#Receptor Modulator

[trevlad-sounds]

Slipstream Drift Repair

13.12.2024

Ambidextrous – Ortifi – 00:00 ARC – Slipstream – 04:04 Binaural Space – Fractured Beyond Repair – 13:05 BRIAN DUFFY – Recorder And Claps – 17:21 Dan Deacon – Snuppy – 19:29 Heiko Maile, Julian DeMarre – Eternal Drift – 20:59 Karl Marx Stadt – Electonic – 23:03 Mike Dickinson – No Spacesuit, No Helmet, No Oxygen – 25:32 Mike Dickinson – Fremder – 31:39 The Odd Pattern – Session II – 35:39 Pbs’73 – Turquoise Daylight – 39:48 Pulsliebhaber – Galerina Marginata – 42:44 Receptor Modulator – Heartbeat – 46:09 René van der Wouden – Artificial Galaxy – 51:27 Scott F. Hamrick – Slave to the Algorithm – 01:03:10 4T Thieves – Happy Place (Weldroid Remix) – 01:06:43

[omg-erika]

The Osteoporosis Hoax

by Dr.Harald Wiesendanger– Klartext What the mainstream media is hiding One in five women over 50 already have osteoporosis – their bone density has decreased dangerously, and there is a risk of fractures. However, conventional treatment only reliably benefits pharmaceutical companies, doctors’ practices, and clinics, and it often worsens the situation of those affected. Simple measures could…

[diet2all]

#Testolone #קוביעזרא #פיתוחגוף ראד 140, טסטולון, סארמס RAD 140, testosterone, selective androgen receptor modulator, SARM, RAD 140 תופעות לוואי, Rad 140 חוות דעת, אפנן קולטן אנדרוגן סלקטיבי, קובי עזרא. טסטולון הוא כימיקל הידוע כמאפנן קולטן אנדרוגן סלקטיבי (SARM). המחקה את פעילות הטסטוסטרון בגוף. אנשים משתמשים בטסטולון כדי לשפר ביצועים אתלטיים וחוזק שרירים, לסרטן השד ולמטרות אחרות, אך אין הוכחות מדעיות טובות לתמוך בשימושים אלו. טסטולון אינו חוקי בתוספי תזונה בארה"ב. טסטולון נאסר לשימוש ע"י הסוכנות העולמית למלחמה בסמים (WADA) ואיגוד האתלטיקה הלאומי (NCAA). טסטולון עלול להוביל לתופעות לוואי, אציין שהיו דיווחים על התקף לב ופגיעה בכבד לאחר השימוש. #ראד140 #טסטולון #Testolone #��ארמס

[reasonsforhope]

"People living with diabetes might have a new hope. Scientists have tested a new drug therapy in diabetic mice, and found that it boosted insulin-producing cells by 700% over three months, effectively reversing their disease.

Beta cells in the pancreas have the important job of producing insulin in response to blood sugar levels, but a hallmark of diabetes is that these cells are either destroyed or can’t produce enough insulin. The most common treatment is regular injections of insulin to manage blood sugar levels.

But a recent avenue of research has involved restoring the function of these beta cells. In some cases that’s started with stem cells being coaxed into new beta cells, which are then transplanted into patients with diabetes. Researchers behind this kind of work have described it as a “functional diabetes cure.”

Now, scientists at Mount Sinai and City of Hope have demonstrated a new breakthrough. Previous studies have mostly involved growing new beta cells in a lab dish, then transplanting them into mice or a small device in humans. But this new study has been able to grow the insulin-producing cells right there in the body, in a matter of months.

The therapy involved a combination of two drugs: one is harmine, a natural molecule found in certain plants, which works to inhibit an enzyme called DYRK1A found in beta cells. The second is a GLP1 receptor agonist. The latter is a class of diabetes drug that includes Ozempic, which is gaining attention lately for its side effect of weight loss.

The researchers tested the therapy in mouse models of type 1 and 2 diabetes. First they implanted a small amount of human beta cells into the mice, then treated them with harmine and GLP1 receptor agonists. Sure enough, the beta cells increased in number by 700% within three months of the treatment. The signs of the disease quickly reversed, and stayed that way even a month after stopping the treatment.

“This is the first time scientists have developed a drug treatment that is proven to increase adult human beta cell numbers in vivo,” said Dr. Adolfo Garcia-Ocaña, corresponding author of the study. “This research brings hope for the use of future regenerative therapies to potentially treat the hundreds of millions of people with diabetes.”

The results are intriguing, but of course being an animal study means there’s still much more work to be done before it could find clinical use. So far, harmine alone has recently undergone a phase 1 clinical trial in humans to test its safety and tolerability, while other DYRK1A inhibitors are planned for trials in humans next year.

Perhaps most importantly, the team will soon experiment with combining beta-cell-regenerating drugs with others that modulate the immune system. Ideally this should help overcome a major hurdle: the immune system will continue attacking new beta cells as they’re produced.

The research was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine."

-via New Atlas, July 14, 2024

[tinydefector]

Is it too much to ask for a follow-up on the Human' Effects fic?

Prev

Next

Masterlist

This is more just some more information of headcanons I have and how I like writing the bots. So I hope you enjoy it. This one's more on the differences and similarities between humans and Cybertronians.

Word count: 2.5k

Warning: mentions of reproduction, and exploration of body's. Valveplug.

__________

So this is just a continuation for Human effects. This one also delves into some more information on biological, cultural and different frames and how they interact with each other, humans and other organic Creatures. 

Biological Humans and Cybertronians are vastly different even with quite a few similarities. 

Sparklings and children 

There is a very big difference in the body function of Humans and Cybertronians. Size for one but also Organic DNA and CNA. There are many things which can Line up with the other species but also function very differently 

Such as. 

structure and organ comparison 

Plating - skin

Helm - head

Processor, brain module - brain 

Faceplate- face

Audio Receptors, Audials, Receptor orifices - ears 

Nasal ridge, enstril, olfactory sensors- nose

Optical ridge - eyebrows

Optics, visors  - eyes and glasses sometimes visors are used as optics

Intake- mouth, throat or a breath. 

