Performance error-related activity in monkey striatum during social interactions

Monitoring our performance is fundamental to motor control while monitoring other's performance is fundamental to social coordination. The striatum is hypothesized to play a role in action selection, action initiation, and action parsing, but we know little of its role in performance monitoring. Furthermore, the striatum contains neurons that respond to own and other's actions. Therefore, we asked if striatal neurons signal own and conspecific's performance errors. Two macaque monkeys sitting across a touch-sensitive table in plain view of each other took turns performing a simple motor task to obtain juice rewards while we recorded single striatal neurons from one monkey at a time. Both monkeys made more errors after individually making an error but made fewer errors after a conspecific error. Thus, monkeys' behavior was influenced by their own and their conspecific's past behavior. A population of striatal neurons responded to own and conspecific's performance errors independently of a negative reward prediction error signal. Overall, these data suggest that monkeys are influenced by social errors and that striatal neurons signal performance errors. These signals might be important for social coordination, observational learning and adjusting to an ever-changing social landscape.This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust (Principal Research Fellowship and Programme Grant 095495), European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant 293549), and NIH Caltech Conte Center (P50MH094258). This work was conducted with support from Harvard Catalyst | The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center (National Center for Research Resources and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health Award UL1 TR001102) and financial contributions from Harvard University and its affiliated academic healthcare centers

Soil quality and farm profitability: A win-win situation

Farmers are more likely to adopt and adapt improved soil management strategies if their efforts lead to an immediate economic benefit. An encouraging policy environment, as well as farmer organisation also stimulates the adoption of conservation practices. In Mexico, farmers are adapting their maize-based cropping systems to conservation agriculture, leading to both higher profits and soil conservation

Experimental determination of the absorption strength in absorbing chaotic cavities

Due to the experimental necessity we present a formula to determine the absorption strength by power losses inside a chaotic system (cavities, graphs, acoustic resonators, etc) when the antenna coupling, always present in experimental measurements, is taken into account. This is done by calculating the average of the absorption coefficient as a function of the absorption strength and the coupling of the antenna to the system, in the one channel case.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, Submitted to Phys. Rev.

EFECTOS DEL ENCALADO EN SUELO ÁCIDO CULTIVADO CON CAFÉ (Coffea arabica L.) EN LA RESERVA DE LA BIÓSFERA EL TRIUNFO, CHIAPAS, MÉXICO

The objective of the research was to study the effect of liming and chemicalfertilization in coffee plants established in a soil with acidity problems. Thetreatments evaluated in a randomized block design were: 1. Dolomitelime in doses of 500 kg ha-1; 2. Fertilization (nitrogen 30 g perplant and phosphorus 28 g per plant); 3. Joint application ofdolomite lime and fertilization; and 4. Control. The experimentalunit was one Arabica coffee plant (Coffea arabica L.) ofthe Oro Azteca variety and 5 plants (repetitions) were used per treatment. The lime was applied at the time of establishingthe plantation in June 2014. The following were measured 17 monthslater: plant height, stem diameter, root length, dry biomass weight,and soil characteristics; and at 2.5 years, the yield of cherry coffee wasestimated. There was a highly significant statistical difference (P?0.01)for plant height and absence of significance (n.s.) for stem diameter.The application of lime showed that the acidity conditions in the soil,by affecting the normal growth of the roots, limits the absorption ofnutrients, the development of aerial part of the plants, and the yieldof coffee beans. The effect of nitrogen fertilization on the increaseof acidity and the limited efficiency of fertilizers applied to soils withacidity problems was also evident.El objetivo de esta investigación fue estudiar el efecto del encalado y fertilización química en plantas de café establecidasen un suelo con problema de acidez. Los tratamientos evaluados en un diseño bloques al azar fueron: 1. Cal dolomitaen dosis de 500 kg ha-1; 2. Fertilización (nitrógeno 30 g por planta y fósforo 28 g por planta); 3. Aplicación junta de caldolomita y fertilización y; 4. Testigo. La unidad experimental fue una planta de café Arabica (Coffea arabica L.) de lavariedad Oro Azteca y se usaron 5 plantas (repeticiones) por tratamiento. La cal fue aplicada al momento de establecerla plantación en junio de 2014; a los 17 meses después se midieron altura de planta, diámetro del tallo, largo de raíz, pesode biomasa seca, características del suelo y a los 2.5 años se estimó rendimiento de café cereza. Se presentó diferenciaestadística altamente significativa (P?0.01) para altura de plantas y ausencia de significancia (n s.) para el diámetro de tallo.La aplicación de cal demostró que las condiciones de acidez en el suelo, al afectar el crecimiento normal de las raíces;limita la absorción de nutrientes, el desarrollo de la parte área de las plantas y el rendimiento de grano café. También seevidenció, el efecto que tiene la fertilización nitrogenada en el aumento de la acidez y la limitada eficiencia que tienen losfertilizantes aplicados en un suelo con problema de acidez

