Permitted Sets and Convex Coding in Nonthreshold Linear Networks.

Hebbian theory proposes that ensembles of neurons form a basis for neural processing. It is possible to gain insight into the activity patterns of these neural ensembles through a binary analysis, regarding neurons as either active or inactive. The framework of permitted and forbidden sets, introduced by Hahnloser, Seung, and Slotine (2003), is a mathematical model of such a binary analysis: groups of coactive neurons can be permitted or forbidden depending on the network's structure.

Evaluating Practice Readiness of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Students Using the Core Entrustable Professional Activities.

To evaluate levels of entrustability and practice readiness in advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) students using a pilot instrument designed to assess their competency in performing the entrustable professional activities (EPAs) expected of new pharmacy graduates. A pilot instrument was developed directly from EPAs to measure entrustability levels on a scale of one to five. Five APPE preceptors from several different practice areas participated.

Statin-Associated Bilateral Foot Myopathy.

Objective: To report a case of statin-induced bilateral foot myopathy that resulted from 2 different statins. A 44-year-old Caucasian male with a history of ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest, hyperlipidemia, and coronary artery disease experienced bilateral foot pain, weakness, and soreness while taking atorvastatin 20 mg daily. The pain subsided within weeks of discontinuing atorvastatin but returned years later after the initiation of rosuvastatin.

The Use of Low-Dose Naltrexone for Chronic Pain.

The use of low-dose naltrexone for the treatment of chronic pain is novel because it is a nonopioid alternative. Oral naltrexone in a dosage range from 1 mg to 4.5 mg is referred to as low-dose naltrexone.

Recognition and Management of Anaphylaxis in Older Adults.

Objectives: To discuss medications that cause anaphylaxis in older adults and its treatment, with a focus on epinephrine.

Data Source: A search of PubMed using the terms "anaphylaxis," "drug-induced anaphylaxis," "epinephrine autoinjectable," "anaphylaxis diagnosis," "anaphylaxis treatment," and "epinephrine cost" was performed. English-language articles from January 2000 to August 2016 appearing in these searches were reviewed.

The influence of depolarization block on seizure-like activity in networks of excitatory and inhibitory neurons.

The inhibitory restraint necessary to suppress aberrant activity can fail when inhibitory neurons cease to generate action potentials as they enter depolarization block. We investigate possible bifurcation structures that arise at the onset of seizure-like activity resulting from depolarization block in inhibitory neurons. Networks of conductance-based excitatory and inhibitory neurons are simulated to characterize different types of transitions to the seizure state, and a mean field model is developed to verify the generality of the observed phenomena of excitatory-inhibitory dynamics.

Mean-field equations for neuronal networks with arbitrary degree distributions.

The emergent dynamics in networks of recurrently coupled spiking neurons depends on the interplay between single-cell dynamics and network topology. Most theoretical studies on network dynamics have assumed simple topologies, such as connections that are made randomly and independently with a fixed probability (Erdös-Rényi network) (ER) or all-to-all connected networks. However, recent findings from slice experiments suggest that the actual patterns of connectivity between cortical neurons are more structured than in the ER random network.

Dangers of Nonprescription Medicines: Educating and Counseling Older Adults.

Objective: To provide a review for health care providers regarding appropriate education and counseling for older adults involving commonly used nonprescription medicines with potential for adverse effects, drug-drug interactions, or toxicity when incorrectly selected or overused.

Data Sources: A literature search was performed using MEDLINE and PUBMED to locate relevant articles. DAILYMED was used for manufacturer dosage recommendations.

Impact of abbreviated lecture with interactive mini-cases vs traditional lecture on student performance in the large classroom.

Objective: To compare the impact of 2 different teaching and learning methods on student mastery of learning objectives in a pharmacotherapy module in the large classroom setting.

Design: Two teaching and learning methods were implemented and compared in a required pharmacotherapy module for 2 years. The first year, multiple interactive mini-cases with inclass individual assessment and an abbreviated lecture were used to teach osteoarthritis; a traditional lecture with 1 inclass case discussion was used to teach gout.

Bump attractor dynamics in prefrontal cortex explains behavioral precision in spatial working memory.

Prefrontal persistent activity during the delay of spatial working memory tasks is thought to maintain spatial location in memory. A 'bump attractor' computational model can account for this physiology and its relationship to behavior. However, direct experimental evidence linking parameters of prefrontal firing to the memory report in individual trials is lacking, and, to date, no demonstration exists that bump attractor dynamics underlies spatial working memory.

Antacid-induced acute pancreatitis.

Objective: To report a case of acute pancreatitis associated with the administration of high doses of over-the-counter (OTC) antacids containing calcium carbonate.

Setting: An acute care 276-bed community hospital.

Case Summary: In this case report, a 68-year-old male was admitted to the hospital for nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

Directed functional connectivity matures with motor learning in a cortical pattern generator.

Sequential motor skills may be encoded by feedforward networks that consist of groups of neurons that fire in sequence (Abeles 1991; Long et al. 2010). However, there has been no evidence of an anatomic map of activation sequence in motor control circuits, which would be potentially detectable as directed functional connectivity of coactive neuron groups.