Denta, denta plating- teeth 

Glossa- tongue 

Mandibles (insecticons) - jaw 

Vocalizer- voice box 

Chin or chin plating are the same 

Chestplate, chassis- chest and higher stomach (abs area) 

Fuel tanks- stomach. 

Backplate, back struts, binary system,  bipedalism - back and spine, spinal cord. 

Servos and digits - Hands and fingers 

Sounder plating - shoulder blades 

Pede - feet 

pump and Spark - heart and soul 

Energon lines - arrays veins. 

Vents - lungs, breath. 

Pelvic plate - pelvis

Aft, tailpipe, skid plate- butt

Interface panel - covered reproduction organs

Spike - penis 

Value - vagina 

Carrier chamber, Gestation chamber - womb

Helm and head

With the fact one is filled with circuitry, coding and wires and the other is filled with flesh, fluid and other organic matter. Humans' heads are covered in hair most times. And even those who aren't their head Is still rather soft and smooth. And the bots love playing with human hair and facial hair when they are allowed too. 

It also leads to humans giving the bots head scratches, and it's something so man you the bots had never thought of and they love it. They will lay their head in their human lap and just enjoy the gentle touches to their Finial, audials, and helm crest. It becomes. Causal thing of the humans using soft little microfiber cloths to clean out dust and dirt from the small crevices in the bots Plating. Head pats and scratches really becomes something that Cybertronians love alot and it makes a lot of humans consider the bots large cats.

Faceplate and Faces. 

One of the things which is very different between humans and Cybertronians is how they show affection to each other. Cybertronians do a thing called a helm hold. Where they each hold their partner's helm in their servos while looking into each other's optics, it's how they show how much they care, because they are focusing only on that one person. And it means alot more after the war, to focus all your attention on just one bots servos shows a lot of trust, affection and love for someone.  

While humans have Hugging, kissing. So the bots are rather confused the first time they are hugged, tensing up not wanting to hurt their human. And they nearly short circuit when the human kisses them it's more out of fear. 

“Do you know how dangerous that is! What if I crushed you!” The bot hisses in panic while looking at their lover. “not to mention the fact that is my Energon Intake! Do you know what energon can do to Humans!” It nearly sends the bot into meltdowns as they hold their lover's face staring into their eyes trying to show them how much they love and care for them. It would break their spark if they accidentally hurt them. 

“it's called a Kiss, I was kissing you” the human tries to explain, their hands cupping around their bots servos. 

“a kiss?” the bot inquired. “Yea I'm sorry if you didn't want it, it's just I thought we were in that part of our relationship” the human begins rambling out of anxiety thinking they had messed up. In the end they both settle for a small gesture in-between. Pressing their head and helm, together as they cradle the other. 

Eventually they will come around to accepting kisses but it is only for very special occasions. Because the bot will make sure that there isn't a trace of energon in their system for their partner's safety. Over time it becomes them pressing soft kisses to each other's noses. 

Skin and Plating 

These are all the parts which somewhat are similar to humans, but also work vastly different than the human body does. So with this listed here are many of the things that vary with the similarities. 

Plating and skin are vastly different due to one being metal and the other being flesh, it's one of the things a lot of the Cybertronians love is how soft Human skin is. They really enjoy just fondling their human companions, pulling their checks, and enjoying how their skin moves. How pliable, warm and squishy they are. Cybertronians finding out about human breasts really takes them by storm. 

“What are those?” the bot asks while pressing a finger to their breast feeling how soft and squishy they are. 

“breast, boobs, tits they have a lot of names” 

“What are they for?” The bot continues to just slowly play with them out of curiosity, not knowing what the human would need them for. 

“they are used for feeding babies, they fill with milk, it's not a constant thing and not everyone's do but they are for feeding babies.” the human tries to explain and it just leaves the bot shocked. 

“You're with Sparkling?” The bot asked as they began fussing over the human more, gently pressing their digits to the human's body more. 

“no, no I'm not pregnant!” They laugh out loud while rather embarrassed. “‘but wouldn't they deflate?” The bot shoots back as their digits begin needing the flesh which makes the humans sigh and lean into the touch. “human babe, don't have the same functions as you.” They tease softly.

 It ends up with one bot having their human lover back pressed to their Chassis. The bot's servos just cupped around their partners breast slowly massaging them as the human leans back just enjoying the feeling because it takes the weight off their back and the cool touch of the metal feels delightful against their skin. 

Heart and spark

The difference between a human heart and spark aren't that different at all. They both pump blood/energon to where it's needed, it's the life provider of the body. Each has a beat or pulse. And the said beat and pulse sounds different. A human's heart beat feels like a thump but to Cybertronians it's an echo. Each beat they can feel and see like A beating light. And they love how it feels laying against them, their spark will actually fall in tune With their heart beat as a way to calm the human.  While for humans a Cybertronians spark pulse feels like electricity dancing across their skin it's like the build up of static but it doesn't zap. The vibration of a spark is like energy building and releasing, the buzzing sound that just resonates through their body as they lay against their bot. 

olfactory sensors and nose

Unfortunately humans don't have the enhanced scent sensors that a lot of other species do, and Cybertronians have one for the most advanced ones, they don't just smell it but they can break down the chemical compound to its base and are able to tell humans emotions based on how they smell. It also leads to bots becoming rather touching with their lovers when they can smell their cycle. It also leads a lot of bots realising they have a breeding kink after being with a human, because the moment they can feel their partners change in hormones they are hovering. It becomes an even bigger thing when they smell the scent of a young spark, they feel the EM Field. 

carriers and pregnancy 

There is a major difference between human pregnancy and cybertronian pregnancy. Humans can only be born from reproduction.  a new spark can be formed in multiple ways. 

-Forged.  

-Cold construct. 

-split spark

- Sparked 

Forged new sparks are bots that are formed in hotspots across cybertron and on occasions sparklings can also be formed from these hot spots. 

Cold constructs are bots that have been made by others for a purpose and were originally classed as 2nd class citizens, miners or lower than other bots, 

Split Sparks made from splitting your spark into another form. It was very rare due to multiple laws being inplace against it. 

