Artificial Intelligence Approaches to Determine Graphite Nodularity in Ductile Iron

The complex metallurgical interrelationships in the production of ductile cast iron can lead to enormous differences in graphite formation and local microstructure by small variations during production. Artificial intelligence algorithms were used to describe graphite formation, which is influenced by a variety of metallurgical parameters. Moreover, complex physical relationships in the formation of graphite morphology are also controlled by boundary conditions of processing, the effect of which can hardly be assessed in everyday foundry operations. The influence of relevant input parameters can be predetermined using artificial intelligence based on conditions and patterns that occur simultaneously. By predicting the local graphite formation, measures to stabilise production were defined and thereby the accuracy of structure simulations improved. In course of this work, the most important dominating variables, from initial charging to final casting, were compiled and analysed with the help of statistical regression methods to predict the nodularity of graphite spheres. We compared the accuracy of the prediction by using Linear Regression, Gaussian Process Regression, Regression Trees, Boosted Trees, Support Vector Machines, Shallow Neural Networks and Deep Neural Networks. As input parameters we used 45 characteristics of the production process consisting of the basic information including the composition of the charge, the overheating time, the type of melting vessel, the type of the inoculant, the fading, and the solidification time. Additionally, the data of several thermal analysis, oxygen activity measurements and the final chemical analysis were included.Initial programme designs using machine learning algorithms based on neural networks achieved encouraging results. To improve the degree of accuracy, this algorithm was subsequently adapted and refined for the nodularity of graphite

A comparison of the transport kinetics of glycine transporter 1 and glycine transporter 2

Transporters of the solute carrier 6 (SLC6) family translocate their cognate substrate together with Na+ and Cl−. Detailed kinetic models exist for the transporters of GABA (GAT1/SLC6A1) and the monoamines dopamine (DAT/SLC6A3) and serotonin (SERT/SLC6A4). Here, we posited that the transport cycle of individual SLC6 transporters reflects the physiological requirements they operate under. We tested this hypothesis by analyzing the transport cycle of glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1/SLC6A9) and glycine transporter 2 (GlyT2/SLC6A5). GlyT2 is the only SLC6 family member known to translocate glycine, Na+, and Cl− in a 1:3:1 stoichiometry. We analyzed partial reactions in real time by electrophysiological recordings. Contrary to monoamine transporters, both GlyTs were found to have a high transport capacity driven by rapid return of the empty transporter after release of Cl− on the intracellular side. Rapid cycling of both GlyTs was further supported by highly cooperative binding of cosubstrate ions and substrate such that their forward transport mode was maintained even under conditions of elevated intracellular Na+ or Cl−. The most important differences in the transport cycle of GlyT1 and GlyT2 arose from the kinetics of charge movement and the resulting voltage-dependent rate-limiting reactions: the kinetics of GlyT1 were governed by transition of the substrate-bound transporter from outward- to inward-facing conformations, whereas the kinetics of GlyT2 were governed by Na+ binding (or a related conformational change). Kinetic modeling showed that the kinetics of GlyT1 are ideally suited for supplying the extracellular glycine levels required for NMDA receptor activation

Ventro-dorsal hippocampal pathway gates novelty-induced contextual memory formation

Novelty facilitates formation of memories. The detection of novelty and storage of contextual memories are both mediated by the hippocampus, yet the mechanisms that link these two functions remain to be defined. Dentate granule cells (GCs) of the dorsal hippocampus fire upon novelty exposure forming engrams of contextual memory. However, their key excitatory inputs from the entorhinal cortex are not responsive to novelty and are insufficient to make dorsal GCs fire reliably. Here we uncover a powerful glutamatergic pathway to dorsal GCs from ventral hippocampal mossy cells (MCs) that relays novelty, and is necessary and sufficient for driving dorsal GCs activation. Furthermore, manipulation of ventral MCs activity bidirectionally regulates novelty-induced contextual memory acquisition. Our results show that ventral MCs activity controls memory formation through an intra-hippocampal interaction mechanism gated by novelty

Connectivity and circuitry in a dish versus in a brain

In order to understand and find therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders, disease models that recapitulate the connectivity and circuitry of patients’ brain are needed. Owing to many limitations of animal disease models, in vitro neuronal models using patient-derived stem cells are currently being developed. However, prior to employing neurons as a model in a dish, they need to be evaluated for their electrophysiological properties, including both passive and active membrane properties, dynamics of neurotransmitter release, and capacity to undergo synaptic plasticity. In this review, we survey recent attempts to study these issues in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons. Although progress has been made, there are still many hurdles to overcome before human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons can fully recapitulate all of the above physiological properties of adult mature neurons. Moreover, proper integration of neurons into pre-existing circuitry still needs to be achieved. Nevertheless, in vitro neuronal stem cell-derived models hold great promise for clinical application in neurological diseases in the future

A Time Course Analysis of the Electrophysiological Properties of Neurons Differentiated from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)

