<p>The study aims to understand the challenges facing the Itinerant Learning Support Educators in an Inclusive Education framework. At the onset of the study there were very limited research studies and literature available on the challenges facing Itinerant Learning Support Educators hence literature in the study drew on the development and history of Special Education towards a global shift with regard to Inclusive Education policy development. As such the literature was utilized to understand how global phenomena and policies in developed countries impact on local policy transformation and contexts. The study followed a qualitative research approach to explore the challenges facing Itinerant Learning Support Educators in performing their functions. To gain an in depth understanding of their perceptions a case study method was followed and data collection techniques included focus group interviews. The sample in this study comprised of 14 Itinerant Learning Support Educators. The data was analyzed using a thematic approach. The findings of this study highlighted that despite a shift towards Inclusive Education in South Africa, Itinerant Learning Support Educators found themselves challenged by a range of contextual issues that impacted on the effective delivery of inclusive principles and practices. The study recommends that the Department of Education should take cognisance of these challenges, review the job description of Itinerant Learning Support Educators and put clear guidelines and support structures in place to support them in functioning optimally within an Inclusive Education paradigm.</p>

The present thesis investigates the effects of lesions to several hypothesized learning and memory systems on the morphine conditioned cue preference on the radial maze. Lesions of the structures thought to be centered to learning systems: the lateral nucleus of amygdala, fornix/fimbria, anterior dorsal striatum and posterior dorsal striatum, were made, In Experiment One, each structure was lesioned separately. Only lesions of the lateral nucleus of amygdala blocked morphine CCP learning. In Experiment Two, rats with combined lesions of fornix/fimbria and dorsal striatum, the lateral nucleus of amygdala and fornix/fimbria, as well as the lateral nucleus of amygdala and dorsal striatum were all impaired on morphine CCP. All of the rats with combined lesions were impaired in this CCP learning. These findings suggest that the lateral nucleus of amygdala is necessary for the morphine CCP. Participation of dorsal striatum or fornix/fimbria is also required. Some hypotheses about the interactions among the structures are discussed.

The experiments in this thesis investigated the neuropharmacology of memory in the caudate nucleus, using the conditioned emotional response (CER) with visual and olfactory conditioned stimuli (CS). / In experiment 1, post-training, intrastriatal microinjections of both amphetamine and LY 171555, but not SKF 38393: (1) into the posteroventral area improved memory of a visual, but not an olfactory, CER; (2) into the ventrolateral area improved memory of an olfactory, but not a visual, CER. In experiment 2, sulpiride, but not SCH 23390, blocked the memory improving effect of amphetamine. These findings are consistant with the hypothesis that dopamine D2 receptor stimulation mediates the memory enhancement effect of amphetamine in the neostriatum. / In three experiments on a visual CER, pre-training intrastriatal micro-injections of scopolamine impaired acquisition; post-training micro-injections improved consolidation; and pre-testing micro-injections impaired retrieval. These findings are consistant with the hypothesis that striatal muscarinic receptor stimulation mediates some aspects of acquisition and retrieval of sensory-motor memory, and that blockade of these receptors following training has an effect on memory consolidation similar to that of D2-receptor stimulation. / In experiment 6, destruction of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons abolished the memory improving effect of intrastriatal post-training micro-injections of scopolamine and AFDX-384, a specific muscarinic M2 antagonist. These results suggest that the post-training memory improvement produced by muscarinic blockade may be mediated by an M2 receptor, known to be located on dopaminergic nigro-striatal terminals.

The experiments reported in the present dissertation investigated the contribution of the mammillary region to several classes of learning and memory: spatial memory, nonspatial memory, and conditioned aversion learning. It was demonstrated that such lesions impair performance on tasks that require memory for spatial information but that the deficit depends on both the amount of damage within the region as well as the degree of difficulty of the task. A dissociation in the effect of such lesions on performance of comparable spatial and nonspatial memory tasks was shown. In contrast to the severe deficits observed on spatial memory tasks, the acquisition and retention of a complex nonspatial memory task was not impaired after extensive damage to the mammillary region. Such lesions also did not impair performance on two conditioned aversion tasks. These experiments suggest that the mammillary region may be selectively involved in spatial learning and memory. The relevance of these findings to Korsakoff's syndrome is discussed.

