Proprioceptive Re-alignment drives Implicit Sensorimotor Adaptation

Multiple learning processes contribute to successful goal-directed actions in the face of changing physiological states, biomechanical constraints, and environmental contexts. Amongst these processes, implicit sensorimotor adaptation is of primary importance, ensuring that movements remain well-calibrated and accurate. A large body of work on reaching movements has emphasized how adaptation centers on an iterative process designed to minimize visual errors. The role of proprioception has been largely neglected, thought to play a passive role in which proprioception is affected by the visual error but does not directly contribute to adaptation. Here we present an alternative to this visuo-centric framework, arguing that that implicit adaptation can be understood as minimizing a proprioceptive error, the distance between the perceived hand position and its intended goal. We use this proprioceptive re-alignment model (PReMo) to re-examine many phenomena that have previously been interpreted in terms of learning from visual errors, as well as offer novel accounts for unexplained phenomena. We discuss potential challenges for this new perspective on implicit adaptation and outline a set of predictions for future experimentation.

Extension of Mitogenome Enrichment Based on Single Long-Range PCR: mtDNAs and Putative Mitochondrial-Derived Peptides of Five Rodent Hibernators

Enriching mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for sequencing entire mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) can be achieved by single long-range PCR. This avoids interference from the omnipresent nuclear mtDNA sequences (NUMTs). The approach is currently restricted to the use of samples collected from humans and ray-finned fishes. Here, we extended the use of single long-range PCR by introducing back-to-back oligonucleotides that target a sequence of extraordinary homology across vertebrates. The assay was applied to five hibernating rodents, namely alpine marmot, Arctic and European ground squirrels, and common and garden dormice, four of which have not been fully sequenced before. Analysis of the novel mitogenomes focussed on the prediction of mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs) providing another level of information encoded by mtDNA. The comparison of MOTS-c, SHLP4 and SHLP6 sequences across vertebrate species identified segments of high homology that argue for future experimentation. In addition, we evaluated four candidate polymorphisms replacing an amino acid in mitochondrially encoded subunits of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system that were reported in relation to cold-adaptation. No obvious pattern was found for the diverse sets of mammalian species that either apply daily or multiday torpor or otherwise cope with cold. In summary, our single long-range PCR assay applying a pair of back-to-back primers that target a consensus sequence motif of Vertebrata has potential to amplify (intact) mitochondrial rings present in templates from a taxonomically diverse range of vertebrates. It could be promising for studying novel mitogenomes, mitotypes of a population and mitochondrial heteroplasmy in a sensitive, straightforward and flexible manner.

Developing a Novel Method of Analysis for Thiols in Sauvignon blanc

<p>New Zealand wine had an export value of $1.21 billion in 2013. Of the total 170million litres of wine exported thatyear, Sauvignon blanc madeup 84.5%. Sauvignon blanc wines have specific flavours and aromas that consumers detect and enjoy including grapefruit, passion fruit,and citrus characters that are due to the presence of sulfur containing thiols. Unfortunately, thiols are also responsible for aromas such as cat’s urine, grass, and gasoline, which taint the flavour of a wine. Careful analysis of these compounds could lead to wines tailored to specific palates and a reduction of taint aromas and flavours, therefore further increasing the market potential for New Zealand Sauvignon blanc. The aim of this project was to further develop an SPME-based technique for thiol analysis of wine that is more reproducible, more accessible, and less toxic than the current method that concentrates the thiols using organomercury columns. To do this, gold nanoparticles were synthesised and coated onto SPME fibres in an attempt to selectively extract thiols from wine samples. Initial results showed an inconsistency between analyses and led to the need for a more comprehensive analysis ofthe gold surface,the gold-sulfur bond, and its RED-OX chemistry. Techniques employed for analysis of the gold surface included scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy,zeta-sizing and UV-VisSpectrophotometry. To examine the interactions between gold and sulfur, Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and computational chemistry were used. The RED-OX chemistry was initially assessed in terms of the carrier gas in the gas chromatographs but was later changed to reductive and oxidative dips. It was found that an H2O2 dip in between samples oxidised the bound thiolates to a series of dimers that were easier to remove from the gold. While not yet completely resolving the hysteresis observed in previous attempts, this method of cleaning the fibres will lead to future experimentation and development in this area.</p>

