Preparing for saliencies: Emotional expectations under probabilistically and aversively salient situations

Abstract

In humans, the expectation process in decision making has not been as thoroughly investigated as the evaluation process. The present study focused on the interaction between probabilistic saliency and motivational saliency during expectation and evaluation periods using stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) and reward positivity (RewP). Twenty healthy participants performed a modified monetary-incentive delay task under reward-approach and punishment-avoidance conditions. Each condition was characterized by the likely outcome (reward only, punishment only) to manipulate motivational saliency. The task difficulty was regulated to control for probabilistic saliency, and the error trial was set as a probabilistically salient event (75% correct, 25% error). The results demonstrated that there was a larger SPN in the 25%-error trial than the 75%-correct trial and that it was left hemisphere predominant. Furthermore, there was an interaction between probabilistic and motivational saliency such that the SPN in the error trial was larger in the punishment-avoidance than in the reward-approach condition at Fz and at the right hemisphere. In contrast, RewP was only significantly different from zero in the 75%-correct trial in the reward-approach condition. These results confirm that the SPN increases with probabilistic saliency and that probabilistically salient events may intervene in the motivational saliency of the outcome; furthermore, that RewP reflects the weighted positive value of the outcome for reward but not the weighted negative value of the outcome for punishment. We discuss the interaction between probabilistic saliency and motivational saliency on SPN and its left hemisphere predominance based on the functions of the insular cortex.

from Physiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2qHN74t
via IFTTT

Movement-related neural processing in people with congenital mirror movements beyond the (cortical) surface

Publication date: Available online 8 January 2018
Source:Clinical Neurophysiology
Author(s): Renzo Manara, Alessandro Salvalaggio, Angela Favaro, Fabrizio Esposito




from Physiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2CVa6xA
via IFTTT

The cortical focus in childhood absence epilepsy; evidence from nonlinear analysis of scalp EEG recordings

Publication date: Available online 8 January 2018
Source:Clinical Neurophysiology
Author(s): Ptolemaios G Sarrigiannis, Yifan Zhao, Fei He, Stephen A Billings, Kathleen Baster, Chris Rittey, John Yianni, Panagiotis Zis, Hualiang Wei, Marios Hadjivassiliou, Richard Grünewald
ObjectiveTo determine the origin and dynamic characteristics of the generalised hyper-synchronous spike and wave (SW) discharges in childhood absence epilepsy (CAE).MethodsWe applied nonlinear methods, the error reduction ratio (ERR) causality test and cross-frequency analysis, with a nonlinear autoregressive exogenous (NARX) model, to electroencephalograms (EEGs) from CAE, selected with stringent electro-clinical criteria (17 cases, 42 absences). We analysed the pre-ictal and ictal strength of association between homologous and heterologous EEG derivations and estimated the direction of synchronisation and corresponding time lags.ResultsA frontal/fronto-central onset of the absences is detected in 13 of the 17 cases with the highest ictal strength of association between homologous frontal followed by centro-temporal and fronto-central areas. Delays consistently in excess of 4 ms occur at the very onset between these regions, swiftly followed by the emergence of "isochronous" (0-2ms) synchronisation but dynamic time lag changes occur during SW discharges.ConclusionsIn absences an initial cortico-cortical spread leads to dynamic lag changes to include periods of isochronous interhemispheric synchronisation, which we hypothesize is mediated by the thalamus.SignificanceAbsences from CAE show ictal epileptic network dynamics remarkably similar to those observed in WAG/Rij rats which guided the formulation of the cortical focus theory.



from Physiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mbEBFg
via IFTTT

Genome incompatibility between rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) and sea trout ( Salmo trutta ) and induction of the interspecies gynogenesis

