scholarly journals Neural responses to velocity gradients in macaque cortical area MT

1996 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 797-804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Treue ◽  
Richard A. Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Visual Motion ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Macaque Monkey ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Area Mt ◽  
Velocity Gradients ◽  
Space Deformation ◽  
Accurate Perception ◽  
Random Dot Patterns

AbstractVisual motion, i.e. the pattern of changes on the retinae caused by the motion of objects or the observer through the environment, contains important cues for the accurate perception of the three-dimensional layout of the visual scene. In this study, we investigate if neurons in the visual system, specifically in area MT of the macaque monkey, are able to differentiate between various velocity gradients. Our stimuli were random dot patterns designed to eliminate stimulus variables other than the orientation of a velocity gradient. We develop a stimulus space (“deformation space”) that allows us to easily parameterize our stimuli. We demonstrate that a substantial proportion of MT cells show tuned responses to our various velocity gradients, often exceeding the response evoked by an optimized flat velocity profile. This suggests that MT cells are able to represent complex aspects of the visual environment and that their properties make them well suited as building blocks for the complex receptive-field properties encountered in higher areas, such as area MST to which many cells in area MT project.

Speed and Eccentricity Tuning Reveal a Central Role for the Velocity-Based Cue to 3D Visual Motion

2010 ◽  
Vol 104 (5) ◽  
pp. 2886-2899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thaddeus B. Czuba ◽  
Bas Rokers ◽  
Alexander C. Huk ◽  
Lawrence K. Cormack
Keyword(s):  
Visual Perception ◽  
Moving Objects ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
3D Motion ◽  
Direction Discrimination ◽  
Retinal Motion ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Over Time

Two binocular cues are thought to underlie the visual perception of three-dimensional (3D) motion: a disparity-based cue, which relies on changes in disparity over time, and a velocity-based cue, which relies on interocular velocity differences. The respective building blocks of these cues, instantaneous disparity and retinal motion, exhibit very distinct spatial and temporal signatures. Although these two cues are synchronous in naturally moving objects, disparity-based and velocity-based mechanisms can be dissociated experimentally. We therefore investigated how the relative contributions of these two cues change across a range of viewing conditions. We measured direction-discrimination sensitivity for motion though depth across a wide range of eccentricities and speeds for disparity-based stimuli, velocity-based stimuli, and “full cue” stimuli containing both changing disparities and interocular velocity differences. Surprisingly, the pattern of sensitivity for velocity-based stimuli was nearly identical to that for full cue stimuli across the entire extent of the measured spatiotemporal surface and both were clearly distinct from those for the disparity-based stimuli. These results suggest that for direction discrimination outside the fovea, 3D motion perception primarily relies on the velocity-based cue with little, if any, contribution from the disparity-based cue.

scholarly journals Visual motion integration of bidirectional transparent motion in mouse opto-locomotor reflexes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. M. H. Kirkels ◽  
W. Zhang ◽  
Z. Rezvani ◽  
R. J. A. van Wezel ◽  
M. M. van Wanrooij
Keyword(s):  
Visual Motion ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Visual Motion Perception ◽  
Transparent Motion ◽  
Integration Mechanisms ◽  
Sensory Evidence ◽  
Random Dot Patterns ◽  
Winner Take All ◽  
Unidirectional Motion

AbstractVisual motion perception depends on readout of direction selective sensors. We investigated in mice whether the response to bidirectional transparent motion, activating oppositely tuned sensors, reflects integration (averaging) or winner-take-all (mutual inhibition) mechanisms. We measured whole body opto-locomotor reflexes (OLRs) to bidirectional oppositely moving random dot patterns (leftward and rightward) and compared the response to predictions based on responses to unidirectional motion (leftward or rightward). In addition, responses were compared to stimulation with stationary patterns. When comparing OLRs to bidirectional and unidirectional conditions, we found that the OLR to bidirectional motion best fits an averaging model. These results reflect integration mechanisms in neural responses to contradicting sensory evidence as has been documented for other sensory and motor domains.

scholarly journals Processing of first- and second-order motion signals by neurons in area MT of the macaque monkey

1998 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
LAWRENCE P. O'KEEFE ◽  
J. ANTHONY MOVSHON
Keyword(s):  
Visual Motion ◽  
Luminance Contrast ◽  
Macaque Monkey ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Second Order ◽  
Spatial Modulation ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Motion Sensors ◽  
Area Mt ◽  
First Order

