Σάββατο 31 Δεκεμβρίου 2016

Genetic influences on functional connectivity associated with feedback processing and prediction error: Phase coupling of theta-band oscillations in twins

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Publication date: Available online 31 December 2016
Source:International Journal of Psychophysiology
Author(s): Şükrü Barış Demiral, Simon Golosheykin, Andrey P. Anokhin
Detection and evaluation of the mismatch between the intended and actually obtained result of an action (reward prediction error) is an integral component of adaptive self-regulation of behavior. Extensive human and animal research has shown that evaluation of action outcome is supported by a distributed network of brain regions in which the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a central role, and the integration of distant brain regions into a unified feedback-processing network is enabled by long-range phase synchronization of cortical oscillations in the theta band. Neural correlates of feedback processing are associated with individual differences in normal and abnormal behavior, however, little is known about the role of genetic factors in the cerebral mechanisms of feedback processing. Here we examined genetic influences on functional cortical connectivity related to prediction error in young adult twins (age 18, n=399) using event-related EEG phase coherence analysis in a monetary gambling task. To identify prediction error-specific connectivity pattern, we compared responses to loss and gain feedback. Monetary loss produced a significant increase of theta-band synchronization between the frontal midline region and widespread areas of the scalp, particularly parietal areas, whereas gain resulted in increased synchrony primarily within the posterior regions. Genetic analyses showed significant heritability of frontoparietal theta phase synchronization (24 to 46%), suggesting that individual differences in large-scale network dynamics are under substantial genetic control. We conclude that theta-band synchronization of brain oscillations related to negative feedback reflects genetically transmitted differences in the neural mechanisms of feedback processing. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence for genetic influences on task-related functional brain connectivity assessed using direct real-time measures of neuronal synchronization.



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Think out of the box - Revive Physiology

2016-12-31T19-12-59Z
Source: Annals of Medical Physiology
Mohammed Abdul Hannan Hazari.



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Clinico-pathological Correlation in Diagnosis of Hansen’s Disease: A Histopathologist’s Perspective

2016-12-31T12-42-20Z
Source: Journal of Interdisciplinary Histopathology
Reshma Gopal Kini, Hemangini Choudhury.
Objectives: Hansenss disease follows a chronic course and though curable causes considerable degree of disability and deformity. Key to managing leprosy is its early diagnosis and treatment with multidrug regimen. Histopathological evaluation of skin biopsies play crucial role in the correct diagnosis of clinically ambiguous cases. Moreover classifying lesions by the Ridley-Jopling(RJ) system gives personalized information about the immulogical status of the individual and also aids in placing the patient in the correct treatment category. Materials and methods: Skin biopsies obtained from newly diagnosed cases of leprosy were included. Paraffin embedded sections stained with hematoxylin- eosin and Fite-Farracco were evaluated for features confirming leprosy and further categorized as per the RJ system. Sensitivity, specificity and concordance rates were looked for. Results: A total of 93 cases were studied after excluding those which had a component of reaction. Among the clinically suspected cases 93% of the biopsies were positive for leprosy. Sensitivity of clinical diagnosis ranged from 60% for borderline(BB) to 100% for histioid leprosy. Specificity ranged from 84.5% for borderline tuberculoid (BT) to 100% for neuritic leprosy. The agreement between histopathological and clinical diagnosis was more than 90% in all the subclasses except for BT which showed agreement in about 82% of the cases. Two of the cases were recategorized into multibacillary type of leprosy based histopathological evaluation. Conclusion: Confirmation of leprosy by examination of skin biopsy before starting the patient on long term multidrug therapy is invaluable. Experience of the leprologists and adherence to histopathological criteria as per the Ridley Jopling classification yield excellent concordance rates.