Developing a Novel Method of Analysis for Thiols in Sauvignon blanc

<p>New Zealand wine had an export value of $1.21 billion in 2013. Of the total 170million litres of wine exported thatyear, Sauvignon blanc madeup 84.5%. Sauvignon blanc wines have specific flavours and aromas that consumers detect and enjoy including grapefruit, passion fruit,and citrus characters that are due to the presence of sulfur containing thiols. Unfortunately, thiols are also responsible for aromas such as cat’s urine, grass, and gasoline, which taint the flavour of a wine. Careful analysis of these compounds could lead to wines tailored to specific palates and a reduction of taint aromas and flavours, therefore further increasing the market potential for New Zealand Sauvignon blanc. The aim of this project was to further develop an SPME-based technique for thiol analysis of wine that is more reproducible, more accessible, and less toxic than the current method that concentrates the thiols using organomercury columns. To do this, gold nanoparticles were synthesised and coated onto SPME fibres in an attempt to selectively extract thiols from wine samples. Initial results showed an inconsistency between analyses and led to the need for a more comprehensive analysis ofthe gold surface,the gold-sulfur bond, and its RED-OX chemistry. Techniques employed for analysis of the gold surface included scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy,zeta-sizing and UV-VisSpectrophotometry. To examine the interactions between gold and sulfur, Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and computational chemistry were used. The RED-OX chemistry was initially assessed in terms of the carrier gas in the gas chromatographs but was later changed to reductive and oxidative dips. It was found that an H2O2 dip in between samples oxidised the bound thiolates to a series of dimers that were easier to remove from the gold. While not yet completely resolving the hysteresis observed in previous attempts, this method of cleaning the fibres will lead to future experimentation and development in this area.</p>

Threshold Modeling of Basic Statistical Methods for Effective Motion Detection in Video Surveillance

This paper empirical investigates two basic statistical methods namely Adaptive Median and Adaptive Mean for motion detection in video surveillance for the optimization of parameters namely threshold and the refresh rate of background frame used in these methods. Experimentation shows that the optimum choice of parameters majorly affects the quality of motion detection. The performance of methods for different parameters is measured using precision, recall and f1-score. PR curves are also drawn which are based on precision and recall values to show the effect of different parameters. Test data includes six data sets from different scenarios of ‘CDNet2012’. Experimental results verify that for every method there are fixed values of parameters with slight variations which gives better result of object motion. These parameter values can be used or adapted for future experimentation on these methods with respect to each scenario.

Lateral Inhibition: Are two hands better than one?

This study investigated the differences in amplitude discrimination capacity between two stimuli delivered to adjacent fingertips on the same hand (contralateral delivery) and stimuli delivered to two fingers on opposite hands (bilateral delivery). The measures were obtained in order to study the impact of lateral inhibition via interhemispheric connections on cortical centers on opposite sides of the somatosensory cortex in comparison to lateral inhibition occurring between adjacent cortical centers within the same hemisphere. Using the Cortical Metrics Brain Gauge™ device, amplitude discrimination capacity of 37 healthy subjects was assessed at several different durations, ranging from 40 to 500 msec, of vibrotactile stimulation delivered contralaterally and bilaterally. The results demonstrate a significant difference in amplitude discrimination capacity between the two conditions for stimulus duration of 200ms, with performance being better for the contralateral delivery of the stimuli than the bilateral condition for most tested durations. Task performance was roughly the same for the two conditions at the extremes of short (40ms) and long (500ms) stimulus durations. Amplitude discrimination capacity improved with longer stimulus durations in both bilateral and contralateral conditions. Though slight variation was observed at the level of each individual subject, overall, it is clear that local lateral inhibition plays a role in assessing the two stimuli delivered to the same hand that gives same-handed discrimination an advantage over two-handed discrimination. Additionally, the trends identified may be useful in guiding future experimentation that investigates clinical assessments of deficits in cortical processing that is mediated by callosal connections.

