulation of social deficits and repetitive behaviors in a mouse model of autism: the role of the nicotinic cholinergic system.

PubMed

Wang, Li; Almeida, Luis E F; Spornick, Nicholas A; Kenyon, Nicholas; Kamimura, Sayuri; Khaibullina, Alfia; Nouraie, Mehdi; Quezado, Zenaide M N

2015-12-01

Accumulating evidence implicates the nicotinic cholinergic system in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) pathobiology. Neuropathologic studies suggest that nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor (nAChR) subtypes are altered in brain of autistic individuals. In addition, strategies that increase ACh, the neurotransmitter for nicotinic and muscarinic receptors, appear to improve cognitive deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders and ASD. The aim of this study is to examine the role of the nicotinic cholinergic system on social and repetitive behavior abnormalities and exploratory physical activity in a well-studied model of autism, the BTBR T(+) Itpr3 (tf) /J (BTBR) mouse. Using a protocol known to up-regulate expression of brain nAChR subtypes, we measured behavior outcomes before and after BTBR and C57BL/6J (B6) mice were treated (4 weeks) with vehicle or nicotine (50, 100, 200, or 400 μg/ml). Increasing nicotine doses were associated with decreases in water intake, increases in plasma cotinine levels, and at the higher dose (400 μg/ml) with weight loss in BTBR mice. At lower (50, 100 μg/ml) but not higher (200, 400 μg/ml) doses, nicotine increased social interactions in BTBR and B6 mice and at higher, but not lower doses, it decreased repetitive behavior in BTBR. In the open-field test, nicotine at 200 and 400 μg/ml, but not 100 μg/ml compared with vehicle, decreased overall physical activity in BTBR mice. These findings support the hypotheses that the nicotinic cholinergic system modulates social and repetitive behaviors and may be a therapeutic target to treat behavior deficits in ASD. Further, the BTBR mouse may be valuable for investigations of the role of nAChRs in social deficits and repetitive behavior.

Multi-Physics Modelling of Fault Mechanics Using REDBACK: A Parallel Open-Source Simulator for Tightly Coupled Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poulet, Thomas; Paesold, Martin; Veveakis, Manolis

2017-03-01

Faults play a major role in many economically and environmentally important geological systems, ranging from impermeable seals in petroleum reservoirs to fluid pathways in ore-forming hydrothermal systems. Their behavior is therefore widely studied and fault mechanics is particularly focused on the mechanisms explaining their transient evolution. Single faults can change in time from seals to open channels as they become seismically active and various models have recently been presented to explain the driving forces responsible for such transitions. A model of particular interest is the multi-physics oscillator of Alevizos et al. (J Geophys Res Solid Earth 119(6), 4558-4582, 2014) which extends the traditional rate and state friction approach to rate and temperature-dependent ductile rocks, and has been successfully applied to explain spatial features of exposed thrusts as well as temporal evolutions of current subduction zones. In this contribution we implement that model in REDBACK, a parallel open-source multi-physics simulator developed to solve such geological instabilities in three dimensions. The resolution of the underlying system of equations in a tightly coupled manner allows REDBACK to capture appropriately the various theoretical regimes of the system, including the periodic and non-periodic instabilities. REDBACK can then be used to simulate the drastic permeability evolution in time of such systems, where nominally impermeable faults can sporadically become fluid pathways, with permeability increases of several orders of magnitude.

Antagonistic Enzymes in a Biocatalytic pH Feedback System Program Autonomous DNA Hydrogel Life Cycles.

PubMed

Heinen, Laura; Heuser, Thomas; Steinschulte, Alexander; Walther, Andreas

2017-08-09

Enzymes regulate complex functions and active behavior in natural systems and have shown increasing prospect for developing self-regulating soft matter systems. Striving for advanced autonomous hydrogel materials with fully programmable, self-regulated life cycles, we combine two enzymes with an antagonistic pH-modulating effect in a feedback-controlled biocatalytic reaction network (BRN) and couple it to pH-responsive DNA hydrogels to realize hydrogel systems with distinct preprogrammable lag times and lifetimes in closed systems. The BRN enables precise and orthogonal internal temporal control of the "ON" and "OFF" switching times of the temporary gel state by modulation of programmable, nonlinear pH changes. The time scales are tunable by variation of the enzyme concentrations and additional buffer substances. The resulting material system operates in full autonomy after injection of the chemical fuels driving the BRN. The concept may open new applications inherent to DNA hydrogels, for instance, autonomous shape memory behavior for soft robotics. We further foresee general applicability to achieve autonomous life cycles in other pH switchable systems.

The Biopsychology-Toolbox: a free, open-source Matlab-toolbox for the control of behavioral experiments.

PubMed

Rose, Jonas; Otto, Tobias; Dittrich, Lars

2008-10-30

The Biopsychology-Toolbox is a free, open-source Matlab-toolbox for the control of behavioral experiments. The major aim of the project was to provide a set of basic tools that allow programming novices to control basic hardware used for behavioral experimentation without limiting the power and flexibility of the underlying programming language. The modular design of the toolbox allows portation of parts as well as entire paradigms between different types of hardware. In addition to the toolbox, this project offers a platform for the exchange of functions, hardware solutions and complete behavioral paradigms.

Quantitative evaluation of 3D mouse behaviors and motor function in the open-field after spinal cord injury using markerless motion tracking.

PubMed

Sheets, Alison L; Lai, Po-Lun; Fisher, Lesley C; Basso, D Michele

2013-01-01

Thousands of scientists strive to identify cellular mechanisms that could lead to breakthroughs in developing ameliorative treatments for debilitating neural and muscular conditions such as spinal cord injury (SCI). Most studies use rodent models to test hypotheses, and these are all limited by the methods available to evaluate animal motor function. This study's goal was to develop a behavioral and locomotor assessment system in a murine model of SCI that enables quantitative kinematic measurements to be made automatically in the open-field by applying markerless motion tracking approaches. Three-dimensional movements of eight naïve, five mild, five moderate, and four severe SCI mice were recorded using 10 cameras (100 Hz). Background subtraction was used in each video frame to identify the animal's silhouette, and the 3D shape at each time was reconstructed using shape-from-silhouette. The reconstructed volume was divided into front and back halves using k-means clustering. The animal's front Center of Volume (CoV) height and whole-body CoV speed were calculated and used to automatically classify animal behaviors including directed locomotion, exploratory locomotion, meandering, standing, and rearing. More detailed analyses of CoV height, speed, and lateral deviation during directed locomotion revealed behavioral differences and functional impairments in animals with mild, moderate, and severe SCI when compared with naïve animals. Naïve animals displayed the widest variety of behaviors including rearing and crossing the center of the open-field, the fastest speeds, and tallest rear CoV heights. SCI reduced the range of behaviors, and decreased speed (r = .70 p<.005) and rear CoV height (r = .65 p<.01) were significantly correlated with greater lesion size. This markerless tracking approach is a first step toward fundamentally changing how rodent movement studies are conducted. By providing scientists with sensitive, quantitative measurement methods, subjectivity and human error is reduced, potentially providing insights leading to breakthroughs in treating human disease.

Quantitative Evaluation of 3D Mouse Behaviors and Motor Function in the Open-Field after Spinal Cord Injury Using Markerless Motion Tracking

PubMed Central

Sheets, Alison L.; Lai, Po-Lun; Fisher, Lesley C.; Basso, D. Michele

2013-01-01

Thousands of scientists strive to identify cellular mechanisms that could lead to breakthroughs in developing ameliorative treatments for debilitating neural and muscular conditions such as spinal cord injury (SCI). Most studies use rodent models to test hypotheses, and these are all limited by the methods available to evaluate animal motor function. This study’s goal was to develop a behavioral and locomotor assessment system in a murine model of SCI that enables quantitative kinematic measurements to be made automatically in the open-field by applying markerless motion tracking approaches. Three-dimensional movements of eight naïve, five mild, five moderate, and four severe SCI mice were recorded using 10 cameras (100 Hz). Background subtraction was used in each video frame to identify the animal’s silhouette, and the 3D shape at each time was reconstructed using shape-from-silhouette. The reconstructed volume was divided into front and back halves using k-means clustering. The animal’s front Center of Volume (CoV) height and whole-body CoV speed were calculated and used to automatically classify animal behaviors including directed locomotion, exploratory locomotion, meandering, standing, and rearing. More detailed analyses of CoV height, speed, and lateral deviation during directed locomotion revealed behavioral differences and functional impairments in animals with mild, moderate, and severe SCI when compared with naïve animals. Naïve animals displayed the widest variety of behaviors including rearing and crossing the center of the open-field, the fastest speeds, and tallest rear CoV heights. SCI reduced the range of behaviors, and decreased speed (r = .70 p<.005) and rear CoV height (r = .65 p<.01) were significantly correlated with greater lesion size. This markerless tracking approach is a first step toward fundamentally changing how rodent movement studies are conducted. By providing scientists with sensitive, quantitative measurement methods, subjectivity and human error is reduced, potentially providing insights leading to breakthroughs in treating human disease. PMID:24058586

Eco-HAB as a fully automated and ecologically relevant assessment of social impairments in mouse models of autism.

PubMed

Puścian, Alicja; Łęski, Szymon; Kasprowicz, Grzegorz; Winiarski, Maciej; Borowska, Joanna; Nikolaev, Tomasz; Boguszewski, Paweł M; Lipp, Hans-Peter; Knapska, Ewelina

2016-10-12

Eco-HAB is an open source, RFID-based system for automated measurement and analysis of social preference and in-cohort sociability in mice. The system closely follows murine ethology. It requires no contact between a human experimenter and tested animals, overcoming the confounding factors that lead to irreproducible assessment of murine social behavior between laboratories. In Eco-HAB, group-housed animals live in a spacious, four-compartment apparatus with shadowed areas and narrow tunnels, resembling natural burrows. Eco-HAB allows for assessment of the tendency of mice to voluntarily spend time together in ethologically relevant mouse group sizes. Custom-made software for automated tracking, data extraction, and analysis enables quick evaluation of social impairments. The developed protocols and standardized behavioral measures demonstrate high replicability. Unlike classic three-chambered sociability tests, Eco-HAB provides measurements of spontaneous, ecologically relevant social behaviors in group-housed animals. Results are obtained faster, with less manpower, and without confounding factors.

Selective deletion of leptin receptors in adult hippocampus induces depression-related behaviors

PubMed Central

Guo, Ming; Huang, Tung-Yi; Garza, Jacob C.; Chua, Streamson C.; Lu, Xin-Yun

2013-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that leptin and its receptors (LepRb) in the central nervous system play an important role in regulating depression- and anxiety-related behaviors. However, the physiological functions of LepRb in specific brain regions for mediating different emotional behaviors remain to be defined. In this study, we examined the behavioral effects of LepRb ablation in the adult hippocampus using a series of behavioral paradigms for assessing depression- and anxiety-related behaviors. Targeted deletion of LepRb was achieved using the Cre/loxP site-specific recombination system through bilateral stereotaxic delivery of an adeno-associated virus expressing Cre-recombinase (AAV-Cre) into the dentate gyrus of adult mice homozygous for a floxed leptin receptor allele. AAV-Cre-mediated deletion of the floxed region of LepRb was detected 2 weeks after injection. In accordance with this, leptin-stimulated phophorylation of Akt was attenuated in the hippocampus of AAV-Cre injected mice. Mice injected with AAV-Cre displayed normal locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior, as determined in the elevated plus maze, light dark box and open field tests, but showed increased depression-like behaviors in the tail suspension, sucrose preference and learned helplessness tests. Taken together, this data suggests that deletion of LepRb in the adult hippocampus is sufficient to induce depression-like behaviors. Our results support the view that leptin signaling in the hippocampus may be essential for maintaining positive mood states and active coping to stress. PMID:22932068

Adolescent activity-based anorexia increases anxiety-like behavior in adulthood.

PubMed

Kinzig, Kimberly P; Hargrave, Sara L

2010-09-01

Activity-based anorexia is a paradigm that induces increased physical activity, reduced food intake, and heightened activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in adult rats. To investigate whether experience with activity-based anorexia produced enduring effects on brain and behavior, female adolescent rats experienced activity-based anorexia during adolescence and were tested in adulthood for anxiety-like behavior on an elevated plus maze and in an open field. Analysis of elevated plus maze and open field behavior in adulthood revealed that rats that experienced activity-based anorexia during adolescence, but not rats that were simply food restricted, displayed increased anxiety-like behavior in adulthood. Plasma corticosterone and expression levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone mRNA in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and in the central nucleus of the amygdala were significantly elevated in adult rats that had undergone activity-based anorexia in adolescence in response to the open field exposure, as compared to control rats. These data demonstrate enduring effects of adolescent activity-based anorexia on anxiety-like behavior and neuroendocrine factors critical in stress responsivity in adulthood. Furthermore, we demonstrate that activity-based anorexia during adolescence serves as a model whereby prolonged anxiety is induced, allowing for evaluation of the behavioral and neural correlates of mediating anxiety-like behaviors in adulthood. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adolescent Activity-Based Anorexia Increases Anxiety-Like Behavior in Adulthood

PubMed Central

Kinzig, Kimberly P.; Hargrave, Sara L.

2010-01-01

Activity-based anorexia is a paradigm that induces increased physical activity, reduced food intake, and heightened activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in adult rats. To investigate whether experience with activity-based anorexia produced enduring effects on brain and behavior, female adolescent rats experienced activity-based anorexia during adolescence and were tested in adulthood for anxiety-like behavior on an elevated plus maze and in an open field. Analysis of elevated plus maze and open field behavior in adulthood revealed that rats that experienced activity-based anorexia during adolescence, but not rats that were simply food restricted, displayed increased anxiety-like behavior in adulthood. Plasma corticosterone and expression levels of corticotropin- releasing hormone mRNA in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and in the central nucleus of the amygdala were significantly elevated in adult rats that had undergone activity-based anorexia in adolescence in response to the open field exposure, as compared to control rats. These data demonstrate enduring effects of adolescent activity-based anorexia on anxiety-like behavior and neuroendocrine factors critical in stress responsivity in adulthood. Furthermore, we demonstrate that activity-based anorexia during adolescence serves as a model whereby prolonged anxiety is induced, allowing for evaluation of the behavioral and neural correlates of mediating anxiety-like behaviors in adulthood. PMID:20566408

Propentofylline treatment on open field behavior in rats with focal ethidium bromide-induced demyelination in the ventral surface of the brainstem.

PubMed

Martins-Júnior, J L; Bernardi, M M; Bondan, E F

2016-03-01

Propentofylline (PPF) is a xanthine derivative with pharmacological effects that are distinct from those of classic methylxanthines. It depresses the activation of microglial cells and astrocytes, which is associated with neuronal damage during neural inflammation and hypoxia. Our previous studies showed that PPF improved remyelination following gliotoxic lesions that were induced by ethidium bromide (EB). In the present study, the long-term effects of PPF on open field behavior in rats with EB-induced focal demyelination were examined. The effects of PPF were first evaluated in naive rats that were not subjected to EB lesions. Behavior in the beam walking test was also evaluated during chronic PPF treatment because impairments in motor coordination can interfere with behavior in the open field. The results showed that PPF treatment in unlesioned rats decreased general activity and caused motor impairment in the beam walking test. Gliotoxic EB injections increased general activity in rats that were treated with PPF compared with rats that received saline solution. Motor incoordination was also attenuated in PPF-treated rats. These results indicate that PPF reversed the effects of EB lesions on behavior in the open field and beam walking test. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ensemble modeling of stochastic unsteady open-channel flow in terms of its time-space evolutionary probability distribution - Part 2: numerical application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dib, Alain; Kavvas, M. Levent

2018-03-01

The characteristic form of the Saint-Venant equations is solved in a stochastic setting by using a newly proposed Fokker-Planck Equation (FPE) methodology. This methodology computes the ensemble behavior and variability of the unsteady flow in open channels by directly solving for the flow variables' time-space evolutionary probability distribution. The new methodology is tested on a stochastic unsteady open-channel flow problem, with an uncertainty arising from the channel's roughness coefficient. The computed statistical descriptions of the flow variables are compared to the results obtained through Monte Carlo (MC) simulations in order to evaluate the performance of the FPE methodology. The comparisons show that the proposed methodology can adequately predict the results of the considered stochastic flow problem, including the ensemble averages, variances, and probability density functions in time and space. Unlike the large number of simulations performed by the MC approach, only one simulation is required by the FPE methodology. Moreover, the total computational time of the FPE methodology is smaller than that of the MC approach, which could prove to be a particularly crucial advantage in systems with a large number of uncertain parameters. As such, the results obtained in this study indicate that the proposed FPE methodology is a powerful and time-efficient approach for predicting the ensemble average and variance behavior, in both space and time, for an open-channel flow process under an uncertain roughness coefficient.

OpenSim: a musculoskeletal modeling and simulation framework for in silico investigations and exchange.

PubMed

Seth, Ajay; Sherman, Michael; Reinbolt, Jeffrey A; Delp, Scott L

Movement science is driven by observation, but observation alone cannot elucidate principles of human and animal movement. Biomechanical modeling and computer simulation complement observations and inform experimental design. Biological models are complex and specialized software is required for building, validating, and studying them. Furthermore, common access is needed so that investigators can contribute models to a broader community and leverage past work. We are developing OpenSim, a freely available musculoskeletal modeling and simulation application and libraries specialized for these purposes, by providing: musculoskeletal modeling elements, such as biomechanical joints, muscle actuators, ligament forces, compliant contact, and controllers; and tools for fitting generic models to subject-specific data, performing inverse kinematics and forward dynamic simulations. OpenSim performs an array of physics-based analyses to delve into the behavior of musculoskeletal models by employing Simbody, an efficient and accurate multibody system dynamics code. Models are publicly available and are often reused for multiple investigations because they provide a rich set of behaviors that enables different lines of inquiry. This report will discuss one model developed to study walking and applied to gain deeper insights into muscle function in pathological gait and during running. We then illustrate how simulations can test fundamental hypotheses and focus the aims of in vivo experiments, with a postural stability platform and human model that provide a research environment for performing human posture experiments in silico . We encourage wide adoption of OpenSim for community exchange of biomechanical models and methods and welcome new contributors.

Blind ethics: Closing one's eyes polarizes moral judgments and discourages dishonest behavior.

PubMed

Caruso, Eugene M; Gino, Francesca

2011-02-01

Four experiments demonstrate that closing one's eyes affects ethical judgment and behavior because it induces people to mentally simulate events more extensively. People who considered situations with their eyes closed rather than open judged immoral behaviors as more unethical and moral behaviors as more ethical. In addition, considering potential decisions with closed eyes decreased stated intentions to behave ethically and actual self-interested behavior. This relationship was mediated by the more extensive mental simulation that occurred with eyes closed rather than open, which, in turn, intensified emotional reactions to the ethical situation. We discuss the implications of these findings for moral psychology and ethical decision making. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scaling behavior of Film growth mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Mina; Nyung, Lee Ho; Suo, Zhigang; Hong, Wei; Christen, Hans M.; Lowndes, Doug; Zhang, Zhenyu

2006-03-01

Experimental evidence has accumulated that a strained film can grow stably on a vicinal surface. Linear perturbation analysis of the step-flow regime results in a dispersion relation which determines the persistence of the step-flow growth. The dispersion relation can also be used to probe the system parameters. Investigating the growth dynamics in the step-bunching regime, we found that there is a critical film thickness above which step-bunching occurs. The critical thickness shows a scaling behavior depending on the terrace width and the deposition flux. Experiments show a qualitative agreement with the theory. Our results may open a way to grow films in a desired way.

Vector scattering analysis of TPF coronagraph pupil masks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceperley, Daniel P.; Neureuther, Andrew R.; Lieber, Michael D.; Kasdin, N. Jeremy; Shih, Ta-Ming

2004-10-01

Rigorous finite-difference time-domain electromagnetic simulation is used to simulate the scattering from proto-typical pupil mask cross-section geometries and to quantify the differences from the normally assumed ideal on-off behavior. Shaped pupil plane masks are a promising technology for the TPF coronagraph mission. However the stringent requirements placed on the optics require that the detailed behavior of the edge-effects of these masks be examined carefully. End-to-end optical system simulation is essential and an important aspect is the polarization and cross-section dependent edge-effects which are the subject of this paper. Pupil plane masks are similar in many respects to photomasks used in the integrated circuit industry. Simulation capabilities such as the FDTD simulator, TEMPEST, developed for analyzing polarization and intensity imbalance effects in nonplanar phase-shifting photomasks, offer a leg-up in analyzing coronagraph masks. However, the accuracy in magnitude and phase required for modeling a chronograph system is extremely demanding and previously inconsequential errors may be of the same order of magnitude as the physical phenomena under study. In this paper, effects of thick masks, finite conductivity metals, and various cross-section geometries on the transmission of pupil-plane masks are illustrated. Undercutting the edge shape of Cr masks improves the effective opening width to within λ/5 of the actual opening but TE and TM polarizations require opposite compensations. The deviation from ideal is examined at the reference plane of the mask opening. Numerical errors in TEMPEST, such as numerical dispersion, perfectly matched layer reflections, and source haze are also discussed along with techniques for mitigating their impacts.

Adapted Behavior Therapy for Persistently Depressed Primary Care Patients: An Open Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uebelacker, Lisa A.; Weisberg, Risa B.; Haggarty, Ryan; Miller, Ivan W.