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Effects of implicit theories of ability and stereotype-inconsistent information on handgrip strength in older adults: A regulatory fit perspective

Abstract

This study examined whether stereotype-inconsistent information interacts with implicit theories of ability to affect handgrip strength in older adults. Eighty-two retired older adults (13 men and 69 women) from 61 to 89 years old (Mage = 75.8 years; SD = 6.9) performed maximum voluntary contractions (MVC) during a handgrip task in a design manipulating implicit theories of ability and stereotype-inconsistent information related to physical decline with aging. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: incremental condition, entity condition, or control group. The results showed that in the incremental condition the stereotype-inconsistent information improved the peak MVC, the average MVC, the peak rate of force development (RFD), and RFD in the initial 50 ms of the MVC. This study therefore demonstrated that individuals with an incremental mindset who are exposed to stereotype-inconsistent information can boost their physical performance. These findings are discussed from the perspective of regulatory fit (i.e., when task framing is congruent with the individual's goal).



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An automatic classifier of emotions built from entropy of noise

Abstract

The electrocardiogram (ECG) signal has been widely used to study the physiological substrates of emotion. However, searching for better filtering techniques in order to obtain a signal with better quality and with the maximum relevant information remains an important issue for researchers in this field. Signal processing is largely performed for ECG analysis and interpretation, but this process can be susceptible to error in the delineation phase. In addition, it can lead to the loss of important information that is usually considered as noise and, consequently, discarded from the analysis. The goal of this study was to evaluate if the ECG noise allows for the classification of emotions, while using its entropy as an input in a decision tree classifier. We collected the ECG signal from 25 healthy participants while they were presented with videos eliciting negative (fear and disgust) and neutral emotions. The results indicated that the neutral condition showed a perfect identification (100%), whereas the classification of negative emotions indicated good identification performances (60% of sensitivity and 80% of specificity). These results suggest that the entropy of noise contains relevant information that can be useful to improve the analysis of the physiological correlates of emotion.



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The P3 cognitive ERP has at least some sensory modality-specific generators: Evidence from high-resolution EEG

Abstract

The P3 can arguably be named the most intensely studied ERP. In spite of more than 40 years of research, fundamental questions regarding the nature of its neural generators remain unresolved. While most studies conclude that the P3 is a true classical "endogenous" potential, and that its surface potential distribution remains constant across sensory modalities, these results are largely based on low-density EEG recordings, without the use of high-resolution methods such as the spherical spline Laplacian (SSL). Seventeen healthy participants performed a three-stimulus oddball task in visual and auditory modality while their EEG was recorded using a 128-channel system. Comparison of amplitude-normalized SSL estimated P3 brain-surface potentials, and analysis of spatial and temporal correlations revealed significant differences between visual and auditory evoked P3 topographies from target and distractor stimuli (but not target minus frequent or distractor minus frequent comparisons). Based on these results, we postulate the likely existence of at least some sensory modality-specific neuronal generators of the P3.



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A right-ear bias of auditory selective attention is evident in alpha oscillations

Abstract

Auditory selective attention makes it possible to pick out one speech stream that is embedded in a multispeaker environment. We adapted a cued dichotic listening task to examine suppression of a speech stream lateralized to the nonattended ear, and to evaluate the effects of attention on the right ear's well-known advantage in the perception of linguistic stimuli. After being cued to attend to input from either their left or right ear, participants heard two different four-word streams presented simultaneously to the separate ears. Following each dichotic presentation, participants judged whether a spoken probe word had been in the attended ear's stream. We used EEG signals to track participants' spatial lateralization of auditory attention, which is marked by interhemispheric differences in EEG alpha (8–14 Hz) power. A right-ear advantage (REA) was evident in faster response times and greater sensitivity in distinguishing attended from unattended words. Consistent with the REA, we found strongest parietal and right frontotemporal alpha modulation during the attend-right condition. These findings provide evidence for a link between selective attention and the REA during directed dichotic listening.



