Universal Statistical Behavior of Neural Spike Trains

We construct a model that predicts the statistical properties of spike trains generated by a sensory neuron. The model describes the combined effects of the neuron's intrinsic properties, the noise in the surrounding, and the external driving stimulus. We show that the spike trains exhibit universal statistical behavior over short times, modulated by a strongly stimulus-dependent behavior over long times. These predictions are confirmed in experiments on H1, a motion-sensitive neuron in the fly visual system.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

A new fireworm (Amphinomidae) from the Cretaceous of Lebanon identified from three-dimensionally preserved myoanatomy

© 2015 Parry et al. Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. The attached file is the published version of the article

Gaps in detailed knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV vaccine among medical students in Scotland

<p>Background: A vaccination programme targeted against human papillomavirus (HPV) types16 and 18 was introduced in the UK in 2008, with the aim of decreasing incidence of cervical disease. Vaccine roll out to 12–13 year old girls with a catch-up programme for girls aged up to 17 years and 364 days was accompanied by a very comprehensive public health information (PHI) campaign which described the role of HPV in the development of cervical cancer.</p> <p>Methods: A brief questionnaire, designed to assess acquisition of knowledge of HPV infection and its association to cervical cancer, was administered to two different cohorts of male and female 1st year medical students (school leavers: 83% in age range 17–20) at a UK university. The study was timed so that the first survey in 2008 immediately followed a summer's intensive PHI campaign and very shortly after vaccine roll-out (150 students). The second survey was exactly one year later over which time there was a sustained PHI campaign (213 students).</p> <p>Results: We addressed three research questions: knowledge about three specific details of HPV infection that could be acquired from PHI, whether length of the PHI campaign and/or vaccination of females had any bearing on HPV knowledge, and knowledge differences between men and women regarding HPV. No female student in the 2008 cohort had completed the three-dose vaccine schedule compared to 58.4% of female students in 2009. Overall, participants’ knowledge regarding the sexually transmitted nature of HPV and its association with cervical cancer was high in both year groups. However, in both years, less than 50% of students correctly identified that HPV causes over 90% of cases of cervical cancer. Males gave fewer correct answers for these two details in 2009. In 2008 only around 50% of students recognised that the current vaccine protects against a limited subset of cervical cancer-causing HPV sub-types, although there was a significant increase in correct response among female students in the 2009 cohort compared to the 2008 cohort.</p> <p>onclusions: This study highlights a lack of understanding regarding the extent of protection against cervical cancer conferred by the HPV vaccine, even among an educated population in the UK who could have a vested interest in acquiring such knowledge. The intensive PHI campaign accompanying the first year of HPV vaccination seemed to have little effect on knowledge over time. This is one of the first studies to assess detailed knowledge of HPV in both males and females. There is scope for continued improvements to PHI regarding the link between HPV infection and cervical cancer.</p&gt

Avaliação de cultivares de arroz irrigado da Embrapa, no Rio Grande do Sul, nas safras 2007/08 e 2008/09.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi acompanhar, avaliar e relatar o comportamento de cultivares de arroz irrigado desenvolvidas pela Embrapa, nas diferentes regiões de cultivo deste cereal no RS, nas safras 2007/08 e 2008/09

Ensaio regional de linhagens de arroz irrigado do Programa de Melhoramento Genético da Embrapa no RS - safra 2008/09.

O Ensaio Regional de linhagens de arroz irrigado visa selecionar genótipos que apresentem alta adaptabilidade e estabilidade aos diversos ambientes em que são cultivadas e que expressem elevado rendimento de grãos, associado à características agronômicas, industriais e culinárias adequadas. Este experimento teve como objetivo avaliar linhagens do programa da Embrapa no Ensaio Regional de Rendimento

Epstein-Barr Virus-Encoded BARF1 Protein is a Decoy Receptor for Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor and Interferes with Macrophage Differentiation and Activation

