Non Linear Blind Source Separation Using Different Optimization Techniques

The Independent Component Analysis technique has been used in Blind Source separation of non linear mixtures. The project involves the blind source separation of a non linear mixture of signals based on their mutual independence as the evaluation criteria. The linear mixer is modeled by the Fast ICA algorithm while the Non linear mixer is modeled by an odd polynomial function whose parameters are updated by four separate optimization techniques which are Particle Swarm Optimization, Real coded Genetic Algorithm, Binary Genetic Algorithm and Bacterial Foraging Optimization. The separated mixture outputs of each case was studied and the mean square error in each case was compared giving an idea of the effectiveness of each optimization technique

Study of risk factors and perinatal outcome in meconium stained deliveries from a district of Uttar Pradesh, India

Background: The objective is to identify the risk factors of Meconium stained deliveries and evaluate the perinatal outcomes in Meconium Stained deliveries.Methods: This prospective observational study included those pregnant women who had completed 37 weeks of gestation, with singleton pregnancies with cephalic presentations and with no known fetal congenital anomalies. Among these, we selected 110 cases with Meconium stained amniotic fluid and they were compared with 110 randomly selected controls.Results: Regular antenatal visits were seen in 22.73 % of the cases while 77.27% cases had no previous visit. Majority of cases were primigravida and gestational ages of >40 weeks was seen in 55.45 % cases. 19.09% cases had meconium staining among pregnancies complicated with pregnancy induced hypertension, as compared to those among controls (5.45%). Fetal heart rate abnormalities were seen in 29.09% cases, and statistically significant fetal bradycardia was seen in cases. Caesarean section rates were nearly double in cases (54.55%). Poor perinatal outcome was found in cases as seen in results by low Apgar score (40 weeks, pregnancy induced hypertension and fetal bradycardia, increased cesarean section rates, low APGAR score and higher incidence of birth asphyxia and NICU admissions. Meconium aspiration syndrome was associated with early neonatal death

Daily behaviour can differ between colour morphs of the same species: A study on circadian activity behaviour of grey and pied zebra finches

516-520To investigate if the plumage colour mutation relates to circadian activity behaviour in the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata, wild type grey and pied mutant males were sequentially subjected for three weeks each to 12 h light:12 h darkness (12L:12D) and constant dim light (LLdim) condition. During the first 3 h of the 12 h day, pied finches were significantly greater active than grey finches. Also, as compared to grey, pied finches had longer activity duration in the day, with early activity onsets and late activity offsets. This was changed under free-running condition (LLdim), when the activity later in the subjective day (clock hour 9 and 11) was significantly greater in grey than in pied finches.Two colour morphs differed in daily activity profile, but not in the total daily activity or circadian rhythm period. Results suggest that greyzebra finches represent late chronotype, and could perhaps be better adapted to a seemingly stressful environment, such as low intensity LLdim in the present study

Data from: Short-term sleep loss alters cytokine gene expression in brain and peripheral tissues and increases plasma corticosterone of zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Lack of sleep incurs physiological costs that include increased inflammation and alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Specifically, sleep restriction or deprivation leads to increased pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and elevated glucocorticoids in rodent models, but whether birds exact similar costs is unknown. In this study, we examined whether zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), an avian model species, exhibits physiological costs of sleep loss using a novel automated sleep fragmentation/deprivation method; a horizontal wire sweeps across a test cage to disrupt sleep every 120 s. We measured pro-inflammatory (IL-1β and IL-6) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokine gene expression in the periphery (fat, liver, spleen, and heart) and brain (hypothalamus, hippocampus, and apical hyperpallium) of captive finches after 12 h of exposure to a moving or stationary (control) bar during the night or the day. Plasma corticosterone, body mass, and behavioral profiles were also assessed. We predicted that birds undergoing sleep loss would exhibit elevated pro-inflammatory and reduced anti-inflammatory gene expression in brain and peripheral tissues compared with control birds. In addition, we predicted an increase in plasma corticosterone levels after sleep loss. As predicted, sleep loss increased pro-inflammatory gene expression, specifically in adipose tissue (IL-6), spleen (IL-1), and hippocampus (IL-6), but a decrease in anti-inflammatory expression (IL-10) was not detected. However, sleep loss elevated baseline concentrations of plasma corticosterone. Taken together, these results suggest that a diurnal, non-migratory songbird is sensitive to the costs of sleep loss

