The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), part of the reticular activating system, modulates waking and paradoxical sleep. During waking and paradoxical sleep, EEG responses are characterized by low amplitude, high frequency oscillatory activity in the beta/gamma band range (~20–80 Hz). We reported that gamma band activity may be intrinsically generated by the membrane electroresponsiveness of PPN neurons, and that the neuronal ensemble generates different patterns of gamma activity in response to specific transmitters. This study attempted to identify the voltage-gated calcium and potassium channels involved in the rising and falling phases of gamma oscillations in PPN neurons. We found that all rat (8–14 day) PPN cell types showed gamma oscillations in the presence of TTX and synaptic blockers when membrane potential was depolarized using current ramps. PPN neurons showed gamma oscillations when voltage-clamped at holding potentials above −30 mV, indicating their origin, we speculate, is spatially located beyond voltage clamp control. The average frequency for all PPN cell types was 23 +/− 1 Hz, which increased under carbachol (47 +/− 2 Hz; ANOVA df= 64, t= 12.5, p<0.001). The N-type calcium channel blocker ω-conotoxin-GVIA partially reduced gamma oscillations, while the P/Q-type blocker ω-agatoxin-IVA abolished them. Both ω-CgTX and ω-Aga blocked voltage-dependent calcium currents by 56% and 52%, respectively. The delayed rectifier-like potassium channel blocker α-dendrotoxin also abolished gamma oscillations. In carbachol-induced PPN population responses, ω-agatoxin-IVA reduced higher, and ω-CgTx mostly lower, frequencies. These results suggest that voltage-dependent P/Q-, and to a lesser extent N-, type calcium channels mediate gamma oscillations in PPN.

BACKGROUND Fertility preservation (FP) is an important quality of life issue for cancer survivors of reproductive age. Despite the existence of broad international guidelines, the delivery of oncofertility care, particularly amongst paediatric, adolescent and young adult patients, remains a challenge for healthcare professionals (HCPs). The quality of oncofertility care is variable and the uptake and utilization of FP remains low. Available guidelines fall short in providing adequate detail on how oncofertility models of care (MOC) allow for the real-world application of guidelines by HCPs. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on the components of oncofertility care as defined by patient and clinician representatives, and identify the barriers, facilitators and challenges, so as to improve the implementation of oncofertility services. SEARCH METHODS A systematic scoping review was conducted on oncofertility MOC literature published in English between 2007 and 2016, relating to 10 domains of care identified through consumer research: communication, oncofertility decision aids, age-appropriate care, referral pathways, documentation, training, supportive care during treatment, reproductive care after cancer treatment, psychosocial support and ethical practice of oncofertility care. A wide range of electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, AEIPT, Education Research Complete, ProQuest and VOCED) were searched in order to synthesize the evidence around delivery of oncofertility care. Related citations and reference lists were searched. The review was undertaken following registration (International prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) registration number CRD42017055837) and guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). OUTCOMES A total of 846 potentially relevant studies were identified after the removal of duplicates. All titles and abstracts were screened by a single reviewer and the final 147 papers were screened by two reviewers. Ten papers on established MOC were identified amongst the included papers. Data were extracted from each paper and quality scores were then summarized in the oncofertility MOC summary matrix. The results identified a number of themes for improving MOC in each domain, which included: the importance of patients receiving communication that is of a higher quality and in different formats on their fertility risk and FP options; improving provision of oncofertility care in a timely manner; improving access to age-appropriate care; defining the role and scope of practice of all HCPs; and improving communication between different HCPs. Different forms of decision aids were found useful for assisting patients to understand FP options and weigh up choices. WIDER IMPLICATIONS This analysis identifies core components for de...

The original version of this article omitted two citations. These papers provide a seminal description of retinal waves (Meister et al., 1991) and their effects on retinogeniculate patterning (Penn et al., 1998). These citations have been added, and the article has now been corrected online.

SUMMARY Cutaneous mechanosensory neurons detect mechanical stimuli that generate touch and pain sensation. Although opioids are generally associated only with the control of pain, here we report that the opioid system in fact broadly regulates cutaneous mechanosensation, including touch. This function is predominantly subserved by the delta opioid receptor (DOR), which is expressed by myelinated mechanoreceptors that form Meissner corpuscles, Merkel cell-neurite complexes, and circumferential hair follicle endings. These afferents also include a small population of CGRP-expressing myelinated nociceptors that we now identify as the somatosensory neurons that coexpress mu and delta opioid receptors. We further demonstrate that DOR activation at the central terminals of myelinated mechanoreceptors depresses synaptic input to the spinal dorsal horn, via the inhibition of voltage-gated calcium channels. Collectively our results uncover a molecular mechanism by which opioids modulate cutaneous mechanosensation and provide a rationale for targeting DOR to alleviate injury-induced mechanical hypersensitivity.

We conducted a national survey of psychology department chairs, and, based on their responses, we concluded that psychology programs differ in the number of students enrolled in various types of classes; the degree of focus on each of the goals recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA) Guidelines for an Undergraduate Psychology Education; the frequency of student participation in research, study abroad, and field placement; and the frequency of student-faculty interactions. We describe the percentage of psychology majors who have these program-relevant experiences. We also demonstrate that there are relationships between key high-impact activities and graduate school attendance, assessment test scores, and program completion rate. Based on the findings, we suggest how psychology programs may be able to help students to maximize their success.Keywords undergraduate psychology curriculum, faculty engagement, student engagement, student learning, student success What experiences and activities, in addition to the psychology curriculum itself, help psychology students to achieve the highest level of success? Certainly the curriculum is critical (Brewer et al., 1993;Buxton et al., 1952;McKeachie & Millholland, 1961), but it is similar across many programs (Stoloff et al., 2010). Thus, differences in student success among programs are not likely to be solely attributable to the curriculum. Our previous study demonstrated that programs vary in a variety of ways beyond course requirements, and these factors correlate with some measures of student success (Stoloff, Curtis, Rodgers, Brewster, & McCarthy, 2012). In that study, we did not find any relationship between the frequency with which students completed particular courses and the percentage of students attending graduate school. In contrast, we found that more students attended graduate school from programs that (1) focused greater faculty attention on undergraduates, (2) had more experiential learning opportunities, including opportunities for students and faculty to collaborate on research projects, (3) had more academic advising, and (4) had more frequent informal student-faculty interactions. This study had two purposes, that is, to develop national benchmarks for the percentage of psychology majors who have various experiences within or outside of courses and to demonstrate that there are significant relationships between the intensity of these experiences and several indicators of student success.There is a wealth of literature regarding activities that faculty members believe should be promoted within the psychology curriculum. We chose to focus on several skill domains that have been addressed in the literature. The perceived importance of activities that promote skill development is clear in the American Psychological Association (APA) Guidelines (2007), which suggested that psychology students should develop specific skills in scientific and critical reasoning, oral and written communication, information literacy, technology, and career p...