2009-01-01

Major depressive disorder is commonly treated in primary care settings. Psychotherapy occurring in primary care should take advantage of the unique aspects of the setting and must adapt to the problems and limitations of the setting. In this open trial, the authors used a treatment development model to adapt behavior therapy for primary care…

Post-Adoption Contact, Adoption Communicative Openness, and Satisfaction with Contact as Predictors of Externalizing Behavior in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grotevant, Harold D.; Rueter, Martha; Von Korff, Lynn; Gonzalez, Christopher

2011-01-01

Background: This study examined the relation between three variables related to adoptive family relationships (post-adoption contact between adoptive and birth family members, adoption communicative openness, and satisfaction with contact) and adoptee externalizing behavior in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Method: The study included 190…

A Survey of Factors Contributing to Learners' "Listening" Behaviors in Asynchronous Online Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wise, Alyssa Friend; Marbouti, Farshid; Hsiao, Ying-Ting; Hausknecht, Simone

2012-01-01

Sixty-seven undergraduates taking either a Blended Business Course (BBC) or an Online Education Course (OEC) were surveyed about factors influencing their "listening" behaviors in asynchronous online course discussions. These are the ways they attend to the posts made by others: which posts they open, how they engage with open posts, and…

Invitation to Consumer Behavior Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foxall, Gordon R.

2010-01-01

This article presents an introduction to consumer behavior analysis by describing the Behavioral Perspective Model of consumer choice and showing how research has, first, confirmed this framework and, second, opened up behavior analysis and behavioral economics to the study of consumer behavior in natural settings. It concludes with a discussion…

Behavioral Targeting—Consumer Tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srimani, P. K.; Srinivas, A.

2011-12-01

Behavioral targeting is an online marketing method that collects data on the browsing activities of consumers, in order to `target' more relevant online advertising. Behavioral targeting enables marketers to reach in-market consumers and increases the value of publisher inventory. At the heart of behavioral targeting is a learning-based investigation of consumer behaviors. It helps marketers understand consumers' purchase patterns over time, mapping out a customer's activities based not only on a single purchase but also on an annual or even lifetime basis. As marketers increasingly appreciate the importance of customer lifetime value, behavioral targeting can be a foundation for creating a continuous analytical study of consumer trends and patterns. But as behavioural-targeting systems become more sophisticated and invasive, it is vital that the companies behind them are open with users about what is going on, and give them control over their personal information. The aim of this paper is to explore the various tools and techniques of behavioral targeting and its benefits to online marketing. A multiple—case study approach was used for exploring the effectiveness and acceptance of online marketing in the area of the online marketing.

Hysteresis compensation of piezoelectric deformable mirror based on Prandtl-Ishlinskii model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Jianqiang; Tian, Lei; Li, Yan; Yang, Zongfeng; Cui, Yuguo; Chu, Jiaru

2018-06-01

Hysteresis of piezoelectric deformable mirror (DM) reduces the closed-loop bandwidth and the open-loop correction accuracy of adaptive optics (AO) systems. In this work, a classical Prandtl-Ishlinskii (PI) model is employed to model the hysteresis behavior of a unimorph DM with 20 actuators. A modified control algorithm combined with the inverse PI model is developed for piezoelectric DMs. With the help of PI model, the hysteresis of the DM was reduced effectively from about 9% to 1%. Furthermore, open-loop regenerations of low-order aberrations with or without hysteresis compensation were carried out. The experimental results demonstrate that the regeneration accuracy with PI model compensation is significantly improved.

Visibility graphlet approach to chaotic time series

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mutua, Stephen; Computer Science Department, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 190-50100, Kakamega; Gu, Changgui, E-mail: gu-changgui@163.com, E-mail: hjyang@ustc.edu.cn

Many novel methods have been proposed for mapping time series into complex networks. Although some dynamical behaviors can be effectively captured by existing approaches, the preservation and tracking of the temporal behaviors of a chaotic system remains an open problem. In this work, we extended the visibility graphlet approach to investigate both discrete and continuous chaotic time series. We applied visibility graphlets to capture the reconstructed local states, so that each is treated as a node and tracked downstream to create a temporal chain link. Our empirical findings show that the approach accurately captures the dynamical properties of chaotic systems.more » Networks constructed from periodic dynamic phases all converge to regular networks and to unique network structures for each model in the chaotic zones. Furthermore, our results show that the characterization of chaotic and non-chaotic zones in the Lorenz system corresponds to the maximal Lyapunov exponent, thus providing a simple and straightforward way to analyze chaotic systems.« less

[Species specificity, age factors, and various neurochemical correlates of the animal spontaneous behavior after exposure to electromagnetic field of the ultralow intensity].

PubMed

Shtemberg, A S; Uzbekov, M G; Shikhov, S N; Bazian, A S; Cherniakov, G M

2000-01-01

Behavioral and neurochemical reactions of small laboratory animals (mice and rats of different age) under exposure to ultralow-intensity electromagnetic fields (EMF, frequency of 4200 and 970 MHz, modulated by a quasistochastic signal in the range of 20-20,000 Hz, power density 15 microW/cm2, specific body absorption rate up to 4.5 mJ/kg) were studied. The EMF basically inhibited the locomotor and exploratory activity in the "open-field" test. The species- and age-specific features rather than radiation conditions dominated. However, decrease in the EMF frequency considerably intensified the observed effect. Change in animal behavior was accompanied by shifts in neurochemical processes, i.e., sharp activation of serotoninergic and inhibition of morepinephrinergic system.

Aneesur Rahman Prize Talk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frenkel, Daan

2007-03-01

During the past decade there has been a unique synergy between theory, experiment and simulation in Soft Matter Physics. In colloid science, computer simulations that started out as studies of highly simplified model systems, have acquired direct experimental relevance because experimental realizations of these simple models can now be synthesized. Whilst many numerical predictions concerning the phase behavior of colloidal systems have been vindicated by experiments, the jury is still out on others. In my talk I will discuss some of the recent technical developments, new findings and open questions in computational soft-matter science.

Differential behavioral outcomes of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA-ecstasy) in anxiety-like responses in mice.

PubMed

Ferraz-de-Paula, V; Stankevicius, D; Ribeiro, A; Pinheiro, M L; Rodrigues-Costa, E C; Florio, J C; Lapachinske, S F; Moreau, R L M; Palermo-Neto, J

2011-05-01

Anxiolytic and anxiogenic-like behavioral outcomes have been reported for methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) in rodents. In the present experiment, we attempted to identify behavioral, hormonal and neurochemical outcomes of MDMA treatment to clarify its effects on anxiety-related responses in 2-month-old Balb/c male mice (25-35 g; N = 7-10 mice/group). The behavioral tests used were open field, elevated plus maze, hole board, and defensive behavior against predator odor. Moreover, we also determined striatal dopamine and dopamine turnover, and serum corticosterone levels. MDMA was injected ip at 0.2, 1.0, 5.0, 8.0, 10, or 20 mg/kg. MDMA at 10 mg/kg induced the following significant (P < 0.05) effects: a) a dose-dependent increase in the distance traveled and in the time spent moving in the open field; b) decreased exploratory activity in the hole board as measured by number of head dips and time spent in head dipping; c) increased number of open arm entries and increased time spent in open arm exploration in the elevated plus maze; d) increased time spent away from an aversive stimulus and decreased number of risk assessments in an aversive odor chamber; e) increased serum corticosterone levels, and f) increased striatal dopamine level and turnover. Taken together, these data suggest an anxiogenic-like effect of acute MDMA treatment, despite the fact that behavioral anxiety expression was impaired in some of the behavioral tests used as a consequence of the motor stimulating effects of MDMA.

The Human Terrain System: Achieving a Competitive Advantage Through Enhanced Population-Centric Knowledge Flows

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

of behavior ( Fetterman , 1998, p. 35). Moreover, the goal of the participating observer is to internalize fundamental “beliefs, fears, hopes and...expectations of the people under study” ( Fetterman , 1998, p. 35). Additionally, HTT members frequently conduct informal interviews (open ended casual...techniques, and questionnaires ( Fetterman , 1998, p. 35). The third principle method HTT members use to learn the population is the semi- structured

Model-Based Angular Scan Error Correction of an Electrothermally-Actuated MEMS Mirror

PubMed Central

Zhang, Hao; Xu, Dacheng; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Chen, Qiao; Xie, Huikai; Li, Suiqiong

2015-01-01

In this paper, the actuation behavior of a two-axis electrothermal MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) mirror typically used in miniature optical scanning probes and optical switches is investigated. The MEMS mirror consists of four thermal bimorph actuators symmetrically located at the four sides of a central mirror plate. Experiments show that an actuation characteristics difference of as much as 4.0% exists among the four actuators due to process variations, which leads to an average angular scan error of 0.03°. A mathematical model between the actuator input voltage and the mirror-plate position has been developed to predict the actuation behavior of the mirror. It is a four-input, four-output model that takes into account the thermal-mechanical coupling and the differences among the four actuators; the vertical positions of the ends of the four actuators are also monitored. Based on this model, an open-loop control method is established to achieve accurate angular scanning. This model-based open loop control has been experimentally verified and is useful for the accurate control of the mirror. With this control method, the precise actuation of the mirror solely depends on the model prediction and does not need the real-time mirror position monitoring and feedback, greatly simplifying the MEMS control system. PMID:26690432

Mapping social behavior-induced brain activation at cellular resolution in the mouse

PubMed Central

Kim, Yongsoo; Venkataraju, Kannan Umadevi; Pradhan, Kith; Mende, Carolin; Taranda, Julian; Turaga, Srinivas C.; Arganda-Carreras, Ignacio; Ng, Lydia; Hawrylycz, Michael J.; Rockland, Kathleen; Seung, H. Sebastian; Osten, Pavel

2014-01-01

Understanding how brain activation mediates behaviors is a central goal of systems neuroscience. Here we apply an automated method for mapping brain activation in the mouse in order to probe how sex-specific social behaviors are represented in the male brain. Our method uses the immediate early gene c-fos, a marker of neuronal activation, visualized by serial two-photon tomography: the c-fos-GFP-positive neurons are computationally detected, their distribution is registered to a reference brain and a brain atlas, and their numbers are analyzed by statistical tests. Our results reveal distinct and shared female and male interaction-evoked patterns of male brain activation representing sex discrimination and social recognition. We also identify brain regions whose degree of activity correlates to specific features of social behaviors and estimate the total numbers and the densities of activated neurons per brain areas. Our study opens the door to automated screening of behavior-evoked brain activation in the mouse. PMID:25558063

Computational Analysis on Performance of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Diffuser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adib, M. A. H. M.; Adnan, F.; Ismail, A. R.; Kardigama, K.; Salaam, H. A.; Ahmad, Z.; Johari, N. H.; Anuar, Z.; Azmi, N. S. N.

2012-09-01

Application of thermal energy storage (TES) system reduces cost and energy consumption. The performance of the overall operation is affected by diffuser design. In this study, computational analysis is used to determine the thermocline thickness. Three dimensional simulations with different tank height-to-diameter ratio (HD), diffuser opening and the effect of difference number of diffuser holes are investigated. Medium HD tanks simulations with double ring octagonal diffuser show good thermocline behavior and clear distinction between warm and cold water. The result show, the best performance of thermocline thickness during 50% time charging occur in medium tank with height-to-diameter ratio of 4.0 and double ring octagonal diffuser with 48 holes (9mm opening ~ 60%) acceptable compared to diffuser with 6mm ~ 40% and 12mm ~ 80% opening. The conclusion is computational analysis method are very useful in the study on performance of thermal energy storage (TES).

Similar reliability and equivalent performance of female and male mice in the open field and water‐maze place navigation task

PubMed Central

Fritz, Ann‐Kristina; Amrein, Irmgard

2017-01-01

Although most nervous system diseases affect women and men differentially, most behavioral studies using mouse models do not include subjects of both sexes. Many researchers worry that data of female mice may be unreliable due to the estrous cycle. Here, we retrospectively evaluated sex effects on coefficient of variation (CV) in 5,311 mice which had performed the same place navigation protocol in the water‐maze and in 4,554 mice tested in the same open field arena. Confidence intervals for Cohen's d as measure of effect size were computed and tested for equivalence with 0.2 as equivalence margin. Despite the large sample size, only few behavioral parameters showed a significant sex effect on CV. Confidence intervals of effect size indicated that CV was either equivalent or showed a small sex difference at most, accounting for less than 2% of total group to group variation of CV. While female mice were potentially slightly more variable in water‐maze acquisition and in the open field, males tended to perform less reliably in the water‐maze probe trial. In addition to evaluating variability, we also directly compared mean performance of female and male mice and found them to be equivalent in both water‐maze place navigation and open field exploration. Our data confirm and extend other large scale studies in demonstrating that including female mice in experiments does not cause a relevant increase of data variability. Our results make a strong case for including mice of both sexes whenever open field or water‐maze are used in preclinical research. PMID:28654717

Similar reliability and equivalent performance of female and male mice in the open field and water-maze place navigation task.

PubMed

Fritz, Ann-Kristina; Amrein, Irmgard; Wolfer, David P

2017-09-01

Although most nervous system diseases affect women and men differentially, most behavioral studies using mouse models do not include subjects of both sexes. Many researchers worry that data of female mice may be unreliable due to the estrous cycle. Here, we retrospectively evaluated sex effects on coefficient of variation (CV) in 5,311 mice which had performed the same place navigation protocol in the water-maze and in 4,554 mice tested in the same open field arena. Confidence intervals for Cohen's d as measure of effect size were computed and tested for equivalence with 0.2 as equivalence margin. Despite the large sample size, only few behavioral parameters showed a significant sex effect on CV. Confidence intervals of effect size indicated that CV was either equivalent or showed a small sex difference at most, accounting for less than 2% of total group to group variation of CV. While female mice were potentially slightly more variable in water-maze acquisition and in the open field, males tended to perform less reliably in the water-maze probe trial. In addition to evaluating variability, we also directly compared mean performance of female and male mice and found them to be equivalent in both water-maze place navigation and open field exploration. Our data confirm and extend other large scale studies in demonstrating that including female mice in experiments does not cause a relevant increase of data variability. Our results make a strong case for including mice of both sexes whenever open field or water-maze are used in preclinical research. © 2017 The Authors. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part C Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Controlling microtube permeability via grafted polymers and solvent quality.

PubMed

Suo, Tongchuan; Whitmore, Mark D

2014-03-21

We examine pressure-driven flow through a microtube with grafted polymers using a "doubly self-consistent field" steady-state theory. Our focus is on the structure of the polymer layer, the tube permeability, and the effects of solvent quality, for different regimes of open and closed tubes. We find that, within experimentally attainable pressure gradients, the flow has very little effect on the grafted layer. However, the polymers, and in particular variations in the solvent quality and cylinder radii, can have large effects on the flow. We find that the permeability can either increase or decrease with either the radius or solvent quality, and we identify the regimes for different behaviors in terms of general parameters that can be used to generalize to other systems. This allows us to identify regimes where the systems are most sensitive to these "tuning" parameters, and we find that they correspond to the boundaries between open and closed tubes identified earlier.

Quantum Brownian motion model for the stock market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Xiangyi; Zhang, Jian-Wei; Guo, Hong

2016-06-01

It is believed by the majority today that the efficient market hypothesis is imperfect because of market irrationality. Using the physical concepts and mathematical structures of quantum mechanics, we construct an econophysical framework for the stock market, based on which we analogously map massive numbers of single stocks into a reservoir consisting of many quantum harmonic oscillators and their stock index into a typical quantum open system-a quantum Brownian particle. In particular, the irrationality of stock transactions is quantitatively considered as the Planck constant within Heisenberg's uncertainty relationship of quantum mechanics in an analogous manner. We analyze real stock data of Shanghai Stock Exchange of China and investigate fat-tail phenomena and non-Markovian behaviors of the stock index with the assistance of the quantum Brownian motion model, thereby interpreting and studying the limitations of the classical Brownian motion model for the efficient market hypothesis from a new perspective of quantum open system dynamics.

Decrease in endogenous brain allopregnanolone induces autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-like behavior in mice: A novel animal model of ASD.

PubMed

Ebihara, Ken; Fujiwara, Hironori; Awale, Suresh; Dibwe, Dya Fita; Araki, Ryota; Yabe, Takeshi; Matsumoto, Kinzo

2017-09-15

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with core symptoms of social impairments and restrictive repetitive behaviors. Recent evidence has implicated a dysfunction in the GABAergic system in the pathophysiology of ASD. We investigated the role of endogenous allopregnanolone (ALLO), a neurosteroidal positive allosteric modulator of GABA A receptors, in the regulation of ASD-like behavior in male mice using SKF105111 (SKF), an inhibitor of type I and type II 5α-reductase, a rate-limiting enzyme of ALLO biosynthesis. SKF impaired sociability-related performance, as analyzed by three different tests; i.e., the 3-chamber test and social interaction in the open field and resident-intruder tests, without affecting olfactory function elucidated by the buried food test. SKF also induced repetitive grooming behavior without affecting anxiety-like behavior. SKF had no effect on short-term spatial working memory or long-term fear memory, but enhanced latent learning ability in male mice. SKF-induced ASD-like behavior in male mice was abolished by the systemic administration of ALLO (1mg/kg, i.p.) and methylphenidate (MPH: 2.5mg/kg, i.p.), a dopamine transporter inhibitor. The effects of SKF on brain ALLO contents in male mice were reversed by ALLO, but not MPH. On the other hand, SKF failed to induce ASD-like behavior or a decline in brain ALLO contents in female mice. These results suggest that ALLO regulates episodes of ASD-like behavior by positively modulating the function of GABA A receptors linked to the dopaminergic system. Moreover, a sex-dependently induced decrease in brain ALLO contents may provide an animal model to study the main features of ASD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Visible Burrow System: A behavioral paradigm to assess sociability and social withdrawal in BTBR and C57BL/6J mice strains.

PubMed

Bove, Maria; Ike, Kevin; Eldering, Adriaan; Buwalda, Bauke; de Boer, Sietse F; Morgese, Maria Grazia; Schiavone, Stefania; Cuomo, Vincenzo; Trabace, Luigia; Kas, Martien J H

2018-05-15

Disrupted sociability and consequent social withdrawal are (early) symptoms of a wide variety of neuropsychiatric diseases, such as schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, depressive disorders and Alzheimer's disease. The paucity of objective measures to translationally assess social withdrawal characteristics has been an important limitation to study this behavioral phenotype, both in human and rodents. The aim of the present study was to investigate sociability and social withdrawal in rodents using an ethologically valid behavioral paradigm, the Visible Burrow System (VBS). The VBS mimics a natural environment, with male and female rodents housed together in an enclosure where a large open arena is connected to a continuously dark burrow system that includes 4 nest boxes. In this study, mixed-sex colonies of C57BL/6J and of BTBR mice have been investigated (n = 8 mice per colony). Results showed marked differences between the two strains, in terms of sociability as well as social withdrawal behaviors. In particular, BTBR mice performed less social behaviors and have a preference for non-social behaviors compared to C57BL/6J mice. Neurobiologically, the decreased sociability of BTBR was accompanied by reduced GABA and increased glutamate concentrations in brain prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala regions. In conclusion, our study validated the use of the VBS as an ethologically relevant behavioral paradigm in group-housed mice to investigate individual sociability and social withdrawal features and their underlying neurobiology. This paradigm may provide new insights to develop new therapeutic treatments for behavioral dysfunctions that may be relevant across neuropsychiatric diseases. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Control approaches for intelligent material systems -- What can we learn from nature?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robertshaw, H.H.

1994-12-31

Three natural systems (human thermoregulation, enzyme-catalyzed biochemical reactions, and rivers) are examined with the intent of finding commonalties in control among these systems which may offer inspiration or guidance to the task of controlling the behavior of Intelligent Material Systems. It is observed that these natural systems act in ways not seen in technological control systems. The observations of a lack of (feedback) control, the predominance of regulation, the extremely local nature of the apparent goals, the storage of information in form (in structure), and non-numerical processing, produce a strong impression of coupled open-loop processes amidst seeming chaos almost passivelymore » producing what the author calls natural system control.« less

Cannabinoid type 1 receptor ligands WIN 55,212-2 and AM 251 alter anxiety-like behaviors of marmoset monkeys in an open-field test.

PubMed

Cagni, Priscila; Barros, Marilia

2013-03-01

Cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1r) are an important modulatory site for emotional behavior. However, little is known on the effects of CB1r ligands on emotionality aspects of primates, even with their highly similar behavioral response and receptor density/distribution as humans. Thus, we analyzed the effects of the CB1r agonist WIN 55,212-2 (WIN; 1mg/kg) and the antagonist AM 251 (AM; 2mg/kg), systemically administered prior to a single brief (15 min) exposure to a novel open-field (OF) environment, on the behavior of individually tested adult black tufted-ear marmosets. Both WIN- and AM-treated subjects, compared to vehicle controls, had significantly lower rates of long (contact) calls and exploration, while higher levels of vigilance-related behaviors (scan/glance); these are indicators of anxiolysis in this setup. Changes in locomotion were not detected. However, in the vehicle and AM-groups, sojourn in the peripheral zone of the OF was significantly higher than in its central region. WIN-treated marmosets spent an equivalent amount of time in both zones. Therefore, activation or blockade CB1r function prior to a short and individual exposure to an unfamiliar environment exerted a significant and complex influence on different behavioral indicators of anxiety in these monkeys (i.e., a partially overlapping anxiolytic-like profile). AM 251, however, has no anxiolytic effect when the time spent in the center of the OF is considered. This is a major difference when compared to the WIN-treated group. Data were compared to the response profile reported in other pre-clinical (rodent) and clinical studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of phenazepam on the behavior of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice in the open field test after naloxone pretreatment.

PubMed

Seredenin, S B; Nadorova, A V; Kolik, L G; Yarkova, M A

2013-07-01

We studied the effects of phenazepam (0.075 mg/kg) after pretreatment (5 minutes before) with naloxone (10 mg/kg) on open-field behavior of C57Bl/6 and BALB/c mice. In ex vivo experiments, we studied the effects of naloxone (1 and 10 mg/kg) on receptor binding of [(3)H]-flunitrazepam by membranes of brain fraction (P1+P2) of C57Bl/6 and BALB/c mice. It was shown that naloxone increased motor activity in the open field in BALB/c mice and decreased this parameter in C57Bl/6 mice. During combined treatment, naloxone potentiated the activating effects of phenazepam on the open-field behavior of BALB/c mice and slightly increased the sedative effect of this drug in C57Bl/6 mice. Naloxone stimulated reception of [(3)H]-flunitrazepam in BALB/c mice and slightly increased radioligand binding in C57Bl/6 mice. These data attest to enhanced reception in benzodiazepine site of GABAA-receptor under conditions of opioid receptor blockade, the presence of anxiolytic or sedative (depending on the phenotype of the response to emotional stress) effect of naloxone, and co-directed effects of naloxone and benzodiazepine tranquilizer on open-field behavior of C57Bl/6 and BALB/c mice.

