Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intrinsic excitability mechanisms of neuronal ensemble formation

Neuronal ensembles are coactive groups of cortical neurons, found in spontaneous and evoked activity, that can mediate perception and behavior. To understand the mechanisms that lead to the formation of ensembles, we co-activated optogenetically and electrically layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in brain slices from mouse visual cortex, in animals from both sexes, replicating in vitro an optogenetic protocol to generate ensembles in vivo. Using whole-cell and perforated patch-clamp pair recordings we find that, after optogenetic or electrical stimulation, coactivated neurons increase their correlation in spontaneous activity, a hallmark of ensemble formation. Coactivated neurons showed small biphasic changes in presynaptic plasticity, with an initial depression followed by a potentiation after a recovery period. Unexpectedly, optogenetic and electrical stimulation-induced significant increases in frequency and amplitude of spontaneous EPSPs, even after single-cell stimulation. In addition, we observed strong and persistent increases in neuronal excitability after stimulation, with increases in membrane resistance and reduction in spike threshold. A pharmacological agent that blocks changes in membrane resistance can revert this effect. These significant increases in excitability may partly explain the observed biphasic synaptic plasticity. We propose that cell-intrinsic changes in excitability are involved in the formation of neuronal ensembles. We propose an “iceberg” model, by which increased neuronal excitability makes subthreshold connections suprathreshold, enhancing the effect of already existing synapses, and generating a new neuronal ensemble. Significance Statement We investigated the synaptic and cellular mechanisms underlying the formation of neuronal ensembles, i.e., spontaneously coactive groups of neurons. Using in vitro electrophysiology and optogenetic in slices of mouse neocortex we replicated a protocol that generates ensembles in vivo. After optogenetic and electrical stimulation, we observed biphasic synaptic plasticity and, unexpectedly, major increases in excitability, input resistance, and reductions in firing threshold. The increased excitability can explain the observed synaptic plasticity. Our results reveal a major role for intrinsic excitability in the establishment of neuronal ensembles.
Retrospective Sampling Strategies Using Video Recordings to Estimate Fish Passage at Fishways

Abstract Reliable estimates of population size are critical for fisheries management and for testing ecological hypotheses but can be expensive and time consuming to obtain. Sampling methodologies have been developed to obviate complete enumeration, but their effectiveness can be limited by logistical constraints. A posteriori sampling from digital video recordings, however, permits the application of otherwise impractical sampling schemes. We evaluated the time savings of estimating total run size by a posteriori sampling of video recordings (assisted by motion detection software) in comparison with on-site counting methods. The evaluation was based on 9 years of complete counts enumerated either on site or by a posteriori counts from video recordings of alewives Alosa pseudoharengus migrating through a fishway in Nova Scotia. We compared results obtained using analytical estimation methods with results from simulation-based methods and found them to be the same for simple random sampling and daily strat.
Acrylamide inhibits vaccinia virus through vimentin‐independent anti‐viral granule formation

The replication and assembly of vaccinia virus (VACV), the prototypic poxvirus, occurs exclusively in the cytoplasm of host cells. While the role of cellular cytoskeletal components in these processes remains poorly understood, vimentin—a type III intermediate filament—has been shown to associate with viral replication sites and to be incorporated into mature VACV virions. Here, we employed chemical and genetic approaches to further investigate the role of vimentin during the VACV lifecycle. The collapse of vimentin filaments, using acrylamide, was found to inhibit VACV infection at the level of genome replication, intermediate‐ and late‐gene expression. However, we found that CRISPR‐mediated knockout of vimentin did not impact VACV replication. Combining these tools, we demonstrate that acrylamide treatment results in the formation of anti‐viral granules (AVGs) known to mediate translational inhibition of many viruses. We conclude that vimentin is dispensable for poxvirus replication and assembly and that acrylamide, as a potent inducer of AVGs during VACV infection, serves to bolster cell's anti‐viral response to poxvirus infection.
On the Factors Influencing EFL Students’ Intercultural Competence

