Frontal White Matter Volume Is Associated with Brain Enlargement and Higher Structural Connectivity in Anthropoid Primates

Previous research has indicated the importance of the frontal lobe and its ‘executive’ connections to other brain structures as crucial in explaining primate neocortical adaptations. However, a representative sample of volumetric measurements of frontal connective tissue (white matter) has not been available. In this study, we present new volumetric measurements of white and grey matter in the frontal and non-frontal neocortical lobes from 18 anthropoid species. We analyze this data in the context of existing theories of neocortex, frontal lobe and white versus grey matter hyperscaling. Results indicate that the ‘universal scaling law’ of neocortical white to grey matter applies separately for frontal and non-frontal lobes; that hyperscaling of both neocortex and frontal lobe to rest of brain is mainly due to frontal white matter; and that changes in frontal (but not non-frontal) white matter volume are associated with changes in rest of brain and basal ganglia, a group of subcortical nuclei functionally linked to ‘executive control’. Results suggest a central role for frontal white matter in explaining neocortex and frontal lobe hyperscaling, brain size variation and higher neural structural connectivity in anthropoids

Multiple Transmitter Receptors in Regions and Layers of the Human Cerebral Cortex

We measured the densities (fmol/mg protein) of 15 different receptors of various transmitter systems in the supragranular, granular and infragranular strata of 44 areas of visual, somatosensory, auditory and multimodal association systems of the human cerebral cortex. Receptor densities were obtained after labeling of the receptors using quantitative in vitro receptor autoradiography in human postmortem brains. The mean density of each receptor type over all cortical layers and of each of the three major strata varies between cortical regions. In a single cortical area, the multi-receptor fingerprints of its strata (i.e., polar plots, each visualizing the densities of multiple different receptor types in supragranular, granular or infragranular layers of the same cortical area) differ in shape and size indicating regional and laminar specific balances between the receptors. Furthermore, the three strata are clearly segregated into well definable clusters by their receptor fingerprints. Fingerprints of different cortical areas systematically vary between functional networks, and with the hierarchical levels within sensory systems. Primary sensory areas are clearly separated from all other cortical areas particularly by their very high muscarinic M2 and nicotinic α4β2 receptor densities, and to a lesser degree also by noradrenergic α2 and serotonergic 5-HT2 receptors. Early visual areas of the dorsal and ventral streams are segregated by their multi-receptor fingerprints. The results are discussed on the background of functional segregation, cortical hierarchies, microstructural types, and the horizontal (layers) and vertical (columns) organization in the cerebral cortex. We conclude that a cortical column is composed of segments, which can be assigned to the cortical strata. The segments differ by their patterns of multi-receptor balances, indicating different layer-specific signal processing mechanisms. Additionally, the differences between the strata-and area-specific fingerprints of the 44 areas reflect the segregation of the cerebral cortex into functionally and topographically definable groups of cortical areas (visual, auditory, somatosensory, limbic, motor), and reveals their hierarchical position (primary and unimodal (early) sensory to higher sensory and finally to multimodal association areas).HighlightsDensities of transmitter receptors vary between areas of human cerebral cortex.Multi-receptor fingerprints segregate cortical layers.The densities of all examined receptor types together reach highest values in the supragranular stratum of all areas.The lowest values are found in the infragranular stratum.Multi-receptor fingerprints of entire areas and their layers segregate functional systemsCortical types (primary sensory, motor, multimodal association) differ in their receptor fingerprints

Передача данных сетью БПЛА вдоль линейного объекта на противололожных курсах

The process of data transmission by a network of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) based on DPMR (Digital Private Mobile Radio) along an extended linear object is considered. A method of forming a network with the help of two UAVs moving in opposite directions with equal intervals between the devices within each of them is shown

Проблема утилизации и вторичной переработки пластиковых бутылок

Происходящие глобальные изменения преобразовывают обычную сырьевую экономику в высокотехнологичную, позволяющую рационально использовать имеющиеся ресурсы и при этом не загрязнять окружающую нас среду. Переработка ПЭТ-бутылок позволит решить проблему утилизации пластикового мусора и может стать прибыльным бизнесом. Результаты исследования показали, что сырье, полученное в процессе переработки пластиковых бутылок, может быть использовано для изготовления востребованной продукции.The ongoing global changes transform the conventional raw material economy into a high-tech one, allowing rational use of available resources and at the same time to not polluting the environment around us. Recycling of PET bottles will solve the problem of recycling plastic trash and can become a profitable business. The results of the research showed that secondary raw material, obtained during the processing of plastic bottles can be used for the production of the demanded products