A cybernetic model of global personality traits.

PubMed

Van Egeren, Lawrence F

2009-05-01

Neurobehavioral studies of human and animal temperament have shed light on how individual personality traits influence human actions. This approach, however, leaves open questions about how the entire system of traits and temperaments function together to exercise control. To address this key issue, I describe a cybernetic model of control and then apply it to the Big Five (B5) personality traits. Employing evidence from descriptive trait terms, temperamental behavioral processes associated with traits, and empirical correlates of traits, I relate distinct cybernetic processes of self-regulation to the B5 traits. The B5 traits broadly parallel basic cybernetic self-regulation processes. For example, the core behavior activation property of the B5 Extraversion trait can be mapped onto the device output function of automated cybernetic control systems. Implications and limitations of interpreting personality traits in self-regulation terms are discussed.

Role of microstructures on the M1-M2 phase transition in epitaxial VO2 thin films

PubMed Central

Ji, Yanda; Zhang, Yin; Gao, Min; Yuan, Zhen; Xia, Yudong; Jin, Changqing; Tao, Bowan; Chen, Chonglin; Jia, Quanxi; Lin, Yuan

2014-01-01

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) with its unique sharp resistivity change at the metal-insulator transition (MIT) has been extensively considered for the near-future terahertz/infrared devices and energy harvesting systems. Controlling the epitaxial quality and microstructures of vanadium dioxide thin films and understanding the metal-insulator transition behaviors are therefore critical to novel device development. The metal-insulator transition behaviors of the epitaxial vanadium dioxide thin films deposited on Al2O3 (0001) substrates were systematically studied by characterizing the temperature dependency of both Raman spectrum and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Our findings on the correlation between the nucleation dynamics of intermediate monoclinic (M2) phase with microstructures will open a new avenue for the design and integration of advanced heterostructures with controllable multifunctionalities for sensing and imaging system applications. PMID:24798056

An Open Trial of an Acceptance-Based Behavioral Intervention for Weight Loss

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forman, Evan M.; Butryn, Meghan L.; Hoffman, Kimberly L.; Herbert, James D.

2009-01-01

Innovative approaches are urgently needed to improve behavioral treatment for weight loss. The weight regain that is so common after treatment may be a result of an environment that makes it challenging to adhere, long-term, to a dietary and physical activity regimen. This study was designed to test, via a 12-week open trial, the preliminary…

Evaluation of long-term therapeutic efficacy of behavior modification program with chronic male psychiatric inpatients.

PubMed

Peniston, E G

1988-06-01

An experimental Behavior Modification Program (BMP) was carried out on fifteen diagnosed chronic schizophrenic male patients on a mixed-population open psychiatric unit in a VA Medical Center. Treatment consisted of positive-reinforcement and response-cost contingency procedures and was conducted for 85, 80, 75 and 70 sessions, respectively, for the fifteen patients. These psychiatric patients were recruited for treatment based on staff documentation and reports of gross verbal abuse, non-attendance at assignments, poor grooming skills, and excessive drinking behavior while circulating on the mixed-population open psychiatric ward. Three to four of the aforementioned inappropriate (target) behaviors were selected for each subject and were treated sequentially in a multiple baseline design. Both procedures were highly successful for the fifteen male psychiatric patients in changing three of their target behaviors, but only partially effective for eight of those patients with drinking behavior problems. Follow-up assessment of the participants in the study indicated that most of the positive effects of intervention persisted over 6-12 months post-treatment periods. Of the fifteen inpatients that participated in the BMP, fourteen have been discharged into community foster homes and one remains on the open psychiatric ward awaiting placement outside the hospital.

Corridor Use Predicted from Behaviors at Habitat Boundaries.

PubMed

Haddad, Nick M

1999-02-01

Through empirical studies and simulation, I demonstrate how simple behaviors can be used in lieu of detailed dispersal studies to predict the effects of corridors on interpatch movements. Movement paths of three butterfly species were measured in large (1.64 ha) experimental patches of open habitat, some of which were connected by corridors. Butterflies that "reflected" off boundaries between open patches and the surrounding forest also emigrated from patches through corridors at rates higher than expected from random movement. This was observed for two open-habitat species, Eurema nicippe and Phoebis sennae; however, edges and corridors had no effect on a habitat generalist, Papilio troilus. Behaviorally based simulation models, which departed from correlated random walks only at habitat boundaries, predicted that corridors increase interpatch movement rates of both open-habitat species. Models also predicted that corridors have proportionately greater effects as corridor width increases, that movement rates increase before leveling off as corridor width increases, and that corridor effects decrease as patch size increases. This study suggests that corridors direct movements of habitat-restricted species and that local behaviors may be used to predict the conservation potential of corridors in fragmented landscapes.

Effect of downed woody debris on small mammal anti-predator behavior.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hinkleman, Travis, M.; Orrock, John, L.; Loeb, Susan, C.

2011-10-01

Anti-predator behavior can affect prey growth, reproduction, survival, and generate emergent effects in food webs. Small mammals often lower the cost of predation by altering their behavior in response to shrubs,but the importance of other microhabitat features, such as downed woody debris, for anti-predator behavior is unknown. We used givingup densities to quantify the degree to which downed woody debris alters perceived predation risk by small mammals in southeastern pineforests. We placed 14 foraging trays next to large downed woody debris,shrubs, and in open areas for 12 consecutive nights. Moon illumination, a common indicator of predation risk, led to amore » similar reduction in small mammal foraging in all three microhabitats (open, downed woody debris,and shrub). Small mammals perceived open microhabitats as riskier than shrub microhabitats, with downed woody debris habitats perceived as being of intermediate risk between shrub and open microhabitats. Despite the presumed benefits of the protective cover of downed woody debris, small mammals may perceive downed woody debris as a relatively risky foraging site in southeastern pine forests where the high diversity and abundance of rodent-eating snakes may provide a primary predatory threat.« less

Understanding spatio-temporal strategies of adult zebrafish exploration in the open field test.

PubMed

Stewart, Adam Michael; Gaikwad, Siddharth; Kyzar, Evan; Kalueff, Allan V

2012-04-27

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are emerging as a useful model organism for neuroscience research. Mounting evidence suggests that various traditional rodent paradigms may be adapted for testing zebrafish behavior. The open field test is a popular rodent test of novelty exploration, recently applied to zebrafish research. To better understand fish novelty behavior, we exposed adult zebrafish to two different open field arenas for 30 min, assessing the amount and temporal patterning of their exploration. While (similar to rodents) zebrafish scale their locomotory activity depending on the size of the tank, the temporal patterning of their activity was independent of arena size. These observations strikingly parallel similar rodent behaviors, suggesting that spatio-temporal strategies of animal exploration may be evolutionarily conserved across vertebrate species. In addition, we found interesting oscillations in zebrafish exploration, with the per-minute distribution of their horizontal activity demonstrating sinusoidal-like patterns. While such patterning is not reported for rodents and other higher vertebrates, a nonlinear regression analysis confirmed the oscillation patterning of all assessed zebrafish behavioral endpoints in both open field arenas, revealing a potentially important aspect of novelty exploration in lower vertebrates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Wearing a Telemetry Jacket on Behavioral and Physiologic Parameters of Dogs in the Open-Field Test.

PubMed

Fish, Richard E; Foster, Melanie L; Gruen, Margaret E; Sherman, Barbara L; Dorman, Davidc C

2017-07-01

Safety pharmacology studies in dogs often integrate behavioral assessments made using video recording with physiologic measurements collected by telemetry. However, whether merely wearing the telemetry vest affects canine behavior and other parameters has not been evaluated. This pilot study assessed the effect of a telemetry vest on behavioral and physiologic responses to an environmental stressor, the sounds of a thunderstorm, in Labrador retrievers. Dogs were assigned to one of 2 experimental groups (Vest and No-Vest, n = 8 dogs per group) by using a matched pairs design, with a previously determined, sound-associated anxiety score as the blocking variable. Dogs were individually retested with the same standardized sound stimulus (thunderstorm) in an open-field arena, and their behavioral responses were video recorded. Video analysis of locomotor activity and anxiety-related behavior and manual determination of heart rate and body temperature were performed; results were compared between groups. Vest wearing did not affect total locomotor activity or rectal body temperature but significantly decreased heart rate by 8% and overall mean anxiety score by 34% during open-field test sessions. Our results suggest that the use of telemetry vests in dogs influences the measurement of physiologic parameters and behaviors that are assessed in safety pharmacology studies.

Ovariectomy results in inbred strain-specific increases in anxiety-like behavior in mice

PubMed Central

Schoenrock, Sarah Adams; Oreper, Daniel; Young, Nancy; Ervin, Robin Betsch; Bogue, Molly A.; Valdar, William; Tarantino, Lisa M.

2017-01-01

Women are at an increased risk for developing affective disorders during times of hormonal flux, including menopause when the ovaries cease production of estrogen. However, while all women undergo menopause, not all develop an affective disorder. Increased vulnerability can result from genetic predisposition, environmental factors and gene by environment interactions. In order to investigate interactions between genetic background and estrogen depletion, we performed bilateral ovariectomy, a surgical procedure that results in estrogen depletion and is thought to model the post-menopausal state, in a genetically defined panel of 37 inbred mouse strains. Seventeen days post-ovariectomy, we assessed behavior in two standard rodent assays of anxiety- and depressive-like behavior, the open field and forced swim tests. We detected a significant interaction between ovariectomy and genetic background on anxiety-like behavior in the open field. No strain specific effects of ovariectomy were observed in the forced swim assay. However, we did observe significant strain effects for all behaviors in both the open field and forced swim tests. This study is the largest to date to look at the effects of ovariectomy on behavior and provides evidence that ovariectomy interacts with genetic background to alter anxiety-like behavior in an animal model of menopause. PMID:27693591

Long-term Behavioral Consequences of Brief, Repeated Neonatal Isolation

PubMed Central

Knuth, Emily D.; Etgen, Anne M.

2007-01-01

Rats subjected to stressful stimuli during the stress hyporesponsive period exhibit varied neuroendocrine and behavioral changes as neonates, adolescents and adults. The current work examined the effects of neonatal isolation stress, using a within-litter design, on adult anxiety-related behavior and endocrine stress reactivity. Neonatal rats were isolated daily for 1 hr from postnatal day (P) 4-9, a manipulation previously shown to induce hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) responses on P9 (Knuth and Etgen, 2005). Control animals were either handled briefly or left undisturbed (with-dam). Adult rats were tested for anxiety-related behavior using the elevated plus maze and open field, and for endocrine responses following restraint stress. Neonatal isolation decreased center exploration of the open field following 1 hr restraint, including decreased time in the center compared to with-dam or handled controls, and decreased center entries and distance traveled in the center compared to with-dam controls. It also decreased time in and entries into the open arms of the elevated plus maze compared to handled controls, suggesting enhanced anxiety-related behavior. Neonatal isolation had no effect on basal or restraint-induced levels of ACTH or corticosterone. These findings indicate that neonatal isolation may enhance anxiety-related behaviors, especially in response to stress, without altering HPA function. Section: Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience PMID:17125746

Xiaoyaosan Improves Depressive-Like Behaviors in Mice through Regulating Apelin-APJ System in Hypothalamus.

PubMed

Yan, Zhiyi; Jiao, Haiyan; Ding, Xiufang; Ma, Qingyu; Li, Xiaojuan; Pan, Qiuxia; Wang, Tingye; Hou, Yajing; Jiang, Youming; Liu, Yueyun; Chen, Jiaxu

2018-05-03

Background: The apelin-APJ system has been considered to play a crucial role in HPA axis function, and how the traditional Chinese compound prescription Xiaoyaosan regulates the apelin-APJ system as a supplement to treat depressive disorders. Objective: To investigate the depression-like behaviors and expression of apelin and APJ in hypothalamus of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mice and study whether these changes related to the regulation of Xiaoyaosan. Methods: 60 adult C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups, including control group, CUMS group, Xiaoyaosan treatment group and fluoxetine treatment group. Mice in the control group and CUMS group received 0.5 mL physiological saline once a day by intragastric administration. Mice in two treatment groups received Xiaoyaosan (0.25 g/kg/d) and fluoxetine (2.6 mg/kg/d), respectively. After 21 days of modeling with CUMS, the expression of apelin and APJ in hypothalamus were measured by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, western blot and immunohistochemical staining. The physical condition, body weight, food intake and behavior tests such as open field test, sucrose preference test and force swimming test were measured to evaluate depressive-like behaviors. Results: In this study, significant behavioral changes were found in CUMS-induced mice, meanwhile the expressions of apelin and APJ in the hypothalamus were changed after modeling. The body weight, food-intake and depressive-like behaviors in CUMS-induced mice could be improved by Xiaoyaosan treatment which is similar with the efficacy of fluoxetine, while the expressions of apelin and APJ in hypothalamus were modified by Xiaoyaosan. Conclusions: The data suggest that apelin-APJ system changes in the hypothalamus may be a target of depressive disorders, and the beneficial effects of Chinese compound prescription Xiaoyaosan on depressive-like behaviors may be mediated by the apelin-APJ system.

Behavioral and Neurochemical Effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid in the Model of Parkinson's Disease Induced by Unilateral Stereotaxic Injection of 6-Ohda in Rat

PubMed Central

de Araújo, Dayane Pessoa; De Sousa, Caren Nádia Soares; Araújo, Paulo Victor Pontes; Menezes, Carlos Eduardo de Souza; Sousa Rodrigues, Francisca Taciana; Escudeiro, Sarah Souza; Lima, Nicole Brito Cortez; Patrocínio, Manoel Claúdio Azevedo; Aguiar, Lissiana Magna Vasconcelos; Viana, Glauce Socorro de Barros; Vasconcelos, Silvânia Maria Mendes

2013-01-01

This study aimed to investigate behavioral and neurochemical effects of α-lipoic acid (100 mg/kg or 200 mg/kg) alone or associated with L-DOPA using an animal model of Parkinson's disease induced by stereotaxic injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in rat striatum. Motor behavior was assessed by monitoring body rotations induced by apomorphine, open field test and cylinder test. Oxidative stress was accessed by determination of lipid peroxidation using the TBARS method, concentration of nitrite and evaluation of catalase activity. α-Lipoic acid decreased body rotations induced by apomorphine, as well as caused an improvement in motor performance by increasing locomotor activity in the open field test and use of contralateral paw (in the opposite side of the lesion produced by 6-OHDA) at cylinder test. α-lipoic acid showed antioxidant effects, decreasing lipid peroxidation and nitrite levels and interacting with antioxidant system by decreasing of endogenous catalase activity. Therefore, α-lipoic acid prevented the damage induced by 6-OHDA or by chronic use of L-DOPA in dopaminergic neurons, suggesting that α-lipoic could be a new therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease prevention and treatment. PMID:24023579

Interior shadings for office indoor visual comfort in humid climate region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinapradipta, Asri; Sudarma, Erwin; Defiana, Ima; Erwindi, Collinthia

2018-03-01

As part of the fenestration system, the interior shadings have also a role to control the indoor environment to maintain indoor visual comfort. As the occupants have personal access to control these, their control behavior then, might enhance or even worsen indoor comfort performance. The controlling behavior might not only influence indoor comfort performance but can also indicate the success or failure of interior shading as a control device element. This paper is intended to report control behavior patterns, as represented by the variety of the slats’ openings of two types of interior shading i.e. Venetian and Vertical blinds and to analyze these on the concurrent impacts to indoor office building’s indoor illuminance and luminance distribution. The purpose of this research is to figure out the shading control patterns as well as to examine the effectiveness of these two types of interior shadings to control indoor visual environment. This study is a quantitative research using experimentation on the slats’ opening of two types of shadings at two identical office rooms. The research results suggested that both types of blinds seem unsuitable for gaining proper illumination values at work planes in humid tropics area. However, these shadings demonstrate good performance for luminance distribution except for that of the closed Venetian blinds.

A study on the dependency of the open-circuit voltage on temperature and actual aging state of lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farmann, Alexander; Sauer, Dirk Uwe

2017-04-01

The knowledge of nonlinear monotonic correlation between State-of-Charge (SoC) and open-circuit voltage (OCV) is necessary for an accurate battery state estimation in battery management systems. Among the main factors influencing the OCV behavior of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are aging, temperature and previous history of the battery. In order to develop an accurate OCV-based SoC estimator, it is necessary that the OCV behavior of the LIBs is sufficiently investigated and understood. In this study, the impact of the mentioned factors on OCV of LIBs at different aging states using various active materials (C/NMC, C/LFP, LTO/NMC) is investigated over a wide temperature range (from -20 °C to +45 °C) comprehensively. It is shown that temperature and aging of the battery influence the battery's relaxation behavior significantly where a linear dependence between the required relaxation time and the temperature can be assumed. Moreover, the required relaxation time increases with decreasing SoC and temperature. Furthermore, we state that for individual LIB, the OCV and the OCV hysteresis change over the battery lifetime. Based on the obtained results a simplified OCV model considering temperature correction term and aging of the battery is proposed.

[The effect of 3-oxypyridine and succinic acid derivatives on obsessive-compulsive activity of mice in marble-burying test].

PubMed

Volchegorskiĭ, I A; Miroshnichenko, I Iu; Rassokhina, L M; Faĭzullin, R M; Priakhina, K E

2014-01-01

The effect of domestic derivatives of 3-oxypyridine and succinic acid (emoxipine, reamberin, and mexidol) on obsessive-compulsive behavior of mice was studied in the marble-burying test. Additionally the effect of these drugs on the behavior of animals was assessed in the open field test. Amitriptylin and alpha-lipoic acid were used as reference drugs. It was established that single administration of the investigated drugs in optimal doses, corresponding to therapeutic range in humans, inhibits obsessive-compulsive behavior of mice in the marble-burying test. Amitriptylin and alpha-lipoic acid produced similar effects. It is established that emoxipine stimulates the behavior of mice in the open field after single administration. An increase in the emoxipine dose led to decrease of stimulation and gradual development of sedative effect. Reamberin and mexidol, as well as alpha-lipoic acid and amitriptyline, caused sedation in mice tested in the open field. Inhibiting effect of emoxipine, reamberin, mexidol and alpha-lipoic acid on the obsessive-compulsive behavior in mice directly depended on sedative action of these drugs.

The Influence of Ecological Isolation on the Structural and Functional Stability of Complex Microbial Communities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Franklin, R. B.; Garland, J. L.; Mills, A. L.

2005-01-01

To help understand how the behavior of microorganisms and microbial communities in insular space habitats may differ from the behavior of these groups on Earth, long-term incubations (100+ days) were conducting using wastewater bioreactors (batch fed) designed to mimic "closed" and "open" ecological systems. The issue of immigration was considered, and the goal of the research was to determine whether the stability of microbial communities in space is reduced due to their prolonged isolation. Bioreactors were established by inoculating flasks of sterile synthetic wastewater with the microbial community obtained from a local treatment facility; each day, one-third of the medium in the flask was replaced with an equal volume of sterile artificial wastewater. Flasks were divided into two treatments: "closed" and "open" to recruitment of additional microorganisms. "Closed" flasks were maintained as described above, while the medium used to feed the "open" flasks was supplemented daily with a small amount of raw sewage (which provided a continuous source of new potential community members). Significant differences in microbial community structure and function developed in the two sets of communities, and the results suggest that the open community was more stable and better able to adjust to changing environmental conditions. Each community's resistance to environmental (temperature fluctuations) and biological stresses (starvation and invasion by an opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was monitored. Experiments were also conducted to determine whether the effect of isolation changes depending on the microbial communities' initial diversity or composition; communities with a low(er) initial diversity were less stable. Overall, the results indicate that isolation will be an important factor influencing the activity of microbial communities on board spacecraft. A possible way of mitigating these effects would be to include communities with high initial diversity or to periodically re-inoculate the systems using diverse inocula transported from Earth.

Almost Halfway There: An Analysis of the Open Access Behaviors of Academic Librarians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercer, Holly

2011-01-01

Academic librarians are increasingly expected to advocate for scholarly communications reforms such as open access to scholarly publications, yet librarians do not always practice what they preach. Previous research examined librarian attitudes toward open access, whereas this article presents results of a study of open access publishing and…

Are voluntary wheel running and open-field behavior correlated in mice? Different answers from comparative and artificial selection approaches.

PubMed

Careau, Vincent; Bininda-Emonds, Olaf R P; Ordonez, Genesis; Garland, Theodore

2012-09-01

Voluntary wheel running and open-field behavior are probably the two most widely used measures of locomotion in laboratory rodents. We tested whether these two behaviors are correlated in mice using two approaches: the phylogenetic comparative method using inbred strains of mice and an ongoing artificial selection experiment on voluntary wheel running. After taking into account the measurement error and phylogenetic relationships among inbred strains, we obtained a significant positive correlation between distance run on wheels and distance moved in the open-field for both sexes. Thigmotaxis was negatively correlated with distance run on wheels in females but not in males. By contrast, mice from four replicate lines bred for high wheel running did not differ in either distance covered or thigmotaxis in the open field as compared with mice from four non-selected control lines. Overall, results obtained in the selection experiment were generally opposite to those observed among inbred strains. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.

Association between electronic cigarette use and openness to cigarette smoking among US young adults.