Abstract Cultural intelligence (CQ) as a micro-level construct describing intercultural competence has garnered growing attention in academic literature recently, resulting in an increase in research. This paper reports on the empirical research which, using as a survey instrument the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) developed by Earley and Ang (2003), examined intercultural competencies of Polish EFL students at the tertiary education, measured by the level of CQ. In addition, the investigation aimed to analyze whether individual difference variables such as gender, educational level, linguistic proficiency, multilingualism, motivation to study English, and study abroad experience are significant predictors of students’ level of CQ. The results show that the respondents’ intercultural competence has been developed only to a small degree. Further, CQ is positively related to gender, educational level, foreign language proficiency, the number of foreign languages known, motivation to study English, and study abroad experience. Some practical applications of the study findings for the Polish tertiary education have been presented.
The Effects of Age, Gender, and Control Device in a Virtual Reality Driving Simulation

The application of virtual reality in a driving simulation is not novel, yet little is known about the use of this technology by senior populations. The effects of age, gender, control device (joystick or handlebar), and task type on wayfinding proficiency using a virtual reality (VR) driving simulation were explored. The driving experiment model involved 96 randomly recruited participants, namely, 48 young people and 48 seniors (split evenly by gender in each group). Experiment results and statistical analyses indicated that, in a VR driving scenario, task type significantly affected VR driving performance. Navigational scores were significantly higher for the straight (easy/symmetrical straight route) task than those for the curved (difficult/asymmetrical curved route) task. The aging effect was the main reason for the significant and interacting effects of gender and control device. Interactions between age and gender difference indicated that the young group exhibited better wayfinding performance than the senior group did, and in the young group, males had better performance than that of females. Similarly, interactions between age and control device indicated that the handlebar control-device type resulted in better performance than the joystick device did in the young group, but no difference was found in the senior group due to age or learning effects. Findings provide an understanding of the evaluation of the interface designs of navigational-support systems, taking into consideration any effects of age, gender, control device, and task type within three-dimensional VR games and driving systems. With a VR driving simulator, seniors can test-drive inaccessible products such as electric bicycles or cars by using a computer at home.
Smart City Innovation within the Sharing Economy: Urban Innovation and Collaborative Consumption

Abstract With the increase of population and the increasing expectations of said population, urban environments require modern solutions for old and new problems alike. Technological and institutional innovation have both alleviated or solved many of the problems of modern cities. When we speak of smart cities, we tend to imagine solutions that focus on big data and its potential to help direct policy in a top-down approach whereas the sharing economy evokes bottom-up solutions where groups of people get together to solve community issues. Modern cities face a large number of challenges ranging from housing to air quality, to education, healthcare and emergency services or parking and traffic management. The list is virtually endless. They do, however, also present certain advantages over smaller, spread-out communities as having large numbers of people in a relatively small geographical space allows for innovative resource sharing solutions that would not be possible or might not be efficient otherwise. In a sense, population density is one of the biggest challenges of modern cities but also one of their greatest opportunities. We set out to analyse current and potential intersections between smart city technologies and solutions arising from the sharing economy. We look at existing smart city technology and the potential to expand its applications by giving more control to the citizens themselves and we examine a mathematical model that assess the viability of sharing cities. If we desire our future cities to be human-friendly, eco-friendly and sustainable it’s important to understand which solutions have the greatest potential to lead us down the path of sustainability.
Influence of Pyrithiobac Application Rate and Timing on Weed Control and Cotton Yield in Greece1

