Ambulatory human motion tracking by fusion of inertial and magnetic sensing with adaptive actuation

Over the last years, inertial sensing has proven to be a suitable ambulatory alternative to traditional human motion tracking based on optical position measurement systems, which are generally restricted to a laboratory environment. Besides many advantages, a major drawback is the inherent drift caused by integration of acceleration and angular velocity to obtain position and orientation. In addition, inertial sensing cannot be used to estimate relative positions and orientations of sensors with respect to each other. In order to overcome these drawbacks, this study presents an Extended Kalman Filter for fusion of inertial and magnetic sensing that is used to estimate relative positions and orientations. In between magnetic updates, change of position and orientation are estimated using inertial sensors. The system decides to perform a magnetic update only if the estimated uncertainty associated with the relative position and orientation exceeds a predefined threshold. The filter is able to provide a stable and accurate estimation of relative position and orientation for several types of movements, as indicated by the average rms error being 0.033 m for the position and 3.6 degrees for the orientation

High Content Image Analysis Identifies Novel Regulators of Synaptogenesis in a High-Throughput RNAi Screen of Primary Neurons

The formation of synapses, the specialized points of chemical communication between neurons, is a highly regulated developmental process fundamental to establishing normal brain circuitry. Perturbations of synapse formation and function causally contribute to human developmental and degenerative neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, intellectual disability, and autism spectrum disorders. Many genes controlling synaptogenesis have been identified, but lack of facile experimental systems has made systematic discovery of regulators of synaptogenesis challenging. Thus, we created a high-throughput platform to study excitatory and inhibitory synapse development in primary neuronal cultures and used a lentiviral RNA interference library to identify novel regulators of synapse formation. This methodology is broadly applicable for high-throughput screening of genes and drugs that may rescue or improve synaptic dysfunction associated with cognitive function and neurological disorders.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (MH095096)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (R01 GM089652

Measurement of the Bottom-Strange Meson Mixing Phase in the Full CDF Data Set

We report a measurement of the bottom-strange meson mixing phase \beta_s using the time evolution of B0_s -> J/\psi (->\mu+\mu-) \phi (-> K+ K-) decays in which the quark-flavor content of the bottom-strange meson is identified at production. This measurement uses the full data set of proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt(s)= 1.96 TeV collected by the Collider Detector experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron, corresponding to 9.6 fb-1 of integrated luminosity. We report confidence regions in the two-dimensional space of \beta_s and the B0_s decay-width difference \Delta\Gamma_s, and measure \beta_s in [-\pi/2, -1.51] U [-0.06, 0.30] U [1.26, \pi/2] at the 68% confidence level, in agreement with the standard model expectation. Assuming the standard model value of \beta_s, we also determine \Delta\Gamma_s = 0.068 +- 0.026 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps-1 and the mean B0_s lifetime, \tau_s = 1.528 +- 0.019 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps, which are consistent and competitive with determinations by other experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, Phys. Rev. Lett 109, 171802 (2012

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

Life-cycle and host preference of Amblyomma ovale (Acari: Ixodidae) under laboratory conditions

This study evaluated for the first time the life cycle of Amblyomma ovale in the laboratory. For this purpose, larvae and nymphs were exposed to Gallus gallus (chickens), Cavia porcellus (guinea pigs), Rattus norvegicus (wistar rats), Oryctolagus cuniculus (domestic rabbits), Calomys callosus (vesper mouse), and Didelphis albiventris (white-eared opossum). Nymphs were also exposed to Nectomys squamipes (South American water rat). Adult ticks were fed on dogs. The life-cycle of A. ovale in laboratory could be completed in an average period of ca. 190 days, considering prefeeding periods of 30 days for each of the parasitic stages. Vesper mice were the most suitable host for A. ovale larvae, whereas water rats were the most suitable host for A. ovale nymphs. Our results, coupled with literature data, strongly indicate that small rodents have an important role in the life history of A. ovale. Chickens (the only avian host used in the present study) showed to be moderately suitable hosts for subadult A. ovale ticks, indicating that wild birds might have a secondary role in the life history of A. ovale. Domestic dogs showed to be highly suitable for the adult stage of A. ovale, in agreement with literature data that indicate that the domestic dog is currently one of the most important hosts of A. ovale adult ticks in Latin America.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq

Colocalization of Protein Kinase A with Adenylyl Cyclase Enhances Protein Kinase A Activity during Induction of Long-Lasting Long-Term-Potentiation

The ability of neurons to differentially respond to specific temporal and spatial input patterns underlies information storage in neural circuits. One means of achieving spatial specificity is to restrict signaling molecules to particular subcellular compartments using anchoring molecules such as A-Kinase Anchoring Proteins (AKAPs). Disruption of protein kinase A (PKA) anchoring to AKAPs impairs a PKA-dependent form of long term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus. To investigate the role of localized PKA signaling in LTP, we developed a stochastic reaction-diffusion model of the signaling pathways leading to PKA activation in CA1 pyramidal neurons. Simulations investigated whether the role of anchoring is to locate kinases near molecules that activate them, or near their target molecules. The results show that anchoring PKA with adenylyl cyclase (which produces cAMP that activates PKA) produces significantly greater PKA activity, and phosphorylation of both inhibitor-1 and AMPA receptor GluR1 subunit on S845, than when PKA is anchored apart from adenylyl cyclase. The spatial microdomain of cAMP was smaller than that of PKA suggesting that anchoring PKA near its source of cAMP is critical because inactivation by phosphodiesterase limits diffusion of cAMP. The prediction that the role of anchoring is to colocalize PKA near adenylyl cyclase was confirmed by experimentally rescuing the deficit in LTP produced by disruption of PKA anchoring using phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Additional experiments confirm the model prediction that disruption of anchoring impairs S845 phosphorylation produced by forskolin-induced synaptic potentiation. Collectively, these results show that locating PKA near adenylyl cyclase is a critical function of anchoring

Imaging aspects of cardiovascular disease at the cell and molecular level

Cell and molecular imaging has a long and distinguished history. Erythrocytes were visualized microscopically by van Leeuwenhoek in 1674, and microscope technology has evolved mightily since the first single-lens instruments, and now incorporates many types that do not use photons of light for image formation. The combination of these instruments with preparations stained with histochemical and immunohistochemical markers has revolutionized imaging by allowing the biochemical identification of components at subcellular resolution. The field of cardiovascular disease has benefited greatly from these advances for the characterization of disease etiologies. In this review, we will highlight and summarize the use of microscopy imaging systems, including light microscopy, electron microscopy, confocal scanning laser microscopy, laser scanning cytometry, laser microdissection, and atomic force microscopy in conjunction with a variety of histochemical techniques in studies aimed at understanding mechanisms underlying cardiovascular diseases at the cell and molecular level