Abstract

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum) and sea trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) show large karyotypic differences and their hybrid offspring is not viable due to unstable karyotype and chromosome fragmentation. However, gametes from these two species were used to induce gynogenetic development. Rainbow trout eggs activated by UV-irradiated sea trout sperm were subjected to high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) shock to prevent release of the 2nd polar body (early shock) or to inhibit the first cleavage (late shock) in order to produce diploid meiotic gynogenotes and gynogenetic doubled haploids (DHs), respectively. Cytogenetic analysis proved fish that development was induced by the sea trout spermatozoa were rainbow trout. In turn, molecular examination confirmed homozygosity of the gynogenetic DHs. Presumed appearance of the recessive alleles resulted in lower survival of the gynogenetic DH larvae (~25%) when compared to survival of the heterozygous (meiotic) gynogenotes (c. 50%). Our results proved that genomic incompatibilities between studied trout species result in the hybrid unviability. However, artificial gynogenesis including activation of rainbow trout eggs with UV-irradiated sea trout spermatozoa was successfully induced. As both species are unable to cross, application of the UV-irradiated sea trout spermatozoa to activate rainbow trout development assures only maternal inheritance with no contamination by the residues of the paternal chromosomes.

from Genetics via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2CDYE6b
via IFTTT

Clinical features of chronic enteropathy associated with SLCO2A1 gene: a new entity clinically distinct from Crohn’s disease

Abstract

Background

Chronic enteropathy associated with SLCO2A1 gene (CEAS) is a hereditary disease caused by mutations in the SLCO2A1 gene and characterized by multiple small intestinal ulcers of nonspecific histology. SLCO2A1 is also a causal gene of primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (PHO). However, little is known about the clinical features of CEAS or PHO.

Methods

Sixty-five Japanese patients recruited by a nationwide survey of CEAS during 2012–2016 were enrolled in this present study. We reviewed the clinical information of the genetically confirmed CEAS patients.

Results

We identified recessive SLCO2A1 mutations at 11 sites in 46 patients. Among the 46 patients genetically confirmed as CEAS, 13 were men and 33 were women. The median age at disease onset was 16.5 years, and parental consanguinity was present in 13 patients (28%). Anemia was present in 45 patients (98%), while a single patient experienced gross hematochezia. All patients showed relatively low inflammatory markers in blood tests (median CRP 0.20 mg/dl). The most frequently involved gastrointestinal site was the ileum (98%), although no patient had mucosal injuries in the terminal ileum. Mild digital clubbing or periostosis was found in 13 patients (28%), with five male patients fulfilling the major diagnostic criteria of PHO.

Conclusions

The clinical features of CEAS are distinct from those of Crohn's disease. Genetic analysis of the SLCO2A1 gene is therefore recommended in patients clinically suspected of having CEAS.

from Gastroenterology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2CQGJgE
via IFTTT

Incarcerated obturator hernia treated using a hybrid laparoscopic and anterior preperitoneal approach: A case report

Abstract

Obturator hernia (OH) is a rare cause of bowel obstruction. Although several surgical approaches, including the laparoscopic approach, have been reported to date, a standard approach for treating OH has not been established. A 101-year-old woman who presented with constipation and vomiting was admitted to our hospital. CT revealed an incarcerated small bowel within the left obturator foramen, and a diagnosis of left-sided incarcerated OH with small bowel ileus was made. With the patient under general anesthesia, exploratory laparoscopy was performed; we identified an OH with an incarcerated small bowel, which was judged viable after hernia reduction. We repaired the hernia using an anterior preperitoneal approach under laparoscopic assistance and placed a prosthetic mesh over the obturator foramen. The patient recovered with no postoperative complications and was discharged on postoperative day 4. A hybrid laparoscopic and anterior preperitoneal approach is safe and effective for treating an incarcerated OH in an elderly patient.

from Endoscopy via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2m9jNhs
via IFTTT

Colonic ischemia developed after laparoscopic colectomy for rectosigmoid cancer with focal infrarenal aortic stenosis

Abstract

A 69-year-old woman with focal infrarenal aortic stenosis was diagnosed with rectosigmoid cancer. Because radical resection for colon cancer required dissection of vessels that supplied blood flow to the legs, revascularization by aortic stent placement was performed before the colectomy. We subsequently performed laparoscopic low anterior resection without any complications. Two and a half years after colectomy, however, the patient developed colonic ischemia due to thrombosis of the dilated marginal artery that served as a collateral artery before stenting. We performed laparoscopic partial colectomy, including the resection of the dilated marginal artery filled with thrombus. An abnormally dilated ex-collateral artery was thought to have caused vessel occlusion, presumably due to an imbalance in blood flow and vascular diameter.