PubMed

Coleman, Blair N; Apelberg, Benjamin J; Ambrose, Bridget K; Green, Kerry M; Choiniere, Conrad J; Bunnell, Rebecca; King, Brian A

2015-02-01

Use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), is increasing. One concern is the appeal of these products to youth and young adults and the potential to influence perceptions and use of conventional cigarettes. Using data from the 2012-2013 National Adult Tobacco Survey, characteristics of adults aged 18-29 years who had never established cigarette smoking behavior were examined by ever use of e-cigarettes, demographics, and ever use of other tobacco products (smokeless tobacco, cigars, hookah, and cigarettes). Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between e-cigarette use and openness to cigarette smoking among young adults, defined as the lack of a firm intention not to smoke soon or in the next year. Among young adults who had never established cigarette smoking behavior (unweighted n = 4,310), 7.9% reported having ever tried e-cigarettes, and 14.6% of those who reported having ever tried e-cigarettes also reported current use of the product. Ever e-cigarette use was associated with being open to cigarette smoking (adjusted odds ratio = 2.4; 95% confidence interval = 1.7, 3.3), as was being male, aged 18-24 years, less educated, and having ever used hookah or experimented with conventional cigarettes. Ever use of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products was associated with being open to cigarette smoking. This study does not allow us to assess the directionality of this association, so future longitudinal research is needed to illuminate tobacco use behaviors over time as well as provide additional insight on the relationship between ENDS use and conventional cigarette use among young adult populations. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Reverse learning in WAG/Rij rats with depression-like behavior].

PubMed

Malyshev, A V; Zakharov, A M; Sarkisova, K Iu; Dubynin, V A

2012-01-01

Learning and reverse learning in a complex maze, behavior in the open field test, novelty-suppressed feeding test, and forced swimming test were studies in WAG/Rij and Wistar rats. As compared with Wistar rats, WAG/Rij rats more slowly learned the spatial task, more slowly performed in the learning and reverse learning tasks, and made more errors in the complex maze (18% of WAG/Rij rats didn't reach learning criterion). Moreover, WAG/Rij rats exhibited reduced grooming reactions in the open field test, longer latency of approaching to food in the novel open field, reduced amount of food consumed in the home cage in the novelty-suppressed feeding test, and increased immobility time in the forced swimming test. The results suggest cognitive impaiment in WAG/Rij rats with depression-like behavior.

Investigation on vascular cytotoxicity and extravascular transport of cationic polymer nanoparticles using perfusable 3D microvessel model.

PubMed

Ahn, Jungho; Cho, Chong-Su; Cho, Seong Woo; Kang, Joo H; Kim, Sung-Yon; Min, Dal-Hee; Song, Joon Myong; Park, Tae-Eun; Jeon, Noo Li

2018-05-25

Vascular networks are the first sites exposed to cationic polymer nanoparticles (NPs) administered intravenously, and thus function as a barrier for NPs reaching the target organ. While cationic polymer NPs have been intensively studied as non-viral delivery systems, their biological effects in human microvessels have been poorly investigated due to a lack of appropriate in vitro systems. Here, we employed a three-dimensional microvessel on a chip, which accurately models in vivo conditions. An open and perfused microvessel surrounded by pericytes was shown to reproduce the important features of living vasculature, including barrier function and biomarkers. Using this microvessel chip, we observed contraction of the microvascular lumen induced by perfused polyethylenimine (PEI)/DNA NPs. We demonstrated that the oxidative stress present when microvessels were exposed to PEI NPs led to rearrangement of microtubules resulting in microvessel contraction. Furthermore, the transcytotic behavior of PEI NPs was analyzed in the microvessel by monitoring the escape of PEI NPs from the microvascular lumen into the perivascular region, which was not possible in two-dimensional culture systems. With our new understanding of the different behaviors of cationic polymer NPs depending on their transcytotic route, we suggest that caveolae-mediated transcytosis is a powerful route for efficient extravascular transport. Microvascular networks are not only biological system constituting largest surface area in the body and but also first site exposed to nanoparticle in vivo. While cationic polymer NPs have been intensively studied as non-viral delivery systems, its biological effects in human microvessel have been poorly investigated due to lack of appropriate in vitro systems. Here, we microengineered an open and perfused 3D pericyte incorporated microvessel model which possesses same morphological characteristic of in vivo. Using the microengineered model, this study represents the first report of transcytotic behavior of NPs in 3D microvessel, and its effect on extravasation efficiency. Our study lays the groundwork for the integration of innovative technologies to examine blood vessel-nanoparticle interaction, which a critical but ill-defined phenomenon. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Identifying open and closed system behaviors at Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador) using SO2 and seismo-acoustic measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidalgo, Silvana; Battaglia, Jean; Bernard, Benjamin; Steele, Alexander; Arellano, Santiago; Galle, Bo

2014-05-01

Tungurahua is one of the most active volcanoes in Ecuador. It is located in Central Ecuador, 160 km South of Quito and 8 km South of the touristic town of Baños. Tungurahua had one eruption every century since 1500, with an activity characterized by ash fallouts and pyroclastic and lava flows. The current eruptive period of Tungurahua began in 1999 with multiple episodes of explosive activity that have threatened the local population. The monitoring network is constituted by 5 short period and 5 broadband seismic stations, 4 DOAS permanent instruments, 4 tiltmeters, 2 permanent high resolution GPS, 4 digital cameras and 10 acoustic flow monitors. The correct interpretation of the different data acquired by this network allows a better understanding of the eruptive behavior of Tungurahua in order to provide early warning to the local population. Tungurahua changed its behavior from a continuously erupting volcano, as it was until 2008, to a sporadically erupting one, showing clear quiescence phases lasting from 40 to 184 days, and intense activity phases lasting from 15 to 70 days. Activity phases are characterized by Strombolian and Vulcanian eruptive styles, producing ash fallouts and in a few occasions pyroclastic flows. In terms of hazard to the local population, one of the goals of monitoring Tungurahura is to forecast the onset and evolution of eruptive phases. In particular the occurrence of large Vulcanian explosions which occur when the conduit is closed is a major issue. Since 2010 we focused our study on the relation between SO2 gas emissions, the seismic and acoustic energies of explosions and the tremor amplitudes. The first observation of comparing these different datasets is that the correlation between seismic and SO2 degassing is not straightforward, and actually the relation reflects the conditions at the vent: open or closed. The onset of eruptive phases in open conduit conditions can be identified which leads to an effective eruption forecasting. An example of this behavior is the eruptive phase between December 2009 and March 2010 when SO2 measurements increased 4 days before the amplitude of tremor and 9 days before the occurrence of the first explosions. Conversely, if the vent is closed at the beginning of a phase and no evident seismic precursors are observed forecasting is hardly possible. During an ongoing eruptive phase, the relation between these parameters allows to identify periods when the conduit is totally open as degassing may occur almost without generating any seismicity. Therefore the forecasting of escalating open conduit activity or a partial closing of the system is possible. Such a case was observed and forecasted on December 2011. In this work, we present observational evidence of these mechanisms which are used to identify possible patterns of evolution of the activity, contributing to a more effective volcanic hazard assessment.

Anhedonia but not passive floating is an indicator of depressive-like behavior in two chronic stress paradigms.

PubMed

Stepanichev, Mikhail Yu; Tishkina, Anna O; Novikova, Margarita R; Levshina, Irina P; Freiman, Sofiya V; Onufriev, Mikhail V; Levchenko, Olga A; Lazareva, Natalia A; Gulyaeva, Natalia V

2016-01-01

Depression is the most common form of mental disability in the world. Depressive episodes may be precipitated by severe acute stressful events or by mild chronic stressors. Studies on the mechanisms of depression require both appropriate experimental models (most of them based on the exposure of animals to chronic stressors), and appropriate tests for assessment of depressive states. In this study male Wistar rats were exposed to two different chronic stress paradigms: an eight-week chronic unpredictable mild stress or a two-week combined chronic stress. The behavioral effects of stress were evaluated using sucrose preference, forced swim and open field tests. After the exposure to chronic unpredictable mild stress, anhedonia was developed, activity in the open field increased, while no changes in the duration of passive floating could be detected. After chronic combined stress, anhedonia was also evident, whereas behavior in the open field and forced swim test did not change. The levels of corticosterone in the blood and brain structures involved in stress-response did not differ from control in both experiments. The absence of significant changes in corticosterone levels and passive floating may be indicative of the adaptation of animals to chronic stress. Anhedonia appears to be a more sensitive indicator of depressive-like behavioral effects of chronic stress as compared to behavior in the forced swim or open field tests.

Evidence-based severity assessment: Impact of repeated versus single open-field testing on welfare in C57BL/6J mice.

PubMed

Bodden, Carina; Siestrup, Sophie; Palme, Rupert; Kaiser, Sylvia; Sachser, Norbert; Richter, S Helene

2018-01-15

According to current guidelines on animal experiments, a prospective assessment of the severity of each procedure is mandatory. However, so far, the classification of procedures into different severity categories mainly relies on theoretic considerations, since it is not entirely clear which of the various procedures compromise the welfare of animals, or, to what extent. Against this background, a systematic empirical investigation of the impact of each procedure, including behavioral testing, seems essential. Therefore, the present study was designed to elucidate the effects of repeated versus single testing on mouse welfare, using one of the most commonly used paradigms for behavioral phenotyping in behavioral neuroscience, the open-field test. In an independent groups design, laboratory mice (Mus musculus f. domestica) experienced either repeated, single, or no open-field testing - procedures that are assigned to different severity categories. Interestingly, testing experiences did not affect fecal corticosterone metabolites, body weights, elevated plus-maze or home cage behavior differentially. Thus, with respect to the assessed endocrinological, physical, and behavioral outcome measures, no signs of compromised welfare could be detected in mice that were tested in the open-field repeatedly, once, or, not at all. These findings challenge current classification guidelines and may, furthermore, stimulate systematic research on the severity of single procedures involving living animals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

anyFish 2.0: An open-source software platform to generate and share animated fish models to study behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingley, Spencer J.; Rahmani Asl, Mohammad; Wu, Chengde; Cui, Rongfeng; Gadelhak, Mahmoud; Li, Wen; Zhang, Ji; Simpson, Jon; Hash, Chelsea; Butkowski, Trisha; Veen, Thor; Johnson, Jerald B.; Yan, Wei; Rosenthal, Gil G.

2015-12-01

Experimental approaches to studying behaviors based on visual signals are ubiquitous, yet these studies are limited by the difficulty of combining realistic models with the manipulation of signals in isolation. Computer animations are a promising way to break this trade-off. However, animations are often prohibitively expensive and difficult to program, thus limiting their utility in behavioral research. We present anyFish 2.0, a user-friendly platform for creating realistic animated 3D fish. anyFish 2.0 dramatically expands anyFish's utility by allowing users to create animations of members of several groups of fish from model systems in ecology and evolution (e.g., sticklebacks, Poeciliids, and zebrafish). The visual appearance and behaviors of the model can easily be modified. We have added several features that facilitate more rapid creation of realistic behavioral sequences. anyFish 2.0 provides a powerful tool that will be of broad use in animal behavior and evolution and serves as a model for transparency, repeatability, and collaboration.

Deranged jaw-neck motor control in whiplash-associated disorders.

PubMed

Eriksson, Per-Olof; Zafar, Hamayun; Häggman-Henrikson, Birgitta

2004-02-01

Recent findings of simultaneous and well coordinated head-neck movements during single as well as rhythmic jaw opening-closing tasks has led to the conclusion that 'functional jaw movements' are the result of activation of jaw as well as neck muscles, leading to simultaneous movements in the temporomandibular, atlanto-occipital and cervical spine joints. It can therefore be assumed that disease or injury to any of these joint systems would disturb natural jaw function. To test this hypothesis, amplitudes, temporal coordination, and spatiotemporal consistency of concomitant mandibular and head-neck movements during single maximal jaw opening-closing tasks were analysed in 25 individuals suffering from whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) using optoelectronic movement recording technique. In addition, the relative durations for which the head position was equal to, leading ahead of, or lagging behind the mandibular position during the entire jaw opening-closing cycle were determined. Compared with healthy individuals, the WAD group showed smaller amplitudes, and changed temporal coordination between mandibular and head-neck movements. No divergence from healthy individuals was found for the spatiotemporal consistency or for the analysis during the entire jaw opening-closing cycle. These findings in the WAD group of a 'faulty', but yet consistent, jaw-neck behavior may reflect a basic importance of linked control of the jaw and neck sensory-motor systems. In conclusion, the present results suggest that neck injury is associated with deranged control of mandibular and head-neck movements during jaw opening-closing tasks, and therefore might compromise natural jaw function.

Genotypic and sex differences in anxiety-like behavior and alcohol-induced anxiolysis in High Drinking in the Dark selected mice.

PubMed

Barkley-Levenson, Amanda M; Crabbe, John C

2015-02-01

Alcohol use disorders and anxiety disorders are highly comorbid in humans. In rodent lines selected for alcohol drinking, differences in anxiety-like behavior are also seen. The High Drinking in the Dark (HDID) lines of mice are selectively bred for drinking to intoxication during limited access to alcohol, and these mice represent a genetic model of risk for binge-like drinking. The present studies investigated whether these selected lines differ from control (HS) mice in basal anxiety behavior or in anxiolytic response to alcohol. We also assessed the genetic correlation between alcohol drinking in the dark (DID) and basal anxiety-like behavior using existing inbred strain data. Mice of both sexes and HDID replicates (HDID-1 and HDID-2) were tested on an elevated zero maze immediately following a DID test. In general, HDID mice showed more time spent in the open arms after drinking alcohol than HS mice, and open-arm time was significantly correlated with blood alcohol concentration. HDID-1 male mice also showed less anxiety-like behavior at baseline (water-drinking controls). In a separate experiment, HDID-1 and HS mice were tested for anxiolytic dose-response to acute alcohol injections. Both genotypes showed increasing time spent in the open arms with increasing alcohol doses, and HDID-1 and female mice had greater open-arm time across all doses. HDID-1 control males showed lower anxiety-like behavior than the HS control males. Inbred strain data analysis also showed no significant genetic relationship between alcohol DID and anxiety. These findings suggest that HDID selection has not produced systematic changes in anxiety-like behavior or sensitivity to alcohol-induced anxiolysis, though there is a tendency in the male mice of the first replicate toward reduced basal anxiety-like behavior. Therefore, anxiety state and sensitivity to alcohol's anxiolytic effects do not appear to contribute significantly to the high drinking behavior of the HDID mice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Generalized Pauli constraints in small atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schilling, Christian; Altunbulak, Murat; Knecht, Stefan; Lopes, Alexandre; Whitfield, James D.; Christandl, Matthias; Gross, David; Reiher, Markus

2018-05-01

The natural occupation numbers of fermionic systems are subject to nontrivial constraints, which include and extend the original Pauli principle. A recent mathematical breakthrough has clarified their mathematical structure and has opened up the possibility of a systematic analysis. Early investigations have found evidence that these constraints are exactly saturated in several physically relevant systems, e.g., in a certain electronic state of the beryllium atom. It has been suggested that, in such cases, the constraints, rather than the details of the Hamiltonian, dictate the system's qualitative behavior. Here, we revisit this question with state-of-the-art numerical methods for small atoms. We find that the constraints are, in fact, not exactly saturated, but that they lie much closer to the surface defined by the constraints than the geometry of the problem would suggest. While the results seem incompatible with the statement that the generalized Pauli constraints drive the behavior of these systems, they suggest that the qualitatively correct wave-function expansions can in some systems already be obtained on the basis of a limited number of Slater determinants, which is in line with numerical evidence from quantum chemistry.

Flexible body control of the airborne telescope SOFIA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaercher, Hans J.

2002-07-01

Airborne telescopes have, compared with earthbound or space telescopes, by far the most worse environment during operations. They must not only deal with aircraft vibrations, but also with large temperature differences and aero-acoustic loads including standing waves. System simulations are particularly useful for verifying the design performance in this environment. They should include the behavior of the overall opto-mechanical system, the environmental loads and the pointing control system itself. SOFIA - the "Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy" - is a 2,7 m infrared telescope in an open cavity of a Boeing 747 aircraft. At present the telescope is under construction in the MAN premises in Augsburg. Simulations during the design phase of the telescope showed, that there are resonance effects in the telescope excited by the cavity acoustics. The excitations disturb the pointing behavior above the allowances. This paper describes, how the overall system was simulated, how the resonance modes will be compensated by "flexible body control", and how the pointing control system will be finally optimized during test flights in an pointing improvement phase.

Neuroendocrine models of social anxiety disorder

PubMed Central

van Honk, Jack; Bos, Peter A.; Terburg, David; Heany, Sarah; Stein, Dan J.

2015-01-01

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a highly prevalent and disabling disorder with key behavioral traits of social fearfulness, social avoidance, and submissiveness. Here we argue that hormonal systems play a key role in mediating social anxiety, and so may be important in SAD. Hormonal alterations, often established early in development through the interaction between biological and psychological factors (eg, genetic predisposition x early trauma), predispose to socially fearful, avoidant, and submissive behavior. However, whereas gene variants and histories of trauma persist, hormonal systems can be remodeled over the course of life. Hormones play a key role during the periods of all sensitive developmental windows (ie, prenatal, neonatal, puberty, aging), and are capable of opening up new developmental windows in adulthood. Indeed, the developmental plasticity of our social brain, and thus of social behavior in adulthood, critically depends on steroid hormones such as testosterone and peptide hormones such as oxytocin. These steroid and peptide hormones in interaction with social experiences may have potential for reprogramming the socially anxious brain. Certainly, single administrations of oxytocin and testosterone in humans reduce socially fearful, avoidant, and submissive behavior. Such work may ultimately lead to new approaches to the treatment of SAD. PMID:26487809

Nanoparticle engineering of colloidal suspension behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Angel Thanda

We investigate the effects of highly charged nanoparticles on the phase behavior, structure, and assembly of colloidal microsphere suspensions. Specifically, by selectively tuning the electrostatic interactions between silica microspheres and polystyrene nanoparticles, we study the behavior of four key systems: (i) strongly repulsive, (ii) haloing, (iii) weakly attractive, and (iv) strongly attractive systems. In each system, a combination of nanoparticle adsorption, zeta potential, and confocal microscopy measurements are carried out to systematically study the effects of nanoparticle volume fraction, microsphere/nanoparticle size ratios, and interparticle interactions on their behavior. Our observations indicate that minimal adsorption of highly charged nanoparticles occurs on like-charged and negligibly-charged microspheres, whereas their extent of association increases dramatically with increasing microsphere-nanoparticle attraction. A rich phase behavior emerges in these systems based on whether the nanoparticle species serve as depletants, haloing, or bridging species. The phase transitions in the haloing system occur at constant nanoparticle volume fractions, φnano, over a broad range of microsphere volume fractions, φmicro . By contrast, the observed transitions in the weakly and strongly attractive mixtures occur at a constant number ratio of nanoparticles per microsphere, Nnano/Nmicro. Important structural differences emerge, which can be exploited in the assembly of colloidal gels for direct ink writing and colloidal crystals on epitaxially patterned substrates. Finally, for the first time, we explore nanoparticle haloing as a new route for stabilizing hydrophobic colloidal drugs in aqueous suspensions media for preparation of injectable pharmaceuticals. These microsphere suspensions exhibit improved stability relative to their surfactant-stabilized counterparts after autoclaving, a critical processing step for this target applications. This research opens up a new avenue for stabilization of hydrophobic particles, when surfactant additions alone do not provide sufficient stabilization.

An Open Trial of Intensive Family Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Youth with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Who Are Medication Partial Responders or Nonresponders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storch, Eric A.; Lehmkuhl, Heather D.; Ricketts, Emily; Geffken, Gary R.; Marien, Wendi; Murphy, Tanya K.

2010-01-01

This study reports an open-trial of family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Thirty primarily Caucasian youth with OCD (range = 7-19 years; 15 girls) who were partial responders or nonresponders to two or more medication trials that were delivered either serially or…

Repeated exposures to chlorpyrifos lead to spatial memory retrieval impairment and motor activity alteration.

PubMed

Yan, Changhui; Jiao, Lifei; Zhao, Jun; Yang, Haiying; Peng, Shuangqing

2012-07-01

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is one of the most commonly used insecticides throughout the world and has become one of the major pesticides detected in farm products. Chronic exposures to CPF, especially at the dosages without eliciting any systemic toxicity, require greater attention. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the behavioral effects of repeated low doses (doses that do not produce overt signs of cholinergic toxicity) of CPF in adult rats. Male rats were given 0, 1.0, 5.0 or 10.0mg/kg of CPF through intragastric administration daily for 4 consecutive weeks. The behavioral functions were assessed in a series of behavioral tests, including water maze task, open-field test, grip strength and rotarod test. Furthermore, the present study was designed to evaluate the effects of repeated exposures to CPF on water maze recall and not acquisition. The results showed that the selected doses only had mild inhibition effects on cholinesterase activity, and have no effects on weight gain and daily food consumption. Performances in the spatial retention task (Morris water maze) were impaired after the 4-week exposure to CPF, but the performances of grip strength and rotarod test were not affected. Motor activities in the open field were changed, especially the time spent in the central zone increased. The results indicated that repeated exposures to low doses of CPF may lead to spatial recall impairments, behavioral abnormalities. However, the underlying mechanism needs further investigations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Orexin A-induced anxiety-like behavior is mediated through GABA-ergic, α- and β-adrenergic neurotransmissions in mice.

PubMed

Palotai, Miklós; Telegdy, Gyula; Jászberényi, Miklós

2014-07-01

Orexins are hypothalamic neuropeptides, which are involved in several physiological functions of the central nervous system, including anxiety and stress. Several studies provide biochemical and behavioral evidence about the anxiogenic action of orexin A. However, we have little evidence about the underlying neuromodulation. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the involvement of neurotransmitters in the orexin A-induced anxiety-like behavior in elevated plus maze (EPM) test in mice. Accordingly, mice were pretreated with a non-selective muscarinic cholinergic antagonist, atropine; a γ-aminobutyric acid subunit A (GABA-A) receptor antagonist, bicuculline; a D2, D3, D4 dopamine receptor antagonist, haloperidol; a non-specific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, nitro-l-arginine; a nonselective α-adrenergic receptor antagonist, phenoxybenzamine and a β-adrenergic receptor antagonist, propranolol 30min prior to the intracerebroventricular administration of orexin A. The EPM test started 30min after the i.c.v. injection of the neuropeptide. Our results show that orexin A decreases significantly the time spent in the arms (open/open+closed) and this action is reversed by bicuculline, phenoxybenzamine and propranolol, but not by atropine, haloperidol or nitro-l-arginine. Our results provide evidence for the first time that the orexin A-induced anxiety-like behavior is mediated through GABA-A-ergic, α- and β-adrenergic neurotransmissions, whereas muscarinic cholinergic, dopaminergic and nitrergic neurotransmissions may not be implicated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Use of an Open Field Model to Assess Sound-Induced Fear and Anxiety Associated Behaviors in Labrador Retrievers.