Sparklings were formed through spark merging with another and creating enough energy to form new lifeforms. A carrier would then have to host said spark in their Gestation chamber until the spark could grow its own protoform. Then from there they are moved into the carrier chamber where they learn off their carrier's coding, and also receive food, coding and personal information from their Sire via Transfluid. As sparklings are still not able to consume normal energon and it has to be processed down enough for the sparkling. (Similar to how humans breastfeed) from there once they are ready the sparkling will be ‘birthed’ and from their they will need to be carried in a spark chamber until they have fully developed but gives them time to learn the world around them but still have the safety of a parent to protect them. 

This leads the bots and humans to both be horrified at the differences of the others' reproduction. The bots are horrified over the fact a human's pelvis bone breaks just to birth a baby. But also the fact that humans can carry more than one child. They eventually watch a documentary over human birth; it makes a lot of bots short out and crash. 

Humans on the other hand are shocked over the time it takes for a bot to have a sparkling. 100 years is longer than a lot of humans ever live but it's how long it takes for the full process of a sparkling to be formed and born. That's without all the issues with CNA, temperature, spark energy, energon. A Lot of Cybertronian pregnancies don't make it to term due to these factors. 

So when by some chance a human gets pregnant by a Cybertronian it has the whole planet up in a tissy. Not just the fact of how genetically different they are but how it happened. The first human Cybertronian sparkling is a miracle watched by man and documented. And it turns out the human womb is actually the best possible hosting spot for the start of a sparkling, it's the perfect temperature, and it's not a temperature a lot of bots can keep their own frames. The human womb actually short cuts a lot of time over the birth Due to the sparkling Not needing to be shifted from one chamber to another. It comes down to being pregnant for 3 years. It's a long time for a human but it's decades Less than what it normally takes for a Cybertronian if they made it through the full progress. 

And when the sparkling is born it's discovered that the sparkling doesn't have any human traits, defects or appearance. Due to the human body mainly working as a host, the CNA and DNA don't mix when it comes to creating a sparkling but they work perfectly in sync When it comes to helping the sparkling grow. And it also turns out humans are able to sustain more than One sparkling. 

That also brings me to the function of spike and Valves. For Cybertronians spikes and Valves aren't how Sparklings are created, sparklings are created from two sparks merging together and creating enough energy for a sparkling but interface is needed to start the process of how they form. Sparkling needs Transfluid to begin and that is what Cybertronians use interfacing for outside of sharing memories, information and emotions. Most times Cybertronians interface for fun, feeling close, sharing information with a loved one, or to help feed a sparkling the necessary data, fluids and programming. 

so When a Cybertronian and human interface it has a lovely mix of a 50/ 50 chance of getting pregnant due to how the human and cybertronian heart and spark link in a frequency that is almost essential Spark merging. And a human doesn't even need to interface with a Cybertronian to get pregnant.

Here is a list of ways humans have gotten pregnant/ a bot has gotten pregnant. 

-interfacing 

-spark bonding 

-a human touching a bots spark. 

-having enough hated for another you get them pregnant by sheer Anger

- spark And heart syncing 

-A human being on their cycle will make a bot pregnant. 

______________

Megatron entered the medbay of the Lost Light, feeling unusual warmth and pressure in his chest. "Ratchet," he said gruffly to get the medic's attention. "Something is...off. I feel as if I have consumed fool's energon again, but I know that is not the case." 

He looked down at the medic, his optics betraying slight concern beneath his usual stern demeanour. "Examine me and determine what ails me. I need to be at full function." His pride did not allow him to admit weakness easily, but he trusted Ratchet's skills. 

Ratchet nodded to First Aid and They as they stood ready to assist. He turned back to Megatron with a scrutinising gaze.

"When did you first notice the symptoms? Any other anomalies in your systems?" he asked gruffly, scanning the Decepticon warlord from head to foot with a diagnostic tool. The scans showed unusual activity in Megatron's Gestation chamber.

"Hmm...it appears your spark is pulsing more rapidly than normal. And the pressure you described suggests a buildup of energon flow." Ratchet paused, analysing the data. "This could indicate...no, it's not possible. Or is it...?" He leaned in closer, inspecting Megatron with keen optics.

"We'll need a more detailed scan. Over here, lay back - this won't hurt but may feel peculiar. First Aid, fire up the resonator. Ambulon you're in charge of monitoring vitals."

"What's wrong, ratchet he was fine this morning?" The human asked in concern. 

Megatron lay back on the medical berth as directed, his massive frame dwarfing its size. his expression softened ever so slightly. As the detailed spark scan began, Ratchet's optics widened in surprise. "By the Allspark...it can't be..." He motioned First Aid "Look here. What do you see?"

First Aid peered at the monitor in amazement. "Two distinct spark pulses...but how is that possible?" Ratchet glanced over at Megatron, then back at the others. "It would seem Megatron himself is carrying sparkling. The increased energon flow and pressure were signs of protoform development beginning."

He chuckled wryly. "Well Megatron, it seems that fool's energon was not to blame after all. Congratulations...you're going to be a creator." Megatron's optics widened in disbelief at Ratchet's announcement. Carrying sparkling? It made no sense as far as he knew, spark merging could only occur between cybertronians and he had only been intimate with a human. 

He sat up abruptly, almost knocking First Aid over, and glared down at Ratchet. "Explain yourself, medic! How is this possible? The human and I have been intimate but they clearly lack our means of conception." Ratchet held up a calming hand. "Peace, Megatron. I have a theory," 

Taglist: @angelxcvxc

@ladyofnegativity

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

Hey! Look! A great breakdown of that thing I'm always talking about being a big yet entirely-overlooked deal by 90% of medical professionals in regards to this particular virus!

SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, is not done with us. Over the past four years, it has shown a remarkable ability to adapt, with each new variant outmaneuvering our immune systems in unique ways. The recently published study on the XEC variant (November 22, 2024) provides fresh insights into how this virus is evolving. (1) Combining this with the broader history of immune evasion, we see a troubling pattern: the virus continues to find ways to evade the immune system and in many cases, persist, potentially leaving lasting impacts on our health even for those who experience only mild or asymptomatic infections.

