Visuospatial encoding deficits and compensatory strategies in schizophrenia revealed by eye movement analysis during a working memory task

Objective: To investigate scanpath abnormalities during the encoding of static stimuli in schizophrenia and their interaction with visuospatial working memory (VSWM) dysfunction. Methods: Outpatients with schizophrenia and control subjects were asked to encode a static pattern for subsequent recognition after a short delay. We measured the number of correct and incorrect choices. We also assessed the number and the distribution of fixations, the scanning time in specific regions of interest (ROIs) and the head movements during the encoding of the stimuli. The distributions of fixations and scanning time in definite ROIs during the discrimination of the correct pattern from the foils were also measured. Results: Patients recognised fewer correct patterns than controls. Correct trials in patients were characterised by a specific exploration of the central part of the stimulus during its presentation, whereas this feature was absent in incorrect trials. However, the scanning time and the numbers of fixations and head movements during encoding were similar in both groups and unrelated to recognition accuracy. In both groups, correct trials were associated with a selective exploration of the correct pattern amongst the six possibilities during recognition. Furthermore, patients gave more attention to incorrect patterns with a leftmost element identical to that of the correct response and also those approximating its global structure. Conclusion: Patients showed a VSWM deficit independent of oculomotor dysfunctions and head movements during encoding. Patients' correct trials were related to specific scanning during encoding and discrimination phases. Analysis of these patterns suggests that patients try to compensate for reduced VSWM ability by using specific encoding strategie

Radiocesium concentrations in wild mushrooms after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: Follow-up study in Kawauchi village

Since the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, it has become well known that radiocesium tends to concentrate in wild mushrooms. During the recovery process after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), it is important to perform follow-up measurements of the activity concentrations of radiocesium in mushrooms. We evaluated the activity concentrations of the detected artificial radionuclides (radiocesium) in wild mushrooms collected from Kawauchi village, which is within 30?km of the FDNPS, in 2015, four years after the accident. We found that the radiocesium was determined in 147 of 159 mushroom samples (92.4%). Based on the average mushroom consumption of Japanese citizens (6.28?kg per year), we calculated committed effective doses ranging from <0.001 to 0.6?mSv. Although committed effective doses are relatively limited, even if residents have consumed mushrooms several times, continuous monitoring of the radiocesium in mushrooms in Fukushima is needed for sustained recovery from the nuclear disaster

CCL2 and CCR2 regulate pain-related behaviour and early gene expression in post-traumatic murine osteoarthritis but contribute little to chondropathy

SummaryObjectiveThe role of inflammation in structural and symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) remains unclear. One key mediator of inflammation is the chemokine CCL2, primarily responsible for attracting monocytes to sites of injury. We investigated the role of CCL2 and its receptor CCR2 in experimental OA.DesignOA was induced in 10 weeks old male wild type (WT), Ccl2−/− and Ccr2−/− mice, by destabilisation of the medial meniscus (DMM). RNA was extracted from whole joints at 6 h and 7 days post-surgery and examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Gene expression changes between naïve and DMM-operated mice were compared. Chondropathy scores, from mice at 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks post DMM were calculated using modified Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) grading systems. Changes in hind paw weight distribution, as a measure of pain, were assessed by Linton incapacitance.ResultsAbsence of CCL2 strongly suppressed (>90%) selective inflammatory response genes in the joint 6 h post DMM, including arginase 1, prostaglandin synthase 2, nitric oxide synthase 2 and inhibin A. IL6, MMP3 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 were also significantly suppressed. Similar trends were also observed in the absence of CCR2. A lower average chondropathy score was observed in both Ccl2−/− and Ccr2−/− mice at 12, 16 and 20 weeks post DMM compared with WT mice, but this was only statistically significant at 20 weeks in Ccr2−/− mice. Pain-related behaviour in Ccl2−/− and Ccr2−/− mice post DMM was delayed in onset.ConclusionThe CCL2/CCR2 axis plays an important role in the development of pain in murine OA, but contributes little to cartilage damage

