The project VISPA@WEB provides a novel graphical development environment for physics analyses which only requires a standard web browser on the client machine. It resembles the existing analysis ...environment available from the project Visual Physics Analysis VISPA, including the connection and configuration of modules for different tasks. High level logic can be programmed using the Python language, while performance-critical tasks can be implemented in C++ modules. The use cases range from simple teaching examples to highly complex scientific analyses.
A number of imaging technologies reconstruct an image function from its Radon projection using the convolution backprojection method. The convolution is an O(N2log N) algorithm, where the image ...consists of N X N pixels, while the backprojection is an O(N3) algorithm, thus constituting the major computational burden of the convolution backprojection method. An O(N2log N) multilevel backprojection method is presented here. When implemented with a Fourier-domain postprocessing technique, also presented here, the resulting image quality is similar or superior to the image quality of the classical backprojection technique.
These are the proceedings of the LHCSki 2016 workshop "A First Discussion of 13 TeV Results" that has been held at the Obergurgl Universit\"atszentrum, Tirol, Austria, April 10 - 15, 2016. In this ...workshop the consequences of the most recent results from the LHC have been discussed, with a focus also on the interplay with dark matter physics, flavor physics, and precision measurements. Contributions from the workshop speakers have been compiled into this document.
The Visual Physics Analysis (VISPA) project integrates different aspects of physics analyses into a graphical development environment. It addresses the typical development cycle of (re-)designing, ...executing and verifying an analysis. The project provides an extendable plug-in mechanism and includes plug-ins for designing the analysis flow, for running the analysis on batch systems, and for browsing the data content. The corresponding plug-ins are based on an object-oriented toolkit for modular data analysis. We introduce the main concepts of the project, describe the technical realization and demonstrate the functionality in example applications.
The neurophysiological underpinnings of the nonsocial symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which include sensory and perceptual atypicalities remain poorly understood. Well‐known accounts of ...less dominant top–down influences and more dominant bottom–up processes compete to explain these characteristics. These accounts have been recently embedded in the popular framework of predictive coding theory. To differentiate between competing accounts, we studied altered information dynamics in ASD by quantifying predictable information in neural signals. Predictable information in neural signals measures the amount of stored information that is used for the next time step of a neural process. Thus, predictable information limits the (prior) information which might be available for other brain areas, for example, to build predictions for upcoming sensory information. We studied predictable information in neural signals based on resting‐state magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings of 19 ASD patients and 19 neurotypical controls aged between 14 and 27 years. Using whole‐brain beamformer source analysis, we found reduced predictable information in ASD patients across the whole brain, but in particular in posterior regions of the default mode network. In these regions, epoch‐by‐epoch predictable information was positively correlated with source power in the alpha and beta frequency range as well as autocorrelation decay time. Predictable information in precuneus and cerebellum was negatively associated with nonsocial symptom severity, indicating a relevance of the analysis of predictable information for clinical research in ASD. Our findings are compatible with the assumption that use or precision of prior knowledge is reduced in ASD patients.
A search for charge-parity (CP) violation in D^{0}→K^{-}K^{+} and D^{0}→π^{-}π^{+} decays is reported, using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.9 fb^{-1} collected at a ...center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the LHCb detector. The flavor of the charm meson is inferred from the charge of the pion in D^{*}(2010)^{+}→D^{0}π^{+} decays or from the charge of the muon in Bover ¯→D^{0}μ^{-}νover ¯_{μ}X decays. The difference between the CP asymmetries in D^{0}→K^{-}K^{+} and D^{0}→π^{-}π^{+} decays is measured to be ΔA_{CP}=-18.2±3.2(stat)±0.9(syst)×10^{-4} for π-tagged and ΔA_{CP}=-9±8(stat)±5(syst)×10^{-4} for μ-tagged D^{0} mesons. Combining these with previous LHCb results leads to ΔA_{CP}=(-15.4±2.9)×10^{-4}, where the uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic contributions. The measured value differs from zero by more than 5 standard deviations. This is the first observation of CP violation in the decay of charm hadrons.