Dark moving bar

Clip of zebra finch exposed to moving wire during the dark phas

Light Moving Bar

Video clip of zebra finch exposed to moving wire during the light phas

Supplemental table 1

Raw statistic

Daily expression of genes coding for neurotransmitters in central and peripheral tissues of redheaded bunting: Implication for circadian regulation of physiology in songbirds

<p>In birds, circadian control of tissue level communication is not well understood. The present study investigated this, by monitoring daily oscillation of genes coding for peptides (neuropeptide Y, <i>NPY</i>; vasoactive intestinal peptide, <i>VIP;</i> somatostatis, <i>SST</i>) and intermediary enzymes of amine and amino acid neurotransmitters (dopamine [tyrosine hydroxylase, <i>TH]</i>; glutamate [glutaminase, <i>GLS</i>; glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase 2, <i>GOT2</i>]; gamma amino butyric actid, GABA [glutamic acid decarboxylase 65, <i>GAD65</i>]) biosynthetic pathway, along with <i>c-FOS</i> as an activation marker, in different tissues of migratory redheaded buntings, <i>Emberiza bruniceps</i>. We cloned a partial sequence of these genes, and measured their mRNA expression in the ‘central’ clock (retina, hypothalamus) and peripheral (heart, stomach, gut, liver) tissues, collected at six times (ZT 2, 6, 11, 13, 18 and 23; ZT 0 = lights on) from birds (<i>n</i> = 4/ ZT) in the 12 h:12 h light-dark cycle. There were daily mRNA oscillations of all genes, although with a tissue-specific expression pattern as well as with the differential phase relationships in genes within and between tissues. These results support a conserved tissue level circadian regulation of genes coding for peptide, amine and amino acid neurotransmitters, and substantiate the expression and plausible role of neurotransmitters in the peripheral tissues. We suggest a tissue-specific contribution of neurotransmitters in the circadian regulation of physiology and behaviour in a seasonal migratory species, the redheaded bunting.</p

Temporal expression of clock genes in central and peripheral tissues of spotted munia under varying light conditions: Evidence for circadian regulation of daily physiology in a non-photoperiodic circannual songbird species

<p>We investigated if the duration and/or frequency of the light period affect 24-h rhythm of circadian clock genes in central and peripheral tissues of a non-photoperiodic songbird, the spotted munia (<i>Lonchura punctulata</i>), in which a circannual rhythm regulates the reproductive cycle. We monitored activity–rest pattern and measured 24-h mRNA oscillation of core clock (<i>Bmal1, Clock, Per2, Cry1</i> and <i>Cry2</i>) and clock-controlled (<i>E4bp4, Rorα</i> and <i>Rev-erbα</i>) genes in the hypothalamus, retina, liver and gut of spotted munia subjected to an aberrant light–dark (LD) cycle (3.5L:3.5D; T7, T = period length of LD cycle) and continuous light (LL, 24L:0D), with controls on 24-h LD cycle (T24, 12L:12D). Munia exhibited rhythmic activity–rest pattern with period matched to T7 or T24 under an LD cycle and were arrhythmic with a scattered activity pattern and higher activity duration under LL. At the transcriptional level, both clock and clock-controlled genes showed a significant 24-h rhythm in all four tissues (except <i>Clock</i> in the liver) under 12L:12D, suggesting a conserved tissue-level circadian time generation in spotted munia. An exposure to 3.5L:3.5D or LL induced arrhythmicity in transcriptional oscillation of all eight genes in the hypothalamus (except <i>Rev-erbα</i>) and liver (except <i>Bmal1</i> and <i>Rev-erbα</i> under T7 and <i>Cry1</i> under LL). In the retina, however, all genes showed arrhythmic 24-h mRNA expression under LL, but not under T7 (except in <i>E4bp4</i> and <i>Rorα</i>). Interestingly, unlike in the liver, <i>Bmal1, Per2, Cry1, Rorα</i> and <i>Rev-erbα</i> mRNA expressions were rhythmic in the gut under both T7 (except <i>Rorα</i>) and LL conditions. These results showed variable relationship of internal circadian clocks with the external light environment and suggested a weak coupling of circadian clocks between the central (hypothalamus and retina) and peripheral (liver and gut) tissues. We suggest tissue-level circadian clock regulation of daily physiology and behavior in the spotted munia.</p