Feasibility study of immersive virtual prism adaptation therapy with depth-sensing camera using functional near-infrared spectroscopy in healthy adults

Prism Adaptation (PA) is used to alleviate spatial neglect. We combined immersive virtual reality with a depth-sensing camera to develop virtual prism adaptation therapy (VPAT), which block external visual cues and easily quantify and monitor errors than conventional PA. We conducted a feasibility study to investigate whether VPAT can induce behavioral adaptations by measuring after-effect and identifying which cortical areas were most significantly activated during VPAT using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Fourteen healthy subjects participated in this study. The experiment consisted of four sequential phases (pre-VPAT, VPAT-10°, VPAT-20°, and post-VPAT). To compare the most significantly activated cortical areas during pointing in different phases against pointing during the pre-VPAT phase, we analyzed changes in oxyhemoglobin concentration using fNIRS during pointing. The pointing errors of the virtual hand deviated to the right-side during early pointing blocks in the VPAT-10° and VPAT-20° phases. There was a left-side deviation of the real hand to the target in the post-VPAT phase, demonstrating after-effect. The most significantly activated channels during pointing tasks were located in the right hemisphere, and possible corresponding cortical areas included the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and frontal eye field. In conclusion, VPAT may induce behavioral adaptation with modulation of the dorsal attentional network.

Prediction of Trained Panel Sensory Scores for Beef with Non-Invasive Raman Spectroscopy

The objective of this study was to investigate Raman spectroscopy as a tool for the prediction of sensory quality in beef. Raman spectra were collected from M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle on a thawed steak frozen 48 h post-mortem. Another steak was removed from the muscle and aged for 14 days before being assessed for 12 sensory traits by a trained panel. The most accurate coefficients of determination of cross validation (R2CV) calibrated within the current study were for the trained sensory panel textural scores; particularly tenderness (0.46), chewiness (0.43), stringiness (0.35) and difficulty to swallow (0.33), with practical predictions also achieved for metallic flavour (0.52), fatty after-effect (0.44) and juiciness (0.36). In general, the application of mathematical spectral pre-treatments to Raman spectra improved the predictive accuracy of chemometric models developed. This study provides calibrations for valuable quality traits derived from a trained sensory panel in a non-destructive manner, using Raman spectra collected at a time-point compatible with meat management systems.

Impact of agrotechnical methods on improvement of sowing qualities of F1 seeds of sunflower hybrid Fakel on hybridization plot (report I)

The studies were carried out in 2020 at the "Berezanskoye" agricultural enterprise located in the Korenovsky district of the Krasnodar region. The aim of the research was to establish the possibility of improving the sowing qualities and yielding properties of the forming F1 seeds in the hybridization plot of a simple interline hybrid of sunflower Fakel. We studied the influence of various complexes of agrotechnical methods on plants of the maternal form of sunflower: application of the fertilizers, biological preparations and protection means against diseases and pests. The after-effect of the positive impact of the preparations was investigated in 2021 in a field experiment on studying the field germination of F1 seeds of the sunflower hybrid Fakel. It was found that during the formation of F1 seeds of the hybrid Fakel at the hybridization plot, the best results in terms of seed quality were obtained using a complex of fertilizers and chemical plant protection, where the highest values of the indicators of the yield structure were noted (diameter and formation of a head, seed amount per a head, 1000 seed weight, and volume weight). This made it possible in F1 to have lower losses of field germination for the formation of a scientifically based plant density. As a result of phytoexamination of grown seeds, it was revealed that the use of protective measures at the hybridization plot during the growing season of plants of the maternal form of the hybrid Fakel made it possible to increase the percentage of formed healthy seeds. The best data on the level of field germination of seeds were obtained when using biological plant protection and microbiological fertilizers at the hybridization plot. This ensured the smallest loss of germination at the scientifically grounded plant density of the hybrid Fakel in F1.

The Integrated Approaches to the Productivity Management of the Grape Plantations of Different Ages

The article highlights the generalized research data of the Department of Horticulture, Viticulture, Biology and Chemistry of Odessa State University. The main direction of its work is to maintain the productivity of existing plantations and the formation of high-yielding plantations of grapes of technical varieties in the Northern Black Sea region of Ukraine. Based on many years of research, the productivity of vineyards of Aligote, Traminer pink, White fetish, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and many others has been established, as well as complex schemes of impact on young grape bushes and plantations older than 25 years. As a result of researches, the basic optimum terms for conditions of the South of Ukraine in which it is necessary to carry out processing by growth stimulators and root and foliar feeding are established. These terms are: the first treatment before flowering, the second when the berries reach the size of a pea and the third at the beginning of ripening berries. It is proved that the after-effect of application of fertilizing elements is intensified on old plantations after the renewal of the plantation and can last up to three years, depending on the wet supply of the territory. The main conclusions and proposals for the use of complexes of agricultural technology elements based on root and foliar nutrition with different substances, irrigation, periodic deep tillage is given. Based on the obtained results, a mathematical model of quality management of grape products and products of its processing is developed

