Spatial Distribution Of Responses Research Articles

Effects of different seasonal fitting methods on the spatial distribution characteristics of common mode errors

This study investigated the effects of various seasonal fitting techniques on the spatial distribution of the common mode errors taking the coordinate time series of the continuous GPS reference stations of the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC) as an example. First, the seasonal term of coordinate time series was calculated using constant amplitude harmonic fitting (CAF), continuous wavelet transform (CWT), and smoothing spline fitting (SPF). The seasonal term and linear trend were then removed to obtain the residual time series. Finally, to determine the common mode errors of residual time series, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied. The results indicate that 1) smoothing spline fitting is superior to constant amplitude harmonic fitting and continuous wavelet transform in its ability to fit short-term irregular seasonal signals. In comparison to constant amplitude harmonic fitting, N/E/U has root mean square error (RMSE) values of smoothing spline fitting that are lower by 25%, 20%, and 14.4%, respectively. Smoothing spline fitting also has a higher coefficient of determination than continuous wavelet transform and constant amplitude harmonic fitting. The coefficient of determination in the U direction is larger than that in the N and E directions. 2) Each order PC of the residual series fitted by smoothing spline fitting exhibits apparent spatial aggregation characteristics, with PC1 having a uniform spatial distribution and presenting a largely positive response. Nevertheless, the residual series obtained by constant amplitude harmonic fitting and continuous wavelet transform exhibits scattered spatial response distribution features in each order PC. Compared to N and E, U’s spatial response distribution is distinct. From north to south, the spatial response of PC1 in the U direction progressively diminishes. In addition to being much lower than that in other locations, the Sichuan–Yunnan region’s spatial response value of PC1 and PC3 also exhibits a clear negative reaction. The root mean square error value of the residual series after smoothing spline fitting is the least, and the filtering effect is the best when comparing the spatial filtering effect based on the three fitting methods. We also compared the root mean square error reduction ratio before and after spatial filtering, and the results showed that the root mean square error reduction ratio before and after the residual series obtained by smoothing spline fitting is slightly larger than that obtained by other methods.

Auto-Perceiving Correlation Filter for UAV Tracking

Discriminative correlation filter (DCF)-based methods have demonstrated superior performance in UAV tracking via fusing multiple types of features and updating models online. However, most DCF-based trackers simply cascade different features, failing to fully take advantage of their complementary strength. In addition, online update strategies are limited to using a single and fixed learning rate, which often leads to model degradation when suffering tracking challenges. In this paper, we present an Auto-Perceiving Correlation Filter (APCF) which explicitly models the target and context with a novel Target State and Background Perception (TSBP) feature. Concretely, we first propose a simple yet effective State Evaluation Metric (SEM) to estimate target states by analyzing the spatial distribution of responses. Based on SEM, we extract TSBP features by adaptively selecting effective features depending on the current target state. Accordingly, a new online model update strategy is also introduced to avoid model degradation. Moreover, we further introduce a perception regularization term to make the extracted feature emphasis more on the target rather than background. Extensive experiments on four widely-used UAV benchmarks have well demonstrated the superiority of the proposed method compared with both DCF and deep learning based trackers while running at a high speed of 76.7 FPS on a single CPU. In addition, APCF with deep features also performs favorably against state-of-the-art trackers.

Effects of stimulation intensity on intracranial cortico-cortical evoked potentials: A titration study

ObjectiveThe aim of the present study was to investigate the optimal stimulation parameters for eliciting cortico-cortical evoked potentials (CCEPs) for mapping functional and epileptogenic networks. MethodsWe studied 13 patients with refractory epilepsy undergoing intracranial EEG monitoring. We systematically titrated the intensity of single-pulse electrical stimulation at multiple sites to assess the effect of increasing current on salient features of CCEPs such as N1 potential magnitude, signal to noise ratio, waveform similarity, and spatial distribution of responses. Responses at each incremental stimulation setting were compared to each other and to a final set of responses at the maximum intensity used in each patient (3.5–10 mA, median 6 mA). ResultsWe found that with a biphasic 0.15 ms/phase pulse at least 2–4 mA is needed to differentiate between non-responsive and responsive sites, and that stimulation currents of 6–7 mA are needed to maximize amplitude and spatial distribution of N1 responses and stabilize waveform morphology. ConclusionsWe determined a minimum stimulation threshold necessary for eliciting CCEPs, as well as a point at which the current-dependent relationship of several response metrics all saturate. SignificanceThis titration study provides practical, immediate guidance on optimal stimulation parameters to study specific features of CCEPs, which have been increasingly used to map both functional and epileptic brain networks in humans.

