Processing Mechanisms Research Articles

Effects of focal cortical cooling on somatosensory evoked potentials in rats

Although the focal brain cooling technique is widely used to examine brain function, the effects of cortical temperature at various levels on sensory information processing and neural mechanisms remain underexplored. To elucidate the mechanisms of temperature modulation in somatosensory processing, this study aimed to examine how P1 and N1 deflections of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) depend on cortical temperature and how excitatory and inhibitory inputs contribute to this temperature dependency. SEPs were generated through electrical stimulation of the contralateral forepaw in anesthetized rats. The SEPs were recorded while cortical temperatures were altered between 17–38 °C either without any antagonists, with a gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor antagonist (gabazine), with an aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist (NBQX), or with an N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist ([R]-CPP). The effects of different gabazine concentrations (0, 1, and 10 µM) were examined in the 35–38 °C range. The P1/N1 amplitudes and their peak-to-peak differences plotted against cortical temperature showed an inverted U relationship with a maximum at approximately 27.5 °C when no antagonists were administered. The negative correlation between these amplitudes and temperatures of ≥ 27.5 °C plateaued after gabazine administration, which occurred progressively as the gabazine concentration increased. In contrast, the correlation remained negative after the administration of NBQX and (R)-CPP. These results suggest that GABAergic inhibitory inputs contribute to the negative correlation between SEP amplitude and cortical temperature around the physiological cortical temperature.

“¿Cómo qué, cómo qué? cómo qué?” Single-language echolalia in a bilingual female with progressive supranuclear palsy: a case report

ABSTRACT The case study explores bilingualism and neurodegenerative disorders, specifically progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) with speech and language disorder (PSP-SL). It features a 78-year-old Mexican American woman who exhibits echolalia only in response to Spanish. This selective impairment suggests unevenly affected language control mechanisms despite her proficiency in both languages. Cognitive function is evaluated with neuropsychological tests; she's diagnosed with PSP-SL, depression, and anxiety. Echolalia in response to one language implies complex phonological retrieval mechanisms. Such observations prompt further inquiry into bilingual language control and processing mechanisms. The case supports evidence that bilingualism may attenuate neurodegeneration effects, suggesting better inhibitory control over disinhibited speech through enhanced executive functioning benefits.

Tactile adaptation to orientation produces a robust tilt aftereffect and exhibits crossmodal transfer when tested in vision

Orientation processing is one of the most fundamental functions in both visual and somatosensory perception. Converging findings suggest that orientation processing in both modalities is closely linked: somatosensory neurons share a similar orientation organisation as visual neurons, and the visual cortex has been found to be heavily involved in tactile orientation perception. Hence, we hypothesized that somatosensation would exhibit a similar orientation adaptation effect, and this adaptation effect would be transferable between the two modalities, considering the above-mentioned connection. The tilt aftereffect (TAE) is a demonstration of orientation adaptation and is used widely in behavioural experiments to investigate orientation mechanisms in vision. By testing the classic TAE paradigm in both tactile and crossmodal orientation tasks between vision and touch, we were able to show that tactile perception of orientation shows a very robust TAE, similar to its visual counterpart. We further show that orientation adaptation in touch transfers to produce a TAE when tested in vision, but not vice versa. Additionally, when examining the test sequence following adaptation for serial effects, we observed another asymmetry between the two conditions where the visual test sequence displayed a repulsive intramodal serial dependence effect while the tactile test sequence exhibited an attractive serial dependence. These findings provide concrete evidence that vision and touch engage a similar orientation processing mechanism. However, the asymmetry in the crossmodal transfer of TAE and serial dependence points to a non-reciprocal connection between the two modalities, providing further insights into the underlying processing mechanism.

Conventionality matters in Chinese metaphor but not simile comprehension: evidence from event-related potentials.

