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In 1950, a new word 'brainwashing' entered the English language. Though its meaning was always ambiguous and continuously evolving, it captured various concerns about the future uses of psychology in warfare and domestic life and the potential for new technologies to control and manipulate human minds. Recent scholarship on what historians have called the 'Cold War brainwashing scare' has tended to treat brainwashing as a Cold War paranoia or fantasy that not only was never to be, but was never really supported by scientific research. Drawing on recent scholarship and my own research, this paper examines some of the interactions between experts and popular discourses on brainwashing. For many experts, the Cold War brainwashing scare offered an opportunity to engage the public with contemporary psychological theory and research. But it was by no means a discussion over which they had complete control. It will be argued that the popular debate about brainwashing was not only a question of dealing with scientific 'facts', but existed in a more diverse imaginary concerned as much with present realities, as it was with future possibilities. Much in the same way that stories about artificial intelligence are reported today, discussions of techniques of brainwashing were often accompanied by speculation both wild and grounded about how new technology may be used in the future and by whom. This paper covers three examples: Korean War military psychiatrists, the popular theories of William Sargant and the field of experimental research known broadly as sensory deprivation. It concludes with some observations about current concerns about psychological manipulation in the digital age and the role psychology expertise plays in navigating these concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Following brain met excision, post-op radiosurgery (SRS) is increasingly being used. • The efficacy and optimal delivery technique of SRS are topics of debate. • Here we review all published cases of post-op SRS, totaling 3458 patients. • The mean local control rate at 12 months was excellent (84%) with limited toxicity. • 12 month local control was better with fractionated vs single-dose SRS (87% vs 80%, p = 0.02). Background: Following the resection of brain metastases, Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) to the post-operative surgical cavity has increasingly replaced Whole Brain Radiotherapy (WBRT) as the standard of practice. There is however tremendous variation in the way SRS can be delivered and outcomes of SRS are yet to be systemically characterized. Methods: Pubmed, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched through June 2019 to identify papers that examined post-operative SRS after resection of brain metastases. An aggregate data analysis was performed to estimate the pooled rate of local control at 12 months (LC12), radiation necrosis, and leptomengingeal disease dissemination as binary outcomes. We pre-specified a random effects model using the method of DerSimonian and Laird with the Mantel-Haenszel weighting scheme and a fixed continuity correction of 0.5. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. Results: Fifty studies involving 3458 patients were included for analysis. LC12 across all studies was found to be 83.7%. Patients treated with fractionated SRS had better local control than patients treated with single fraction SRS (LC12 87.3% vs 80.0%, p = 0.021) in a univariate analysis. There was no improved LC12 with the addition of a margin (LC12 of 84.3% vs 83.1% with no margin, p = 0.71). Radiation necrosis was rare at 6.9% across all reported studies and leptomeningeal disease was found to be 13% across all reported studies. One year distant brain control was found to be 52.8%. Conclusion: Our review supports the use of post-operative SRS to the resection cavity as a safe and efficacious treatment option. Fractionated SRS appears to be beneficial and warrants further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language comprehension during reading requires fine-grained management of saccadic eye movements. A critical question, therefore, is how the brain controls eye movements in reading. Neural correlates of simple eye movements have been found in multiple cortical regions, but little is known about how this network operates in reading. To investigate this question in the present study, participants were presented with normal text, pseudo-word text, and consonant string text in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner with eyetracking. Participants read naturally in the normal text condition and moved their eyes "as if they were reading" in the other conditions. Multi-voxel pattern analysis was used to analyze the fMRI signal in the oculomotor network. We found that activation patterns in a subset of network regions differentiated between stimulus types. These results suggest that the oculomotor network reflects more than simple saccade generation and are consistent with the hypothesis that specific network areas interface with cognitive systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of concurrent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and ipilimumab or nivolumab in patients with untreated melanoma brain metastases. Patients and Methods: Eighty consecutive patients with 326 melanoma brain metastases receiving SRS in combination with ipilimumab or nivolumab were identified from an institutional database and retrospectively evaluated. Patients started systemic treatment with intravenous nivolumab or ipilimumab within one week of receiving SRS. Nivolumab was given at doses of 3 mg/kg every two weeks. Ipilimumab was administered up to four doses of 10 mg/kg, one every 3 weeks, then patients had a maintenance dose of 10 mg/kg every 12 weeks, until disease progression or inacceptable toxicity. Primary endpoint of the study was intracranial progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints were extracranial PFS, overall survival (OS), and neurological toxicity. Results: Eighty patients were analyzed. Forty-five patients received SRS and ipilimumab, and 35 patients received SRS and nivolumab. With a median follow-up of 15 months, the 6-month and 12-month intracranial PFS rates were 69% (95%CI,54-87%) and 42% (95%CI,24-65%) for patients receiving SRS and nivolumab and 48% (95%CI,34-64%) and 17% (95%CI,5-31%) for those treated with SRS and ipilimumab (p = 0.02), respectively. Extracranial PFS and OS were 37 and 78% in SRS and nivolumab group, respectively, and 17 and 68% in SRS and ipilimumab group, respectively, at 12 months. Sub-group analysis showed significantly better intracranial PFS for patients receiving multi-fraction SRS (3 x 9 Gy) compared to single-fraction SRS (70% versus 46% at 6 months, p = 0.01), especially in combination with nivolumab. Grade 3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 11 (24%) patients treated with SRS and ipilimumab and 6 (17%) patients who received SRS and nivolumab. Radiation-induced brain necrosis (RN) occurred in 15% of patients. Conclusions: Concurrent SRS and ipilimumab or nivolumab show meaningful intracranial activity in patients with either asymptomatic and symptomatic melanoma brain metastases, although a subset of patients may develop symptomatic RN. The combination of nivolumab with SRS is associated with better intracranial control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This prospective phase II study assessed safety and feasibility of surgery followed by hypofractionated radiosurgery (HSRS) on the tumor bed in oligometastatic patients with single large brain metastases (BMs).Methods and Materials: Between June 2015 and May 2018, 101 patients were enrolled. Oligometastatic disease was defined by a maximum of 5 extracranial metastatic lesions. HSRS was performed within 1 month of surgery and consisted of 30 Gy in 3 fractions. Local control, occurrence of new BMs, overall survival, and treatment-related toxicities were assessed.Results: At a median follow-up time of 26 months, local recurrence occurred in 6 patients (5.9%). Six-month, 1-year, and 2-year local control rates were 100%, 98.9% ± 1.1%, and 85.9% ± 0.6%, respectively. New BMs occurred in 39 patients (38.6%); median brain distant progression time and 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year brain distant progression rates were 39 months (95% CI, 19-39 months), 17% ± 3.7%, 31.4% ± 4.8%, and 42.5% ± 5.9%, respectively. At the last observation time, 50 patients (49.5%) were alive and 51 (50.5%) were dead; 10 patients died owing to neurologic causes and 40 as a result of systemic progression. Median overall survival time and 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year overall survival rates were 22 months (95% CI, 20-30 months), 95% ± 2.1%, 81.9% ± 3.8%, and 46.6% ± 6%, respectively. Infratentorial site, residual tumor volume, longer interval time between primary diagnosis and occurrence of BMs, and oligometastatic disease status significantly influenced outcome. Grade 2 to 3 radionecrosis occurred in 26 patients. Neurocognitive functions remained stable or, in some cases, improved.Conclusions: Surgery followed by HSRS on the tumor bed is a safe and effective approach, affording good brain control with acceptable toxicities. As for extracranial metastatic sites, patients