What the Study Found: XEC’s Immune Escape Arsenal The latest study revealed that the XEC variant—an offspring of two previous variants, KS.1.1 and KP.3.3—has developed mechanisms that make it harder for our immune systems to neutralize it. Here’s how it works:

1. Glycosylation Mutations in the N-terminal Domain (NTD):

The XEC variant introduces new glycosylation sites, such as the T22N mutation, which act like a cloak, hiding key parts of the virus from antibodies.

These sugar molecules shield the receptor-binding domain (RBD), a crucial target for vaccines and natural immunity, making it harder for antibodies to bind and neutralize the virus.

2. Allosteric Effects:

Mutations in the NTD don’t just shield the virus—they also alter the behavior of the RBD through a process called allostery. These changes can make the RBD less accessible or alter how it interacts with human cells, further reducing the effectiveness of antibodies.

3. Potential Impact on Membrane Fusion:

The study hints that these mutations may also enhance how efficiently the virus fuses with human cells, potentially increasing its infectivity.

Immune Evasion: A Constant Tug-of-War The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to adapt is not new. Looking back at the history of immune evasion, we see a pattern:

The Early Days: Mutations like D614G made the virus more infectious.

Alpha and Beta Variants: N501Y and E484K mutations increased binding to human cells and evasion of neutralizing antibodies.

Omicron Era: A flurry of spike protein mutations allowed the virus to reinfect people with previous immunity and bypass vaccine-induced protection.

XEC is the next chapter in this story, combining these strategies with new tricks like glycosylation and allosteric modulation to stay ahead of human defenses.

Why This Matters: Beyond Infections Understanding immune evasion isn’t just about tracking infections—it’s about long-term health impacts. Here’s why this evolution is particularly concerning:

1. The Shadow of Long COVID:

Millions of people suffer from Long COVID, characterized by fatigue, brain fog, heart palpitations, and muscle pain. The virus’s ability to persist and evade the immune system might explain why symptoms linger for months or years in some individuals.

Chronic immune activation or hidden reservoirs of the virus could drive these long-term effects.

2. Asymptomatic but Chronic Damage:

Even in people without noticeable symptoms, SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to cause subtle, potentially long-term damage to:

Vascular systems: Leading to inflammation and microclot formation.

Neurological function: Disrupting brain activity and potentially accelerating neurodegenerative conditions. Early onset dementia

Musculoskeletal health: Causing unexplained weakness or pain.

Cognitive performance: Contributing to memory issues and reduced mental clarity. Are you or someone you know having more trouble finding words to use or losing things more often?

3. Vaccines Alone Aren’t Enough:

While vaccines remain essential, their effectiveness is limited by the virus’s rapid evolution. Variants like XEC show how SARS-CoV-2 can sidestep even the most advanced immune defenses, highlighting the need for next-generation vaccines targeting broader parts of the virus. We have know this for a long time now so where are the broader targeting vaccines?

The Future of SARS-CoV-2 Evolution The virus has already demonstrated its ability to adapt to our immune responses in multiple ways, and there’s no reason to believe it will stop. Here are some possibilities for future adaptation:

Further Refinement of Glycosylation: Adding or modifying sugar molecules could make the virus even more difficult to detect.

Enhanced Membrane Fusion: Mutations that improve how the virus merges with human cells could increase its infectivity.

Host Adaptation: Over time, the virus could become better at hiding within human cells, evading both natural immunity and therapeutic interventions.

Increased Chronicity: The virus might evolve to persist at low levels in the body, leading to ongoing inflammation and long-term health consequences.

What We Can Do: Adapting to the Virus’s Adaptations The XEC variant and others like it remind us that SARS-CoV-2 is still a formidable opponent. Here’s what we can do:

1. Invest in Better Vaccines:

Universal or pan-coronavirus vaccines that target conserved regions of the virus are critical.

2. Improve Diagnostics:

Detecting chronic or asymptomatic infections early could help mitigate long-term health effects.

3. Focus on Treatment:

Antiviral drugs that target different parts of the virus, combined with treatments for inflammation and immune dysregulation, could help reduce the impact of Long COVID.

4. Stay Vigilant:

For individuals, maintaining basic preventive measures during high transmission periods can significantly reduce risks.

Conclusion: Learning from the Virus SARS-CoV-2 is teaching us a harsh lesson about evolution. Its ability to adapt and evade our defenses, from antibodies to T-cells, shows no sign of slowing down. Variants like XEC underscore the importance of continued research, innovation, and public health vigilance. By understanding the virus’s strategies and preparing for its next moves, we can better protect ourselves—not just from acute infections but from the long-term consequences.

Reference:

Enhanced immune evasion of SARS-CoV-2 variants KP.3.1.1 and XEC through N-terminal domain mutations (November 22, 2024)

www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099%2824%2900738-2/fulltext

[thoughtportal]

In eastern Mexico’s underground caverns and streams, a blind fish undergoes a peculiar adolescence: as it approaches maturity, taste buds begin to sprout under its chin and on top of its head, creeping toward its back.

“It’s a pretty wild amplification of the sensory system of taste,” says Josh Gross, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Cincinnati and a co-author of a recent study on the cave fish in Nature Communications Biology. Gross and his team discovered that the new buds blossom around the time when the fish transition from eating larval crustaceans to gobbling up their adulthood staple: bat guano. Taste buds outside their mouths might be helping the fish detect bat droppings in the utterly dark, “food-starved” caves, Gross says.

Wandering taste buds aren’t unheard of elsewhere, especially in other fish. Some damselfish cultivate taste buds on their fins, and channel catfish have them across their midsections. And as alien as it may seem, many cells throughout the human body can taste, too. They’re just not sharing the flavors with your brain like taste buds do.