Hebbian and non-Hebbian timing-dependent plasticity in the hippocampal CA3 region.

The timing between synaptic inputs has been proposed to play a role in the induction of plastic changes that enable neural circuits to store information. In the case of spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), this relates to the interval between a synaptic input and a postsynaptic spike, thus providing a conceptual link to the Hebb learning rule. Experiments have documented STDP in many synapses and brain regions, and computational models have tested its utility in many neural network functions. However, questions remain about whether timing plays a role in plasticity during natural activity, and whether it can function in information storage. The present study used imaging with voltage sensitive dye to investigate the effectiveness of input timing in the plasticity of responses in the CA3 region of hippocampal slices. Plasticity was induced by sequential dual-site stimulation at 10 ms intervals of either synaptic inputs and cell bodies (synaptic-somatic induction) or of two sets of synaptic inputs (synaptic-synaptic induction). Both protocols potentiated responses, with greater potentiation of responses to the first stimulation of the sequence than the second. Neither of these protocols induced depression. Synaptic-somatic stimulation was much more effective than synaptic-synaptic stimulation in evoking somatic action potentials, but both protocols potentiated responses equally well. This suggests that sequential dual-site stimulation can potentiate equally well with very different degrees of somatic action potential firing. With synaptic-somatic induction, potentiation was focused at the sites of stimulation. In contrast, with synaptic-synaptic induction, the distribution of potentiation varied greatly. Changes in the spatial distribution of responses indicated that sequential dual-site stimulation functions poorly in the storage of activity patterns. These results suggest that in the hippocampal CA3 region, timed sequential activation of two inputs is less effective than theta bursts, both in the induction of LTP and in the storage of information.

Numerical study of an alternative to a deuterium-tritium source in gas saturation logging based on the inelastic gamma spectrum

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using a D-Li7 neutron generator to replace a deuterium-tritium (D-T) neutron generator in gas saturation logging. The logging response and gas sensitivity of gas saturation logging based on the inelastic gamma spectrum were simulated with the Monte Carlo method, and the factors that influenced the gas sensitivity and inelastic gamma counts were analyzed based on the spatial response distribution. The results showed that the logging response based on the D-Li7 source was similar to that based on the D-T neutron generator after calibration, which validated the feasibility of this method. Using the D-Li7 neutron generator, the sensitivity of gas saturation was higher when the scattering cross section of formation was not high.

Superoptimal Perceptual Integration Suggests a Place-Based Representation of Pitch at High Frequencies.

Pitch, the perceptual correlate of sound repetition rate or frequency, plays an important role in speech perception, music perception, and listening in complex acoustic environments. Despite the perceptual importance of pitch, the neural mechanisms that underlie it remain poorly understood. Although cortical regions responsive to pitch have been identified, little is known about how pitch information is extracted from the inner ear itself. The two primary theories of peripheral pitch coding involve stimulus-driven spike timing, or phase locking, in the auditory nerve (time code), and the spatial distribution of responses along the length of the cochlear partition (place code). To rule out the use of timing information, we tested pitch discrimination of very high-frequency tones (>8 kHz), well beyond the putative limit of phase locking. We found that high-frequency pure-tone discrimination was poor, but when the tones were combined into a harmonic complex, a dramatic improvement in discrimination ability was observed that exceeded performance predicted by the optimal integration of peripheral information from each of the component frequencies. The results are consistent with the existence of pitch-sensitive neurons that rely only on place-based information from multiple harmonically related components. The results also provide evidence against the common assumption that poor high-frequency pure-tone pitch perception is the result of peripheral neural-coding constraints. The finding that place-based spectral coding is sufficient to elicit complex pitch at high frequencies has important implications for the design of future neural prostheses to restore hearing to deaf individuals.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The question of how pitch is represented in the ear has been debated for over a century. Two competing theories involve timing information from neural spikes in the auditory nerve (time code) and the spatial distribution of neural activity along the length of the cochlear partition (place code). By using very high-frequency tones unlikely to be coded via time information, we discovered that information from the individual harmonics is combined so efficiently that performance exceeds theoretical predictions based on the optimal integration of information from each harmonic. The findings have important implications for the design of auditory prostheses because they suggest that enhanced spatial resolution alone may be sufficient to restore pitch via such implants.