Orientador: Elenice Aparecida de Moraes Ferrari / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T13:20:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sousa_GrazielleAurelinaFragade_M.pdf: 2482319 bytes, checksum: 98003776bf4be1025c31d965be705e09 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Este estudo investigou se o desempenho de estudantes universitários, em testes de memória episódica e operacional, varia em função do horário e do intervalo de tempo em que são realizados os testes de evocação. Na Fase 1, o Questionário Cronotipo foi utilizado para classificar o tipo cronobiológico. Dos 396 alunos avaliados, 59% foram classificados como intermediários, 35% como vespertinos e 6% como matutinos. Na Fase 2, foi avaliada uma amostra de 43 alunos, de ambos os sexos, classificados como intermediários, com 20,12 ± 2,18 anos de idade, falantes nativos de Português, sem histórico de distúrbios do sono ou uso de drogas psicoativas. Foram constituídos quatro grupos de acordo com os horários das sessões de treino/teste imediato e teste tardio: GMN - treino pela manhã e teste à noite, após 12horas; GMM - treino pela manhã e teste pela manhã, após 24 horas; GNM - treino à noite e teste pela manhã, após 12 horas; GNN - treino à noite e teste à noite, após 24 horas. Para avaliação da memória episódica e operacional foram utilizados: Teste de Aprendizagem Auditivo Verbal de Rey (TAAVR), Teste de Memória Lógica (TML), Teste de Extensão de Dígitos e Teste dos Blocos de Corsi. O Diário de Sono foi usado para avaliar o ciclo vigília-sono e o uso de termistor e de actímetro permitiu avaliar os ritmos de temperatura de punho e atividade motora. Questionários específicos foram utilizados para avaliação da percepção de estresse, ansiedade e estado de humor. Os dados do TAAVR e TML em três diferentes momentos de avaliação (imediato, após 30 minutos e tardio - após 12 ou 24horas) não indicaram efeito do horário ou do intervalo entre os testes de evocação (ANOVA; p > 0,05); no entanto, foi observada uma redução significativa dos escores ao longo dos momentos de avaliação (ANOVA; p < 0,05). Os escores médios obtidos no teste 30 minutos e no teste tardio do TAAVR correlacionaram-se positivamente com a média de duração do sono global (Teste de Spearman, p < 0,05). A média de duração do sono anterior à sessão de teste imediato apresentou correlação positiva com o escore médio do teste tardio do TML (Teste de Spearman, p < 0,05). Não houve efeito de horário ou de sessão sobre os índices do Teste de Extensão de Dígitos, Teste dos Blocos de Corsi e fatores de avaliação do humor (ANOVA; p > 0,05). Os grupos não diferiram quanto ao índice de estresse percebido e características de traço e estado de ansiedade (ANOVA, p > 0,05). O ritmo da temperatura de punho e o ritmo da atividade motora apresentaram relações de fase adequadas para a maioria dos sujeitos avaliados. A distribuição dos cronotipos na população avaliada concorda com os dados descritos para a população brasileira. Os dados indicaram a ausência de efeito do horário sobre o desempenho de indivíduos com cronotipo intermediário e sugerem uma relação entre a duração do sono e a memória episódica verbal. Estas evidências contribuem para o conhecimento sobre a variação do desempenho cognitivo durante a fase de vigília / Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate if the performance of undergraduate students in episodic and working memory tests is influenced by the time-of-day and the interval between the retrieval tests. In Phase 1, the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire was used for assessment of the chonotype in a sample of students. Of 396 students assessed, 59% were classified as intermediate-type, 35% evening-type and 6% morning-type. The Phase 2 was conducted with 43 students classified as intermediatetype, both genders, with 20.12 ± 2.18 years old, native Portuguese speakers, without history of sleep disorders or use of drugs known to influence sleep and memory. These students were allocated in four groups according to the time-of-day of the training and the tests: GMN - trained in the morning (7:30 a.m.) and tested at same day, at night (6:30 p.m.); GMM - trained in the morning (7:30 a.m.) and tested after 24 hours (7:30 a.m.); GNM - trained at night (6:30 p.m.) and tested in the morning of the next day (7:30 a.m.); and the GNN - trained at night (6:30 p.m.) and tested after 24 hours (6:30 p.m.). The Rey Auditory Learning Test (RAVLT), Logical Memory Test (LMT), Corsi Block- Tapping Test and Digit Span Test were used to assess episodic and working memories. The sleep-wake cycle was assessed by sleep-logs and the wrist temperature and motor activity rhythmics was evaluated by thermistor and actigraphy. The levels of perceived stress, state of anxiety and mood were also evaluated. There was no time-of-day effect or interval effect on the retrieval of the RAVLT and LMT in the immediate test, 30 minutes test and delayed test - after 12 or 24 hours (ANOVA, p > 0.05). However, the scores showed a significant decrease across these three assessments (ANOVA p < 0.05). Positive correlation was observed between the mean sleep duration and the mean scores of the RAVLT after 30 minutes and in the delayed test (Spearman Test, p < 0.05). The mean of sleep duration before the immediate test was positively correlated with the LMT score during the delayed test (Spearman Test, p < 0.05). There was no effect of the time-of-day on Digit Span Test, Corsi Block-Tapping Test and mood assessment (ANOVA, p > 0.05). No between-group differences occurred in the level of perceived stress and trait-state anxiety (p > 0.05). The rhythm of wrist temperature and the rhythm of motor activity showed appropriate phase relations for the most part of evaluated subjects. The data indicate absence of time-of-day effect on the performance of intermediate-type individuals and suggest a relationship between memory and the sleep duration. Such evidence contributes to our understanding of the variation in cognitive performance during the wake period / Mestrado / Fisiologia / Mestre em Biologia Funcional e Molecular

