Computational Astrocyence: Astrocytes encode inhibitory activity into the frequency and spatial extent of their calcium elevations

Deciphering the complex interactions between neurotransmission and astrocytic $Ca^{2+}$ elevations is a target promising a comprehensive understanding of brain function. While the astrocytic response to excitatory synaptic activity has been extensively studied, how inhibitory activity results to intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ waves remains elusive. In this study, we developed a compartmental astrocytic model that exhibits distinct levels of responsiveness to inhibitory activity. Our model suggested that the astrocytic coverage of inhibitory terminals defines the spatial and temporal scale of their $Ca^{2+}$ elevations. Understanding the interplay between the synaptic pathways and the astrocytic responses will help us identify how astrocytes work independently and cooperatively with neurons, in health and disease.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, IEEE-EMBS International Conference on Biomedical and Health Informatics (BHI '19

The Golden Horde Nomads and the Surrounding World: a mutual perception paradigm

A discourse analysis of the texts (narratives) by medieval European (Plano Carpini, Guillaume de Rubrouck, Riccoldo da Monte di Croce) and Eastern (Al-Omari, Ibn-Battuta) authors addressing the nomads of the Golden Horde has allowed the author of the paper to draw a number of conclusions regarding the mutual perception of nomads, who represented the main part of the Golden Horde society, by the European (Catholic) and Eastern (Muslim) worlds. In particular, from the viewpoint of European narrators, this was a world posing a potential danger to Christian Europe. From the viewpoint of Eastern (Muslim) authors, this world did not deserve any serious attention. As for the Golden Horde nomads themselves, due to their mentality accounted for by their way of life and ideology, they perceived the world around them primarily as an object of mercantile exploitation

Molecular Cloning of a Bovine Immunoglobulin Lambda Chain cDNA

A cDNA library of the bovine mammary gland constructed in pBR322 was screened by mRNA hybrid-selected translation and by differential hybridization. Several immunoglobulin (Ig) λ light-chain clones were identified and sequenced. Nucleotide sequence comparison of bovine and human Ig λ chains showed a high degree of homology for constant regions and for J regions. The amino acid (aa) sequence encoded by the constant region of the bovine Ig λ chain cDNA contains 107 aa with differences at 24 aa positions from the human Ig A chain. Three complementarity-determining regions (CDR1,2,3) characteristic of the variable region of bovine Ig λ chain cDNA can be distinguished. The bovine and human sequences display good homology in the framework region 3 (FR3) but only patches of homology throughout the FR2 region. The 5′ end of the bovine Ig λ chain cDNA fragment of clone 1-14E contains five stop codons: two in CDR1, one in FR1 and two in the hydrophobic prepeptide region. These data suggest that the Igλ mRNA of clone 1-14E is transcribed from the Vλ pseudogene

Theoretical description of the decays Λb→Λ(∗)(12±,32±)+J/ψ\Lambda_b \to \Lambda^{(\ast)}(\frac12^\pm,\frac32^\pm) + J/\psi

We calculate the invariant and helicity amplitudes for the transitions $\Lambda_b~\to~\Lambda^{(\ast)}(J^P)~+~J/\psi$ where the $\Lambda^{(\ast)}(J^P)$ are $\Lambda(sud)$-type ground and excited states with $J^P$ quantum numbers $J^P=\frac12^{\pm},\frac32^{\pm}$. The calculations are performed in the framework of a covariant confined quark model previously developed by us. We find that the values of the helicity amplitudes for the $\Lambda^\ast(1520,\,\frac32^-)$ and the $\Lambda^\ast(1890,\,\frac32^+)$ are suppressed compared with those for the ground state $\Lambda(1116,\,\frac12^+)$ and the excited state $\Lambda^\ast(1405,\,\frac12^-)$. This analysis is important for the identification of the hidden charm pentaquark states $P_c^+(4380)$ and $P_c^+(4450)$ which were discovered in the decay chain $\Lambda_b^0~\to~P_c^+(~\to~p~J/\psi)~+~K^-$ because the cascade decay chain $\Lambda_b~\to~\Lambda^\ast(\frac32^\pm)(~\to~pK^-)~+~J/\psi$ involves the same final state.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures. Minor corrections don

Riemann-Hilbert problem, integrability and reductions

The present paper is dedicated to integrable models with Mikhailov reduction groups $G_R \simeq \mathbb{D}_h.$ Their Lax representation allows us to prove, that their solution is equivalent to solving Riemann-Hilbert problems, whose contours depend on the realization of the $G_R$-action on the spectral parameter. Two new examples of Nonlinear Evolution Equations (NLEE) with $\mathbb{D}_h$ symmetries are presented.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures, Dedicated to Darryl Holm's 70th birthda