1,203 research outputs found
Multiparameter behavioral profiling reveals distinct thermal response regimes in Caenorhabditis elegans.
BackgroundResponding to noxious stimuli by invoking an appropriate escape response is critical for survival of an organism. The sensations of small and large changes in temperature in most organisms have been studied separately in the context of thermotaxis and nociception, respectively. Here we use the nematode C. elegans to address the neurogenetic basis of responses to thermal stimuli over a broad range of intensities.ResultsC. elegans responds to aversive temperature by eliciting a stereotypical behavioral sequence. Upon sensation of the noxious stimulus, it moves backwards, turns and resumes forward movement in a new direction. In order to study the response of C. elegans to a broad range of noxious thermal stimuli, we developed a novel assay that allows simultaneous characterization of multiple aspects of escape behavior elicited by thermal pulses of increasing amplitudes. We exposed the laboratory strain N2, as well as 47 strains with defects in various aspects of nervous system function, to thermal pulses ranging from ΔT = 0.4°C to 9.1°C and recorded the resulting behavioral profiles.ConclusionsThrough analysis of the multidimensional behavioral profiles, we found that the combinations of molecules shaping avoidance responses to a given thermal pulse are unique. At different intensities of aversive thermal stimuli, these distinct combinations of molecules converge onto qualitatively similar stereotyped behavioral sequences
Experimental Observations of Group Synchrony in a System of Chaotic Optoelectronic Oscillators
We experimentally demonstrate group synchrony in a network of four nonlinear
optoelectronic oscillators with time-delayed coupling. We divide the nodes into
two groups of two each, by giving each group different parameters and by
enabling only inter-group coupling. When coupled in this fashion, the two
groups display different dynamics, with no isochronal synchrony between them,
but the nodes in a single group are isochronally synchronized, even though
there is no intra-group coupling. We compare experimental behavior with
theoretical and numerical results
Susceptibilities and speed of sound from PNJL model
We present the Taylor expansion coefficients of the pressure in quark number
chemical potential , for the strongly interacting
matter as described by the PNJL model for two light degenerate flavours of
quarks u and d. The expansion has been done upto eighth order in , and
the results are consistent with recent estimates from Lattice. We have further
obtained the specific heat , squared speed of sound and the
conformal measure \cC.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, References added, some discussions on Fig. 4
modified, one table added, results unchanged, version to appear in Phys. Rev.
Recommended from our members
Genetics of Intraspecies Variation in Avoidance Behavior Induced by a Thermal Stimulus in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Individuals within a species vary in their responses to a wide range of stimuli, partly as a result of differences in their genetic makeup. Relatively little is known about the genetic and neuronal mechanisms contributing to diversity of behavior in natural populations. By studying intraspecies variation in innate avoidance behavior to thermal stimuli in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we uncovered genetic principles of how different components of a behavioral response can be altered in nature to generate behavioral diversity. Using a thermal pulse assay, we uncovered heritable variation in responses to a transient temperature increase. Quantitative trait locus mapping revealed that separate components of this response were controlled by distinct genomic loci. The loci we identified contributed to variation in components of thermal pulse avoidance behavior in an additive fashion. Our results show that the escape behavior induced by thermal stimuli is composed of simpler behavioral components that are influenced by at least six distinct genetic loci. The loci that decouple components of the escape behavior reveal a genetic system that allows independent modification of behavioral parameters. Our work sets the foundation for future studies of evolution of innate behaviors at the molecular and neuronal level
A Powerful New Quantitative Genetics Platform, Combining Caenorhabditis elegans High-Throughput Fitness Assays with a Large Collection of Recombinant Strains.
The genetic variants underlying complex traits are often elusive even in powerful model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans with controlled genetic backgrounds and environmental conditions. Two major contributing factors are: (1) the lack of statistical power from measuring the phenotypes of small numbers of individuals, and (2) the use of phenotyping platforms that do not scale to hundreds of individuals and are prone to noisy measurements. Here, we generated a new resource of 359 recombinant inbred strains that augments the existing C. elegans N2xCB4856 recombinant inbred advanced intercross line population. This new strain collection removes variation in the neuropeptide receptor gene npr-1, known to have large physiological and behavioral effects on C. elegans and mitigates the hybrid strain incompatibility caused by zeel-1 and peel-1, allowing for identification of quantitative trait loci that otherwise would have been masked by those effects. Additionally, we optimized highly scalable and accurate high-throughput assays of fecundity and body size using the COPAS BIOSORT large particle nematode sorter. Using these assays, we identified quantitative trait loci involved in fecundity and growth under normal growth conditions and after exposure to the herbicide paraquat, including independent genetic loci that regulate different stages of larval growth. Our results offer a powerful platform for the discovery of the genetic variants that control differences in responses to drugs, other aqueous compounds, bacterial foods, and pathogenic stresses
MovieMaker: a web server for rapid rendering of protein motions and interactions
MovieMaker is a web server that allows short (∼10 s), downloadable movies of protein motions to be generated. It accepts PDB files or PDB accession numbers as input and automatically calculates, renders and merges the necessary image files to create colourful animations covering a wide range of protein motions and other dynamic processes. Users have the option of animating (i) simple rotation, (ii) morphing between two end-state conformers, (iii) short-scale, picosecond vibrations, (iv) ligand docking, (v) protein oligomerization, (vi) mid-scale nanosecond (ensemble) motions and (vii) protein folding/unfolding. MovieMaker does not perform molecular dynamics calculations. Instead it is an animation tool that uses a sophisticated superpositioning algorithm in conjunction with Cartesian coordinate interpolation to rapidly and automatically calculate the intermediate structures needed for many of its animations. Users have extensive control over the rendering style, structure colour, animation quality, background and other image features. MovieMaker is intended to be a general-purpose server that allows both experts and non-experts to easily generate useful, informative protein animations for educational and illustrative purposes. MovieMaker is accessible at
Approximate joint measurement of qubit observables through an Arthur-Kelly type model
We consider joint measurement of two and three unsharp qubit observables
through an Arthur-Kelly type joint measurement model for qubits. We investigate
the effect of initial state of the detectors on the unsharpness of the
measurement as well as the post-measurement state of the system. Particular
emphasis is given on a physical understanding of the POVM to PVM transition in
the model and entanglement between system and detectors.Two approaches for
characterizing the unsharpness of the measurement and the resulting measurement
uncertainty relations are considered.The corresponding measures of unsharpness
are connected for the case where both the measurements are equally unsharp. The
connection between the POVM elements and symmetries of the underlying
Hamiltonian of the measurement interaction is made explicit and used to perform
joint measurement in arbitrary directions. Finally in the case of three
observables we derive a necessary condition for the approximate joint
measurement and use it show the relative freedom available when the observables
are non-orthogonal.Comment: 22 pages; Late
Using Synchronization for Prediction of High-Dimensional Chaotic Dynamics
We experimentally observe the nonlinear dynamics of an optoelectronic
time-delayed feedback loop designed for chaotic communication using commercial
fiber optic links, and we simulate the system using delay differential
equations. We show that synchronization of a numerical model to experimental
measurements provides a new way to assimilate data and forecast the future of
this time-delayed high-dimensional system. For this system, which has a
feedback time delay of 22 ns, we show that one can predict the time series for
up to several delay periods, when the dynamics is about 15 dimensional.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
- …