Many protocols have been designed to differentiate human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into neurons. Despite the relevance of electrophysiological properties for proper neuronal function, little is known about the evolution over time of important neuronal electrophysiological parameters in iPSC-derived neurons. Yet, understanding the development of basic electrophysiological characteristics of iPSC-derived neurons is critical for evaluating their usefulness in basic and translational research. Therefore, we analyzed the basic electrophysiological parameters of forebrain neurons differentiated from human iPSCs, from day 31 to day 55 after the initiation of neuronal differentiation. We assayed the developmental progression of various properties, including resting membrane potential, action potential, sodium and potassium channel currents, somatic calcium transients and synaptic activity. During the maturation of iPSC-derived neurons, the resting membrane potential became more negative, the expression of voltage-gated sodium channels increased, the membrane became capable of generating action potentials following adequate depolarization and, at day 48–55, 50% of the cells were capable of firing action potentials in response to a prolonged depolarizing current step, of which 30% produced multiple action potentials. The percentage of cells exhibiting miniature excitatory post-synaptic currents increased over time with a significant increase in their frequency and amplitude. These changes were associated with an increase of Ca2+ transient frequency. Co-culturing iPSC-derived neurons with mouse glial cells enhanced the development of electrophysiological parameters as compared to pure iPSC-derived neuronal cultures. This study demonstrates the importance of properly evaluating the electrophysiological status of the newly generated neurons when using stem cell technology, as electrophysiological properties of iPSC-derived neurons mature over time

Common Hepatic Branch of Vagus Nerve-Dependent Expression of Immediate Early Genes in the Mouse Brain by Intraportal L-Arginine: Comparison with Cholecystokinin-8

Information from the peripheral organs is thought to be transmitted to the brain by humoral factors and neurons such as afferent vagal or spinal nerves. The common hepatic branch of the vagus (CHBV) is one of the main vagus nerve branches, and consists of heterogeneous neuronal fibers that innervate multiple peripheral organs such as the bile duct, portal vein, paraganglia, and gastroduodenal tract. Although, previous studies suggested that the CHBV has a pivotal role in transmitting information on the status of the liver to the brain, the details of its central projections remain unknown. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the brain regions activated by the CHBV. For this purpose, we injected L-arginine or anorexia-associated peptide cholecystokinin-8 (CCK), which are known to increase CHBV electrical activity, into the portal vein of transgenic Arc-dVenus mice expressing the fluorescent protein Venus under control of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) promotor. The brain slices were prepared from these mice and the number of Venus positive cells in the slices was counted. After that, c-Fos expression in these slices was analyzed by immunohistochemistry using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. Intraportal administration of L-arginine increased the number of Venus positive or c-Fos positive cells in the insular cortex. This action of L-arginine was not observed in CHBV-vagotomized Arc-dVenus mice. In contrast, intraportal administration of CCK did not increase the number of c-Fos positive or Venus positive cells in the insular cortex. Intraportal CCK induced c-Fos expression in the dorsomedial hypothalamus, while intraportal L-arginine did not. This action of CCK was abolished by CHBV vagotomy. Intraportal L-arginine reduced, while intraportal CCK increased, the number of c-Fos positive cells in the nucleus tractus solitarii in a CHBV-dependent manner. The present results suggest that the CHBV can activate different brain regions depending on the nature of the peripheral stimulus

Time-dependent reversal of synaptic plasticity induced by physiological concentrations of oligomeric Aβ42: an early index of Alzheimer’s disease

The oligomeric amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide is thought to contribute to the subtle amnesic changes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by causing synaptic dysfunction. Here, we examined the time course of synaptic changes in mouse hippocampal neurons following exposure to Aβ42 at picomolar concentrations, mimicking its physiological levels in the brain. We found opposite effects of the peptide with short exposures in the range of minutes enhancing synaptic plasticity, and longer exposures lasting several hours reducing it. The plasticity reduction was concomitant with an increase in the basal frequency of spontaneous neurotransmitter release, a higher basal number of functional presynaptic release sites, and a redistribution of synaptic proteins including the vesicle-associated proteins synapsin I, synaptophysin, and the post-synaptic glutamate receptor I. These synaptic alterations were mediated by cytoskeletal changes involving actin polymerization and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. These in vitro findings were confirmed in vivo with short hippocampal infusions of picomolar Aβ enhancing contextual memory and prolonged infusions impairing it. Our findings provide a model for initiation of synaptic dysfunction whereby exposure to physiologic levels of Aβ for a prolonged period of time causes microstructural changes at the synapse which result in increased transmitter release, failure of synaptic plasticity, and memory loss

A Flow Cytometry-Based FRET Assay to Identify and Analyse Protein-Protein Interactions in Living Cells

Försters resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy is widely used for the analysis of protein interactions in intact cells. However, FRET microscopy is technically challenging and does not allow assessing interactions in large cell numbers. To overcome these limitations we developed a flow cytometry-based FRET assay and analysed interactions of human and simian immunodeficiency virus (HIV and SIV) Nef and Vpu proteins with cellular factors, as well as HIV Rev multimer-formation.Amongst others, we characterize the interaction of Vpu with CD317 (also termed Bst-2 or tetherin), a host restriction factor that inhibits HIV release from infected cells and demonstrate that the direct binding of both is mediated by the Vpu membrane-spanning region. Furthermore, we adapted our assay to allow the identification of novel protein interaction partners in a high-throughput format.The presented combination of FRET and FACS offers the precious possibility to discover and define protein interactions in living cells and is expected to contribute to the identification of novel therapeutic targets for treatment of human diseases