Searching for optimal stimuli: ascending a neuron's response function.

Many methods used to analyze neuronal response assume that neuronal activity has a fundamentally linear relationship to the stimulus. However, some neurons are strongly sensitive to multiple directions in stimulus space and have a highly nonlinear response. It can be difficult to find optimal stimuli for these neurons.

Dynamical changes in neurons during seizures determine tonic to clonic shift.

A tonic-clonic seizure transitions from high frequency asynchronous activity to low frequency coherent oscillations, yet the mechanism of transition remains unknown. We propose a shift in network synchrony due to changes in cellular response. Here we use phase-response curves (PRC) from Morris-Lecar (M-L) model neurons with synaptic depression and gradually decrease input current to cells within a network simulation.

Synchronization from second order network connectivity statistics.

We investigate how network structure can influence the tendency for a neuronal network to synchronize, or its synchronizability, independent of the dynamical model for each neuron. The synchrony analysis takes advantage of the framework of second order networks, which defines four second order connectivity statistics based on the relative frequency of two-connection network motifs. The analysis identifies two of these statistics, convergent connections, and chain connections, as highly influencing the synchrony.

Active-learning assignments to integrate basic science and clinical course material.

Objective: To develop, implement, and evaluate active-learning exercises requiring the integration and application of pathophysiology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutics knowledge of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis to formulate therapeutic recommendations for patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

Design: Two team-based case study exercises, one evaluating a patient with osteoarthritis and the second, a patient with rheumatoid arthritis, were developed, incorporating material and questions from pathophysiology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutics. The learning assignments were implemented in a required pharmacotherapy module.

Pharmacy students' participation in a research experience culminating in journal publication.

Objectives: To examine factors that influenced doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students to collaborate with faculty members, preceptors, or others on scholarly activities that resulted in publication of an article in a pharmacy journal, and whether this experience influenced their consideration of a career in academic pharmacy.

Methods: A 17-question survey instrument was e-mailed to student authors of papers published between 2004 and 2008 in 6 pharmacy journals. Responses were analyzed to determine factors influencing student participation in research and whether the experience led them to consider a career in academic pharmacy.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken-heart syndrome.

Objective: To report a case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as apical ballooning syndrome or stress cardiomyopathy.

Case Summary: A 68-year-old female with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and anxiety presented with symptoms that mimicked acute coronary syndrome (ACS); the chief symptom was chest tightness. An electrocardiogram showed normal sinus rhythm, with minimal ST elevation in the anterior leads.

Cognitive decline after invasive intervention in cardiovascular disease: is it drug related?

Objective: To identify drugs used to treat cardiovascular disease (CVD) after an invasive intervention that may adversely affect cognitive function.

Setting: Ambulatory care setting.

Practice Description: A pharmacy faculty member serves as an ambulatory care preceptor for students at a cardiac rehabilitation and wellness center on the campus of St.

Perceived stress and quality of life among doctor of pharmacy students.

Objectives: To examine stress and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among third-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students.

Methods: Stress and HRQOL were determined using Perceived Stress and SF-12 HRQOL survey instruments. A questionnaire was administered to determine factors students believed produced and eliminated stress.

Computing linear approximations to nonlinear neuronal response.

We present an approach to obtain nonlinear information about neuronal response by computing multiple linear approximations. By calculating local linear approximations centered around particular stimuli, one can obtain insight into stimulus features that drive the response of highly nonlinear neurons, such as neurons highly selective to a small set of stimuli. We implement this approach based on stimulus-spike correlation (i.

A kinetic theory approach to capturing interneuronal correlation: the feed-forward case.

We present an approach for using kinetic theory to capture first and second order statistics of neuronal activity. We coarse grain neuronal networks into populations of neurons and calculate the population average firing rate and output cross-correlation in response to time varying correlated input. We derive coupling equations for the populations based on first and second order statistics of the network connectivity.

Pinpointing connectivity despite hidden nodes within stimulus-driven networks.

The effects of hidden nodes can lead to erroneous identification of connections among measured nodes in a network. For example, common input from a hidden node may cause correlations among a pair of measured nodes that could be misinterpreted as arising from a direct connection between the measured nodes. We present an approach to control for effects of hidden nodes in networks driven by a repeated stimulus.

A stimulus-dependent connectivity analysis of neuronal networks.

We present an analysis of interactions among neurons in stimulus-driven networks that is designed to control for effects from unmeasured neurons. This work builds on previous connectivity analyses that assumed connectivity strength to be constant with respect to the stimulus. Since unmeasured neuron activity can modulate with the stimulus, the effective strength of common input connections from such hidden neurons can also modulate with the stimulus.

An active-learning assignment using nonprescription medicines.

Objective: To create and implement a web-based written assignment to evaluate student's abilities to select appropriate nonprescription medications and recommend therapy.

Design: Each student developed a patient case study from an assigned condition, made treatment recommendations, and provided patient counseling information using at least 2 nonprescription medicines. The active-learning exercise required students to apply information previously presented in a large classroom setting.