scholarly journals An Underadditivity of the Cellular Mechanisms Responsible for the Orientation Contrast Effects of the Rod-and-Frame Illusion

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 800
Author(s):  
David Adams ◽  
Scott Reed ◽  
Paul Dassonville
1979 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 419-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald R. Goodenough ◽  
Philip K. Oltman ◽  
Eric Sigman ◽  
James Rosso ◽  
Herbert Mertz

1992 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 961-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Knierim ◽  
D. C. van Essen

1. We recorded responses from neurons in area V1 of the alert macaque monkey to textured patterns modeled after stimuli used in psychophysical experiments of pop-out. Neuronal responses to a single oriented line segment placed within a cell's classical receptive field (CRF) were compared with responses in which the center element was surrounded by rings of elements placed entirely outside the CRF. The orientations of the surround elements either matched the center element, were orthogonal to it, or were random. 2. The addition of the textured surround tended to suppress the response to the center element by an average of 34%. Overall, almost 80% of the 122 cells analyzed in detail were significantly suppressed by at least one of the texture surrounds. 3. Cells tended to respond more strongly to a stimulus in which there was a contrast in orientation between the center and surround than to a stimulus lacking such contrast. The average difference was 9% of the response to the optimally oriented center element alone. For the 32% of the cells showing a statistically significant orientation contrast effect, the average difference was 28%. 4. Both the general suppression and orientation contrast effects originated from surround regions at the ends of the center bar as well as regions along the sides of the center bar. 5. The amount of suppression induced by the texture surround decreased as the density of the texture elements decreased. 6. Both the general suppression and the orientation contrast effects appeared early in the population response to the stimuli. The general suppression effect took approximately 7 ms to develop, whereas the orientation contrast effect took 18-20 ms to develop. 7. These results are consistent with a possible functional role of V1 cells in the mediation of perceptual pop-out and in the segregation of texture borders. Possible anatomic substrates of the effects are discussed.


Perception ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 623-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corinne Cian ◽  
Dominique Esquivié ◽  
Pierre Alain Barraud ◽  
Christian Raphel

The visual angle subtended by the frame seems to be an important determinant of the contribution of orientation contrast and illusion of self-tilt (ie vection) to the rod-and-frame effect. Indeed, the visuovestibular factor (which produces vection) seems to be predominant in large displays and the contrast effect in small displays. To determine how these two phenomena are combined to account for the rod-and-frame effect, independent estimates of the magnitude of each component in relation to the angular size subtended by the display were examined. Thirty-five observers were exposed to three sets of experimental situations: body-adjustment test (illusion of self-tilt only), the tilt illusion (contrast only) and the rod-and-frame test, each display subtending 7, 12, 28, and 45 deg of visual angle. Results showed that errors recorded in the three situations increased linearly with the angular size. Whatever the size of the frame, both mechanisms, contrast effect (tilt illusion) and illusory effect on self-orientation (body-adjustment test), are always present. However, rod-and-frame errors became greater at a faster rate than the other two effects as the size of the stimuli became larger. Neither one nor the other independent phenomen, nor the combined effect could fully account for the rod-and-frame effect whatever the angular size of the apparatus.


2002 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 2796-2808 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. E. Jones ◽  
W. Wang ◽  
A. M. Sillito

We have explored the spatial organization of orientation contrast effects in primate V1. Our stimuli were either concentric patches of drifting grating of varying orientation and diameter or grating patches displaced in x–y coordinates around a central patch overlying the classical receptive field (CRF). All cells in the sample exhibited response suppression to iso-oriented stimuli exceeding the CRF. Changing the outer stimulus orientation revealed five response patterns: 1) orientation alignment suppression (17% of cells)—a suppressive component tuned to the same orientation as the cell's optimal, 2) orientation contrast facilitation (63%)—responses to orientation contrast stimuli exceeded those to the center stimulus alone, 3) nonorientation specific suppression (3%), 4) mixed general suppression and alignment suppression (14%), and 5) orientation contrast suppression (14%)—cross-oriented stimuli evoked stronger suppression than iso-oriented stimuli. Thus most cells (94%) showed larger responses to orientation contrast stimuli than to iso-oriented stimuli, and over one-half showed orientation contrast facilitation. There appeared to be a spatially structured organization of the zones driving the different response patterns with respect to the CRF. Nonorientation-specific suppression and orientation contrast suppression were predominantly evoked by orientation contrast borders located within the CRF, and orientation contrast facilitation was mainly driven by surround stimuli lying outside the CRF. This led to different response patterns according to border location. Zones driving orientation contrast facilitation were not necessarily contiguous to, nor uniformly distributed around, the CRF. Our data support two processes underlying orientation contrast enhancement effects: a simple variation in the strength of surround suppression drawing on the fact that surround suppression is tuned to the same orientation as the CRF and a second process driven by orientation contrast that enhanced cells' responses to CRF stimulation by either dis-inhibition or orientation contrast facilitation. We suggest these processes may serve to enhance response levels to salient image features such as junctions and corners and may contribute to orientation pop-out.


