Systems and Methods for Behavior Detection Using 3D Tracking and Machine Learning

Systems and methods for performing behavioral detection using three-dimensional tracking and machine learning in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention involves a the classification application that directs a microprocessor to: identify at least a primary subject interacting with a secondary subject within a sequence of frames of image data including depth information; determine poses of the subjects; extract a set of parameters describing the poses and movement of at least the primary and secondary subjects; and detect a social behavior performed by at least the primary subject and involving at least the second subject using a classifier trained to discriminate between a plurality of social behaviors based upon the set of parameters describing poses and movement

Antagonistic Control of Social versus Repetitive Self-Grooming Behaviors by Separable Amygdala Neuronal Subsets

Animals display a range of innate social behaviors that play essential roles in survival and reproduction. While the medial amygdala (MeA) has been implicated in prototypic social behaviors such as aggression, the circuit-level mechanisms controlling such behaviors are not well understood. Using cell-type-specific functional manipulations, we find that distinct neuronal populations in the MeA control different social and asocial behaviors. A GABAergic subpopulation promotes aggression and two other social behaviors, while neighboring glutamatergic neurons promote repetitive self-grooming, an asocial behavior. Moreover, this glutamatergic subpopulation inhibits social interactions independently of its effect to promote self-grooming, while the GABAergic subpopulation inhibits self-grooming, even in a nonsocial context. These data suggest that social versus repetitive asocial behaviors are controlled in an antagonistic manner by inhibitory versus excitatory amygdala subpopulations, respectively. These findings provide a framework for understanding circuit-level mechanisms underlying opponency between innate behaviors, with implications for their perturbation in psychiatric disorders

Systems and Methods for Behavior Detection Using 3D Tracking and Machine Learning

Systems and methods for performing behavioral detection using three-dimensional tracking and machine learning in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention involves a the classification application that directs a microprocessor to: identify at least a primary subject interacting with a secondary subject within a sequence of frames of image data including depth information; determine poses of the subjects; extract a set of parameters describing the poses and movement of at least the primary and secondary subjects; and detect a social behavior performed by at least the primary subject and involving at least the second subject using a classifier trained to discriminate between a plurality of social behaviors based upon the set of parameters describing poses and movement

Leucine-rich repeat transmembrane proteins instruct discrete dendrite targeting in an olfactory map

Olfactory systems utilize discrete neural pathways to process and integrate odorant information. In Drosophila, axons of first-order olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and dendrites of second-order projection neurons (PNs) form class-specific synaptic connections at ~50 glomeruli. The mechanisms underlying PN dendrite targeting to distinct glomeruli in a three-dimensional discrete neural map are unclear. We found that the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) transmembrane protein Capricious (Caps) was differentially expressed in different classes of PNs. Loss-of-function and gain-of-function studies indicated that Caps instructs the segregation of Caps-positive and Caps-negative PN dendrites to discrete glomerular targets. Moreover, Caps-mediated PN dendrite targeting was independent of presynaptic ORNs and did not involve homophilic interactions. The closely related protein Tartan was partially redundant with Caps. These LRR proteins are probably part of a combinatorial cell-surface code that instructs discrete olfactory map formation

A human case of Dioctophyma renale (giant kidney worm) accompanied by renal cancer and a retrospective study of dioctophymiasis

Due to the rarity of human cases and the nonspecific clinical symptoms of dioctophymiasis, Dioctophyma renale infection is not well recognized and is easily neglected or misdiagnosed. Recently, we diagnosed a human case of dioctophymiasis accompanied by renal cancer. To enhance the understanding of human dioctophymiasis, this case is presented here, and a retrospective study of this disease was conducted based on relevant papers screened from PubMed and three Chinese databases. In the end, 32 papers describing 37 human cases of dioctophymiasis were assessed. These cases were distributed in ten countries of Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, with the highest number in China (n = 22). The majority of the cases occurred in adults (91.9%, 34/37) and involved the kidneys (83.8%, 31/37). Ectopic parasitism mainly occurred in subcutaneous tissue (83.3%, 5/6). A proportion of 45.9% (17/37) of individuals had a history of eating raw or undercooked fish or frogs. The main clinical manifestations of human dioctophymiasis were loin pain (59.5%) and hematuria (59.5%). All the cases were diagnosed based on the morphological characteristics of eggs or adults in urine or tissue sections. Currently, there is no strictly defined therapeutic approach. This is the first retrospective analysis of human cases of dioctophymiasis. These review data will deepen our understanding of dioctophymiasis and help avoid misdiagnosis in clinical practice

Assembly of a Neural Circuit

Precise connections established between synaptic partners are essential for the proper function of neural circuits. To explain the striking target specificity of the optic nerve during regeneration, Roger Sperry proposed the chemoaffinity hypothesis 50 years ago, which posits that developing neurons must carry “individual identification tags,” presumably cytochemical in nature. By this means, they can almost be distinguished in many regions, to the level of the single neuron (1). Since then, many molecules have been identified that guide axons to their final target area, but little is known about molecules that mediate mutual selection and matching between individual pre- and postsynaptic partners among many possible alternatives at the target area (2–4)