Im Hippokampus gibt es verschiedene Netzwerkoszillationen mit unterschiedlichen Frequenzen. Ein Typ dieser Oszillationen sind die ”Ripple” mit einer Frequenz von etwa 200 Hz, welche in Komplexen mit einer Aktivitätswelle, der ”Sharp wave” auftreten. Sharp wave-ripple Komplexe (SWR) werden mit der Konsolidierung von Gedächtnis in Zusammenhang gebracht. Das Netzwerk, das den SWR unterliegt, hat bestimmte Mechanismen, von denen einige in der vorliegenden Arbeit näher untersucht werden. Im ersten Teil wird untersucht, wie ein hemmendes Interneuron in der hippokampalen Region CA1, das ”oriens-lacunosum moleculare” (O-LM) Interneuron, während der SWR in das Netzwerk eingebunden ist. Wir konnten zeigen, dass O-LM Zellen während der SWR starke synaptische Exzitation erhalten. Die Exzitation tritt spät während des Ripples im lokalen Feldpotential (LFP) auf und zeigt eine Phasenankopplung an die Ripple. In etwa der Hälfte der O-LM Zellen konnten wir Aktionspotentiale während der SWR zeigen, die an die Ripple-Phase im LFP gebunden sind und nach dem Ripple-Maximum auftreten. Der zweite Teil der Arbeit bezieht sich auf die hippokampale Region CA1 und vergleicht während SWR den synaptischen Eingang in zwei Untertypen von Pyramidenzellen, die tiefen und die oberflächlichen Pyramidenzellen. Beide Untertypen bekommen synaptische Eingänge während der SWR. Diese Eingänge sind eine Mischung aus exzitatorischen und inhibitorischen Eingängen, die in den Untertypen in ihrer Stärke vergleichbar sind. Im dritten Teil untersuchen wir die SWR in der Region CA2 des Hippokampus und zeigen, dass Pyramidenzellen in CA2 in das Netzwerk während SWR eingebunden sind. Wir können sowohl exzitatorische als auch inhibitorische synaptische Eingänge in den Pyramidenzellen darstellen und konnten eine Phasenkopplung der synaptischen Eingänge an die SWR im LFP zeigen. Aufgrund der Phasenverschiebung bei verschiedenen Haltepotentialen vermuten wir einen Oszillator für die Exzitation und einen für die Hemmung. / In the hippocampus there are different patterns of activity also known as network oscillations. These oscillations express different frequencies, and one oscillation is the ripple oscillation at around 200 Hz. It is associated with an activity wave called sharp wave and form a so-called sharp wave-ripple complex (SWR). SWRs are implicated in memory consolidation. In this thesis we investigate mechanisms underlying sharp wave-ripple complexes. In the first part of this thesis I examine one type of inhibitory neurons in the region CA1 of the hippocampus during SWR. Oriens-lacunosum moleculare (O-LM) interneurons receive strong excitatory synaptic input during ripples. This input arrives after the ripple maximum and is phase locked with the ripple cycles. Around half of the probed O-LM cells fire during the SWR and thereby show an active participation during SWR. The magnitude of excitation in O-LM cells and the ratio between excitation and inhibition determine if an O-LM cell is active during the SWR. Action potentials in these cells occur late during the SWR and are phase locked. In the second part the synaptic input onto excitatory pyramidal cells were investigated during ripple oscillations. Previous work has identified two different types of pyramidal cells in area CA1. We recorded from deep and superficial pyramidal cells. For both types of pyramidal cells the inhibitory and excitatory synaptic inputs temporally associated with ripples express comparable strength. In the last and third part, I recorded SWR in the CA2 region of the hippocampus and showed incidence, frequency and amplitude of ripples and SWR. Pyramidal cells in the CA2 region are integrated into the network during SWR. They receive SWR associated synaptic input during SWR. The excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs in CA2 pyramidal cells were investigated in detail. Phase analysis show phase locking of local field potential ripples and synaptic inputs to the ascending phase of the ripple cycle.

