Neural Aspects of Prospective Control through Resonating Taus in an Interceptive Timing Task

High-density electroencephalography from visual and motor cortices in addition to kinematic hand and target movement recordings were used to investigate τ-coupling between brain activity patterns and physical movements in an interceptive timing task. Twelve adult participants were presented with a target car moving towards a destination at three constant accelerations, and an effector dot was available to intercept the car at the destination with a swift movement of the finger. A τ-coupling analysis was used to investigate involvement of perception and action variables at both the ecological scale of behavior and neural scale. By introducing the concept of resonance, the underlying dynamics of interceptive actions were investigated. A variety of one- and two-scale τ-coupling analyses showed significant differences in distinguishing between slow, medium, and fast target speed when car motion and finger movement, VEP and MRP brain activity, VEP and car motion, and MRP and finger movement were involved. These results suggested that the temporal structure present at the ecological scale is reflected at the neural scale. The results further showed a strong effect of target speed, indicating that τ-coupling constants k and k_res increased with higher speeds of the moving target. It was concluded that τ-coupling can be considered a valuable tool when combining different types of variables at both the ecological and neural levels of analysis.

The Markov blanket trick: On the scope of the free energy principle and active inference

The free energy principle (FEP) has been presented as a unified brain theory, as a general principle for the self-organization of biological systems, and most recently as a principle for a theory of every thing. Additionally, active inference has been proposed as the process theory entailed by FEP that is able to model the full range of biological and cognitive events. In this paper, we challenge these two claims. We argue that FEP is not the general principle it is claimed to be, and that active inference is not the all-encompassing process theory it is purported to be either. The core aspects of our argumentation are that (i) FEP is just a way to generalize Bayesian inference to all domains by the use of a Markov blanket formalism, a generalization we call the Markov blanket trick; and that (ii) active inference presupposes successful perception and action instead of explaining them.

Author Correction: The dynamics of plant nutation

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Investigation On Microstructure, Energy Gap, Photoluminescence and Magnetic Studies of Co and Cu in Situ Doped ZnO Nanostructures.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-180363/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Co (3%) doped ZnO and Co, Cu (Co = 3% and Cu = 2 to 4%) dual doped ZnO nanostructures have been prepared using chemical co-precipitation route. Structural analysis indicated that no alteration in hexagonal structure of ZnO and the absence of secondary / impurity phases were detected by Co/Cu addition into ZnO. The size reduction at Cu = 2% is due to the suppression of growth rate and the dissimilarities between Co2+/Cu2+ and Zn2+ and improved size at Cu = 4% is responsible for the more defect sites in Zn-O lattice. The constant c/a ratio (~ 1.602) signified that absence of structural modification by Co/Cu substitution. The modification in optical absorption, transmittance and energy gap of ZnO by Co/Cu addition was discussed by dopants and the stimulated defect states. The continuous widening of energy gap with Cu substitution is clarified using Burstein-Moss (BM) band filling effect through energy level diagram. The existence of Zn-O and Zn-Co/Cu-O bonding was verified by Fourier transform infra-red analysis. The elevated intensity ratio between green and ultra-violet photoluminescence (IG/IUV) at higher Cu concentrations revealed the occurrence of more defects particularly oxygen related defect states in Zn-Co-Cu-O lattice. The observed room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) in Co, Cu doped ZnO nanostructures is discussed based on the oxygen vacancy mediated bound magnetic polarons (BMP) and the exchange coupling among the free electrons and local spin polarized electrons.

The dynamics of plant nutation

In this article we advance a cutting-edge methodology for the study of the dynamics of plant movements of nutation. Our approach, unlike customary kinematic analyses of shape, period, or amplitude, is based on three typical signatures of adaptively controlled processes and motions, as reported in the biological and behavioral dynamics literature: harmonicity, predictability, and complexity. We illustrate the application of a dynamical methodology to the bending movements of shoots of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in two conditions: with and without a support to climb onto. The results herewith reported support the hypothesis that patterns of nutation are influenced by the presence of a support to climb in their vicinity. The methodology is in principle applicable to a whole range of plant movements.

Extended Skill Learning

Within the ecological and enactive approaches in cognitive science, a tension exists in how the process of skill learning is understood. Skill learning can be understood in a narrow sense, as a process of bodily change over time, or in an extended sense, as a change in the structure of the animal-environment system. We propose to resolve this tension by rejecting the first understanding in favor of the second. We thus defend an extended approach to skill learning. An extended understanding of skill learning views bodily changes as being embedded in a larger process of interaction between the organism and specific structures in the environment. Such an extended approach is committed to the claims that (1) the appropriate unit of analysis for understanding skill learning is not the body but the activity and (2) learning consists in the establishment and adaptive organization of enabling constraints on that activity. We focus on two example cases: maintaining upright posture and walking. In both cases, environmental structures play a constitutive role in the activity throughout learning, but the specific environmental structures that are involved in the activity change over time. At an early stage, the child makes use of an environmental "support"-for example, holding onto furniture to maintain upright posture. Later, once further constraints have been established, the child is able to let go of the furniture and remain upright. We argue that adopting an extended understanding of skill learning offers a promising strategy for unifying ecological and enactive approaches and can also potentially ground a radically embodied approach to higher cognition.