Metaphor and simile, two prevalent forms of figurative language widely employed in daily communication, serve as significant research subjects in linguistics. The Career of Metaphor Theory in cognitive linguistics posits that as conventionality increases, the cognitive mechanisms of metaphor comprehension shift from "comparison" to "categorization." In line with this notion, prior electrophysiological investigations have revealed that novel metaphors elicit a stronger N400 brain response compared to conventional metaphors. However, the observed N400 difference between conventional and novel metaphors may merely stem from the familiarity contrast between them, as conventional metaphors are typically more familiar than novel ones. To address this dichotomy, the present study not only compared the N400 responses between conventional and novel metaphors but also between conventional and novel similes. While conventional and novel similes differ in familiarity, similar to conventional and novel metaphors, both are processed via "comparison" mechanisms. The results revealed that novel metaphors elicited larger N400 amplitudes compared to conventional metaphors, aligning with previous findings. In contrast, no significant N400 differences were observed between conventional and novel similes, suggesting that familiarity disparity is unlikely to account for N400 distinctions. Our findings imply that conventional and novel metaphors undergo distinct cognitive processing mechanisms ("comparison" versus "categorization"), thereby providing further empirical validation for the Career of Metaphor Theory.

Discovery and verification of antidepressant active ingredients of raw and vinegar-processed Bupleurum marginatum var. Stenophyllum based on plant metabolomics and serum pharmacology

The dried root of Bupleurum marginatum var. stenophyllum (H. Wolff) R.H. Shan & Y. Li (BM), which has been used as a Bupleuri radix in Guizhou Province and is listed in the 2003 edition of the Guizhou Quality Standard for Traditional Chinese Medicines and Ethnic Materia Medica, is effective at dispersing the liver and relieving depression and often used in the form of raw or vinegar-processed product (VBM). However, the potential depression-relieving components of BM are unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the potential antidepressant constituents of BM and investigate the effect of vinegar processing on these components. The antidepressant effect and mechanism of BM and VBM were investigated in depressed mice and BV2 cells, respectively. The pharmacodynamic constituents were screened through serum pharmacochemistry, which combined the results of metabolomics analysis of BM and VBM, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) content determination, and verification of the antidepressant effect and mechanism of differential components of SSb2 to clarify the connotation of vinegar processing. Our results demonstrated that BM can exert a significant antidepressant effect by inhibiting microglia polarization and that this effect was enhanced after vinegar processing. Thirty-eight components were identified in the BM, 13 of which were blood-absorbable, mainly saponins, and defined as potential antidepressant components of the BM. The contents of 17 components—6 of which were absorbed into the blood—changed considerably after processing. It was finally determined that vinegar processing can enhance the antidepressant effect of BM by increasing the contents of SSb1 and SSb2. SSb2 exerts this effect via the samemechanism as BM. In conclusion, in this study we clarified the antidepressant effects and potential active components of BM and examined the mechanism of vinegar processing. These findings lay a foundation for the future research on the antidepressant effects of BM as well as for the complete development and application of BM's ethnomedicinal resources.

Research on high-pressure adsorption of supercritical CO2 and the characterization of coal structure change in anthracite

CO2-Enhanced Coal Bed Methane ( CO2-ECBM) Technology has been widely used in deep coalbed methane (DCBM) extraction and CO2 sequestration. CO2 is in the supercritical state ( ScC - O2 ) in deep coal seam reservoir, and has mechanical, physical and chemical effects on the coal body, making understanding ScCO2 adsorption crucial. Based on the self-developed supercritical isothermal adsorption device, ScCO2 high-pressure adsorption experiments were carried out in anthracite. Besides, using multiple characterisation methods to analyse the changes in microstructures of coal before and after ScCO2 adsorption and reveal the mechanism of processing. The results indicate that an obvious mutation zone in adsorption during high-pressure conditions is carried out, with the minimal adsorption capacity in the mutation zone; 2) The effect of ScCO2 on the microstructure of the coal mainly focuses on the micropores and mesopores (below 50 nm ), resulting in an improved coal adsorption capacity; 3)Providing three assessment indexes of potential of DCBM resource exploitation and CO2 sequestration includes the buried depth, porosity and fracture permeability. The above research outcomes provide important theoretical foundation for the development of DCBM resources, assessment of CO2 sequestration potential and engineering application.