Hemifield columns co-opt ocular dominance column structure in human achiasma

In the absence of an optic chiasm, visual input to the right eye is represented in primary visual cortex (V1) in the right hemisphere, while visual input to the left eye activates V1 in the left hemisphere. Retinotopic mapping In V1 reveals that in each hemisphere left and right visual hemifield representations are overlaid (Hoffmann et al., 2012). To explain how overlapping hemifield representations in V1 do not impair vision, we tested the hypothesis that visual projections from nasal and temporal retina create interdigitated left and right visual hemifield representations in V1, similar to the ocular dominance columns observed in neurotypical subjects (Victor et al., 2000). We used high-resolution fMRI at 7T to measure the spatial distribution of responses to left- and right-hemifield stimulation in one achiasmic subject. T2-weighted 2D Spin Echo images were acquired at 0.8mm isotropic resolution. The left eye was occluded. To the right eye, a presentation of flickering checkerboards alternated between the left and right visual fields in a blocked stimulus design. The participant performed a demanding orientation-discrimination task at fixation. A general linear model was used to estimate the preference of voxels in V1 to left- and right-hemifield stimulation. The spatial distribution of voxels with significant preference for each hemifield showed interdigitated clusters which densely packed V1 in the right hemisphere. The spatial distribution of hemifield-preference voxels in the achiasmic subject was stable between two days of testing and comparable in scale to that of human ocular dominance columns. These results are the first in vivo evidence showing that visual hemifield representations interdigitate in achiasmic V1 following a similar developmental course to that of ocular dominance columns in V1 with intact optic chiasm.

Robust and fast visual tracking via spatial kernel phase correlation filter

In this paper, we present a novel robust and fast object tracker called spatial kernel phase correlation based Tracker (SPC). Compared with classical correlation tracking which occupies all spectrums (including both phase spectrum and magnitude spectrum) in frequency domain, our SPC tracker only adopts the phase spectrum by implementing using phase correlation filter to estimate the object׳s translation. Thanks to circulant structure and kernel trick, we can implement dense sampling in order to train a high-quality phase correlation filter. Meanwhile, SPC learns the object׳s spatial context model by using new spatial response distribution, achieving superior performance. Given all these elaborate configurations, SPC is more robust to noise and cluster, and achieves more competitive performance in visual tracking. The framework of SPC can be briefly summarized as: firstly, phase correlation filter is well trained with all subwindows and is convoluted with a new image patch; then, the object׳s translation is calculated by maximizing spatial response; finally, to adapt to changing object, phase correlation filter is updated by reliable image patches. Tracking performance is evaluated by Peak-to-Sidelobe Ratio (PSR), aiming to resolve drifting problem by adaptive model updating. Owing to Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), the proposed tracker can track the object at about 50frames/s. Numerical experiments demonstrate the proposed algorithm performs favorably against several state-of-the-art trackers in speed, accuracy and robustness.

Feature-positive discriminations during a spatial-search task with humans.

