The NMDA spike is a long-lasting nonlinear phenomenon initiated locally in the dendritic branches of a variety of cortical neurons. It plays a key role in synaptic plasticity and in single-neuron computations. Combining dynamic system theory and computational approaches, we now explore how the timing of synaptic inhibition affects the NMDA spike and its associated membrane current. When impingi...

• A weak magnetic field can enhance ductile-mode cutting of CaF 2 single crystal. Magnetic direction shows anisotropy in affecting ductile–brittle transition. coupled analysis magneto-plasticity and crystal plasticity is developed. Dislocation behaviour fracture toughness are revealed under field. DFT computation corroborates the magnetic-induced dislocation depinning theory. Magneto-plasticity...

Much work has shown that the environment can induce non-genetic changes in phenotype that span multiple generations. Theory predicts that predictable environmental variation selects for both increased within- and across-generation responses. Yet, to the best of our knowledge, there are no empirical tests of this prediction. We explored the relationship between within- versus across-generation p...

The conventional cancer stem cell (CSC) theory indicates a hierarchy of CSCs and non-stem cancer cells (NSCCs), that is, CSCs can differentiate into NSCCs but not vice versa. However, an alternative paradigm of CSC theory with reversible cell plasticity among cancer cells has received much attention very recently. Here we present a generalized multi-phenotypic cancer model by integrating cell p...

Repetition suppression refers to a reduction in the cortical response to a novel stimulus that results from repeated presentation of the stimulus. We demonstrate repetition suppression in a well established computational model of cortical plasticity, according to which the relative strengths of lateral inhibitory interactions are modified by Hebbian learning. We present the model as an extensio...

After more than 30 years of study, the dynamics of synaptic plasticity in neurons still remain somewhat a mystery. By conducting a series of simulations on a simulated version of the rat dentate gyrus granule cell using the Izhikevich spiking neuron model, we compare and contrast several potential synaptic plasticity rules' applicability to the same experiment. Based on a 2001 experiment (Abrah...

the effect of endogenous serotonin on long-term potentiation (ltp) in region cai was studied by blocking 5-ht2 receptors with ketanserin in rat hippocampal slices. such a block significantly en-hanced long-term potentiation of the cai population spike induced by high frequency stimulation of the schaffer collateral/ commissural pathway. this implies that serotonin acts on 5-ht2 receptors in cai...

early life events influence life-long patterns of emotionality and stress responsiveness and alter the rate of brain and body aging.  much research attention has focused on the programming effects of the hypothalamus pituitary axis (hpa) in early life and on understanding hpa function in response to stressors in adulthood. in comparison, there has been relatively little research on adolescence,...