Разработка бесконтактного кардиографа

Целью данной работы является разработка бесконтактного электрокардиографа и анализ его свойств. В процессе изучения были рассмотрены основные принципы электрокардиографии и проведен ряд экспериментов по исследованию электрокардиографических свойств. В результате исследования были изучены вопросы и проблемы связанные с реализацией разработки бесконтактного электрокардиографа, также были получены оценки его характеристики.The aim of this work is to develop a non-contact electrocardiograph and analysis of its properties. During the study, the basic principles of electrocardiography were considered and a number of experiments were conducted to study the electrocardiographic properties. As a result of the study, questions and problems related to the implementation of the development of a non-contact electrocardiograph were studied, and estimates of its characteristics were also obtained

Acetylcholine Neurotransmitter Receptor Densities in the Striatum of Hemiparkinsonian Rats Following Botulinum Neurotoxin-A Injection

Cholinergic neurotransmission has a pivotal function in the caudate-putamen, and is highly associated with the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease. Here, we investigated long-term changes in the densities of the muscarinic receptor subtypes M1, M2, M3 (mAchRs) and the nicotinic receptor subtype α4β2 (nAchRs) in the striatum of the 6-OHDA-induced hemiparkinsonian (hemi-PD) rat model using quantitative in vitro receptor autoradiography. Hemi-PD rats exhibited an ipsilateral decrease in striatal mAchR densities between 6 and 16%. Moreover, a massive and constant decrease in striatal nAchR density by 57% was found. A second goal of the study was to disclose receptor-related mechanisms for the positive motor effect of intrastriatally injected Botulinum neurotoxin-A (BoNT-A) in hemi-PD rats in the apomorphine rotation test. Therefore, the effect of intrastriatally injected BoNT-A in control and hemi-PD rats on mAchR and nAchR densities was analyzed and compared to control animals or vehicle-injected hemi-PD rats. BoNT-A administration slightly reduced interhemispheric differences of mAchR and nAchR densities in hemi-PD rats. Importantly, the BoNT-A effect on striatal nAchRs significantly correlated with behavioral testing after apomorphine application. This study gives novel insights of 6-OHDA-induced effects on striatal mAchR and nAchR densities, and partly explains the therapeutic effect of BoNT-A in hemi-PD rats on a cellular level

Towards Ultra-High Resolution Fibre Tract Mapping of the Human Brain – Registration of Polarised Light Images and Reorientation of Fibre Vectors

Polarised light imaging (PLI) utilises the birefringence of the myelin sheaths in order to visualise the orientation of nerve fibres in microtome sections of adult human post-mortem brains at ultra-high spatial resolution. The preparation of post-mortem brains for PLI involves fixation, freezing and cutting into 100-μm-thick sections. Hence, geometrical distortions of histological sections are inevitable and have to be removed for 3D reconstruction and subsequent fibre tracking. We here present a processing pipeline for 3D reconstruction of these sections using PLI derived multimodal images of post-mortem brains. Blockface images of the brains were obtained during cutting; they serve as reference data for alignment and elimination of distortion artefacts. In addition to the spatial image transformation, fibre orientation vectors were reoriented using the transformation fields, which consider both affine and subsequent non-linear registration. The application of this registration and reorientation approach results in a smooth fibre vector field, which reflects brain morphology. PLI combined with 3D reconstruction and fibre tracking is a powerful tool for human brain mapping. It can also serve as an independent method for evaluating in vivo fibre tractography

Fluorine adsorption as well as fluorine and oxygen coadsorption on In-rich InSb(111) surface

The oxygen and fluorine adsorption and their coadsorption on the InSb(111)-(1×1) surface have been studied by the projector augmented-wave method within density functional theory. The indium top site was found to be the most energetically favorable for fluorine adsorption, whereas oxygen prefers to be bonded to the bridge site between two In atoms. It is shown that the oxygen-induced surface states are completely or partly removed from the band gap by fluorine coadsorption if it forms bonds with the indium atoms involved in an interaction with oxygen. An increase of fluorine concentration and its coadsorption bring about appreciable structural changes in the near-surface layers due to the penetration of both oxygen and fluorine atoms into the substrate