PubMed

Gruen, Margaret E; Case, Beth C; Foster, Melanie L; Lazarowski, Lucia; Fish, Richard E; Landsberg, Gary; DePuy, Venita; Dorman, David C; Sherman, Barbara L

2015-01-01

Previous studies have shown that the playing of thunderstorm recordings during an open-field task elicits fearful or anxious responses in adult beagles. The goal of our study was to apply this open field test to assess sound-induced behaviors in Labrador retrievers drawn from a pool of candidate improvised explosive devices (IED)-detection dogs. Being robust to fear-inducing sounds and recovering quickly is a critical requirement of these military working dogs. This study presented male and female dogs, with 3 minutes of either ambient noise (Days 1, 3 and 5), recorded thunderstorm (Day 2), or gunfire (Day 4) sounds in an open field arena. Behavioral and physiological responses were assessed and compared to control (ambient noise) periods. An observer blinded to sound treatment analyzed video records of the 9-minute daily test sessions. Additional assessments included measurement of distance traveled (activity), heart rate, body temperature, and salivary cortisol concentrations. Overall, there was a decline in distance traveled and heart rate within each day and over the five-day test period, suggesting that dogs habituated to the open field arena. Behavioral postures and expressions were assessed using a standardized rubric to score behaviors linked to canine fear and anxiety. These fear/anxiety scores were used to evaluate changes in behaviors following exposure to a sound stressor. Compared to control periods, there was an overall increase in fear/anxiety scores during thunderstorm and gunfire sound stimuli treatment periods. Fear/anxiety scores were correlated with distance traveled, and heart rate. Fear/anxiety scores in response to thunderstorm and gunfire were correlated. Dogs showed higher fear/anxiety scores during periods after the sound stimuli compared to control periods. In general, candidate IED-detection Labrador retrievers responded to sound stimuli and recovered quickly, although dogs stratified in their response to sound stimuli. Some dogs were robust to fear/anxiety responses. The results suggest that the open field sound test may be a useful method to evaluate the suitability of dogs for IED-detection training.

The Use of an Open Field Model to Assess Sound-Induced Fear and Anxiety Associated Behaviors in Labrador Retrievers

PubMed Central

Gruen, Margaret E.; Case, Beth C.; Foster, Melanie L.; Lazarowski, Lucia; Fish, Richard E.; Landsberg, Gary; DePuy, Venita; Dorman, David C.; Sherman, Barbara L.

2015-01-01

Previous studies have shown that the playing of thunderstorm recordings during an open-field task elicits fearful or anxious responses in adult beagles. The goal of our study was to apply this open field test to assess sound-induced behaviors in Labrador retrievers drawn from a pool of candidate improvised explosive devices (IED)-detection dogs. Being robust to fear-inducing sounds and recovering quickly is a critical requirement of these military working dogs. This study presented male and female dogs, with 3 minutes of either ambient noise (Days 1, 3 and 5), recorded thunderstorm (Day 2), or gunfire (Day 4) sounds in an open field arena. Behavioral and physiological responses were assessed and compared to control (ambient noise) periods. An observer blinded to sound treatment analyzed video records of the 9-minute daily test sessions. Additional assessments included measurement of distance traveled (activity), heart rate, body temperature, and salivary cortisol concentrations. Overall, there was a decline in distance traveled and heart rate within each day and over the five-day test period, suggesting that dogs habituated to the open field arena. Behavioral postures and expressions were assessed using a standardized rubric to score behaviors linked to canine fear and anxiety. These fear/anxiety scores were used to evaluate changes in behaviors following exposure to a sound stressor. Compared to control periods, there was an overall increase in fear/anxiety scores during thunderstorm and gunfire sound stimuli treatment periods. Fear/anxiety scores were correlated with distance traveled, and heart rate. Fear/anxiety scores in response to thunderstorm and gunfire were correlated. Dogs showed higher fear/anxiety scores during periods after the sound stimuli compared to control periods. In general, candidate IED-detection Labrador retrievers responded to sound stimuli and recovered quickly, although dogs stratified in their response to sound stimuli. Some dogs were robust to fear/anxiety responses. The results suggest that the open field sound test may be a useful method to evaluate the suitability of dogs for IED-detection training. PMID:26273235

Parametric representation of open quantum systems and cross-over from quantum to classical environment.

PubMed

Calvani, Dario; Cuccoli, Alessandro; Gidopoulos, Nikitas I; Verrucchi, Paola

2013-04-23

The behavior of most physical systems is affected by their natural surroundings. A quantum system with an environment is referred to as open, and its study varies according to the classical or quantum description adopted for the environment. We propose an approach to open quantum systems that allows us to follow the cross-over from quantum to classical environments; to achieve this, we devise an exact parametric representation of the principal system, based on generalized coherent states for the environment. The method is applied to the s = 1/2 Heisenberg star with frustration, where the quantum character of the environment varies with the couplings entering the Hamiltonian H. We find that when the star is in an eigenstate of H, the central spin behaves as if it were in an effective magnetic field, pointing in the direction set by the environmental coherent-state angle variables (θ, ϕ), and broadened according to their quantum probability distribution. Such distribution is independent of ϕ, whereas as a function of θ is seen to get narrower as the quantum character of the environment is reduced, collapsing into a Dirac-δ function in the classical limit. In such limit, because ϕ is left undetermined, the Von Neumann entropy of the central spin remains finite; in fact, it is equal to the entanglement of the original fully quantum model, a result that establishes a relation between this latter quantity and the Berry phase characterizing the dynamics of the central spin in the effective magnetic field.

Simplifying the complexity of a coupled carbon turnover and pesticide degradation model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marschmann, Gianna; Erhardt, André H.; Pagel, Holger; Kügler, Philipp; Streck, Thilo

2016-04-01

The mechanistic one-dimensional model PECCAD (PEsticide degradation Coupled to CArbon turnover in the Detritusphere; Pagel et al. 2014, Biogeochemistry 117, 185-204) has been developed as a tool to elucidate regulation mechanisms of pesticide degradation in soil. A feature of this model is that it integrates functional traits of microorganisms, identifiable by molecular tools, and physicochemical processes such as transport and sorption that control substrate availability. Predicting the behavior of microbially active interfaces demands a fundamental understanding of factors controlling their dynamics. Concepts from dynamical systems theory allow us to study general properties of the model such as its qualitative behavior, intrinsic timescales and dynamic stability: Using a Latin hypercube method we sampled the parameter space for physically realistic steady states of the PECCAD ODE system and set up a numerical continuation and bifurcation problem with the open-source toolbox MatCont in order to obtain a complete classification of the dynamical system's behaviour. Bifurcation analysis reveals an equilibrium state of the system entirely controlled by fungal kinetic parameters. The equilibrium is generally unstable in response to small perturbations except for a small band in parameter space where the pesticide pool is stable. Time scale separation is a phenomenon that occurs in almost every complex open physical system. Motivated by the notion of "initial-stage" and "late-stage" decomposers and the concept of r-, K- or L-selected microbial life strategies, we test the applicability of geometric singular perturbation theory to identify fast and slow time scales of PECCAD. Revealing a generic fast-slow structure would greatly simplify the analysis of complex models of organic matter turnover by reducing the number of unknowns and parameters and providing a systematic mathematical framework for studying their properties.

Gut microbiota composition is correlated to grid floor induced stress and behavior in the BALB/c mouse.

PubMed

Bangsgaard Bendtsen, Katja Maria; Krych, Lukasz; Sørensen, Dorte Bratbo; Pang, Wanyong; Nielsen, Dennis Sandris; Josefsen, Knud; Hansen, Lars H; Sørensen, Søren J; Hansen, Axel Kornerup

2012-01-01

Stress has profound influence on the gastro-intestinal tract, the immune system and the behavior of the animal. In this study, the correlation between gut microbiota composition determined by Denaturing Grade Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) and tag-encoded 16S rRNA gene amplicon pyrosequencing (454/FLX) and behavior in the Tripletest (Elevated Plus Maze, Light/Dark Box, and Open Field combined), the Tail Suspension Test, and Burrowing in 28 female BALB/c mice exposed to two weeks of grid floor induced stress was investigated. Cytokine and glucose levels were measured at baseline, during and after exposure to grid floor. Stressing the mice clearly changed the cecal microbiota as determined by both DGGE and pyrosequencing. Odoribacter, Alistipes and an unclassified genus from the Coriobacteriaceae family increased significantly in the grid floor housed mice. Compared to baseline, the mice exposed to grid floor housing changed the amount of time spent in the Elevated Plus Maze, in the Light/Dark Box, and burrowing behavior. The grid floor housed mice had significantly longer immobility duration in the Tail Suspension Test and increased their number of immobility episodes from baseline. Significant correlations were found between GM composition and IL-1α, IFN-γ, closed arm entries of Elevated Plus Maze, total time in Elevated Plus Maze, time spent in Light/Dark Box, and time spent in the inner zone of the Open Field as well as total time in the Open Field. Significant correlations were found to the levels of Firmicutes, e.g. various species of Ruminococccaceae and Lachnospiraceae. No significant difference was found for the evaluated cytokines, except an overall decrease in levels from baseline to end. A significant lower level of blood glucose was found in the grid floor housed mice, whereas the HbA1c level was significantly higher. It is concluded that grid floor housing changes the GM composition, which seems to influence certain anxiety-related parameters.

Variation in maternal and anxiety-like behavior associated with discrete patterns of oxytocin and vasopressin 1a receptor density in the lateral septum

PubMed Central

Curley, JP; Jensen, CL; Franks, B; Champagne, FA

2012-01-01

The relationship between anxiety and maternal behavior has been explored across species using a variety of approaches, yet there is no clear consensus on the nature or direction of this relationship. In the current study, we have assessed stable individual differences in anxiety-like behavior in a large cohort (n=57) of female F2 hybrid mice. Using open-field behavior as a continuous and categorical (high vs. low) measure we examined the relationship between the anxiety-like behavior of virgin F2 females and the subsequent maternal behavior of these females. In addition, we quantified oxytocin (OTR) and vasopressin (V1a) receptor density within the lateral septum to determine the possible correlation with anxiety-like and maternal behavior. We find that, though activity levels within the open-field do predict latency to engage in pup retrieval, anxiety-like measures on this test are otherwise not associated with subsequent maternal behavior. OTR density in the dorsal lateral septum was found to be negatively correlated with activity levels in the open-field and positively correlated with frequency of nursing behavior. V1a receptor density was significantly correlated with postpartum licking/grooming of pups. Though we do not find support for the hypothesis that individual differences in trait anxiety predict variation in maternal behavior, we do find evidence for the role of OTR and V1a receptors in predicting maternal behavior in mice and suggest possible methodological issues (such as distinguishing between trait and state anxiety) that will be a critical consideration for subsequent studies of the anxiety-maternal behavior relationship. PMID:22300676

Computational Methods for Tracking, Quantitative Assessment, and Visualization of C. elegans Locomotory Behavior

PubMed Central

Moy, Kyle; Li, Weiyu; Tran, Huu Phuoc; Simonis, Valerie; Story, Evan; Brandon, Christopher; Furst, Jacob; Raicu, Daniela; Kim, Hongkyun

2015-01-01

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans provides a unique opportunity to interrogate the neural basis of behavior at single neuron resolution. In C. elegans, neural circuits that control behaviors can be formulated based on its complete neural connection map, and easily assessed by applying advanced genetic tools that allow for modulation in the activity of specific neurons. Importantly, C. elegans exhibits several elaborate behaviors that can be empirically quantified and analyzed, thus providing a means to assess the contribution of specific neural circuits to behavioral output. Particularly, locomotory behavior can be recorded and analyzed with computational and mathematical tools. Here, we describe a robust single worm-tracking system, which is based on the open-source Python programming language, and an analysis system, which implements path-related algorithms. Our tracking system was designed to accommodate worms that explore a large area with frequent turns and reversals at high speeds. As a proof of principle, we used our tracker to record the movements of wild-type animals that were freshly removed from abundant bacterial food, and determined how wild-type animals change locomotory behavior over a long period of time. Consistent with previous findings, we observed that wild-type animals show a transition from area-restricted local search to global search over time. Intriguingly, we found that wild-type animals initially exhibit short, random movements interrupted by infrequent long trajectories. This movement pattern often coincides with local/global search behavior, and visually resembles Lévy flight search, a search behavior conserved across species. Our mathematical analysis showed that while most of the animals exhibited Brownian walks, approximately 20% of the animals exhibited Lévy flights, indicating that C. elegans can use Lévy flights for efficient food search. In summary, our tracker and analysis software will help analyze the neural basis of the alteration and transition of C. elegans locomotory behavior in a food-deprived condition. PMID:26713869

Critical behavior at a dynamic vortex insulator-to-metal transition

DOE PAGES

Poccia, Nicola; Baturina, Tatyana I.; Coneri, Francesco; ...

2015-09-10

An array of superconducting islands placed on a normal metal film offers a tunable realization of nanopatterned superconductivity. This system enables elucidating open questions concerning the nature of competing vortex states and phase transitions between them. A square array creates the egg crate potential in which magnetic field-induced vortices are frozen into a vortex insulator. We observe a vortex insulator-to-vortex metal transition driven by the applied electric current and determine critical exponents strikingly coinciding with those for thermodynamic liquid-gas transition. Lastly, our findings offer a comprehensive description of dynamic critical behavior and establish a deep connection between equilibrium and nonequilibriummore » phase transitions.« less

Assessing anxiety in C57BL/6J mice: a pharmacological characterization of the open-field and light/dark tests.

PubMed

Heredia, Luis; Torrente, Margarita; Colomina, María T; Domingo, José L

2014-01-01

In order to assess anxiety in mammals various tests and species are currently available. These current assays measure changes in anxiety-like behaviors. The open-field and the light/dark are anxiety tests based on the spontaneous behavior of the animals, with C57BL/6J mice being a frequently used strain in behavioral studies. However, the suitability of this strain as a choice in anxiety studies has been questioned. In this study, we performed two pharmacological characterizations of this strain in both the open-field and the light/dark tests. We examined the changes in the anxiety-like behaviors of C57BL/6J mice exposed to chlordiazepoxide (CDP), an anxiolytic drug, at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg, picrotoxine (PTX), an anxiogenic drug, at doses of 0.5 and 1 mg/kg, and methylphenidate (MPH), a psychomotor stimulant drug, at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg, in a first experiment. In a second experiment, we tested CDP at 2.5 mg/kg, PTX at 2 mg/kg and MPH at 2.5 mg/kg. Results showed an absence of anxiolytic-like effects of CDP in open-field and light/dark tests. Light/dark test was more sensitive to the anxiogenic effects of PTX than the open-field test. Finally, a clear anxiogenic effect of MPH was observed in the two tests. Although C57BL/6J mice could not be a sensitive model to study anxiolytic effects in pharmacological or behavioral interventions, it might be a suitable model to test anxiogenic effects. Further studies are necessary to corroborate these results. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

OpenSim: a musculoskeletal modeling and simulation framework for in silico investigations and exchange

PubMed Central

Seth, Ajay; Sherman, Michael; Reinbolt, Jeffrey A.; Delp, Scott L.

2015-01-01

Movement science is driven by observation, but observation alone cannot elucidate principles of human and animal movement. Biomechanical modeling and computer simulation complement observations and inform experimental design. Biological models are complex and specialized software is required for building, validating, and studying them. Furthermore, common access is needed so that investigators can contribute models to a broader community and leverage past work. We are developing OpenSim, a freely available musculoskeletal modeling and simulation application and libraries specialized for these purposes, by providing: musculoskeletal modeling elements, such as biomechanical joints, muscle actuators, ligament forces, compliant contact, and controllers; and tools for fitting generic models to subject-specific data, performing inverse kinematics and forward dynamic simulations. OpenSim performs an array of physics-based analyses to delve into the behavior of musculoskeletal models by employing Simbody, an efficient and accurate multibody system dynamics code. Models are publicly available and are often reused for multiple investigations because they provide a rich set of behaviors that enables different lines of inquiry. This report will discuss one model developed to study walking and applied to gain deeper insights into muscle function in pathological gait and during running. We then illustrate how simulations can test fundamental hypotheses and focus the aims of in vivo experiments, with a postural stability platform and human model that provide a research environment for performing human posture experiments in silico. We encourage wide adoption of OpenSim for community exchange of biomechanical models and methods and welcome new contributors. PMID:25893160

Comparative Kinetic Analysis of Closed-Ended and Open-Ended Porous Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yiliang; Gaur, Girija; Mernaugh, Raymond L.; Laibinis, Paul E.; Weiss, Sharon M.

2016-09-01

Efficient mass transport through porous networks is essential for achieving rapid response times in sensing applications utilizing porous materials. In this work, we show that open-ended porous membranes can overcome diffusion challenges experienced by closed-ended porous materials in a microfluidic environment. A theoretical model including both transport and reaction kinetics is employed to study the influence of flow velocity, bulk analyte concentration, analyte diffusivity, and adsorption rate on the performance of open-ended and closed-ended porous sensors integrated with flow cells. The analysis shows that open-ended pores enable analyte flow through the pores and greatly reduce the response time and analyte consumption for detecting large molecules with slow diffusivities compared with closed-ended pores for which analytes largely flow over the pores. Experimental confirmation of the results was carried out with open- and closed-ended porous silicon (PSi) microcavities fabricated in flow-through and flow-over sensor configurations, respectively. The adsorption behavior of small analytes onto the inner surfaces of closed-ended and open-ended PSi membrane microcavities was similar. However, for large analytes, PSi membranes in a flow-through scheme showed significant improvement in response times due to more efficient convective transport of analytes. The experimental results and theoretical analysis provide quantitative estimates of the benefits offered by open-ended porous membranes for different analyte systems.

Architecture of the Yeast RNA Polymerase II Open Complex and Regulation of Activity by TFIIF

PubMed Central

Fishburn, James

2012-01-01

To investigate the function and architecture of the open complex state of RNA polymerase II (Pol II), Saccharomyces cerevisiae minimal open complexes were assembled by using a series of heteroduplex HIS4 promoters, TATA binding protein (TBP), TFIIB, and Pol II. The yeast system demonstrates great flexibility in the position of active open complexes, spanning 30 to 80 bp downstream from TATA, consistent with the transcription start site scanning behavior of yeast Pol II. TFIIF unexpectedly modulates the activity of the open complexes, either repressing or stimulating initiation. The response to TFIIF was dependent on the sequence of the template strand within the single-stranded bubble. Mutations in the TFIIB reader and linker region, which were inactive on duplex DNA, were suppressed by the heteroduplex templates, showing that a major function of the TFIIB reader and linker is in the initiation or stabilization of single-stranded DNA. Probing of the architecture of the minimal open complexes with TFIIB-FeBABE [TFIIB–p-bromoacetamidobenzyl–EDTA-iron(III)] derivatives showed that the TFIIB core domain is surprisingly positioned away from Pol II, and the addition of TFIIF repositions the TFIIB core domain to the Pol II wall domain. Together, our results show an unexpected architecture of minimal open complexes and the regulation of activity by TFIIF and the TFIIB core domain. PMID:22025674

Cloud regimes as phase transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stechmann, Samuel; Hottovy, Scott

2017-11-01

Clouds are repeatedly identified as a leading source of uncertainty in future climate predictions. Of particular importance are stratocumulus clouds, which can appear as either (i) closed cells that reflect solar radiation back to space or (ii) open cells that allow solar radiation to reach the Earth's surface. Here we show that these clouds regimes - open versus closed cells - fit the paradigm of a phase transition. In addition, this paradigm characterizes pockets of open cells (POCs) as the interface between the open- and closed-cell regimes, and it identifies shallow cumulus clouds as a regime of higher variability. This behavior can be understood using an idealized model for the dynamics of atmospheric water as a stochastic diffusion process. Similar viewpoints of deep convection and self-organized criticality will also be discussed. With these new conceptual viewpoints, ideas from statistical mechanics could potentially be used for understanding uncertainties related to clouds in the climate system and climate predictions. The research of S.N.S. is partially supported by a Sloan Research Fellowship, ONR Young Investigator Award N00014-12-1-0744, and ONR MURI Grant N00014-12-1-0912.

Development and Preliminary Feasibility Study of a Brief Behavioral Activation Mobile Application (Behavioral Apptivation) to Be Used in Conjunction With Ongoing Therapy.

PubMed

Dahne, Jennifer; Kustanowitz, Jacob; Lejuez, C W

2018-02-01

Depressive symptoms are the most frequently treated psychiatric condition in the United States. Brief behavioral activation treatment for depression (BATD) is a popular, evidence-based psychotherapy with strong research support for the treatment of depression. In this paper, we describe the development and initial pilot feasibility testing of a BATD mobile application (Behavioral Apptivation) to be used by patients and therapists in conjunction with BATD therapy. We present information regarding the app development process as well as results from a small open-label feasibility trial of the app utilized in conjunction with individual BATD. We include a case series from the open-label trial highlighting how Behavioral Apptivation can be utilized in clinical practice.

Open-Access Physical Activity Programs for Older Adults: A Pragmatic and Systematic Review.