Author(s):  
Mitsuo Ohtsuki ◽  
Michael Sogard

Structural investigations of biological macromolecules commonly employ CTEM with negative staining techniques. Difficulties in valid image interpretation arise, however, due to problems such as variability in thickness and degree of penetration of the staining agent, noise from the supporting film, and artifacts from defocus phase contrast effects. In order to determine the effects of these variables on biological structure, as seen by the electron microscope, negative stained macromolecules of high density lipoprotein-3 (HDL3) from human serum were analyzed with both CTEM and STEM, and results were then compared with CTEM micrographs of freeze-etched HDL3. In addition, we altered the structure of this molecule by digesting away its phospholipid component with phospholipase A2 and look for consistent changes in structure.


Author(s):  
S. Golladay

The theory of multiple scattering has been worked out by Groves and comparisons have been made between predicted and observed signals for thick specimens observed in a STEM under conditions where phase contrast effects are unimportant. Independent measurements of the collection efficiencies of the two STEM detectors, calculations of the ratio σe/σi = R, where σe, σi are the total cross sections for elastic and inelastic scattering respectively, and a model of the unknown mass distribution are needed for these comparisons. In this paper an extension of this work will be described which allows the determination of the required efficiencies, R, and the unknown mass distribution from the data without additional measurements or models. Essential to the analysis is the fact that in a STEM two or more signal measurements can be made simultaneously at each image point.


Author(s):  
J. M. Cowley

The comparison of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with conventional transmission electron microscopy (CTEM) can best be made by means of the Reciprocity Theorem of wave optics. In Fig. 1 the intensity measured at a point A’ in the CTEM image due to emission from a point B’ in the electron source is equated to the intensity at a point of the detector, B, due to emission from a point A In the source In the STEM. On this basis it can be demonstrated that contrast effects In the two types of instrument will be similar. The reciprocity relationship can be carried further to include the Instrument design and experimental procedures required to obtain particular types of information. For any. mode of operation providing particular information with one type of microscope, the analagous type of operation giving the same information can be postulated for the other type of microscope. Then the choice between the two types of instrument depends on the practical convenience for obtaining the required Information.


Author(s):  
R. J. Horylev ◽  
L. E. Murr

Smith has shown by dark-field electron microscopy of extracted ThO2 particles from TD-nickel (2% ThO2) that they possess single crystal characteristics. It is generally assumed that these particle dispersions are incoherent. However, some diffraction effects associated with the particle images appeared to be similar to coherency strain fields. The present work will demonstrate conclusively that ThO2 dispersed particles in TD-nickel (2% ThO2) and TD-NiCr (2% ThO2, 20% Cr, Ni) are single crystals. Moreover, the diffraction contrast effects are extinction fringes. That is, these effects arise because of the particle orientation with respect to the electron beam and the extinction conditions for various operating reflections The particles are in fact incoherent.


Author(s):  
H. Banzhof ◽  
I. Daberkow

A Philips EM 420 electron microscope equipped with a field emission gun and an external STEM unit was used to compare images of single crystal surfaces taken by conventional reflection electron microscopy (REM) and scanning reflection electron microscopy (SREM). In addition an angle-resolving detector system developed by Daberkow and Herrmann was used to record SREM images with the detector shape adjusted to different details of the convergent beam reflection high energy electron diffraction (CBRHEED) pattern.Platinum single crystal spheres with smooth facets, prepared by melting a thin Pt wire in an oxyhydrogen flame, served as objects. Fig. 1 gives a conventional REM image of a (111)Pt single crystal surface, while Fig. 2 shows a SREM record of the same area. Both images were taken with the (555) reflection near the azimuth. A comparison shows that the contrast effects of atomic steps are similar for both techniques, although the depth of focus of the SREM image is reduced as a result of the large illuminating aperture. But differences are observed at the lengthened images of small depressions and protrusions formed by atomic steps, which give a symmetrical contrast profile in the REM image, while an asymmetric black-white contrast is observed in the SREM micrograph. Furthermore the irregular structures which may be seen in the middle of Fig. 2 are not visible in the REM image, although it was taken after the SREM record.


2007 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 105-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Paffett ◽  
Benjimen R. Walker

Several molecular and cellular adaptive mechanisms to hypoxia exist within the vasculature. Many of these processes involve oxygen sensing which is transduced into mediators of vasoconstriction in the pulmonary circulation and vasodilation in the systemic circulation. A variety of oxygen-responsive pathways, such as HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor)-1 and HOs (haem oxygenases), contribute to the overall adaptive process during hypoxia and are currently an area of intense research. Generation of ROS (reactive oxygen species) may also differentially regulate vascular tone in these circulations. Potential candidates underlying the divergent responses between the systemic and pulmonary circulations may include Nox (NADPH oxidase)-derived ROS and mitochondrial-derived ROS. In addition to alterations in ROS production governing vascular tone in the hypoxic setting, other vascular adaptations are likely to be involved. HPV (hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction) and CH (chronic hypoxia)-induced alterations in cellular proliferation, ionic conductances and changes in the contractile apparatus sensitivity to calcium, all occur as adaptive processes within the vasculature.


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