from Endoscopy via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2CQHWUx
via IFTTT

Effect of EUK-134 on Akt-mTOR signaling in the rat soleus during 7 days of mechanical unloading

Abstract

Mechanical unloading stimulates rapid changes in skeletal muscle morphology, characterized by atrophy of muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) and a partial fiber-type shift from slow to fast-twitch. Recent studies revealed that oxidative stress contributes to activation of FoxO3a, proteolytic signaling and unloading-induced muscle atrophy via translocation of the mu-splice variant of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOSμ) and activation of FoxO3a. Yet, there is limited understanding of the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the Akt-mTOR pathway signaling during unloading. We hypothesized that EUK-134, a mimetic of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase would protect Akt-mTOR signaling in the unloaded rat soleus. Male Fischer-344 rats were separated into three study groups: ambulatory control (CON, n = 11), 7 days of hindlimb unloading + saline injections (HU, n = 11), or 7 days of HU + superoxide dismutase/catalase mimetic EUK-134; (HU+EUK-134, n = 9). EUK-134 mitigated unloading-induced dephosphorylation of Akt, as well as FoxO3a, in the soleus. mTOR phosphorylation in the EUK-treated unloaded rats was not different than controls. However, EUK-134 did not significantly rescue p70S6K phosphorylation. EUK-134 attenuated translocation of nNOSμ from the membrane to the cytosol, reduced nitration of tyrosine residues, and suppressed upregulation of caveolin-3 and dysferlin. EUK-134 ameliorated HU-induced remodeling: atrophy of muscle fibers and the 12% increase in type II MHC positive fibers. Attenuation of the unloaded muscle phenotype was associated with decreased ROS, as assessed by ethidium+ nuclei. We conclude that oxidative stress affects Akt-mTOR signaling in unloaded skeletal muscle. Direct linkage of abrogation of nNOSμ translocation with Akt-mTOR signaling during unloading is the subject of future investigation.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

from Physiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2CTmdLy
via IFTTT

The new genetics of intelligence

The new genetics of intelligence

The new genetics of intelligence, Published online: 08 January 2018; doi:10.1038/nrg.2017.104

Recent genome-wide association studies have catapulted the search for genes underlying human intelligence into a new era. Genome-wide polygenic scores promise to transform research on individual differences in intelligence, but not without societal and ethical implications, as the authors discuss in this Review.

from Genetics via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2D6kOz8
via IFTTT

Extubation in the operating room after pediatric liver transplant: A retrospective cohort study

Summary

Background

Early extubation immediately following liver transplantation is increasingly common in adult practice. Some pediatric institutions have begun to adopt this strategy. Careful patient selection is essential in minimizing risk.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study evaluated infants and children who underwent liver transplantation between July 2011 and December 2014. Our primary objective was to determine early extubation rate. Secondary objectives were to identify clinical factors associated with successful early extubation compared with delayed extubation and to examine significant postoperative complications, intensive care unit length of stay, and hospital length of stay.

Results

The early extubation rate was 57.8% (37/64, confidence interval [CI] 44.8%-70.1%) over this 3.5-year period, increasing from 42% in 2012 to 58% by the end of 2014. The patients in the early extubation group were more likely to be older than the delayed extubation group (mean [SD], 7 [5.3] years vs 3.5 [5.5] years, difference between the mean [95% CI], 3.5 [0.8, 6.2] years); were to have come from home on the day of surgery (78.4% vs 25.9%); and were less likely to be listed as United Network for Organ Sharing status 1A (2.7% vs 25.9%). The early extubation group received less packed red blood cell volume (mean [SD], 9 [13.2] mL/kg vs 40.6 [48.5] mL/kg, difference between the mean [95% CI], 31.6 [95% CI 14.9, 48.3] mL/kg) and fresh-frozen plasma (mean 2.7 [SD 9.5] vs 13.3 [SD15.1], difference between the mean [95% CI], 10.5 [4.4,16.7] mL/kg). None of the patients in the early extubation group required reintubation in the first 24 hours following transplant and none experienced hepatic artery thrombosis. The early extubation group had a shorter average postoperative PICU stay (mean 3.8 [SD 2.1] days vs 17.6 [SD 31.3] days, difference between the mean [95% CI], 9.5 [4.3, 14.7] days) and a shorter postoperative hospital stay overall (mean 10.7 [SD 4.3] days vs 29.7 [SD 43.1] days, difference between the mean [95% CI], 19.1 [8.6, 29.6] days).

