Improving the accuracy of brain activation maps in the group-level analysis of fMRI data utilizing spatiotemporal Gaussian process model

OBJECTIVE: Accuracy and precision of the statistical analysis methods used for brain activation maps are essential. Adjusting models to consider spatiotemporal correlation embedded in fMRI data may increase their accuracy, but it also introduces a high computational cost. The present study aimed to apply and assess the spatiotemporal Gaussian process (STGP) model to improve accuracy and reduce cost. METHODS: We applied the spatiotemporal Gaussian process (STGP) model for both simulated and experimental memory tfMRI data and compared the findings with fast, fully Bayesian, and General Linear Models (GLM). To assess their accuracy and precision, the models were fitted to the simulated data (1000 voxels,100 times point for 50 people), and an average of accuracy indexes of 100 repetitions was computed. Functional and activation maps for all models were calculated in experimental data analysis. RESULTS: STGP model resulted in a higher Z-score in the whole brain, in the 1000 most activated voxels, and in the frontal lobe as the approved memory area. Based on the simulated data, the STGP model showed more accuracy and precision than the other two models. However, its computational time was more than the GLM, as the price of model correction, but much less than that of the fast, fully Bayesian model. CONCLUSION: Spatiotemporal correlation further improved the accuracy of the STGP compared to the GLM and fast, fully Bayesian model. This can result in more accurate activation maps. Moreover, the STGP model’s computational speed appears to be reasonable for model application

Effects of Laminaria digitata and Aschophylum nodossum in controlling white spot disease (WSD) in white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Complementary feedstuff extract from Laminaria digitata and Ascophylum nodossum containing 1% alginic acids as stimulator of immune system in Litopenaeus vannamei for controlling WSSV was used in this study. The test shrimps, Litopenaeus vannamei, in larvae stage (Z1-131,1), post larvae stage (PL1-PLO and juvenile (from day 30 to 40) were fed by complimentary feed stuff as the other test conditions in the test and control group were the same. Both groups were exposed to WSSV after 40 days by oral inoculation. The clinical signs and mortality were recorded for 10 days. The results showed the survival rate of the test group was higher than the control group and it was significant (P<0.05). The results also showed that the mortality in the test group occurred 48 hours later than the control group. This study can lead us to new methods for controlling White Spot Disease

Effect of hot-water extract of brown seaweed Sargassum glaucescens via immersion route on immune responses of Fenneropenaeus indicus

The development of shrimp aquaculture, in spite of its global necessity, is largely at stake as significant ecological and pathological problems are increasing in the vast majority of the shrimp producing countries. Shrimp immunology is a key element in establishing strategies for controlling diseases in shrimp aquaculture. The total haemocyte count (THC), differential haemocyte count (DHC), total plasma protein (TPP), Phagocytic activity (PA), bacterial clearance efficiency (BCE) and bactericidal activity (BE) were examined when the F. indicus shrimps (11.32±1.20 g) were immersed in seawater (39 ppt and 25 ± 1 ºC) containing hot-water extracts of brown alga Sargassum glaucescens at 100, 300 and 500 mg/l. These parameters increased significantly (p < 0.05) when the shrimp were immersed in seawater containing hot-water extracts at 100 mg/l after 3h and 300 and 500 mg/l after 2 h. F. indicus shrimps that were immersed in hot-water extracts at 300 and 500 mg/l had increased phagocytic activity and clearance efficiency to Vibrio spp. after 2 hours. But bactericidal activity increased significantly after 1 hour in the same concentrations

Modeling Progressive Fibrosis with Pluripotent Stem Cells Identifies an Anti-fibrotic Small Molecule.

Progressive organ fibrosis accounts for one-third of all deaths worldwide, yet preclinical models that mimic the complex, progressive nature of the disease are lacking, and hence, there are no curative therapies. Progressive fibrosis across organs shares common cellular and molecular pathways involving chronic injury, inflammation, and aberrant repair resulting in deposition of extracellular matrix, organ remodeling, and ultimately organ failure. We describe the generation and characterization of an in&nbsp;vitro progressive fibrosis model that uses cell types derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Our model produces endogenous activated transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and contains activated fibroblastic aggregates that progressively increase in size and stiffness with activation of known fibrotic molecular and cellular changes. We used this model as a phenotypic drug discovery platform for modulators of fibrosis. We validated this platform by identifying a compound that promotes resolution of fibrosis in in&nbsp;vivo and ex&nbsp;vivo models of ocular and lung fibrosis

Service-oriented agents for collaborative industrial automation and production systems