Extrastriate cortical area MT is thought to process behaviorally important visual motion signals. Psychophysical studies suggest that visual motion signals may be analyzed by multiple mechanisms, a “first-order” one based on luminance, and a “second-order” one based upon higher level cues (e.g. contrast, flicker). Second-order motion is visible to human observers, but should be invisible to first-order motion sensors. To learn if area MT is involved in the analysis of second-order motion, we measured responses to first- and second-order gratings of single neurons in area MT (and in one experiment, in area V1) in anesthetized, paralyzed macaque monkeys. For each neuron, we measured directional and spatio-temporal tuning with conventional first-order gratings and with second-order gratings created by spatial modulation of the flicker rate of a random texture. A minority of MT and V1 neurons exhibited significant selectivity for direction or orientation of second-order gratings. In nearly all cells, response to second-order motion was weaker than response to first-order motion. MT cells with significant selectivity for second-order motion tended to be more responsive and more sensitive to luminance contrast, but were in other respects similar to the remaining MT neurons; they did not appear to represent a distinct subpopulation. For those cells selective for second-order motion, we found a correlation between the preferred directions of first- and second-order motion, and weak correlations in preferred spatial frequency. These cells preferred lower temporal frequencies for second-order motion than for first-order motion. A small proportion of MT cells seemed to remain selective and responsive for second-order motion. None of our small sample of V1 cells did. Cells in this small population, but not others, may perform “form-cue invariant” motion processing (Albright, 1992).

Responses of MT and MST Neurons to One and Two Moving Objects in the Receptive Field

1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 2904-2915 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. Recanzone ◽  
R. H. Wurtz ◽  
U. Schwarz
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Moving Objects ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Macaque Monkey ◽  
Single Object ◽  
Null Direction ◽  
Area Mt ◽  
Temporal Area ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Mst Neurons

Recanzone, G. H., R. H. Wurtz, and U. Schwarz. Responses of MT and MST neurons to one and two moving objects in the receptive field. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2904–2915, 1997. To test the effects of complex visual motion stimuli on the responses of single neurons in the middle temporal visual area (MT) and the medial superior temporal area (MST) of the macaque monkey, we compared the response elicited by one object in motion through the receptive field with the response of two simultaneously presented objects moving in different directions through the receptive field. There was an increased response to a stimulus moving in a direction other than the best direction when it was paired with a stimulus moving in the best direction. This increase was significant for all directions of motion of the non-best stimulus and the magnitude of the difference increased as the difference in the directions of the two stimuli increased. Similarly, there was a decreased response to a stimulus moving in a non-null direction when it was paired with a stimulus moving in the null direction. This decreased response in MT did not reach significance unless the second stimulus added to the null direction moved in the best direction, whereas in MST the decrease was significant when the second stimulus direction differed from the null by 90° or more. Further analysis showed that the two-object responses were better predicted by taking the averaged response of the neuron to the two single-object stimuli than by summation, multiplication, or vector addition of the responses to each of the two single-object stimuli. Neurons in MST showed larger modulations than did neurons in MT with stimuli moving in both the best direction and in the null direction and the average better predicted the two-object response in area MST than in area MT. This indicates that areas MT and MST probably use a similar integrative mechanisms to create their responses to complex moving visual stimuli, but that this mechanism is further refined in MST. These experiments show that neurons in both MT and MST integrate the motion of all directions in their responses to complex moving stimuli. These results with the motion of objects were in sound agreement with those previously reported with the use of random dot patterns for the study of transparent motion in MT and suggest that these neurons use similar computational mechanisms in the processing of object and global motion stimuli.

scholarly journals Lath Martensite Microstructure Modeling: A High-Resolution Crystal Plasticity Simulation Study

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 691
Author(s):  
Francisco-José Gallardo-Basile ◽  
Yannick Naunheim ◽  
Franz Roters ◽  
Martin Diehl
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Mechanical Behavior ◽  
Crystal Plasticity ◽  
Lath Martensite ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Quantitative Agreement ◽  
Carbon Steels ◽  
Plastic Behavior ◽  
Austenitic Phase

Lath martensite is a complex hierarchical compound structure that forms during rapid cooling of carbon steels from the austenitic phase. At the smallest, i.e., ‘single crystal’ scale, individual, elongated domains, form the elemental microstructural building blocks: the name-giving laths. Several laths of nearly identical crystallographic orientation are grouped together to blocks, in which–depending on the exact material characteristics–clearly distinguishable subblocks might be observed. Several blocks with the same habit plane together form a packet of which typically three to four together finally make up the former parent austenitic grain. Here, a fully parametrized approach is presented which converts an austenitic polycrystal representation into martensitic microstructures incorporating all these details. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) Representative Volume Elements (RVEs) are generated based on prior austenite microstructure reconstructed from a 2D experimental martensitic microstructure. The RVEs are used for high-resolution crystal plasticity simulations with a fast spectral method-based solver and a phenomenological constitutive description. The comparison of the results obtained from the 2D experimental microstructure and the 2D RVEs reveals a high quantitative agreement. The stress and strain distributions and their characteristics change significantly if 3D microstructures are used. Further simulations are conducted to systematically investigate the influence of microstructural parameters, such as lath aspect ratio, lath volume, subblock thickness, orientation scatter, and prior austenitic grain shape on the global and local mechanical behavior. These microstructural features happen to change the local mechanical behavior, whereas the average stress–strain response is not significantly altered. Correlations between the microstructure and the plastic behavior are established.