Expectation Modulates Repetition Suppression at Late But Not Early Stages during Visual Word Recognition: Evidence from Event-related Potentials.

Visual word recognition is commonly rapid and efficient, incorporating top-down predictive processing mechanisms. Neuroimaging studies with face stimuli suggest that repetition suppression (RS) reflects predictive processing at the neural level, as this effect is larger when repetitions are more frequent, that is, more expected. It remains unclear, however, at the temporal level whether and how RS and its modulation by expectation occur in visual word recognition. To address this gap, the present study aimed to investigate the presence and time course of these effects during visual word recognition using EEG. Thirty-six native Cantonese speakers were presented with pairs of Chinese written words and performed a nonlinguistic oddball task. The second word of a pair was either a repetition of the first or a different word (alternation). In repetition blocks, 75% of trials were repetitions and 25% were alternations, whereas the reverse was true in alternation blocks. Topographic analysis of variance of EEG at each time point showed robust RS effects in three time windows (141-227 msec, 242-445 msec, and 467-513 msec) reflecting facilitation of visual word recognition. Importantly, the modulation of RS by expectation was observed at the late rather than early intervals (334-387 msec, 465-550 msec, and 559-632 msec) and more than 100msec after the first RS effects. In the predictive coding view of RS, only late repetition effects are modulated by expectation, whereas early RS effects may be mediated by lower-level predictions. Taken together, our findings provide the first EEG evidence revealing distinct temporal dynamics of RS effects and repetition probability on RS effects in visual processing of Chinese words.

NMDA receptor within nucleus accumbens shell regulates propofol self-administration through D1R/ERK/CREB signalling pathway.

Addictive properties of propofol have been demonstrated in both humans and animals. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell (NAsh) in the brain, along with the interactions between N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and the dopamine D1 receptor (D1R), as well as their downstream ERK/CREB signalling pathway in the NAc, are integral in regulating reward-seeking behaviour. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether NMDARs and the NMDAR-D1R/ERK/CREB signalling pathway in the NAsh are involved in mediating propofol addiction. To investigate it, we conducted experiments with adult male Sprague-Dawley rats to establish a model of propofol self-administration behaviour. Subsequently, we microinjected D-AP5 (a competitive antagonist of NMDARs, 1.0-4.0μg/0.3μL/site) or vehicle into bilateral NAsh in rats that had previously self-administered propofol to examine the impact of NMDARs within the NAsh on propofol self-administration behaviour. Additionally, we examined the protein expressions of NR2A and NR2B subunits, and the D1R/ERK/CREB signalling pathways within the NAc. The results revealed that propofol administration behaviour was enhanced by D-AP5 pretreatment in NAsh, accompanied by elevated expressions of phosphorylation of NR2A (Tyr1246) and NR2B (Tyr1472) subunits. There were statistically significant increases in the expressions of D1Rs, as well as in the phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) and CREB (p-CREB). This evidence substantiates a pivotal role of NMDARs in the NAsh, with a particular emphasis on the NR2A and NR2B subunits, in mediating propofol self-administration behaviour. Furthermore, it suggests that this central reward processing mechanism may operate through the NMDAR-D1R/ERK/CREB signal transduction pathway.

Processing wh-filler-gap dependencies.

We present experimental evidence showing that different wh-filler-gap dependencies are processed differently, depending on their syntactic licensors. Our studies compared the active storage profiles for why, how, and who (serving as subject or object of the verb). The results of offline and online experiments revealed that these wh-fillers are stored in memory for different durations, and predictably so based on the hypothesised structural distance between each wh-filler and the licensor which determines its grammatical and interpretive functions. Furthermore, the results showed that once the wh-filler is licenced, it is integrated to the current structure, and no longer engenders additional memory costs. Based on these findings, we argue that the mechanism of online sentence processing may employ both storage and integration components in memory.

