Hermann Wagner

Bio: Hermann Wagner is an academic researcher from RWTH Aachen University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Interaural time difference & Sound localization. The author has an hindex of 41, co-authored 189 publications receiving 6733 citations. Previous affiliations of Hermann Wagner include California Institute of Technology & Queen's University.

Equilibrium and Non-Equilibrium Type β-Relaxations: D-Sorbitol versus o-Terphenyl

Abstract: A previous observation, which indicated that the β-relaxation intensity of o-terphenyl is sensitive to the thermal history, is substantiated by dielectric relaxation experiments. Unlike the β-processes of other materials, only the quenched glassy state of o-terphenyl displays this secondary relaxation feature. The β-intensity is observed to decay gradually upon annealing and disappears altogether in the equilibrium liquid state at T > Tg. We compare the case of o-terphenyl with the concomitant signatures of d-sorbitol, which represents the more typical case of a glass-former which exhibits the slow β-process also in the liquid state including the α−β-merging scenario. We also present data of this α−β-merging for d-sorbitol confined to pores of 5 nm diameter, indicating that no longer-ranged correlations are involved in the secondary process.

Flight performance and visual control of flight of the free-flying housefly (Musca domestica L.) II. Pursuit of targets

Abstract: The pursuit behaviour of houseflies has been analysed by the evaluation of movie films. On the floor, males, but not females, turn towards passing targets. Males as well as females pursue targets in the air. Male chasing seems to be functionally different from female tracking. Males attack targets in the air from below. They sometimes retract from the target fly after an approach. Thus, a chase may be divided into attacks, periods of pursuit and retreats. Males catch females, but not other males. The pursuer is therefore able to discriminate between the sexes. Close approach or contact with the target fly seems to be necessary to obtain the information. During pursuit both sexes increase the rate of turning. The male but not the female target fly performs evasive translatory reactions to the attacks (figure 4). Females do not catch other flies. They often react with a single turn in the direction of a passing object. They seldom follow the target, which is then normally positioned below the tracking fly. The rotations about the vertical and transverse axis (yaw and pitch) are visually controlled in both sexes. The horizontal and vertical error angle, as well as the horizontal and vertical retinal target velocity, influence the turning behaviour. At least in males, further, hitherto unknown, cues seem to be additionally involved in the control of the rotatory movements. The male control systems operate more precisely than those of the females. Rotations are characterized by steplike changes in angular orientation (`turns') at high angular velocity. Smooth rotations at angular velocities less than about 200 deg s^(-1) seem not to play any role either in males or in females. `Sideways' tracking, most probably mediated by rolling about the long axis, occurred in a single sequence only. A correlation between the translation velocity and the distance between pursuer and target is observed in the pursuit sequences of both sexes. This correlation is interpreted as a by-product of the organization of the flight motor. Therefore, neither males nor females control the translation velocity by the distance to the target. The discussion concentrates on the problems in characterizing the control systems and a comparison with data from optical and electrophysiological measurements. The behavioural differences between hoverflies and houseflies are attributed to the different flight motors.

Flight Performance and Visual Control of Flight of the Free-Flying Housefly (Musca Domestica L.) I. Organization of the Flight Motor

Abstract: Free-flying houseflies have been filmed simultaneously from two sides. The orientation of the flies' body axes-in three-dimensional space can be seen on the films. A method is presented for the reconstruction of the flies' movements in a fly-centred coordinate system, relative to an external coordinate system and relative to the airstream. The flies are regarded as three-dimensionally rigid bodies. They move with respect to the six degrees of freedom they thus possess. The analysis of the organization of the flight motor from the kinematic data leads to the following conclusions: the sideways movements can, at least qualitatively, be explained by taking into account the sideways forces resulting from rolling the body about the long axis and the influence of inertia. Thus, the force vector generated by the flight motor is most probably located in the fly's midsagittal plane. The direction of this vector can be varied by the fly in a restricted range only. In contrast, the direction of the torque vector can be freely adjusted by the fly. No coupling between the motor force and the torques is indicated. Changes of flight direction may be explained by changes in the orientation of the body axes: straight flight at an angle of sideslip differing from zero is due to rolling. Sideways motion during the banked turns as well as the decrease of translation velocity observed in curves are a consequence of the inertial forces and rolling. The results are discussed with reference to studies about the aerodynamic performance of insects and the constraints for aerial pursuit.

