Using subthreshold events to characterize the functional architecture of the electrically coupled inferior olive network

The electrical connectivity in the inferior olive (IO) nucleus plays an important role in generating well-timed spiking activity. Here we combined electrophysiological and computational approaches to assess the functional organization of the IO nucleus in mice. Spontaneous fast and slow subthreshold events were commonly encountered during in vitro recordings. We show that whereas the fast events represent intrinsic regenerative activity, the slow events reflect the electrical connectivity between neurons ('spikelets'). Recordings from cell pairs revealed the synchronized occurrence of distinct groups of spikelets; their rate and distribution enabled an accurate estimation of the number of connected cells and is suggestive of a clustered organization. This study thus provides a new perspective on the functional and structural organization of the olivary nucleus and a novel experimental and theoretical approach to study electrically coupled networks

Arbeid naast het bedrijf in de agrarische sector : een onderzoek ten behoeve van agrarische jongeren in Noord- en Zuid-Holland

Een inventariserend onderzoek werd in Noord- en Zuid-Nederland uitgevoerd naar de aard, omvang, ontwikkelingen en positie van nevenberoepsbedrijven om de georganiseerde jongeren in staat te stellen zich hieromtrent een oordeel te vormen en een standpunt in te neme

Variability and directionality of inferior olive neuron dendrites revealed by detailed 3D characterization of an extensive morphological library

The inferior olive (IO) is an evolutionarily conserved brain stem structure and its output activity plays a major role in the cerebellar computation necessary for controlling the temporal accuracy of motor behavior. The precise timing and synchronization of IO network activity has been attributed to the dendro-dendritic gap junctions mediating electrical coupling within the IO nucleus. Thus, the dendritic morphology and spatial arrangement of IO neurons governs how synchronized activity emerges in this nucleus. To date, IO neuron structural properties have been characterized in few studies and with small numbers of neurons; these investigations have described IO neurons as belonging to two morphologically distinct types, “curly” and “straight”. In this work we collect a large number of individual IO neuron morphologies visualized using different labeling techniques and present a thorough examination of their morphological properties and spatial arrangement within the olivary neuropil. Our results show that the extensive heterogeneity in IO neuron dendritic morphologies occupies a continuous range between the classically described “curly” and “straight” types, and that this continuum is well represented by a relatively simple measure of “straightness”. Furthermore, we find that IO neuron dendritic trees are often directionally oriented. Combined with an examination of cell body density distributions and dendritic orientation of adjacent IO neurons, our results suggest that the IO network may be organized into groups of densely coupled neurons interspersed with areas of weaker coupling

Het poëtisch accent. Drie literaire genres in zeventiende-eeuwse Nederlandse pamfletten

'The poetic accent. Three literary genres in seventeenth-century Dutch pamphlets' focuses on the way the conviction works, by studying pamphlets containing sonnets, songs and echo-poetry. I distinguish between structural and affective functions of poetry. Within the composition of a pamphlet, poetry was often given an exordial or perorational function. Poetry before the main text was well suited to portray the author in a good way, to deliver the message of the pamphlet as a kind of device and to help the reader with his interpretation. A poem could also function perorational as a summary of the main text, or as an emotional repetition of the message of the main text. Concerning the affective functions, hardly any neutral or reporting poetry can be found. Most poems have a persuasive function. They can be divided into two groups. The first contains occasional poetry that praises deceased people or poetry that sings about certain festivities and usually follows the known patterns from the funeral or panegyric poetry. The second group is more capricious and differ from the first group because more than in the first category of persuasive poetry an appeal is made to the reader. To call poetry in pamphlets polemic, they have to be part of an ongoing polemic discussion, in which several pamphlets present different views on the same subject. It is characterized by an extensive use of accusing and slandering tactics. Polemic poetry often contains intertextuality. It is credible that polemics aimed at more extreme effects and because of that a certain arsenal of rhetoric weapons was used. The diverting function of poetry in pamphlets can either serve the persuasive or polemic function, or it can be a goal in itself. When the diverting function serves the persuasive or polemic function, it can do so in various ways. First, certain literary elements can be prominent and draw attention to themselves. The second manner in which poetry can have a diverting function in pamphlets, is when poetry is used to vary, or interrupt an ongoing argument without an actual argumentative necessity. The third way in which a diverting function is present but still serving the persuasive and polemic function, is when poetry is part of a mixture of literary forms that ideally reflect on different topics. Sonnets, songs and echo-poetry were used in a one-sided manner when it came to pamphlets, while in fact all genres were more versatile. Pamphlets only contain sonnets of the epigrammatic type, they contain mainly historical songs with political-religious aims and the pastoral variant of echo-poetry is not used. Echo-poetry even slowly abandoned its original form until it became a play of words with only vague reminiscences of its literary and mythological past. These developments are undoubtedly connected to the nature of the medium pamphlet, a medium with a persuasive meaning, willing to play a role in the discussion of current affairs. Poetry in such a medium cannot be pastoral or about love, but has to contribute to this persuasive purpose

Är Bundeswehr insatsberedd? : Den tyska försvarsmakten och europeiska säkerhetsutmaningar

The report examines the issue of the deployability abroad of the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, at present and in terms of future-oriented defence reforms. It notes that the Bundeswehr is growing in terms of GDP spending though not yet in numbers, that there are novel ideas about how to further develop German military doctrine toward its use in international military operations within as well as alongside NATO, and that mechanisms for identifying and closing military capability gaps through procurement are coming into place. At the same time, there are a number of industry-related, legal and political constraints in place, some of which appear poised to continue exert influence over the entire sector for years to come. Absent a very conscious effort on the part of the government and the respective ministries and institutions to alter the status quo, especially in conjunction with aggravated security and defence challenges in Germany’s vicinity, it appears unlikely that these modest steps will yield substantive results in the short to mid-term

Är Bundeswehr insatsberedd? : Den tyska försvarsmakten och europeiska säkerhetsutmaningar

The report examines the issue of the deployability abroad of the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, at present and in terms of future-oriented defence reforms. It notes that the Bundeswehr is growing in terms of GDP spending though not yet in numbers, that there are novel ideas about how to further develop German military doctrine toward its use in international military operations within as well as alongside NATO, and that mechanisms for identifying and closing military capability gaps through procurement are coming into place. At the same time, there are a number of industry-related, legal and political constraints in place, some of which appear poised to continue exert influence over the entire sector for years to come. Absent a very conscious effort on the part of the government and the respective ministries and institutions to alter the status quo, especially in conjunction with aggravated security and defence challenges in Germany’s vicinity, it appears unlikely that these modest steps will yield substantive results in the short to mid-term