•First information on a record drought/heat wave effects on both bacterial and fungal taxa in agroecosystems.•Fungal classes Dothideomycetes and Tremellomycetes were about two times greater during ...the drought/heat wave.•Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes were greater during the drought/heat wave.•Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia and Gemmatimonadetes increased after the drought/heat wave.•Identified bacterial and fungal taxa associated with different enzyme activities of soil.
Identification of microbial assemblages predominant under natural extreme climatic events will aid in our understanding of the resilience and resistance of microbial communities to climate change. From November 2010 to August 2011, the Southern High Plains (SHP) of Texas, USA, received only 39.6mm of precipitation (vs. the historical average of 373mm) and experienced the three hottest months (June–August 2011) since record keeping began in 1911. The objective of this study was to characterize soil bacterial (16 S rRNA gene) and fungal (internal transcribed spacer 1–4, ITS1-ITS4) species distribution and diversity via pyrosequencing during the peak of the drought/heat wave in July 2011 and when the Drought Index and temperatures were lower in March 2012. Samples were collected from two different soil types (loam and sandy loam) under two different dryland cropping histories (monoculture vs. rotation). Fungal Diversity Indexes were significantly higher after the drought/heat wave while Bacterial Indexes were similar. Bacterial phyla distribution in July 2011 was characterized by lower relative abundance of Acidobacteriaand Verrucomicrobia, and greater relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria and Nitrospirae than March 2012 samples. Further grouping of pyrosequencing data revealed approximately equal relative proportions of Gram positive (G+) and Gram negative (G−) bacteria in July 2011, while G− bacteria predominated in March 2012. Fungal class Dothideomycetes was approximately two times greater in July 2011 than in March 2012, while the class Sordariomycetes and a group of unidentified OTUs from Ascomycota increased from July 2011 to March 2012. Microbial community composition was less influenced by management history than by the difference in climatic conditions between the sampling times. Correspondence analysis identified assemblages of fungal and bacterial taxa associated with greater enzyme activities (EAs) of C, N, or P cycling found during the drought/heat wave. Microbial assemblages associated with arylsulfatase activity (key to S cycling), which increased after the drought/heat wave, were identified (Streptomyces parvisporogenes, Terrimonas ferruginea and Syntrophobacter sp.) regardless of the soil and management history. The distinct microbial composition found in July 2011 may represent assemblages essential to maintaining ecosystem function during extreme drought and intense heat waves in semiarid agroecosystems.
The cardiac sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) establishes the intracellular calcium gradient across the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. It has been proposed that SERCA forms ...homooligomers that increase the catalytic rate of calcium transport. We investigated SERCA dimerization in rabbit left ventricular myocytes using a photoactivatable cross-linker. Western blotting of cross-linked SERCA revealed higher-molecular-weight species consistent with SERCA oligomerization. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements in cells transiently transfected with fluorescently labeled SERCA2a revealed that SERCA readily forms homodimers. These dimers formed in the absence or presence of the SERCA regulatory partner, phospholamban (PLB) and were unaltered by PLB phosphorylation or changes in calcium or ATP. Fluorescence lifetime data are compatible with a model in which PLB interacts with a SERCA homodimer in a stoichiometry of 1:2. Together, these results suggest that SERCA forms constitutive homodimers in live cells and that dimer formation is not modulated by SERCA conformational poise, PLB binding, or PLB phosphorylation.
The Neurobiology of Trust ZAK, PAUL J.; KURZBAN, ROBERT; MATZNER, WILLIAM T.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,
December 2004, Letnik:
1032, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
: This is the first report that endogenous oxytocin in humans is related to social behaviors, which is consistent with a large animal literature. Subjects are put into a social dilemma in which ...absent communication, cooperative behavior can benefit both parties randomly assigned to a dyad. The dilemma arises because one participant must make a monetary sacrifice to signal the degree of trust in the other before the other's behavioral response is known. We show that receipt of a signal of trust is associated with a higher level of peripheral oxytocin than that in subjects receiving a random monetary transfer of the same average amount. Oxytocin levels were also related to trustworthy behavior (sharing a greater proportion of the monetary gains). We conclude that oxytocin may be part of the human physiology that motivates cooperation.
ABSTRACT
The quest for quiet or dormant black holes has been ongoing since several decades. Ellipsoidal variables possibly indicate the existence of a very high-mass invisible companion and are ...thought to be one of the best ways to find such dormant black holes. This, however, is not a panacea as we show here with one example. We indeed report the discovery of a new semidetached interacting binary, V1315 Cas, discovered as an ellipsoidal variable. Using data from photometric surveys (ASAS-SN, TESS) and high-resolution spectroscopy, we derived a nearly circular orbit with an orbital period of Porb = 34.54 d. The binary system consists of an evolved F-type star primary that is likely still filling its Roche lobe and a B-type star secondary. Using phoebe2, we derived the following masses and radii: for the primary, $M_p =0.84 \pm 0.03 \, \rm {M}_{\odot}$ and $R_p =18.51^{+0.12}_{-0.07} \, \rm {R}_{\odot}$; for the secondary, $M_s =7.3 \pm 0.3 \, \rm {M}_{\odot}$ and $R_s =4.02^{+2.3}_{-2.0}\, \rm {R}_{\odot}$. Modelling the evolution of the system with mesa, we found an age of ∼7.7 × 107 yr. The system is at the end of a period of rapid non-conservative mass transfer that reversed its mass ratio, while significantly widening its orbit. The primary shows carbon depletion and nitrogen overabundance, indicative of CNO-processed material being exposed due to mass transfer. An infrared excess and stationary H α emission suggest the presence of a circumstellar or circumbinary disc. V1315 Cas will likely become a detached stripped star binary.
