Computational Phenotyping of Two-Person Interactions Reveals Differential Neural Response to Depth-of-Thought

Reciprocating exchange with other humans requires individuals to infer the intentions of their partners. Despite the importance of this ability in healthy cognition and its impact in disease, the dimensions employed and computations involved in such inferences are not clear. We used a computational theory-of-mind model to classify styles of interaction in 195 pairs of subjects playing a multi-round economic exchange game. This classification produces an estimate of a subject''s depth-of-thought in the game (low, medium, high), a parameter that governs the richness of the models they build of their partner. Subjects in each category showed distinct neural correlates of learning signals associated with different depths-of-thought. The model also detected differences in depth-of-thought between two groups of healthy subjects: one playing patients with psychiatric disease and the other playing healthy controls. The neural response categories identified by this computational characterization of theory-of-mind may yield objective biomarkers useful in the identification and characterization of pathologies that perturb the capacity to model and interact with other humans.     

Study of the mutagenic activity of 6 hepatotoxic pharmaceutical drugs in the Salmonella typhimurium microsome test, and the HGPRT and Na+/K+ ATPase system in cultured mammalian cells

Several pharmaceutical drugs show strong hepatotoxicity during therapeutic use. We have studied 6 of them: aminophenazone, clofibrate, nifuroxazide, oxamniquine, perhexiline maleate, tienilic acid. Their mutagenicity was assessed in the Ames test on 6 strains of Salmonella typhimurium, and in V79 Chinese hamster lung cells using a rat-hepatocyte-mediated metabolic activation system and the HGPRT and Na+/K+ ATPase assay. Nifuroxazide was positive in the Ames test in two Salmonella strains (TA100, and TA100 Fr1). In the hepatocyte-mediated mammalian V79 cell system, nifuroxazide, clofibrate and aminophenazone were negative; oxamniquine and tienilic acid were positive with and without metabolic activation in tests looking for ouabain and 6-thioguanine resistance. Perhexiline maleate was negative for the direct induction of 6-thioguanine resistance without metabolic activation, and positive after metabolisation mediated by primary rat's hepatocytes. These results suggest the need for some caution in the use of some pharmaceutical drugs because of hepatotoxicity and because 3 out of 6 drugs were shown to be slightly mutagenic in mammalian cells.     

Studies on the mucilaginous layer of barley (Hordeum vulgare) roots

The nature and composition of the external, mucilageneous layer of barley roots was studied by extraction methods and electron microscopy. Barley roots were extracted with chloramphenicol-supplemented water at 35°C, with NH₄Cl at various concentrations and with pectinase solutions. The kinetics of transfer of bacteria, total and reducing sugars, proteins, Ca⁺⁺ and K⁺ was studied, and the removal of the mucigel from the extracted roots was followed under the electron microscope. Within 2 to 3 hours of treatment with water, the rate of release of sugars, ions, proteinaceous material and bacteria, was reduced to almost zero. Increasing concentrations of ammonium chloride enhanced transfer of ions to the extracting solution but affected sugar extraction to a lesser extent. Electron micrographs of ammonium chloride-extracted roots revealed that the amorphous, rather than the fibrillar fraction of the mucigel was removed. At 10³ meq of NH₄Cl, distortion of the epidermal layer of the extracted roots was observed. With pectinase as an extractant, there was some enhancement of sugars and ions transfer from the roots to the extracting solution. Electron micrographs showed that the main site of extraction of pectinase was the boundary layer between the root surface and the mucigel. Paper chromatography of the acid hydrolyzate of the water extracted, ethanol-precipitated fraction showed the presence of compounds identical in Rf values to D-glucose, D-arabinose, D-glucuronic acid and D-galacturonic acid. Present methods available for the extraction of the mucigel do not allow the differentiation between extracted pectic compounds which originate from the internal root tissue, and the mucigel. re]19751128 Dept. of Field Crops Dept. of Soil and Water Sciences Dept. of Microbiology and Phytopathology     

Simultaneous virus identification and characterization of severe unexplained pneumonia cases using a metagenomics sequencing technique

Many viruses can cause respiratory diseases in humans. Although great advances have been achieved in methods of diagnosis, it remains challenging to identify pathogens in unexplained pneumonia (UP) cases. In this study, we applied next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and a metagenomic approach to detect and characterize respiratory viruses in UP cases from Guizhou Province, China. A total of 33 oropharyngeal swabs were obtained from hospitalized UP patients and subjected to NGS. An unbiased metagenomic analysis pipeline identified 13 virus species in 16 samples. Human rhinovirus C was the virus most frequently detected and was identified in seven samples. Human measles virus, adenovirus B 55 and coxsackievirus A10 were also identified. Metagenomic sequencing also provided virus genomic sequences, which enabled genotype characterization and phylogenetic analysis. For cases of multiple infection, metagenomic sequencing afforded information regarding the quantity of each virus in the sample, which could be used to evaluate each viruses’ role in the disease. Our study highlights the potential of metagenomic sequencing for pathogen identification in UP cases.     

Ways to reduce anti-nutritional substances in winter rye grain

The purpose of this research was to establish the nature and extent of the influence of microwaves and extrusion on the content of anti-nutritional substances of winter rye grain. There was performed two-factor laboratory experiment with the treatment of winter rye grain by electromagnetic waves of super-high frequency (microwave) on a LG MS-2042G installation and one-factor laboratory experiment with grain treatment using a MKP-30-500 extruder. Depending on the power and duration of the microwave treatment, the content of water-soluble pentosans decreased by 0.04–0.44% and the kinematic viscosity of the aqueous extract—by 2.4 times. As a result of extrusion processing, the content of water-soluble pentosans in the winter rye grain decreased by 1.34 times, the kinematic viscosity of the aqueous extract—by 2.42 times. For all the years of the research, extrusion has led to a certain decrease in starch in winter rye grain. During a 3-year period the original grain of winter rye contained on average 59.9% of starch. After extrusion, the value of this indicator decreased by 2.0% amounting to 57.9%. During the extrusion process, starch is partially hydrolyzed to form intermediate carbohydrates-dextrins and then glucose. Our research has shown an increase in the content of soluble carbohydrates in extruded rye grain. During a 3-year period, the content of soluble carbohydrates in grain increased on average from 31.45 to 51.36%, i.e. by 19.91%. Treatment by microwaves and extrusion are effective ways to reduce the anti-nutritional substances of winter rye grain and significantly increase the proportion of rye grain in the diet of farm animals.

     

Mutagenic activity of 4 active-principle forms of pharmaceutical drugs. Comparative study in the Salmonella typhimurium microsome test, and the HGPRT and Na+/K+ ATPase systems in cultured mammalian cells

The nitroimidazole derivatives used in human therapy have shown a strong mutagenic activity in bacterial tests using Ames strains of Salmonella typhimurium. Our study compared the response of 4 products of this family on bacterial target cells as well as on mammalian target cells (Chinese hamster V79 cells). The strong positive response on TA100 was greatly reduced on the nitroreductase-deficient strain TA100 Frl. Furthermore, no mutagenic activity was found in V79 mammalian cells that we examined for ouabain and 6-thioguanine resistance.     

Pattern formation and cortical maps

The response selectivities of neurons in adult primary sensory cortices depend on intricate patterns of synaptic connections; these selectivities are arranged over cortex in equally rich fashion. Characterising these patterns, and particularly the activity-dependence (and independence) of their developmental trajectories, has been a major task for experimental and theoretical neuroscience. Here, we describe and analyse a paradigmatic algorithm for activity-dependent development of the refinement and generation of neuronal selectivities, and relate it to some of the wealth of suggestions in the literature.