A case study on the recovery of unevenly embedded particle size in high-carbon chalcopyrite using an alkyne-based thioester collector: Flotation processing and adsorption mechanism

The difference in chalcopyrite's primary ore-hosting rocks (dolomite and carbonaceous slate) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo results in an extremely uneven grain size distribution. Additionally, the presence of 2.21% organic carbon in the gangue impacts flotation efficiency. To address these challenges, ore properties were analyzed using the Mineral Liberation Analyzer (MLA), X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), and microscopy. Flotation process was modified to incorporate a "middlings regrinding" processing, utilizing PDEC (an alkyne-based thioester collector, prop-2-yn-1-yl diethylcarbamodithioate) as the collector for experimental studies. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations elucidated the interaction mechanism of PDEC on chalcopyrite's surface. The MLA analysis indicates that chalcopyrite is mainly found in medium to fine grains, with the presence of fine-grained copper minerals smaller than 0.04mm accounting for 16.29% of the sample. This implies that these minerals require fine grinding for effective separation. Despite interference from organic carbon, PDEC demonstrates remarkable selectivity and efficiency in chalcopyrite flotation. By employing the "middlings regrinding" flotation method, a concentrate with a Cu content of 26.79% and a recovery of 87.88% was achieved, representing an increase of 0.17% in Cu grade and 4.09% in recovery rate compared to the conventional flotation process. DFT analysis demonstrates that the S 3p orbitals in carbon-sulfur double bond of PDEC and the C 2p orbitals in its acetylene group significantly affect its collection efficiency, engaging in hybridization with the Fe 3d orbitals on the surface of chalcopyrite, thereby facilitating a robust bonding interaction.

The role of economics and management in the development of sustainable business models of agricultural enterprises

The relevance of this topic lies in the need to use economic and management strategies that can help agricultural enterprises adapt to a changing environment and ensure sustainable and resilient growth in the future. The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of economic and managerial factors on the development of agricultural enterprises, with a focus on creating sustainable business models. The methods used were analytical, statistical, and comparative. The paper examines the role of economics in the formation of sustainable business models of agricultural enterprises, focusing on optimizing the use of resources and adapting to market conditions. It is found that economic aspects include optimization of production processes, cost management and analysis of market trends. Efficient use of resources is a key aspect of sustainable business models of modern agricultural enterprises. The use of advanced technologies, such as precision farming and process mechanization, helps to increase productivity and reduce costs. Management of such market factors includes strategic planning, risk analysis and search for new development opportunities. An example of successful use of innovative technologies in agriculture is given on the sample of the American company John Deere. The article describes the strategy for developing sustainable business models for the Ukrainian company Myronivsky Hliboproduct, which includes the introduction of advanced agricultural technologies, diversification of production, optimization of resource use, development of local markets, improvement of risk management and promotion of social development of local communities. It is noted that the unfavourable conditions of war and economic instability pose serious challenges to the agricultural sector, but such conditions can also stimulate the search for new, more sustainable, and efficient business approaches. As a result, the development of sustainable business models for agricultural enterprises requires a comprehensive approach and systematic measures aimed at optimizing production, managing risks, and promoting the social development of local communities. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of increasing competitiveness, resource efficiency and sustainability in a changing market environment, which contributes to the sustainable development of the agricultural sector

Is predicting during language processing worth it? Effects of cloze probability and semantic similarity on failed predictions.

