Imaging is used to map activity across populations of neurons. Microscopes with cellular resolution have small (<1 millimeter) fields of view and cannot simultaneously image activity distributed across multiple brain areas. Typical large field of view microscopes do not resolve single cells, especially in the axial dimension. We developed a 2-photon random access mesoscope (2p-RAM) that allows high-resolution imaging anywhere within a volume spanning multiple brain areas (∅ 5 mm x 1 mm cylinder). 2p-RAM resolution is near diffraction limited (lateral, 0.66 μm, axial 4.09 μm at the center; excitation wavelength = 970 nm; numerical aperture = 0.6) over a large range of excitation wavelengths. A fast three-dimensional scanning system allows efficient sampling of neural activity in arbitrary regions of interest across the entire imaging volume. We illustrate the use of the 2p-RAM by imaging neural activity in multiple, non-contiguous brain areas in transgenic mice expressing protein calcium sensors.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14472.001

Slowed myocardial conduction velocity (θ) is associated with an increased risk of re-entrant excitation, predisposing to cardiac arrhythmia. θ is determined by the ion channel and physical properties of cardiac myocytes and by their interconnections. Thus, θ is closely related to the maximum rate of action potential (AP) depolarization [(dV/dt)max], as determined by the fast Na+ current (INa); the axial resistance (ra) to local circuit current flow between cells; their membrane capacitances (cm); and to the geometrical relationship between successive myocytes within cardiac tissue. These determinants are altered by a wide range of pathophysiological conditions. Firstly, INa is reduced by the impaired Na+ channel function that arises clinically during heart failure, ischemia, tachycardia, and following treatment with class I antiarrhythmic drugs. Such reductions also arise as a consequence of mutations in SCN5A such as those occurring in Lenègre disease, Brugada syndrome (BrS), sick sinus syndrome, and atrial fibrillation (AF). Secondly, ra, may be increased due to gap junction decoupling following ischemia, ventricular hypertrophy, and heart failure, or as a result of mutations in CJA5 found in idiopathic AF and atrial standstill. Finally, either ra or cm could potentially be altered by fibrotic change through the resultant decoupling of myocyte–myocyte connections and coupling of myocytes with fibroblasts. Such changes are observed in myocardial infarction and cardiomyopathy or following mutations in MHC403 and SCN5A resulting in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) or Lenègre disease, respectively. This review defines and quantifies the determinants of θ and summarizes experimental evidence that links changes in these determinants with reduced myocardial θ and arrhythmogenesis. It thereby identifies the diverse pathophysiological conditions in which abnormal θ may contribute to arrhythmia.

Point-scanning two-photon microscopy enables high-resolution imaging within scattering specimens such as the mammalian brain, but sequential acquisition of voxels fundamentally limits its speed. We developed a two-photon imaging technique that scans lines of excitation across a focal plane at multiple angles and computationally recovers high-resolution images, attaining voxel rates of over 1 billion Hz in structured samples. Using a static image as a prior for recording neural activity, we imaged visually-evoked and spontaneous glutamate release across hundreds of dendritic spines in mice at depths over 250 μm and frame-rates over 1 kHz. Dendritic glutamate transients in anaesthetized mice are synchronized within spatially-contiguous domains spanning tens of microns at frequencies ranging from 1-100 Hz. We demonstrate millisecond-resolved recordings of acetylcholine and voltage indicators, 3D single-particle tracking, and imaging in Users may view, print, copy, and download text and data-mine the content in such documents, for the purposes of academic research, subject always to the full Conditions of use:

RyR2(S/S) atria show reduced levels of Nav1.5 expression and Na(+) channel function. Reduced Na(+) channel function was also observed in WT atria, following acute increases in [Ca(2+)]i. Taken together, the results suggest that raised [Ca(2+)]i produces both acute and chronic inhibition of Na(+) channel function. These findings may help explain the relationship between altered Ca(2+) homeostasis, CV, and the maintenance of common arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation.

Attention: this version-2 of the manuscript differs from its previously uploaded version-1 (arXiv:1112.6158v1) and subsequently published in 2012 J. Phys. B 45 105102 only by a removed typo in Eq.(2) of version-1; there was the erroneous factor "2" in both terms in the right-hand-side of the Eq.(2) of version-1. Now that the typo is removed, Eq.(2) is correct.A perceived advantage for the replacement of a discontinuous square-well pseudopotential, which is often used by various researchers as an approximation to the actual C 60 cage potential in calculations of endohedral atoms A@C 60 , by a more realistic diffuse potential is explored. The photoionization of endohedral H@C 60 and Xe@C 60 is chosen as the case study. The diffuse potential is modelled by a combination of two Woods-Saxon potentials. It is demonstrated that photoionization spectra of A@C 60 atoms are largely insensitive to the degree η of diffuseness of the potential borders, in a reasonably broad range of η's. Alternatively, these spectra are found to be insensitive to discontinuity of the square-well potential either. Both potentials result in practically identical calculated spectra. New numerical values for the set of square-well parameters, which lead to a better agreement between experimental and theoretical data for A@C 60 spectra, are recommended for future studies.PACS numbers: 32.80. Fb,