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Common issues in the management of patients on the waiting list and after liver transplantation: HCV, HBV, alcoholic liver disease, immunosuppression

The present document contains the recommendations of an expert panel of transplant hepatologists, appointed by the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (AISF), on how to manage the most common aspects of liver transplantation: The topics covered include: New treatments for HCV in patients on the waiting list for liver transplantation; Antiviral treatments in patients with HCV recurrence after liver transplantation; Prophylaxis for HBV recurrence after liver transplantation; Indications for liver transplantation in alcoholic liver disease; and Immunosuppressive therapy.

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Nutritional status and bioelectrical phase angle assessment in adult Crohn disease patients receiving anti-TNFα therapy

Altered body composition is frequently observed in Crohn's Disease (CD) patients.

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Which treatment for type 2 diabetes associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are highly prevalent in the community, and share common pathogenic mechanisms. There is also evidence that T2DM may be favored by hepatic fat accumulation; in turn the presence of T2DM is a risk factor for liver disease progression. The treatment of T2DM has considerably changed in the past few years; new drug classes, promoting glucose-lowering through mechanisms different from classical insulin-sensitizing or insulin-secreting action, have been added to continuing lifestyle intervention.

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Common issues in the management of patients on the waiting list and after liver transplantation: HCV, HBV, alcoholic liver disease, immunosuppression

The present document contains the recommendations of an expert panel of transplant hepatologists, appointed by the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (AISF), on how to manage the most common aspects of liver transplantation: The topics covered include: New treatments for HCV in patients on the waiting list for liver transplantation; Antiviral treatments in patients with HCV recurrence after liver transplantation; Prophylaxis for HBV recurrence after liver transplantation; Indications for liver transplantation in alcoholic liver disease; and Immunosuppressive therapy.

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Nutritional status and bioelectrical phase angle assessment in adult Crohn disease patients receiving anti-TNFα therapy

Altered body composition is frequently observed in Crohn's Disease (CD) patients.

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Which treatment for type 2 diabetes associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are highly prevalent in the community, and share common pathogenic mechanisms. There is also evidence that T2DM may be favored by hepatic fat accumulation; in turn the presence of T2DM is a risk factor for liver disease progression. The treatment of T2DM has considerably changed in the past few years; new drug classes, promoting glucose-lowering through mechanisms different from classical insulin-sensitizing or insulin-secreting action, have been added to continuing lifestyle intervention.

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Carl Hermann Lücking, 1938–2016

On the 29th of October 2016, Professor Carl Hermann Lücking passed away, aged 78, in his home at Stegen near Freiburg, Germany. He was a dedicated clinical neurophysiologist and neurologist through all his professional life and was President of the German EEG Society, the later German Society of Clinical Neurophysiology (DGKN), from 1982 to 1983 and from 2002 to 2003. For his extraordinary achievements in the field of Clinical Neurophysiology he was awarded the "Hans-Berger-Preis" by the DGKN, its highest award, in 1997.

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Carl Hermann Lücking, 1938–2016

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Publication date: Available online 30 December 2016
Source:Clinical Neurophysiology
Author(s): Reinhard Dengler, Günther Deuschl




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Effects of aerobic exercise on pain sensitivity, heart rate recovery, and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

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We aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on pain perception, sensitivity, and health-related quality of life; to assess its effect on parasympathetic tonus by analysis of heart rate recovery; and to examine the effects of parasympathetic tone on pain sensitivity in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Fifty patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain were randomized into two groups: control group (C group) and aerobic exercise group (AE group). Both groups received conventional physical therapy for 2 weeks; the AE group performed submaximal aerobic exercise on a treadmill for 30 min additionally. Exercise test, pressure-pain threshold measurement, short form-36, and visual analog scale were administered initially and finally for evaluation. Visual analog scale scores in both groups decreased significantly after treatment (P

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Vertical and lateral distribution of fallout 137Cs and soil properties along representative toposequences of central Rif, Morocco

