Resource Allocation for Outdoor-to-Indoor Multicarrier Transmission with Shared UE-side Distributed Antenna Systems

In this paper, we study the resource allocation algorithm design for downlink multicarrier transmission with a shared user equipment (UE)-side distributed antenna system (SUDAS) which utilizes both licensed and unlicensed frequency bands for improving the system throughput. The joint UE selection and transceiver processing matrix design is formulated as a non-convex optimization problem for the maximization of the end-to-end system throughput (bits/s). In order to obtain a tractable resource allocation algorithm, we first show that the optimal transmitter precoding and receiver post-processing matrices jointly diagonalize the end-to-end communication channel. Subsequently, the optimization problem is converted to a scalar optimization problem for multiple parallel channels, which is solved by using an asymptotically optimal iterative algorithm. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed resource allocation algorithm for the SUDAS achieves an excellent system performance and provides a spatial multiplexing gain for single-antenna UEs.Comment: accepted for publication at the IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC) Spring, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, May 201

DISCUS: the distributed core for ubiquitous broadband access

A new end to end architecture based on Long-Reach Passive Optical Network (LR-PON) with wireless integration, a distributed core built of optical transparency islands and an OpenFlow-based control plane, which is being developed in the EU project DISCUS, is described in this paper. The main technological advances and the network modelling and optimization approach are reported

NMDA receptor-dependent metaplasticity by high-frequency magnetic stimulation

High-frequency magnetic stimulation (HFMS) can elicit N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent long-termpotentiation (LTP) at Schaffer collateral-CA1 pyramidal cell synapses. Here, we investigated the priming effect of HFMS on the subsequent magnitude of electrically induced LTP in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices using field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) recordings. In control slices, electrical high-frequency conditioning stimulation (CS) could reliably induce LTP. In contrast, the same CS protocol resulted in long-term depression when HFMS was delivered to the slice 30 min prior to the electrical stimulation. HFMS-primingwas diminishedwhen applied in the presence of themetabotropic glutamate receptor antagonists (RS)- -methylserine-O-phosphate (MSOP) and (RS)--methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG).Moreover,whenHFMSwas delivered in the presence of the NMDA receptor-antagonist D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (50 M), CS-induced electrical LTP was again as high as under control conditions in slices without priming. These results demonstrate that HFMS significantly reduced the propensity of subsequent electrical LTP and show that both metabotropic glutamate and NMDA receptor activation were involved in this form of HFMS-induced metaplasticity

NMDA receptor-dependent metaplasticity by high-frequency magnetic stimulation

High-frequency magnetic stimulation (HFMS) can elicit N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent long-termpotentiation (LTP) at Schaffer collateral-CA1 pyramidal cell synapses. Here, we investigated the priming effect of HFMS on the subsequent magnitude of electrically induced LTP in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices using field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) recordings. In control slices, electrical high-frequency conditioning stimulation (CS) could reliably induce LTP. In contrast, the same CS protocol resulted in long-term depression when HFMS was delivered to the slice 30 min prior to the electrical stimulation. HFMS-primingwas diminishedwhen applied in the presence of themetabotropic glutamate receptor antagonists (RS)- -methylserine-O-phosphate (MSOP) and (RS)--methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG).Moreover,whenHFMSwas delivered in the presence of the NMDA receptor-antagonist D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (50 M), CS-induced electrical LTP was again as high as under control conditions in slices without priming. These results demonstrate that HFMS significantly reduced the propensity of subsequent electrical LTP and show that both metabotropic glutamate and NMDA receptor activation were involved in this form of HFMS-induced metaplasticity

ZD7288 enhances long-term depression at early postnatal medial perforant path-granule cell synapses

Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated nonselective (HCN) channels modulate both membrane potential and resistance and play a significant role in synaptic plasticity. We compared the influence of HCN channels on long-term depression (LTD) at the medial perforant path-granule cell synapse in early postnatal (P9–15) and adult (P30–60) rats. LTD was elicited in P9–15 slices using low-frequency stimulation (LFS, 900 pulses, 1Hz; 80 ± 4% of baseline). Application of the specific HCN channel blocker ZD7288 (10 μM) before LFS significantly enhanced LTD (62 ± 4%; P < 0.01), showing HCN channels restrain LTD induction. However, when ZD7288 was applied after LFS, LTD was similar to control values and significantly different from the values obtained with ZD7288 application before LFS (81 ± 5%; P < 0.01), indicating that HCN channels do not modulate LTD expression. LTD in slices from adult rats were only marginally lower compared to those in P9–15 slices (85 ± 6%), but bath application of ZD7288 prior to LFS resulted in the same amount of LTD (85 ± 5%). HCN channels in adult tissue hence lose their modulatory effect. In conclusion, we found that HCN channels at the medial perforant path-granule cell synapse compromise LFS-associated induction, but not expression of LTD in early postnatal, but not in adult, rats

Functional Metaplasticity of Hippocampal Schaffer Collateral-CA1 Synapses Is Reversed in Chronically Epileptic Rats

Spatial learning and associating spatial information with individual experience are crucial for rodents and higher mammals. Hence, studying the cellular and molecular cascades involved in the key mechanism of information storage in the brain, synaptic plasticity, has led to enormous knowledge in this field. A major open question applies to the interdependence between synaptic plasticity and its behavioral correlates. In this context, it has become clear that behavioral aspects may impact subsequent synaptic plasticity, a phenomenon termed behavioral metaplasticity. Here, we trained control and pilocarpine-treated chronically epileptic rats of two different age groups (adolescent and adult) in a spatial memory task and subsequently tested long-term potentiation (LTP) in vitro at Schaffer collateral—CA1 synapses. As expected, memory acquisition in the behavioral task was significantly impaired both in pilocarpine-treated animals and in adult controls. Accordingly, these groups, without being tested in the behavioral training task, showed reduced CA1-LTP levels compared to untrained young controls. Spatial memory training significantly reduced subsequent CA1-LTP in vitro in the adolescent control group yet enhanced CA1-LTP in the adult pilocarpine-treated group. Such training in the adolescent pilocarpine-treated and adult control groups resulted in intermediate changes. Our study demonstrates age-dependent functional metaplasticity following a spatial memory training task and its reversal under pathological conditions

DISCUS: end-to-end network design for ubiquitous high speed broadband services

Fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) has been long sought as the ultimate solution to satisfy the demand for broadband access in the foreseeable future, and offer distance-independent data rate within access network reach. However, currently deployed FTTP networks have in most cases only replaced the transmission medium, without improving the overall architecture, resulting in deployments that are only cost efficient in densely populated areas (effectively increasing the digital divide). In addition, the large potential increase in access capacity cannot be matched by a similar increase in core capacity at competitive cost, effectively moving the bottleneck from access to core. DISCUS is a European Integrated Project that, building on optical-centric solutions such as Long-Reach Passive Optical access and flat optical core, aims to deliver a cost-effective architecture for ubiquitous broadband services. One of the key features of the project is the end-to-end approach, which promises to deliver a complete network design and a conclusive analysis of its economic viability

Co-operative binding of human fibronectin to Sfbl protein triggers streptococcal invasion into respiratory epithelial cells.

Streptococcal fibronectin binding protein I (SfbI) mediates adherence to and invasion of Streptococcus pyogenes into human epithelial cells. In this study, we analysed the binding activity of distinct domains of SfbI protein towards its ligand, the extracellular matrix component fibronectin, as well as the biological implication of the binding events during the infection process. By using purified recombinant SfbI derivatives as well as in vivo expressed SfbI domains on the surface of heterologous organism Streptococcus gordonii, we were able to dissociate the two major streptococcal target domains on the human fibronectin molecule. The SfbI repeat region exclusively bound to the 30 kDa N-terminal fragment of fibronectin, whereas the SfbI spacer region exclusively bound to the 45 kDa collagen-binding fragment of fibronectin. In the case of native surface-expressed SfbI protein, an induced fit mode of bacteria-fibronectin interaction was identified. We demonstrate that binding of the 30 kDa fibronectin fragment to the repeat region of SfbI protein co-operatively activates the adjacent SfbI spacer domain to bind the 45 kDa fibronectin fragment. The biological consequence arising from this novel mode of fibronectin targeting was analysed in eukaryotic cell invasion assays. The repeat region of SfbI protein is mediating adherence and constitutes a prerequisite for subsequent invasion, whereas the SfbI spacer domain efficiently triggers the invasion process of streptococci into the eukaryotic cell. Thus, we were able to dissect bacterial adhesion from invasion by manipulating one protein. SfbI protein therefore represents a highly evolved prokaryotic molecule that exploits the host factor fibronectin not only for extracellular targeting but also for its subsequent activation that leads to efficient cellular invasion