Prediction during language processing has been hypothesized to lead to processing benefits. These possible benefits have led to several prominent theories that center around prediction as an essential mechanism in language processing. Such theories typically assume predicting is better than not predicting at all, but do not always account for the potential processing costs from failed predictions. Predicting wrongly can be costly, but the cost may depend on how wrong the prediction was. Across three experiments, we manipulate cloze probability, semantic relatedness, and language modality (production vs. comprehension) to determine whether predicting almost correctly is better than predicting completely incorrectly, and if so, if predicting almost correctly is better than not predicting at all. Results showed that when a predicted ending is replaced with a related term, it is processed faster than when it is replaced with an unrelated term, but that related term is not named more quickly than when it appears after a low constraint sentence. This pattern held regardless of whether participants were asked to produce the sentence-final term by naming a picture (Experiments 1 and 2), or if they were asked to perform a semantic classification of the sentence-final word (Experiment 3). Thus, predicting almost correctly is better than predicting completely incorrectly, but it's not better than not predicting at all. This carries implications for current accounts that argue for processing benefits of prediction during language processing, and suggests that prediction may be used to fine-tune the language system rather than to speed language processing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Optogenetic stimulation of medial septal glutamatergic neurons modulates theta-gamma coupling in the hippocampus

Hippocampal cross-frequency theta-gamma coupling (TGC) is a basic mechanism for information processing, retrieval, and consolidation of long-term and working memory. While the role of entorhinal afferents in the modulation of hippocampal TGC is widely accepted, the influence of other main input to the hippocampus, from the medial septal area (MSA, the pacemaker of the hippocampal theta rhythm) is poorly understood. Optogenetics allows us to explore how different neuronal populations of septohippocampal circuits control neuronal oscillations in vivo. Rhythmic activation of septal glutamatergic neurons has been shown to drive hippocampal theta oscillations, but the role of these neuronal populations in information processing during theta activation has remained unclear. Here we investigated the influence of phasic activation of MSA glutamatergic neurons expressing channelrhodopsin II on theta-gamma coupling in the hippocampus. During the experiment, local field potentials of MSA and hippocampus of freely behaving mice were modulated by 470 nm light flashes with theta frequency (2–10) Hz. It was shown that both the power and the strength of modulation of gamma rhythm nested on hippocampal theta waves depend on the frequency of stimulation. The modulation of the amplitude of slow gamma rhythm (30–50 Hz) prevailed over modulation of fast gamma (55–100 Hz) during flash trains and the observed effects were specific for theta stimulation of MSA. We discuss the possibility that phasic depolarization of septal glutamatergic neurons controls theta-gamma coupling in the hippocampus and plays a role in memory retrieval and consolidation.

Функция временного отклика — новый метод исследования нейрофизиологических механизмов восприятия речи в экологически валидных условиях

<p style="text-align: justify;">The temporal response function is a new method that allows to investigate the brain mechanisms of perception of natural, naturalistic speech stimuli. In contrast to other methods for studying brain activity (e.g., evoked potentials), the temporal response function does not require the presentation of a large number of uniform stimuli to produce a robust brain response - recordings of narrative speech lasting 10 minutes or more can be used in experimental paradigms, increasing their ecological validity. The temporal response function can be used to study brain mechanisms of online processing of different components of natural speech: acoustic (physical properties of the audio signal such as envelope and spectrogram), phonological (individual phonemes and their combinations), lexical (contextual characteristics of individual words) and semantic (semantic meaning of words), as well as the interaction between these components processing mechanisms. The article presents the history of the method, its advantages in comparison with other methods and limitations, mathematical basis, features of natural speech components extraction, and a brief review of the main studies using this method.</p>

The relationship between short-form video use and depression among Chinese adolescents: Examining the mediating roles of need gratification and short-form video addiction

Short-form video apps, such as TikTok, have become popular worldwide. Compared to traditional social media, they have powerful push algorithms and are more entertaining, which might lead to some negative effects. Research has attempted to identify the relationship between short-form video use and depression, but the processes mechanism underly the relationship was few in number. The present study explored the association between short-form video use and depression among Chinese adolescents and analyzed the mediating roles of need gratification and short-form video addiction. The participants included 1302 senior high school students (Mage = 16.03, SD = 0.76, 42.6 % boys). And a structure equation model with chain mediating was established using Mplus. The results showed (1) a direct association between short-form video use and adolescent depression, (2) that entertainment need gratification, social-related need gratification, and short-form video addiction acted as chain mediating factors, and (3) no gender difference in the model. The present study's findings revealed the important mediating role of addictive behavior between normal use behavior and depression and suggested that preventative and interventional plans based on need gratification should be developed to reduce short-form video addiction and improve mental health.