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Publication date: April 2017
Source:Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Volumes 169–170
Author(s): Haytam Mesrar, Abdelhamid Sadiki, Ali Faleh, Laura Quijano, Leticia Gaspar, Ana Navas
The purpose of this study is to understand and quantify the relationships between current 137Cs inventories and the soil properties and the physiographic characteristics. A total of 36 cores were taken in seven transects with different slopes, lithology and land use. The analysis focused on the 137Cs mass activity as well as inventories and its relationship with soil properties as grain size and organic matter.The mass activity of 137Cs and the inventories varied between 3.6 and 63.7 Bq kg−1 and between 521.7 and 3304.4 Bq m−2, respectively. At uncultivated soils, high concentrations of 137Cs are located in the top 10 cm and decreased exponentially in depth. Cultivated soils record disturbed and heterogeneous 137Cs profiles with values of mass activity and inventories up to 38.7 Bq kg−1 and 2510.8 Bq m−2, respectively.The 137Cs inventories were significantly higher in uncultivated soils (mean: 2086.9 Bq m−2) compared to cultivated soils (mean: 1397.1 Bq m−2). The 137Cs mass activity showed a significant positive correlation with organic matter, silt and clay, but it was negatively correlated with sand and pH respectively. High levels of 137Cs were found at altitudes between 500 m and 640 m a.s.l, and at slopes from 8° to 11°, as well as in dense scrub land and Fersialitic soils. A principal component analysis showed that more than 86.7% of the variance in 137Cs mass activity was explained by the organic matter content and the land use.The results of this study provide insights into the effects of soil properties and physiographic factors on the behaviour of 137Cs in soils of Mediterranean environments of North Africa and strengthen the reliability of this radioisotope as an erosion tracer.



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Analysis of Immunogenetic Factors in Idiosyncratic Drug-Induced Liver Injury in the Paediatric Population.

Objective: Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a multifactorial complex disease, in which the toxic potential of the drug, together with genetic and acquired factors and deficiencies in adaptive processes which limit the extent of damage, can determine susceptibility and make individuals unique in their development of hepatotoxicity. The aim of this study is to analyse the genetic factors (HLA, cytokine polymorphisms and KIR genotype) of children who experience an episode of drug-induced liver injury. Subjects and method: Prospective multicentre case control study. The subjects included in the study were 30 paediatric patients - infants and children aged between 0 and 15 years and who presented possible liver disease associated with the intake of medicines, herbal products, drugs or toxins. As a control group, 62 subjects were selected. Results and Conclusions: Although HLAC0401 and HLADQB0603 may provide a hepatoprotective mechanism in the paediatric population, HLADQA0102 and HLA-DR*12 are more commonly found in sick children and their presence may be related to liver damage. The KIR inhibitor KIR3DL1 was not present in any child in the control group. Polymorphisms that are low producers of IL-10 occur more frequently in children who have experienced hepatotoxicity. (C) 2016 by European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology,

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A Virtual Reality Simulation Model of Spinal Ultrasound: Role in Teaching Spinal Sonoanatomy.

Background and Objectives: Ultrasound assessment of the lumbar spine improves the success of spinal and epidural anesthesia, especially for patients with underlying difficult anatomy. To assist with the teaching and learning of ultrasound-guided neuraxial anesthesia, we have created an online interactive educational model ( http://ift.tt/2hE59iM and http://ift.tt/2hVI8nU). The aim of the current study was to determine whether the virtual spine model improved the knowledge of neuraxial anatomy and sonoanatomy. Methods: After obtaining ethics board approval and written participant consent, 14 anesthesia trainees with no prior experience with spine ultrasound imaging were included in this study. Construct validity was assessed using a pretest/posttest design to measure the knowledge acquired from self-study of the virtual spine simulation modules. Two tests (A and B) with 20 multiple-choice questions were used either for the pretest or posttest, at random in order to account for possible differences in difficulty between the 2 tests. These tests were administered immediately before and after a 1-hour training session using the spine ultrasound model. Results: Fourteen anesthesia trainees completed the study. Seven used test A as the pretest (group A), and 7 used test B as the pretest (group B). Both groups showed a statistically significant improvement (P

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