Lora Bankova is a Harvard Medical School respiratory biologist who studies tuft cells, a cell type sprinkled within human mucous tissues like those lining your nostrils, throat and gut. These “rapid responder” cells trigger the immune system if they detect an outside threat, and many of them rely on built-in taste receptors (the same kinds found on taste-bud cells) to do so. Bankova notes that many potentially harmful bacteria communicate via signaling chemicals called lactones—which also happen to activate taste receptors attuned to bitter flavors, prompting tuft cells’ immune response. And it turns out that even environmental allergies may be a matter of taste: dust mites and several mold species can also set off a tuft cell’s taste receptors, Bankova says.

“Evolutionarily, taste receptors [have moved around] the body to protect us from the air we inhale and all the attacks we’re getting through the orifices,” Bankova says. “They’re in the inner ear, the urethra, everywhere something can get into your body.”

Such “extra” taste receptors aren’t just bouncers at the door—they taste test for our internal systems, too. Receptors for sweet tastes help to tune insulin production in the pancreas and make sure neurons in the brain have access to enough glucose. Sweet, bitter and umami receptors in the gut modulate digestion.

Gross says it’s still a mystery what taste receptors the bat guano activates in the blind cave fish. “There may be some sugar content if it’s a fruit bat, maybe some protein content if it’s a carnivorous bat,” he says. So far only the cave fish has signed up to sample it.

[trevlad-sounds]

Invisible Club 036

23.10.2024

Intro 00:00 Oceanographer–Moon Flower 01:24 Parallel Worlds–Just Strange 06:40 Nacht Plank & Futuregrapher–Sky High 9.06 10:10 The Home Current–Mini Drifter 16:03 Receptor Modulator–Invade 19:35 Battaglia–Fight 26:23 Psycho Kick–Black sky 27:19 Bernard Grancher–Courir pour rire 30:46 Gaudi Kosmisches Trio–Luxury Squat 36:04 gribbles–Childer 43:07 Aerophobia–RT. Corps 46:13 Town and County–Salcombe Surge 50:13 Peltiform–Jitr ft. Room of Wires 54:24 Garber–First Contact 58:35 Tadhe–Unwanted Evil 1:06:15 Kayla Painter–Ice Shells 1:11:06 Outro 1:15:22

[yayasvalveplay]

I...

I think i did something weird.

Look, i have combined idea of Shockwave cortnapping Blurr and idea of Shockwave and Longarm being two separate bots.

Now i have a scene where Shockwave brings his new conjux in his base, things are starting to get hot (room is dark and Blurr is beautiful in the lights of all that monitors, you know all that sexy stuff) AND THEN there is a voice out of speakers on the walls being like :

"oh PLEASE, if you want to make out - turn my audio receptors off first, i don't want to hear THAT "

Blurr begins to look around and notices a disassembled bot, without visors or a voice module, built into the wall and its brain is connected to the monitor system

Shockwave : *disappointed* hello, Longarm.

Longarm : *Still using the public address system as his own voice* welcome back, senator.

AYO. hat could go so hard NGL

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 24, 2025

Deciphering neuronal variability across states reveals dynamic sensory encoding. Akella, S., Ledochowitsch, P., Siegle, J. H., Belski, H., Denman, D. D., Buice, M. A., Durand, S., Koch, C., Olsen, S. R., & Jia, X. (2025). Nature Communications, 16, 1768.

Goals as reward-producing programs. Davidson, G., Todd, G., Togelius, J., Gureckis, T. M., & Lake, B. M. (2025). Nature Machine Intelligence, 7(2), 205–220.

How plasticity shapes the formation of neuronal assemblies driven by oscillatory and stochastic inputs. Devalle, F., & Roxin, A. (2025). Journal of Computational Neuroscience, 53(1), 9–23.

Noradrenergic and Dopaminergic modulation of meta-cognition and meta-control. Ershadmanesh, S., Rajabi, S., Rostami, R., Moran, R., & Dayan, P. (2025). PLOS Computational Biology, 21(2), e1012675.

A neural implementation model of feedback-based motor learning. Feulner, B., Perich, M. G., Miller, L. E., Clopath, C., & Gallego, J. A. (2025). Nature Communications, 16, 1805.

Contextual cues facilitate dynamic value encoding in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Fraser, K. M., Collins, V., Wolff, A. R., Ottenheimer, D. J., Bornhoft, K. N., Pat, F., Chen, B. J., Janak, P. H., & Saunders, B. T. (2025). Current Biology, 35(4), 746-760.e5.

Policy Complexity Suppresses Dopamine Responses. Gershman, S. J., & Lak, A. (2025). Journal of Neuroscience, 45(9), e1756242024.

An image-computable model of speeded decision-making. Jaffe, P. I., Santiago-Reyes, G. X., Schafer, R. J., Bissett, P. G., & Poldrack, R. A. (2025). eLife, 13, e98351.3.

A Shift Toward Supercritical Brain Dynamics Predicts Alzheimer’s Disease Progression. Javed, E., Suárez-Méndez, I., Susi, G., Román, J. V., Palva, J. M., Maestú, F., & Palva, S. (2025). Journal of Neuroscience, 45(9), e0688242024.

Choosing is losing: How opportunity cost influences valuations and choice. Lejarraga, T., & Sákovics, J. (2025). Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 124, 102901.

Probabilistically constrained vector summation of motion direction in the mouse superior colliculus. Li, C., DePiero, V. J., Chen, H., Tanabe, S., & Cang, J. (2025). Current Biology, 35(4), 723-733.e3.

Testing the memory encoding cost theory using the multiple cues paradigm. Li, J., Song, H., Huang, X., Fu, Y., Guan, C., Chen, L., Shen, M., & Chen, H. (2025). Vision Research, 228, 108552.

Emergence of Categorical Representations in Parietal and Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex across Extended Training. Liu, Z., Zhang, Y., Wen, C., Yuan, J., Zhang, J., & Seger, C. A. (2025). Journal of Neuroscience, 45(9), e1315242024.

The Polar Saccadic Flow model: Re-modeling the center bias from fixations to saccades. Mairon, R., & Ben-Shahar, O. (2025). Vision Research, 228, 108546.

