Localized direction selective responses in the dendrites of visual interneurons of the fly

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The various tasks of visual systems, including course control, collision avoidance and the detection of small objects, require at the neuronal level the dendritic integration and subsequent processing of many spatially distributed visual motion inputs. While much is known about the pooled output in these systems, as in the medial superior temporal cortex of monkeys or in the lobula plate of the insect visual system, the motion tuning of the elements that provide the input has yet received little attention. In order to visualize the motion tuning of these inputs we examined the dendritic activation patterns of neurons that are selective for the characteristic patterns of wide-field motion, the lobula-plate tangential cells (LPTCs) of the blowfly. These neurons are known to sample direction-selective motion information from large parts of the visual field and combine these signals into axonal and dendro-dendritic outputs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fluorescence imaging of intracellular calcium concentration allowed us to take a direct look at the local dendritic activity and the resulting local preferred directions in LPTC dendrites during activation by wide-field motion in different directions. These 'calcium response fields' resembled a retinotopic dendritic map of local preferred directions in the receptive field, the layout of which is a distinguishing feature of different LPTCs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study reveals how neurons acquire selectivity for distinct visual motion patterns by dendritic integration of the local inputs with different preferred directions. With their spatial layout of directional responses, the dendrites of the LPTCs we investigated thus served as matched filters for wide-field motion patterns.</p

Hard Tissue Engineering

Peer reviewe

Berücksichtigung lokaler und sektorübergreifender Einflussgrößen bei der Planung städtischer Verteilnetze: Paper präsentiert auf der Tagung Zukünftige Stromnetze für Erneuerbare Energien 2018; 30. und 31. Januar 2018, Steigenberger Hotel am Kanzleramt Berlin

Im städtischen Kontext werden häufig Mehrspartenenergiesysteme, bestehend aus einer Gas-, Wärme- und Strominfrastruktur betrieben. In Zukunft ist bedingt durch die Wärmewende mit einer Teilelektrifizierung des Wärmesektors zu rechnen, wobei Wärmeerzeugungsanlagen überwiegend in das Niederspannungsnetz eindringen. Für die Szenarioerstellung werden Modelle nötig, mit denen die Versorgungsaufgabe lokal, bedarfsorientiert und unter Berücksichtigung der bestehenden Netzinfrastrukturen definiert werden kann. Mit der vorgestellten Methodik wird ein komplett georeferenziertes Gebäudemodell aller Wohngebäude im Versorgungsgebiet der Stadtwerke Bamberg (81.661 Einwohner) erstellt, auf dessen Basis die Berechnung bzw. Approximation des spez. Heizwärmebedarfes aller Liegenschaften, sowie der Entwurf eines Szenarios für den Zubau el. Wärmeerzeugungsanlagen erfolgt. Dieses bildet die Grundlage zur Beurteilung des Einflusses el. Heizanlagen auf das Mittel- und Niederspannungsnetz des Versorgungsgebietes „Bamberg Ost“. Dazu wird der aktuelle und zukünftige Netzzustand in Form von Worst-Case-Analysen berechnet

Dependence of odontogenic abscess on meteorological parameters: truth or myth?

Objectives!#!It is still a common belief among dental practitioners that odontogenic abscesses are somehow linked to meteorological parameters. We investigated the influence of different meteorological parameters on the type of surgical abscess treatment (intra- versus extraoral incision) as a measure of the weather-dependent severity of infection.!##!Materials and methods!#!In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 841 patients who presented at our outpatient clinic with an odontogenic abscess between 2004 and 2013.!##!Results!#!We found no statistical dependence between intra- versus extraoral abscess incision with regard to temperature, atmospheric pressure, or relative air humidity. The annual distribution of abscesses was even, and the number of abscesses with greater or lesser mean values of each meteorological parameter did not differ significantly.!##!Conclusions!#!Our results showed no statistical relationship between meteorological parameters and intra- or extraoral abscess incisions.!##!Clinical relevance!#!Our analysis supports the assumption that the theorized relationship between odontogenic abscesses and meteorological parameters remains a myth

Determinants for further wishes for cosmetic and reconstructive interventions in 1652 patients with surgical treated carcinomas of the oral cavity

Abstract Background The impairment of the appearance is a major problem for patients with carcinomas of the oral cavity. These patients want to recover their preoperative facial appearance. Some do not realize that this is not always possible and hence develop a desire for further cosmetic and reconstructive surgery (CRS) which often causes psychological problems. Method The desire of patients for CRS (N = 410; 26%) has been acquired in this DÖSAK rehab study including multiple reasons such as medical, functional, aesthetic and psychosocial aspects. They relate to the parameters of diagnosis, treatment and postoperative rehabilitation. Patients without the wish for CRS (N = 1155; 74%) served as control group. For the surgeons, knowledge of the patient’s views is relevant in the wish for CRS. Nevertheless, it has hardly been investigated for patients postoperatively to complete resection of oral cancer. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, questionnaires with 147 variables were completed during control appointments. Thirty-eight departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery took part, and 1652 German patients at least 6 months after complete cancer resection answered the questions. Additionally, a physician’s questionnaire (N = 1489) was available. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS vers. 22. Results The patient’s assessment of their appearance and scarring are the most important criteria resulting in wishes for CRS. Furthermore, functional limitations such as eating/swallowing, pain of the facial muscles, numb regions in the operating field, dealing with the social environment, return to work, tumour size and location, removal and reconstruction are closely related. Conclusion The wish for CRS depends on diverse functional psychosocial and psychological parameters. Hence, it has to be issued during conversation to improve rehabilitation. A decision on the medical treatment can be of greater satisfaction if the surgeon knows the patients’ needs and is able to compare them with the medical capabilities. The informed consent between doctor and patient in regard to these findings is necessary

Adaptive encoding of motion information in the fly visual system

Kurtz R. Adaptive encoding of motion information in the fly visual system. In: Barth F, Humphrey J, Srinivasan M, eds. Frontiers in Sensing. 1st ed. Wien New York: Springer; 2012: 115-128