Unsupervised decoding of long-term, naturalistic human neural recordings with automated video and audio annotations

Fully automated decoding of human activities and intentions from direct neural recordings is a tantalizing challenge in brain-computer interfacing. Most ongoing efforts have focused on training decoders on specific, stereotyped tasks in laboratory settings. Implementing brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) in natural settings requires adaptive strategies and scalable algorithms that require minimal supervision. Here we propose an unsupervised approach to decoding neural states from human brain recordings acquired in a naturalistic context. We demonstrate our approach on continuous long-term electrocorticographic (ECoG) data recorded over many days from the brain surface of subjects in a hospital room, with simultaneous audio and video recordings. We first discovered clusters in high-dimensional ECoG recordings and then annotated coherent clusters using speech and movement labels extracted automatically from audio and video recordings. To our knowledge, this represents the first time techniques from computer vision and speech processing have been used for natural ECoG decoding. Our results show that our unsupervised approach can discover distinct behaviors from ECoG data, including moving, speaking and resting. We verify the accuracy of our approach by comparing to manual annotations. Projecting the discovered cluster centers back onto the brain, this technique opens the door to automated functional brain mapping in natural settings

Future humidity trends over the western United States in the CMIP5 global climate models and variable infiltration capacity hydrological modeling system

Global climate models predict relative humidity (RH) in the western US will decrease at a rate of about 0.1–0.6 percentage points per decade, albeit with seasonal differences (most drying in spring and summer), geographical variability (greater declines in the interior), stronger reductions for greater anthropogenic radiative forcing, and notable spread among the models. Although atmospheric moisture content increases, this is more than compensated for by higher air temperatures, leading to declining RH. Fine-scale hydrological simulations driven by the global model results should reproduce these trends. It is shown that the MT-CLIM meteorological algorithms used by the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrological model, when driven by daily Tmin, Tmax, and precipitation (a configuration used in numerous published studies), do not preserve the original global model\u27s humidity trends. Trends are biased positive in the interior western US, so that strong RH decreases are changed to weak decreases, and weak decreases are changed to increases. This happens because the MT-CLIM algorithms VIC incorporates infer an overly large positive trend in atmospheric moisture content in this region, likely due to an underestimate of the effect of increasing aridity on RH. The result could downplay the effects of decreasing RH on plants and wildfire. RH trends along the coast have a weak negative bias due to neglect of the ocean\u27s moderating influence. A numerical experiment where the values of Tdew are altered to compensate for the RH error suggests that eliminating the atmospheric moisture bias could, in and of itself, decrease runoff up to 14% in high-altitude regions east of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades, and reduce estimated Colorado River runoff at Lees Ferry up to 4% by the end of the century. It could also increase the probability of large fires in the northern and central US Rocky Mountains by 13 to 60%

Post Launch Calibration and Testing of the Geostationary Lightning Mapper on the GOES-R Satellite

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R (GOES-R) series is the planned next generation of operational weather satellites for the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is procuring the GOES-R spacecraft and instruments with the first launch of the GOES-R series planned for October 2016. Included in the GOES-R Instrument suite is the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). GLM is a single-channel, near-infrared optical detector that can sense extremely brief (800 microseconds) transient changes in the atmosphere, indicating the presence of lightning. GLM will measure total lightning activity continuously over the Americas and adjacent ocean regions with near-uniform spatial resolution of approximately 10 km. Due to its large CCD (1372x1300 pixels), high frame rate, sensitivity and onboard event filtering, GLM will require extensive post launch characterization and calibration. Daytime and nighttime images will be used to characterize both image quality criteria inherent to GLM as a space-based optic system (focus, stray light, crosstalk, solar glint) and programmable image processing criteria (dark offsets, gain, noise, linearity, dynamic range). In addition ground data filtering will be adjusted based on lightning-specific phenomenology (coherence) to isolate real from false transients with their own characteristics. These parameters will be updated, as needed, on orbit in an iterative process guided by pre-launch testing. This paper discusses the planned tests to be performed on GLM over the six-month Post Launch Test period to optimize and demonstrate GLM performance

Effects of Percussive Massage Treatments on Symptoms Associated With Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

Percussive massage (PM) is an emerging recovery treatment, but the research on its effects post-eccentric exercise (post-EE) is limited. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of PM on maximal isometric torque (MIT), range of motion (ROM), and an 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS) of soreness from 24-72 h post-EE. METHODS: Seventeen untrained, college-aged subjects (14 women and 3 men) performed 60 eccentric elbow flexion actions with their nondominant arms. Nine subjects received 1 minute of PM on their nondominant arm’s biceps brachii immediately, 24, 48, and 72 h post-EE, versus eight rested quietly (control [CON]). In order, the NRS, ROM, and MIT were collected pre-eccentric exercise (pre-EE) and after treatment (AT) at 24, 48, and 72 h post-EE. The NRS was also collected before treatment (BT). Electromyographic (EMG) amplitude was collected during the MIT and normalized to pre-EE. MIT was made relative to body mass. All measures were analyzed via separate two-way (group × time) mixed factorial ANOVAs. RESULTS: There was no interaction (p = 0.22) for MIT but a main effect for time (p \u3c 0.001), indicating an approximately (approx.) 12% decrease (p = 0.02) from pre-EE to 24 h post-EE. Values returned to pre-EE by 48 h (p = 0.47). There was no interaction (p = 0.55) or main effect of time (p = 0.47) for EMG. An interaction (p \u3c 0.001) for ROM showed that the PM group had higher values than the CON at 24 (p = 0.01), 48 (p = 0.01), and 72 h (p = 0.04) by approx. 8, 6, and 6°, respectively. The PM group returned to pre-EE (p \u3e 0.05) faster than the CON (PM: 48 h, CON: 72 h) and exceeded (p \u3c 0.001) their pre-EE at 72 h by approx. 4°. An interaction (p = 0.01) for NRS revealed that the groups did not differ BT at 24 (p = 0.11), 48 (p = 0.052), and 72 h (p = 0.10). However, the PM group’s NRS lowered from BT to AT within the 24 (p \u3c 0.001), 48 (p \u3c 0.001), and 72 h (p = 0.01) visits by approx. 1 point per visit. As a result, the PM group had lower values (p \u3c 0.001) than the CON AT at 24, 48, and 72 h by approx. 3, 2, and 2 points, respectively. Lastly, the PM group returned their NRS to pre-EE (p \u3e 0.05) faster than the CON (PM: BT 72 h, CON: never). CONCLUSION: The PM treatments improved ROM without affecting MIT or muscle activation 24-72 h post-EE. Although the PM did not enhance the recovery from soreness until 72 h, it consistently provided immediate, temporary relief when used 24-72 h post-EE