Conclusion

More than half of our pediatric liver transplant patients were successfully extubated in the operating room immediately following surgery. We believe early extubation to be safe when employed in selected subpopulations of pediatric patients undergoing liver transplantation.

from Anaesthesiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2m6FL4P
via IFTTT

Optimum time for intravenous cannulation after induction with sevoflurane, oxygen, and nitrous oxide in children without any premedication

Summary

Background

Intravenous cannulation is usually done in children after inhalational induction with volatile anesthetic agents. The optimum time for safe intravenous cannulation after induction with sevoflurane, oxygen, and nitrous oxide has been studied in premedicated children, but there is no information for the optimum time for cannulation with inhalational induction in children without premedication.

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine the optimum time for intravenous cannulation after the induction of anesthesia with sevoflurane, oxygen, and nitrous oxide in children without any premedication.

Methods

This is a prospective, observer-blinded, up-and-down sequential allocation study in unpremedicated ASA grade 1 children aged 2-6 years undergoing elective dental surgery. Intravenous cannulation was attempted after inhalational induction with sevoflurane, oxygen, and nitrous oxide. The timing of cannulation was considered adequate if there was no movement, coughing, or laryngospasm. The cannulation attempt for the first child was set at 4 minutes after the loss of eyelash reflex and the time for intravenous cannulation was determined by the up-and-down method using 15 seconds as step size. Probit test was used to analyze the up-down sequences for the study.

Results

The adequate time for effective cannulation after induction with sevoflurane, oxygen, and nitrous oxide in 50% and 95% of patients was 53.02 seconds (95% confidence limits, 20.23-67.76 seconds) and 87.21 seconds (95% confidence limits, 70.77-248.03 seconds), respectively.

Conclusion

We recommend waiting for 1 minute 45 seconds (105 seconds) after the loss of eyelash reflex before attempting intravenous cannulation in pediatric patients induced with sevoflurane, oxygen, and nitrous oxide without any premedication.

from Anaesthesiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2FgsMXa
via IFTTT

Evolving changes in fetal heart rate variability and brain injury after hypoxia-ischemia in preterm fetal sheep

Abstract

Hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is a major contributor to preterm brain injury, but there are currently no reliable biomarkers to identify at risk infants. We tested the hypothesis that fetal heart rate (FHR) and FHR variability (FHRV) would identify evolving brain injury after HI. Fetal sheep at 0.7 of gestation were subjected to either 15 (15-min, n = 10) or 25 min (25-min, n = 17) of complete umbilical cord occlusion or sham occlusion (n = 12). FHR and four measures of FHRV (STV, LTV, SDNN, RMSSD) were assessed until 72 h after HI. All measures of FHRV were suppressed for the first 3-4 h in the 15-min group and 1–2 h in the 25-min group. Measures of FHRV recovered to control levels by 4 h in the 15-min group, whereas the 25-min group showed tachycardia and an increase in STV and SDNN from 4–6 h after occlusion. The measures of FHRV then progressively declined in the 25-min group, and became profoundly suppressed from 18–48 h. A partial recovery of FHRV measures towards control levels was observed in the 25-min group from 49–72 h. These findings illustrate the complex regulation of FHRV after both mild and severe HI, and suggest that the longitudinal analysis of FHR and FHRV after HI may be able to help determine the timing and severity of preterm HI.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

from Physiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2CMG5Af
via IFTTT