Morphometric characterisation of wing feathers of the barn owl Tyto alba pratincola and the pigeon Columba livia

Abstract: Owls are known for their silent flight. Even though there is some information available on the mechanisms that lead to a reduction of noise emission, neither the morphological basis, nor the biological mechanisms of the owl's silent flight are known. Therefore, we have initiated a systematic analysis of wing morphology in both a specialist, the barn owl, and a generalist, the pigeon. This report presents a comparison between the feathers of the barn owl and the pigeon and emphasise the specific characteristics of the owl's feathers on macroscopic and microscopic level. An understanding of the features and mechanisms underlying this silent flight might eventually be employed for aerodynamic purposes and lead to a new wing design in modern aircrafts. A variety of different feathers (six remiges and six coverts), taken from several specimen in either species, were investigated. Quantitative analysis of digital images and scanning electron microscopy were used for a morphometric characterisation. Although both species have comparable body weights, barn owl feathers were in general larger than pigeon feathers. For both species, the depth and the area of the outer vanes of the remiges were typically smaller than those of the inner vanes. This difference was more pronounced in the barn owl than in the pigeon. Owl feathers also had lesser radiates, longer pennula, and were more translucent than pigeon feathers. The two species achieved smooth edges and regular surfaces of the vanes by different construction principles: while the angles of attachment to the rachis and the length of the barbs was nearly constant for the barn owl, these parameters varied in the pigeon. We also present a quantitative description of several characteristic features of barn owl feathers, e.g., the serrations at the leading edge of the wing, the fringes at the edges of each feather, and the velvet-like dorsal surface. The quantitative description of the feathers and the specific structures of owl feathers can be used as a model for the construction of a biomimetic airplane wing or, in general, as a source for noise-reducing applications on any surfaces subjected to flow fields.

SPAdes, a new genome assembly algorithm and its applications to single-cell sequencing ( 7th Annual SFAF Meeting, 2012)

Abstract: The lion's share of bacteria in various environments cannot be cloned in the laboratory and thus cannot be sequenced using existing technologies. A major goal of single-cell genomics is to complement gene-centric metagenomic data with whole-genome assemblies of uncultivated organisms. Assembly of single-cell data is challenging because of highly non-uniform read coverage as well as elevated levels of sequencing errors and chimeric reads. We describe SPAdes, a new assembler for both single-cell and standard (multicell) assembly, and demonstrate that it improves on the recently released E+V-SC assembler (specialized for single-cell data) and on popular assemblers Velvet and SoapDeNovo (for multicell data). SPAdes generates single-cell assemblies, providing information about genomes of uncultivatable bacteria that vastly exceeds what may be obtained via traditional metagenomics studies. SPAdes is available online ( http://bioinf.spbau.ru/spades ). It is distributed as open source software.

Principles of Neural Science

Abstract: I have developed "tennis elbow" from lugging this book around the past four weeks, but it is worth the pain, the effort, and the aspirin. It is also worth the (relatively speaking) bargain price. Including appendixes, this book contains 894 pages of text. The entire panorama of the neural sciences is surveyed and examined, and it is comprehensive in its scope, from genomes to social behaviors. The editors explicitly state that the book is designed as "an introductory text for students of biology, behavior, and medicine," but it is hard to imagine any audience, interested in any fragment of neuroscience at any level of sophistication, that would not enjoy this book. The editors have done a masterful job of weaving together the biologic, the behavioral, and the clinical sciences into a single tapestry in which everyone from the molecular biologist to the practicing psychiatrist can find and appreciate his or

Spiking Neuron Models: Single Neurons, Populations, Plasticity

Abstract: Neurons in the brain communicate by short electrical pulses, the so-called action potentials or spikes. How can we understand the process of spike generation? How can we understand information transmission by neurons? What happens if thousands of neurons are coupled together in a seemingly random network? How does the network connectivity determine the activity patterns? And, vice versa, how does the spike activity influence the connectivity pattern? These questions are addressed in this 2002 introduction to spiking neurons aimed at those taking courses in computational neuroscience, theoretical biology, biophysics, or neural networks. The approach will suit students of physics, mathematics, or computer science; it will also be useful for biologists who are interested in mathematical modelling. The text is enhanced by many worked examples and illustrations. There are no mathematical prerequisites beyond what the audience would meet as undergraduates: more advanced techniques are introduced in an elementary, concrete fashion when needed.

Neuroscience 細胞死：最近の知見

Abstract: 中枢神経系疾患の治療は正常細胞（ニューロン）の機能維持を目的とするが，脳血管障害のように機能障害の原因が細胞の死滅に基づくことは多い．一方，脳腫瘍の治療においては薬物療法や放射線療法といった腫瘍細胞の死滅を目標とするものが大きな位置を占める．いずれの場合にも，細胞死の機序を理解することは各種病態や治療法の理解のうえで重要である．現在のところ最も研究の進んでいる細胞死の型はアポトーシスである．そのなかで重要な位置を占めるミトコンドリアにおける反応および抗アポトーシス因子について概要を紹介する．

Competitive Hebbian learning through spike-timing-dependent synaptic plasticity

Abstract: Hebbian models of development and learning require both activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and a mechanism that induces competition between different synapses. One form of experimentally observed long-term synaptic plasticity, which we call spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), depends on the relative timing of pre- and postsynaptic action potentials. In modeling studies, we find that this form of synaptic modification can automatically balance synaptic strengths to make postsynaptic firing irregular but more sensitive to presynaptic spike timing. It has been argued that neurons in vivo operate in such a balanced regime. Synapses modifiable by STDP compete for control of the timing of postsynaptic action potentials. Inputs that fire the postsynaptic neuron with short latency or that act in correlated groups are able to compete most successfully and develop strong synapses, while synapses of longer-latency or less-effective inputs are weakened.