The Triple Higgs Boson Self-Coupling at Future Linear e+e- Colliders Energies: ILC and CLIC

We analyzed the triple Higgs boson self-coupling at future $e^{+}e^{-}$ colliders energies, with the reactions $e^{+}e^{-}\to b \bar b HH, t \bar t HH$. We evaluate the total cross-sections for both $b\bar bHH$ and $t\bar tHH$, and calculate the total number of events considering the complete set of Feynman diagrams at tree-level. We vary the triple coupling $\kappa\lambda_{3H}$ within the range $\kappa=-1$ and +2. The numerical computation is done for the energies expected to be available at a possible Future Linear $e^{+}e^{-}$ Collider with a center-of-mass energy $800, 1000, 1500$ $GeV$ and a luminosity 1000 $fb^{-1}$. Our analysis is also extended to a center-of-mass energy 3 $TeV$ and luminosities of 1000 $fb^{-1}$ and 5000 $fb^{-1}$. We found that for the process $e^{+}e^{-}\to b \bar b HH$, the complete calculation differs only by 3% from the approximate calculation $e^{+}e^{-}\to ZHH(Z\to b\bar b)$, while for the process $e^{+}e^{-}\to t \bar tHH$, the expected number of events, considering the decay products of both $t$ and $H$, is not enough to obtain an accurate determination of the triple Higgs boson self-coupling.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figure

Uso de un consorcio bacteriano extremo-halotolerante para la biodegradación de crudo en ambientes salinos

Results of the application of a novel bacterial consortium extremely-halotolerant for the biodegradation of crude oil using free and immobilized cell systems, in media with salinities ranged from zero to 220 g/L, are described. Its effectiveness increased when the cells were immobilized on polyurethane foam, polypropylene fibers, scourers and Celatom and the salinity of the culture medium surpassed 20 g/L. Four of the microorganisms belonging to the consortium grew in media with salinities varying from zero to 320 g/L and are amongst the most halotolerant microorganisms described up to now. Se describen resultados de la aplicación de un nuevo consorcio bacteriano extremo-halotolerante para la biodegradación de crudos en medios con salinidades desde cero hasta 220 g/L, en sistemas con células libres e inmovilizadas sobre diferentes soportes. Su efectividad se incrementó cuando el consorcio se inmovilizó sobre espuma de poliuretano, fibras de polipropileno, scourers y Celatom, y la salinidad del medio superó los 20 g/L. Cuatro de los microorganismos que conforman el consorcio bacteriano crecieron en medios con salinidades desde cero hasta 320 g/L y se encuentran entre los de mayor halotolerancia reportados hasta la fecha.

Analysis of mitochondrial enzymatic activity in blood lymphomonocyte fractions during infection with different Trypanosoma cruzi strains

Proinflammatory and inflammatory mediators induced by Trypanosoma cruzi infection increase the oxidative stress, generating toxicity for cells targeting mitochondria of different tissues. We studied the activity of citrate synthase and complexes I-IV of respiratory chain in mitochondria of blood lymphomonocyte fraction, from albino Swiss mice infected with different isolates of T. cruzi, during Chagas disease evolution. Complexes I-IV were modified in infected groups (p<0.05) in all the stages, and an inflammatory process of different magnitudes was detected in the heart and skeletal muscle according to the isolate. The citrate synthase activity presented modifications in the SGO Z12 and the Tulahuen group (p<0.05). Hearts showed fiber fragmentation and fibrosis; skeletal muscle presented inflammatory infiltrates and in the Tulahuen infected group, there were also amastigote nests. The inflammatory processes produced an oxidative stress that induced different alterations of mitochondrial enzymes activities in the lymphomonocyte fraction that can be detected by a simple blood extraction, suggesting that they could be used as disease markers, especially in the indeterminate phase of Chagas disease