Development of mechanization of dairy cattle rearing in Russia and the Soviet Union in the first half of the twentieth century

The study aimed to look into how dairy cattle rearing in Russia and the USSR got technical and technological support in the first half of the twentieth century. At the start of the 20th century, two-thirds of Russian agriculture were small peasant farms. They used manual labor and did not need the costly machines. The consolidation of farms was very slow. Yet it laid the foundation for a shift to mechanized livestock production. The First World War, which began in 1914, followed by the Revolution and the Civil War halted for years the technical development of Russia's agricultural production. In late 20s, the Soviet Union already faced the challenge of producing more agricultural goods. This increase could be possible by starting highly mechanized agricultural enterprises. By 1931, “Soyuzselstroy”, an All-Union Agricultural Construction Association, had prepared standard designs of dairy cattle farms for 100 and 200 heads. They provided for mechanization of main processes of cow housing and care. In 1930-1940, scientists and engineers of the All-Union Institute of Mechanization (VIM) and its branches undertook the creation of cattle farming machinery. This period saw the development and manufacture of a number of machines that made livestock farmers labor easier. The work on setting standards for designing the cow barns started. By 1939, VIM had designed a system of machines and test edit in collective farms. The need for specialized organizations to help collective farms to install and put into operation the livestock equipment became evident. At the same time, training of agricultural engineers started in Leningrad, Moscow and other USSR cities. A Decree by the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union dated July 8, 1939, set a delivery plan of machines and units for livestock farming in 1940. Thus, by 1941 the conditions were created for integrated mechanization of main labor-intensive processes in national animal husbandry. Those days agricultural ecology was not in the focus. With no widespread production of mineral fertilizers in place, application of all manure to soil posed no environmental risk.

P095 Association between autism and chronic musculoskeletal pain; a single tertiary adolescent rheumatology centre experience

Abstract Background/Aims Autism is a common neurodevelopmental disorder and can present with atypical sensorimotor function and altered pain response. Evidence suggests that patients with autism have a different processing mechanism which can alter pain perception. Pain evaluation and management is often insufficient in patients with autism. Chronic musculoskeletal pain in adolescents is common and is frequently associated with other co-morbidities. The adolescent musculoskeletal pain service at University College London Hospital uses a multidisciplinary approach to provide treatment and ongoing support for young people with chronic musculoskeletal pain up to the age of 19 years, bridging significant and often stressful life events such as exams and moving away from home. Methods A retrospective review of patient records was conducted between October 2021 and October 2023. New patients attending the adolescent chronic musculoskeletal pain clinic at University College London Hospital were identified and the prevalence of autism was noted. The presence of other co-morbidities and symptoms was also recorded. Statistical analysis was undertaken using GraphPad Prism (Fisher’s exact test) to determine any differences between patients with and without a diagnosis of autism. Results Retrospective data was obtained on 82 new patients aged between 13 and 18 years seen in the adolescent chronic musculoskeletal pain clinic. 28 patients (34%) had a diagnosis of autism. A higher proportion of autistic patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain were male compared to those without autism (36% vs 11%, p = 0.016). More patients with autism reported co-existing mental health difficulties, especially anxiety and depression (68% vs 37%, p = 0.011). Conversely, patients without autism reported a higher incidence of postural orthostatic tachycardia symptoms (POTS) or symptoms of postural dizziness (57% vs 25%, p = 0.009). Other co-morbidities and symptoms were found to be similar between patients with and without autism (headaches 18% vs 39%, abdominal pain 36% vs 54%, fatigue 61% vs 46%, sleep difficulties 68% vs 54%, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 18% vs 9%). Conclusion This small retrospective study demonstrates that over a third of new patients seen in the adolescent chronic musculoskeletal pain service are autistic. This suggests a possible link between autism and chronic pain but more research is needed to evaluate this and larger studies are required. Patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain and autism were more likely to be male and have mental health difficulties compared to those without autism. The high incidence of mental health difficulties highlights the need for multidisciplinary team working, in particular psychological support. The results of this study have important implications for training and suggest that novel treatment strategies are needed to help advance therapies for chronic musculoskeletal pain in young people with autism. Disclosure E. Williams: None. S. Mavrommatis: None. J. Glanville: None. M. Leandro: None. D. Sen: None. C. Fisher: None.

