Contribution of behavioural variability to representational drift

Neuronal responses to similar stimuli change dynamically over time, raising the question of how internal representations can provide a stable substrate for neural coding. While the drift of these representations is mostly characterized in relation to external stimuli or tasks, behavioural or internal state of the animal is also known to modulate the neural activity. We therefore asked how the variability of such modulatory mechanisms can contribute to representational drift. By analysing publicly available datasets from the Allen Brain Observatory, we found that behavioural variability significantly contributes to changes in stimulus-induced neuronal responses across various cortical areas in the mouse. This effect could not be explained by a gain model in which change in the behavioural state scaled the signal or the noise. A better explanation was provided by a model in which behaviour contributed independently to neuronal tuning. Our results are consistent with a view in which behaviour modulates the low-dimensional, slowly-changing setpoints of neurons, upon which faster operations like sensory processing are performed. Importantly, our analysis suggests that reliable but variable behavioural signals might be misinterpreted as representational drift, if neuronal representations are only characterized in the stimulus space and marginalised over behavioural parameters.

Synthesis and Characterisation of Core-shell Gold Nanoparticles

<p>Technology developed at Victoria University of Wellington by Professor James H. Johnston and Dr Kerstin Lucas allows for the colouring of high quality wool fibres using spherical gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles have interesting colours and optical properties due to surface plasmon resonance effects and, using this technology, a boutique range of colours can be imparted onto wool fibres. The colour of gold nanoparticles is determined by their size and shape, hence the colour range achievable using spherical nanoparticles is limited to those obtained by changing the particle diameter and degree of aggregation of these particles. This limitation can be overcome by using gold nanoparticles of different shapes in conjunction with other materials. This research details the synthesis and characterisation of gold nanoshells on spherical silica cores and their use for the colouring of wool. Silica cores were used in this research as they are reasonably chemically inert and so serve as a stable substrate for the gold shells. Silica spheres are also easily prepared in a manner that allows control over the final particle diameter. Several syntheses of these core-shell particles have been previously devised however they are not suitable for commercial use. Such syntheses involve many time-consuming steps, high temperatures or light-sensitive reagents. Synthetic methods set out in this research involve a novel in-situ seeding of gold nanoparticles for the growth of the shells eliminating the step of growing gold nanoparticles ex-situ commonly involved in other synthetic schemes. The need for light-sensitive reducing agents is eliminated by the use of other reductants such as sodium borohydride and hydroxylamine. All steps of the synthetic schemes are carried out at less than 100 °C. Several methods of synthesising core-shell particles are outlined in this research, which achieved varying degrees of success. Many syntheses investigated successfully produced core-shell particles but also left many silica spheres without the desired gold shell coating. This was not a problem for the proposed application of colouring wool. As silica is easily dispersed in water and does not have the same affinity to bind to wool as gold does, the silica spheres without gold shells simply wash off after colouring. This allowed the core-shell particles synthesised in this research to be successfully used to colour wool fibres and achieve a shade of purple not previously obtained using the earlier methodologies.</p>

Synthesis and Characterisation of Core-shell Gold Nanoparticles

<p>Technology developed at Victoria University of Wellington by Professor James H. Johnston and Dr Kerstin Lucas allows for the colouring of high quality wool fibres using spherical gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles have interesting colours and optical properties due to surface plasmon resonance effects and, using this technology, a boutique range of colours can be imparted onto wool fibres. The colour of gold nanoparticles is determined by their size and shape, hence the colour range achievable using spherical nanoparticles is limited to those obtained by changing the particle diameter and degree of aggregation of these particles. This limitation can be overcome by using gold nanoparticles of different shapes in conjunction with other materials. This research details the synthesis and characterisation of gold nanoshells on spherical silica cores and their use for the colouring of wool. Silica cores were used in this research as they are reasonably chemically inert and so serve as a stable substrate for the gold shells. Silica spheres are also easily prepared in a manner that allows control over the final particle diameter. Several syntheses of these core-shell particles have been previously devised however they are not suitable for commercial use. Such syntheses involve many time-consuming steps, high temperatures or light-sensitive reagents. Synthetic methods set out in this research involve a novel in-situ seeding of gold nanoparticles for the growth of the shells eliminating the step of growing gold nanoparticles ex-situ commonly involved in other synthetic schemes. The need for light-sensitive reducing agents is eliminated by the use of other reductants such as sodium borohydride and hydroxylamine. All steps of the synthetic schemes are carried out at less than 100 °C. Several methods of synthesising core-shell particles are outlined in this research, which achieved varying degrees of success. Many syntheses investigated successfully produced core-shell particles but also left many silica spheres without the desired gold shell coating. This was not a problem for the proposed application of colouring wool. As silica is easily dispersed in water and does not have the same affinity to bind to wool as gold does, the silica spheres without gold shells simply wash off after colouring. This allowed the core-shell particles synthesised in this research to be successfully used to colour wool fibres and achieve a shade of purple not previously obtained using the earlier methodologies.</p>

Biosynthesis of linear protein nanoarrays using the flagellar axoneme

Applications in biotechnology and synthetic biology often make use of soluble proteins, but there are many potential advantages to anchoring enzymes to a stable substrate, including stability and the possibility for substrate channeling. To avoid the necessity of protein purification and chemical immobilization, there has been growing interest in bio-assembly of protein-containing nanoparticles, exploiting the self-assembly of viral capsid proteins or other proteins that form polyhedral structures. But these nanoparticle are limited in size which constrains the packaging and the accessibility of the proteins. The axoneme, the insoluble protein core of the eukaryotic flagellum or cilium, is a highly ordered protein structure that can be several microns in length, orders of magnitude larger than other types of nanoparticles. We show that when proteins of interest are fused to specific axonemal proteins and expressed in living cells, they become incorporated into linear arrays which have the advantages of high protein loading capacity, high stability, and single-step purification with retention of biomass. The arrays can be isolated as membrane enclosed vesicle or as exposed protein arrays. The approach is demonstrated for both fluorescent proteins and enzymes, and in the latter case it is found that incorporation into axoneme arrays provides increased stability for the enzyme.