In 366 patients with bioptical verified and functional compensated chronic glomerulonephritis the relations between the clinical course types of glomerulonephritis according to Ratner, the ...histological changes and the tubular homoeostatic parameters of renal function, respectively, were investigated. A reliable connection was found between the clinical course type and special tubular functional parameters. With reference to histological changes the occurrence of a tubulo-interstitial lesion (tiK) is the cause of an excessive disturbance of the renal tubular function. Independently of this, however, the clinical course type of chronic glomerulonephritis may be responsible for the pathological reactive failure of tubular functional parameters. In the case of renal tubular dysfunction in the active nephritic type (ANT) and the nephrotic type with hypertension (NHT), respectively, the occurrence of a tik is much likely. By the lack of reno-tubular dysfunction in ANT and NHT a tik be cannot excluded. In contrast to this, in the inactive nephrotic type (INT) and the nephrotic type without hypertension (NHT), respectively, a tik be can excluded by lack of tubular dysfunction. On the other side, a tubular dysfunction in these groups is not a certain proof of a tik.
Midbrain neurons synthesizing the neurotransmitter dopamine play a central role in the modulation of different brain functions and are associated with major neurological and psychiatric disorders. ...Despite the importance of these cells, the molecular mechanisms controlling their development are still poorly understood. The secreted glycoprotein Wnt1 is expressed in close vicinity to developing midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Here, we show that Wnt1 regulates the genetic network, including Otx2 and Nkx2-2, that is required for the establishment of the midbrain dopaminergic progenitor domain during embryonic development. In addition, Wnt1 is required for the terminal differentiation of midbrain dopaminergic neurons at later stages of embryogenesis. These results identify Wnt1 as a key molecule in the development of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in vivo. They also suggest the Wnt1-controlled signaling pathway as a promising target for new therapeutic strategies in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
The embryonic formation of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons
provides critical guidelines for the
differentiation of mDA neurons from stem cells, which are currently being developed for Parkinson's ...disease cell replacement therapy. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)/SMAD inhibition is routinely used during early steps of stem cell differentiation protocols, including for the generation of mDA neurons. However, the function of the BMP/SMAD pathway for
specification of mammalian mDA neurons is virtually unknown. Here, we report that BMP5/7-deficient mice (
;
) lack mDA neurons due to reduced neurogenesis in the mDA progenitor domain. As molecular mechanisms accounting for these alterations in
;
mutants, we have identified expression changes of the BMP/SMAD target genes MSX1/2 (msh homeobox 1/2) and SHH (sonic hedgehog). Conditionally inactivating SMAD1 in neural stem cells of mice
(
) hampered the differentiation of progenitor cells into mDA neurons by preventing cell cycle exit, especially of TH
SOX6
(tyrosine hydroxylase, SRY-box 6) and TH
GIRK2
(potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily-J member-6) substantia nigra neurons. BMP5/7 robustly increased the
differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells and induced neural stem cells to mDA neurons by up to threefold. In conclusion, we have identified BMP/SMAD signaling as a novel critical pathway orchestrating essential steps of mammalian mDA neurogenesis
that balances progenitor proliferation and differentiation. Moreover, we demonstrate the potential of BMPs to improve the generation of stem-cell-derived mDA neurons
, highlighting the importance of sequential BMP/SMAD inhibition and activation in this process.
We identify bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)/SMAD signaling as a novel essential pathway regulating the development of mammalian midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons
and provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of this process. BMP5/7 regulate MSX1/2 (msh homeobox 1/2) and SHH (sonic hedgehog) expression to direct mDA neurogenesis. Moreover, the BMP signaling component SMAD1 controls the differentiation of mDA progenitors, particularly to substantia nigra neurons, by directing their cell cycle exit. Importantly, BMP5/7 increase robustly the differentiation of human induced pluripotent and induced neural stem cells to mDA neurons. BMP/SMAD are routinely inhibited in initial stages of stem cell differentiation protocols currently being developed for Parkinson's disease cell replacement therapies. Therefore, our findings on opposing roles of the BMP/SMAD pathway during
mDA neurogenesis might improve these procedures significantly.
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