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Distance-dependent interactions between the rod and the cone systems in goldfish retina.

We recorded from ganglion cell axons in the optic tracts of self-respiring goldfish, and examined the interaction of rod-effective and cone-effective stimuli within their receptive fields. The summation of influences due to the rod system and the long wavelength sensitive cone system was analyzed by the methods of response-summation and sensitivity-summation. Different spatial relationships between the rod- and cone-effective stimuli allowed examination of distance-dependent effects. Both the response-summation and sensitivity-summation analyses showed a difference in non-linearity between a configuration in which the rod- and cone-effective stimuli were spatially overlapped and a configuration in which they were not. This difference in both analyses demonstrates a distance dependent interaction between the rod and cone systems. Both analyses also showed a difference in non-linearity between a configuration in which the rod-and cone-effective stimuli were nearby (but not overlapped) and one in which they were more distant. This demonstrates that the interaction is not limited to receptors that are immediate neighbors. An estimate of the strength of interaction in each case showed that the differences among the three configurations were relatively slight, indicating a broad spread of the effect. The interaction was found to be relatively powerful; assuming a specific simple model for the interaction mechanism, we found that each system exerts an effect upon the other which accounts for about 1/3 of its signal.

Animals↗

Learning cortical topography from spatiotemporal stimuli.

Stimulus representation is a functional interpretation of early sensory cortices. Early sensory cortices are subject to stimulus-induced modifications. Common models for stimulus-induced learning within topographic representations are based on the stimuli's spatial structure and probability distribution. Furthermore, we argue that average temporal stimulus distances reflect the stimuli's relatedness. As topographic representations reflect the stimuli's relatedness, the temporal structure of incoming stimuli is important for the learning in cortical maps. Motivated by recent neurobiological findings, we present an approach of cortical self-organization that additionally takes temporal stimulus aspects into account. The proposed model transforms average interstimulus intervals into representational distances. Thereby, neural topography is related to stimulus dynamics. This offers a new time-based interpretation of cortical maps. Our approach is based on a wave-like spread of cortical activity. Interactions between dynamics and feedforward activations lead to shifts of neural activity. The psychophysical saltation phenomenon may represent an analogue to the shifts proposed here. With regard to cortical plasticity, we offer an explanation for neurobiological findings that other models cannot explain. Moreover, we predict cortical reorganizations under new experimental, spatiotemporal conditions. With regard to psychophysics, we relate the saltation phenomenon to dynamics and interaction in early sensory cortices and predict further effects in the perception of spatiotemporal stimuli.

Animals↗

Fine mapping of the spatial relationship between acute ischemia and dendritic structure indicates selective vulnerability of layer V neuron dendritic tufts within single neurons in vivo.

We have evaluated the spatial relationship between clotted vasculature and the structural integrity of layer V cortical neurons in YFP (yellow fluorescent protein)-H transgenic mice 2 to 10 h after photothrombotic stroke. Fortuitously, ischemic zones could be finely mapped about dysmorphic YFP labeled axons and dendrites using histology since Texas-red dextran used to assess blood flow in vivo was trapped within fixed clotted vessels. Ischemic damage to layer V neurons located at the border of ischemia was contained within apical tuft spiny dendritic structures and did not propagate to spines on the more proximal region of the apical dendrite. The lateral spread of dendritic damage decayed sharply with distance from the edge of ischemia (50% reduction in beaded dendrites within approximately 100 microm) and increased with time up to 6 h after stroke but not thereafter. Axonal damage also increased with time but extended further laterally than dendritic damage, up to 500 microm from the stroke core. Apoptotic and necrotic cell death cascades were activated 6 h after stroke; however, only within 300 microm of the ischemic core. These data suggest that the axonal and dendritic circuitry of neurons located 300 microm outside of an ischemic zone can be relatively free of damage or commitment to cell death suggesting that they may be in an ideal position to contribute to functional recovery. Given that ischemic damage may have a larger effect on circuitry involving superficial dendrites and projecting axons, it is conceivable that surviving peri-infarct neurons may have unique structural and functional properties.

