Geniculo-Cortical Projection Diversity Revealed within the Mouse Visual Thalamus

This is the final version of the article. It was first available from PLOS via http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0144846All dLGN cell co-ordinates, V1 injection sites, dLGN boundary coordinates, experimental protocols and analysis scripts are available for download from figshare at https://figshare.com/s/36c6d937b1844eec80a1.The mouse dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) is an intermediary between retina and primary visual cortex (V1). Recent investigations are beginning to reveal regional complexity in mouse dLGN. Using local injections of retrograde tracers into V1 of adult and neonatal mice, we examined the developing organisation of geniculate projection columns: the population of dLGN-V1 projection neurons that converge in cortex. Serial sectioning of the dLGN enabled the distribution of labelled projection neurons to be reconstructed and collated within a common standardised space. This enabled us to determine: the organisation of cells within the dLGN-V1 projection columns; their internal organisation (topology); and their order relative to V1 (topography). Here, we report parameters of projection columns that are highly variable in young animals and refined in the adult, exhibiting profiles consistent with shell and core zones of the dLGN. Additionally, such profiles are disrupted in adult animals with reduced correlated spontaneous activity during development. Assessing the variability between groups with partial least squares regression suggests that 4?6 cryptic lamina may exist along the length of the projection column. Our findings further spotlight the diversity of the mouse dLGN?an increasingly important model system for understanding the pre-cortical organisation and processing of visual information. Furthermore, our approach of using standardised spaces and pooling information across many animals will enhance future functional studies of the dLGN.Funding was provided by a Wellcome Trust grant jointly awarded to IDT and SJE (083205, www.wellcome.ac.uk), and by MRC PhD Studentships awarded to MNL and ACH (http://www.mrc.ac.uk/)

Habitat use of marine mammals in Antarctic waters

The authors discuss the habitat of marine mammals in the Southern Ocean as studied during the expedition ANTARKTIS-XXIII of the research vessel Polarstern in 2006 and 200

Changes in biomass of eight species of finfish around the South Orkney Islands (Subarea 48,2) from three bottom trawl surveys

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Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena abundance in the southwestern Baltic Sea

Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena is the only cetacean species resident in the Baltic Sea. At least 2 different subpopulations occur in this area, with a presumed demarcation line in the western Baltic Sea. Aerial surveys were conducted during different seasons in the years 2002 to 2006, to obtain estimates of porpoise abundance for the southwestern Baltic. Within the survey area, 3 strata were defined. In total, 46 surveys were completed for these strata. Abundance estimates and corresponding confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for each stratum separately for each survey. Density between areas varied seasonally and spatially, with the western study area (Kiel Bight) generally showing the highest density. Whenever all 3 strata were covered within 25 consecutive days, abundance for the overall survey area was calculated. Ten surveys met these criteria. Overall abundance in the western Baltic varied between surveys, with the lowest value in March 2003 (457 ind.; 95% CI: 0 to 1632), and the highest estimate in May 2005 (4610 ind.; 95% CI: 2259 to 9098). The results of all other surveys were in the range from 1352 to 2905 ind., with largely overlapping confidence intervals. Applying the only available bycatch estimates (which include no measure of precision) currently available for the German Baltic region, the percent of porpoise bycatch in the western Baltic lies within a range of 1.78 to 17.94% of the local population. To increase the precision of bycatch rates, more detailed bycatch estimates for this region are needed. Nevertheless, the results indicate that bycatch is a major threat to harbour porpoises throughout the western Baltic Sea

Cetacean surveys in the Southern Ocean using icebreaker-supported helicopters

Cetaceans in the Southern Ocean are potentially impacted by anthropogenic activities, such as direct hunting or through indirect effects of a reduced sea ice due to climate change. Knowledge on the distribution of cetacean species in this area is important for conservation, but the remoteness of the study area and the presence of sea ice make it difficult to conduct shipboard surveys to obtain this information. In this study, aerial surveys were conducted from ship-based helicopters. In the 2006/07 (ANT XXIII/8) and 2008/09 (ANT XXV/2) polar summers, the icebreaker RV ‘Polarstern’ conducted research cruises in the Weddell Sea, which offered the opportunity to use the helicopters to conduct dedicated cetacean surveys. Combining the results from both cruises, over 26,000 km were covered on survey effort, 13 different cetacean species were identified, and a total of 221 cetacean sightings consisting of a total of 650 animals were made. Using digital photography, it was possible to identify four different beaked whale species and to conduct individual photo-identification of humpback and southern right whales. Helicopter surveys allow the collection of additional information on sightings, (e.g. group size, species), as well as the coverage of areas with high ice coverage. The flexibility and manoeuvrability of helicopters make them a powerful scientific tool to investigate cetaceans in the Southern Ocean, especially in combination with an icebreake

Entwicklung und Erprobung eines Kuehlsystems und eines damit kombinierbaren Atemschutzgeraetes, vorwiegend fuer den Rettungs- und Bergungseinsatz im Bergbau unter Tage Abschlussbericht. Abschlussdatum: Mai 1980

Technische Informationsbibliothek Hannover: RN 7543 (81-010) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman