How Interesting Is This To You: Rating the Interestingness of Auditory Clips

Modern technological environments integrate multiple devices, competing for limited attentional resources of users. This study aimed to validate the auditory stimuli used in Horrey et al. (2017) with a college student population and examine the psychological structure of task engagement. Thirty-nine students listened to thirty-nine auditory stimuli used in Horrey et al. (2017) for their level of engagement. Participants rated how interesting they found the material on a slider from -7 (boring) to 7 (interesting) while listening to each clip. Participants also rated levels of difficulty, entertainment, and likelihood to attend to each clip. Participants who rated high on difficulty, entertainment, and attention also rated higher interestingness scores than those with low ratings, suggesting that these are important constituents of perceived interestingness of the auditory clips. Results indicate complexity of the psychological structure of task engagement and importance of controlling these factors in auditory stimuli to manipulate engagement

Presynaptic BDNF Required for a Presynaptic but Not Postsynaptic Component of LTP at Hippocampal CA1-CA3 Synapses

AbstractBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in several forms of long-term potentiation (LTP) at different hippocampal synapses. Using two-photon imaging of FM 1-43, a fluorescent marker of synaptic vesicle cycling, we find that BDNF is selectively required for those forms of LTP at Schaffer collateral synapses that recruit a presynaptic component of expression. BDNF-dependent forms of LTP also require activation of L-type voltage-gated calcium channels. One form of LTP with presynaptic expression, theta burst LTP, is thought to be of particular behavioral importance. Using restricted genetic deletion to selectively disrupt BDNF production in either the entire forebrain (CA3 and CA1) or in only the postsynaptic CA1 neuron, we localize the source of BDNF required for LTP to presynaptic neurons. These results suggest that long-term synaptic plasticity has distinct presynaptic and postsynaptic modules. Release of BDNF from CA3 neurons is required to recruit the presynaptic, but not postsynaptic, module of plasticity

Novel Semisynthetic Derivatives of Bile Acids as Effective Tyrosyl-DNA Phosphodiesterase 1 Inhibitors.

An Important task in the treatment of oncological and neurodegenerative diseases is the search for new inhibitors of DNA repair system enzymes. Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (Tdp1) is one of the DNA repair system enzymes involved in the removal of DNA damages caused by topoisomerase I inhibitors. Thus, reducing the activity of Tdp1 can increase the effectiveness of currently used anticancer drugs. We describe here a new class of semisynthetic small molecule Tdp1 inhibitors based on the bile acid scaffold that were originally identified by virtual screening. The influence of functional groups of bile acids (hydroxy and acetoxy groups in the steroid framework and amide fragment in the side chain) on inhibitory activity was investigated. In vitro studies demonstrate the ability of the semisynthetic derivatives to effectively inhibit Tdp1 with IC50 up to 0.29 µM. Furthermore, an excellent fit is realized for the ligands when docked into the active site of the Tdp1 enzyme

Digital receivers for low-frequency radio telescopes UTR-2, URAN, GURT

This paper describes digital radio astronomical receivers used for decameter and meter wavelength observations. This paper describes digital radio astronomical receivers used for decameter and meter wavelength observations. Since 1998, digital receivers performing on-the-fly dynamic spectrum calculations or waveform data recording without data loss have been used at the UTR-2 radio telescope, the URAN VLBI system, and the GURT new generation radio telescope. Here we detail these receivers developed for operation in the strong interference environment that prevails in the decameter wavelength range. Data collected with these receivers allowed us to discover numerous radio astronomical objects and phenomena at low frequencies, a summary of which is also presented.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figure

Promising New Inhibitors of Tyrosyl-DNA Phosphodiesterase I (Tdp 1) Combining 4-Arylcoumarin and Monoterpenoid Moieties as Components of Complex Antitumor Therapy

Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (Tdp1) is an important DNA repair enzyme in humans, and a current and promising inhibition target for the development of new chemosensitizing agents due to its ability to remove DNA damage caused by topoisomerase 1 (Top1) poisons such as topotecan and irinotecan. Herein, we report our work on the synthesis and characterization of new Tdp1 inhibitors that combine the arylcoumarin (neoflavonoid) and monoterpenoid moieties. Our results showed that they are potent Tdp1 inhibitors with IC50 values in the submicromolar range. In vivo experiments with mice revealed that compound 3ba (IC50 0.62 µM) induced a significant increase in the antitumor effect of topotecan on the Krebs-2 ascites tumor model. Our results further strengthen the argument that Tdp1 is a druggable target with the potential to be developed into a clinically-potent adjunct therapy in conjunction with Top1 poisons

Magnetometric Studies of Catalyst Refuses in Nanocarbon Materials

It is shown that magnetometry can be employed as an effective tool to control the content of a ferromagnetic constituent in nanocarbon materials. We propose a thermochemical treatment protocol to achieve extensive cleaning of the source nanocarbon materials from ferromagnetic refuses

Morphological characterization of biominerals from five multicellular marine algae species

Silica biominerals are deposited as amorphous solid structures in plant cells and tissues, providing rigidity to different plant parts and assisting in defence. The shape and size of phytoliths are well established and serve as a useful tool in taxonomic analyses. For the first time we extracted and studied silica biominerals of five marine macroalgae, which we observed by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). More than nine different morphotypes of phytoliths ranging from ≥ 10 to ≥ 350 μm in size were found. Some of them were phytoliths made of silica while others showed characteristics of different minerals of calcium. In our study, the “honeycomb” formations were only recorded in Laurencia tropica Yamada and pyramid tabular ones were found only in Tichocarpus crinitus (S.G. Gmelin) Ruprecht. The XRD analysis showed that they consisted of virgilite and gypsum substance, respectively. Silica phytoliths are intrinsic parts of the algae and their morphological characterization can provide the basis for palaeo-reconstruction and taxonomic investigation of brown and red algae in palaeontological studies of fossils where all organic matter has decayed