Acute Disease↗

Thin-section ratiometric Ca2+ images obtained by optical sectioning of fura-2 loaded mast cells.

The availability of the ratiometric Ca2+ indicator dyes, fura-2, and indo-1, and advances in digital imaging and computer technology have made it possible to detect Ca2+ changes in single cells with high temporal and spatial resolution. However, the optical properties of the conventional epifluorescence microscope do not produce a perfect image of the specimen. Instead, the observed image is a spatial low pass filtered version of the object and is contaminated with out of focus information. As a result, the image has reduced contrast and an increased depth of field. This problem is especially important for measurements of localized Ca2+ concentrations. One solution to this problem is to use a scanning confocal microscope which only detects in focus information, but this approach has several disadvantages for low light fluorescence measurements in living cells. An alternative approach is to use digital image processing and a deblurring algorithm to remove the out of focus information by using a knowledge of the point spread function of the microscope. All of these algorithms require a stack of two-dimensional images taken at different focal planes, although the "nearest neighbor deblurring" algorithm only requires one image above and below the image plane. We have used a modification of this scheme to construct a simple inverse filter, which extracts optical sections comparable to those of the nearest neighbors scheme, but without the need for adjacent image sections. We have used this "no neighbors" processing scheme to deblur images of fura-2-loaded mast cells from beige mice and generate high resolution ratiometric Ca2+ images of thin sections through the cell. The shallow depth of field of these images is demonstrated by taking pairs of images at different focal planes, 0.5-microns apart. The secretory granules, which exclude the fura-2, appear in focus in all sections and distinct changes in their size and shape can be seen in adjacent sections. In addition, we show, with the aid of model objects, how the combination of inverse filtering and ratiometric imaging corrects for some of the inherent limitations of using an inverse filter and can be used for quantitative measurements of localized Ca2+ gradients. With this technique, we can observe Ca2+ transients in narrow regions of cytosol between the secretory granules and plasma membrane that can be less than 0.5-microns wide. Moreover, these Ca2+ increases can be seen to coincide with the swelling of the secretory granules that follows exocytotic fusion.

Algorithms↗

Spatiotemporal responses of astrocytes, ramified microglia, and brain macrophages to central neuronal infection with pseudorabies virus.

We examined the responses of astrocytes, ramified microglia, and brain macrophages to CNS neuronal infection with virulent or attenuated strains of a swine alpha herpesvirus (pseudorabies virus, PRV). After PRV inoculation of the rat stomach or pancreas, the temporal course of viral replication and induced pathology of infected neurons were assessed in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) and amygdala using an antiserum generated against PRV. Specific monoclonal antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), OX42, and ED1 and morphological criteria were used to classify non-neuronal cells. Both PRV strains infected DMV and motor neurons and then passed transneuronally to infect brainstem neurons that innervate the DMV. However, the onset of neuronal infection produced by the attenuated strain occurred approximately 20 hr later than infection with the virulent strain. Animals infected with the attenuated strain also survived longer, permitting transneuronal passage of virus into forebrain areas of the visceral neuraxis. Neuronal infection with both PRV strains produced consistent alterations in astrocytes, ramified microglia, and brain macrophages that correlated spatially and temporally with progressive stages of viral replication and neuronal pathology. Early stages of infection were characterized by increases in immunoreactivity for astrocytic GFAP and microglial OX42 that preceded overt signs of neuronal pathology. At later stages, GFAP immunoreactivity decreased dramatically in focal areas of neuronal infection while OX42 immunoreactivity continued to increase. Subsequently, ED1-immunoreactive brain macrophages infiltrated these infected areas. Double immunocytochemical labeling demonstrated that some astrocytes and brain macrophages were immunopositive for viral antigens but ramified microglia were not. The responses of glia and brain macrophages are consistent with a proposed role in restricting extracellular spread of virus by isolating or phagocytosing infected cells. These phenomena may contribute to the specific transneuronal transport exhibited by PRV.