URANIUM QUANTIFICATION IN GROUNDWATER AND HEALTH RISK FROM ITS INGESTION IN AND AROUND TIRUVANNAMALAI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

The aim of this study is to assess the degree of contamination in drinking water sources around the holy mountain "Arunachala" in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. Drinking water samples from 20 different sites were collected, and their physio-chemical parameters, pH, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solvents were determined. An LED fluorimeter was used to determine the concentration of uranium in these samples. As consumption of contaminated drinking water involves both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk, excess cancer risk; life-time average daily dose; hazard quotient and annual effective dose were calculated for the samples. On comparing these values with their respective maximum permissible limits, it is found that water from the aquifers around the mountain is safe to consume.

The Embodiment of Objects: Review, Analysis, and Future Directions

Here we offer a thorough review of the empirical literature on the conditions under which an object, such as a tool or a prosthetic (whether real or virtual), can be experienced as being in some sense a part or extension of one's body. We discuss this literature both from the standpoint of the apparent malleability of our body representations, and also from within the framework of radical embodied cognition, which understands the phenomenon to result not from an alteration to a representation, but rather from the achievement of a certain kind of sensory/motor coupling. We highlight both the tensions between these frameworks, and also areas where they can productively complement one another for future research.

J. J. Gibson’s most radical idea: The development of a new law-based psychology

J. J. Gibson spent most of his career developing his own theory of perception. The culmination of his work was the ecological approach to visual perception, but during more than three decades he had challenged many of the central concepts of psychology and his own convictions regarding the foundations of perception. In this article I argue that the driving force of the development of ecological psychology was Gibson’s most radical idea: that psychology needs a law-based explanatory strategy at its own scale to be successful. According to Gibson, instead of pursuing explanations based on the patching up of simple stimulus-response events with the postulation of more or less lawful sub-personal mechanisms, psychology needs its own laws at a proper scale to provide legitimate explanations for perception and action.

Anticandidal activity of ethanolic root extract of Juglans regia (L.): Effect on growth, cell morphology, and key virulence factors

The emergence of drug-resistant strains has encouraged several studies on natural products with antifungal activity and low toxicity. In this study, the antifungal effect of methanolic root extract of Juglans regia (JRE) was investigated against 9 strains of Candida (one reference and 8 clinical strains) through MIC₉₀ and spot assays. To gain insight into the mechanism of antifungal action, we carried out confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and then examined the effect of JRE on hydrolytic enzyme secretion. Additionally, JRE was subjected to various phytochemical tests, chemically characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS) and its toxicity was tested against H9c2 rat cardiac myoblasts. The phytochemical tests showed the presence of phenols, alkaloids, steroids, saponins, and tannins in JRE. In the GC-MS analysis, a total of 40 compounds were identified. JRE was found to be effective in liquid media with MICs ranging from 300 to 700μg/mL. Spot assay results revealed that Candida cells show increased sensitivity to JRE. CSLM experiments showed that cells exposed to JRE (MIC) exhibited cell membrane disruption. TEM micrograph of treated cells showed extensive breakage in the cell wall and cell membrane. Average inhibition of proteinase and phospholipase secretion (of five C. albicans strains) at MIC/2 values of JRE was 45.17%, and 34.29%, respectively. Cellular toxicity of JRE against H9c2 rat cardiac myoblasts was less than 10% at the highest MIC value. These findings encourage further development of JRE.

Synthesis of Evolvulus alsinoides derived gold nanoparticles for medical applications

Plant mediated synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is an increasing commercial demand due to the wide applicability in various areas such as electronics, catalysis, chemistry, energy, cosmetics and medicine. This is greatly due to their special features, which include unusual optical and electronic properties, high stability and biological compatibility, controllable morphology and size dispersion, and easy surface functionalization. In the present investigation, synthesis of gold nanoparticle is done by using leaf extracts of Evolvulus alsinoides. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were characterized by using UV visible absorption spectra. Their morphology, elemental composition and crystalline phase were determined by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and FT-IR analysis was used to confirm the presence of gold nanoparticles in the extracts. The plant derived gold nanoparticles were also showing more inhibition activity in both bacterial and fungus strains. In bacteria, gram negative strains are highly affected by the test samples than gram positive. In fungal strains, the highest effect was noticed in Trichophyton rubrum while less effect was observed in Candida albicans.