To assess tear film parameters, ocular surface characteristics, and dry eye symptomology in patients receiving topical anti-glaucoma medications.
Thirty-three patients with a diagnosis of open angle ...glaucoma or ocular hypertension, receiving unilateral topical anti-glaucoma medication for at least 6 months, were recruited in a cross-sectional, investigator-masked, paired-eye comparison study. Tear film parameters, ocular surface characteristics, and dry eye symptomology of treated and fellow eyes were evaluated and compared.
The mean ± SD age of the participants was 67 ± 12 years, and the mean ± SD treatment duration was 5.3 ± 4.4 years. Treated eyes had poorer non-invasive tear film breakup time (p = 0.03), tear film osmolarity (p = 0.04), bulbar conjunctival hyperaemia (p = 0.04), eyelid margin abnormality grade (p = 0.01), tear meniscus height (p = 0.03), and anaesthetised Schirmer value (p = 0.04) than fellow eyes. There were no significant differences in dry eye symptomology, meibomian gland assessments, and ocular surface staining between treated and fellow eyes (all p > 0.05).
Adverse changes in tear film stability, tear osmolarity, conjunctival hyperaemia, and eyelid margins were observed in treated eyes. This suggests that inflammatory mechanisms may be implicated in the development of dry eye in patients receiving long term topical anti-glaucoma therapy.
We measured neurophysiologic responses and task performance while participants solved mazes after choosing whether to adopt an imperfect helper algorithm.
Every day we must decide whether to trust or ...distrust algorithms. Will an algorithm improve our performance on a task? What if we trust it too much?
Participants had to pay to use the algorithm and were aware that it offered imperfect help. We varied the information about the algorithm to assess the factors that affected adoption while measuring participants’ peripheral neurophysiology.
We found that information about previous adoption by others had a larger effect on adoption and resulted in lower cognitive load than did information about algorithm accuracy. The neurophysiologic measurement showed that algorithm adoption without any information resulted in low cognitive engagement during the task and impaired task performance. Conversely, algorithm use after information about others’ use improved engagement and performance.
By objectively measuring cognitive load and task performance, we identified how to increase algorithm adoption while sustaining high performance by human operators.
Algorithm adoption can be increased by sharing previous use information and performance improved by providing a reason to monitor the algorithm.
We collected neurophysiologic data while varying information about an algorithm that assisted participants in solving a timed and incentivized maze and found that information about prior use by others more effectively influenced adoption, reduced cognitive load, and improved performance compared to algorithm accuracy information.
•People may be hesitant to trust algorithms.•Accuracy information has less influence on algorithm adoption than prior use by others.•Information about algorithm use by others reduced cognitive load.•Imperfect algorithms need to be monitored to reach high performance.
The way the integration of neuroscience and design thinking can help companies create extraordinary customer experiences is discussed. The author explains that powerful emotional responses play a ...crucial role in making experiences memorable and valuable. These emotional responses, which are unconscious and cannot be accurately reported through surveys or ratings, can be measured through neurologic activity. The author introduces the concept of immersion, which involves the binding of dopamine to receptors in the brain's prefrontal cortex and the release of oxytocin, and explains how it influences spending decisions and customer loyalty. The article then explores how neuroscience can be applied to the three key steps of the design-thinking process: empathize, define, and prototype and test. By understanding customers' emotional responses and addressing sources of frustration, companies can create extraordinary experiences that drive customer loyalty and profitability.
Identifying hit songs is notoriously difficult. Traditionally, song elements have been measured from large databases to identify the lyrical aspects of hits. We took a different methodological ...approach, measuring neurophysiologic responses to a set of songs provided by a streaming music service that identified hits and flops. We compared several statistical approaches to examine the predictive accuracy of each technique. A linear statistical model using two neural measures identified hits with 69% accuracy. Then, we created a synthetic set data and applied ensemble machine learning to capture inherent non-linearities in neural data. This model classified hit songs with 97% accuracy. Applying machine learning to the neural response to 1st min of songs accurately classified hits 82% of the time showing that the brain rapidly identifies hit music. Our results demonstrate that applying machine learning to neural data can substantially increase classification accuracy for difficult to predict market outcomes.
Neuroeconomics Zeki, S.; Goodenough, O. R.; Zak, Paul J.
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological sciences,
11/2004, Letnik:
359, Številka:
1451
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
This paper introduces an emerging transdisciplinary field known as neuroeconomics. Neuroeconomics uses neuroscientific measurement techniques to investigate how decisions are made. First, I present a ...basic overview of neuroanatomy and explain how brain activity is measured. I then survey findings from the neuroeconomics literature on acquiring rewards and avoiding losses, learning, choice under risk and ambiguity, delay of gratification, the role of emotions in decision-making, strategic decisions and social decisions. I conclude by identifying new directions that neuroeconomics is taking, including applications to public policy and law.
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