Replay of spike sequences can be seen during sharp wave – ripple population burst activity in the hippocampus. It is thought that this activity, which occurs during rest and sleep, is involved in memory consolidation. The cellular mechanisms underlying the initiation of these replay events are not well understood. To investigate this, a hippocampal slice model, showing spontaneous sharp wave – ripple activity, and a combination of planar multi-electrode array recordings and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of anatomically identified hippocampal neurons were used. Firstly, the spatial and temporal profile of sharp waves in vitro was analysed in detail. Sharp waves were generated by changing subpopulations of pyramidal neurons in the CA3 region and had characteristics similar to those found in vivo. Secondly, four major receptor types present in hippocampal CA3, namely NMDA, AMPA, GABAA and GABAB receptors, were investigated for their involvement in sharp wave generation. Surprisingly, not only AMPA receptor-mediated events, but also phasic GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition, were necessary for sharp wave generation. Thirdly, single perisomatic-targeting interneurons were activated. This experiment showed that induced spiking activity of an individual perisomatic-targeting interneuron can both suppress and subsequently enhance local sharp wave generation. Spiking activity of other neuron types (i.e. pyramidal neurons, dendritic-targeting interneurons and interneuron-selective interneurons) had no significant effect on sharp wave incidence. Finally, it is suggested that this post-inhibitory enhancement of sharp wave generation can be mediated by a transient increase in the ratio of excitation to inhibition in the local network. In conclusion, these results suggest a new role for perisomatic-targeting interneurons in controlling the local initiation of sharp waves by selectively suppressing and subsequently enhancing recruitment of a subpopulation of pyramidal neurons. These results further imply that interneurons may play an integral part in the local information processing that takes place in the hippocampal network.

Thesis advisor: Charles Derber / The institution of apartheid (or official segregation), implemented in South Africa in 1948, drew immediate and prolonged opposition. For decades, groups within South Africa and in countries around the world protested government policies and repression. Many anti-apartheid activists expressed their objections to the system of apartheid through expressly nonviolent actions, including strikes, boycotts, demonstrations, and the formation of alternative institutions. Opponents of apartheid also garnered support from the international community to pressure the South African government with sanctions and embargoes. At the same time, several groups of anti-apartheid activists chose to resort to violent means to protest the government. These acts of violence included sabotage and, occasionally, the deaths of government officials or collaborators. This paper examines historical and contemporary theories of the morality and effectiveness of nonviolent action. After studying the history of the struggle against apartheid and the use of nonviolent action in South Africa, the argument is made that the consistent and prolonged use of nonviolent actions played the most crucial role in the downfall of the apartheid system. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2005. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Sociology. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

The fin de siècle was a time of change in nationalism, culture, art, science and religion. Nations and groups grew into defining themselves through movements such as Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau. Some groups sought to define themselves through reviving aspects of their old cultures as inspiration. For instance, Finland found inspiration in the Kalavala and William Morris inspired Arts and Crafts through England’s Middle Ages. Scotland had many pasts to choose from for inspiration. Patrick Geddes found inspiration in its Celtic past. Geddes is best known for his work as a town planner and sociologist, but has been under-valued for his work as the leader of the 1890s cultural movement in Edinburgh, the Celtic Renascence. In an effort to revive the flagging Old Town, Geddes created a community in Ramsay Garden on the Castle Esplanade. Ramsay Garden became home to Summer Meetings, University Hall functions, and the Old Edinburgh School of Art, and out of all this emerged The Evergreen: A Northern Seasonal. The Evergreen served as a mouthpiece for the Celtic Renascence, a way for them to communicate the life of Ramsay Garden to those outside it. It was a journal which included art, literature and science, brought to the reader on a seasonal basis. Geddes’s view of Celticism was inclusive, he sought to include all peoples of Celtic nations (a view not all agreed with). But his Celtic Renascence was more than just a small art movement, it was part of his larger work to improve city life, to get people to broaden their perspectives and to generalise rather than specialise. Geddes used the Celtic Renascence, like any of his other projects, as a tool for positive and lasting change.