PubMed

Balis, Laura E; Strayer, Thomas; Ramalingam, NithyaPriya; Wilson, Meghan; Harden, Samantha M

2018-01-10

Open-access, community-based programs are recommended to assist older adults in meeting physical activity guidelines, but the characteristics, impact, and scalability of these programs is less understood. The Land-Grant University Cooperative Extension System, an organization providing education through county-based educators, functions as a delivery system for these programs. A systematic review was conducted to determine characteristics of effective older adult physical activity programs and the extent to which programs delivered in Extension employ these characteristics. A systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature was conducted from August 2016 to February 2017. The review was limited to open-access (available to all), community-based physical activity interventions for older adults (≥65 years of age). The peer-reviewed literature search was conducted in PubMed and EBSCOhost; the grey literature search for Extension interventions was conducted through Extension websites, Land-Grant Impacts, and the Journal of Extension. Sixteen peer-reviewed studies and 17 grey literature sources met inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Peer-reviewed and Extension programs were similar in their limited use of behavioral theories and group-based strategies. Compared to Extension programs, those in the peer-reviewed literature were more likely to use a combination of physical activity components and be delivered by trained professionals. The results indicate notable differences between peer-reviewed literature and Extension programs and present an opportunity for Extension programs to more effectively use evidence-based program characteristics, including behavioral theories and group dynamics, a combination of physical activity components, and educator/agent-trained delivery agents. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Risky Business: Do Native Rodents Use Habitat and Odor Cues to Manage Predation Risk in Australian Deserts?

PubMed Central

Spencer, Emma E.; Crowther, Mathew S.; Dickman, Christopher R.

2014-01-01

In open, arid environments with limited shelter there may be strong selection on small prey species to develop behaviors that facilitate predator avoidance. Here, we predicted that rodents should avoid predator odor and open habitats to reduce their probability of encounter with potential predators, and tested our predictions using a native Australian desert rodent, the spinifex hopping-mouse (Notomys alexis). We tested the foraging and movement responses of N. alexis to non-native predator (fox and cat) odor, in sheltered and open macro- and microhabitats. Rodents did not respond to predator odor, perhaps reflecting the inconsistent selection pressure that is imposed on prey species in the desert environment due to the transience of predator-presence. However, they foraged primarily in the open and moved preferentially across open sand. The results suggest that N. alexis relies on escape rather than avoidance behavior when managing predation risk, with its bipedal movement probably allowing it to exploit open environments most effectively. PMID:24587396

Risky business: do native rodents use habitat and odor cues to manage predation risk in Australian deserts?

PubMed

Spencer, Emma E; Crowther, Mathew S; Dickman, Christopher R

2014-01-01

In open, arid environments with limited shelter there may be strong selection on small prey species to develop behaviors that facilitate predator avoidance. Here, we predicted that rodents should avoid predator odor and open habitats to reduce their probability of encounter with potential predators, and tested our predictions using a native Australian desert rodent, the spinifex hopping-mouse (Notomys alexis). We tested the foraging and movement responses of N. alexis to non-native predator (fox and cat) odor, in sheltered and open macro- and microhabitats. Rodents did not respond to predator odor, perhaps reflecting the inconsistent selection pressure that is imposed on prey species in the desert environment due to the transience of predator-presence. However, they foraged primarily in the open and moved preferentially across open sand. The results suggest that N. alexis relies on escape rather than avoidance behavior when managing predation risk, with its bipedal movement probably allowing it to exploit open environments most effectively.

Naloxone effects on behavior of inbred mice with different response to emotional stress in open field test.

PubMed

Nadorova, A V; Kozlovskaja, M M; Seredenin, S B

2009-10-01

Effects of nonspecific opiate receptor antagonist naloxone in doses of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0 mg/kg on open field behavior and spontaneous motor activity were studied in male BALB/c and C57Bl/6 mice. Differently directed effects of naloxone on behavioral parameters of emotional-stress reaction in BALB/c and C57Bl/6 mice were observed. Naloxone increased motor activity in the open field test in BALB/c mice, but decreased it in C57Bl/6 mice. In the absence of stress, naloxone in the studied dose range did not affect spontaneous motor activity in C57Bl/6 mice, and significantly reduced activity in BALB/c mice in doses 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kirschner, Matthew S.; Ding, Wendu; Li, Yuxiu

In this study, we demonstrate that coherent acoustic phonons derived from plasmonic nanoparticles can modulate electronic interactions with proximal excitonic molecular species. A series of gold bipyramids with systematically varied aspect ratios and corresponding localized surface plasmon resonance energies, functionalized with a J-aggregated thiacarbocyanine dye molecule, produce two hybridized states that exhibit clear anti-crossing behavior with a Rabi splitting energy of 120 meV. In metal nanoparticles, photoexcitation generates coherent acoustic phonons that cause oscillations in the plasmon resonance energy. In the coupled system, these photo-generated oscillations alter the metal nanoparticle’s energetic contribution to the hybridized system and, as a result,more » change the coupling between the plasmon and exciton. We demonstrate that such modulations in the hybridization is consistent across a wide range of bipyramid ensembles. We also use Finite-Difference Time Domain calculations to develop a simple model describing this behavior. Lastly, such oscillatory plasmonic-excitonic nanomaterials (OPENs) offer a route to manipulate and dynamically-tune the interactions of plasmonic/excitonic systems and unlock a range of potential applications.« less

Emergence of Life-Like Properties from Dissipative Self-Assembly of Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilday, Serim; Makey, Ghaith; Akguc, Gursoy B.; Yavuz, Ozgun; Tokel, Onur; Pavlov, Ihor; Gulseren, Oguz; Ilday, F. Omer

A profoundly fundamental question at the interface between physics and biology remains open: What are the minimum requirements for emergence of life-like properties from non-living systems? Here, we address this question and report emergent complex behavior of tens to thousands of colloidal nanoparticles in a system designed to be as plain as possible: The system is driven far from equilibrium by ultrafast laser pulses, which create spatiotemporal temperature gradients, inducing Marangoni-type flow that drags the particles towards aggregation; strong Brownian motion, used as source of fluctuations, opposes aggregation. Nonlinear feedback mechanisms naturally arise between the flow, the aggregate, and Brownian motion, allowing fast external control with minimal intervention. Consequently, complex behavior, analogous to those commonly seen in living organisms, emerges, whereby the aggregates can self-sustain, self-regulate, self-replicate, self-heal and can be transferred from one location to another, all within seconds. Aggregates can comprise of only one pattern or bifurcated patterns can co-exist, compete, survive or die.

Ab initio molecular orbital and density functional studies on the ring-opening reaction of oxetene.

PubMed

Jayaprakash, S; Jeevanandam, Jebakumar; Subramani, K

2014-11-01

Electrocyclic ring opening (ERO) reaction of 2H-Oxete (oxetene) has been carried out computationally in the gas phase and ring opening barrier has been computed. When comparing the ERO reaction of oxetene with the parent hydrocarbon (cyclobutene), the ring opening of cyclobutene is found to exhibit pericyclic behavior while oxetene shows mild pseudopericyclic nature. Computation of the nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) of oxetene adds evidence for pseudopericyclic behavior of oxetene. By locking of lone pair of electrons by hydrogen bonding, it is seen that the pseudopericyclic nature of the ring opening of oxetene is converted into a pericyclic one. CASSCF(5,6)/6-311+G** computation was carried out to understand the extent of involvement of lone pair of electrons during the course of the reaction. CR-CCSD(T)/6-311+G** computation was performed to assess the energies of the reactant, transition state and the product more accurately.

Social instability stress in adolescence increases anxiety and reduces social interactions in adulthood in male Long-Evans rats.

PubMed

Green, Matthew R; Barnes, Brittany; McCormick, Cheryl M

2013-12-01

We investigated the effects of social instability stress (daily 1-hr isolation, change of cage partner, postnatal day 30-45) in adolescence in male rats on open field exploration and social behavior in adulthood. Social stressed rats had longer latencies to enter the center of an open field and then took longer to approach an object placed in the center of the field. When another rat was placed in the open field, stressed rats spent less time in social interaction than control rats, particularly when paired with another stressed, rather than a control, rat. The groups did not differ in social approach tests (when a stimulus rat was separated by wire mesh) nor in novel object exploration (when controlling for open field anxiety). The results suggest social stress in adolescence increases open field anxiety while maintaining exploratory behavior, and alters social interactions in adulthood. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Thermodynamics of single polyethylene and polybutylene glycols with hydrogen-bonding ends: A transition from looped to open conformations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Eunsang; Paul, Wolfgang

2018-02-01

A variety of linear polymer precursors with hydrogen bonding motifs at both ends enable us to design supramolecular polymer systems with tailored macroscopic properties including self-healing. In this study, we investigate thermodynamic properties of single polyethylene and polybutylene glycols with hydrogen bonding motifs. In this context, we first build a coarse-grained model of building blocks of the supramolecular polymer system based on all-atom molecular structures. The density of states of the single precursor is obtained using the stochastic approximation Monte Carlo method. Constructing canonical partition functions from the density of states, we find the transition from looped to open conformations at transition temperatures which are non-monotonously changing with an increasing degree of polymerization due to the competition between chain stiffness and loop-forming entropy penalty. In the complete range of chain length under investigation, a coexistence of the looped and open morphologies at the transition temperature is shown regardless of whether the transition is first-order-like or continuous. Polyethylene and polybutylene glycols show similar behavior in all the thermodynamic properties but the transition temperature of the more flexible polybutylene glycol is shown to change more gradually.

Chapter 13 Petrogenesis of the Campanian Ignimbrite: implications for crystal-melt separation and open-system processes from major and trace elements and Th isotopic data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bohrson, W.A.; Spera, F.J.; Fowler, S.J.; Belkin, H.E.; de Vivo, B.; Rolandi, G.

2006-01-01

The Campanian Ignimbrite is a large-volume trachytic to phonolitic ignimbrite that was deposited at ???39.3 ka and represents one of a number of highly explosive volcanic events that have occurred in the region near Naples, Italy. Thermodynamic modeling using the MELTS algorithm reveals that major element variations are dominated by crystal-liquid separation at 0.15 GPa. Initial dissolved H2O content in the parental melt is ???3 wt.% and the magmatic system fugacity of oxygen was buffered along QFM+1. Significantly, MELTS results also indicate that the liquid line of descent is marked by a large change in the proportion of melt (from 0.46 to 0.09) at ???884??C, which leads to a discontinuity in melt composition (i.e., a compositional gap) and different thermodynamic and transport properties of melt and magma across the gap. Crystallization of alkali feldspar and plagioclase dominates the phase assemblage at this pseudo-invariant point temperature of ???884??C. Evaluation of the variations in the trace elements Zr, Nb, Th, U, Rb, Sm, and Sr using a mass balance equation that accounts for changing bulk mineral-melt partition coefficients as crystallization occurs indicates that crystal-liquid separation and open-system processes were important. Th isotope data yield an apparent isochron that is ???20 kyr younger than the age of the deposit, and age-corrected Th isotope data indicate that the magma body was an open system at the time of eruption. Because open-system behavior can profoundly change isotopic and elemental characteristics of a magma body, these Th results illustrate that it is critical to understand the contribution that open-system processes make to magmatic systems prior to assigning relevance to age or timescale information derived from such systems. Fluid-magma interaction has been proposed as a mechanism to change isotopic and elemental characteristics of magma bodies, but an evaluation of the mass and thermal constraints on such a process suggests large-scale interaction is unlikely. In the case of the magma body associated with the Campanian Ignimbrite, the most likely source of the open-system signatures is assimilation of partial melts of compositionally heterogeneous basement composed of cumulates and intrusive equivalents of volcanic activity that has characterized the Campanian region for over 300 kyr. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Counselor competence for telephone Motivation Interviewing addressing lifestyle change among Dutch older adults.

PubMed

Mesters, Ilse; Keulen, Hilde M van; de Vries, Hein; Brug, Johannes

2017-12-01

Counselor competence in telephone Motivation Interviewing (MI) to change lifestyle behaviors in a primary care population was assessed using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) rating system. Counselor behavior was evaluated by trained raters. Twenty minutes of a random sample of 336 MI sessions were coded representing 232 counselees. Ninety-four sessions (28%) were double coded to assess inter-rater agreement. The MI fidelity was examined by comparing the MI fidelity scores direction, empathy, spirit, % open questions, % complex reflections, reflections-to-questions ratio, % MI-adherent responses with the matching beginner proficiency MITI threshold. The inter-rater agreements for the MI fidelity summary scores were good (spirit, reflections-to-questions ratio), fair (empathy, % open questions, % MI-adherent responses) or poor (direction, % complex reflection). The MI fidelity scores for direction, empathy, spirit and the percentage of complex reflections exceeded the MITI threshold, but lower scores were found for the percentage of open questions, the reflections-to-questions ratio and the percentage of MI-adherent responses. In conclusion, evidence that MI was implemented was revealed. However, the inter-rater agreements scores and some fidelity scores leave room for improvement indicating that raters and counselors may need more ongoing training and feedback to achieve and maintain adequate competence. These findings apply to more complex skills (as rating complex reflections) in particular. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of a dynamic model of guard cell signaling reveals the stability of signal propagation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, Xiao; Albert, RéKa

Analyzing the long-term behaviors (attractors) of dynamic models of biological systems can provide valuable insight into biological phenotypes and their stability. We identified the long-term behaviors of a multi-level, 70-node discrete dynamic model of the stomatal opening process in plants. We reduce the model's huge state space by reducing unregulated nodes and simple mediator nodes, and by simplifying the regulatory functions of selected nodes while keeping the model consistent with experimental observations. We perform attractor analysis on the resulting 32-node reduced model by two methods: 1. converting it into a Boolean model, then applying two attractor-finding algorithms; 2. theoretical analysis of the regulatory functions. We conclude that all nodes except two in the reduced model have a single attractor; and only two nodes can admit oscillations. The multistability or oscillations do not affect the stomatal opening level in any situation. This conclusion applies to the original model as well in all the biologically meaningful cases. We further demonstrate the robustness of signal propagation by showing that a large percentage of single-node knockouts does not affect the stomatal opening level. Thus, we conclude that the complex structure of this signal transduction network provides multiple information propagation pathways while not allowing extensive multistability or oscillations, resulting in robust signal propagation. Our innovative combination of methods offers a promising way to analyze multi-level models.

The effect of neonatal handling on adult feeding behavior is not an anxiety-like behavior.

PubMed

Silveira, P P; Portella, A K; Clemente, Z; Gamaro, G D; Dalmaz, C

2005-02-01

Brief periods of handling during the neonatal period have been shown to have profound and long-lasting physiological consequences. Previous studies performed in our laboratory have demonstrated that handling the pups during the neonatal period leads to increased sweet food ingestion in adult life. The objective of this study is to verify if this effect could be explained by the enhanced anxiety levels in these animals. Litters were divided in: (1) intact; (2) handled (10 min in an incubator/day) and (3) handled + tactile stimulation (10 min/day). Procedures were performed on days 1-10 after birth. When adults, rats were tested in the elevated plus maze apparatus, light dark exploration test and open field test. They were also tested for sweet food ingestion, being injected with 2 mg/kg diazepam or vehicle 60 min before the test. Handling and handling + tactile stimulation do not alter performance in the plus maze test, but handled rats presented more crossings in the light/dark exploration test and open field (two-way ANOVA). Females also spent more % time in the open arms in the plus maze and more time in the lit compartment in the light/dark test, presenting more crossings in both tests. Both treated rats (handled and handled + tactile stimulation groups) consumed more sweet food than intact ones (two-way ANOVA). When diazepam was injected prior to the measurement of sweet food ingestion, there was no effect of the drug. We suggest that handling during the neonatal period leads to plastic alterations in the central nervous system of these animals, causing an increased ingestion of palatable food in adult life, and this alteration does not express an anxiety-like behavior.

Exposure to high- and low-light conditions in an open-field test of anxiety increases c-Fos expression in specific subdivisions of the rat basolateral amygdaloid complex.

PubMed

Hale, Matthew W; Bouwknecht, J Adriaan; Spiga, Francesca; Shekhar, Anantha; Lowry, Christopher A

2006-12-11

Anxiety states and anxiety-related behaviors appear to be regulated by a distributed and highly interconnected system of forebrain structures including the basolateral amygdaloid complex (basolateral amygdala). Despite a wealth of research examining the role of the basolateral amygdala in anxiety-related behaviors and anxiety states, the specific subdivisions of the basolateral amygdala that are involved in responses to anxiogenic stimuli have not been examined. In this study, we investigated the effects of exposure to a novel open-field environment, with either low- or high-levels of illumination, on expression of the protein product of the immediate-early gene c-Fos in subdivisions of the rat basolateral amygdala. The subdivisions studied included the lateral, ventrolateral and ventromedial parts of the lateral amygdaloid nucleus, the anterior, posterior and ventral parts of the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus and the anterior and posterior part of the basomedial amygdaloid nucleus. Small increases in the number of c-Fos-immunoreactive cells were observed in several, but not all, of the subdivisions of the basolateral amygdala studied following exposure of rats to either the high- or low-light conditions, compared to home cage or handled control groups. Open-field exposure in both the high- and low-light conditions resulted in a marked increase in c-Fos expression in the anterior part of the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus compared to either home cage or handled control groups. These findings point toward anatomical and functional heterogeneity within the basolateral amygdaloid complex and an important role of the anterior part of the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus in the neural mechanisms underlying physiological or behavioral responses to this anxiety-related stimulus.

Effect of fiber orientation on the failure behavior of a glass-fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Jiaai; Kalyanasundaram, Shankar

2017-05-01

In this study, hour-glass specimens made of a glass-fiber reinforced polypropylene composite with different fiber orientations were stamp formed in an open die. Strains on the surfaces of these specimens were recorded by a 3D photogrammetric measurement system. Specimens were cut into the designed shapes with two different fiber orientations [0°/90° and 45°/45°]. Based on the forming limit diagrams drawn for these material systems, it is found that change in fiber orientation induces change in deformation mode and different forming limit in strains.

Post-Markovian dynamics of quantum correlations: entanglement versus discord

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammadi, Hamidreza

2017-02-01

Dynamics of an open two-qubit system is investigated in the post-Markovian regime, where the environments have a short-term memory. Each qubit is coupled to separate environment which is held in its own temperature. The inter-qubit interaction is modeled by XY-Heisenberg model in the presence of spin-orbit interaction and inhomogeneous magnetic field. The dynamical behavior of entanglement and discord has been considered. The results show that quantum discord is more robust than quantum entanglement, during the evolution. Also the asymmetric feature of quantum discord can be monitored by introducing the asymmetries due to inhomogeneity of magnetic field and temperature difference between the reservoirs. By employing proper parameters of the model, it is possible to maintain nonvanishing quantum correlation at high degree of temperature. The results can provide a useful recipe for studying dynamical behavior of two-qubit systems such as trapped spin electrons in coupled quantum dots.

Logical Interactions in AN Expanded Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadić, Bosiljka

Understanding the emergent behavior in many complex systems in the physical world and society requires a detailed study of dynamical phenomena occurring and mutually coupled at different scales. The brain processes underlying the social conduct of each, and the emergent social behavior of interacting individuals on a larger scale, represent striking examples of the multiscale complexity. Studies of the human brain, a paradigm of a complex functional system, are enabled by a wealth of brain imaging data that provide clues of how we comprehend space, time, languages, numbers, and differentiate normal from diseased individuals, for example. The social brain, a neural basis for social cognition, represents a dynamically organized part of the brain which is involved in the inference of thoughts, feelings, and intentions going on in the brains of others. Research in this currently unexplored area opens a new perspective on the genesis of the societal organization at different levels and the associated social values...

Two-dimensional fluid-filled closed-cell cellular solid as an acoustic metamaterial with negative index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorodnitsyn, V.; Van Damme, B.

2016-04-01

A concept for acoustic metamaterials consisting of a cellular medium with fluid-filled cells is fabricated and studied experimentally. In such a system, the fluid and solid structure explicitly interact, and elastic wave propagation is coupled to both phases. Focusing here on shear wave behavior, we confirm previous numerical studies in three steps. We first measure the material deformations pertaining to three qualitatively different shear wave modes in the frequency range below 3.5 kHz. We then measure the group velocity and demonstrate that, within a certain frequency interval, the group and phase velocity have opposite signs. This shows that the system acts as a negative-index metamaterial. Finally, we confirm the presence of band gaps due to the locally resonant behavior of the cell walls. The demonstrated concept of a closed, fluid-filled cellular material as an acoustic metamaterial opens a wide space for applications.

Influence of Music on the Behaviors of Crowd in Urban Open Public Spaces

PubMed Central

Meng, Qi; Zhao, Tingting; Kang, Jian

2018-01-01

Sound environment plays an important role in urban open spaces, yet studies on the effects of perception of the sound environment on crowd behaviors have been limited. The aim of this study, therefore, is to explore how music, which is considered an important soundscape element, affects crowd behaviors in urban open spaces. On-site observations were performed at a 100 m × 70 m urban leisure square in Harbin, China. Typical music was used to study the effects of perception of the sound environment on crowd behaviors; then, these behaviors were classified into movement (passing by and walking around) and non-movement behaviors (sitting). The results show that the path of passing by in an urban leisure square with music was more centralized than without music. Without music, 8.3% of people passing by walked near the edge of the square, whereas with music, this percentage was zero. In terms of the speed of passing by behavior, no significant difference was observed with the presence or absence of background music. Regarding the effect of music on walking around behavior in the square, the mean area and perimeter when background music was played were smaller than without background music. The mean speed of those exhibiting walking around behavior with background music in the square was 0.296 m/s slower than when no background music was played. For those exhibiting sitting behavior, when background music was not present, crowd density showed no variation based on the distance from the sound source. When music was present, it was observed that as the distance from the sound source increased, crowd density of those sitting behavior decreased accordingly. PMID:29755390

Influence of Music on the Behaviors of Crowd in Urban Open Public Spaces.