Animals↗

MR phase-contrast flow measurement with limited spatial resolution in small vessels: value of model-based image analysis.

Magnetic resonance phase-contrast volume flow rate (VFR) measurement with limited resolution in small vessels is subject to two major sources of error: a) partial volume artifacts, causing systematic overestimation of the VFR, and b) errors related to the selection of vessel pixels [region of interest (ROI)], causing large inter-observer and intra-observer variability. Additionally, limited resolution results in Gibbs-ringing around vessels, which adversely affects VFR determination. In this paper, a semi-automatic model-based method is presented that effectively eliminates errors due to both partial volume effect and Gibbs-ringing and also minimizes errors from variability in the ROI selection. The model assumes a parabolic flow profile and cylindrical vessel geometry, incorporates inflow effects, and takes into account the point-spread function of the acquisition. The method automatically estimates maximum velocity, vessel radius, and VFR. The method is validated in phantoms under various conditions and evaluated in vivo. For small vessels with moderately pulsatile flow, it is demonstrated that accurate VFRs and diameter estimates are obtained, virtually independent of the ROI selection, even in vessels covered by just a few pixels. Compared with conventional VFR analysis, both accuracy and reproducibility improve significantly.

Basilar Artery↗

Effects of feature-based attention on the motion aftereffect at remote locations.

Previous studies have shown that attention to a particular stimulus feature, such as direction of motion or color, enhances neuronal responses to unattended stimuli sharing that feature. We studied this effect psychophysically by measuring the strength of the motion aftereffect (MAE) induced by an unattended stimulus when attention was directed to one of two overlapping fields of moving dots in a different spatial location. When attention was directed to the same direction of motion as the unattended stimulus, the unattended stimulus induced a stronger MAE than when attention was directed to the opposite direction. Also, when the unattended location contained either uncorrelated motion or had no stimulus at all an MAE was induced in the opposite direction to the attended direction of motion. The strength of the MAE was similar regardless of whether subjects attended to the speed or luminance of the attended dots. These results provide further support for a global feature-based mechanism of attention, and show that the effect spreads across all features of an attended object, and to all locations of visual space.

Adult↗

Model and observations of Schottky-noise suppression in a cold heavy-ion beam.

Some years ago it was found at GSI in Darmstadt that the momentum spread of electron-cooled beams of highly charged ions dropped abruptly to very low values when the particle number decreased to 10 000 or less. This has been interpreted as an ordering of the ions, such that they line up after one another in the ring. We report observations of similar transitions at CRYRING, including an accompanying drop in Schottky-noise power. We also introduce a model of the ordered beam from which the Schottky-noise power can be calculated numerically. The good agreement between the model calculation and the experimental data is seen as evidence for a spatial ordering of the ions.

Journal Article↗

Altered central nervous system gene expression caused by congenitally acquired persistent infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus.

Neonatal infection of most mouse strains with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) leads to a life-long persistent infection characterized by high virus loads in the central nervous system (CNS) in the absence of inflammation and tissue destruction. These mice, however, exhibit impaired learning and memory. The occurrence of cognitive defects in the absence of overt CNS pathology led us to the hypothesis that chronic virus infection may contribute to neuronal dysfunction by altering the host's gene expression profile. To test this hypothesis, we examined the impact of LCMV persistence on host gene expression in the CNS. To model the natural route of human congenital CNS infection observed with a variety of viruses, we established a persistently infected mouse colony where the virus was maintained via vertical transmission from infected mothers to offspring (LCMV-cgPi). LCMV-cgPi mice exhibited a lifelong persistent infection involving the CNS; the infection was associated with impaired spatial-temporal learning. Despite high viral loads in neurons of the brains of adult LCMV-cgPi mice, we detected changes in the host's CNS gene expression for only 75 genes, 56 and 19 being significantly induced and reduced, respectively. The majority of the genes induced in the brain of LCMV-cgPi mice were interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs) and included the transcription factors STAT1 and IRF9, the ISG15 protease UBP43, and the glucocorticoid attenuated-response genes GARG16 and GARG49. Based on their crucial role in antiviral defense, these ISGs may play an important role in limiting viral spread and replication. However, since IFNs have also been implicated in adverse effects on neuronal function, the chronic induction of some ISGs may also contribute to the observed cognitive impairment.

