Neural manifold under plasticity in a goal driven learning behaviour

Neural activity is often low dimensional and dominated by only a few prominent neural covariation patterns. It has been hypothesised that these covariation patterns could form the building blocks used for fast and flexible motor control. Supporting this idea, recent experiments have shown that monkeys can learn to adapt their neural activity in motor cortex on a timescale of minutes, given that the change lies within the original low-dimensional subspace, also called neural manifold. However, the neural mechanism underlying this within-manifold adaptation remains unknown. Here, we show in a computational model that modification of recurrent weights, driven by a learned feedback signal, can account for the observed behavioural difference between within- and outside-manifold learning. Our findings give a new perspective, showing that recurrent weight changes do not necessarily lead to change in the neural manifold. On the contrary, successful learning is naturally constrained to a common subspace.

Assess, Sort, Classify: “Othering” of Indigenous Students in Manitoba’s Schools

In the province of Manitoba, Canada, there is a gap between the rhetoric of inclusive education and its practical implementation. In the absence of inclusive educational policies and guidelines, deficit-based approaches such as categorical labels for students who are deemed to have a severe emotional and behavioural disorder, segregated classrooms, and self-contained programs are prevalent and change is needed. This paper provides a critical perspective on how the paradigm of special education contributes to the social construction of disability; how, for Indigenous students, it too often positions behavioural difference as disability; and further, why this practice is systemically discriminatory. In our examination, we seek to expose the exclusion (Slee & Allen, 2001) that exists in nominally inclusive schools as a way to promote social change and redirect education toward truly inclusive practices. To that end, we suggest the following strategies that may reduce educational inequity for Indigenous students: (a) developing clearly articulated inclusive educational policies along with indicators of inclusivity; (b) reporting the number of Indigenous students who are identified as emotionally and behaviourally disordered, and segregated in self-contained settings; (c) establishing needs-based models of support at all levels (e.g., province, division, and school); (d) creating new narratives of assessment and pedagogy; and (e) reconceptualizing teachers’ training. We hope that by critically examining the structures and processes of special education that, in fact, disable Indigenous students from educational success, inclusion might encompass more than a provincial philosophy and include transformative educational change.

The Effect of Service Quality on Customers' Satisfaction in Mobile Phone Services in the UAE

This study aims to determine the dimensions of mobile service quality and to examine their effect on customer satisfaction in UAE mobile phone service providers while also investigating the behavioural differences between mobile phone customers with prepaid and postpaid subscriptions. A combination of the SERVPERF model has been adopted as the main framework for analyzing service quality. A structured questionnaire instrument was designed for data collection. The present study concentrates on the level of customers’ satisfaction for leading service providers in the UAE mobile industry. Etisalat and Du were chosen for this study. A sample of (452) mobile phone users in Abu Dhabi city was selected at random using convenience-sampling. We found a positive effect of both functional and technical service quality (network quality) on customers’ satisfaction. Functional and technical dimensions were good predictors of customer satisfaction and confirmed the multidimensional nature of service quality. Also, the service quality dimensions; reliability, assurances, and responsiveness are found to be significant predictors of customer satisfaction. Behavioural difference between mobile phone customers is also significant in predicting customer satisfaction for postpaid subscribers. However, only reliability and network quality are significant predictors of customer satisfaction for prepaid subscribers. The model developed in this study provides marketers and researchers with a diagnostic tool to assess service quality from the perspectives of customers to meet the customer’s expectations and ensure customer satisfaction.

Neural manifold under plasticity in a goal driven learning behaviour

Neural activity is often low dimensional and dominated by only a few prominent neural covariation patterns. It has been hypothesised that these covariation patterns could form the building blocks used for fast and flexible motor control. Supporting this idea, recent experiments have shown that monkeys can learn to adapt their neural activity in motor cortex on a timescale of minutes, given that the change lies within the original low-dimensional subspace, also called neural manifold. However, the neural mechanism underlying this within-manifold adaptation remains unknown. Here, we show in a computational model that modification of recurrent weights, driven by a learned feedback signal, can account for the observed behavioural difference between within- and outside-manifold learning. Our findings give a new perspective, showing that recurrent weight changes do not necessarily lead to change in the neural manifold. On the contrary, successful learning is naturally constrained to a common subspace.

