GABA-enhanced collective behavior in neuronal axons underlies persistent gamma-frequency oscillations

Gamma (30–80 Hz) oscillations occur in mammalian electroencephalogram in a manner that indicates cognitive relevance. In vitro models of gamma oscillations demonstrate two forms of oscillation: one occurring transiently and driven by discrete afferent input and the second occurring persistently in response to activation of excitatory metabotropic receptors. The mechanism underlying persistent gamma oscillations has been suggested to involve gap-junctional communication between axons of principal neurons, but the precise relationship between this neuronal activity and the gamma oscillation has remained elusive. Here we demonstrate that gamma oscillations coexist with high-frequency oscillations (>90 Hz). High-frequency oscillations can be generated in the axonal plexus even when it is physically isolated from pyramidal cell bodies. They were enhanced in networks by nonsomatic -aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor activation, were modulated by perisomatic GABAA receptor-mediated synaptic input to principal cells, and provided the phasic input to interneurons required to generate persistent gamma-frequency oscillations. The data suggest that high-frequency oscillations occurred as a consequence of random activity within the axonal plexus. Interneurons provide a mechanism by which this random activity is both amplified and organized into a coherent network rhythm

Genetically altered AMPA-type glutamate receptor kinetics in interneurons disrupt long-range synchrony of gamma oscillation

Gamma oscillations synchronized between distant neuronal populations may be critical for binding together brain regions devoted to common processing tasks. Network modeling predicts that such synchrony depends in part on the fast time course of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in interneurons, and that even moderate slowing of this time course will disrupt synchrony. We generated mice with slowed interneuron EPSPs by gene targeting, in which the gene encoding the 67-kDa form of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67) was altered to drive expression of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) glutamate receptor subunit GluR-B. GluR-B is a determinant of the relatively slow EPSPs in excitatory neurons and is normally expressed at low levels in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons, but at high levels in the GAD-GluR-B mice. In both wild-type and GAD-GluR-B mice, tetanic stimuli evoked gamma oscillations that were indistinguishable in local field potential recordings. Remarkably, however, oscillation synchrony between spatially separated sites was severely disrupted in the mutant, in association with changes in interneuron firing patterns. The congruence between mouse and model suggests that the rapid time course of AMPA receptor-mediated EPSPs in interneurons might serve to allow gamma oscillations to synchronize over distance

Test results of Spacelab 2 infrared telescope focal plane

The small helium cooled infrared telescope for Spacelab 2 is designed for sensitive mapping of extended, low-surface-brightness celestial sources as well as highly sensitive investigations of the shuttle contamination environment (FPA) for this mission is described as well as the design for a thermally isolated, self-heated J-FET transimpedance amplifier. This amplifier is Johnson noise limited for feedback resistances from less than 10 to the 8th power Omega to greater than 2 x 10 to the 10th power Omega at T = 4.2K. Work on the focal plane array is complete. Performance testing for qualification of the flight hardware is discussed, and results are presented. All infrared data channels are measured to be background limited by the expected level of zodiacal emission

First Keck Nulling Observations of a Young Stellar Object: Probing the Circumstellar Environment of the Herbig Ae star MWC 325

We present the first N-band nulling plus K- and L-band V2 observations of a young stellar object, MWC325, taken with the 85 m baseline Keck Interferometer. The Keck nuller was designed for the study of faint dust signatures associated with debris disks, but it also has a unique capability for studying the temperature and density distribution of denser disks found around young stellar objects. Interferometric observations of MWC 325 at K, L and N encompass a factor of five in spectral range and thus, especially when spectrally dispersed within each band, enable characterization of the structure of the inner disk regions where planets form. Fitting our observations with geometric models such as a uniform disk or a Gaussian disk show that the apparent size increases monotonically with wavelength in the 2-12 um wavelength region, confirming the widely held assumption based on radiative transfer models, now with spatially resolved measurements over broad wavelength range, that disks are extended with a temperature gradient. The effective size is a factor of about 1.3 and 2 larger in the L-band and N-band, respectively, compared to that in the K-band. The existing interferometric measurements and the spectral energy distribution can be reproduced by a flat disk or a weakly-shadowed nearly flat-disk model, with only slight flaring in the outer regions of the disk, consisting of representative "sub-micron" (0.1 um) and "micron" (2 um) grains of a 50:50 ratio of silicate and graphite. This is marked contrast with the disks previously found in other Herbig Ae/Be stars suggesting a wide variety in the disk properties among Herbig Ae/Be stars.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Ap

Stability Analysis of Asynchronous States in Neuronal Networks with Conductance-Based Inhibition

Oscillations in networks of inhibitory interneurons have been reported at various sites of the brain and are thought to play a fundamental role in neuronal processing. This Letter provides a self-contained analytical framework that allows numerically efficient calculations of the population activity of a network of conductance-based integrate-and-fire neurons that are coupled through inhibitory synapses. Based on a normalization equation this Letter introduces a novel stability criterion for a network state of asynchronous activity and discusses its perturbations. The analysis shows that, although often neglected, the reversal potential of synaptic inhibition has a strong influence on the stability as well as the frequency of network oscillations