Animals↗

ENA/VASP proteins: multifunctional regulators of actin cytoskeleton dynamics.

The spatial and temporal regulation of the actin cytoskeleton is fundamental to several cellular processes as diverse as cell motility and immune responses. At the molecular level, the remodelling of the actin cytoskeleton depends on two key events: actin filament nucleation and elongation. Seminal studies on the actin-based intracellular motility of the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes have been instrumental for the characterisation of a class of actin filament elongating factors, the proteins of the Ena/VASP family. Ena/VASP proteins enhance actin filament elongation via the recruitment of profilin:actin complexes to sites of active actin remodelling such as the tips of spreading lamellipodia and the surface of intracellular Listeria. Moreover, Ena/VASP proteins not only enhance actin filament elongation but also influence the activity of the Arp2/3 complex and counteract the inhibition of actin polymerisation by capping proteins. These findings, taken together with the observation that Ena/VASP proteins can influence actin filament architecture by affecting the actin filament branching activity of the Arp2/3 complex, define Ena/VASP proteins as multifunctional organisers of the actin cytoskeleton.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

[Neuropsychological evaluation in a case of multiple sclerosis].

INTRODUCTION: The neuropsychological assessment of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be diagnostically useful to provide a patient's cognitive profile, to observe the spread of the deficit and to identify the peculiar areas that are more or less affected, in order to plan a long-term management and treatment. CLINICAL CASE: In this article, we present a case of cognitive dysfunction associated with a progressive MS in a 54 years woman, which was diagnosed six years ago. The magnetic resonance imaging showed demyelinating lesions at the periventricular region, with left predominance, and in the protuberance with signs of cortico-subcortical atrophy. We performed neuropsychological assessment of the main cognitive areas: orientation, attention, information processing, memory, general intelligence functioning, language, arithmetic, visual-spatial functioning, motor, executive functioning and personality. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained point out serious alterations in the information speed processing, long term memory, motor, executive functioning and personality. This results go in a concordant way with the results reported in the consulted bibliography. Likewise, it is commented the resemblance of the cognitive deficit related to a pattern of subcortical dementia.

Affect↗

[Ozone in the layer of the atmosphere closest to the ground].

High ozone concentrations are regularly observed and of wide-spread appearance in the planetary boundary layer during summerly high pressure conditions. The ozone is a product of photochemical reactions involving as precursors nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. The emission of both precursors in Switzerland is discussed. During summer-smog episodes, the time series of ozone concentration shows a typical diurnal pattern, with low values in the early morning and high values in the mid-afternoon. At mountain stations this pattern is much less pronounced. Historical data show that the natural ozone background is considerably lower than today's measured values at mountain top stations. In Switzerland, pronounced spatial differences in the ozone levels, caused by the complex topography, can occur. Reduction of the emission of precursors is the only way to reduce high ozone levels. Several reduction scenarios are discussed. In Switzerland the combined reduction of both precursors is the most successful strategy.

Atmosphere↗

[Spatial-temporal dynamic change of land resource degradation in China].