with BMs can benefit from local ablative treatment in the context of an oligometastatic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microRNAs (miRNAs) -26a, -24, and -21 have been reported as regulators of the P15/P16/RB1/E2F pathway, which plays a major role in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) progression. In the present study, their predictive marker for the progression of GBMs is evaluated and described. The expression of miRNA-21, -24, and -26a was analyzed as fold change (FC) in tumor specimens of 104 patients with GBM and 8 specimen of non-neoplastic brain tissue as control group. The results were referred to the individual clinical data sets and evaluated statistically. The FC of miRNA-21, -24, and -26a was 1.51 ± 1.35, 0.75 ± 0.67, and 0.39 ± 0.24 in the tumor samples. Within the control group, FC of miRNA-21, -24, and -26a was 0.31 ± 0.51, 0.66 ± 0.33, and 0.18 ± 0.11, respectively. MiRNA-26a and -21 were significantly overexpressed in GBM samples compared with healthy brain tissue (miRNA-21: P < 0.001; miRNA-26a: P = 0.011). High expression ofmiRNA-24 trended for a prolonged overall survival (P = 0.07). Patients with high miRNA-26a expression showed a significantly prolonged progression-free survival (hazard ratio 0.21; 95% confidence interval 0.09–0.51], P < 0.001) and overall survival (hazard ratio 0.3; 95% confidence interval 0.136–0.682], P = 0.003). The effect of miRNA-26a was mediated via regulation of mRNA of RB1. There was a significant inverse correlation between mRNA-26a and mRNA expression of RB1. The expression levels of miRNA-26a and -24 turned out to be promising predictors of further clinical course in patients with GBM multiforme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The personal papers of the neurophysiologist John C. Lilly at Stanford University hold a classified paper he wrote in the late 1950s on the behavioural modification and control of 'human agents'. The paper provides an unnerving prognosis of the future application of Lilly's research, then being carried out at the National Institute of Mental Health. Lilly claimed that the use of sensory isolation, electrostimulation of the brain, and the recording and mapping of brain activity could be used to gain 'push-button' control over motivation and behaviour. This research, wrote Lilly, could eventually lead to 'master-slave controls directly of one brain over another'. The paper is an explicit example of Lilly's preparedness to align his research towards Cold War military aims. It is not, however, the research for which Lilly is best known. During the 1960s and 1970s, Lilly developed cult status as a far-out guru of consciousness exploration, promoting the use of psychedelics and sensory isolation tanks. Lilly argued that, rather than being used as tools of brainwashing, these techniques could be employed by the individual to regain control of their own mind and retain a sense of agency over their thoughts and actions. This article examines the scientific, intellectual, and cultural relationship between the sciences of brainwashing and psychedelic mind alteration. Through an analysis of Lilly's autobiographical writings, I also show how paranoid ideas about brainwashing and mind control provide an important lens for understanding the trajectory of Lilly's research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling plays a pivotal role in 2 different phases during brain development. Early SHH signaling derived from the prechordal plate (PrCP) triggers secondary Shh induction in the forebrain, which overlies the PrCP, and the induced SHH signaling, in turn, directs late neuronal differentiation of the forebrain. Consequently, Shh regulation in the PrCP is crucial for initiation of forebrain development. However, no enhancer that regulates prechordal Shh expression has yet been found. Here, we identified a prechordal enhancer, named SBE7, in the vicinity of a cluster of known forebrain enhancers for Shh. This enhancer also directs Shh expression in the ventral midline of the forebrain, which receives the prechordal SHH signal. Thus, the identified enhancer acts not only for the initiation of Shh regulation in the PrCP but also for subsequent Shh induction in the forebrain. Indeed, removal of the enhancer from the mouse genome markedly down-regulated the expression of Shh in the rostral domains of the axial mesoderm and in the ventral midline of the forebrain and hypothalamus in the mouse embryo, and caused a craniofacial abnormality similar to human holoprosencephaly (HPE). These findings demonstrate that SHH signaling mediated by the newly identified enhancer is essential for development and growth of the ventral midline of the forebrain and hypothalamus. Understanding of the Shh regulation governed by this prechordal and brain enhancer provides an insight into the mechanism underlying craniofacial morphogenesis and the etiology of HPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Eating behaviour is regulated by two important brain pathways: the metabolic and hedonic. • Feeding time around the 24 h is controlled by the brain circadian clock. • Therefore, a central Circadian-Metabolic-Hedonic network regulates feeding behaviour. • Alterations in this network may lead in addictive-like eating behaviours and obesity. Compulsive feeding has been considered as an addicted-like behavior with similarities to drug addiction. Food intake is brain controlled involving a balance between metabolic and hedonic pathways that modulate respectively how much and what is eaten. Pathological conditions such as compulsive feeding or an eating addiction can interfere with this balance and obesity may develop. Daily feeding times are also centrally controlled by the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Disruptions of this body clock (e.g., social jet-lag, shift work) lead to eating and metabolic disorders. The circadian pacemaker is intricately connected with the metabolic and hedonic centers controlling feeding, and most importantly, some of these nuclei have clock activity. When the brain circadian system is compromised in eating disorders, such perturbations may be in part the causes of compulsive feeding, night eating and addictive-like eating behavior. Therefore, food intake is regulated by the central circadian-metabolic-hedonic network, which is functionally interconnected to avoid perturbing the eating behavior physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posttranslational modifications by phosphorylation, ubiquitination, neddylation and other pathways have emerged as major regulators of cellular functions. NEDD8 ultimate buster 1, NUB1, is an adaptor protein, which negatively regulates the levels of the ubiquitin‐like protein NEDD8 as well as neddylated proteins through proteasomal degradation. We previously reported that NUB1 is highly involved in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathy including Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). In general, since phosphorylation is strongly related to the alteration of protein propensity, we examined if the fundamental function of NUB1 can be modulated by its phosphorylation. We created a series of phosphomimic mutants of NUB1. Among them, we found that phosphorylation of NUB1 at S46 (P‐NUB46) efficiently degrades aggregates using a cell‐based assay. Immunohistochemical studies have shown that specific antibodies against P‐NUB46 reacted with Lewy bodies in PD and DLB but not with glial cytoplasmic inclusions in MSA. Moreover, P‐NUB46 levels were significantly higher in the brains of patients with DLB than in control brains, and P‐NUB46 was extracted in an insoluble fraction of DLB. These findings suggest that the phosphorylation of NUB1 is modulated during the pathological process of Lewy body disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the observation of an ambiguous figure our perception alternates between mutually exclusive interpretations, although the stimulus itself remains unchanged. The rate of these endogenous reversals has been discussed as reflecting basic aspects of endogenous brain dynamics. Recent evidence indicates that extensive meditation practice evokes long-term functional and anatomic changes in the brain, also affecting the endogenous brain dynamics. As one of several consequences the rate of perceptual reversals during ambiguous figure perception decreases. In the present study we compared EEG-correlates of endogenous reversals of ambiguous figures between meditators and non-meditating controls in order to better understand timing and brain locations of this altered endogenous brain dynamics. A well-established EEG paradigm was used to measure the neural processes underlying endogenous perceptual reversals of ambiguous figures with high temporal precision. We compared reversal-related ERPs between experienced meditators and non-meditating controls. For both groups we found highly similar chains of reversal-related ERPs, starting early in visual areas, therewith replicating previous findings from the literature. Meditators, however, showed an additional frontal ERP signature already 160 ms after stimulus onset (Frontal Negativity). We interpret the additional, meditation-specific ERP results as evidence that extensive meditation practice provides control of frontal brain areas over early sensory processing steps. This may