Abstract 17070: Engineering a Novel Ex Vivo Heart Simulator for Biomechanical Analysis of the Aortomitral Junction

Introduction: Advances in ex vivo heart simulation have enabled the study of valvular biomechanics, disease pathologies, and repair strategies. However, these simulators test the valves in isolation, which does not fully replicate in vivo physiology. We hypothesize that by engineering a simulator that preserves the aortomitral junction, we can better recreate pathophysiologies such as systolic anterior motion (SAM). Here, we present a new heart simulator that preserves and manipulates the native aortomitral physiology. Methods: Our simulator is comprised of three subsystems: the ventricular chamber, atrial chamber, and aortic chamber (Fig A, B). The heart is excised at the apex to preserve the papillary muscles, and the left ventricle, atrial cuff, and aorta are fixed to their respective chambers via hemostatic suturing to 3D-printed elastomeric rings. The chambers are equipped with pressure and flow sensors, and a linear piston pump generates physiologic pressures and flows. The atrial and aortic chambers are mounted on 5-degree-of-freedom arms. To demonstrate system function, we manipulated the aortomitral angle and measured aortic cardiac output. Results: In our testing, we evaluated two unique configurations of an explanted porcine heart, of which the aortomitral angles spanned the SAM predictive risk threshold of <120° (Fig C, D). From the flow readings, we measured a 36% reduction in aortic cardiac output upon decreasing the aortomitral angle by 25°. Conclusions: This work highlights the design and development of an ex vivo heart simulator capable of modeling native aortomitral physiology. Our results point to a clear direction for future experimentation, particularly evaluating the biomechanical changes of the heart based on the aortomitral angle. Future work will utilize this platform to create new models and repair techniques to ultimately improve clinical care of valvular pathologies.

Sectoral activation of glia in an inducible mouse model of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of blinding disorders caused by diverse mutations, including in rhodopsin (RHO). Effective therapies have yet to be discovered. The I307N Rho mouse is a light-inducible model of autosomal dominant RP. Our purpose was to describe the glial response in this mouse model to educate future experimentation. I307N Rho mice were exposed to 20,000 lx of light for thirty minutes to induce retinal degeneration. Immunofluorescence staining of cross-sections and flat-mounts was performed to visualize the response of microglia and Müller glia. Histology was correlated with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography imaging (SD-OCT). Microglia dendrites extended between photoreceptors within two hours of induction, withdrew their dendrites between twelve hours and one day, appeared ameboid by three days, and assumed a ramified morphology by one month. Glial activation was more robust in the inferior retina and modulated across the boundary of light damage. SD-OCT hyper-reflectivity overlapped with activated microglia. Finally, microglia transiently adhered to the RPE before which RPE cells appeared dysmorphic. Our data demonstrate the spatial and temporal pattern of glial activation in the I307N Rho mouse, and correlate these patterns with SD-OCT images, assisting in interpretation of SD-OCT images in preclinical models and in human RP.

Bronze Age Swordsmanship: New Insights from Experiments and Wear Analysis

The article presents a new picture of sword fighting in Middle and Late Bronze Age Europe developed through the Bronze Age Combat Project. The project investigated the uses of Bronze Age swords, shields, and spears by combining integrated experimental archaeology and metalwork wear analysis. The research is grounded in an explicit and replicable methodology providing a blueprint for future experimentation with, and wear analysis of, prehistoric copper-alloy weapons. We present a four-step experimental methodology including both controlled and actualistic experiments. The experimental results informed the wear analysis of 110 Middle and Late Bronze Age swords from Britain and Italy. The research has generated new understandings of prehistoric combat, including diagnostic and undiagnostic combat marks and how to interpret them; how to hold and use a Bronze Age sword; the degree of skill and training required for proficient combat; the realities of Bronze Age swordplay including the frequency of blade-on-blade contact; the body parts and areas targeted by prehistoric sword fencers; and the evolution of fighting styles in Britain and Italy from the late 2nd to the early 1st millennia BC. All primary data discussed in the article are available as supplementary material (Appendix) so as to allow scrutiny and validation of the research results.

A UAV-Based Framework for Semi-Automated Thermographic Inspection of Belt Conveyors in the Mining Industry

Frequent and accurate inspections of industrial components and equipment are essential because failures can cause unscheduled downtimes, massive material, and financial losses or even endanger workers. In the mining industry, belt idlers or rollers are examples of such critical components. Although there are many precise laboratory techniques to assess the condition of a roller, companies still have trouble implementing a reliable and scalable procedure to inspect their field assets. This article enumerates and discusses the existing roller inspection techniques and presents a novel approach based on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) integrated with a thermal imaging camera. Our preliminary results indicate that using a signal processing technique, we are able to identify roller failures automatically. We also proposed and implemented a back-end platform that enables field and cloud connectivity with enterprise systems. Finally, we have also cataloged the anomalies detected during the extensive field tests in order to build a structured dataset that will allow for future experimentation.