Service-oriented Multi-Agent Systems (SoMAS) is an approach to combine the fundamental characteristics of service-oriented and multi-agent methods into a new platform for industrial automation. Several research works already targeted the connection of these technologies, presenting different perspectives in how and why to join them. This research focuses on available efforts and solutions in the area of SoMAS and explains the idea behind the service-oriented agents in industrial automation. A SoMAS system is mainly composed by shared resources in form of services and their providing/requesting agents. The paper also discusses the required engineering aspects of these systems, from the internal anatomy to the interaction patterns. Parameters of flexibility, reconfiguration, autonomy and reduced development efforts were considered and they should be the trademark of SoMAS. Aiming to illustrate the proposed approach, an example of service-oriented automation agents is given.The authors would like to thank the European Commission and the partners of the EU IST FP6 project “Service-Oriented Cross-layer infrastructure for Distributed smart Embedded devices” (SOCRADES), the EU FP6 "Network of Excellence for Innovative Production Machines and Systems” (I*PROMS), and the EC ICT FP7 project “Cooperating Objects Network of Excellence” (CONET) for their support

Assessment of different methods of water treatment on decreasing pathogenic bacteria in shrimp hatcheries

The project of "Assessment of different methods of water treatment on decreasing pathogenic bacteria in shrimp hatcheries" achieved by mean of reviewing the effectiveness of various methods on the water treatment to reduce bacterial load of sea water. The project performed in Bandargah region of Bushehr province in order to checking the effect of different methods on the sea water and bacterial population. This project has been done over a year. In this study a total of 138 samples was collected during seven times and was evaluated as well as 7 treatments. In this study, the comparison of the effect of each factors (sand filter, chlorine, ultra violet ray, chlorine combined with ultra violet ray) was analyzed on the sea water by means of disinfection. During this study, other environmental factors such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and salinity was measured till we can ensure that they don’t have any negative impact on the treatments. Results showed that the density of total bacteria in sea water (Control) was averagely 5187 CFU/ml, this was done while the total density of bacteria in the sea water, reservation pool sample, sand filter water, water that irradiated with ultraviolet rays, chlorinated water and the water that was influenced by both chlorine and ultra violet ray was respectively 5187 2137, 4449 2042, 2782 1335, 1164 692, 143 104, 87 76 CFU/ml. Therefore, reservation pool, sand filter, ultra violet ray, chlorine, chlorine-ultra violet ray each of them was reduce respectively 14, 46, 77, 97, 98 percent of the density of total bacteria or in other words they reduced 0.06, 0.27, 0.65, 1.56, 1.77 log of the total population of bacteria in water. Moreover, the results from the total count of vibrios showed that reservation pool, sand filter, ultra violet ray, chlorine, chlorine-ultra violet ray each of them was reduce respectively 17, 47, 74, 98, 99 percent of the density of total vibrios or in other words they reduced respectively 0.08, 0.27, 0.59, 1.66, and 1.95 log of the total population of vibrios in sea water. Also the bacteria that isolated from each treatment were identified with the use of biochemical methods that totally were includes a wide range of bacteria, the identified vibrios were: Vibrio alginolyticus, V. costicola, V. fischeri, V. fluvialis I, V. fluvialis II, V. harveyi, V. natriegens, V. nigripulchritudo, V. parahaemolyticus, V. plagius I, V. vulnificus, V. anguilarum I, V. campbellii, V. nereis, V. proteolyticus, V. splendidus, and Unknown V. spp. Other identified bacteria belonging to the following genus: Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Alcaligenes, Bacillus, Borkholderia, Eschricia, Enteroacter, Flavobacterium, Micococcus, Proteus, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Staphaphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Unknown Bacteria spp. By comparing the results, we concluded that the best result was related to treatment that the sea water had been disinfected after the combined effects of chlorine and ultraviolet ray. It was determined that this process in compared with other treatments, had been reduced the total number of bacteria, the total number of Vibrios, the number of sucrose fermentative vibrios, and the number of non-sucrose fermentative vibrios respectively 98, 99, 98, 99 percent. In other words, the number of bacteria was reduced respectively 1.77, 1.94, 1.82, 2.23 log. So in this study, the applied method was introduced as the most effective way of disinfecting sea water. Meanwhile, none of pathogenic bacteria for shrimp including Vibrio harveyi was isolated by using this treatment. Comparing the results showed that the combined effects of chlorine and ultraviolet radiation is the most effective applied method for disinfecting sea water

Study on effects of Beta-glucan & extraction of Sargassum & Padina algae in prevention and treatment of WSD in Fenneropenaeus indicus