Efecto de Heterorhabditis sp. y Steinernema carpocapsae aplicados en diferentes períodos de infestación del suelo con larvas de Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The Mediterranean Fruit Fly, (Ceratitis capitata) (Wiedemann) is considered one of the main pests of fruit culture around the world, causing significant losses in this sector.  This insect stays in the soil during a phase of life, where it becomes a target for entomopathogenic nematodes. Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the effect of  Heterorhabditis sp. RSC01 and Steinernema carpocapsae All, applied alone or combined, and in different periods of soil infestation with larvae of C. capitata. For the first bioassay the treatments were: S. carpocapsae; Heterorhabditis sp.; S. carpocapsae + Heterorhabditis sp. (both applied immediately after the transfer of larvae); S. carpocapsae (applied immediately after the transfer of larvae) + Heterorhabditis sp. (applied 12 hours after the transfer of larvae); and S. carpocapsae (applied 12 hours after the transfer of larvae) + Heterorhabditis sp. (applied immediately after the transfer of larvae). For the second bioassay the treatments were: application of the nematodes, and then the soil infested with larvae; application of the nematode and after 24 hours soil infested with the larvae; soil infested with the larvae and then 24 hours after, application of the nematode. Ten C. capitata larvae were transferred to plastic jars (12 cm × 6 cm) containing 100 g soil, followed by the application of 3 mL of an aqueous suspension containing 125 JI cm-2. In control treatment was applied 3 mL of distilled water. The mortality’s evaluation was performed after five days later and was confirmed by symptom observations and corpse dissections. It was observed that Heterorhabditis sp. and S. carpocapsae were effective in controlling larvae of C. capitata when applied on the soil surface, alone or combined, with mortality rates ranging in 26 and 74%. For the range of application, S. carpocapsae was more efficient when applied immediately after the transfer of larvae to the soil, and 24 hours before to infestation (80 and 90% mortality, respectively). However, Heterorhabditis sp. was more efficient only when applied 24 hours before to infestation of the soil (90% mortality). La mosca del Mediterráneo (Ceratitis capitata) (Wiedemann) es considerada una de las principales plagas de la fruticultura mundial, causando pérdidas significativas en este sector. Este insecto tiene una fase de su vida en el suelo, siendo un blanco  potencial para los nematodos entomopatógenos. Así, los objetivos de este trabajo fueran evaluar la eficiencia de Heterorhabditis sp. RSC01 y Steinernema carpocapsae All, aplicados aislados o combinados, y en diferentes períodos de infestación del suelo con larvas de C. capitata. Para el primero bioensayo los tratamientos fueran: S. carpocapsae; Heterorhabditis sp.; S. carpocapsae + Heterorhabditis sp. (ambos aplicados inmediatamente después de la transferencia de las larvas); S. carpocapsae (aplicado logo después de la transferencia de las larvas) + Heterorhabditis sp. (aplicado 12 horas después de la transferencia de las larvas) y S. carpocapsae (aplicado 12 horas después de la transferencia de las larvas) + Heterorhabditis sp. (aplicado logo después de la transferencia de las larvas). Para el segundo bioensayo los ratamientos fueran: aplicación de nematodos y luego infestación del  suelo con larvas; aplicación de los nematodos, y después de 24 horas, infestación del suelo con larvas; la infestación del suelo con larvas, y 24 horas después aplicación de los nematodos. Se transfirieron Diez larvas de C. capitata a macetas de plástico con 100 g de suelo y se aplicó 3 ml de suspensión con 125 JI cm-2. En el tratamiento control se aplicó 3 ml de agua. La evaluación de la mortalidad se realizó cinco días después y la confirmación se realizó mediante la observación de los síntomas característicos del ataque de nematodos y disección de los cadáveres. Se encontró que Heterorhabditis sp. y S. carpocapsae fueron eficaces en el control de larvas de C. capitata cuando