PubMed

Meng, Qi; Zhao, Tingting; Kang, Jian

2018-01-01

Sound environment plays an important role in urban open spaces, yet studies on the effects of perception of the sound environment on crowd behaviors have been limited. The aim of this study, therefore, is to explore how music, which is considered an important soundscape element, affects crowd behaviors in urban open spaces. On-site observations were performed at a 100 m × 70 m urban leisure square in Harbin, China. Typical music was used to study the effects of perception of the sound environment on crowd behaviors; then, these behaviors were classified into movement (passing by and walking around) and non-movement behaviors (sitting). The results show that the path of passing by in an urban leisure square with music was more centralized than without music. Without music, 8.3% of people passing by walked near the edge of the square, whereas with music, this percentage was zero. In terms of the speed of passing by behavior, no significant difference was observed with the presence or absence of background music. Regarding the effect of music on walking around behavior in the square, the mean area and perimeter when background music was played were smaller than without background music. The mean speed of those exhibiting walking around behavior with background music in the square was 0.296 m/s slower than when no background music was played. For those exhibiting sitting behavior, when background music was not present, crowd density showed no variation based on the distance from the sound source. When music was present, it was observed that as the distance from the sound source increased, crowd density of those sitting behavior decreased accordingly.

Integration of Sensors, Controllers and Instruments Using a Novel OPC Architecture

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The interconnection between sensors, controllers and instruments through a communication network plays a vital role in the performance and effectiveness of a control system. Since its inception in the 90s, the Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control (OPC) protocol has provided open connectivity for monitoring and automation systems. It has been widely used in several environments such as industrial facilities, building and energy automation, engineering education and many others. This paper presents a novel OPC-based architecture to implement automation systems devoted to R&D and educational activities. The proposal is a novel conceptual framework, structured into four functional layers where the diverse components are categorized aiming to foster the systematic design and implementation of automation systems involving OPC communication. Due to the benefits of OPC, the proposed architecture provides features like open connectivity, reliability, scalability, and flexibility. Furthermore, four successful experimental applications of such an architecture, developed at the University of Extremadura (UEX), are reported. These cases are a proof of concept of the ability of this architecture to support interoperability for different domains. Namely, the automation of energy systems like a smart microgrid and photobioreactor facilities, the implementation of a network-accessible industrial laboratory and the development of an educational hardware-in-the-loop platform are described. All cases include a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to automate and control the plant behavior, which exchanges operative data (measurements and signals) with a multiplicity of sensors, instruments and supervisory systems under the structure of the novel OPC architecture. Finally, the main conclusions and open research directions are highlighted. PMID:28654002

Integration of Sensors, Controllers and Instruments Using a Novel OPC Architecture.

PubMed

González, Isaías; Calderón, Antonio José; Barragán, Antonio Javier; Andújar, José Manuel

2017-06-27

The interconnection between sensors, controllers and instruments through a communication network plays a vital role in the performance and effectiveness of a control system. Since its inception in the 90s, the Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control (OPC) protocol has provided open connectivity for monitoring and automation systems. It has been widely used in several environments such as industrial facilities, building and energy automation, engineering education and many others. This paper presents a novel OPC-based architecture to implement automation systems devoted to R&D and educational activities. The proposal is a novel conceptual framework, structured into four functional layers where the diverse components are categorized aiming to foster the systematic design and implementation of automation systems involving OPC communication. Due to the benefits of OPC, the proposed architecture provides features like open connectivity, reliability, scalability, and flexibility. Furthermore, four successful experimental applications of such an architecture, developed at the University of Extremadura (UEX), are reported. These cases are a proof of concept of the ability of this architecture to support interoperability for different domains. Namely, the automation of energy systems like a smart microgrid and photobioreactor facilities, the implementation of a network-accessible industrial laboratory and the development of an educational hardware-in-the-loop platform are described. All cases include a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to automate and control the plant behavior, which exchanges operative data (measurements and signals) with a multiplicity of sensors, instruments and supervisory systems under the structure of the novel OPC architecture. Finally, the main conclusions and open research directions are highlighted.

System-level musings about system-level science (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, W.

2009-12-01

In teleology, a system has a purpose. In physics, a system has a tendency. For example, a mechanical system has a tendency to lower its potential energy. A thermodynamic system has a tendency to increase its entropy. Therefore, if geospace is seen as a system, what is its tendency? Surprisingly or not, there is no simple answer to this question. Or, to flip the statement, the answer is complex, or complexity. We can understand generally why complexity arises, as the geospace boundary is open to influences from the solar wind and Earth’s atmosphere and components of the system couple to each other in a myriad of ways to make the systemic behavior highly nonlinear. But this still begs the question: What is the system-level approach to geospace science? A reductionist view might assert that as our understanding of a component or subsystem progresses to a certain point, we can couple some together to understand the system on a higher level. However, in practice, a subsystem can almost never been observed in isolation with others. Even if such is possible, there is no guarantee that the subsystem behavior will not change when coupled to others. Hence, there is no guarantee that a subsystem, such as the ring current, has an innate and intrinsic behavior like a hydrogen atom. An absolutist conclusion from this logic can be sobering, as one would have to trace a flash of aurora to the nucleosynthesis in the solar core. The practical answer, however, is more promising; it is a mix of the common sense we call reductionism and awareness that, especially when strongly coupled, subsystems can experience behavioral changes, breakdowns, and catastrophes. If the stock answer to the systemic tendency of geospace is complexity, the objective of the system-level approach to geospace science is to define, measure, and understand this complexity. I will use the example of magnetotail dynamics to illuminate some key points in this talk.

Tio2-dopamine complex implanted unilaterally in the caudate nucleus improves motor activity and behavior function of rats with induced hemiparkinsonism.

PubMed

Vergara-Aragón, Patricia; Domínguez-Marrufo, Leonardo Eduardo; Ibarra-Guerrero, Patricia; Hernandez-Ramírez, Heidi; Hernández-Téllez, Beatriz; López-Martínez, Irma Elena; Sánchez-Cervantes, Ivonne; Santiago-Jacinto, Patricia; García-Macedo, Jorge Alberto; Valverde-Aguilar, Guadalupe; Santiago, Julio

2011-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by malfunction of dopaminergic systems, and the current symptomatic treatment is to replace lost dopamine. For investigating mechanisms of pathogenesis and alternative treatments to compensate lack of dopamine (DA) activity in PD, the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rat model of PD has been useful, these animals display apomorphine-induced contralateral rotational behavior, when they are examined after lesion. The purpose of this study was to assess Titania-dopamine (TiO2-DA) complexes implanted on the caudate nucleus for diminishing motor behavior alterations of the 6-OHDA rat model. Rats with 6-OHDA unilateral lesions received TiO2 alone or TiO2-DA implants, and were tested for open field (OF) gross motor crossing and rearing behaviors, and apomorphine-induced rotation (G) behavior. TiO2 complex have no effects on rearing OF and G behaviors, and a significant reducing effect on crossing motor behavior of normal rats compared to control non-treated rats throughout 56 days of observation. Interestingly, TiO2-DA treatment significant recovered motor crossing and rearing behaviors in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats, and diminished the G behaviors during 56 days of examination. Additionally, in the 6-OHDA-lesioned rats TiO2 treatment had a moderate recovering effect only on crossing behavior compared to lesioned non treated rats. Our results suggest that continuous release of dopamine in the caudate nucleus from TiO2-DA complex is capable of reversing gross motor deficits observed in the 6-OHDA-lesioned rat model of PD. Thistype of delivery system of DA represents a promising therapy for PD in humans.

The use of an active controlled enclosure to attenuate sound radiation from a heavy radiator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yao; Yang, Tiejun; Zhu, Minggang; Pan, Jie

2017-03-01

Active structural acoustical control usually experiences difficulty in the control of heavy sources or sources where direct applications of control forces are not practical. To overcome this difficulty, an active controlled enclosure, which forms a cavity with both flexible and open boundary, is employed. This configuration permits indirect implementation of active control in which the control inputs can be applied to subsidiary structures other than the sources. To determine the control effectiveness of the configuration, the vibro-acoustic behavior of the system, which consists of a top plate with an open, a sound cavity and a source panel, is investigated in this paper. A complete mathematical model of the system is formulated involving modified Fourier series formulations and the governing equations are solved using the Rayleigh-Ritz method. The coupling mechanisms of a partly opened cavity and a plate are analysed in terms of modal responses and directivity patterns. Furthermore, to attenuate sound power radiated from both the top panel and the open, two strategies are studied: minimizing the total radiated power and the cancellation of volume velocity. Moreover, three control configurations are compared, using a point force on the control panel (structural control), using a sound source in the cavity (acoustical control) and applying hybrid structural-acoustical control. In addition, the effects of boundary condition of the control panel on the sound radiation and control performance are discussed.

Intranasal Immune Challenge Induces Sex-Dependent Depressive-Like Behavior and Cytokine Expression in the Brain

PubMed Central

Tonelli, Leonardo H; Holmes, Andrew; Postolache, Teodor T

2007-01-01

The association between activation of the immune system and mood disorders has been reported by several studies. However, the mechanisms by which the immune system affects mood are only partially understood. In the present study, we detected depressive-like behavior in a rat animal model which involves the induction of inflammation in the nasal cavities by intranasal (i.n.) instillation of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Female rats showed depressive-like behavior as evidenced by the forced swim test after repeated i.n. administration of LPS. These responses were not paralleled by alterations in motor activity as measured by the open field test. In the same animals, corticosterone responses after the swimming sessions were the highest of all the groups evaluated. Real-time RT PCR was used to analyze the transcriptional regulation of the cytokines interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 in several brain regions. Increased tumor necrosis factor-α was detected in the hippocampus and brainstem of female rats challenged with i.n. LPS. These results suggest that peripheral inflammation in the upper respiratory tract is an immune challenge capable of inducing depressive-like behavior, promoting exaggerated glucocorticoid responses to stress, and increasing cytokine transcription in the brain. These results further our understanding of the role that the immune system may play in the pathophysiology of depression. PMID:17593929

Changes in the activity of a CpG neuron after the reinforcement of an operantly conditioned behavior in Lymnaea.

PubMed

Spencer, Gaynor E; Kazmi, Mustapha H; Syed, Naweed I; Lukowiak, Ken

2002-10-01

We have previously shown that the aerial respiratory behavior of the mollusk Lymnaea stagnalis can be operantly conditioned, and the central pattern generating (CPG) neurons underlying this behavior have been identified. As neural correlates of operant conditioning remain poorly defined in both vertebrates and invertebrates, we have used the Lymnaea respiratory CPG to investigate neuronal changes associated with the change in behavior after conditioning. After operant conditioning of the intact animals, semi-intact preparations were dissected, so that changes in the respiratory behavior (pneumostome openings) and underlying activity of the identified CPG neuron, right pedal dorsal 1 (RPeD1), could be monitored simultaneously. RPeD1 was studied because it initiates the rhythmic activity of the CPG and receives chemo-sensory input from the pneumostome area. Pneumostome openings and RPeD1 activity were monitored both before and after a reinforcing training stimulus applied to the open pneumostome of operantly conditioned and yoked control preparations. After presentation of the reinforcing stimulus, there was a significant reduction in both breathing behavior and RPeD1 activity in operant preparations but not in yoked and naïve controls. Furthermore these changes were only significant in the subgroup of operantly conditioned animals described as good learners and not in poor learners. These data strongly suggest that changes in RPeD1 activity may underlie the behavioral changes associated with the reinforcement of operant conditioning of the respiratory behavior.

Coarsening mechanism of phase separation caused by a double temperature quench in an off-symmetric binary mixture.

PubMed

Sigehuzi, Tomoo; Tanaka, Hajime

2004-11-01

We study phase-separation behavior of an off-symmetric fluid mixture induced by a "double temperature quench." We first quench a system into the unstable region. After a large phase-separated structure is formed, we again quench the system more deeply and follow the pattern-evolution process. The second quench makes the domains formed by the first quench unstable and leads to double phase separation; that is, small droplets are formed inside the large domains created by the first quench. The complex coarsening behavior of this hierarchic structure having two characteristic length scales is studied in detail by using the digital image analysis. We find three distinct time regimes in the time evolution of the structure factor of the system. In the first regime, small droplets coarsen with time inside large domains. There a large domain containing small droplets in it can be regarded as an isolated system. Later, however, the coarsening of small droplets stops when they start to interact via diffusion with the large domain containing them. Finally, small droplets disappear due to the Lifshitz-Slyozov mechanism. Thus the observed behavior can be explained by the crossover of the nature of a large domain from the isolated to the open system; this is a direct consequence of the existence of the two characteristic length scales.

In-situ measurement of sulfur isotopic ratios in zoned apatite crystals via SIMS: a new tool for interpreting dynamic sulfur behavior in magmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Economos, R. C.; Boehnke, P.; Burgisser, A.

2017-12-01

Sulfur is an important element in igneous systems due to its impact on magma redox, its role in the formation of economically valuable ore deposits, and the influence of catastrophic volcanogenic sulfur degassing on global climate. The mobility and geochemical behavior of sulfur in magmas is complex due to its multi-valent (from S2- to S6+) and multi-phase (solid, immiscible liquid, gaseous, dissolved ions) nature. Sulfur behavior is closely linked with the evolution of oxygen fugacity (fO2) in magmas; the record of fO2 evolution is often difficult to extract from rock records, particularly for intrusive systems that undergo cyclical magmatic processes and crystallize to the solidus. We apply a novel method of measuring S isotopic ratios via secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) in zoned apatite crystals that we interpret as a record of open-system magmatic processes. We analyzed the S concentration and isotopic variations preserved in multiple apatite crystals from single hand specimens from the Cadiz Valley Batholith, CA via electron microprobe and ion microprobe at UCLA. A single, isotopically homogeneous crystal of Durango apatite was characterized for absolute isotopic ratio for this study (UCLA-D1). Isotopic variations in single apatite crystals ranged from 0 to 3.8‰ δ34S and total variation within a single hand sample was 6.1‰ δ34S. High S concentration cores yielded high isotopic ratios while low S concentration rims yielded low isotopic ratios. We favor an explanation of a combination of magma mixing and open-system, ascent-driven degassing under moderately reduced conditions: fO2 at or below NNO +1, although the synchronous crystallization of apatite and anhydrite is also a viable scenario. These findings have implications for the coupled S and fO2 evolution of granitic plutons and suggest that in-situ apatite S isotopic measurements could be a powerful new tool for evaluating redox and S systematics in magmatic systems.

Cholinergic Dysfunction in Fragile X Syndrome and Potential Intervention

PubMed Central

Kesler, Shelli R; Lightbody, Amy A; Reiss, Allan L

2009-01-01

Males with fragile X syndrome are at risk for significant cognitive and behavioral deficits, particularly those involving executive prefrontal systems. Disruption of the cholinergic system secondary to fragile X mental retardation protein deficiency may contribute to the cognitive-behavioral impairments associated with fragile X. We measured choline in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of 9 males with fragile X syndrome and 9 age-matched typically developing controls using 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Right choline/creatine was significantly reduced in the fragile X group compared to controls. In controls, both left and right choline was significantly positively correlated with intelligence and age was significantly negatively correlated with left choline. There were no correlations in the fragile X group. Subjects with fragile X syndrome participating in a pilot open-label trial of donepezil, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, demonstrated significantly improved cognitive-behavioral function. Studies utilizing biochemical neuroimaging techniques such as these have the potential to significantly impact the design of treatment strategies for fragile X syndrome and other genetic disorders by helping identify neurochemical targets for intervention as well as serving as metrics for treatment efficacy. PMID:19215057

Quantum critical scaling near the antiferromagnetic quantum critical point in CeCu6-xPdx

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Liusuo; Poudel, L.; May, A. F.; Nelson, W. L.; Gallagher, A.; Lai, Y.; Graf, D. E.; Besara, T.; Siegrist, T. M.; Baumbach, R.; Ehlers, G.; Podlesnyak, A. A.; Lumsden, M. D.; Mandrus, D.; Christianson, A. D.

A remarkable behavior of many quantum critical systems is the scaling of physical properties such as the dynamic susceptibility near a quantum critical point (QCP), where Fermi liquid physics usually break down. The quantum critical behavior in the vicinity of a QCP in metallic systems remains an important open question. In particular, a self-consistent universal scaling of both magnetic susceptibility and the specific heat remains missing for most cases. Recently, we have studied CeCu6-xTx (T =Au, Ag, Pd), which is a prototypical heavy fermion material that hosts an antiferromagnetic (AF) QCP. We have investigated the low temperature thermal properties including the specific heat and magnetic susceptibility. We also investigated the spin fluctuation spectrum at both critical doping and within the magnetically ordered phase. A key finding is the spin excitations exhibit a strong Ising character, resulting in the strong suppression of transverse fluctuations. A detailed scaling analysis of the quantum critical behaviors relating the thermodynamic properties to the dynamic susceptibility will be presented. DOE, ORNL LDRD.

Eco-HAB as a fully automated and ecologically relevant assessment of social impairments in mouse models of autism

PubMed Central

Puścian, Alicja; Łęski, Szymon; Kasprowicz, Grzegorz; Winiarski, Maciej; Borowska, Joanna; Nikolaev, Tomasz; Boguszewski, Paweł M; Lipp, Hans-Peter; Knapska, Ewelina

2016-01-01

Eco-HAB is an open source, RFID-based system for automated measurement and analysis of social preference and in-cohort sociability in mice. The system closely follows murine ethology. It requires no contact between a human experimenter and tested animals, overcoming the confounding factors that lead to irreproducible assessment of murine social behavior between laboratories. In Eco-HAB, group-housed animals live in a spacious, four-compartment apparatus with shadowed areas and narrow tunnels, resembling natural burrows. Eco-HAB allows for assessment of the tendency of mice to voluntarily spend time together in ethologically relevant mouse group sizes. Custom-made software for automated tracking, data extraction, and analysis enables quick evaluation of social impairments. The developed protocols and standardized behavioral measures demonstrate high replicability. Unlike classic three-chambered sociability tests, Eco-HAB provides measurements of spontaneous, ecologically relevant social behaviors in group-housed animals. Results are obtained faster, with less manpower, and without confounding factors. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19532.001 PMID:27731798

What Multilevel Parallel Programs do when you are not Watching: A Performance Analysis Case Study Comparing MPI/OpenMP, MLP, and Nested OpenMP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jost, Gabriele; Labarta, Jesus; Gimenez, Judit

2004-01-01

With the current trend in parallel computer architectures towards clusters of shared memory symmetric multi-processors, parallel programming techniques have evolved that support parallelism beyond a single level. When comparing the performance of applications based on different programming paradigms, it is important to differentiate between the influence of the programming model itself and other factors, such as implementation specific behavior of the operating system (OS) or architectural issues. Rewriting-a large scientific application in order to employ a new programming paradigms is usually a time consuming and error prone task. Before embarking on such an endeavor it is important to determine that there is really a gain that would not be possible with the current implementation. A detailed performance analysis is crucial to clarify these issues. The multilevel programming paradigms considered in this study are hybrid MPI/OpenMP, MLP, and nested OpenMP. The hybrid MPI/OpenMP approach is based on using MPI [7] for the coarse grained parallelization and OpenMP [9] for fine grained loop level parallelism. The MPI programming paradigm assumes a private address space for each process. Data is transferred by explicitly exchanging messages via calls to the MPI library. This model was originally designed for distributed memory architectures but is also suitable for shared memory systems. The second paradigm under consideration is MLP which was developed by Taft. The approach is similar to MPi/OpenMP, using a mix of coarse grain process level parallelization and loop level OpenMP parallelization. As it is the case with MPI, a private address space is assumed for each process. The MLP approach was developed for ccNUMA architectures and explicitly takes advantage of the availability of shared memory. A shared memory arena which is accessible by all processes is required. Communication is done by reading from and writing to the shared memory.

Systemic Inflammation and the Brain: Novel Roles of Genetic, Molecular, and Environmental Cues as Drivers of Neurodegeneration

PubMed Central

Sankowski, Roman; Mader, Simone; Valdés-Ferrer, Sergio Iván

2015-01-01

The nervous and immune systems have evolved in parallel from the early bilaterians, in which innate immunity and a central nervous system (CNS) coexisted for the first time, to jawed vertebrates and the appearance of adaptive immunity. The CNS feeds from, and integrates efferent signals in response to, somatic and autonomic sensory information. The CNS receives input also from the periphery about inflammation and infection. Cytokines, chemokines, and damage-associated soluble mediators of systemic inflammation can also gain access to the CNS via blood flow. In response to systemic inflammation, those soluble mediators can access directly through the circumventricular organs, as well as open the blood–brain barrier. The resulting translocation of inflammatory mediators can interfere with neuronal and glial well-being, leading to a break of balance in brain homeostasis. This in turn results in cognitive and behavioral manifestations commonly present during acute infections – including anorexia, malaise, depression, and decreased physical activity – collectively known as the sickness behavior (SB). While SB manifestations are transient and self-limited, under states of persistent systemic inflammatory response the cognitive and behavioral changes can become permanent. For example, cognitive decline is almost universal in sepsis survivors, and a common finding in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Here, we review recent genetic evidence suggesting an association between neurodegenerative disorders and persistent immune activation; clinical and experimental evidence indicating previously unidentified immune-mediated pathways of neurodegeneration; and novel immunomodulatory targets and their potential relevance for neurodegenerative disorders. PMID:25698933

Characterization of Model-Based Reasoning Strategies for Use in IVHM Architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poll, Scott; Iverson, David; Patterson-Hine, Ann

2003-01-01

Open architectures are gaining popularity for Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) applications due to the diversity of subsystem health monitoring strategies in use and the need to integrate a variety of techniques at the system health management level. The basic concept of an open architecture suggests that whatever monitoring or reasoning strategy a subsystem wishes to deploy, the system architecture will support the needs of that subsystem and will be capable of transmitting subsystem health status across subsystem boundaries and up to the system level for system-wide fault identification and diagnosis. There is a need to understand the capabilities of various reasoning engines and how they, coupled with intelligent monitoring techniques, can support fault detection and system level fault management. Researchers in IVHM at NASA Ames Research Center are supporting the development of an IVHM system for liquefying-fuel hybrid rockets. In the initial stage of this project, a few readily available reasoning engines were studied to assess candidate technologies for application in next generation launch systems. Three tools representing the spectrum of model-based reasoning approaches, from a quantitative simulation based approach to a graph-based fault propagation technique, were applied to model the behavior of the Hybrid Combustion Facility testbed at Ames. This paper summarizes the characterization of the modeling process for each of the techniques.