allow meditators to overcome phylogenetically evolved perceptual and attentional processing automatisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction has been proposed to underlie the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Specifically, reduced function of NMDARs leads to altered balance between excitation and inhibition which further drives neural network malfunctions. Clinical studies suggested that NMDAR modulators (glycine, D-serine, D-cycloserine and glycine transporter inhibitors) may be beneficial in treating schizophrenia patients. Preclinical evidence also suggested that these NMDAR modulators may enhance synaptic NMDAR function and synaptic plasticity in brain slices. However, an important issue that has not been addressed is whether these NMDAR modulators modulate neural activity/spiking in vivo. Methods: By using in vivo calcium imaging and single unit recording, we tested the effect of D-cycloserine, sarcosine (glycine transporter 1 inhibitor) and glycine, on schizophrenia-like model mice. Results: In vivo neural activity is significantly higher in the schizophrenia-like model mice, compared to control mice. D-cycloserine and sarcosine showed no significant effect on neural activity in the schizophrenia-like model mice. Glycine induced a large reduction in movement in home cage and reduced in vivo brain activity in control mice which prevented further analysis of its effect in schizophrenia-like model mice. Conclusions: We conclude that there is no significant impact of the tested NMDAR modulators on neural spiking in the schizophrenia-like model mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been proposed that accurate motor control relies on Bayesian inference that integrates sensory input with prior contextual knowledge (Bays and Wolpert, 2007; Körding and Wolpert, 2004; Wolpert et al., 1995). Recent evidence has suggested that modulations in beta power (∼12–30 Hz) measured over sensorimotor cortices using electroencephalography (EEG) may represent parameters of Bayesian inference. While the well characterised post-movement beta synchronisation has been shown to correlate with prediction error (H. Tan, Jenkinson, & Brown, 2014; Huiling Tan, Wade, & Brown, 2016), recent evidence suggests that beta power may also represent uncertainty measures (Tan et al., 2016; Tzagarakis et al., 2015). The current study aimed to measure the neurophysiological correlates of uncertainty mediating Bayesian updating during a visuomotor adaptation paradigm in healthy human participants. In particular, sensory uncertainty was directly modulated to measure its effect on sensorimotor beta power. Participant's behaviour was modelled using the Hierarchical Gaussian Filter (HGF) in order to extract the latent variables involved in learning actions required by the task and correlate these with the measured EEG. We found that sensorimotor beta power correlated with inverse uncertainty afforded to sensory prediction errors both prior to and following a movement. This suggests that sensorimotor beta oscillations may more readily represent relative uncertainty within the sensorimotor system rather than error. Neurophysiological models describing the generation of beta oscillations offer a potential mechanism by which this neural signature may encode latent uncertainty parameters. This is essential for understanding how the brain controls behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether the observed anisotropic diffusion in cerebral cortex may reflect its columnar cytoarchitecture and myeloarchitecture, as a potential biomarker for disease‐related changes, we compared postmortem diffusion magnetic resonance imaging scans of nine multiple sclerosis brains with histology measures from the same regions. Histology measurements assessed the cortical minicolumnar structure based on cell bodies and associated axon bundles in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Area 9), Heschl's gyrus (Area 41), and primary visual cortex (V1). Diffusivity measures included mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy of the cortex, and three specific measures that may relate to the radial minicolumn structure: the angle of the principal diffusion direction in the cortex, the component that was perpendicular to the radial direction, and the component that was parallel to the radial direction. The cellular minicolumn microcircuit features were correlated with diffusion angle in Areas 9 and 41, and the axon bundle features were correlated with angle in Area 9 and to the parallel component in V1 cortex. This may reflect the effect of minicolumn microcircuit organisation on diffusion in the cortex, due to the number of coherently arranged membranes and myelinated structures. Several of the cortical diffusion measures showed group differences between MS brains and control brains. Differences between brain regions were also found in histology and diffusivity measurements consistent with established regional variation in cytoarchitecture and myeloarchitecture. Therefore, these novel measures may provide a surrogate of cortical organisation as a potential biomarker, which is particularly relevant for detecting regional changes in neurological disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) are devices that use brain signals for control or communication. Since they don't require movement of any part of the body, BCI are the natural choice for assisted communication when a person is unable to move. In this article, BCI based communicator for persons in locked-in state is described. It is based on P300 brain response of the user, thus does not require prior training, movement or imagination of movement. Auditory paradigm is selected in order to apply the communicator in cases where visual ability is also impaired. The communicator was designed to prove also whether low cost hardware with reduced electrode set could be used efficiently in everyday environment, without the need for expert personnel. The design of the communicator is described first, followed by detailed analyses of the performance when used by either healthy or disabled subjects. It is shown that auditory paradigm is the primary factor that limits the accuracy of communication. Hardware characteristics and reduced electrode set influence the accuracy in a negative way as well, while different questions and answer types produce no major differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare differences in metacognitive beliefs between patients with bipolar disorder type I (BPDI) with previous suicide attempts (BPDI+), those without suicide attempts (BPDI−), and a control group. It also discusses the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and suicidal behavioral parameters. Materials and methods: The study included 72 BPDI+ and 73 BPDI− euthymic patients and 86 healthy age- and gender-matched individuals. All participants completed a sociodemographic data form, the Beck Depression Inventory, Metacognition Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire, and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I. In addition, the Young Mania Rating Scale was used for the patient groups. Results: Both the BPDI+ and BPDI− patients had higher MCQ-30 scores than the control group (p <.01). Scores for the 'need to control thoughts' subscale were higher in the BPDI+ group than in the BPDI− group and were also higher in both the BPDI+ and BPDI− groups compared to the control group (p <.01). In addition, the 'cognitive self-consciousness' sub-scores of the BPDI− group were higher than those of the BPDI+ and the control group. Conclusion: The scores of 'cognitive self-consciousness' and 'need to control thoughts' vary across BPDI+ and BPDI− patients. It seems important to consider metacognitive beliefs regarding 'need to control thoughts' and 'cognitive self-consciousness' in terms of suicide prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Concomitant SRS/SRT and ICI for advanced tumors is increasing in clinical practice. • No summarized data about efficacy/safety of this approach are currently available. • This is a systematic review about efficacy and safety of concurrent SRS/SRT and ICI. • Concurrent is defined as ICI administration within 30 days before or after SRS/SRT. • Concurrent modality seems to lead interesting outcomes without increasing toxicity. in the setting of metastatic malignancies, the role of concurrent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)/stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) and immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) is increasing. Few data are available about effectiveness and safety of this strategy. we used the PRISMA guidelines to perform a systematic review. We selected only articles reporting a "real" concurrent treatment, defined as SRS/SRT performed within 30 days of ICI administration. Despite several limits due to the heterogeneity and retrospective nature of the studies, 1-year local control for brain lesions ranged from 42 to 100% and 1-year regional brain control ranged from 31 to 83%. An interesting rate of local and distant control was reported for concurrent SBRT-ICI on extra-cranial lesions. No relevant signals about toxicity emerged. Based on published evidence, concurrent SRS/SRT and ICI seems to lead intriguing outcomes, without increasing toxicity. Further