During feature-positive operant discriminations, a conditional cue, X, signals whether responses made during a second stimulus, A, are reinforced. Few studies have examined how landmarks, which can be trained to control the spatial distribution of responses during search tasks, might operate under conditional control. We trained college students to search for a target hidden on a computer monitor. Participants learned that responses to a hidden target location signaled by a landmark (e.g., A) would be reinforced only if the landmark was preceded by a colored background display (e.g., X). In Experiment 1, participants received feature-positive training (+←YB/ XA→+/A-/B-) with the hidden target to the right of A and to left of B. Responding during nonreinforced transfer test trials (XB-/YA-) indicated conditional control by the colored background, and spatial accuracy indicated a greater weighting of spatial information provided by the landmark than by the conditional cue. In Experiments 2a and 2b, the location of the target relative to landmark A was conditional on the colored background (+←YA/ XA→+/ ZB→+/ +←C /A-/B-). At test, conditional control and a greater weighting for the landmark's spatial information were again found, but we also report evidence for spatial interference by the conditional stimulus. Overall, we found that hierarchical accounts best explain the observed differences in response magnitude, whereas spatial accuracy was best explained via spatial learning models that emphasize the reliability, stability, and proximity of landmarks to a target.

Impact of Detector Spatial Uniformity on the Measurement of Averaged LED Intensity

Photometers are widely used for the measurement of the average LED intensity as defined by CIE 127, under the circumstance that LEDs have many kinds of intensity spatial distributions. Significant measurement errors can be resulted due to the following facts: 1) a photometer with a diffuser generally has a spatial response that is stronger in the center of the detector; and 2) LED angular distributions of intensity often have a sidelobe about the central axis rather than a central peak. A special measuring facility for illuminance intensity distribution of LEDs and spatial response distribution of photometers has been designed. An evaluation factor “ c” has been introduced to describe the spatial response distribution uniformity of photometers. Three kinds of photometers with different spatial response distribution were used to measure the averaged LED intensity individually. Experiment shows that the photometer with a diffuser has a response distribution of a cosine function, and the illuminance intensity distribution of LEDs generally presents a sine, trapezoidal, or cosine function with the 6.5 ° field of view for CIE Condition B. The results show that the measurement errors could be more than -5.10% when using the photometer with a diffuser to measure the average intensity of LEDs with a narrow beam angle. It is very important that the uniformity of spatial response distribution of the photometer should be considered when calibrating Averaged LED Intensity as it can introduce a significant error.

Experimental validation of the six-port design for a highly uniform integrating sphere photometer

We present experimental realization and validation of the six-port design of integrating sphere photometers for total luminous flux measurement, which significantly improves the uniformity of spatial response compared to the conventional single-port design. Construction, measurement procedure, and data acquisition of the realized instrument with a radius of 1m are described. Measurement of the spatial response distribution function confirms the expected effect of improving the uniformity by averaging the signals from the six detection ports. The related spatial mismatch error is determined to be less than 1.4% for all the realistic cases of beam angles and directions of a test lamp mounted in the vicinity of the sphere center. As a result, we confirm that the realized six-port instrument allows us to eliminate the complicated spatial mismatch correction procedure by adding a relative standard uncertainty of only 1.4/3%≈0.81%, which offers a great practical benefit for testing solid-state lighting products of various beam characteristics.

Two-dimensional differential calibration method for a neutron dosemeter using a thermal neutron beam

A new thermal neutron calibration method to experimentally determine the energy response function of a neutron detector using a pulse parallel beam and the time-of-flight (TOF) technique is developed. The calibration method was experimentally demonstrated for a (3)He proportional counter and an electric personal dosemeter using a pulsed thermal neutron beam from the research reactor JRR-3M. The responses of the detectors were successfully obtained as a function of neutron energy. However, detailed information on the detector structure is required to obtain the spatial response distribution for the detector. The authors further propose an improved calibration method obtaining the spatial response distribution using a pulsed narrow beam, the TOF technique and a beam scanning technique.