Design and Optimization of a Shape Memory Alloy-Based Self-Folding Sheet

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edwin Peraza-Hernandez ◽  
Darren Hartl ◽  
Edgar Galvan ◽  
Richard Malak
Keyword(s):  
Shape Memory Alloy ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Passive Layer ◽  
Von Mises Stress ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Radius Of Curvature ◽  
Folding Angle ◽  
The Impact

Origami engineering—the practice of creating useful three-dimensional structures through folding and fold-like operations on two-dimensional building-blocks—has the potential to impact several areas of design and manufacturing. In this article, we study a new concept for a self-folding system. It consists of an active, self-morphing laminate that includes two meshes of thermally-actuated shape memory alloy (SMA) wire separated by a compliant passive layer. The goal of this article is to analyze the folding behavior and examine key engineering tradeoffs associated with the proposed system. We consider the impact of several design variables including mesh wire thickness, mesh wire spacing, thickness of the insulating elastomer layer, and heating power. Response parameters of interest include effective folding angle, maximum von Mises stress in the SMA, maximum temperature in the SMA, maximum temperature in the elastomer, and radius of curvature at the fold line. We identify an optimized physical realization for maximizing folding capability under mechanical and thermal failure constraints. Furthermore, we conclude that the proposed self-folding system is capable of achieving folds of significant magnitude (as measured by the effective folding angle) as required to create useful 3D structures.

A new three-dimensional anionic cadmium(II) dicyanamide network

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 1054-1056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Li ◽  
Hui-Ting Wang
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Aqueous Solution ◽  
Unit Cell Volume ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
The Other ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Cadmium Nitrate ◽  
Nitrate Tetrahydrate ◽  
Anionic Framework

A new cadmium dicyanamide complex, poly[tetramethylphosphonium [μ-chlorido-di-μ-dicyanamido-κ4N1:N5-cadmium(II)]], [(CH3)4P][Cd(NCNCN)2Cl], was synthesized by the reaction of tetramethylphosphonium chloride, cadmium nitrate tetrahydrate and sodium dicyanamide in aqueous solution. In the crystal structure, each CdIIatom is octahedrally coordinated by four terminal N atoms from four anionic dicyanamide (dca) ligands and by two chloride ligands. The dicyanamide ligands play two different roles in the building up of the structure; one role results in the formation of [Cd(dca)Cl]2building blocks, while the other links the building blocks into a three-dimensional structure. The anionic framework exhibits a solvent-accessible void of 673.8 Å3, amounting to 47.44% of the total unit-cell volume. The cavities in the network are occupied by pairs of tetramethylphosphonium cations.

scholarly journals Assembly of multicomponent structures from hundreds of micron-scale building blocks using optical tweezers

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey E. Melzer ◽  
Euan McLeod
Keyword(s):  
Optical Tweezers ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Optical Tweezer ◽  
Device Fabrication ◽  
Positional Accuracy ◽  
Component Structure ◽  
Material Development ◽  
Critical Process Parameters ◽  
Optical Positioning

AbstractThe fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) microscale structures is critical for many applications, including strong and lightweight material development, medical device fabrication, microrobotics, and photonic applications. While 3D microfabrication has seen progress over the past decades, complex multicomponent integration with small or hierarchical feature sizes is still a challenge. In this study, an optical positioning and linking (OPAL) platform based on optical tweezers is used to precisely fabricate 3D microstructures from two types of micron-scale building blocks linked by biochemical interactions. A computer-controlled interface with rapid on-the-fly automated recalibration routines maintains accuracy even after placing many building blocks. OPAL achieves a 60-nm positional accuracy by optimizing the molecular functionalization and laser power. A two-component structure consisting of 448 1-µm building blocks is assembled, representing the largest number of building blocks used to date in 3D optical tweezer microassembly. Although optical tweezers have previously been used for microfabrication, those results were generally restricted to single-material structures composed of a relatively small number of larger-sized building blocks, with little discussion of critical process parameters. It is anticipated that OPAL will enable the assembly, augmentation, and repair of microstructures composed of specialty micro/nanomaterial building blocks to be used in new photonic, microfluidic, and biomedical devices.

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