Large scale spatial and temporal land use survey data were used to study the dynamics of land use change in China recently. With the aid of GIS, the spatial-temporal dynamic change of land resource degradation at the national level was investigated using authoritative datasets from detailed land use surveys (early 1990s approximately 2003). As a result, seven major types of land degradation processes were identified, including sandy desertification, rocky desertification, secondary salinification, non-agricultural land occupation, deforestation, natural grassland degradation and wetlands shrinking. This paper comprehensively explored the characteristics of these land degradation processes and revealed the status and trend of the holistic land resource degradation in China. Results shows that: (1) Although land degradation has been controlled in local area, but it is still continuing to spread in the whole country. The total degradation index of the holistic land resource presented fluctuating trend. Indexes of non-agricultural construction occupation and wetland shrinking process are far more than that of other process, which are two primary causes contribution to heading straight towards full-scale land resource deterioration in China. (2) Land resource degradation process of China focused on natural grass land, and non-agricultural construction land, which attained 66.27%; Land resource degradation rehabilitation mainly focused on desertification and forest restoration, which accounts for 57.5%. (3) Sandy desertification and rocky desertification process have been reversing greatly. The total net change of their quantities was decreased by 15,578km2. But most of the rehabilitation of land desertification was concentrated on the originally ecological vulnerable northwestern zone, whereas newly added desertified land has been expanding and aggravating in eastern zone, especially around river watersheds. (4) Over two-thirds of non-agriculture land expansion came from cultivated land. In addition, almost 60 percent of the loss cultivated land occupied by non-agricultural land was appeared in the Northeast, the Eastern coast and Central China where have many high productive agricultural lands of China. This kind of land degradation has threatened food security of China seriously. (5) However, large scale reclamation of ecological land transferred into cultivated land was the most dominant factor of degradation. For example, the conversion of wetland resource to croplands by reclamation accounts for over 50 percent of wetland shrinking.

Agriculture↗

Compromised metabolic recovery following spontaneous spreading depression in the penumbra.

Spreading depression (SD) has been demonstrated following focal ischemia, and the additional workload imposed by SD on a tissue already compromised by a marked reduction in blood flow may contribute to the evolution of irreversible damage in the ischemic penumbra. SD was elicited in one group of rats by injecting KCl directly into a frontal craniectomy and the wave of depolarization was recorded in two craniectomies 3 and 6 mm posterior to the first one. In a second group, the middle cerebral artery was occluded using the monofilament technique and a recording electrode was placed 5 mm lateral to the midline and 0.2 mm posterior to bregma. To determine the metabolic response in the penumbral region of the cortex ipsilateral to the occlusion, brains from both groups were frozen in situ when the deflection of the SD was maximal. The spatial metabolic response of SD in the ischemic cortex was compared to that in the non-ischemic cortex. Coronal sections of the brains were lyophilized, pieces of the dorsolateral cortex were dissected and weighed, and analyzed for ATP, P-creatine, inorganic phosphate (Pi), glucose, glycogen and lactate at varying distances anterior and posterior to the recording electrode. ATP and P-creatine levels were significantly decreased at the wavefront in both groups and the levels recovered after passage of the wavefront in the normal brain, but not in the ischemic brain. Glucose and glycogen levels were significantly decreased and lactate levels significantly increased in the tissue after the passage of the wavefront. While the changes in the glucose-related metabolites persisted during recovery even in anterior portions of the cortex in both groups in the aftermath of the SD, the magnitude of the changes was greater in the penumbra than in the normal cortex. SD appears to impose an equivalent increase in energy demands in control and ischemic brain, but the ability of the penumbra to recover from the insult is compromised. Thus, increasing the energy imbalance in the penumbra after multiple SDs may hasten the deterioration of the energy status of the tissue and eventually contribute to terminal depolarization and cell death, particularly in the penumbra.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

lim6, a novel LIM homeobox gene in the zebrafish: comparison of its expression pattern with lim1.

A novel LIM class homeobox gene, lim6, was isolated from a zebrafish embryonic cDNA library. The encoded protein shares a high degree of sequence similarity with the previously described Lim1 and Lim5 proteins. This study compares the spatial and temporal expression pattern of the closely related lim6 and lim1 genes during early embryogenesis. Generally, lim6 mRNA was found at rather low amounts compared to lim1 mRNA. At the shield stage, lim6 mRNA, similar to lim1 mRNA, was predominantly expressed in the shield. Lim6 was transiently expressed in a restricted region of the anterior neural plate at the bud stage, distinct from the expression of lim1 in the notochord and the pronephros and pronephric ducts. During the segmentation period, the lim6 gene started to be expressed in single cells in the spinal cord, followed by a gradually increasing wide-spread expression throughout the CNS. During this stage, lim1 mRNA disappeared in the notochord and pronephric ducts and was found in the pronephroi and single cells in the CNS. In 24 hr embryos, lim6 and lim1 were expressed in the fore-, mid-, and hindbrain and the spinal cord, except that lim1 mRNA was limited to two small domains in the telencephalon, whereas lim6 mRNA was widely expressed in this region. A comparison of expression of lim1 and lim6 and of the previously characterized lim5 show that, in spite of close sequence similarity, distinct expression patterns imply nonredundant functions for each member of this group of genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Spatial distribution of blastomeres is dependent on cell division order and interactions in mouse morulae.