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), like many other persistent herpes viruses, has acquired numerous mechanisms for subverting or evading immune surveillance. This study investigates the role of secreted EBV-encoded BARF1 protein (sBARF1) in creating an immune evasive microenvironment. Wild-type consensus BARF1 was expressed in the human 293 cell line and purified. This native hexameric sBARF1 had inhibitory capacity on macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF)-stimulated, and not on granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-stimulated growth and differentiation of myeloid cells. Antibodies specific to hexameric sBARF1 were able to block this effect. M-CSF was shown to interact with sBARF1 via the protruding N-terminal loops involving Val38 and Ala84. Each BARF1 hexamer was capable of binding three M-CSF dimers. Mutations in the BARF1 loops greatly affected M-CSF interaction, and showed loss of growth inhibition. Analysis of the activation state of the M-CSF receptor c-fms and its downstream kinase pathways showed that sBARF1 prevented M-CSF-induced downstream phosphorylation. Since M-CSF is an important factor in macrophage differentiation, the effect of sBARF1 on the function of monocyte-derived macrophages was evaluated. sBARF1 affected overall survival and morphology and significantly reduced expression of macrophage differentiation surface markers such as CD14, CD11b, CD16, and CD169. Macrophages differentiating in the presence of sBARF1 showed impaired responses to lipopolysaccharide and decreased oxygen radical formation as well as reduced phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. In conclusion, EBV sBARF1 protein is a potent decoy receptor for M-CSF, hampering the function and differentiation of macrophages. These results suggest that sBARF1 contributes to the modulation of immune responses in the microenvironment of EBV-positive carcinoma

Desempenho de linhagens elites de arroz irrigado de ciclo precoce do Programa de Melhoramento Genético da Embrapa em ensaios VCU no RS - safra 2008/09.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho em rendimento de grãos e características agronômicas de interesse das linhagens de ciclo precoce geradas pelo programa de melhoramento genético da Embrapa, em diferentes regiões orizícolas do Rio Grande do Sul, para verificar a possibilidade de indicação de novas cultivares

Brown Dwarf Candidates in the JADES and CEERS Extragalactic Surveys

By combining the JWST/NIRCam JADES and CEERS extragalactic datasets, we have uncovered a sample of twenty-one T and Y brown dwarf candidates at best-fit distances between 0.1 - 4.2 kpc. These sources were selected by targeting the blue 1$\mu$m - 2.5$\mu$m colors and red 3$\mu$m - 4.5$\mu$m colors that arise from molecular absorption in the atmospheres of T$_{\mathrm{eff}} <$ 1300K brown dwarfs. We fit these sources using multiple models of low-mass stellar atmospheres and present the resulting fluxes, sizes, effective temperatures and other derived properties for the sample. If confirmed, these fits place the majority of the sources in the Milky Way thick disk and halo. We observe proper motion for seven of the candidate brown dwarfs with directions in agreement with the plane of our galaxy, providing evidence that they are not extragalactic in nature. We demonstrate how the colors of these sources differ from selected high-redshift galaxies, and explore the selection of these sources in planned large-area JWST NIRCam surveys. Deep imaging with JWST/NIRCam presents an an excellent opportunity for finding and understanding these very cold low-mass stars at kpc distances.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, accepted by ApJ (January 18, 2024

High-risk HPV E5-induced cell fusion: a critical initiating event in the early stage of HPV-associated cervical cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cervical cancer is strongly associated with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and viral oncoproteins E5, E6 and E7 can transform cells by various mechanisms. It is proposed that oncogenic virus-induced cell fusion may contribute to oncogenesis if p53 or apoptosis is perturbed simultaneously. Recently, HPV-16 E5 was found to be necessary and sufficient for the formation of tetraploid cells, which are frequently found in precancerous cervical lesions and its formation is strongly associated with HPV state.</p> <p>Presentation of the hypothesis</p> <p>We propose that high-risk HPV E5-induced cell fusion is a critical initiating event in the early stage of HPV-associated cervical cancer.</p> <p>Testing the hypothesis</p> <p>Our hypothesis can be tested by comparing the likelihood for colony formation or tumorigenic ability in nude mice between normal HaCaT cells expressing all three oncogenic proteins and E5-induced bi-nucleated HaCaT cells expressing E6 and E7. Moreover, investigating premature chromosome condensation (PCC) in HPV-positive and negative precancerous cervical cells is another way to assess this hypothesis.</p> <p>Implication of the hypothesis</p> <p>This viewpoint would change our understanding of the mechanisms by which HPV induces cervical cancer. According to this hypothesis, blocking E5-induced cell fusion is a promising way to prevent the progression of cervical cancer. Additionally, establishment of a role of cell fusion in cervical carcinogenesis is of reference value for understanding the pathogenesis of other virus-associated cancers.</p