The optimization problem of the shaped knife profiling

Проаналізовано переваги та недоліки процесу гарячого поділу безперервнолитої квадратної заготовки на ножицях з фасонними ножами. Відзначається доцільність проведення теоретичних досліджень розділових операцій на ножицях з використанням методу скінченних елементів (МСЕ). Метою даної роботи було визначення оптимальної форми профілювання фасонного ножа для поділу квадратної заготовки в гарячому стані шляхом математичного моделювання на базі МСЕ. Представлено методику проведення досліджень, що включали два етапи. На першому етапі використовували математичне моделювання відповідно до плану повного факторного експерименту 24 згідно виробничих умов реалізації процесу з ножами що мали значення кута розкриття ножів 90…98° та ухилу контактних поверхонь 3…11°. При обробці даних моделювання були отримані три відносних параметра, два з яких характеризують зминання (затяжка) і загин кінців розкату, і ще один – ромбічність торцевої поверхні. Для кожного з параметрів, отримані лінійні рівняння регресії як функція температури різання та розмірів заготовок, величини кута розкриття ножів та ухилу контактних поверхонь. На другому етапі дослідження вирішували оптимізаційну задачу пошуку мінімуму цільової функції – ромбічності. За результатами відзначено, що оптимальні значення профілювання ножів залежать від вимог, що висуваються до якості зрізу. Введено фактор граничного відхилення зминання і загину кінців, встановлений діапазон його значень та проаналізовано вплив на оптимальні параметри. Запропоновано величини кута розкриття ножів та ухилу контактних поверхонь, за умови мінімізації граничного відхилення зминання і загину кінців у досліджуваних діапазонах температур та розмірів заготовок. Отримано залежності параметрів профілювання ножів від граничного відхилення зминання і загину кінців заготовок після поділу. Результати роботи можуть бути рекомендовані для використання при прийнятті проектно-конструкторських і технологічних рішень в питаннях гарячого розділення безперервнолитої квадратної заготовки фасонними ножами на кут.The advantages and disadvantages of the process of separation in hot condition of billet with square shape by special profiled knives were analyzed. There is expediency of carrying out theoretical researches the separating operations by shears based on finite elements method (FEM) is noted. The purpose of the work was to determine the optimal shape for make form a profiled knife for separating a square billet in a hot state by simulating based on the FEM. A methodology of study realization consisting of two stages is presented. At the first stage, simulating was used in accordance with the plan of the full factorial experiment 24 according to the technological environment for the process implementation with knives having a knife opening angle of 90...98° and a contact surface inclination of 3...11°. At the processing the simulation results, three relative parameters were obtained. Two parameters characterize the crumpling (tightening) and bending of the billet ends, and one more – the rhomboidity of the end surface. For each of the parameters, the linear regression equations obtained as a function of cutting temperature and billet sizes, the knife opening angle and contact surface inclination. At the second stage of the study, the optimization problem of determining the minimum of the objective function – rhomboidity – was solved. According to the results, it was noted that the optimal values of the profiling of knives depend on the requirements for the quality of the cut. The factor of the maximum deviation of crumpling and bending of the ends is introduced. The range of its values is established and the influence on the optimal parameters is analyzed. The values of the knife opening angle and contact surface inclination are proposed, provided that the maximum deviation of the crumpling and bending of the ends, at the studied temperature ranges and sizes of the billets, is minimized. The dependences of the optimal parameters of the profiling of knives on the maximum deviation of the crumpling and bending of the ends of the billets after separation are obtained. Results of work can be recommended for use to get solutions in design and technology questions of hot separation square billet by profiled knife on the angle

Imaging the spotty surface of Betelgeuse in the H band

This paper reports on H-band interferometric observations of Betelgeuse made at the three-telescope interferometer IOTA. We image Betelgeuse and its asymmetries to understand the spatial variation of the photosphere, including its diameter, limb darkening, effective temperature, surrounding brightness, and bright (or dark) star spots. We used different theoretical simulations of the photosphere and dusty environment to model the visibility data. We made images with parametric modeling and two image reconstruction algorithms: MIRA and WISARD. We measure an average limb-darkened diameter of 44.28 +/- 0.15 mas with linear and quadratic models and a Rosseland diameter of 45.03 +/- 0.12 mas with a MARCS model. These measurements lead us to derive an updated effective temperature of 3600 +/- 66 K. We detect a fully-resolved environment to which the silicate dust shell is likely to contribute. By using two imaging reconstruction algorithms, we unveiled two bright spots on the surface of Betelgeuse. One spot has a diameter of about 11 mas and accounts for about 8.5% of the total flux. The second one is unresolved (diameter < 9 mas) with 4.5% of the total flux. Resolved images of Betelgeuse in the H band are asymmetric at the level of a few percent. The MOLsphere is not detected in this wavelength range. The amount of measured limb-darkening is in good agreement with model predictions. The two spots imaged at the surface of the star are potential signatures of convective cells.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&A, references adde

Observations of Mira stars with the IOTA/FLUOR interferometer and comparison with Mira star models

We present K'-band observations of five Mira stars with the IOTA interferometer. The interferograms were obtained with the FLUOR fiber optics beam combiner, which provides high-accuracy visibility measurements in spite of time-variable atmospheric conditions. For the M-type Miras X Oph, R Aql, RU Her, R Ser, and the C-type Mira V CrB we derived the uniform-disk diameters 11.7mas, 10.9mas, 8.4mas, 8.1mas, and 7.9mas (+/- 0.3mas), respectively. Simultaneous photometric observations yielded the bolometric fluxes. The derived angular Rosseland radii and the bolometric fluxes allowed the determination of effective temperatures. For instance, the effective temperature of R Aql was determined to be 2970 +/- 110 K. A linear Rosseland radius for R Aql of (250 +100/-60) Rsun was derived from the angular Rosseland radius of 5.5mas +/- 0.2mas and the HIPPARCOS parallax of 4.73mas +/- 1.19mas. The observations were compared with theoretical Mira star models of Bessel et al. (1996) and Hofmann et al. (1998). The effective temperatures of the M-type Miras and the linear radius of R Aql indicate fundamental mode pulsation.Comment: 12 pages, 4 postscript figure