The cerebellum: a neural system for the study of reinforcement learning.

PubMed

Swain, Rodney A; Kerr, Abigail L; Thompson, Richard F

2011-01-01

In its strictest application, the term "reinforcement learning" refers to a computational approach to learning in which an agent (often a machine) interacts with a mutable environment to maximize reward through trial and error. The approach borrows essentials from several fields, most notably Computer Science, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Psychology. At the most basic level, a neural system capable of mediating reinforcement learning must be able to acquire sensory information about the external environment and internal milieu (either directly or through connectivities with other brain regions), must be able to select a behavior to be executed, and must be capable of providing evaluative feedback about the success of that behavior. Given that Psychology informs us that reinforcers, both positive and negative, are stimuli or consequences that increase the probability that the immediately antecedent behavior will be repeated and that reinforcer strength or viability is modulated by the organism's past experience with the reinforcer, its affect, and even the state of its muscles (e.g., eyes open or closed); it is the case that any neural system that supports reinforcement learning must also be sensitive to these same considerations. Once learning is established, such a neural system must finally be able to maintain continued response expression and prevent response drift. In this report, we examine both historical and recent evidence that the cerebellum satisfies all of these requirements. While we report evidence from a variety of learning paradigms, the majority of our discussion will focus on classical conditioning of the rabbit eye blink response as an ideal model system for the study of reinforcement and reinforcement learning.

Effect of particle-size dynamics on properties of dense spongy-particle systems: Approach towards equilibrium.

PubMed

Zakhari, Monica E A; Anderson, Patrick D; Hütter, Markus

2017-07-01

Open-porous deformable particles, often envisaged as sponges, are ubiquitous in biological and industrial systems (e.g., casein micelles in dairy products and microgels in cosmetics). The rich behavior of these suspensions is owing to the elasticity of the supporting network of the particle, and the viscosity of permeating solvent. Therefore, the rate-dependent size change of these particles depends on their structure, i.e., the permeability. This work aims at investigating the effect of the particle-size dynamics and the underlying particle structure, i.e., the particle permeability, on the transient and long-time behavior of suspensions of spongy particles in the absence of applied deformation, using the dynamic two-scale model developed by Hütter et al. [Farad. Discuss. 158, 407 (2012)1359-664010.1039/c2fd20025b]. In the high-density limit, the transient behavior is found to be accelerated by the particle-size dynamics, even at average size changes as small as 1%. The accelerated dynamics is evidenced by (i) the higher short-time diffusion coefficient as compared to elastic-particle systems and (ii) the accelerated formation of the stable fcc crystal structure. Furthermore, after long times, the particle-size dynamics of spongy particles is shown to result in lower stationary values of the energy and normal stresses as compared to elastic-particle systems. This dependence of the long-time behavior of these systems on the permeability, that essentially is a transport coefficient and hence must not affect the equilibrium properties, confirms that full equilibration has not been reached.

Effect of particle-size dynamics on properties of dense spongy-particle systems: Approach towards equilibrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakhari, Monica E. A.; Anderson, Patrick D.; Hütter, Markus

2017-07-01

Open-porous deformable particles, often envisaged as sponges, are ubiquitous in biological and industrial systems (e.g., casein micelles in dairy products and microgels in cosmetics). The rich behavior of these suspensions is owing to the elasticity of the supporting network of the particle, and the viscosity of permeating solvent. Therefore, the rate-dependent size change of these particles depends on their structure, i.e., the permeability. This work aims at investigating the effect of the particle-size dynamics and the underlying particle structure, i.e., the particle permeability, on the transient and long-time behavior of suspensions of spongy particles in the absence of applied deformation, using the dynamic two-scale model developed by Hütter et al. [Farad. Discuss. 158, 407 (2012), 10.1039/c2fd20025b]. In the high-density limit, the transient behavior is found to be accelerated by the particle-size dynamics, even at average size changes as small as 1 % . The accelerated dynamics is evidenced by (i) the higher short-time diffusion coefficient as compared to elastic-particle systems and (ii) the accelerated formation of the stable fcc crystal structure. Furthermore, after long times, the particle-size dynamics of spongy particles is shown to result in lower stationary values of the energy and normal stresses as compared to elastic-particle systems. This dependence of the long-time behavior of these systems on the permeability, that essentially is a transport coefficient and hence must not affect the equilibrium properties, confirms that full equilibration has not been reached.

Steady-state kinetics of solitary batrachotoxin-treated sodium channels. Kinetics on a bounded continuum of polymer conformations.

PubMed Central

Rubinson, K A

1992-01-01

The underlying principles of the kinetics and equilibrium of a solitary sodium channel in the steady state are examined. Both the open and closed kinetics are postulated to result from round-trip excursions from a transition region that separates the openable and closed forms. Exponential behavior of the kinetics can have origins different from small-molecule systems. These differences suggest that the probability density functions (PDFs) that describe the time dependences of the open and closed forms arise from a distribution of rate constants. The distribution is likely to arise from a thermal modulation of the channel structure, and this provides a physical basis for the following three-variable equation: [formula; see text] Here, A0 is a scaling term, k is the mean rate constant, and sigma quantifies the Gaussian spread for the contributions of a range of effective rate constants. The maximum contribution is made by k, with rates faster and slower contributing less. (When sigma, the standard deviation of the spread, goes to zero, then p(f) = A0 e-kt.) The equation is applied to the single-channel steady-state probability density functions for batrachotoxin-treated sodium channels (1986. Keller et al. J. Gen. Physiol. 88: 1-23). The following characteristics are found: (a) The data for both open and closed forms of the channel are fit well with the above equation, which represents a Gaussian distribution of first-order rate processes. (b) The simple relationship [formula; see text] holds for the mean effective rat constants. Or, equivalently stated, the values of P open calculated from the k values closely agree with the P open values found directly from the PDF data. (c) In agreement with the known behavior of voltage-dependent rate constants, the voltage dependences of the mean effective rate constants for the opening and closing of the channel are equal and opposite over the voltage range studied. That is, [formula; see text] "Bursts" are related to the well-known cage effect of solution chemistry. PMID:1312365

Effects of environmental enrichment and paradoxical sleep deprivation on open-field behavior of amphetamine-treated mice.

PubMed

Fukushiro, Daniela Fukue; Calzavara, Mariana Bendlin; Trombin, Thaís Fernanda; Lopez, Giorgia Batlle; Abílio, Vanessa Costhek; Andersen, Monica Levy; Tufik, Sergio; Frussa-Filho, Roberto

2007-11-23

Environmental enrichment or paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) has been shown to modify some responses elicited by drugs of abuse. The aims of the present study were to examine the effects of environmental enrichment and PSD, conducted separately or in association, on open-field behavior elicited by amphetamine (AMP) in mice. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to live in either an enriched environmental condition (EC) or a standard environmental condition (SC) for 12 months since weaning. Some of the EC and SC mice were sleep deprived for 48 h, while others were maintained in their home-cages. Immediately after PSD or home-cage stay, the animals received an ip injection of saline, 2.5 mg/kg AMP or 5.0 mg/kg AMP. Fifteen minutes later, their open-field behavior was quantified. Whereas PSD enhanced total and peripheral locomotor activity of acutely AMP-treated mice, environmental enrichment presented only a trend toward enhancement. When PSD and environmental enrichment were combined, an increase in the total and peripheral locomotion frequencies of AMP-treated animals, similar to that observed after PSD, was revealed. In addition, PSD, environmental enrichment or their combination did not modify the effects of AMP on the other open-field behavioral parameters that were analyzed. The present findings demonstrate that some (but not all) of the behavioral effects caused by AMP acute administration can be similarly and specifically enhanced by both environmental enrichment and PSD in C57BL/6 mice.

Exploratory rearing: a context- and stress-sensitive behavior recorded in the open-field test.

PubMed

Sturman, Oliver; Germain, Pierre-Luc; Bohacek, Johannes

2018-02-16

Stressful experiences are linked to anxiety disorders in humans. Similar effects are observed in rodent models, where anxiety is often measured in classic conflict tests such as the open-field test. Spontaneous rearing behavior, in which rodents stand on their hind legs to explore, can also be observed in this test yet is often ignored. We define two forms of rearing, supported rearing (in which the animal rears against the walls of the arena) and unsupported rearing (in which the animal rears without contacting the walls of the arena). Using an automated open-field test, we show that both rearing behaviors appear to be strongly context dependent and show clear sex differences, with females rearing less than males. We show that unsupported rearing is sensitive to acute stress, and is reduced under more averse testing conditions. Repeated testing and handling procedures lead to changes in several parameters over varying test sessions, yet unsupported rearing appears to be rather stable within a given animal. Rearing behaviors could therefore provide an additional measure of anxiety in rodents relevant for behavioral studies, as they appear to be highly sensitive to context and may be used in repeated testing designs.

Dose-response effects of systemic anandamide administration in mice sequentially submitted to the open field and elevated plus-maze tests.

PubMed

Ribeiro, A; Ferraz-de-Paula, V; Pinheiro, M L; Palermo-Neto, J

2009-06-01

The endocannabinoid system is involved in the control of many physiological functions, including the control of emotional states. In rodents, previous exposure to an open field increases the anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus-maze. Anxiolytic-like effects of pharmacological compounds that increase endocannabinoid levels have been well documented. However, these effects are more evident in animals with high anxiety levels. Several studies have described characteristic inverted U-shaped dose-response effects of drugs that modulate the endocannabinoid levels. However, there are no studies showing the effects of different doses of exogenous anandamide, an endocannabinoid, in animal models of anxiety. Thus, in the present study, we determined the dose-response effects of exogenous anandamide at doses of 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 mg/kg in C57BL/6 mice (N = 10/group) sequentially submitted to the open field and elevated plus-maze. Anandamide was diluted in 0.9% saline, ethyl alcohol, Emulphor (18:1:1) and administered ip (0.1 mL/10 g body weight); control animals received the same volume of anandamide vehicle. Anandamide at the dose of 0.1 mg/kg (but not of 0.01 or 1 mg/kg) increased (P < 0.05) the time spent and the distance covered in the central zone of the open field, as well as the exploration of the open arms of the elevated plus-maze. Thus, exogenous anandamide, like pharmacological compounds that increase endocannabinoid levels, promoted a characteristic inverted U-shaped dose-response effect in animal models of anxiety. Furthermore, anandamide (0.1 mg/kg) induced an anxiolytic-like effect in the elevated plus-maze (P < 0.05) after exposing the animals to the open field test.

Intranasal infusion of melanocortin receptor four (MC4R) antagonist to rats ameliorates development of depression and anxiety related symptoms induced by single prolonged stress.

PubMed

Serova, Lidia I; Laukova, Marcela; Alaluf, Lishay G; Sabban, Esther L

2013-08-01

Brain melanocortinergic systems and specifically melanocortin receptor four (MC4R) are implicated in modulation of anxiety- and depressive-like behavior induced by mild or moderate stress. Here we examine whether blockage of central MC4Rs with HS014 before severe traumatic stress may protect against development of anxiety and depression co-morbid with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Male rats were treated intranasally (IN) with vehicle or varied doses of HS014, 30min prior to single prolonged stress (SPS) animal model of PTSD. IN administration of 100μg HS014 pre-SPS improved despair behavior in forced swim (FS) immediately after immobilization stress part of SPS protocol. During all 4 intervals of 20min FS these rats spent less time immobile than rats given vehicle or 3.5ng HS014. This dose of HS014 also had a long-term beneficial effect manifested as reduction of immobility time in forced swim test performed after SPS. However, both HS014 doses were effective in ameliorating development of anxiety-like behavior after traumatic stress. Thus, rats given IN HS014 prior to SPS exhibited less open arms (OA) visits in elevated plus maze (EPM), spent longer time in OA and less in closed arms, had lower anxiety index, higher risk assessment and more head dips over borders in OA. They also spent longer time in the center of the open field and defecated less. Reduced grooming behavior in EPM was observed with 100μg HS014. This is the first study revealing pronounced resilience effects of HS014 on development of behavioral symptoms co-morbid with PTSD. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The good, the bad (and the ugly): The role of curiosity in subjective well-being and risky behaviors among adolescents.

PubMed

Jovanović, Veljko; Gavrilov-Jerković, Vesna

2014-02-01

Previous studies have shown that enhanced trait curiosity has positive influence on well-being. It remains an open question, however, whether curiosity has any detrimental effects on behavioral outcomes in adolescence. The main aim of this research was to investigate the role of trait curiosity in the prediction of risky behavior engagement and subjective well-being (SWB) among adolescents. A total of 371 Serbian adolescents (mean age 15.5, SD = 0.57) participated in the 5-month follow up study. The results showed that the embracing component of curiosity (but not stretching) predicted risky behavior engagement, while the stretching component of curiosity (but not embracing) predicted positive affect. In addition, neither embracing nor stretching was a significant predictor of negative affect and life satisfaction. The results of this study call into question the conceptualization of curiosity as a completely positive emotional-motivational system, and suggest that curiosity can contribute to negative outcomes in adolescence.

Repeated Administration of Cigarette Smoke Condensate Increases Glutamate Levels and Behavioral Sensitization

PubMed Central

Ryu, In Soo; Kim, Jieun; Seo, Su Yeon; Yang, Ju Hwan; Oh, Jeong Hwan; Lee, Dong Kun; Cho, Hyun-Wook; Lee, Kyuhong; Yoon, Seong Shoon; Seo, Joung-Wook; Shim, Insop; Choe, Eun Sang

2018-01-01

Nicotine, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, produces the reinforcing effects of tobacco dependence by potentiating dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission. Non-nicotine alkaloids in tobacco also contribute to dependence by activating the cholinergic system. However, glutamatergic neurotransmission in the dorsal striatum associated with behavioral changes in response to cigarette smoking has not been investigated. In this study, the authors investigated alterations in glutamate levels in the rat dorsal striatum related to behavioral alterations after repeated administration of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) using the real-time glutamate biosensing and an open-field behavioral assessment. Repeated administration of CSC including 0.4 mg nicotine (1.0 mL/kg/day, subcutaneous) for 14 days significantly increased extracellular glutamate concentrations more than repeated nicotine administration. In parallel with the hyperactivation of glutamate levels, repeated administration of CSC-evoked prolonged hypersensitization of psychomotor activity, including locomotor and rearing activities. These findings suggest that the CSC-induced psychomotor activities are closely associated with the elevation of glutamate concentrations in the rat dorsal striatum. PMID:29615877

Exploring a strongly non-Markovian behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alba, Vasyl; Berman, Gordon; Bialek, William; Shaevitz, Joshua

Is there some simplicity or universality underlying the complexities of natural animal behavior? Using the walking fruit fly as a model system, we have shown that unconstrained behaviors can be categorized into roughly one hundred discrete states, which all individuals from a single species visit repeatedly. In each state, the fly executes stereotyped movements, and the transitions between states are organized hierarchically. The sequences of states, however, are strongly non-Markovian: correlations persist for orders of magnitude longer than expected from the state-to-state transition probabilities, and there are hints of power law decay. But with 100 states, further analysis is difficult. Here we develop a generalization of the information bottleneck method to compress these states into a more compact description that preserves as much of the temporal correlations as possible. We find that, even on compressing down to just two states, this coarse grained description of behavior captures the long ranged correlations. Power law decays are clearer in this reduced representation, which opens the way for more quantitative analysis.

Chlorpyrifos induces anxiety-like behavior in offspring rats exposed during pregnancy.

PubMed

Silva, Jonas G; Boareto, Ana C; Schreiber, Anne K; Redivo, Daiany D B; Gambeta, Eder; Vergara, Fernanda; Morais, Helen; Zanoveli, Janaína M; Dalsenter, Paulo R

2017-02-22

Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide, member of the organophosphate class, widely used in several countries to manage insect pests on many agricultural crops. Currently, chlorpyrifos health risks are being reevaluated due to possible adverse effects, especially on the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible action of this pesticide on the behaviors related to anxiety and depression of offspring rats exposed during pregnancy. Wistar rats were treated orally with chlorpyrifos (0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10mg/kg/day) on gestational days 14-20. Male offspring behavior was evaluated on post-natal days 21 and 70 by the elevated plus-maze test, open field test and forced swimming test. The results demonstrated that exposure to 0.1, 1 or 10mg/kg/day of chlorpyrifos could induce anxiogenic-like, but not depressive-like behavior at post-natal day 21, without causing fetal toxicity. This effect was reversed on post-natal day 70. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial cognition in a virtual reality home-cage extension for freely moving rodents

PubMed Central

Kaupert, Ursula; Frei, Katja; Bagorda, Francesco; Schatz, Alexej; Tocker, Gilad; Rapoport, Sophie; Derdikman, Dori

2017-01-01

Virtual reality (VR) environments are a powerful tool to investigate brain mechanisms involved in the behavior of animals. With this technique, animals are usually head fixed or secured in a harness, and training for cognitively more complex VR paradigms is time consuming. A VR apparatus allowing free animal movement and the constant operator-independent training of tasks would enable many new applications. Key prospective usages include brain imaging of animal behavior when carrying a miniaturized mobile device such as a fluorescence microscope or an optetrode. Here, we introduce the Servoball, a spherical VR treadmill based on the closed-loop tracking of a freely moving animal and feedback counterrotation of the ball. Furthermore, we present the complete integration of this experimental system with the animals’ group home cage, from which single individuals can voluntarily enter through a tunnel with radio-frequency identification (RFID)-automated access control and commence experiments. This automated animal sorter functions as a mechanical replacement of the experimenter. We automatically trained rats using visual or acoustic cues to solve spatial cognitive tasks and recorded spatially modulated entorhinal cells. When electrophysiological extracellular recordings from awake behaving rats were performed, head fixation can dramatically alter results, so that any complex behavior that requires head movement is impossible to achieve. We circumvented this problem with the use of the Servoball in open-field scenarios, as it allows the combination of open-field behavior with the recording of nerve cells, along with all the flexibility that a virtual environment brings. This integrated home cage with a VR arena experimental system permits highly efficient experimentation for complex cognitive experiments. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Virtual reality (VR) environments are a powerful tool for the investigation of brain mechanisms. We introduce the Servoball, a VR treadmill for freely moving rodents. The Servoball is integrated with the animals’ group home cage. Single individuals voluntarily enter using automated access control. Training is highly time-efficient, even for cognitively complex VR paradigms. PMID:28077665

Geochemical behavior, environmental availability, and reconstruction of historical trends of Cu, Pb, and Zn in sediment cores of the Cananéia-Iguape coastal system, Southeastern Brazil.

PubMed

Tramonte, Keila Modesto; Figueira, Rubens Cesar Lopes; Majer, Alessandra Pereira; de Lima Ferreira, Paulo Alves; Batista, Miriam Fernanda; Ribeiro, Andreza Portella; de Mahiques, Michel Michaelovitch

2018-02-01

The Cananéia-Iguape system is located in a coastal region of southeastern Brazil, recognized by UNESCO as an Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve. This system has suffered substantial environmental impacts due to the opening of an artificial channel and by past intensive mining activities. In this paper was performed the sequential chemical extraction of Cu, Pb, and Zn, on previously described sediment cores, and the statistical treatment of the data, allowing to estimate the remobilization geochemical behavior, the available content and the trend of accumulation between 1926 and 2008. The maximum available level (sum of all mobile fraction) were, in mgkg -1 , 18.74 for Cu, 177.55 for Pb and 123.03 for Zn. Considering its environmental availability, Pb remains a concern in the system. It was possible to recognize the anthropic contribution of Pb, being the mining activities considered the only potential source of this metal in the region. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Locus Coeruleus, Vigilance and Stress: Brain Mechanisms of Adaptive Behavioral Responsiveness

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-14

RroFn r nnrCIMENTATION PAGE AD-A265 724 . .. 1 , ,,IIA-%,NUAL 15 Dec 90 TO 14 Dec 91 mqJ 3OUIIILC 5 FLNONG- LOCUS COERULEUS, VIGILANCE AND STRESS ...the autonomic nervous system (reflected in pupillary diameter), a measure of stress response during the task and a possibly important concomitant of...vigilance performance during normative as well as during stressful conditions. Results of these experiments will open the way to examination of afferents

Organizational Effectiveness: Development and Validation of Integrated Models. Report II. Empirical Studies of Organizational Effectiveness Using Multivariate Models

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-01

34 ’Institute for Social Research LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT TECHNICAL AREA DTIC ~EL ECT-ICI /AUG 2 1983 U. S. Army D C3 Research Institute for the Behavioral and...about or aIlowing changes within the organizatin itself (Georgopoulos, 1972; Georgopoulos & Tannenbaum, 1957). As open systems, organizations and their...in school organizations. Unpublished manuscript, The University of Michigan, 1980. Selznick, P. Leadership in administration. Evanston, Ill.: Row

Ambidextrous Leadership and Employees' Self-reported Innovative Performance: The Role of Exploration and Exploitation Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zacher, Hannes; Robinson, Alecia J.; Rosing, Kathrin

2016-01-01

The ambidexterity theory of leadership for innovation proposes that leaders' opening and closing behaviors positively predict employees' exploration and exploitation behaviors, respectively. The interaction of exploration and exploitation behaviors, in turn, is assumed to influence employee innovative performance, such that innovative performance…

Open circuit voltage-decay behavior in amorphous p-i-n solar due to injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smrity, Manu; Dhariwal, S. R.

2018-05-01

The paper deals with the basic recombination processes at the dangling bond and the band tail states at various levels of injection, expressed in terms of short-circuit current density and their role in the behavior of amorphous solar cells. As the level of injection increases the fill factor decreases whereas the open circuit voltage increases very slowly, showing a saturation tendency. Calculations have been done for two values of tail state densities and shows that with an increase in tail state densities both, the fill factor and open circuit voltage decreases, results an overall degradation of the solar cell.