investigations are warranted to obtain stronger prospective evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute stress triggers a broad psychophysiological response that is adaptive if rapidly activated and terminated. While the brain controls the stress response, it is strongly affected by it. Previous research of stress effects on brain activation and connectivity has mainly focused on pre-defined brain regions or networks, potentially missing changes in the rest of the brain. We here investigated how both stress reactivity and stress recovery are reflected in whole-brain network topology and how changes in functional connectivity relate to other stress measures. Healthy young males (n = 67) completed the Trier Social Stress Test or a control task. From 60 min before until 105 min after stress onset, blocks of resting-state fMRI were acquired. Subjective, autonomic, and endocrine measures of the stress response were assessed throughout the experiment. Whole-brain network topology was quantified using Eigenvector centrality (EC) mapping, which detects central hubs of a network. Stress influenced subjective affect, autonomic activity, and endocrine measures. EC differences between groups as well as before and after stress exposure were found in the thalamus, due to widespread connectivity changes in the brain. Stress-driven EC increases in the thalamus were significantly correlated with subjective stress ratings and showed non-significant trends for a correlation with heart rate variability and saliva cortisol. Furthermore, increases in thalamic EC and in saliva cortisol persisted until 105 min after stress onset. We conclude that thalamic areas are central for information processing after stress exposure and may provide an interface for the stress response in the rest of the body and in the mind. • Whole-brain network topology in response to stress was investigated. • Acute stress increases thalamic Eigenvector centrality (EC). • EC changes were related to subjective and bodily stress markers. • EC changes did not recover within 105 min after stress onset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The P2X7 receptor, an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-gated purinoreceptor, has emerged as one of the key players in neuroinflammatory processes. Therefore, developing a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for imaging of P2X7 receptors in vivo presents a promising approach to diagnose, monitor, and study neuroinflammation in a variety of brain disorders. To fulfill the goal of developing a P2X7 PET ligand as a biomarker of neuroinflammation, [18F]JNJ-64413739 has been recently disclosed.Procedures: We evaluated [18F]JNJ-64413739 in a rat model of neuroinflammation induced by an intracerebral injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In vivo brain uptake was determined by PET imaging. Upregulation of neuroinflammatory biomarkers was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Distribution of the tracer in the brain was determined by ex vivo autoradiography (ARG). The specificity of [18F]JNJ-64413739 was confirmed by performing blocking experiments with the P2X7 antagonist JNJ-54175446.Results: Brain regions of rats injected with LPS had a significantly increased uptake (34 % ± 3 % s.e.m., p = 0.036, t test, standardized uptake value measured over the entire scanning period) of [18F]JNJ-64413739 relative to the corresponding brain regions of control animals injected with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The uptake in the contralateral regions and cerebellum was not significantly different between the groups of animals. The increase in uptake of [18F]JNJ-64413739 at the LPS-injected site observed by PET imaging was concordant with ex vivo ARG, upregulation of neuroinflammatory biomarkers, and elevated P2X7 expression levels.Conclusions: While further work is needed to study [18F]JNJ-64413739 in other types of neuroinflammation, the current results favorably characterize [18F]JNJ-64413739 as a potential PET tracer of central neuroinflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Infertility is defined as failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. It is a major crisis, triggering psychological stress for most people, and can cause many negative psychological reactions. This study aimed to explore the effects of group counseling sessions by a cognitive approach on infertile women's stress. Materials and methods: In this study, 50 infertile women who were referred to an infertility center were selected using convenient sampling. The selected participants were randomly assigned to two groups: experimental and control. First, the Newton Infertility Stress questionnaire was filled as a pre-test by both groups. The control group had no counseling, while the experimental group received 10 sessions of group counseling in the field of stress management and controlling irrational thoughts about infertility during a two-week period. After this time, both groups completed the same questionnaire again and the obtained data were analyzed. Results: In this study, a significant difference in the mean score of all five aspects of the infertility specific total stress questionnaire and that of total stress after counseling (P = 0.002) was found between the experimental and control groups. Conclusion: The study showed the effects of group counseling by a participatory approach on infertility specific stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling human brain networks has aroused wide interest recently, where structural controllability provides powerful tools to unveil the relationship between its structure and functions. In this article, we define the optimal control signal path where the external control signal flows from one node to other nodes in the network. The control signal path not only shows the connections of some specific nodes in the brain network and the functions but also helps us to have a better understanding of how the control signals select and pass through the nodes to enable the brain functions with the minimum control energy. In common cases, as the control signal located on different nodes and the possible permutations of the nodes en route, there are enormous numbers of potential control signal paths in the network. The efficiency of a control signal path is defined to evaluate the most important path of the network based on the control energy. We propose the algorithms using control centrality to find the most effective control signal paths under several cases of prerequisites. As the human brain functional networks could be divided into several subnetworks to accomplish different cognition tasks (such as visuality and auditory), by the local control centrality of nodes, we could select the control signal path more efficiently, which might lead to unveiling the potential neural pathway to accomplish cognition progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impaired finger motor function in post-stroke hemiplegia is a debilitating condition with no evidence-based or accessible treatments. Here, we evaluated the neurophysiological effectiveness of direct brain control of robotic exoskeleton that provides movement support contingent with brain activity. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the neurofeedback intervention, we assessed resting-state functional connectivity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfcMRI) between the ipsilesional sensory and motor cortices before and after a single 1-h intervention. Eighteen stroke patients were randomly assigned to crossover interventions in a double-blind and sham-controlled design. One patient dropped out midway through the study, and 17 patients were included in this analysis. Interventions involved motor imagery, robotic assistance, and neuromuscular electrical stimulation administered to a paretic finger. The neurofeedback intervention delivered stimulations contingent on desynchronized ipsilesional electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillations during imagined movement, and the control intervention delivered sensorimotor stimulations that were independent of EEG oscillations. There was a significant time × intervention interaction in rsfcMRI in the ipsilesional sensorimotor cortex. Post-hoc analysis showed a larger gain in increased functional connectivity during the neurofeedback intervention. Although the neurofeedback intervention delivered fewer total sensorimotor stimulations compared to the sham-control, rsfcMRI in the ipsilesional sensorimotor cortices was increased during the neurofeedback intervention compared to the sham-control. Higher coactivation of the sensory and motor cortices during neurofeedback intervention enhanced rsfcMRI in the ipsilesional sensorimotor cortices. This study showed neurophysiological evidence that EEG-contingent neurofeedback is a promising strategy to induce intrinsic ipsilesional sensorimotor reorganization, supporting the importance of integrating closed-loop sensorimotor processing at a neurophysiological level. • We assessed the neurophysiological effectiveness of direct brain control of neurofeedback intervention. • The experiment was conducted with a crossover design with double-blinded outcome evaluation. • Seventeen stroke patients with hemiplegia participated in this study. • Neurofeedback intervention