In this study two species of algae, Sargassum glaucescens and Padina boergeseni that found plenteously in Persian Gulf and Bushehr coast, were collected and hot water extracts of them were lyophilized. F. indicus (11.32±1.20 g), after two weeks adaptation in Shoghab research station were immersed in seawater (39 ppt and 25±1 ○C) containing hot-water extract of each brown algae, S.glaucescens and P.boergeseni, at 100, 300 and 500 mg/l concentration, Survival rate and immunological parameters (total haemocyte count (THC), total plasma protein (TPP), Phagocytic activity, bacterial clearance efficiency and bactericidal activity) were examined. In addition effect of dietary administration of beta 1, 3 1, 6 glucan on prevention of White Spot Disease and immunological parameters of shrimp were investigated. According to results, immersion in seawater containing 300 and 500 mg/l concentration of algal hot-water extract after 2 and 3 hours or oral administration of beta 1,3 1,6 glucan at level of 10 g/kg diet for 14 days significantly enhanced THC, TPP, Phagocytic activity, bacterial clearance efficiency and bactericidal activity. Immersion in seawater containing 100, 300 and 500 mg/l hot-water extract of S.glaucescens after 3 hours, improved the survival rate of WSSV-infected F. indicus

An introduction of photobioreactor technology in mass culture of algea in order to improve the shrimp culture in Iran

Algae production in controlled condition is one one the most important subject that ought to studying . This kind of algae production can use for biosynthesis great syuffs like as vtamines and unsaturated fatty acids. For achieving this goal < this project was designed and done. At this project some procedures like steril cultivation < light controlling, remove and dissolving gases as oxygen and carbon dioxide, mixturing tank, intelligent sensor, biofilter purifying, dechloration vessel and dosing pumps are new phenomenas are used. Finally, chlorella sp from Gilan institute were culativated more than 16000000 cells per one millimeter

The سtudy on health situation of shrimp Litopenaus vannamei broodstoock production in earthen pond and comparing with fiberglass or cement tanks

The investigation of health and diseas situation of shrimp broodstook (Litopenaeus vannamei) in Boushehr province in earthen pond and cancreat and fiberglas was carried out from May 2014 until July 2014 with collected 100 samples brood stook from earthen pond and 100 samples from earth and fiberglas thank.The clinical sign of samples documented in take history form and then the samples transport to Iran Shrimp Research Instituet in Bousheher. The bacterial and fungal studied was carried out with hemolymp, hepatopacreas and gill tissue and then the shrimp preserved in Davidson Fixative for histopathology. A part of uropoda also preserved in ethyl alcholo for PCR study and detecting viruses. The result showed 10 bacteria consist V.harveyii, V.parahaemolyticus, V.anguillarum, V.vulnificus, V.mimicus, V.damsela,V.nereis, plesiomonas shigelloides V.alginolyticus V.proteolyticus, in earthen pond and 5 bacteria consit ,V.alginolyticus V.proteolyticus ، V.parahaemolyticus، V. damsela ،V.mimicus were identified in fiberglas thank. In this study 10 fungi consist Penecilium, Asp. Niger, Asp. Flavious, Asp. fomigatus, Acromonium, Ulocladium, Mucor, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Rhizopus, and 5 of them were identified in both broodstock from earthen pond and fiberglas thank. However 6 parasite consist of zoothamnium, vorticella, Acneta, Ephelota, Epistylis, Epistylis and Apastomom identified in earthen pond and three of them were identified in fiberglas thank. In histoplatholgy some tissue showed the effect of vibrio infecting in different organs as well in gill and midgut and the PCR examined were negative for all viruses. Regarding the produce healthy broodstock we need excuted the High Health procdure

Investigation on effects of ergosan^TM and vibromax^TM in control of white spot disease (WSD) and Vibriosis in shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Complementary feedstuff extract from Laminaria digitata and Ascophylum nodosum that containing 1% alginic acids as shrimps stimulating of immune system for control of WSSV is used in this study. The test shrimps Litopenaeus vannamei in larvae stage (Z1-PL1), post larvae stage (PL1-PL10) and juvenile (from 30th day to 40th day) fed by complimentary feedstuff comprised control group. The other condition in test and control group was the same manner. Both groups after 40 days exposed to WSSV by oral inoculation. The clinical sign and mortality recorded for 10 days. The results showed the survival rate of exposed group was higher than the control group and it was significant (p<0/05). The result also show the mortality observed in exposed group 48 hours later than the control group. This study can led us to new methods for control of White spot disease