Semi-Automated Image Analysis of Xenopus Laevis Behavioral Response to Visual Stimuli

High-throughput screens to measure the behavioural effects of various genetic or pharmacological manipulations will require the development of assays that do not rely on subjective human observer input. The Xenopus laevis tadpole is a low-cost, easily accessible vertebrate animal model for studying brain development. We present a new semi-automated image analysis method to quantify avoidance swimming behaviour by multiple tadpoles in parallel. In our setup, Xenopus tadpoles swim in a water-filled Petri dish placed on a computer screen which displays moving dots as escape-evoking visual stimuli on a grey background. Each experiment is recorded by a camera as an image time series. An algorithm was developed to precisely track tadpole movements in space and time. In the control experiments, presenting only the background grey field, we measured the speed distribution of tadpole displacements per image interval. This distribution was used as a reference to assess the tadpole behavioural responses to contrast varying visual stimuli. In experiments where stimuli are brighter or darker with respect to the grey background intensity, we mapped the spatial distribution of responses as a function of the closest dot position with respect to tadpole orientation. We observed a greater response concentration within an area of 5 mm radius around the tadpole. By defining potential reaction events within this threshold minimal distance, we could evaluate the response probability for each tadpole. Our results show a higher tadpole response probability to darker dots than to brighter dots. Furthermore, we show an angular dependence of the response probability that varies with dot contrast. We conclude that this tracking and analysis technique can be applied to a variety of behavioural studies, enabling a rapid and more objective, automated evaluation of visuomotor responses under a wide range of experimental manipulations.

Six-port integrating sphere photometer with uniform spatial response

We propose an integrating sphere photometer with six detection ports for total luminous flux measurement, which significantly improves the uniformity of spatial response compared to the conventional single-port detection design. Numerical simulations based on the geometric radiative transfer equation show that a spatial response distribution function of the new design is uniform within 2% with respect to all spatial directions. The related spatial mismatch error is calculated to be less than 0.3% for all the realistic cases of angular intensity distribution of a test lamp. As a result, the new design practically eliminates the spatial mismatch error of an integrating sphere photometer, so that a high-accuracy measurement can be achieved without the complicated spatial mismatch correction procedure.

광선추적법 기반의 적분구 분석 시뮬레이터에서 OpenMP 지시어를 이용한 속도 향상 및 몬테카를로 방법의 무작위성 보장

In order to improve the calculation speed of an integrating-sphere simulator based on a ray-tracing method, parallel processing with OpenMP directive was implemented into the simulator and the randomness of Monte Carlo method was guaranteed by utilizing a parallel random number generator. It was confirmed that simulation results obtained with more than rays showed good agreement with theoretical results within the error range of 0.5%, and that the calculation speed improved as the number of threads increased. Finally, the spatial response distribution functions of a real integrating sphere were simulated and compared with previous results.

A new integrating sphere design for spectral radiant flux determination of light-emitting diodes

Light-emitting diode (LED) technology is developing very quickly and may be considered an alternative for traditional light sources. However, at this moment, manufacturers and end users of LEDs are facing a rather basic but major problem. The lack of standardization regarding optical and electrical characterization of LEDs appears to compromise a successful implementation. In particular, numbers quoted for the luminous flux, and consequently for the efficacy of LEDs, are very sensitive data because they are used to impress and push the LED market. In this paper, the most was made of the typical hemispherical radiation of high-power LEDs to increase the accuracy of the flux determination using a custom-made integrating sphere. Recently developed measurement techniques such as the use of an external spectral irradiance standard and an optimized spectral irradiance detection head are combined with a very particular port geometry and a minimized baffle area. This results in a uniform spatial response distribution function (SRDF), which guarantees an accurate radiant and luminous flux determination, irrespective of the spatial intensity distribution of the LED package or luminaire. The effect of the directional response of the detector head on the SRDF has been explored. Measurements on LED devices with and without external optics are presented, illustrating the possibilities of the measurement setup.

