Chemo- and Thermosensory Responsiveness of Grueneberg Ganglion Neurons Relies on Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate Signaling Elements

Neurons of the Grueneberg ganglion (GG) in the anterior nasal region of mouse pups respond to cool temperatures and to a small set of odorants. While the thermosensory reactivity appears to be mediated by elements of a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) cascade, the molecular mechanisms underlying the odor-induced responses are unclear. Since odor-responsive GG cells are endowed with elements of a cGMP pathway, specifically the transmembrane guanylyl cyclase subtype GC-G and the cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel CNGA3, the possibility was explored whether these cGMP signaling elements may also be involved in chemosensory GG responses. Experiments with transgenic mice deficient for GC-G or CNGA3 revealed that GG responsiveness to given odorants was significantly diminished in these knockout animals. These findings suggest that a cGMP cascade may be important for both olfactory and thermosensory signaling in the GG. However, in contrast to the thermosensory reactivity, which did not decline over time, the chemosensory response underwent adaptation upon extended stimulation, suggesting that the two transduction processes only partially overlap. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

MIFA: Metadata, Incentives, Formats, and Accessibility guidelines to improve the reuse of AI datasets for bioimage analysis

Artificial Intelligence methods are powerful tools for biological image analysis and processing. High-quality annotated images are key to training and developing new methods, but access to such data is often hindered by the lack of standards for sharing datasets. We brought together community experts in a workshop to develop guidelines to improve the reuse of bioimages and annotations for AI applications. These include standards on data formats, metadata, data presentation and sharing, and incentives to generate new datasets. We are positive that the MIFA (Metadata, Incentives, Formats, and Accessibility) recommendations will accelerate the development of AI tools for bioimage analysis by facilitating access to high quality training data.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figure

Influence of composition, bonding characteristics and microstructure on the electrochemical and optical stability of AlOxNy thin films

Thin films of AlOxNy were deposited by magnetron sputtering in a wide composition range. Different structures and morphologies were observed, depending on the composition and bonding states, which opened the possibility to tailor the properties of this oxynitride system between those of pure Al and those of nitride and oxide films. In a wide range of stoichiometries, one can report the formation of nanocomposite porous films, where Al nanoparticles are dispersed in an amorphous matrix of AlOxNy. The electrochemical behaviour of the films was studied in isotonic NaCl solution. It was observed that the pitting 2 potential characteristic of aluminium disappears with the incorporation of oxygen and nitrogen in the films, being replaced by a smooth current increase. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy performed during 35 days showed that the corrosion resistance of the films steadily increases. The unusual optical reflectance profile of some films is maintained after immersion for several months.Fundação para a Ciência e a TecnologiaPrograma Pessoa 2010/2011, Cooperação Portugal/França, Proc.º 441.00, Project“COLOURCLUSTER”

Chronic fatigue syndromes: real illnesses that people can recover from

The ‘Oslo Chronic Fatigue Consortium’ consists of researchers and clinicians who question the current narrative that chronic fatigue syndromes, including post-covid conditions, are incurable diseases. Instead, we propose an alternative view, based on research, which offers more hope to patients. Whilst we regard the symptoms of these conditions as real, we propose that they are more likely to reflect the brain's response to a range of biological, psychological, and social factors, rather than a specific disease process. Possible causes include persistent activation of the neurobiological stress response, accompanied by associated changes in immunological, hormonal, cognitive and behavioural domains. We further propose that the symptoms are more likely to persist if they are perceived as threatening, and all activities that are perceived to worsen them are avoided. We also question the idea that the best way to cope with the illness is by prolonged rest, social isolation, and sensory deprivation. Instead, we propose that recovery is often possible if patients are helped to adopt a less threatening understanding of their symptoms and are supported in a gradual return to normal activities. Finally, we call for a much more open and constructive dialogue about these conditions. This dialogue should include a wider range of views, including those of patients who have recovered from them

Evolution of dispersal strategies and dispersal syndromes in fragmented landscapes

Funded by ERA-Net BiodivERsAPeer reviewedPostprin

Mass reconstruction techniques in di-Higgs events with τ-leptons and b-quarks in the ATLAS experiment at the LHC

In this thesis, two methods for reconstructing a neutral CP-even scalar are compared in the search for hh → bbττ events in the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Both methods aim at reconstructing the Higgs boson mass when the two τ-leptons decay either semi-leptonically or hadronically. Both the non-resonant di-Higgs production and the search for a resonance X → hh have been considered. The currently most used method, the Missing Mass Calculator (MMC), is found to be superior in terms of resolution and computing time compared to the newly developed Matrix Oriented Sampling Calculator (MOSAIC).I detta arbete har två olika metoder jämförts för att rekonstruera massan hos en Higgs-liknande partikel när den sönderfaller till två b-kvarar och två τ-leptoner vid ATLAS-experimentet vid LHC. De båda metoderna försöker rekonstruera Higgs-bosonens massa när τ-leptonerna sönderfaller semi-leptonskt eller hadroniskt. När metoderna har jämförts har simulerad data använts både för den vanliga Higgs-bosonen och data för en  tyngre Higgs-liknande partikel. Den nu mest använda metoden, MMC, visade sig vara överlägsen i både beräkningstid och precision i den uppskattade massan jämfört med den nyligen utvecklade metoden MOSAIC

Can uncertainty predict stock markets? A cross country analysis.

Economic intuition suggests that uncertainty could predict stock markets. We consider two uncertainty measures: implied volatility and economic policy uncertainty (EPU). It is wellknown implied volatility is negatively correlated with the stock market returns, but its ability to predict returns is limited. Much less is known about the relationship between the EPU indices proposed by Baker et al (2012) and respective stock market returns. We therefore study the impact of implied volatility and EPU on stock markets, utilizing a dataset consisting of 12 countries. We study this relationship for each country separately, and also together utilizing panel regressions with standard errors adjusted for heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation and cross-sectional dependency using Driscoll and Kraay (1998) standard errors for linear panel models. We find evidence of a negative concurrent relationship between implied volatility and stock market returns that is common across countries and holds during various economic states. In addition, evidence of EPU having predictive capabilities of stock-market returns is present across countries and hold during ordinary times of the economy. Economic significance of our results is illustrated by a very profitable trading strategy, delivering over 15% annualized abnormal return