Social Media – Effects on the Psychological Health of Adolescence

Social media seems to play an imperative part of people lives around the world. The adolescence use Facebook, YouTube, Google, and many others social media and which will make them full busy all the time and to waste their more productive time which can be utilized in doing physical exercise, their school education and studies, and to developing hidden talent. Adolescents are the future citizens and have to focus on their future goal. The research study focuses on the psychological health of the adolescence based on social media which lead to bring change in their behaviour. Adolescence period begins with the physiologically puberty and ends with adult identity. The adolescence starts during the period between 13 years to 19 years. The period of adolescence is considered as crucial and significant period of an individual’s life. Psychologically, adolescence is the period when the individual becomes integrated into society. It also includes profound intellectual changes. The main aim of this research study is to understand the impact of the social media on the psychological health of adolescences and the objectives are; to understand the positive and negative effects of social media, and also to assess the effect of social media on their psychological health. The sample size of the study includes 50 respondents of age 13 to 19 years from Mangalore Taluk. The sample was selected through the random sample method. The findings of the study say 96% of the adolescents are more adventurous, 34% of the rarely disturbing thoughts, 50% not at all become preoccupied, 20% of them have a behavioural difference like anger, and 38% are using social media for enjoyments.

Testing for Differences Across Genders: Evidence from Ultimatum Game

This paper analyses the following propositions: (i) Are people generally self-interested; (ii) If people tend to be generous, what is their motive, i.e., whether they fear rejection or do they prefer fairness; and (iii) Is there any behavioural difference in bargaining between males and females? We conduct an ultimatum bargaining experiment in a “same gender pairings” setting and observe the overall offers made by the proposers and the rejection rates of the responders. In order to test the second hypothesis we compare the offers that proposers anticipate will be accepted by the responders and the offers they actually make. If actual offer exceeds the minimum acceptable offer, anticipated by the proposer, we conclude that he is fair minded, otherwise, he is considered generous due to fear of rejection. In order to test the third hypothesis, we compare the offers and responses made by males and females in this game. Our results indicate that people on average, are not self-interested and tend to exhibit generosity. This behaviour is dictated by a fear of rejection rather than a concern for fairness. Further, this fear of rejection is very realistic, particularly, in the case of males, where the rejection rates for unfair offers are very high. Regarding gender differences, we find females to be more generous than males. However, reason for this generosity could not be found, since there is no significant difference in the degree of fairness or fear of rejection across the two genders. We also do not find any conclusive evidence that females are more reciprocal than males. Keywords: Ultimatum Game, Fairness, Reciprocity

Sensory specificity and speciation: a potential neuronal pathway for host fruit odour discrimination in Rhagoletis pomonella

Behavioural changes in habitat or mate choice can trigger population divergence, leading to speciation. However, little is known about the neurological bases for such changes. Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a model for ecological speciation via host plant shifts. Within the past 180 years, Rhagoletis flies infesting hawthorn ( Crataegus spp.) shifted to attack domesticated apple ( Malus pumila ). The two populations differ in their olfactory preferences for apple versus hawthorn fruit. Here, we looked for patterns of sensory organization that may have contributed to this shift by characterizing the morphology, specificity and distribution of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) on the antennae of Rhagoletis responding to host fruit and non-host volatiles. Of 28 OSN classes identified, two colocalized OSN pairs were found that specifically responded to the major behavioural attractant and antagonist volatiles for each fly population. A reversal in the response of these OSNs to fruit volatiles, either through a switch in receptor expression between these paired neurons or changes in neuronal projections in the brain, could therefore account for the behavioural difference between apple and hawthorn flies. The finding supports the hypothesis that relatively minor changes in olfactory sensory pathways may contribute to rapid host shifting and divergence in Rhagoletis .

Agonistic urban birds: elevated territorial aggression of urban song sparrows is individually consistent within a breeding period

Urban birds often more vigorously defend their territories during simulated intrusions than do their rural counterparts, but the factors responsible remain unclear. To address this issue, we investigated whether the disparity in territorial aggression of urban and rural male song sparrows, Melospiza melodia , is individually consistent within a breeding period. Additionally, to better understand the physiological and ecological factors underlying this behavioural difference, we examined whether territoriality was associated with plasma testosterone, a hormone that contributes to elevated aggression in vertebrates, and/or conspecific density, a factor often positively related to aggression. The urbanization-related difference in territoriality was individually consistent within a breeding period. However, the elevated territorial aggression of urban birds was not associated with plasma testosterone and, counter to our predictions, conspecific density was lower in urban compared with rural areas. We suggest that other aspects of testosterone signalling and features of the socio-ecological environment, such as the availability of breeding sites, may underlie increased territorial aggression in urban birds.

Time Series Behaviour of Aging R/C Bridge Girders beyond Design Stage

Aging reinforced concrete (R/C) bridge girders, currently in use, exhibit cracks wider than predicted at the design stage. Variation in material properties over time and increase in imposed live loads during service life can be the possible reasons for this behavioural difference. Visual condition monitoring reports of bridge assets do not seem to provide a more quantifiable explanation to this phenomenon. Therefore, authors propose a theoretical time dependent methodology, to predict the crack widths with age. The proposed method takes into consideration flexural stresses, shrinkage and creep. A bridge girder, currently in use, is analysed using proposed theoretical approach and the outcomes are compared with condition monitoring records available.