Cortical Encoding of Spatial Structure and Semantic Content in 3D Natural Scenes. Mononen, R., Saarela, T., Vallinoja, J., Olkkonen, M., & Henriksson, L. (2025). Journal of Neuroscience, 45(9), e2157232024.

Multiple brain activation patterns for the same perceptual decision-making task. Nakuci, J., Yeon, J., Haddara, N., Kim, J.-H., Kim, S.-P., & Rahnev, D. (2025). Nature Communications, 16, 1785.

Striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor regulation of human reward processing and behaviour. Osugo, M., Wall, M. B., Selvaggi, P., Zahid, U., Finelli, V., Chapman, G. E., Whitehurst, T., Onwordi, E. C., Statton, B., McCutcheon, R. A., Murray, R. M., Marques, T. R., Mehta, M. A., & Howes, O. D. (2025). Nature Communications, 16, 1852.

Detecting Directional Coupling in Network Dynamical Systems via Kalman’s Observability. Succar, R., & Porfiri, M. (2025). Physical Review Letters, 134(7), 077401.

Extended Cognitive Load Induces Fast Neural Responses Leading to Commission Errors. Taddeini, F., Avvenuti, G., Vergani, A. A., Carpaneto, J., Setti, F., Bergamo, D., Fiorini, L., Pietrini, P., Ricciardi, E., Bernardi, G., & Mazzoni, A. (2025). eNeuro, 12(2).

Striatal arbitration between choice strategies guides few-shot adaptation. Yang, M. A., Jung, M. W., & Lee, S. W. (2025). Nature Communications, 16, 1811.

[bios-0307]

oops, mech pilot microfiction :3

Beams of light and bullets the size of energy drink cans whizz by your chassis as you boost across the battlefield toward a group of enemy mechs. A slug, marked by your threat identification system as originating from a thirty millimeter machine gun held by one of your targets, pings off the angled reinforced glass covering one of your twelve multi-spectrum photoreceptor clusters. The component is left unharmed, but the gouge left behind in its protective cover is enough to block the visible spectrum camera and part of the infrared receptor, leaving you half blind in that eye. You press forward, instinctively lowering yourself toward the ground to reduce your profile and avoid as many of the rounds flying toward you as you can.

"Twelve hundred meters to the targets, pilot," comes the voice of your handler, delivered directly into your auditory cortex by the cable plugged into the base of your skull. A response slips from your mouth, but you can't tell whether what came out was really words or just an anticipatory growl. You're not sure you care.

You just barely register yourself drooling slightly as you launch a salvo of missiles from one of the racks on your back, then watch as the quadrupedal unit in your sights fails to dodge half of them and collapses from a combination of sheer impact and several newly shredded leg actuator pistons, dopamine and other pleasure hormones flooding your brain from the neural link as a reward.

You close the last couple hundred meters in about a second and leap onto one of the two remaining machines, an older generation bipedal unit that clearly hasn't yet been retrofitted for an augmented pilot, judging by the stiffness of the movements it makes in its futile attempt to stay upright. Its gun fires wildly into the air as the pilot struggles to push you off or wrangle the controls into aiming at such a close target, but you're able to easily force the arm down as the pulse blade on your own spins up, burning through the cockpit armor, computer systems, and the pilot. You swear you can hear a scream through the deafening sounds of your melee weapon's operation as another massive hit of "efficiency stimulant" is administered.

For one fatal moment, you freeze in ecstasy, reveling in the greater reward you get for a quick melee kill - only to be drawn back to reality by the sound of an energy weapon charging. The last enemy, a tank-type mech bristling with weapons, sits no more than twenty meters away, the glow of a charging energy shotgun in its hand.

A bright red warning message dances across your vision, warning of a nearby energy signature exceeding the limits of what your core module's armor can survive. You frantically try to pick yourself up and move but you're far too late to avoid taking the brunt of it.

A blinding light fills the cockpit as a bolt of energy pierces it just slightly above your head and continues through, turning a chunk of the processing hardware tucked behind your seat to slag and severing the cable jacked into the base of your skull. Without running through the cooldown procedure to acclimate, your perception shrinks from you and your mech's combined fourteen eyes, six light spectra, eight limbs, plus a wide variety of more specialized combat analysis devices down to just the senses of your organic body instantly. The shock of the sudden jacking out is too much, and bile starts rising in your throat as your heart rate spikes and the edges of your vision darken. Memories of your last too-fast jack out, the punishment from your handler for ruining your link suit, cause you to lean forward to vomit on the floor.

Leaning back in your seat again and wiping away the cold sweat that's broken out on your face, you wait to find out if the tank-type's pilot is going to try to crush your core module, but instead feel your mech lift up and tumble. With its electronics down and the cockpit breached, the core module's seized shock absorbers do nothing to protect you from the impact as you land, slamming your head into the seat behind you. Blood drips down your face from the back of your head as your mech lies face-down in the dirt, and as your consciousness fades you can hear what you can only guess might be the tank-type attempting to retrieve the quadruped's pilot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you come to, you groggily open your eyes to find yourself still hanging in your harness. You lift one atrophied arm to scrape crusty rheum and dried blood from the edges of your eyelids, then look around the cockpit, your gaze wandering over darkened auxiliary readout screens, and note the various cables and tubes still connected to your body. As your head turns, you feel a weight slide across your neck. Idly, you reach back and feel the end of the severed link cable, still plugged into your head.

The techs have always removed your linkups for you. Even if you did somehow get an order to remove it now, you've never seen how it's done. Vague memories of a member of the maintenance crew gently reaching around to grab the base of the connector drift at the back of your mind. Another slides to the fore of the same one sitting you down in front of the base rec area's TV. Pilots aren't supposed to remember anything other than mission-related information and tactics, and half of that is supposed to be drawn on instinctively, but sometimes things stick.

Disconnected from your mech, there's nothing you can do but wait for your handler to send a retrieval team. Without her to give orders, the idea of moving or even unbuckling yourself from your harness sits impossibly far from your mind, so you simply hang there, suspended over the dead displays, subsisting on your nutrient drip.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As time goes by, your consciousness comes and goes, wakefulness and the aching from your head injury being the only non-constants in your dead, empty mech. When you're finally roused by the sound of an engine from outside, it's been long enough that your nutrient IV has run dry.