enhances resting-state functional connectivity on the ipsilesional sensorimotor cortices. • Higher coactivation of the sensorimotor cortices during neurofeedback intervention enhanced the functional connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied eye and body movements in 16 healthy young adults who performed visual tasks in upright stance. Our objective was to investigate whether these movements could be functionally related to each other when performing a precise visual task requiring large ecological gaze shifts. We also questioned the influence of an additional counting task on these relations. The participants performed searching (precise), free-viewing (unprecise) and gaze-fixation (basic) either alone or in counting silently backwards in sevens. For the search task, the participants had to visually locate as many targets as possible in the images. For the free-viewing task, they had to watch images randomly. Based on a recent model, we expected to find negative correlations between eye and center of pressure and/or body (lower back, neck, head) movements only in the search tasks. The double search–counting task was expected to increase the number of negative correlations. The results confirmed both hypotheses in both search tasks, with relations mainly between eye and head movements (89% of the time). The subjective cognitive involvement (significantly higher in searching than in free-viewing and gaze-fixation) was significantly related to all (100%) and to half (50%) of these previous correlations in search–counting and searching, respectively. Complementarily, the participants rotated their segments and oscillated more in searching than free-viewing and more in both tasks than in gaze-fixation. This study confirmed that precise visual tasks may require the brain to control synergistic relations between eye and body movements instead of individual eye and body movements. • Test of a new conceptual approach of postural control: the synergistic model • Novel methodology, both for the design of the study and for the analyses • Analyses of changes in vision–posture–cognition relations in upright stance • Third validation of cognitively grounded vision–posture synergies in precise tasks • Illustration that existing cognitive models are insufficient to explain our results [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has long been recognized that the dorsal striatum is an essential brain region for control of action selection based on action–outcome contingency learning, particularly when the available actions are bound to rewarding outcomes. In principle, intertemporal choice in the delay‐discounting task—a validated measure of choice impulsivity—involves reward‐associated actions that require the recruitment of the dorsal striatum. Here, we conjecture about ways the dorsal striatum is involved in choice impulsivity. Based on a selective body of studies, we begin with a brief history of research on choice impulsivity and the dorsal striatum, and then provide a comprehensive summary of contemporary studies utilizing human neuroimaging and animal models to search for links between choice impulsivity and the dorsal striatum. In particular, we discuss in‐depth the converging evidence for the associations of choice impulsivity with the reward valuation coded by the caudate, a ventral‐to‐dorsal gradient in the dorsal striatum, the origins of striatal afferents, and developmental maturation of frontostriatal connectivity during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perception of a scene involves grasping the global space of the scene, usually called the spatial layout, as well as the objects in the scene and the relations between them. The main brain areas involved in scene perception, the parahippocampal place area (PPA) and retrosplenial cortex (RSC), are supposed to mostly support the processing of spatial layout. Here we manipulated the objects and their relations either by arranging objects within rooms in a common way or by scattering them randomly. The rooms were then varied for spatial layout by keeping or removing the walls of the room, a typical layout manipulation. We then combined a visual search paradigm, where participants actively search for an object within the room, with multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA). Both left and right PPA were sensitive to the layout properties, but the right PPA was also sensitive to the object relations even when the information about objects and their relations is used in the cross-categorization procedure on novel stimuli. The left and right RSC were sensitive to both spatial layout and object relations, but could only use the information about object relations for cross-categorization to novel stimuli. These effects were restricted to the PPA and RSC, as other control brain areas did not display the same pattern of results. Our results underline the importance of employing paradigms that require participants to explicitly retrieve domain-specific processes and indicate that objects and their relations are processed in the scene areas to a larger extent than previously assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) is a standard treatment for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) showing a response to initial treatment, but many patients do not receive PCI due to comorbidities or refusal. This study aims to define the patient group for whom PCI can be omitted with minimal risk. Materials and Methods: Patients with LS-SCLC who underwent radiotherapy with curative aim at our institution between January 2004 and December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who did not receive PCI were evaluated for brain metastasis-free survival (BMFS), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and prognostic factors for survival, and treatment outcomes were compared with a patient cohort who received PCI. Results: A total of 350 patients achieved a response following thoracic radiotherapy, and 190 of these patients did not receive PCI. Stage I-II and a complete response (CR) to initial therapy were good prognostic factors for BMFS and OS on univariate analysis. Patients with both stage I-II and a CR who declined PCI showed comparable 2-year BMFS to those who received PCI (92% vs. 89%). In patients who achieved CR, PCI did not significantly improve OS or PFS. Conclusion: There should be less concern about omitting PCI in patients with comorbidities if they have stage I-II or a CR, with brain metastasis control being comparable to those patients who receive PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive models of social anxiety posit inaccurate appraisal of emotional states as a core feature. Such inaccurate appraisal also characterizes alexithymia, a trait defined by difficulties in identifying and describing emotional feelings and an externally oriented thinking style. Because both social anxiety and alexithymia have been linked to alcohol misuse and deficient theory of mind, the degree to which alexithymia might account for these associations with social anxiety merits investigation. The current study explored relationships between social anxiety (specifically social interaction anxiety), alexithymia, problematic drinking, and theory of mind after controlling for comorbid depression in a nonclinical sample of 242 participants (93 men) ranging in age from 18 to 35 years (M = 23.22 years, SD = 4.48). They completed an online questionnaire battery that included well-known measures of social anxiety (Social Interaction Anxiety Scale), alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20), theory of mind (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test Revised), depression (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-Depression Scale), and problematic drinking (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). In hierarchical regression models, social anxiety predicted alexithymia even after depression and demographic factors were controlled for; alexithymia mediated relationships between social anxiety and both problematic drinking and deficient theory of mind. Assessment of alexithymia in those with social anxiety may potentially offer insight and directions for treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a brain computer interface system for patient monitoring to detect and correct seizure. About 4–7% of people are suffering from seizure and there are only less medical attention available. The objective of the work described in this paper is to detect and cure seizure automatically without physician intervention. The therapeutic device is a modeled chip using Field Programmable Gate Array Logic and SoC in which the size of the instrument is small. The EEG signals of the brain are recorded using scalp electrodes and converted to digital data. The EEG signal is preprocessed using quadrature spline wavelet transform. FPGA implementation of quadrature spline wavelet transform filter was done with Baugh Wooley and array multiplier. From the results it is found that the power and logic elements are improved when Baugh Wooley multiplier is used. But when delay is compared array multiplier has better performance. The preprocessed data is feature extracted using double stage pattern search method where the seizure event is detected. Once the seizure is detected, the seizure control block is activated. It controls the seizure in few seconds. For seizure detection and correction, adaptive methods and hardware simulators are used. The performance and efficiency is compared for various devices using Quartus in FPGA cyclone II and III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are believed to play an important role in the proinflammatory form of neuroinflammation. Therefore, the availability of a radiotracer labeled with a positron-emitting radionuclide that can measure levels of ROS in tissue could provide a valuable method for imaging neuroinflammation in vivo with the functional imaging technique positron emission tomography (PET). We previously reported the synthesis and in vivo evaluation of [18F]ROStrace, a radiotracer for imaging ROS in vivo with PET, in an LPS model of neuroinflammation. In the current study, we conducted additional validation studies aimed at determining the cellular localization of this radiotracer in the same model. Our results indicate that [18F]ROStrace is primarily localized in microglia/macrophages and neurons in LPS-treated animals, and provide further support in the use of this radiotracer as a PET-based probe for imaging the proinflammatory form of neuroinflammation. • [18F]ROStrace shows a higher uptake in LPS-treated mouse brain relative to controls. • The regional uptake of [18F]ROStrace matches that of DHE, a fluorescent probe for imaging superoxide levels in tissues. • There is a good correlation between ROStrace in activated microglia/macrophages and neurons in the LPS-treatment model of neuroinflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive-motor integration (CMI) involves concurrent thought and action which requires the interaction of large brain networks. Given that early-stage dementia involves neural network dysfunction, deficits in CMI may prove useful for early dementia detection.Objective: Our research objective was to investigate sex-related differences in the ability to integrate rules into action.Methods: Based on family medical history, we recruited male and female participants both with and without dementia risk factors. Participants did not demonstrate cognitive impairment at the time of testing. Participants were tested on four increasingly dissociated visuomotor tasks (eye and hand movements were made in different spatial planes and/or visual feedback was reversed).Results: We observed significantly greater hand movement endpoint error scores and corrective path lengths in at-risk females compared to at-risk males in the most complex CMI condition (plane-change + feedback reversal). Multiple regression analyses revealed both sex and family history as significant predictors of worse performance in a CMI condition requiring visual feedback reversal. Further, the regression analyses provided preliminary evidence that having an APOEɛ4 allele was a significant predictor of poorer CMI performance in the two plane-change CMI conditions.Conclusion: These data suggest that underlying brain networks controlling simultaneous thought and action may differ between the sexes in ways that may be clinically relevant in dementia progression. Preliminary data also suggest an important connection between APOE variant and CMI performance in individuals at risk of developing dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is frequent in various cancers including gliomas. We aimed to characterize the role of miR‐16‐5p as a candidate tumour suppressor miRNA in gliomas. Methods: Real‐time PCR‐based approaches were used for miRNA and mRNA expression profiling of glioma and non‐neoplastic brain tissues as well as glioma cell lines. Protein levels were determined by Western blotting. In vitro analyses were performed following overexpression of miR‐16‐5p, trichostatin A (TSA) treatment, and siRNA‐mediated knock‐down of HDAC3 in glioma cells. Effects of miR‐16‐5p on glioma cell viability, apoptosis and response to irradiation and temozolomide (TMZ) were assessed. Results: Expression of miR‐16‐5p was reduced relative to control brain tissue in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)‐mutant astrocytomas of World Health Organization (WHO) grades II, III and IV, and a subset of IDH‐wildtype glioblastomas WHO grade IV. MiR‐16‐5p expression was lower in IDH‐mutant than in IDH‐wildtype gliomas, and down‐regulated in IDH‐wildtype glioma lines. MiR‐16‐5p overexpression reduced expression of important cell cycle and apoptosis regulators in glioma cells, including CDK6, CDC25A, CCND3, CCNE1, WEE1, CHEK1, BCL2 and MCL1. In line, CDK6, WEE1, CHEK1, BCL2 and MCL1 transcript levels were increased in WHO grade III or IV gliomas. TSA treatment and HDAC3 knockdown in glioma cells induced miR‐16‐5p up‐regulation and reduced expression of its targets. Moreover, miR‐16‐5p overexpression inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in various glioma cell lines and increased sensitivity of A172 glioma cells to irradiation and TMZ. Conclusion: Reduced expression of miR‐16‐5p contributes to glioma cell proliferation, survival and resistance to cytotoxic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a significant public health problem. Congenital CMV infection is a leading infectious cause of long-term neurodevelopmental sequelae, including mental retardation and sensorineural hearing loss. Immune protection against mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) is primarily mediated by NK cells and CD8+ T cells, while CD4+ T cells are not needed for control of MCMV in majority of organs in immunocompetent adult mice. Here, we set out to determine the role of CD4+ T cells upon MCMV infection of newborn mice. We provide evidence that CD4+ T cells are essential for clearance of MCMV infection in brain of neonatal mice and for prevention of recurrence of latent MCMV. In addition, we provide evidence that CD4+ T cells are required for induction and maintenance of tissue-resident memory CD8+ T cells in the brain of mice perinatally infected with MCMV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A consistent proportion of individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease show intact cognition regardless of the extensive accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in their brain. Several pieces of evidence indicate that overactivation of brain regions negative for Aβ can compensate for the underactivation of Aβ-positive ones to preserve cognition, but the underlying synaptic changes are still unexplored. Using Golgi staining, we investigate how dendritic spines rearrange following contextual fear conditioning (CFC) in the hippocampus and amygdala of presymptomatic Tg2576 mice, a genetic model for Aβ accumulation. A molecular biology approach combined with intrahippocampal injection of a γ-secretase inhibitor evaluates the impact of Aβ fluctuations on spine rearrangements. Encoding of CFC increases Aβ oligomerization in the hippocampus but not in the amygdala of Tg2576 mice. The presence of Aβ oligomers predicts vulnerability to network dysfunctions, as low c-Fos activation and spine maturation are detected in the hippocampus of Tg2576 mice upon recall of CFC memory. Rather, enhanced c-Fos activation and new spines are evident in the amygdala of Tg2576 mice compared with wild-type control mice. Preventing Aβ increase in the hippocampus of Tg2576 mice restores CFC-associated spine changes to wild-type levels in both the hippocampus and amygdala. Our study provides the first evidence of neural compensation consisting of enhanced synaptic activity in brain regions spared by Aβ load. Furthermore, it unravels an activity-mediated feedback loop through which neuronal activation during CFC encoding favors Aβ oligomerization in the hippocampus and prevents synaptic rearrangements in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• With interest involved, self-disadvantageous inequity in preschoolers rose with age. • The improvement of inhibitory control explained this developmental trajectory. • Better theory of mind was associated with self-disadvantaging tendency. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between preschoolers' cognitive abilities and their fairness-related allocation behaviors in a dilemma of equity–efficiency conflict. In Experiment 1, 4- to 6-year-olds (N = 99) decided how to allocate five reward bells. In the first-party condition, preschoolers were asked to choose among giving more to self (self-advantageous inequity), wasting one bell (equity), or giving more to other (self-disadvantageous inequity); in the third-party condition, they chose either to allocate the extra bell to one of two equally deserving recipients or to waste it. Results showed that, compared with the pattern of decision in the third-party condition, preschoolers in the first-party condition were more likely to give the extra bell to other (self-disadvantaging behaviors) and that age, inhibitory control (IC), and theory of mind were positively correlated with their self-disadvantaging choices, but only IC mediated the relationship between age and self-disadvantaging behaviors. Experiment 2 (N = 41) showed that IC still predicted preschoolers' self-disadvantaging behaviors when they could choose only between equity and disadvantageous inequity. These results suggested that IC played a critical role in the implementation of self-disadvantaging behaviors when this required the control over selfishness and envy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise modulation of regional cerebral blood flow during neural activation is important for matching local energetic demand and supply and clearing brain metabolites. Here we discuss advances facilitated by high-resolution optical in vivo imaging techniques that for the first time have provided direct visualization of capillary blood flow and its modulation by neural activity. We focus primarily on studies of microvascular flow, mural cell control of vessel diameter, and oxygen level-dependent changes in red blood cell deformability. We also suggest methodological standards for best practices when studying microvascular perfusion, partly motivated by recent controversies about the precise location within the microvascular tree where neurovascular coupling is initiated, and the role of mural cells in the control of vasomotility. In vivo optical imaging studies in rodents over the past two decades have significantly advanced the understanding of cellular mechanisms of neurovascular coupling. Rapid changes in red blood cell deformability and blood rheology due to fluctuations in oxygen levels can increase capillary cell flux prior to microvascular dilation. We review in vivo evidence indicating that activity-dependent changes in regional blood flow are mediated by smooth muscle cell contractility in arterioles but not by pericytes. Technical recommendations are provided for reproducible studies of neurovascular coupling in vivo and proper functional characterization of pericytes and smooth muscle cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Brain attentional control networks may show changes following treatment with IBBS. • Go P3 latency and No-Go P3 effect should be used to evaluate ADHD treatment response. • Impact of IBBS on ERP measures requires further study in a larger sample. A primary goal of this study was to examine the impact of an Integrated Brain, Body, and Social (IBBS) intervention (multi-faceted treatment consisting of computerized cognitive training, physical exercise, and behavior management) on ERPs of attentional control (P3 & N2) in children with ADHD. The secondary goal was to test the differences between children with and without ADHD on ERP and Go/No-Go behavioral measures. A total of twenty-nine participants (M age = 7.14 years; 52% male; 41.4% white) recruited from the IBBS efficacy study comparing IBBS to Treatment-As-Usual (TAU) completed a Go/No-Go task before and after treatment as brain activity was recorded using EEG. Thirty-four matched healthy controls (HC) completed the same EEG procedures at a single time point. Following treatment, the Go P3 latency was significantly earlier for the IBBS group relative to the TAU group. No treatment effects were found on any behavioral measures. Prior to treatment, there was a significant difference between the ADHD group and HC group for the N2 difference wave. Children with ADHD also showed slower reaction times on behavioral measures. Although this pilot study did not reveal robust treatment effects, it suggests that IBBS may prevent the worsening of attentional systems in the brain and larger studies are needed for replication purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, there are many studies on the application of the 3D pseudocontinuous arterial spin-labeled (3D-pcASL) perfusion MRI technique for adult brain examinations, but few studies exist on the application of the technique for child brain examinations. Purpose: To explore the application of a 3D-pcASL perfusion MRI scan combined with postlabeling delay (PLD) for assessing neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Materials and methods: Two-hundred neonates diagnosed with neonatal HIE were equally divided into five groups (40/group): 0- to <24-hour-old HIE group, 1- to <3-day-old HIE group, 3- to <7-day-old HIE group, 7- to <15-day-old HIE group and 15- to 28-day-old HIE group; 200 healthy neonates were equivalently divided. All 10 groups received a conventional and a 3D-pcASL perfusion MRI scan. For groups <3 days old, PLD values for the 3D-pcASL cerebral perfusion MRI scan were preset at 1025 ms; in all other groups, PLD values were preset at 1525 ms. CBF values for the 3D-pcASL cerebral perfusion MRI were compared between the HIE and corresponding control groups to determine the distinguishing characteristics of CBF values in HIE neonates. Results: On the 3D-pcASL cerebral perfusion MRI scan, in the 1- to <3-day-old groups, HIE neonate CBF values were higher than those of controls in all brain regions (excluding the frontal lobe); in the 0- to <24-hour-old and 3- to <7-day-old groups, HIE neonate CBF values were lower than those of corresponding controls in all brain regions; in the 7- to <15-day-old and 15- to 28-day-old groups, there were no significant differences in the CBF values between groups in any brain regions. Conclusions: The 3D-pcASL perfusion MRI scan combined with a PLD can assist in the early diagnosis of neonatal HIE, as this method more comprehensively reflects the HIE pathological process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the type of thought control strategies that are associated with the paranoid ideation among psychiatric patients (Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) patients). Design: Correlational study Place and Duration of the study: Jan-Dec 2017, Rawalpindi, Pakistan Subjects and Method: 132 participants between18-60 years (Mean age 30.34 years; SD= 8.73) were taken from the Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi through purposive sampling. Paranoid Thought Scale and Thought Control Questionnaire were translated into Urdu language with standardized back translation procedure. Both the scales along with demographic sheet were administered on the participants after taking their informed consent. Pearson correlation was computed to check the relationship between the thought control strategies and paranoid ideation among psychiatric patients. Results and Conclusion: Results indicated that there is a significant positive relationship of paranoid ideation (reference) with thought control strategies (punishment, reappraisal and worry). Furthermore it indicates that there is a significant positive relationship of paranoid ideation (persecution) with the thought control strategies (punishment and worry) among patients of depression. There is a significant positive relationship of reference with reappraisal and worry, there is a significant positive relationship of persecution with distraction, reappraisal, punishment and control among GAD patients. There is a significant positive relationship of reference with distraction, punishment, reappraisal and worry, whereas there is a positive relationship of persecution with punishment among OCD patients. Results can help in planning effective therapeutic program for clinical patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Episodic memory is thought to rely on interactions of the hippocampus with other regions of the distributed hippocampal‐cortical network (HCN) via interregional activity synchrony in the theta frequency band. We sought to causally test this hypothesis using network‐targeted transcranial magnetic stimulation. Healthy human participants completed four experimental sessions, each involving a different stimulation pattern delivered to the same individualized parietal cortex location of the HCN for all sessions. There were three active stimulation conditions, including continuous theta‐burst stimulation, intermittent theta‐burst stimulation, and beta‐frequency (20‐Hz) repetitive stimulation, and one sham condition. Resting‐state fMRI and episodic memory testing were used to assess the impact of stimulation on hippocampal fMRI connectivity related to retrieval success. We hypothesized that theta‐burst stimulation conditions would most strongly influence hippocampal‐HCN fMRI connectivity and retrieval, given the hypothesized relevance of theta‐band activity for HCN memory function. Continuous theta‐burst stimulation improved item retrieval success relative to sham and relative to beta‐frequency stimulation, whereas intermittent theta‐burst stimulation led to numerical but nonsignificant item retrieval improvement. Mean hippocampal fMRI connectivity did not vary for any stimulation conditions, whereas individual differences in retrieval improvements due to continuous theta‐burst stimulation were associated with corresponding increases in fMRI connectivity between the hippocampus and other HCN locations. No such memory‐related connectivity effects were identified for the other stimulation conditions, indicating that only continuous theta‐burst stimulation affected memory‐related hippocampal‐HCN connectivity. Furthermore, these effects were specific to the targeted HCN, with no significant memory‐related fMRI connectivity effects for two distinct control brain networks. These findings support a causal role for fMRI connectivity of the hippocampus with the HCN in episodic memory retrieval and indicate that contributions of this network to retrieval are particularly sensitive to continuous theta‐burst noninvasive stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

