Distinct Effects of Perceptual Quality on Auditory Word Recognition, Memory Formation and Recall in a Neural Model of Sequential Memory

Adults with sensory impairment, such as reduced hearing acuity, have impaired ability to recall identifiable words, even when their memory is otherwise normal. We hypothesize that poorer stimulus quality causes weaker activity in neurons responsive to the stimulus and more time to elapse between stimulus onset and identification. The weaker activity and increased delay to stimulus identification reduce the necessary strengthening of connections between neurons active before stimulus presentation and neurons active at the time of stimulus identification. We test our hypothesis through a biologically motivated computational model, which performs item recognition, memory formation and memory retrieval. In our simulations, spiking neurons are distributed into pools representing either items or context, in two separate, but connected winner-takes-all (WTA) networks. We include associative, Hebbian learning, by comparing multiple forms of spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), which strengthen synapses between coactive neurons during stimulus identification. Synaptic strengthening by STDP can be sufficient to reactivate neurons during recall if their activity during a prior stimulus rose strongly and rapidly. We find that a single poor quality stimulus impairs recall of neighboring stimuli as well as the weak stimulus itself. We demonstrate that within the WTA paradigm of word recognition, reactivation of separate, connected sets of non-word, context cells permits reverse recall. Also, only with such coactive context cells, does slowing the rate of stimulus presentation increase recall probability. We conclude that significant temporal overlap of neural activity patterns, absent from individual WTA networks, is necessary to match behavioral data for word recall

High prevalence of TB disease in contacts of adults with extrapulmonary TB

UK guidelines no longer recommend routine screening of household contacts of adult patients with extrapulmonary TB (EPTB). From 27 March 2012 to 28 June 2016, we investigated the prevalence of active TB disease in household contacts of 1023 EPTB index cases in North West England, and compared estimates with: published new entrant migrant screening programme prevalence (~147/100 000 person-years); London-based contact screening data (700/100 000 contacts screened); and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) new entrant TB screening thresholds (TB prevalence >40/100 000 people). Active TB disease prevalence in EPTB contacts was 440/100 000 contacts screened, similar to UK new entrant screening programmes, London EPTB contact prevalence and >10 times NICE’s threshold for new entrant screening. The decision to no longer recommend routine screening of EPTB contacts should be re-evaluated and cost-effectiveness analyses of screening strategies for EPTB contacts should be performed

Anaesthetic induced relaxation of the winged pearl oyster, Pteria penguin, varies with oyster size and anaesthetic concentration

Stress and mortality of pearl oysters during nucleus implanting for round pearl and mabé pearl production can be reduced using appropriate anaesthetics that allow improved access to nucleus implanting sites. This study evaluated the efficacy of three different concentrations of benzocaine (0.25, 0.50 and 1.20 g L-1) and 1-propylene phenoxetol (2.50, 3.00 and 3.50 mL L-1) when presented to ‘small’ (dorso-ventral height [DVH], 78.7 ± 1.6 mm), ‘medium’ (DVH, 118.2 ± 2.0 mm) and ‘large’ (DVH, 149.3 ± 1.1 mm) cohorts of the winged pearl oyster, Pteria penguin. Results showed the following general trends across treatments with both anaesthetics: (1) greater proportions of large oysters became relaxed compared to small oysters; (2) large oysters required shorter exposure times to become relaxed than small oysters; (3) for each size class of oyster, an increase in anaesthetic concentration resulted in an increased proportion of relaxed oysters; and (4) ‘mantle collapse’ (where the mantle collapses away from the shell) was only recorded in large oysters in treatments with higher concentrations of anaesthetics. The most effective concentration of benzocaine to use with small, medium and large Pt. penguin was the highest level tested in this study (1.20 g L-1). Similarly, the highest concentration of 1-propylene phenoxetol tested (3.5 mL L-1) was also the most effective with all three size classes of Pt. penguin. These treatments caused mantle collapse in large oysters, for which use of lower, less effective anaesthetic concentrations may be considered preferable, to avoid potentially negative impacts of mantle collapse on subsequent mabé pearl production. As well as efficacy, choice of anaesthetic should consider ease of preparation and preparation time. Benzocaine requires dissolving in methyl alcohol and heating to 88–92˚C, while 1-propylene phenoxetol is readily soluble in seawater