Modulation of RTK by sEcad: a putative mechanism for oncogenicity in oropharyngeal SCCs

OBJECTIVE

Heightened levels of sEcad are found in the serum of patients with cancer and correlate with an unfavorable prognosis and later-stages of disease. In this study, we explored whether sEcad is elevated in human OPSCC specimens and FaDu cells. Additionally, we investigated sEcad-EGFR and sEcad-IGF-1R interactions and performed a functional analysis of sEcad in OPSCC cancers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

sEcad, EGFR, and IGF-1R levels were examined in human OPSCC specimens and cells by immunoblotting. sEcad-EGFR and sEcad-IGF-1R interactions were examined by immunoprecipitation and immunoblot assays. Levels of sEcad on EGFR and IGF-1R pathway components were evaluated by IB. The effects of sEcad on OPSCC proliferation, migration, and invasion were assessed using standard cellular assays.

RESULTS

Statistical analysis demonstrated that sEcad levels were significantly higher in OPSCC primary tumors and cells compared with normal controls. IP studies indicated that sEcad associated with EGFR and IGF-1R, and addition of sEcad resulted in a statistically significant increase in downstream signaling. Finally, cell-based assays demonstrated enhanced sEcad-induced proliferation, migration, and invasion, which was blocked by EGFR and IGF-1R inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that sEcad may play an important role in OPSCC oncogenicity via its interaction and activation of EGFR and IGF-1R.

Rapid diagnosis of leptospirosis in patients with different clinical manifestations by 16S rRNA gene based nested PCR

Leptospirosis, a zoonosis of global importance and it is underreported in India and more than 50,000 severe cases are reported each year. Here we present the evaluation of 16S rRNA based nested PCR assay for the rapid identification of human leptospires using serum and urine samples. The study includes 261 suspected cases for leptospirosis with different clinical manifestations. 16S rRNA based nested PCR assay was compared and evaluated against the conventional serological methods such as MAT and ELISA. The technique enabled amplification of a 289 bp product with notable percentage of positivity in all sample groups including 94.8 in pediatric cases, 93 in pregnant women, 94.2 in renal failure, 87.8 in jaundice and 94.6 in common febrile cases. The sensitivity and specificity was 94.4% and 100%, respectively. The technique proved to be prompt and effective for the diagnosis of leptospiral infection at the acute phase of the disease. PCR based approach detects leptospiral DNA from the clinical samples both at the acute and leptospiruria phase on comparison with its counter parts where detection is made possible only after 7 days or 7-30 days post-infection. In this regard PCR based diagnosis of leptospirosis should be made available for clinicians for the early diagnosis and prompt treatment of the disease.

Molecular parameters for the gas phase molecules SbO and SbP

Franck-Condon factors and r-centroids, which are very closely related to relative vibrational transition probabilities, were evaluated by the numerical integration procedure for the bands of the A2?3/2 - X2?3/2, C2? - X2?3/2 and D2? - X2? systems of the isotopic SbO molecule and for the B1? - X1?+ system of the isotopic SbP molecule, using a suitable potential.

Pott′s puffy tumor following an insect bite

Pott's puffy tumor, a feature of osteomyelitis of the frontal bone, is a rare entity, especially in adults. Sir Percival Pott originally described this condition as a complication of trauma to the frontal bone. This is also a recognized complication of fronto-ethmoidal sinusitis. We present a rare case of Pott's puffy tumor caused by an insect bite presenting initially as a preseptal cellulitis and explore its pathogenesis and management.

Associated chromosomal DNA changes in polyploids

The 2C and 4C nuclear DNA amounts were estimated in eight diploid species, belonging to three diverse genera (Vicia, Tephrosia, and Phlox) and their corresponding colchitetraploids. In P. drummondii, T. purpurea, and T. oxygona tetraploids the deviation from the expectation was highly significant. The DNA in P. drummondii was further discarded in subsequent (C1, C2) generations, thus attaining an overall reduction of about 25%. The DNA content in the subsequent generations was the same as that of C2. It is concluded that rapid DNA loss in the first and subsequent generations was not only associated with the substantial increase (30–66%) in the seed set, but it also helped in the establishment and stabilization of the tetraploid. The possible relationship between such a nucleotypic change and success of polyploids is discussed. The DNA change from the expected value in the P. drummondii tetraploid was achieved by equal decrement to each chromosome independent of size, i.e., small chromosomes loose the same amount of DNA as the large chromosomes.Key words: colchitetraploid, genome size, DNA loss, seed fertility, stability, DNA distribution.