The role of motor inhibition in implicit negation processing: two Go/NoGo behavioral studies

Several studies demonstrated that the processing of explicit forms of negation recruits motor inhibitory mechanisms. However, whether this is also true for implicit negation, in which the negative meaning is implicated but not explicitly lexicalized in the sentence (e.g., “I ignore”), has never been studied before. This study aims to address this issue via two Go/NoGo experiments applied to the processing of affirmative, explicit and implicit negation sentences, which differed for the response time-windows to the Go stimulus available to participants. We investigated whether: (i) the processing of implicit negations recruits inhibitory mechanisms; (ii) the inhibitory control mechanisms are differently modulated by implicit and explicit negations. Since we posit that motor inhibitory mechanisms are modulated by both (i) the polarity of the sentence and (ii) the Go/NoGo paradigm, two after-effect analyses on reaction times in Go trials were carried out. Results suggest that implicit negation sentences determine stronger involvement of motor inhibitory mechanisms than the explicit ones. The different processing of the two forms of negation could be explained by the more negative emotional valence of implicit negation and by its inferential nature, which might require deeper processing of the negative meaning, leading to greater activation of the sensory-motor system.

Impact of COVID-19 on Oral Health

In December 2019 an outbreak of COVID19 occurred which is a severe acute respiratory disorder. Many succumbed to this global pandemic and many are still fighting the after effect of it. The virus directly affects the immune system especially of lungs. Therefore, the people who already have compromised immunity are at the very risk. The first symptoms to appear in COVID19 patients are ageusia and anosmia while treating the COVID19 patient’s certain practices are followed which aid in rapid oral health deterioration like oxygen mask, ventilators, heavy dose of medicines. Certain medicines used in treatment also precipitate poor oral health like bleeding gums, oral ulceration and dry mouth are the most common oral health problems faced after COVID19 recovery. COVID directly affects the immune system thereby making way for opportunistic infections like mucormycosis. Mucormycosis offers a severe burden on oral and general health affecting the standard of living and cause death in severe cases. Sinusitis, Periodontitis, black staining across the bridge of nose and sinus, localized discomfort and unbearable diplopia and refractive errors along with embolism and necrosis are seen in mucormycosis patients. Treatment of mucormycosis consists of surgery and replacement of lost structures Patients with compromised immunity need to take proper precautions during and after COVID.

Research of solution of the problem about longitudinal oscillation of heterogeneous rod in presence of linear law of relaxation and after-effect

We obtain the solution of the problem about longitudinal impact of heterogeneous rod in presence of linear law of relaxation and after-effect in case when one end of rod is connected to some mass, and the other undergoes the impact by some load, we conduct the research of this solution.

Microstructural Properties of Human Brain Revealed by Fractional Anisotropy can Predict the After-effect of Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation

Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) delivered by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) produces a long term potentiation (LTP)-like after-effect useful for investigations of cortical function and of potential therapeutic value. However, the iTBS-evoked after-effect over the primary motor cortex (M1) as measured by changes in motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude exhibits a largely unexplained variability across individuals. Here, we present evidence that individual differences in white and grey matter microstructural properties revealed by fractional anisotropy (FA) predict the magnitude of the iTBS-induced after-effect over M1. The MEP amplitude change in the early phase (5–10 min) post-iTBS was associated with FA values in white matter tracts such as right superior longitudinal fasciculus and corpus callosum. In contrast, the MEP amplitude change in the late phase (15–30 min) post-iTBS was associated with FA in grey matter, primarily in right frontal cortex. These results suggest that the microstructural properties of regions connected directly or indirectly to the target region (M1) are crucial determinants of the iTBS after-effect. FA values indicative of these microstructural differences can predict the potential effectiveness of rTMS for both investigational use and clinical application.

A strategy for mapping biophysical to abstract neuronal network models applied to primary visual cortex

A fundamental challenge for the theoretical study of neuronal networks is to make the link between complex biophysical models based directly on experimental data, to progressively simpler mathematical models that allow the derivation of general operating principles. We present a strategy that successively maps a relatively detailed biophysical population model, comprising conductance-based Hodgkin-Huxley type neuron models with connectivity rules derived from anatomical data, to various representations with fewer parameters, finishing with a firing rate network model that permits analysis. We apply this methodology to primary visual cortex of higher mammals, focusing on the functional property of stimulus orientation selectivity of receptive fields of individual neurons. The mapping produces compact expressions for the parameters of the abstract model that clearly identify the impact of specific electrophysiological and anatomical parameters on the analytical results, in particular as manifested by specific functional signatures of visual cortex, including input-output sharpening, conductance invariance, virtual rotation and the tilt after effect. Importantly, qualitative differences between model behaviours point out consequences of various simplifications. The strategy may be applied to other neuronal systems with appropriate modifications.