Songbird organotypic culture as an in vitro model for interrogating sparse sequencing networks

Sparse sequences of neuronal activity are fundamental features of neural circuit computation; however, the underlying homeostatic mechanisms remain poorly understood. To approach these questions, we have developed a method for cellular-resolution imaging in organotypic cultures of the adult zebra finch brain, including portions of the intact song circuit. These in vitro networks can survive for weeks, and display mature neuron morphologies. Neurons within the organotypic slices exhibit a diversity of spontaneous and pharmacologically induced activity that can be easily monitored using the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP6. In this study, we primarily focus on the classic song sequence generator HVC and the surrounding areas. We describe proof of concept experiments including physiological, optical, and pharmacological manipulation of these exposed networks. This method may allow the cellular rules underlying sparse, stereotyped neural sequencing to be examined with new degrees of experimental control

Tempol-nebivolol therapy potentiates hypotensive effect increasing NO bioavailability and signaling pathway

Nebivolol is a third generation beta blocker with endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) agonist properties. Considering the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the uncoupling of eNOS, we hypothesized that the preadministration of an antioxidant as tempol, could improve the hypotensive response of nebivolol in normotensive animals increasing the nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability by a reduction of superoxide (O2•−) basal level production in the vascular tissue. Male Sprague Dawley rats were given tap water to drink (control group) or tempol (an antioxidant scavenger of superoxide) for 1 week. After 1 week, Nebivolol, at a dose of 3 mg/kg, was injected intravenously to the control group or to the tempol-treated group. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and blood pressure variability were evaluated in the control, tempol, nebivolol, and tempol nebivolol groups, as well as, the effect of different inhibitor as Nβ-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, a Nitric oxide synthase blocker) or glybenclamide, a KATP channel inhibitor. Also, the expression of α,β soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), phospho-eNOS, and phospho-vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (P-VASP) were evaluated by Western Blot and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) commercial kit assay. We showed that pretreatment with tempol in normotensive rats produces a hypotensive response after nebivolol administration through an increase in the NO bioavailability and sGC, improving the NO/cGMP/protein kinase G (PKG) pathway compared to that of the nebivolol group. We demonstrated that tempol preadministration beneficiates the response of a third-generation beta blocker with eNOS stimulation properties, decreasing the basal uncoupling of eNOS, and improving NO bioavailability. Our results clearly open a possible new strategy therapeutic for treating hypertension.Fil: Bertera, Facundo Martin. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología; ArgentinaFil: Santa Cruz, Diego Mario. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Balestrasse, Karina Beatriz. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gorzalczany, Susana Beatriz. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología. Cátedra de Farmacología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Höcht, Christian. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología. Cátedra de Farmacología; ArgentinaFil: Taira, Carlos Alberto. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología. Cátedra de Farmacología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Polizio, Ariel Héctor. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología. Cátedra de Farmacología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Spatial patterns of summer demersal fish assemblages around the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands

During the research programme conducted on the OV Puerto Deseado in the summers of 2011 and 2013, 36 stations were sampled using a demersal net at depths between 53–590 m in the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands. A total 3378 fish specimens belonging to 36 species were recorded. Notothenidae was the best-represented family in species number, with Lepidonotothen nudifrons, L. larseni and Trematomus scotti being the most numerous species. Of the fish assemblages, 20% of the species were considered as dominant, 10% as common, 13% as occasional and 57% as rare. Six groups (and two sub-groups) were obtained by the ordination diagram based on geographical location: group 1=Gerlache Strait, group 2=Deception Islands, group 3=Biscoe Island, group 4=between Elephant and King George islands, group 5=northern Antarctic Peninsula, and group 6=South Shetland Islands, with sub-groups 6a shallower South Shetland Islands and 6b deeper South Shetland Islands. Sampling depth and water temperature significantly explained the spatial pattern. A latitudinal pattern of decreasing abundance from north-east to south-west was found in L. larseni and the opposite in T. scotti. The predictability of fish composition in the assemblages’ areas could be a useful tool for ecosystem-based management.Fil: Llompart, Facundo Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Delpiani, Sergio Matias. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Lattuca, María Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Delpiani, Gabriela Elina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Cruz Jiménez, Adriana Milena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Orlando, Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Ceballos, Santiago Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Diaz de Astarloa, Juan Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Vanella, Fabián Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez, Daniel Alfredo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; Argentin

GPS deformation rates in the Bajo Segura basin (Eastern Betic Cordillera)