A somewhat low, feminine voice drifts in through the hole left by the energy beam, causing you to perk up. Your handler?

"Oh damn, a newer gen, and in pretty good shape... that'll make for some decent salvage. There's not too much damage, all told. Think the pilot made it out?" Hearing that the words aren't an order, you disregard them.

"Nah. The hatches are still sealed, and there's a hole through the core. Pilot probably took a direct hit. Might not even be in one piece. Are you sure you wanna go for the cockpit equipment yourself? I can take care of it if you don't wanna see that," came a slightly lower voice, seemingly a man.

"It wouldn't be my first time. I've got it. You go ahead and see if you can separate the limbs or head to tow back."

The exchange seemingly finished, you hear the sound of a plasma emitter starting up. Despite the resemblance to plasma blades and other weapons, this one sounds more like the maintenance crew's cutting torches, a familiar, safe sound. You begin feebly wiggling in your harness, anticipating the return of that face you've been conditioned to rely on.

The sound of the plasma torch gets louder as the person outside cuts through the back emergency hatch of the mech. After a few minutes, there's a loud chunk as the last bit of material holding it on bends and snaps, and the remains are lifted from their place. Through the opening, a woman's head is lowered in, and you turn to look at them.

Her eyes go wide as you take in her face, mentally trying to match it to your handler, and the joy turns to fear as you fail to recognize her. You begin struggling in your harness, trying to make distance from this new person, as she stares at you in shock.

Finally, she pulls her head back and you hear her spit out a "H-holy shit!"

"I told you, the pilot's probably in rough shape. What is it, half decomposed?"

"No! It's still alive!"

"What? You're kidding. You sure it's not just close enough to one piece to look it?"

"It's fucking moving, man!"

"Hang on, lemme come over and take a look."

Two heads look in this time, and your panic rises. You desperately try to drag yourself up against the far wall, but the harness holds you firmly in the seat, the first time that familiar pressure has felt even close to threatening. You begin scrabbling at your harness's buckles. Undoing those is something you thankfully have picked up from the maintenance crew, but in your terror you forget your mech's orientation - finally freed, you slip from the straps, various connectors popping free as you do, and slam against the broken screens at the front of the cockpit.

"Woah, woah, woah, stop it!" yells the man. "It's gonna hurt itself!"

You see the woman's head disappear again, then she drops fully into the cockpit, shattering the screens even more as her boots land on them. She rushes at you as you back into a corner and instinctively bring your hands up over your face, expecting to be attacked, but instead she drops to her knees and wraps her arms around you.

"Hey. Shhh, it's ok. It's ok, we're not gonna hurt you, you're safe, I promise," she whispers in your ear. You struggle in her grip, but she holds tight, and it's simply been too long since you've moved much at all for you to put up even a ghost of a fight.

Once you exhaust yourself and stop moving, she loosens her grip on you and readjusts, pulling your arms out from between the two of you so they can move again and wrapping hers around just your torso.

It's... nice. She doesn't know it, but she's fulfilled the first step that's been conditioned into you to identify a handler, enough for you stop treating her as a threat. Beyond that though, something dances at the edge of your memory. Something from before you enlisted, before your augmentations, before you were pared down to become the core of a mass of metal, wires, and gunpowder. A comfort you haven't felt in a long time.

You involuntarily relax into her, and the two of you simply stay there for a moment. Behind her, the man drops into the cockpit as well, and when you flinch at that she squeezes you tighter, stopping just before the point of discomfort.

"Uh... you good there?" the man asks.

"Mhm. I think it's calmed down. It spooked when you hit the floor though, so I think you might not want to get too close." The woman's voice isn't as quiet as when she was trying to calm you down, but she's only raising it enough to be heard without pulling her head from the crook of your neck. Her breath is just the littlest bit warm through your link suit.

The woman finally releases you, pulling you to your feet and turning you around to check you over. Condition number two.

"It's not looking too great, honestly. I've heard pilots just tend to look like shit if you look too close, but that's a lot of blood... all over, and it's probably been strapped into that seat since that skirmish here last week. I'm thinking a head injury and malnutrition or dehydration at the minimum." Her voice has a tone to it that you're not familiar with. Gentle, but not unconcerned. You're not sure how to read it. "We should get it looked at and cleaned up as soon as we can."

"What about the salvage?"

"Dude, screw the salvage! It'll be here when we get back tomorrow." You shy away from her just a little, hearing her raise her voice like that, and she looks shocked as she starts trying to calm you down again.

The man looks you over again as you tremble. "Ugh. Fine. But I'm not helping you with it."

"That's fine. Doesn't seem to like you much anyway."

The woman bends down and easily sweeps you off your feet while the man lifts himself out of the cut-open hatch. She carefully lifts your atrophied, concerningly light body up onto the edge of the hole, then pulls herself up and picks you up again, carrying you over to an old, beaten up red pickup truck pulling a large trailer and setting you in the bench seat in the back. You watch motionlessly as she heads around to the other side, grabs something from the passenger seat, and then slides into the seat next to you. Clunking sounds come from the bed of the truck before the man passes by your side of the truck and gets into the driver's seat.

As the man starts the truck and gets it moving, exhaustion strikes you. You can't help leaning over to lie down on the seat, your head landing in the lap of the woman next to you, and she pats your head for a moment before laying an old, moth-eaten blanket over you. It's rough, doesn't hold heat, and you're frighteningly far from the reliability of your handler and the safety of your fellow pilots... but somehow, it's the most comfortable you've felt in a long time.

[brightlotusmoon]

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a biological system first discovered in the late 1980s and early ’90s. It is largely composed of endogenous cannabinoid molecules (endocannabinoids) together with the receptors they interact with and enzymes that regulate their levels in the body. This simply means that the body produces native molecules which are similar in certain ways to plant cannabinoids like THC and play an important role in our normal biology.

