Three dimensional two-photon brain imaging in freely moving mice using a miniature fiber coupled microscope with active axial-scanning.

We present a miniature head mounted two-photon fiber-coupled microscope (2P-FCM) for neuronal imaging with active axial focusing enabled using a miniature electrowetting lens. We show three-dimensional two-photon imaging of neuronal structure and record neuronal activity from GCaMP6s fluorescence from multiple focal planes in a freely-moving mouse. Two-color simultaneous imaging of GFP and tdTomato fluorescence is also demonstrated. Additionally, dynamic control of the axial scanning of the electrowetting lens allows tilting of the focal plane enabling neurons in multiple depths to be imaged in a single plane. Two-photon imaging allows increased penetration depth in tissue yielding a working distance of 450 μm with an additional 180 μm of active axial focusing. The objective NA is 0.45 with a lateral resolution of 1.8 μm, an axial resolution of 10 μm, and a field-of-view of 240 μm diameter. The 2P-FCM has a weight of only ~2.5 g and is capable of repeatable and stable head-attachment. The 2P-FCM with dynamic axial scanning provides a new capability to record from functionally distinct neuronal layers, opening new opportunities in neuroscience research

Thiamine deficiency and the effectiveness of thiamine treatments through broodstock injections and egg immersion on Lake Ontario steelhead trout

In fall 2014, steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) migrating in the Salmon River, New York, exhibited abnormal swimming behavior and, in some cases, mortality, as reported by sport fishermen. Preliminary results showed that affected individuals had low levels of thiamine in their muscle and liver. As a result, New York State Department of Conservation personnel from the Salmon River Fish Hatchery injected adult fihs with thiamine mononotrate (50mg/kg). In April 2015. muscle, liver, and eggs were taken from adults treated (n = 27) or not (n = 27) with thiamine at the Salmon River Fish Hatchery to evaluate their thiamine concentration. In addition, a subsample of eggs was fertilized and treated or not with a thiamine bath (1000 ppm). Accordingly, four treatment groups were established: adults treated/eggs treated (TT), adults treated/eggs untreated (TU), adults untreated/eggs treated (UT), and adults untreated/eggs untreated (UU). Offspring mortality was significantly higher in (P0.8) from each other. The efficiency of each treatmentment was compared based on offspring mortality. Significant differences in muscle, liver, and egg total thiamine concentrations were observed between treated and untreated adults (

Semantic Annotation and Classification in Practice

TellMeFirst uses linked data to classify and enrich textual documents written in English and Italian. This work describes the use case of a telecommunications operator that has adopted TellMeFirst to add value to its mobile services

Semantic Annotation and Classification in Practice

TellMeFirst uses linked data to classify and enrich textual documents written in English and Italian. This work describes the use case of a telecommunications operator that has adopted TellMeFirst to add value to its mobile services

Using untapped telemetry data to explore the winter biology of freshwater fish

Winter is a challenging period for aquatic research—weather is uncomfortable, ice is hazardous, equipment fails, and daylength is short. Consequently, until recently relatively little research on freshwater fishes has included winter. Telemetry methods for tracking fish and observing movement behavior are an obvious solution to working in harsh conditions because much of the data can be collected remotely, and passive methods collect data year-round without winter maintenance. Yet, many telemetry studies do not collect data during winter or, if they do, only report data from the ice-free seasons while the remaining data are unused. Here, we briefly summarize the advantages and limitations of using telemetry methods in winter, including acoustic and radio telemetry and passive integrated transponder technology, then review the range of questions related to fish ecology, behavior, bioenergetics, and habitat use that can be addressed in winter using telemetry. Our goals are to highlight the untapped potential of winter fish biology and to motivate scientists to revisit their four-season telemetry data and incorporate objectives specific to winter biology in future study plans