Neural representation of a spatial odor memory in the honeybee mushroom body

Nawrot MP, D'Albis T, Menzel R, Strube-Bloss M. Neural representation of a spatial odor memory in the honeybee mushroom body. BMC Neuroscience. 2015;16(S1): P240

Description of four new species of Mesocletodes Sars, 1909 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Argestidae) and redescription of Mesocletodes robustus Por, 1965 from the South Atlantic, including remarks on the Mesocletodes abyssicola group

The present paper focuses on taxonomic and phylogenetic investigations of the family Argestidae Por, 1986. Samples, collected during the cruise DIVA 1 (M48/1) to the Angola Basin on board of RV “Meteor” (2000), contain amongst others several specimens belonging to the Mesocletodes abyssicola-group (Harpacticoida, Argestidae) which includes ten species so far. This paper deals with the description of Mesocletodes angolaensis sp. nov., M. bicornis sp. nov., M. dorsiprocessus sp. nov. and M. meteorensis sp. nov. as well as the redescription of Mesocletodes robustus Por, 1965. The four new species bear cuticular processes on the cephalothorax and/or telson, as is characteristic for the Mesocletodes abyssicola-group. These processes are supposed to be of high phylogenetic value, since they do not occur in any other taxon within the Argestidae, and are always inserted at the same position. Therefore, the Mesocletodes abyssicola-group is herein considered monophyletic

Meteoridium and Zelometeorium in Bolivia

The genera Meteoridium and Zelometeorium are described and illustrated from 73 collections made by the author in Bolivia. Barbella tenuissima (Hook. & Wils.) Fleisch. is transferred to the genus Meteoridium as Meteoridium tenuissimum (Hook. & Wils.) M. Lewis comb. nov. Due to its hypnobryoid peristome and other characters, the genus Meteoridium is placed in the Brachytheciaceae. Meteoridium remotifolium (C. Müll.) Manuel shows marked variation over its altitudinal range and four ecoforms are recognized. Distribution records show that the species of these two genera have distinct ranges, with only Meteoridium remotifolium overlapping the ranges of the other species. Habitat data shows that none of the species treated are obligate epiphytes, and that they grow equally well in terrestrial habitats

Finite-Difference Time-Domain Simulation for Three-dimensional Polarized Light Imaging

Three-dimensional Polarized Light Imaging (3D-PLI) is a promising technique to reconstruct the nerve fiber architecture of human post-mortem brains from birefringence measurements of histological brain sections with micrometer resolution. To better understand how the reconstructed fiber orientations are related to the underlying fiber structure, numerical simulations are employed. Here, we present two complementary simulation approaches that reproduce the entire 3D-PLI analysis: First, we give a short review on a simulation approach that uses the Jones matrix calculus to model the birefringent myelin sheaths. Afterwards, we introduce a more sophisticated simulation tool: a 3D Maxwell solver based on a Finite-Difference Time-Domain algorithm that simulates the propagation of the electromagnetic light wave through the brain tissue. We demonstrate that the Maxwell solver is a valuable tool to better understand the interaction of polarized light with brain tissue and to enhance the accuracy of the fiber orientations extracted by 3D-PLI.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure

Vertical variation in flight activity of the lesser short-tailed bat in podocarp and beech forests, Central North Island, New Zealand

Designing robust monitoring programmes for cryptic species is particularly difficult. Not detecting a species does not necessarily mean that it is absent from the sampling area. A conclusion of absence made in error can lead to misguided inferences about distribution, colonisation and local extinction estimates, which in turn affects where and how conservation actions are undertaken. It is therefore important to investigate monitoring techniques that reduce the non-detection rate of cryptic species. As habitat complexity plays an important role in the activity of bats within a forest, it was hypothesised that the amount of vegetative ‘clutter’ present at different heights within two different forest types affected the flight activity of lesser short-tailed bats (Mystacina tuberculata). This could affect detection of the species within different forest structures. To compare bat activity at three heights – top (22.0–25.0 m), middle (10.0–12.0 m) and bottom (1.5–2.0 m) – within a podocarp and a beech forest we used automatic bat monitors during January to March 2005. The number of bat passes was recorded at each height at two study areas within each forest and compared between forest types. The forest structure was described using the Recce method and vegetative cover estimated within the three height tiers sampled for bat activity. Within both forest types, the middle-level bat detectors logged the greatest amount of activity. However, differences between the forest types were most pronounced closer to the ground, where a high amount of activity was detected within the beech forest, and very little within the podocarp forest. This suggests that flight activity of lesser short-tailed bats may be affected by the level of vegetative clutter found at different heights within a forest. When designing monitoring programmes for lesser short-tailed bats, it is recommended that consideration be given to the forest structure and how this may affect detection of bat activity

Apport des données Landsat Thematic Mapper pour la cartographie des sols dans la région de Menzel Habib

Un essai de cartographie des sols a été réalisé au niveau de la zone de Menzel Habib, située en Tunisie présaharienne dans la région naturelle des basses plaines méridionales. Cette zone fait partie d’un Réseau d'Observatoires de Surveillance Écologique à Long Terme (ROSELT) mise en place par l’Observatoire du Sahel et du Sahara(OSS), dans le cadre d’un programme de suivi environnemental de la désertification. Ainsi, conformément aux objectifs généraux de ce programme insistant sur l’intérêt de la valorisation et l’exploitation des données anciennes pertinentes en relation avec le thème recherché par la présente étude. On a adopté une approche méthodologique reposant principalement sur la classification multispectrale d’une image satellite en ayant recours aux cartes des ressources en sols et pédologiques existantes. Il en ressort une carte pédologique couvrant toute la zone de Menzel Habib répartis en huit classes.Mots-clés : sols, cartographie, classification multispectrale, image satellite

Jirí Menzel : eine Arbeitsblibliographie

Die folgende Arbeitsbibliographie zum Werk Jirí Menzels entstand im Rahmen einer Arbeitsgruppe unter der Leitung von Ludger Kaczmarek, Heinz-Jürgen-Köhler und Jörg Schweinitz. Ich danke ihnen sowie Britta Hartmann für zahlreiche Hinweise. Die Bibliographie gliedert sich in die folgenden Abschnitte: • Texte von Menzel • Interviews • Allgemein • Zu den einzelnen Filmen • Tschechoslowakische Filmgeschicht

ANALYSIS OF BILATERAL ASYMMETRIES BY FLIGHT TIME OF ONE LEG COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP

Lateral differences concerning the magnitude of strength are frequently found in the lower limbs (LL) and may be related to preference (dominant and non-dominant) and skill performance. For jump tests the lateral differences greater than 15% are considered clinically significant (Noyes et al., 1991). Since Countermovement Jumps (CMJ) on a force platform are an adequate method for the identification of lateral asymmetries (Menzel et al., 2006), the objective was to verify if lateral asymmetries of CMJ performance can also be identified by the flight time of single leg CMJ on a contact mat