Field experiments were conducted at four locations (Larissa, Halkidona, Thessaloniki, and Halastra) in Greece to evaluate weed and cotton response to various pyrithiobac rates applied preplant incorporated (PPI), preemergence (PRE), or postemergence (POST). Pyrithiobac applied PPI or PRE at 0.068, 0.102, or 0.136 kg ai/ha controlled black nightshade, pigweeds, and common purslane at Larissa. However, pyrithiobac applied PRE at Thessaloniki and Halkidona was more effective against black nightshade and pigweeds than pyrithiobac applied PPI. Pyrithiobac applied PPI or PRE at 0.068 or 0.102 kg/ha did not control common lambsquarters at Thessaloniki. Weed control with trifluralin plus fluometuron applied PPI and alachlor plus fluometuron applied PRE at Larissa was slightly lower than that obtained with pyrithiobac. At Halkidona, trifluralin plus fluometuron applied PPI and alachlor plus fluometuron applied PRE provided weed control similar to that obtained with pyrithiobac. But at Thessaloniki, these treatments provided better weed control than pyrithiobac. Furthermore, pyrithiobac applied early postemergence (EPOST), midpostemergence, or in sequential systems controlled black nightshade and pigweeds, but it resulted in fair to good control of common purslane, velvetleaf, and common cocklebur. None of the POST treatments controlled common lambsquarters. Fluometuron EPOST controlled black nightshade, common lambsquarters, and common purslane ≥70, 86, and 67%, respectively. Fluometuron EPOST did not control pigweeds, velvetleaf, and common cocklebur. Cotton treated with pyrithiobac, regardless of method of application, yielded similar to the weed-free control. Cotton treated with pyrithiobac PPI at the highest rate (0.136 kg/ ha) yielded less at Halkidona, although adverse effects after its application were not visually apparent. Yield of cotton treated with herbicides was similar, with no difference among treatments. Nomenclature: Alachlor; fluometuron; pyrithiobac; trifluralin; black nightshade, Solanum nigrum L. #3 SOLNI; common cocklebur, Xanthium strumarium L. # XANST; common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L. # CHEAL; common purslane, Portulaca oleracea L. # POROL; prostrate pigweed, Amaranthus blitoides S. Wats AMABL; redroot pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus L. # AMARE; velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti Medicus # ABUTH; cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. ‘Stoneville 474’, ‘Hazera Vered’, ‘Deltapine 20’, ‘Deltapine 50’, ‘Stoneville Bravo’. Additional index words: Application timing, cotton herbicide, crop injury, residual activity. Abbreviations: EPOST, early postemergence; MPOST, midpostemergence; MSMA, monosodium salt of methylarsonic acid; POST, postemergence; PPI, preplant incorporated; PRE, preemergence; WAP, weeks after planting; WAT, weeks after treatment.
A Multi-Targeting Approach to Fight SARS-CoV-2 Attachment

The public health has declared an international state of emergency due to the spread of a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) representing a real pandemic threat so that to find potential therapeutic agents is a dire need. To this aim, the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein represents a crucial target for vaccines, therapeutic antibodies, and diagnostics. Since virus binding to ACE-2 alone could not be sufficient to justify such severe infection, in order to facilitate medical countermeasure development and to search for new targets, two further regions of S protein have been taken into consideration here. One is represented by the recently identified ganglioside binding site, exactly localized in our study in the galectin-like domain, and the other one by the putative integrin binding sites contained in the RBD. We propose that a cooperating therapy using inhibitors against multiple targets altogether i.e., ACE2, integrins and sugars could be definitely more effective.
Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria isolated from Opaque beer (Chibuku) for potential use as a starter culture

A study was carried out to identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from chibuku that would be later assessed for potential as starter cultures. Thirty-eight isolates were Gram stained and the 20, which were Gram positive, were identified to genus level using morphological, physiological and biochemical tests. Five genera of lactic acid bacteria were identified and these were Lactobacillus (seven isolates coded B1, B2, C4, E3, E6, F1 and F4), Lactococcus (five isolates: E1, F5, G5, G6 and H1), Leuconostoc (three isolates: E2, D5, F6), Streptococcus (two isolates: G2 and G4) and Enterococcus (three isolates: B3, B4 and G3). From these genera, eleven isolates five from the genus Lactobacillus, three from Lactococcus and three from Leuconostoc were selected for identification to species level using API 50 CH kits. The Lactobacillus strains were identified as follows: two strains were Lb plantarum (C4 and F4), two strains Lb. delbrueckii (B2 and E3), one strain could not be assigned to a species and was termed Lactobacillus sp. E6. Two of the Lactococcus isolates were identified as Lc. lactis subsp. lactis (G6 and H1), while the third isolate was Lc. raffinolactis (strain F5). The three Leuconostoc strains were Ln. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides. Keywords: Lactic acid bacteria; Sorghum beer (chibuku); Starter culture; Identification J Food Tech in Africa (2002) 7, 93-97
In Vivo Force Sensing During Laparoscopic Sacrocolpopexy Vaginal Vault Manipulation

Context [Formula: see text] During laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy, vaginal vault prolapse is repaired by restoring the anatomical state of the vagina with a surgical mesh. A vaginal manipulator is placed inside the vagina to provide proper exposure to the surgeon for fixation of the mesh on the vaginal surface and vault by laparoscopy. Vaginal vault manipulation is done manually by an assistant and long operation times lead to fatigue, inconsistent application of tensioning forces and possibly vaginal rupture. This work describes a novel force sensor designed to be integrated in a vaginal manipulator to measure interaction forces between the vaginal vault and the manipulator. Content [Formula: see text] The sensor is characterized and tested in lab-environment. After receiving ethics committee approval two first-in-woman studies have been conducted. Both the force and pose of the instrument were recorded. Conclusions [Formula: see text] The force sensor showed to be suited to measure vaginal vault interaction forces and will be embedded in a robotic system for vaginal vault manipulation. Up to now, no previous research has quantified these interaction forces. Quantifying these forces and providing feedback cues to the surgeon is of particular interest, especially as a means to avoid vaginal rupture due to over-tensioning. A total of 30 interventions will be recorded.
The Influence of an Exogenous Microbial Enzyme Supplement on Feed Consumption, Body Growth and Follicular Development of Pre-Lay Pullets on Maize-Soy Diets

2 Abstract: An experiment was conducted to examine the benefits of supplementing maize-soy diets with a composite microbial enzyme, Allzyme SSF, for laying hens at the pullet stage. Seven hundred and twenty 12- week old Isa Brown pullets were used in the different level of protein content diets. Feed intake from 12 to 16 weeks of age was unaffected by the enzyme supplement, except at the lowest protein content (P<0.05). Feed intake was, however, affected by the enzyme supplement between 16 and 20 weeks (P<0.001) and over the entire trial period (P<0.05). Body weight at 16 weeks of age was reduced (P<0.05) on the control low- protein diet. Feed conversion ratio was not affected by dietary protein content or through supplementation with the microbial enzyme. The relative weight of the ovary was reduced (P<0.01) on the low protein control diet, but the weight of visceral organs associated with digestion was not affected. The pullets in all groups failed to come into lay at 17 weeks of age, mainly due to very severe winter, as the experiment was conducted in a house that was not completely temperature-controlled. Onset of lay occurred from about 23 weeks of age, after the hens were already on a commercial diet but effects of previous dietary treatments on early egg production were noticeable.
Breeding system and seasonal variation in seed set in a population of Potentilla palustris

The breeding system and factors affecting seed set in a population of Potentilla palustris were studied in Central Jutland, Denmark. The reddish-brown, bowl-shaped, and nectariferous flowers of Potentilla palustris had an average of 376795 viable pollen grains and 187 single-ovuled carpels. The number of ovules per flower decreased significantly along an inflorescence, from 312 in the basal flowers to 97 in the flowers in distal positions. The flowers were protandrous and opened mainly during the day. Male and female phases lasted on average 1.6 and 3.0 days, respectively. Pollination experiments showed that P. palustris was facultatively autogamous to facultatively xenogamous. The plant was selfcompatible and auto-deposition of pollen occurred, but insect polllination enhanced seed set. Outcrossing increased seed set compared to selfing. A long outcrossing distance increased seed set comparative to short distance crossings. Seed set per flower declined through the flowering season mainly due to a significant reduction in the number of ovules per flower with time and/or node position. It is suggested that intra-plant competition for a limited amount of resource is the main factor limiting seed set in this population, but pollen limitation occur in late season. The quantitative and qualitative impact on seed set by pollinating insects is discussed.
New Records of Solenogastres-Cavibelonia (Mollusca) From Norwegian Fjords and Shelf Waters Including Three New Species