CO adsorption on neutral iridium clusters

The adsorption of carbon monoxide on neutral iridium clusters in the size range of n = 3 to 21 atoms is investigated with infrared multiple photon dissociation spectroscopy. For each cluster size only a single v(CO) band is present with frequencies in the range between 1962 cm-1 (n = 8) and 1985 cm-1 (n = 18) which can be attributed to an atop binding geometry. This behaviour is compared to the CO binding geometries on clusters of other group 9 and 10 transition metals as well as to that on extended surfaces. The preference of Ir for atop binding is rationalized by relativistic effects on the electronic structure of the later 5d metals

Ca2+-induced recruitment of the secretory vesicle protein DOC2B to the target membrane

C

Transparent Electrodes for Efficient Optoelectronics

With the development of new generations of optoelectronic devices that combine high performance and novel functionalities (e.g., flexibility/bendability, adaptability, semi or full transparency), several classes of transparent electrodes have been developed in recent years. These range from optimized transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), which are historically the most commonly used transparent electrodes, over new electrodes made from nano- and 2D materials (e.g., metal nanowire networks and graphene), to hybrid electrodes that integrate TCOs or dielectrics with nanowires, metal grids or ultrathin metal films. In this progress report, we introduce the most relevant transparent electrodes developed to date, describe their fundamental properties, and classify their materials according to specific application requirements in high efficiency solar cells and flexible OLEDs. This progress report serves as a guideline to selecting and developing appropriate transparent electrodes according to intended application requirements and functionality

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) and copolymers as porous membranes for tissue engineering applications

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its main copolymers - poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene), P(VDF-HFP), and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene), P(VDF-TrFE) - were processed by solvent casting at room temperature in the form of porous membranes. Copolymer membranes showed higher degree of porosity than PVDF, the average pore size being larger for P(VDF-TrFE) than for P(VDF-HFP) and PVDF. All membranes show high hydrophobicity with water contact angles in the range 94° to 115°, and electroactive beta phase contents above 90%. The adhesion and proliferation of both C2C12 myoblast and MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast cells on the membranes were investigated. It is demonstrated that PVDF membranes promote higher cell proliferation while P(VDF-HFP) membranes show the lowest proliferation for both kinds of cell. The proliferation on P(VDF-TrFE) membranes is cell dependent, higher for MC3T3-E1 cells but lower for C2C12 cells, related to the effect of the highly porous structure on the preferred morphology of each cell type, as the higher pore size and porosity of the P(VDF-TrFE) membrane induce cell elongation, which is preferred just by the C2C12 muscle cells.Funded by FEDER funds through the “Programa Operacional Fatores de Competitividade e COMPETE” and by national funds arranged by FCT Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, project references PTDC/CTM-NAN/112574/2009 and PEST-C/FIS/UI607/2014. Funding from “MateproOptimizing Materials and Processes”, ref. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000037”, co-funded by the “Programa Operacional Regional do Norte” (ON.2 e O Novo Norte), under the “Quadro de Referência Estrategico Nacional” (QREN), through the “Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional” (FEDER). FCT for the SFRH/BPD/90870/2012 grant

C1 compounds as auxiliary substrate for engineered Pseudomonas putida S12

The solvent-tolerant bacterium Pseudomonas putida S12 was engineered to efficiently utilize the C1 compounds methanol and formaldehyde as auxiliary substrate. The hps and phi genes of Bacillus brevis, encoding two key steps of the ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) pathway, were introduced to construct a pathway for the metabolism of the toxic methanol oxidation intermediate formaldehyde. This approach resulted in a remarkably increased biomass yield on the primary substrate glucose when cultured in C-limited chemostats fed with a mixture of glucose and formaldehyde. With increasing relative formaldehyde feed concentrations, the biomass yield increased from 35% (C-mol biomass/C-mol glucose) without formaldehyde to 91% at 60% relative formaldehyde concentration. The RuMP-pathway expressing strain was also capable of growing to higher relative formaldehyde concentrations than the control strain. The presence of an endogenous methanol oxidizing enzyme activity in P. putida S12 allowed the replacement of formaldehyde with the less toxic methanol, resulting in an 84% (C-mol/C-mol) biomass yield. Thus, by introducing two enzymes of the RuMP pathway, co-utilization of the cheap and renewable substrate methanol was achieved, making an important contribution to the efficient use of P. putida S12 as a bioconversion platform host