miR-137 is a highly conserved microRNA (miRNA) that is associated with the control of brain function and the etiology of psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The Caenorhabditis elegans genome encodes a single miR-137 ortholog called mir-234 , the function of which is unknown. Here we show that mir-234 is expressed in a subset of sensory, motor and interneurons in C. elegans. Using a mir-234 deletion strain, we systematically examined the development and function of these neurons in addition to global C. elegans behaviors. We were however unable to detect phenotypes associated with loss of mir-234 , possibly due to genetic redundancy. To circumvent this issue, we overexpressed mir-234 in mir-234 -expressing neurons to uncover possible phenotypes. We found that mir-234 -overexpression endows resistance to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb, suggesting modification of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) function. Further analysis revealed that mir-234 controls neuropeptide levels, therefore positing a cause of NMJ dysfunction. Together, our data suggest that mir-234 functions to control the expression of target genes that are important for neuropeptide maturation and/or transport in C. elegans. The miR-137 family of miRNAs is linked to the control of brain function in humans. Defective regulation of miR-137 is associated with psychiatric disorders that include schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Previous studies have revealed that miR-137 is required for the development of dendrites and for controlling the release of fast-acting neurotransmitters. Here, we analyzed the function a miR-137 family member (called mir-234) in the nematode animal model using anatomical, behavioral, electrophysiological and neuropeptide analysis. We reveal for the first time that mir-234/miR-137 is required for the release of slow-acting neuropeptides, which may also be of relevance for controlling human brain function. • mir-234 is expressed in a subset of neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans. • mir-234 loss-of-function does not result in detectable behavioral deficits. • Overexpression mir-234 causes an uncoordinated phenotype. • Neuropeptide release is perturbed when mir-234 is overexpressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puberty is a fundamental developmental event in the lifespan of any individual, when sexual and somatic maturation is completed, and reproductive capacity is achieved. While the tempo of puberty is under strong genetic determination, it is also modulated by a wide array of internal and environmental cues, including, prominently, nutritional and metabolic signals. In the last decade, our understanding of the neurohormonal basis of normal puberty and its perturbations has enlarged considerably. This is illustrated by the elucidation of the essential roles of kisspeptins, encoded by the Kiss1 gene, in the hypothalamic circuits controlling puberty. Moreover, other neuropeptide pathways, convergent with kisspeptin signaling, have been pointed out as important coregulators of pubertal timing. These include the cotransmitters of Kiss1 neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC), neurokinin B, and dynorphin, as well as melanocortins, produced by ARC neurons expressing proopiomelanocortin, which are endowed with key roles also in the control of metabolic homeostasis. This neuropeptide setup seemingly participates, in a coordinated manner, in transmitting the regulatory actions of metabolic cues on pubertal maturation. In this function, cellular metabolic sensors, such as the AMP-activated protein kinase, and the fuel-sensing deacetylase, SIRT1, have also been shown recently to contribute to the metabolic regulation of puberty. Altogether, elucidation of the physiological roles of these signals and regulatory circuits will help uncover the intimacies of the brain control of puberty, and its alterations in conditions of metabolic stress, ranging from subnutrition to obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, due to the lack of core technology and technological innovation ability, the design technology of traditional shipyards in China is backward. The operation mode of front-line workers in shipyards is highly dangerous. There are problems that endanger the physical and mental health of workers, such as noise and paint mist pollution, which lead to low production efficiency of workers and difficulties in personnel allocation. Under this background, "shipyard labor shortage" and other similar situations followed. If the concept of smart factory is introduced into traditional shipyards, the above problems can be effectively alleviated and solved. However, due to the complexity of ship product structure processing and manufacturing, the definition of smart shipyard in China is still vague, and the research process of smart shipyard is relatively slow. Aiming at the vague functional concept of smart shipyard, the lack of research on information design and management, smart production process and smart implementation process, this paper provides a conceptual architecture design model of civil smart shipbuilding factory. The functional definition of smart shipyard is discussed, and the initial conceptual model of smart shipyard is established, including information network platform model, smart production process model and smart implementation process model. The application case verifies the above model. Firstly, the information network platform model of α group is constructed, and the group brain control system is established. Secondly, the smart production process of shipyard A under α group is established. Finally, the smart implementation process of shipyard A is designed. The case study shows that: All ships completed 100% modeling, and the pre-outfitting rate increased to about 95%. By using the wire cutting robot, the production efficiency is increased by 70%. In the smart factory mode, the 60,000 tons bulk carrier can save 35thousand dollars labor costs and 11 million dollars in shipping fuel costs each year. The shell steel plate of the 300,000 tons ore carrier is reduced by 212 tons, and the weight is reduced by 10.5%. Case shipyard A under α group using the above smart factory model can save about 0.7 million dollars labor costs per year; reduce fuel costs by about 2.2 million dollars per year; saving 2.5 million steel usage per year. In total, shipyard A reduced expenditure by about 5.4 million dollars in one year. • This paper provides a civil intelligent ship manufacturing plant and its realization and optimization method, and introduces the construction content and method of the production process system of the intelligent shipyard. The key point of the construction of the intelligent shipyard is the intelligent production of ships, so as to finally realize the harmonious and unified operation of multiple robot groups. In order to better ensure the efficiency of the shipbuilding plant in production, reduce the pollution to the living environment, greatly reduce or even eliminate the production accidents caused by human factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are the final output pathway for the brain control of reproduction. The activity of this neuronal population, mainly located at the preoptic area of the hypothalamus, is controlled by a plethora of metabolic signals. However, it has been documented that most of these signal impact on GnRH neurons through indirect neuronal circuits, Kiss1, proopiomelanocortin, and neuropeptide Y/agouti-related peptide neurons being some of the most prominent mediators. In this context, compelling evidence has been gathered in recent years on the role of a large range of neuropeptides and energy sensors in the regulation of GnRH neuronal activity through both direct and indirect mechanisms. The present review summarizes some of the most prominent recent advances in our understanding of the peripheral factors and central mechanisms involved in the metabolic control of GnRH neurons. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indeed, Leung suggests this has been the case with the legally oriented Guangdong NGOs that helped arrange some of the book's worker interviews. Her argument is buttressed by a review of Chinese labour history from the early 20th century up to present and interviews conducted between 2011 and 2014 with 74 workers in six cities in China, including both those workers who have joined in collective actions and those who have not. The book posits an unbroken pattern of state control over Chinese workers' minds, from imperial China through the Mao era to today. [Extracted from the article]

In this Trace, the authors provide a strong introduction to the deep and detailed questions involved these contemporary applications of Cold War research (see Aalbers & Teo, 2017; Lifton, 2011; Shane, 2008). The authors have constructed a broad, wide-reaching, and engaging research tool that can serve as a strong introduction to the broad impacts of Cold War research and inform scholars who are already deep in these questions. In this comprehensive web resource, Cold War scholars Sharon Ullman (Department of History, Bryn Mar College), Juergen Martschukat (Department of History, Erfurt University), and Olaf Stieglitz (Department of History, University of Cologne) along with their students, evaluate historical and contemporary consequences of Cold War brainwashing across nine topic areas. [Extracted from the article]