Mapping the integration of sensory information across fingers in human sensorimotor cortex

The integration of somatosensory signals across fingers is essential for dexterous object manipulation. Previous experiments suggest that neural populations in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) are responsible for this integration. However, the integration process has not been fully characterized, as previous studies have mainly used two-finger stimulation paradigms. Here, we addressed this gap by stimulating all 31 single- and multi-finger combinations. We measured population-wide activity patterns evoked during finger stimulation in human S1 and primary motor cortex (M1) using 7T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Using multivariate fMRI analyses, we found clear evidence of unique non-linear interactions between fingers. In Brodmann area (BA) 3b, interactions predominantly occurred between pairs of neighboring fingers. In BA 2, however, we found equally strong interactions between spatially distant fingers, as well as interactions between finger triplets and quadruplets, suggesting the presence of rich, non-linear integration of somatosensory information across fingers.

Estimating Fisher discriminant error in a linear integrator model of neural population activity

Decoding approaches provide a useful means of estimating the information contained in neuronal circuits. In this work, we analyze the expected classification error of a decoder based on Fisher linear discriminant analysis. We provide expressions that relate decoding error to the specific parameters of a population model that performs linear integration of sensory input. Results show conditions that lead to beneficial and detrimental effects of noise correlation on decoding. Further, the proposed framework sheds light on the contribution of neuronal noise, highlighting cases where, counter-intuitively, increased noise may lead to improved decoding performance. Finally, we examined the impact of dynamical parameters, including neuronal leak and integration time constant, on decoding. Overall, this work presents a fruitful approach to the study of decoding using a comprehensive theoretical framework that merges dynamical parameters with estimates of readout error.

RAINFALL TREND AND IT IMPACT IN KEFFI NASARAWA STATE

Rainfall is the vital ingredient and factor of soil nourishment on which crops are grown. The basic agricultural practices all over the world depend on rainfed cultivation for their sustainable development. This study focus on the rainfall trend between 2010 -2018 as it affects crop production in Keffi Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The time series analysis was conducted by using appropriate techniques of data collection and analysis. The linear integration model, quadratic trend model, growth curve model and regression analysis was applied to show the correlation between the rainfall and crop production in the study area. It was discovered that the period of rainy months have high correction and significantly fitted the model which indication high crop yields per harvest.

Behavioural choice emerges from nonlinear all-to-all interactions between drives

Under the right conditions any drive can overcome nearly any other, yet studies of behavioural selection predominantly focus on only one, or occasionally two behaviours. We present an experimental and computational framework that captures and explains the resolution of conflicts between several competing motivations. We characterize neurons that integrate information from all rival drives to generate an aggregate signal that urges male Drosophila to transition out of mating. Experimental investigation of these Drive Integrating Neurons (DINs) revealed time-varying, supralinear interactions among competing drives that stimulate the DINs and induce a change in behaviour. Extending these findings to model the interactions between all of an animal’s motivations led to the surprising prediction that, under many conditions, all-to-all interactions actually buffer the dominant drive against challengers. We experimentally validated this prediction, showing that weak drives for a variety of tertiary goals can have a profound stabilizing effect on the ongoing behaviour. These results emerge only if non-linear integration of other motivations occurs for each of an animal’s drives, suggesting the potential universality of this mechanism. Our findings emphasize the interconnectedness of motivational systems and the consequent importance of considering the full motivational state of an animal to understand its behaviour.

DNA4mC-LIP: a linear integration method to identify N4-methylcytosine site in multiple species

Motivation DNA N4-methylcytosine (4mC) is a crucial epigenetic modification. However, the knowledge about its biological functions is limited. Effective and accurate identification of 4mC sites will be helpful to reveal its biological functions and mechanisms. Since experimental methods are cost and ineffective, a number of machine learning-based approaches have been proposed to detect 4mC sites. Although these methods yielded acceptable accuracy, there is still room for the improvement of the prediction performance and the stability of existing methods in practical applications. Results In this work, we first systematically assessed the existing methods based on an independent dataset. And then, we proposed DNA4mC-LIP, a linear integration method by combining existing predictors to identify 4mC sites in multiple species. The results obtained from independent dataset demonstrated that DNA4mC-LIP outperformed existing methods for identifying 4mC sites. To facilitate the scientific community, a web server for DNA4mC-LIP was developed. We anticipated that DNA4mC-LIP could serve as a powerful computational technique for identifying 4mC sites and facilitate the interpretation of 4mC mechanism. Availability and implementation http://i.uestc.edu.cn/DNA4mC-LIP/. Contact [email protected] or [email protected] or [email protected] Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Dynamic integration paths of emerging multinational enterprises in advanced markets

Purpose This paper aims to examine dynamic multi-stage post-merger integration (PMI) evolutions by Chinese multinational enterprises (CMNEs) in the German market and their potential influencing factors. Design/methodology/approach A data set was collected from 25 interviews with 21 respondents from six Chinese acquisition cases in Germany, and a comparative multi-case study and content analysis were applied. Findings The results reveal that Chinese acquirers take segmented linear integration path in Germany from nearly no integration to organisational integration and then to production integration. It contains three sub-paths: the P-O-O path (partnering–organisational optimisation–production optimisation), the P-P-P path (preservation–organisational preservation–production preservation) and the P-C-C path (preservation–organisational centralisation–production confusion). The initial nearly no integration condition is mainly impacted by asymmetric information and the targets’ strategic positions, whereas different organisational and production integration degrees in mid- and long-term stages are primarily influenced by Chinese acquirers' different dynamic capabilities. Moreover, Chinese acquirers' corporate ownership is not found to be a significant factor that influences CMNEs to take different integration strategies in different PMI stages. Research limitations/implications This paper contributes to broaden emerging multinational enterprises’ (EMNEs) PMI theory by adding dynamic perspective and provides suggestions for mergers and acquisitions (M&As) practitioners to identify integration options and avoid integration pitfalls in different integration stages. Originality/value Existing works identified that EMNEs prefer to partner with the targets in advanced markets, but lacked a dynamic perspective to disclose whether the partnering strategy would be adjusted or not over time. This study is the first to explore multi-stage integration changes and is one of the few studies that recognise the interaction of the integration strategy with the dynamic capability of the acquiring enterprises.