aportados en la superficie del suelo, ya sea aislado o combinado con tasas de mortalidad que oscilaran entre 26 y 74%. Para el intervalo de aplicación, S. carpocapsae fue más eficaz cuando aplicado en el momento de la infestación del suelo y 24 horas antes de la infestación (80 y 90% de mortalidad, respectivamente). Además, Heterorhabditis sp. Presentó más alta eficiencia sólo cuando se aplicó 24 horas antes de la infestación del suelo (90% de mortalidad).A mosca-do-Mediterrâneo (Ceratitis capitata) (Wiedemann) é considerada uma das principais pragas da fruticultura mundial  acarretando perdas significativas nesse setor. Esse inseto passa uma fase de sua vida no solo, sendo um alvo em potencial para nematóides entomopatogênicos. Assim, os objetivos deste trabalho foram avaliar a eficiência de Heterorhabditis sp. RSC01 e Steinernema carpocapsae All, aplicados de forma isolada ou combinada, e em diferentes períodos de infestação do solo com larvas de C. capitata. Para o primeiro bioensaio os tratamentos foram: S. carpocapsae; Heterorhabditis sp.; S. carpocapsae + Heterorhabditis sp. (ambos aplicados logo após a transferência das larvas); S. carpocapsae (aplicado logo após a transferência das larvas) + Heterorhabditis sp. (aplicado 12 horas após a transferência das larvas) e S. carpocapsae (aplicado 12 horas após a transferência  das larvas) + Heterorhabditis sp. (aplicado logo após a transferência das larvas). Para o segundo bioensaio os tratamentos foram: aplicação do nematóide e, em seguida, infestação do solo com as larvas; aplicação do nematóide e, após 24 horas, infestação do solo com as larvas; infestação do solo com as larvas e, 24 horas após, aplicação do nematóide. Foram transferidas dez larvas de C. capitata para potes plásticos contendo 100 g de solo e aplicados 3 mL de suspensão com 125 JI cm-2. No tratamento controle foram aplicados 3 mL de água. A avaliação da mortalidade foi realizada após cinco dias e a confirmação foi feita através da observação dos sintomas característicos do ataque de nematóides e da dissecação dos cadáveres. Verificou-se que Heterorhabditis sp. e S. carpocapsae foram eficientes no controle de larvas de C. capitata quando aplicados na superfície do solo, de forma isolada ou combinada, com mortalidade variando entre 26 e 74%. Em relação ao intervalo de aplicação, S. carpocapsae foi mais eficiente quando aplicado no momento da infestação do solo e 24 horas antes da infestação (80 e 90% de mortalidade, respectivamente). Por outro lado, Heterorhabditis sp. apresentou maior eficiência somente quando aplicado 24 horas antes da infestação do solo  (90% de mortalidade)

DISCUS : an end-to-end solution for ubiquitous broadband optical access

Fiber to the premises has promised to increase the capacity in telecommunications access networks for well over 30 years. While it is widely recognized that optical-fiber-based access networks will be a necessity in the shortto medium-term future, its large upfront cost and regulatory issues are pushing many operators to further postpone its deployment, while installing intermediate unambitious solutions such as fiber to the cabinet. Such high investment cost of both network access and core capacity upgrade often derives from poor planning strategies that do not consider the necessity to adequately modify the network architecture to fully exploit the cost benefit that a fiber-centric solution can bring. DISCUS is a European Framework 7 Integrated Project that, building on optical-centric solutions such as long-reach passive optical access and flat optical core, aims to deliver a cost-effective architecture for ubiquitous broadband services. DISCUS analyzes, designs, and demonstrates end-to-end architectures and technologies capable of saving cost and energy by reducing the number of electronic terminations in the network and sharing the deployment costs among a larger number of users compared to current fiber access systems. This article describes the network architecture and the supporting technologies behind DISCUS, giving an overview of the concepts and methodologies that will be used to deliver our end-to-end network solution