Signal Master using YOLO

As urban populations and automobile numbers continue to swell, traffic congestion emerges as a pressing concern, inflicting delays, stress, heightened fuel consumption, and increased air pollution. Megacities, in particular, bear the brunt of this escalating issue. Real-time assessment of road traffic density becomes imperative for efficient signal control and traffic management. Among the pivotal factors influencing traffic flow, the traffic controller stands paramount, necessitating optimization to meet the surging demand. Our proposed system capitalizes on live camera feeds from traffic junctions to conduct traffic density calculations through image processing techniques and artificial intelligence (AI). By harnessing these technologies, the system aims to offer a dynamic solution to the persistent challenge of congestion. The core focus lies in devising an algorithm that dynamically adjusts traffic light signals based on the detected vehicle density, thereby mitigating congestion and fostering smoother transit experiences for commuters. This innovative approach not only promises expedited travel times but also holds the potential to curtail pollution levels, contributing to a more sustainable urban environment. By seamlessly integrating image processing and AI-driven traffic control mechanisms, our system endeavors to pave the way towards a more efficient and eco-friendly transportation infrastructure

Chromatin dynamics and RNA metabolism are double-edged swords for the maintenance of plant genome integrity.

Maintenance of genome integrity is an essential process in all organisms. Mechanisms avoiding the formation of DNA lesions or mutations are well described in animals because of their relevance to human health and cancer. In plants, they are of growing interest because DNA damage accumulation is increasingly recognized as one of the consequences of stress. Although the cellular response to DNA damage is mostly studied in response to genotoxic treatments, the main source of DNA lesions is cellular activity itself. This can occur through the production of reactive oxygen species as well as DNA processing mechanisms such as DNA replication or transcription and chromatin dynamics. In addition, how lesions are formed and repaired is greatly influenced by chromatin features and dynamics and by DNA and RNA metabolism. Notably, actively transcribed regions or replicating DNA, because they are less condensed and are sites of DNA processing, are more exposed to DNA damage. However, at the same time, a wealth of cellular mechanisms cooperate to favour DNA repair at these genomic loci. These intricate relationships that shape the distribution of mutations along the genome have been studied extensively in animals but much less in plants. In this Review, we summarize how chromatin dynamics influence lesion formation and DNA repair in plants, providing a comprehensive view of current knowledge and highlighting open questions with regard to what is known in other organisms.

Direct Laser Writing: From Materials Synthesis and Conversion to Electronic Device Processing.

Direct Laser Writing (DLW) has been increasingly selected as a microfabrication route for efficient, cost-effective, high-resolution material synthesis and conversion. Concurrently, lasers participate in the patterning and assembly of functional geometries in several fields of application, of which electronics stand out. In this review, recent advances and strategies based on DLW for electronics microfabrication are surveyed and outlined, based on laser material growth strategies. First, the main DLW parameters influencing material synthesis and transformation mechanisms are summarized, aimed at selective, tailored writing of conductive and semiconducting materials. Additive and transformative DLW processing mechanisms are discussed, to open space to explore several categories of materials directly synthesized or transformed for electronics microfabrication. These include metallic conductors, metal oxides, transition metal chalcogenides and carbides, laser-induced graphene, and their mixtures. By accessing a wide range of material types, DLW-based electronic applications are explored, including processing components, energy harvesting and storage, sensing, and bioelectronics. The expanded capability of lasers to participate in multiple fabrication steps at different implementation levels, from material engineering to device processing, indicates their future applicability to next-generation electronics, where more accessible, green microfabrication approaches integrate lasers as comprehensive tools.