En este trabajo hemos cuantificado las tasas de deformación actual de la cuenca del Bajo Segura (NE del corredor de cizalla de la Bética oriental), a partir del análisis de una red GPS con 11 vértices geodésicos. Se han analizado los datos de cuatro campañas GPS entre junio de 1999 y enero de 2013, que han sido procesados con la versión 6.2 del software GIPSY-OASIS. Este software utiliza la técnica de posicionamiento puntual de precisión conocido por las siglas PPP. Se observa un acortamiento ~N-S en toda la cuenca de mayor magnitud en el sur, en la zona de falla del Bajo Segura, con valores que varían de oeste a este entre 0,73 y 0,24 mm/año. En el borde septentrional de la cuenca, en la zona de falla de Crevillente, los valores de acortamiento N-S son menores. Sin embargo, en esta falla se ha observado un movimiento lateral sinistrorso que, en la componente E-O, varía entre 0,44 y 0,75 mm/año.We estimate the present deformation rates of the Bajo Segura Basin (NE end of the Eastern Betic shear zone), from the analysis of a GPS network with 11 sites. We analyze the data from four observation campaigns carried out between June 1999 and January 2013.We used the 6.2 version of GIPSYOASIS software to process GPS data in Precise Point Positioning mode (PPP). It is observed a ~N-S shortening in the whole basin, higher in the south, along the Bajo Segura fault zone, with rates varying from West to East between 0.73 and 0.24 mm/yr. In the northern border of the basin, along the Crevillente fault zone, N-S deformation rates are lower. However, it is observed a left-lateral movement of this fault zone varying between 0.44 and 0.75 mm/yr in the E-W direction.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por los proyectos del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad AYA2010-15501 y CGL2011-30153-C02-02 y por el proyecto CSD2006-0041 (European Regional Development Fund-ERDF)

Inclusive search for same-sign dilepton signatures in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

An inclusive search is presented for new physics in events with two isolated leptons (e or mu) having the same electric charge. The data are selected from events collected from p p collisions at root s = 7 TeV by the ATLAS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb(-1). The spectra in dilepton invariant mass, missing transverse momentum and jet multiplicity are presented and compared to Standard Model predictions. In this event sample, no evidence is found for contributions beyond those of the Standard Model. Limits are set on the cross-section in a fiducial region for new sources of same-sign high-mass dilepton events in the ee, e mu and mu mu channels. Four models predicting same-sign dilepton signals are constrained: two descriptions of Majorana neutrinos, a cascade topology similar to supersymmetry or universal extra dimensions, and fourth generation d-type quarks. Assuming a new physics scale of 1 TeV, Majorana neutrinos produced by an effective operator V with masses below 460 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level. A lower limit of 290 GeV is set at 95% confidence level on the mass of fourth generation d-type quarks

Standalone vertex finding in the ATLAS muon spectrometer

A dedicated reconstruction algorithm to find decay vertices in the ATLAS muon spectrometer is presented. The algorithm searches the region just upstream of or inside the muon spectrometer volume for multi-particle vertices that originate from the decay of particles with long decay paths. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated using both a sample of simulated Higgs boson events, in which the Higgs boson decays to long-lived neutral particles that in turn decay to bbar b final states, and pp collision data at √s = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2011

Measurement of inclusive two-particle angular correlations in pp collisions with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

We present a measurement of two-particle angular correlations in proton- proton collisions at s√=900 GeV and 7 TeV. The collision events were collected during 2009 and 2010 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider using a single-arm minimum bias trigger. Correlations are measured for charged particles produced in the kinematic range of transverse momentum p T  > 100 MeV and pseudorapidity |η| < 2.5. A complex structure in pseudorapidity and azimuth is observed at both collision energies. Results are compared to pythia 8 and herwig++ as well as to the AMBT2B, DW and Perugia 2011 tunes of pythia 6. The data are not satisfactorily described by any of these models

A note on comonotonicity and positivity of the control components of decoupled quadratic FBSDE

In this small note we are concerned with the solution of Forward-Backward Stochastic Differential Equations (FBSDE) with drivers that grow quadratically in the control component (quadratic growth FBSDE or qgFBSDE). The main theorem is a comparison result that allows comparing componentwise the signs of the control processes of two different qgFBSDE. As a byproduct one obtains conditions that allow establishing the positivity of the control process.Comment: accepted for publicatio

Hunt for new phenomena using large jet multiplicities and missing transverse momentum with ATLAS in 4.7 fb−1 of s√=7TeV proton-proton collisions

Results are presented of a search for new particles decaying to large numbers of jets in association with missing transverse momentum, using 4.7 fb−1 of pp collision data at s√=7TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in 2011. The event selection requires missing transverse momentum, no isolated electrons or muons, and from ≥6 to ≥9 jets. No evidence is found for physics beyond the Standard Model. The results are interpreted in the context of a MSUGRA/CMSSM supersymmetric model, where, for large universal scalar mass m 0, gluino masses smaller than 840 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level, extending previously published limits. Within a simplified model containing only a gluino octet and a neutralino, gluino masses smaller than 870 GeV are similarly excluded for neutralino masses below 100 GeV