Five species of Solenogastres, order Cavibelonia, are described from several Scandinavian collections. Three of these, Alexandromenia pilosa Rhopalomenia microporata and Amboherpia heterotecta , are new to science. The original descriptions of Dorymenia cf. sarsii and Kruppomenia borealis Odhner, 1921 are considerably expanded.
Comparison Methods for Solving Non-Linear Sturm-Liouville Eigenvalues Problems

In this paper, we present a comparative study between Sinc–Galerkin method and a modified version of the variational iteration method (VIM) to solve non-linear Sturm–Liouville eigenvalue problem. In the Sinc method, the problem under consideration was converted from a non-linear differential equation to a non-linear system of equations, that we were able to solve it via the use of some iterative techniques, like Newton’s method. The other method under consideration is the VIM, where the VIM has been modified through the use of the Laplace transform, and another effective modification has also been made to the VIM by replacing the non-linear term in the integral equation resulting from the use of the well-known VIM with the Adomian’s polynomials. In order to explain the advantages of each method over the other, several issues have been studied, including one that has an application in the field of spectral theory. The results in solutions to these problems, which were included in tables, showed that the improved VIM is better than the Sinc method, while the Sinc method addresses some advantages over the VIM when dealing with singular problems.
Loss of Kinesin-8 improves the robustness of the acentrosomal spindle

Chromosome segregation in female meiosis is inherently error-prone, among other reasons, because the acentrosomal spindle assembles and segregates chromosomes without the major microtubule-organizing centres in eukaryotes, the centrosomes, which causes high rate of aneuploidy. The molecular basis underlying formation of acentrosomal spindles is not as well-understood as that of centrosomal spindles and, consequently, strategies to improve spindle robustness are difficult to address. Recently, we noticed during fission yeast meiosis the formation of unexpected microtubules arrays, independent of the spindle pole bodies (yeast centrosome equivalent), with ability to segregate chromosomes. Here, we establish such microtubules formation as bonafide self-assembled spindles that depend on the canonical microtubule crosslinker Ase1/PRC1, share similar structural polarity and harbour the microtubule polymerase Alp14/XMAP215, while being independent of conventional γ-tubulin-mediated nucleation mechanisms. Remarkably, acentrosomal spindle robustness was reinforced by deletion of the Klp6/Kinesin-8, which, consequently, led to a reduced meiotic aneuploidy rate. Our results enlighten the molecular basis of acentrosomal meiosis, a crucial event in understanding gametogenesis.
Organizational performance – theoretical and practical approaches; study on students’ perceptions

Abstract Organizational performance depends on leaders’ mastery to create a cooperative working climate and on their ability to lead a team. Effective results require emotional engagement and empathy from participants in terms of activities performed within a team in order to provide solutions to issues that need to be resolved as professionally as possible. Organizational performance refers to the degree to which the organization, with some informational, financial, and human resources, positions itself effectively on the business market. Individual performance can influence the performance of the entire organization in the short, medium or long term in a positive or negative direction. The main objectives of the study are: 1)defining the firm’s performance; 2) presenting leadership characteristics as a managerial and organizational process; 3) analysing the leadership importance on organization performance; 4)presenting the research results regarding students’ perceptions on the recognition of organizational performance. The research approach used is a combination of literature review and answers to a questionnaire. Respondents are third year students in the bachelor programme at a Business School from Romania. The research scope is to identify young people’s perceptions regarding the recognition of organizational performance. The success factors that contribute to finding the first job after they graduate are also listed. According to respondents’ answers, the main characteristics of successful students will be specified, as well as their main priorities and values in life.