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1. Ultrasensitive Graphene Optoelectronic Probes for Recording Electrical Activities of Individual Synapses

   https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b02298  

   Wang, Rui; Shi, Mingjian; Brewer, Bryson; Yang, Lijie; Zhang, Yuchen; Webb, Donna J.; Li, Deyu; Xu, Ya-Qiong (August 2018, Nano Letters)
2. A calcium-dependent pathway underlies activity-dependent plasticity of electrical synapses

   Sevetson J, Fittro S (April 2017, Journal of physiology)

   Recent results have demonstrated modification of electrical synapse strength by varied forms of neuronal activity. However, the mechanisms underlying plasticity induction in central mammalian neurons are unclear. Here we show that the two established inductors of plasticity at electrical synapses in the thalamic reticular nucleus -- paired burst spiking in coupled neurons, and mGluR-dependent tetanization of synaptic input -- are separate pathways that converge at a common downstream endpoint. Using occlusion experiments and pharmacology in patched pairs of coupled neurons in vitro, we show that burst-induced depression depends on calcium entry via voltage-gated channels, is blocked by BAPTA chelation, and recruits intracellular calcium release on its way to activation of phosphatase activity. In contrast, mGluR-dependent plasticity is independent of calcium entry or calcium dynamics. Together, these results show that the spiking-initiated mechanisms underlying electrical synapse plasticity are similar to those that induce plasticity at chemical synapses, and offer the possibility that calcium-regulated mechanisms may also lead to alternate outcomes, such as potentiation. Because these mechanistic elements are widely found in mature neurons, we expect them to apply broadly to electrical synapses across the brain, acting as the crucial link between neuronal activity and electrical synapse strength. 

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3. Exploring diverse students' negotiation of lab roles through positioning

   https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2022.pr.Akubo  

   Akubo, Mark; Sundstrom, Meagan; Holmes, N. G. (September 2022, 2022 Physics Education Research Conference Proceedings)

   Frank, Brian W.; Jones, Dyan L.; Ryan, Qing X. (Ed.)

   Prior work has found inequities in what experimental roles students take on during instructional labs. Research also suggests that this role division might arise implicitly and that prompting explicit role negotiation might improve equity in lab group work. To understand these various ways students negotiate roles in their lab groups, we use the lens of positioning to analyze two different video episodes of a gender-and-race-diverse group of three students. In one episode, students implicitly take on roles through subtle negotiations and in the second episode, one student explicitly assigns roles. We find that the positioning dynamics in both episodes lead to inequitable learning experiences within the group. This inequity, moreover, occurs along gender and racial lines, prompting future work relating students' intersectional identities to their positioning dynamics in small groups. 

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4. The diverse roles of insulin signaling in insect behavior

   Weger, Anastasia A; Rittschof, Clare C (April 2024, Frontiers in Insect Science)

   Piermarini, Peter M (Ed.)
5. The diverse roles of insulin signaling in insect behavior

   https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2024.1360320  

   Weger, Anastasia A; Rittschof, Clare C (April 2024, Frontiers in Insect Science)

   In insects and other animals, nutrition-mediated behaviors are modulated by communication between the brain and peripheral systems, a process that relies heavily on the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway (IIS). Previous studies have focused on the mechanistic and physiological functions of insulin-like peptides (ILPs) in critical developmental and adult milestones like pupation or vitellogenesis. Less work has detailed the mechanisms connecting ILPs to adult nutrient-mediated behaviors related to survival and reproductive success. Here we briefly review the range of behaviors linked to IIS in insects, from conserved regulation of feeding behavior to evolutionarily derived polyphenisms. Where possible, we incorporate information fromDrosophila melanogasterand other model species to describe molecular and neural mechanisms that connect nutritional status to behavioral expression via IIS. We identify knowledge gaps which include the diverse functional roles of peripheral ILPs, how ILPs modulate neural function and behavior across the lifespan, and the lack of detailed mechanistic research in a broad range of taxa. Addressing these gaps would enable a better understanding of the evolution of this conserved and widely deployed tool kit pathway. 

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