Identifying a Two-State Hamiltonian in the Presence of Decoherence

Mapping the system evolution of a two-state system allows the determination of the effective system Hamiltonian directly. We show how this can be achieved even if the system is decohering appreciably over the observation time. A method to include various decoherence models is given and the limits of this technique are explored. This technique is applicable both to the problem of calibrating a control Hamiltonian for quantum computing applications and for precision experiments in two-state quantum systems. For simple models of decoherence, this method can be applied even when the decoherence time is comparable to the oscillation period of the system.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures. Minor corrections, published versio

Spin coherent quantum transport of electrons between defects in diamond

The nitrogen-vacancy color center in diamond has rapidly emerged as an important solid-state system for quantum information processing. While individual spin registers have been used to implement small-scale diamond quantum computing, the realization of a large-scale device requires development of an on-chip quantum bus for transporting information between distant qubits. Here we propose a method for coherent quantum transport of an electron and its spin state between distant NV centers. Transport is achieved by the implementation of spatial stimulated adiabatic Raman passage through the optical control of the NV center charge states and the confined conduction states of a diamond nanostructure. Our models show that for two NV centers in a diamond nanowire, high fidelity transport can be achieved over distances of order hundreds of nanometres in timescales of order hundreds of nanoseconds. Spatial adiabatic passage is therefore a promising option for realizing an on-chip spin quantum bus

A detailed study of the diastereoselective catalytic hydrogenation of 6-hydroxytetrahydroisoquinoline-(3R)-carboxylic ester intermediates

A key step towards a highly-selective antagonist of ionotropic glutamate receptors entails the diastereoselective arene hydrogenation of an enantiopure tetrahydroisoquinoline. An extensive screen using parallel reactors was conducted and led to the discovery of several Pd/C catalysts giving high yield and improved diastereoselectivity from 75 : 25 to 95 : 5. A detailed kinetic study of the best system was performed and supports the reduction occuring in two-steps.

Coherent electronic transfer in quantum dot systems using adiabatic passage

We describe a scheme for using an all-electrical, rapid, adiabatic population transfer between two spatially separated dots in a triple-quantum dot system. The electron spends no time in the middle dot and does not change its energy during the transfer process. Although a coherent population transfer method, this scheme may well prove useful in incoherent electronic computation (for example quantum-dot cellular automata) where it may provide a coherent advantage to an otherwise incoherent device. It can also be thought of as a limiting case of type II quantum computing, where sufficient coherence exists for a single gate operation, but not for the preservation of superpositions after the operation. We extend our analysis to the case of many intervening dots and address the issue of transporting quantum information through a multi-dot system.Comment: Replaced with (approximately) the published versio

The Effectiveness of Grade 5 Mobilizations vs. Grade 1-4 Mobilizations on Mechanical Neck Pain: A Clinically Appraised Topic

• From 2000 to 2010, mechanical neck pain (MNP) prevalence ranged from 30% to 50% in adults. Other data suggests that 46% to 54% of every adult will experience some form of neck pain during their lives. • Non-thrust mobilizations (NTM) and Thrust mobilizations (TM) are among the common interventions used in manual therapy in treatment of MNP. • The evidence accumulated for this clinically appraised topic (CAT) suggests high clinical variability among the effectiveness in NTM and TM among adults with mechanical neck pain

Dynamic Solvation in Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids

The dynamic solvation of the fluorescent probe, coumarin 153, is measured in five room-temperature ionic liquids using different experimental techniques and methods of data analysis. With time-resolved stimulated-emission and time-correlated single-photon counting techniques, it is found that the solvation is comprised of an initial rapid component of ∼55 ps. In all the solvents, half or more of the solvation is completed within 100 ps. The remainder of the solvation occurs on a much longer time scale. The emission spectra of coumarin 153 are nearly superimposable at all temperatures in a given solvent unless they are obtained using the supercooled liquid, suggesting that the solvents have an essentially glassy nature. The physical origin of the two components is discussed in terms of the polarizability of the organic cation for the faster one and the relative diffusional motion of the cations and the anions for the slower one. A comparison of the solvation response functions obtained from single-wavelength and from spectral-reconstruction measurements is provided. Preliminary fluorescence-upconversion measurements are presented against which the appropriateness of the single-wavelength method for constructing solvation correlation functions and the use of stimulated-emission measurements is considered. These measurements are consistent with the trends mentioned above, but a comparison indicates that the presence of one or more excited states distorts the stimulated-emission kinetics such that they do not perfectly reproduce the spontaneous emission data. Fluorescence-upconversion results indicate an initial solvation component on the order of ∼7 ps