A major drawback in the operation of mechanical heart valve prostheses is thrombus formation in the near valve region potentially due to the high shear stresses present in the leakage jet flows through small gaps between leaflets and the valve housing. Detailed flow analysis in this region during the valve closure phase is of interest in understanding the relationship between shear stress and platelet activation. An efficient Cartesian grid method is developed for the simulation of incompressible flows around stationary and moving three-dimensional immersed solid bodies as well as fluid-fluid interfaces. The embedded boundaries are represented using Levelsets and treated in a sharp manner without the use of source terms to represent boundary effects. The resulting algorithm is implemented in a straightforward manner in three dimensions and retains global second-order accuracy. When dealing with problems of disparate length scales encountered in many applications, it is necessary to resolve the physically important length scales adequately to ensure accuracy of the solution. Fixed grid methods often have the disadvantage of heavy mesh requirement for well resolved calculations. A quadtree based adaptive local mesh refinement scheme is developed to complement the sharp interface Cartesian grid method scheme for efficient and optimized calculations. Detailed timing and accuracy data is presented for a variety of benchmark problems involving moving boundaries. The above method is then applied to modeling heart valve closure and predicting thrombus formation. Leaflet motion is calculated dynamically based on the fluid forces acting on it employing a fluid-structure interaction algorithm. Platelets are modeled and tracked as point particles by a Lagrangian particle tracking method which incorporates the hemodynamic forces on the particles. Leaflet closure dynamics including rebound is analyzed and validated against previous studies. Vortex shedding and formation of recirculation regions are observed downstream of the valve, particularly in the gap between the valve and the housing. Particle exposure to high shear and entrapment in recirculation regions with high residence time in the vicinity of the valve are observed corresponding to regions prone to thrombus formation.

Total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) is a noninvasive method for the estimation of lean mass in live subjects. Lipid content can be calculated from the body mass measured and the lean mass estimated from TOBEC. I used live American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) to study the accuracy of this method. TOBEC measurements were compared to actual body content determined by Soxhlet fat extraction using petroleum ether as the solvent. TOBEC estimated 73.7% of the variation in lean mass in a sample of 21 kestrels. The use of restraining devices (Vetrap and cardboard cylinders) altered the TOBEC measurement but only by an average of 1.92% and 0.83%, respectively. TOBEC estimated 83.8% of the vii variation in lean mass for 21 kestrel carcasses warmed to 39.8°C. No significant difference was found between the slope or elevation of the calibration lines developed using live or dead kestrels. A significant difference was found between measurements taken at two different positions. Body temperature altered the TOBEC measurements by an average of 1.54% (SE = 0.55) for each 1°C change over a temperature range of 7.0°C (37.3-44.4). The calibration line developed for kestrels was used to estimate lean mass and compute fat mass of migrating kestrels, Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus) and Merlins (Falco columbarius). The average percent fat mass of kestrels trapped during migration at Cape May, New Jersey, was 6.01 % (SE = 1.92, n = 1 2) for males and 8.51 % (SE = 2.00, n = 13) for females. The difference in lean mass between male and female, and between early, mid-season, and late migrating Sharp-shinned Hawks differed significantly during migration. The fat mass of Sharp-shinned Hawks averaged 5.55% (SE = 0.94, n = 53) for males and 10.92% (SE = 0.80, n = 87) for females. Male Merlins had an average fat mass of 18.05% (SE = 3.35, n = 7) and females averaged 14.19% (SE = 3.15, n = 8).

The Great Plains variety of the sharp-tailed grouse Pediocetes phasianellus jamesi Lincoln was the predominant upland game bird during the exploratory and early settlement period in North Dakota (Coues 1874 and 1878 . Larson 1928, and Williams 1926) . Since then its status has diminished as the prairie grassland gradually was converted to intensively used pastures and cropland. Although the sharptail is still abundant enough in its remaining habitat to provide for liberal annual harvests , further demand on these lands by a growing human population will make it necessary to apply game management measures other than hunting regulations if the sharptail is to be retained as an important game bird in the state.