Point mutations of human interleukin-1 with decreased receptor binding affinity

AbstractInterleukin-1 (IL-1) is a monocyte-derived polypeptide hormone that interacts with a plasma membrane receptor. We have used oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis to construct mutant human IL-1 proteins. Three different point mutants in a unique histidine residue (position 30) exhibited varying degrees of reduced IL-1 receptor binding affinity, whereas point mutants at five other residues behaved normally. Structural analysis of these mutant proteins by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy detected no (or only minor) conformational changes relative to wild-type IL-1. These data suggest that the unique histidine residue influ- ences the architecture of the receptor binding site on human IL-1

Активизация инвестиционной деятельности коммерческими банками

В статье рассмотрены основные вопросы активизации инвестиционной деятельности коммерческими банками Украины.У статті розглядаються основні питання активізації інвестиційної діяльності комерційними банками України.The main questions of the investment activity by the commercial banks of Ukraine were descried in the article

Unique patterns of mating pheromone presence and absence could result in the ambiguous sexual behaviors of Colletotrichum species

Colletotrichum species are known to engage in unique sexual behaviors that differ significantly from the mating strategies of other filamentous ascomycete species. For example, most ascomycete fungi require the expression of both the MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 genes to induce sexual reproduction. In contrast, all isolates of Colletotrichum harbor only the MAT1-2-1 gene and yet, are capable of recognizing suitable mating partners and producing sexual progeny. The molecular mechanisms contributing to mating types and behaviors in Colletotrichum are, however, unknown. A comparative genomics approach analyzing 35 genomes, representing 31 Colletotrichum species and two Verticillium species, was used to elucidate a putative molecular mechanism underlying the unique sexual behaviors observed in Colletotrichum species. The existence of only the MAT1-2 idiomorph was confirmed across all species included in this study. Comparisons of the loci harboring the two mating pheromones and their cognate receptors revealed interesting patterns of gene presence and absence. The results showed that these genes have been lost multiple, independent times over the evolutionary history of this genus. These losses indicate that the pheromone pathway no longer plays an active role in mating type determination, suggesting an undiscovered mechanism by which mating partner recognition is controlled in these species. This further suggests that there has been a redirection of the underlying genetic mechanisms that regulate sexual development in Colletotrichum species. This research thus provides a foundation from which further interrogation of this topic can take place.The South African Department of Science and Innovation’s South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI); Botanical Resources Australia—Agricultural Services, Pty. Ltd; post-doctoral grant from the University of Pretoria, South Africa; Melbourne International Fee Remission and Melbourne International Research Scholarships from the University of Melbourne, Australia.http://www.g3journal.orgam2022BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

Spatio-Temporal Variation in Growth Performance and Condition of the Winged Pearl Oyster Pteria penguin

Environmental conditions can strongly influence the growth performance of pearl oysters and affect pearl farm production schedules. Growth and condition index (CI) of two age cohorts of Pteria penguin were measured for 13 months to investigate differences in growth performance between four culture sites within the northern (Vava’u) and southern (Tongatapu) island groups of the Kingdom of Tonga. Environmental conditions were also measured at culture sites and used to explore potential effects on oyster growth and condition. Between island groups, growth performance of P. penguin was superior at northern sites and was most strongly related to higher water temperatures at these sites. Within the southern island group, growth performance varied significantly between sites and may be driven by differences in wave energy. Monthly growth rates (GM) of P. penguin also showed significant temporal variation related to age and environmental conditions. This study demonstrated significant variation in the growth performance of P. penguin at latitudinal and local scales and suggests that in oligotrophic marine environments with minimal terrestrial inputs, such as Tonga, water temperature and wave exposure may be the primary environmental conditions influencing the growth performance of P. penguin. This study therefore recommends that optimal culture sites for P. penguin in Tonga are characterized primarily by warmer water temperatures (25–30°C) and low wave exposure (2 day–1). Culture of P. penguin at sites with more suitable environmental conditions enables pearl production to begin up to 34.2 % (6.5 months) earlier than at less-suitable sites and this may greatly influence mabé pearl farm profitability and feasibility

