Introduction: The prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a cyclooxygenase (COX) product, play critical roles in the synaptic plasticity. Therefore, long term use of COX inhibitors may impair the synaptic plasticity. Considering the wide clinical administration of aspirin and its unknown effects on information processing in the brain, the effect of aspirin and sodium salicylate on the short term synaptic p...

Abstract* Introduction: Chronic morphine exposure can cause addiction and affect synaptic plasticity, but the underlying neural mechanisms of this phenomenon remain unknown. Herein we used electrophysiologic approaches in hippocampal CA1 area to examine the effect of chronic morphine administration on short-term plasticity. Methods: Experiments were carried out on hippocampal slices taken f...

When engaged in behavioural games, animals can adjust their use of alternative tactics until groups reach stable equilibria. Recent theory on behavioural plasticity in games predicts that individuals should differ in their plasticity or responsiveness and hence in their degree of behavioural adjustment. Moreover, individuals are predicted to be consistent in their plasticity within and across b...

Plant strategy and life-history theories make different predictions about reproductive efficiency under competition. While strategy theory suggests under intense competition iteroparous perennial plants delay reproduction and semelparous annuals reproduce quickly, life-history theory predicts both annual and perennial plants increase resource allocation to reproduction under intense competition...

Recent research into the evolution of higher cognition has piqued an interest in the effect of natural selection on the ability of creatures to respond to their environment (behavioral plasticity). It is believed that environmental variation is required for plasticity to evolve in cases where the ability to be plastic is costly. We investigate one form of environmental variation: frequency depe...

Understanding species invasion is a central problem in ecology because invasions of exotic species severely impact ecosystems, and because invasions underlie fundamental ecological processes. However, the influence on invasions of phenotypic plasticity, a key component of many species interactions, is unknown. We present a model in which phenotypic plasticity of a resident species increases its...

The role of cortical activity in generating and abolishing chronic pain is increasingly emphasized in the clinical community. Perhaps the most striking example of this is the maladaptive plasticity theory, according to which phantom pain arises from remapping of cortically neighbouring representations (lower face) into the territory of the missing hand following amputation. This theory has been...

This paper presents the first application of peridynamics theory for crystal plasticity simulations. A statebased theory of peridynamics is used (Silling et al., 2007) where the forces in the bonds between particles are computed from stress tensors obtained from crystal plasticity. The stress tensor at a particle, in turn, is computed from strains calculated by tracking the motion of surroundin...

expansive behavior is usually observed in soils, which contain fractions of clay minerals in their composition. water absorption of clay particles and change of natural water content of soil up to plastic limit and down to shrinkage limit will cause significant volume change in expansive soils and will result in severe damages to the structures, buildings and foundations. swelling potential is ...