Report of ciliate-bryozoan-crustacean hyperepibiosis on crab (Decapoda: Brachyura) from west coast of India, Arabian Sea

Epibiosis is a common phenomenon, found in different taxa of aquatic animals. This relationship could occur as hyperepibiosis, when a basibiont being also an epibiont, providing a stable substrate for the hypersymbiont. Here we reported a ciliate-bryozoan-crustacean hyperepibiosis in Mandovi River mouth, Goa, West coast of India. We provided descriptions and characterization of the crab Atergatis sp., serving as basibiont for the bryozoan Triticella pedicellata (Alder, 1857), in turn colonized with (hyperepibionts) the ciliates Paracineta saifulae (Mereschkowsky, 1877) and Cothurnia ceramicola Kahl, 1933. Paracineta saifulae and Cothurnia ceramicola are reported here for first time from the Indian Ocean.

Green energy by recoverable triple-oxide mesostructured perovskite photovoltaics

Perovskite solar cells have developed into a promising branch of renewable energy. A combination of feasible manufacturing and renewable modules can offer an attractive advancement to this field. Herein, a screen-printed three-layered all-nanoparticle network was developed as a rigid framework for a perovskite active layer. This matrix enables perovskite to percolate and form a complementary photoactive network. Two porous conductive oxide layers, separated by a porous insulator, serve as a chemically stable substrate for the cells. Cells prepared using this scaffold structure demonstrated a power conversion efficiency of 11.08% with a high open-circuit voltage of 0.988 V. Being fully oxidized, the scaffold demonstrated a striking thermal and chemical stability, allowing for the removal of the perovskite while keeping the substrate intact. The application of a new perovskite in lieu of a degraded one exhibited a full regeneration of all photovoltaic performances. Exclusive recycling of the photoactive materials from solar cells paves a path for more sustainable green energy production in the future.

Bryozoan fauna from the Mississippian of the Akuyuk section, southern Kazakhstan

Five bryozoan species are described from the lower part of the Akuyuk section (Late Viséan, Mississippian) in southern Kazakhstan. Thin sectioning and micro-computed tomography have been utilized to study this material in detail. These integrated and complex techniques have a high potential to reveal much detail, although recrystallization and weathering of colonies preclude in depth assessment of all microstructures in detail. The bryozoan assemblage is represented by reticulate (60%), ramose (20%) and pinnate (20%) growth habits. The bryozoan fauna, together with accompanying fossils, and microfacies are characteristic for an environment with a stable substrate subjected to moderate wave energy conditions.

Aquatic Oligochaete Communities in Amazonian Streams, Saracá-Taquera National Forest, Pará, Brazil

The aim of this study was to analyze aquatic oligochaete distribution in relation to water column physicochemical variables, structural environmental variation, and predominant substrates in the preserved Amazonian streams of the Saracá-Taquera National Forest (FLONA Saracá-Taquera), northwest Pará, Brazil. Oligochaetes are widely used as bioindicators for monitoring aquatic environments as they are very sensitive to pollution and environmental changes. Physicochemical and structural variables were measured from 100 stream segments in order to understand the distribution of oligochaetes in Amazonian streams. Biotic samples were collected using Surber samplers in three of the most predominant substrate types in each segment. PERMANOVA testing showed that there was a significant difference in the oligochaete community among some substrates, potentially caused by a difference in the abundance of the most common taxa. Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed that physical variables drive the distribution of oligochaetes in preserved Amazonian streams, as they determine the formation of different substrates along the stream, from the source to the mouth; favoring the presence of oligochaetes with more specific ecological needs in low-order streams, and the presence of oligochaetes capable of colonizing various types of substrates and deeper zones in high-order streams. These results suggest that water depth and channel width are the main drivers of aquatic oligochaete distribution along Amazonian streams, determining the formation of unstable and low-quality substrates and, consequently, the low colonization by oligochaetes in high-order streams; and more diverse and stable substrate formation in low-order streams, favoring the colonization by diverse taxa of aquatic oligochaetes in low-order Amazonian streams.

Mechanism of processive telomerase catalysis revealed by high-resolution optical tweezers

Telomere maintenance by telomerase is essential for continuous proliferation of human cells and is vital for the survival of stem cells and 90% of cancer cells. To compensate for telomeric DNA lost during DNA replication, telomerase processively adds GGTTAG repeats to chromosome ends by copying the template region within its RNA subunit. Between repeat additions, the RNA template must be recycled. How telomerase remains associated with substrate DNA during this critical translocation step remains unknown. Using a newly developed single-molecule telomerase activity assay utilizing high-resolution optical tweezers, we demonstrate that stable substrate DNA binding at an anchor site within telomerase facilitates the processive synthesis of telomeric repeats. After release of multiple telomeric repeats from telomerase, we observed folding of product DNA into G-quadruplex structures. Our results provide detailed mechanistic insights into telomerase catalysis, a process of critical importance in aging and cancer.