Spatial distribution of blastomeres was examined in 16- to 30-cell morulae obtained from aggregates of 1/2----1/2 and 1/2----2/4 blastomeres. The advanced blastomeres (2/4) contributed disproportionately more inner cells while there was a corresponding decline in the contribution from the delayed blastomere (1/2) so that a balance between the total number of inner and outer cells was retained. There was, however, no marked change in the relative number of outer cells. It is suggested that once formed, the inner more adhesive cells divide relatively faster than the outer cells whose behaviour is dictated by the inner cells. The outer less adhesive cells spread over the inner cells; cell spreading is incompatible with division. The degree to which cell spreading and retardation of division of outer cells occurs may be dictated by the number of inner cells present at any one time and this partly determines the entry of further cells inside. The suggested mechanism for cell allocation is highly flexible and, indeed, essential to encompass the wide variety of patterns of cell interactions and distribution observed in morulae. It is also proposed that the retardation of division of outer cells may trigger differentiation of trophectoderm by inducing endoreduplication and the blastomeres delayed from dividing for the longest period of time may mark down the abembryonic pole and establish the embryonic-abembryonic axis.

Animals↗

Anatomic organization of evoked potentials in rat parietotemporal cortex: somatosensory and auditory responses.

1. Two 8 x 8-channel microelectrode arrays were used to map epicortical field potentials from a 3.5 x 3.5-mm2 area in homologous regions of right and left parietotemporal cortex of four rats. Potentials were evoked with bilaterally presented click stimuli and with bilateral tactile stimulation of the 25 major vibrissae. The spatial distribution of temporal components of the somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) and auditory evoked potential (AEP) complex were compared directly with cytochrome oxidase-stained sections of the recorded region. 2. Epicortical responses in both hemispheres to bilateral vibrissal stimuli consisted of a biphasic sharp wave (P1a-N1) constrained to the vibrissa/barrel granular region of primary somatosensory cortex (SmI). A slightly later sharp positive wave (P1b) was localized to secondary somatosensory cortex (SmII) and to perigranular cortex medial to the vibrissa/barrel field. The SEP complex ended with a biphasic slow wave (P2-N2). The P2 was centered on SmI and spread to dysgranular lateral cortex, caudal to but excluding SmII. The N2 was centered on SmII and spread to dysgranular cortex caudal to but excluding SmI. 3. The anatomic organization of the AEP in many ways approximated that of the SEP in the same animals. The timing and morphology of the AEP were nearly identical to the SEP. The AEP consisted of a P1a-N1 sharp wave constrained to the estimated region of primary auditory cortex (AI) in the lateral parietotemporal region, a later P1b localized to secondary auditory cortex (AII), and subsequent slow waves (P2 and N2) that were centered on AI and AII, respectively, and spread to dysgranular regions overlapping the distributions of the P2 and N2 of the SEP complex. 4. These data suggest that the basic neural generators for the SEP and AEP in parietotemporal cortex are quite similar, and provide evidence for the functional anatomy of each temporal component of the sensory evoked potential complex. It is concluded that the early fast waves of the SEP and AEP are modality specific and may represent the parallel activation of primary and secondary sensory cortex through established parallel afferent projections from lateral and medial thalamic nuclei. The later slow waves of the SEP and AEP appear to selectively involve primary and secondary sensory cortex but are more widely distributed, possibly reflecting a less modality-specific level of information processing in dysgranular cortex.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

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