The different pieces of the ECS “work together” to modulate everything from sleep to mood, memory, appetite, reproduction, and pain sensation. Scientists still have plenty of questions about the human endocannabinoid system and how it functions, but there is an overarching principle that the ECS seems to embody within the bodily tissues it helps regulate.

Homeostasis: Staying in the Goldilocks zone

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive (Daily updates!)

There've been a lot of studies showing vitamin D deficiency in people with mild to severe covid cases. A new meta-analysis probes into the possible connections and effects of vitamin D during acute covid infections.

By Dr. Liji Thomas, MD

New study suggests vitamin D supplementation may lower ICU and intubation rates in COVID-19 patients, with greater benefits seen in older and severe cases.

The impact of vitamin D on the progression of COVID-19 remains uncertain. A recent meta-analysis in Nutrients reviewed studies on vitamin D supplementation in COVID-19 patients to assess its effectiveness in reducing disease severity across various health metrics.

Why is vitamin D important? Vitamin D is essential for bone health, but its influence extends far beyond, as its receptor is present in all nucleated human cells. This receptor regulates nearly 4% of human genes, impacting many physiological processes, including cancer development, muscle function, cardiovascular health, glucose balance, and immune response to infections and autoimmune reactions.

With the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, there was significant interest in whether vitamin D could reduce the severity or spread of COVID-19. Vitamin D plays a role in immunity by lowering the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, boosting antimicrobial peptides, supporting epithelial barriers, and modulating T-cell activity—mechanisms that may help prevent the severe hyperinflammation associated with critical COVID-19 cases and high mortality.

This study investigates the protective effects of vitamin D supplementation during COVID-19, used alongside standard treatments like glucocorticoids, anticoagulants, and antivirals, as recommended in current care guidelines.

About the study The researchers included 21 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and eight analytical studies in the meta-analysis. Of these, mortality rates were examined in 19 RCTs and seven analytical studies, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in 14 and five, respectively, intubation rates in nine and three, respectively, and the length of hospital stay (LOS) only in RCTs.

Vitamin D dosage varied considerably between studies, both in intervention and control groups.

Vitamin D and ICU admissions In the randomized controlled trials (RCTs), vitamin D supplementation demonstrated a stronger protective effect at higher doses compared to lower doses. Specifically, higher doses were associated with a 63% reduction in ICU admission rates compared to lower doses.

ICU admissions decreased by 57% among patients aged 65 or older and by 44% among those under 65. Patients with severe disease did not show a significant response to vitamin D, while those with non-severe disease experienced 33% fewer ICU admissions.

Intubation rates Intubation rates fell by 50% in RCTs. The lack of effect in analytical studies may have been because they were carried out only in non-severe older COVID-19 patients and were limited in number.

The tendency towards significance strengthens the hypothesis of the benefit of vitamin D in reducing the need for intubation during COVID-19.

Mortality rates Mortality rates showed significant differences in the vitamin D supplementation group but only in analytical studies, with a fall of 55%. This might indicate a tendency to bias in analytical studies.

Despite the overall lack of significance, age-stratified analysis of the RCTs showed a 42% reduction in mortality in older patients but not those <65 years. The authors suggested that the overall analysis might have failed to reveal these more granular effects.

Another interesting effect was that vitamin D supplementation had a more marked mortality-reducing impact in the early months of the pandemic, up to May 2020, than later on.

Finally, the most ill patients had a 50% mortality reduction benefit, but not the less severely ill patients. Thus, mortality analyses in the RCTs present a complex picture, with significant protective effects observable in some subgroups but not in the overall analysis.

LOS Among non-severe COVID-19 patients, vitamin D supplementation was associated with a -0.95-day difference in hospital length of stay. Potential benefits could exist in other groups, but this awaits validation from future research.

The variations between studies should be interpreted as accounting for the forms of vitamin D in use, such as calcifediol or cholecalciferol.

The latter is faster-acting than the former, which may make a difference in acute severe COVID-19, especially as evidence indicates that active vitamin D is used up in the acute response to the infection.

However, broad differences were noted across the studies, including baseline vitamin D levels, dosages, and duration of symptoms before vitamin D supplementation. Still, the findings agree with some previous analyses, with a more nuanced conclusion.

Conclusions The findings do indicate that vitamin D supplementation could be of benefit in COVID-19 treatment, reducing ICU admissions, mortality, and intubation requirements. All studies showed fewer ICU admissions in the intervention group.

“The differing effects based on age, disease severity, and possibly baseline vitamin D status highlight the need for a nuanced approach to vitamin D supplementation in COVID-19 management.”

The greatest effect seems to be in reducing ICU admissions. Still, with differences in the evidence across various patient subgroups and for different outcomes, there is a need for larger trials with a better design that adjusts for baseline vitamin D levels and uses standardized dosages and regimens, as well as compensating for patient characteristics.

Journal reference: Sartini, M., Puente, F. D., Carbone, A., et al. (2024). The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation Post COVID-19 Infection and Related Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. doi: doi.org/10.3390/nu16223794. www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/22/3794.

[coconi]

A-Z Drabble Practice #17

"Quadrant D clear."

Omega's ocular receptors dim, finishing their nightly perimeter scan. Team Dark's quarters return to darkness.

Voice modulator: off. Proceed with final step.

Moving as quietly as his metallic body will allow, Omega trudges towards the two closed doors on the other side of the apartment. He lingers by each in turn, allowing his sensors to delve and scan past them. Two sets of vitals. Stable. Within normal sleep parameters.

Satisfied, Omega enters his room and slumps against the wall amidst his few possessions: spare ammunition, polish, crane game plushes, a singed photograph…

Mission complete. Initiating scheduled stasis.

(Previous)

[bpod-bpod]

Bound to Help?

A cryptic binding site for stimulants to the mammalian serotonin receptor (key to mood, memory, and many physiological processes) identified – insights for modulating and designing drugs for anti-sickness, psychiatric disorders and other applications

Read the published research article here

Video from work by Nandan Haloi and colleagues

SciLifeLab, Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

Video contributed by the authors under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence

Published in Science Advances, April 2025

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