Spatio-Temporal Variation in Growth Performance and Condition of the Winged Pearl Oyster Pteria penguin

Environmental conditions can strongly influence the growth performance of pearl oysters and affect pearl farm production schedules. Growth and condition index (CI) of two age cohorts of Pteria penguin were measured for 13 months to investigate differences in growth performance between four culture sites within the northern (Vava’u) and southern (Tongatapu) island groups of the Kingdom of Tonga. Environmental conditions were also measured at culture sites and used to explore potential effects on oyster growth and condition. Between island groups, growth performance of P. penguin was superior at northern sites and was most strongly related to higher water temperatures at these sites. Within the southern island group, growth performance varied significantly between sites and may be driven by differences in wave energy. Monthly growth rates (GM) of P. penguin also showed significant temporal variation related to age and environmental conditions. This study demonstrated significant variation in the growth performance of P. penguin at latitudinal and local scales and suggests that in oligotrophic marine environments with minimal terrestrial inputs, such as Tonga, water temperature and wave exposure may be the primary environmental conditions influencing the growth performance of P. penguin. This study therefore recommends that optimal culture sites for P. penguin in Tonga are characterized primarily by warmer water temperatures (25–30°C) and low wave exposure (<15 joules m2 day–1). Culture of P. penguin at sites with more suitable environmental conditions enables pearl production to begin up to 34.2 % (6.5 months) earlier than at less-suitable sites and this may greatly influence mabé pearl farm profitability and feasibility

Quantifying the need for enhanced case management for TB patients as part of TB cohort audit in the North West of England: a descriptive study

Abstract Background Patients with TB have diverse and often challenging clinical and social needs that may hamper successful treatment outcomes. Understanding the need for additional support during treatment (enhanced case management, or ECM) is important for workforce capacity planning. North West England TB Cohort Audit (TBCA) has introduced a 4-level ECM classification system (ECM 0–3) to quantify the need for ECM in the region. This study describes the data from the first 2 years of ECM classification. Methods Data collected between April 2013 and July 2015 were used to analyse the proportions of patients allocated to each ECM level and the prevalence of social and clinical factors indicating need for ECM. Single variable and multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to examine the association between ECM level and treatment outcome. Results Of 1714 notified cases 99.8% were assigned an ECM level: 31% ECM1, 19% ECM2 and 14% ECM3. The most common factors indicating need for ECM were language barriers (20.3%) and clinical complexity (16.9%). 1342/1493 (89.9%) of drug-sensitive, non-CNS cases completed treatment within 12 months. Patients in ECM2 and 3 were less likely to complete treatment at 12 months than patients in ECM0 (adjusted OR 0.47 [95% CI 0.27–0.84] and 0.23 [0.13–0.41] respectively). Conclusions Use of TBCA to quantify different levels of need for ECM is feasible and has demonstrated that social and clinical complexity is common in the region. Results will inform regional workforce planning and assist development of innovative methods to improve treatment outcomes in these vulnerable groups

Human interleukin-5 expressed in Escherichia coli: assignment of the disulfide bridges of the purified unglycosylated protein

AbstractHuman interleukin-5 is a homodimer: each subunit contains two cysteine residues that form two inter-subunit disulfide bonds. The topology of the disulfides in recombinant human interleukin-5 produced in Escherichia coli was studied by proteolytic digestion and peptide mapping. Disulfide linked peptides containing cysteine 42 linked to cysteine 84 were isolated. This indicated that cysteine 42 and 84 of one subunit were linked in an antiparallel manner to cysteines 84 and 42 of the other subunit