Effects of dopamine D4 receptor antagonist on spontaneous alternation in rats

BackgroundThe present study was a component of a series of studies scrutinising the neuroreceptor substrate of behavioural flexibility in a rat model. Spontaneous alternation paradigms model the natural tendency of rodents to spontaneously and flexibly shift between alternative spatial responses. In the study it was tested for the first time if the neurochemical substrate mediating spontaneous alternation behaviour includes the dopamine D4 receptor.MethodsThe acute effects of the highly selective dopamine D4 receptor antagonist L-745,870 on rats' performance in a spontaneous alternation paradigm in a T-maze were examined. The paradigm was a food-rewarded continuous trial procedure performed for 20 trials.ResultsThe spontaneous alternation rate was not affected by the doses of the drug administered (0.02 mg/kg; 0.2 mg/kg; 2 mg/kg), but the position bias of the group receiving the highest L-745,870 dose (2 mg/kg) was significantly increased compared to the group that received the lowest dose (0.02 mg/kg). No significant effects on position bias were found compared to saline. The drug did not increase response perseveration.ConclusionThe results show that the neural substrate mediating the spatial distribution of responses in the spontaneous alternation paradigm includes the D4 receptor. However, the statistically significant effect of L-745,870 on position bias was found comparing a high drug dose with a low drug dose, and not comparing the drug doses with saline. For the tested doses of L-745,870 the effect on position bias was not large enough to affect the alternation rate.

RESPONSE INDUCTION DURING THE ACQUISITION AND MAINTENANCE OF LEVER PRESSING WITH DELAYED REINFORCEMENT

The acquisition of lever pressing by rats and the occurrence of unreinforced presses at a location different from that of the reinforced response were studied using different delays of reinforcement. An experimental chamber containing seven identical adjoining levers was used. Only presses on the central (operative) lever produced food pellets. Groups of 3 rats were exposed to one of seven different tandem random-interval (RI) fixed-time (FT) schedules. The average RI duration was the complement of the FT duration such that their sum yielded a nominal 32-s interreinforcement interval on average. Response rate on the operative lever decreased as the FT value was lengthened. The spatial distribution of responses on the seven levers converged on the operative lever when the FT was 0 or 2 s and spread across the seven levers as the FT value was lengthened to 16 or 32 s. Presses on the seven levers were infrequent during the FT schedule. Both operative- and inoperative-lever pressing intertwined in repetitive patterns that were consistent within subjects but differed between subjects. These findings suggest that reinforcer delay determined the response-induction gradient.

Stars and stripes in the cerebellar cortex: A voltage sensitive dye study

The lattice-like structure of the cerebellar cortex and its anatomical organization in two perpendicular axes provided the foundations for many theories of cerebellar function. However, the functional organization does not always match the anatomical organization. Thus direct measurement of the functional organization is central to our understanding of cerebellar processing. Here we use voltage sensitive dye imaging in the isolated cerebellar preparation to characterize the spatio-temporal organization of the climbing and mossy fiber (MF) inputs to the cerebellar cortex. Spatial and temporal parameters were used to develop reliable criteria to distinguish climbing fiber (CF) responses from MF responses. CF activation excited postsynaptic neurons along a parasagittal cortical band. These responses were composed of slow (∼25 ms), monophasic depolarizing signals. Neither the duration nor the spatial distribution of CF responses were affected by inhibition. Activation of MF generated responses that were organized in radial patches, and were composed of a fast (∼5 ms) depolarizing phase followed by a prolonged (∼100 ms) negative wave. Application of a GABAA blocker eliminated the hyperpolarizing phase and prolonged the depolarizing phase, but did not affect the spatial distribution of the response, thus suggesting that it is not the inhibitory system that is responsible for the inability of the MF input to generate beams of activity that propagate along the parallel fiber system.

Representation of CV-sounds in cat primary auditory cortex: intensity dependence

The level-dependent representation of simple speech sounds in cat primary auditory cortex (AI) is explored in naive cats and in animals that have been exposed to these sounds in behavioral detection and discrimination tasks. Population analyses of multiple unit responses in the form of post-stimulus time histograms (PSTHs), neurograms, and spatial distribution were made for synthetic consonant–vowel sounds across AI. The temporal profile of cortical responses was robust across neurons, characterized by brief phasic responses at the onset of consonantal burst and voicing. The spectral profile of the sounds, i.e., the formant structure, was only weakly expressed in the response magnitude across characteristic frequency. The spatial response distribution across AI was discontinuous, and consisted of several patches of activation. Intensity-dependence in the spatial activity distribution was more strongly expressed than in population PSTHs and neurograms. Differences attributable to behavioral training were observed for rate-encoding and temporal encoding of speech sounds.