Magister Educationis - MEd / The study aims to understand the challenges facing the Itinerant Learning Support Educators in an Inclusive Education framework. At the onset of the study there were very limited research studies and literature available on the challenges facing Itinerant Learning Support Educators hence literature in the study drew on the development and history of Special Education towards a global shift with regard to Inclusive Education policy development. As such the literature was utilized to understand how global phenomena and policies in developed countries impact on local policy transformation and contexts. The study followed a qualitative research approach to explore the challenges facing Itinerant Learning Support Educators in performing their functions. To gain an in depth understanding of their perceptions a case study method was followed and data collection techniques included focus group interviews. The sample in this study comprised of 14 Itinerant Learning Support Educators. The data was analyzed using a thematic approach. The findings of this study highlighted that despite a shift towards Inclusive Education in South Africa, Itinerant Learning Support Educators found themselves challenged by a range of contextual issues that impacted on the effective delivery of inclusive principles and practices. The study recommends that the Department of Education should take cognisance of these challenges, review the job description of Itinerant Learning Support Educators and put clear guidelines and support structures in place to support them in functioning optimally within an Inclusive Education paradigm. / South Africa

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Biological brains are composed of neurons, interconnected by synapses to create large complex networks. Learning and memory occur, in large part, due to synaptic plasticity -- modifications in the efficacy of information transmission through these synaptic connections. Artificial neural networks model these with neural "units" which communicate through synaptic weights. Models of learning and memory propose synaptic plasticity rules that describe and predict the weight modifications. An equally important but under-evaluated question is the selection of \textit{which} synapses should be updated in response to a memory event. In this work, we attempt to separate the questions of synaptic plasticity from that of memory addressing. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the problem of memory addressing and a summary of the solutions that have been considered in computational neuroscience and artificial intelligence, as well as those that may exist in biology. Chapter 2 presents in detail a solution to memory addressing and synaptic plasticity in the context of familiarity detection, suggesting strong feedforward weights and anti-Hebbian plasticity as the respective mechanisms. Chapter 3 proposes a model of recall, with storage performed by addressing through local third factors and neo-Hebbian plasticity, and retrieval by content-based addressing. In Chapter 4, we consider the problem of concurrent memory consolidation and memorization. Both storage and retrieval are performed by content-based addressing, but the plasticity rule itself is implemented by gradient descent, modulated according to whether an item should be stored in a distributed manner or memorized verbatim. However, the classical method for computing gradients in recurrent neural networks, backpropagation through time, is generally considered unbiological. In Chapter 5 we suggest a more realistic implementation through an approximation of recurrent backpropagation. Taken together, these results propose a number of potential mechanisms for memory storage and retrieval, each of which separates the mechanism of synaptic updating -- plasticity -- from that of synapse selection -- addressing. Explicit studies of memory addressing may find applications not only in artificial intelligence but also in biology. In artificial networks, for example, selectively updating memories in large language models can help improve user privacy and security. In biological ones, understanding memory addressing can help with health outcomes and treating memory-based illnesses such as Alzheimers or PTSD.