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Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics

7 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Neuroscience

MPI CyberMotion Simulator: Implementation of a Novel Motion Simulator to Investigate Multisensory Path Integration in Three Dimensions

Michael Barnett-Cowan¹, Tobias Meilinger¹, Manuel Vidal², Harald Teufel¹, Heinrich H. Bülthoff^1,3

¹Department of Human Perception, Cognition and Action, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, ²Laboratoire de Physiologie de la Perception et de l'Action, Collège de France - CNRS, ³Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University

An efficient way to gain insight into how humans navigate themselves in three dimensions is described. The method takes advantage of a motion simulator capable of moving observers in ways unattainable by traditional simulators. Results confirm that movement in the horizontal plane is underestimated, while vertical movement is overestimated.

Behavior

Topographical Estimation of Visual Population Receptive Fields by fMRI

Sangkyun Lee¹, Amalia Papanikolaou², Georgios A. Keliris^2,3, Stelios M. Smirnakis¹

¹Department of Neuroscience and Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, ²Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, ³Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience

It is important to obtain unbiased estimates of visual population receptive fields (pRFs) by functional magnetic resonance imaging. We use mild regularization constraints to estimate pRF topography without a-priori assumptions about pRF shape, allowing us to choose specific pRF models post-hoc. This is particularly advantageous in subjects with visual-pathway lesions.

Chemistry

Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Dendrimer-based Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Serhat Gündüz¹, Tanja Savić¹, Đorđe Toljić¹, Goran Angelovski¹

¹MR Neuroimaging Agents, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics

This protocol describes the preparation and characterization of a dendrimeric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent that carries cyclen-based macrocyclic chelates coordinating paramagnetic gadolinium ions. In a series of MRI experiments in vitro, this agent produced an amplified MRI signal when compared to the commercially available monomeric analogue.

Neuroscience

Real-Time fMRI Brain Mapping in Animals

Sangcheon Choi^1,2, Kengo Takahashi^1,2, Yuanyuan Jiang^1,3, Sascha Köhler⁴, Hang Zeng^1,2, Qi Wang^1,2, Yan Ma^1,2, Xin Yu^1,3

¹Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, ²Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, ³MGH/MIT/HMS Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, ⁴Bruker BioSpin

Animal brain functional mapping can benefit from the real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experimental set-up. Using the latest software implemented in the animal MRI system, we established a real-time monitoring platform for small animal fMRI.

Cancer Research

Characterization and Functional Prediction of Bacteria in Ovarian Tissues

Lanbo Zhao^*1, Weichu Zhao^*2, Qi Wang^*1, Dongxin Liang¹, Yu Liu³, Guoxing Fu⁴, Lu Han¹, Yiran Wang¹, Chao Sun¹, Qing Wang¹, Qing Song¹, Qiling Li¹, Qinrui Lu¹

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, ²School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester, ³Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, ⁴Omega Bioservices Inc

Immunohistochemistry staining and 16S ribosomal RNA gene (16S rRNA gene) sequencing were performed in order to discover and distinguish bacteria in cancerous and noncancerous ovarian tissues in situ. The compositional and functional differences of the bacteria were predicted by using BugBase and Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt).

Medicine

Augmented Reality Navigation-Guided Core Decompression for Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head

Qi Wang^*1,3, Qiuyuan Wang^*2,3, Ran Ding³, Youjie Yao⁴, Junjun Pan⁵, Weiguo Wang³

¹China-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, Peking University, ²Graduate School of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, ³Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Beijing Key Lab of Immunes-Mediated Inflammatory Disease, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, ⁴Beijing Normal University, ⁵State Key Laboratory of Virtual Reality Technology and Systems, Beihang University

Augmented reality technology was applied to core decompression for osteonecrosis of the femoral head to realize real-time visualization of this surgical procedure. This method can effectively improve the safety and precision of core decompression.

Cancer Research

Surgical Technique for Superior Cervical Ganglionectomy in a Murine Model

Qi Wang¹, Chun-Hao Chen¹, Hongbo Xu², Sylvie Deborde^1,3, Richard J. Wong^1,3

¹Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, ²Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, ³David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

The present protocol describes a mouse model of the ablation of adrenergic innervation by identifying and resecting the superior cervical ganglion.