Casuística de leishmaniosis visceral canina registrada en Corrientes (Argentina) durante el período 2014-2016

Since the years 2014 to 2016, cases of visceral leishmaniosis were investigated in canines examined at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences of Corrientes, Argentina. The study was carried out through the indirect method (detection of antibodies against the rk39 antigen in venous blood serum) and the direct test (extraction of bone marrow by ribs puncture and microscopic observation of amastigotes). During these three years, 409 patients were examined. In 2014 there were 22/89 positive cases (24.7%), in 2015 there were 39/164 positive cases (23.7%) and in 2016 there were 56/156 positive patients (35.8%). In all cases, the canines were positive for both methods. The average prevalence of leishmaniosis in canines studied during this period was 28.6%. It is emphasized that in presence of patients suspected of suffering visceral canine leishmaniosis, serological (indirect) and parasitological (direct) diagnostic methods should be performed together. Durante los meses de febrero a octubre de los años 2014 a 2016 se investigó el padecimiento de leishmaniosis visceral en caninos atendidos en la Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias de Corrientes, Argentina. El estudio se efectuó a través del método indirecto (detección de anticuerpos contra el antígeno rK39 en suero de sangre venosa) y la prueba directa (extracción de medula ósea por punción en distal de costillas y observación microscópica de amastigotes). Durante los 3 años se examinaron un total de 409 pacientes. En 2014 (89 muestras) se registraron 22 casos positivos (24,7%); en 2015 (164 muestras) se detectaron 39 casos positivos (23,7%) y en 2016 (156 muestras) se revelaron 56 pacientes positivos (35,8%). En todos los casos los caninos fueron positivos a ambos métodos diagnósticos. En el total de años estudiados, la prevalencia en caninos fue de 28,06%. Se enfatiza que ante los pacientes sospechosos de padecer leishmaniosis visceral, se efectúen conjuntamente los métodos diagnósticos serológico (indirecto) y parasitológico (directo)

Climate stress resistance in male Queensland fruit fly varies among populations of diverse geographic origins and changes during domestication

Background: The highly polyphagous Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni Froggatt) expanded its range substantially during the twentieth century and is now the most economically important insect pest of Australian horticulture, prompting intensive efforts to develop a Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) control program. Using a “common garden” approach, we have screened for natural genetic variation in key environmental fitness traits among populations from across the geographic range of this species and monitored changes in those traits induced during domestication. Results: Significant variation was detected between the populations for heat, desiccation and starvation resistance and wing length (as a measure of body size). Desiccation resistance was correlated with both starvation resistance and wing length. Bioassay data for three resampled populations indicate that much of the variation in desiccation resistance reflects persistent, inherited differences among the populations. No latitudinal cline was detected for any of the traits and only weak correlations were found with climatic variables for heat resistance and wing length. All three stress resistance phenotypes and wing length changed significantly in certain populations with ongoing domestication but there was also a strong population by domestication interaction effect for each trait. Conclusions: Ecotypic variation in heat, starvation and desiccation resistance was detected in Australian Qfly populations, and these stress resistances diminished rapidly during domestication. Our results indicate a need to select source populations for SIT strains which have relatively high climatic stress resistance and to minimise loss of that resistance during domestication

Nucleation and Bulk Crystallization in Binary Phase Field Theory

We present a phase field theory for binary crystal nucleation. In the one-component limit, quantitative agreement is achieved with computer simulations (Lennard-Jones system) and experiments (ice-water system) using model parameters evaluated from the free energy and thickness of the interface. The critical undercoolings predicted for Cu-Ni alloys accord with the measurements, and indicate homogeneous nucleation. The Kolmogorov exponents deduced for dendritic solidification and for "soft-impingement" of particles via diffusion fields are consistent with experiment.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted to PR