One of the earliest functions to express infiltration as a function of time was introduced by Green and Ampt. In this study their formula was modified to account for air compression and counterflow. Physically,infiltration, air compression, and counterflow occur simultaneously, while in this model they are decoupled within a time step. Counterflow is calculated as a mass flux and pressure is found using the perfect gas law. First, a comparison of three infiltration methods, the original Green and Ampt formulation, a modified version incorporating air compression only, and the third version including air compression and counterflow, was conducted. Then sensitivity of the model accounting for both air compression and counterflow was explored. Results showed that accounting for both air compression and counterflow improves the predicted infiltration rate. Air effect on infiltration can be significant even for environments with an impervious layer as deep as 10m; while for very deep water table environments (100m) the three models give similar results. In shallow water table environments (0.5m), air effect on infiltration rate, cumulative infiltration, ponding time, and saturation time is substantial. The model accounting for air compression and counterflow was then tested for different parameters. It provided reasonable results compared to the Green and Ampt model and the modified version accounting for air compression only. The advantages of this model are that no additional data is required other than what's needed for the original Green and Ampt formulation, and it can be applied for any environment. The assumption of uniform soil moisture content is a limitation for the model, especially for shallow water table environments where the variations in the soil moisture profile within the wetting front depth is substantial.

We studied the effect of a first order irreversible chemical reaction on mass transfer for two-phase flow systems in which the continuous phase is a fluid and the dispersed phase consists in catalystspherical particles. The reactive solute is transported by the fluid flow and penetrates through the particle surface by diffusion. The chemical reaction takes place within the bulk of the particle. Wehandle the problem by coupling mass balance equations for internal-external transfer with two boundary conditions: continuity of concentration and mass flux at the particle surface. We start with the case of a single isolated sphere. We propose a model to predict mass transfer coefficient (`reactive' Sherwood number) accounting for the external convection-diffusion along with internal diffusion-reaction. We validate the model through comparison with fully resolved Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) performed by means of a boundary-fitted mesh method. For the simulation of multi-particle systems, we implemented a Sharp Interface Method to handle strong concentration gradients. We validate the implementation of the method thoroughly thanks to comparison with existing analytical solutions in case of diffusion, diffusion-reaction and by comparison with previously established correlations for convection-diffusion mass transfer. In case of convectiondiffusion- reaction, we validate the method and we evaluate its accuracy through comparisons with single particle simulations based on the boundary-fitted method. Later, we study the problem of three aligned-interacting spheres with internal chemical reaction. We propose a `reactive' Sherwood number model based on a known non-reactive prediction of mass transfer for each sphere. We validate the model by comparison with direct numerical simulations for a wide range of dimensionless parameters. Then, we study the configuration of a fixed bed of catalyst particles. We model the cup-mixing concentration profile, accounting for chemical reaction within the bed, and the mean surface and volume concentration profiles of the particles. We introduce a model for `reactive' Sherwood number that accounts for the solid volume fraction, in addition to the aforementioned effects. We compare the model to numerical simulations to evaluate its limitations

My study has a dual purpose; 1. To examine the explanatory power of educational theory as a means of illuminating a particular educational practice. 2. To examine the potential for practice to provide a critique of educational theory and thus contribute towards the generation of new theoretical perspectives. I do this by focusing on the possible failure of a particular opposition movement, to wit the progressive movement in Victorian secondary schools 1966-1976. I investigate the limits and possibilities of such a movement with reference to ideal conditions. There are 3 phases to this investigation: 1. a descriptive account of the progressive movement which attempts to establish its status as an oppositional movement and its context. 2. an internal analysis of its themes, intentions and practices according to the criteria of consistency and coherence . 3. an external analysis which takes up the inconsistencies or contradictions as problems in need of interpretation. Selected educational theories and studies, such as those developed by Bowles and Gintis, Sharp, Willis and Hinkson will be examined both for their power to account for the particular contradictions that emerged and their ability to illuminate broader processes of constraint which work both in and through schooling. The purpose of such an analysis is to heighten our understanding of contemporary educational theory and practice through a sharper perspective of the immediate past, drawing on, and learning from, both the mistakes and insights of the past. I offer in conclusion, some provisional remarks for use in similar situations in the future. This paper is not an empirical study or a case study, but a form of conceptual analysis using texts and theoretical perspectives.