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Study Design: A pilot, two-group pretest-posttest randomized controlled, single blinded study.Objective: Our study aim was to compare the changes in low back pain level, fear avoidance, neurodynamic mobility, and function after early versus later exercise intervention following a unilateral lumbar microdiscectomy.Summary Of Background Data: Exercise is commonly recommended to patients following a lumbar microdiscectomy although controversy remains as to the timing and protocols for exercise intervention.Methods: Forty patients were randomly allocated to early (Group 1) or later (Group 2) exercise intervention group. The low back pain and fear avoidance were evaluated using Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, Numeric Pain Rating Scale, and Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire. The neurodynamic mobility and function were recorded with Dualer Pro IQ Inclinometer, 50-foot walk test, and Patient-Specific Functional Scale. Two-sided t test for continuous variables and chi-square or Fisher exact test for categorical variables were used to compare the two groups' demographic data. The Wilcoxon signed-rank and rank-sum tests were used to compare the changes and the differences, respectively, in low back pain, fear avoidance, neurodynamic mobility, and function between baseline (before surgery) and postoperative repeated measurements (at 1-2, 4-6, and 8-10 wks after surgery) within each study group, after exercise intervention.Results: Both groups showed a significant decrease in low back pain levels and fear avoidance as well as a significant improvement in neurodynamic mobility and function at 4 and 8 weeks after surgery. However, no significant difference was reported between the two groups.Conclusion: Our study results showed that early exercise intervention after lumbar microdiscectomy is safe and may reduce the low back pain, decrease fear avoidance, and improve neurodynamic mobility and function. A randomized controlled trial is needed to evaluate the early exercise intervention's effectiveness after lumbar microdiscectomy, and thus validate our findings.Level of Evidence: 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective -The objective of this paper is to consider using machine learning approaches for in-firm processes prediction and to give an estimation of such values as effective production quantities. Methodology -The research methodology used is a synthesis of a deep-learning model, which is used to predict half of real business data for comparison with the remaining half. The structure of the convolutional neural network (CNN) model is provided, as well as the results of experiments with real orders, procurements, and income data. The key findings in this paper are that convolutional with a long-short-memory approach is better than a single convolutional method of prediction. Findings- This research also considers use of such technologies on business digital platforms. According to the results, there are guidelines formulated for the implementation in the particular ERP systems or web business platforms. Novelty- This paper describes the practical usage of 1-dimensional (1D) convolutional neural networks and a mixed approach with convolutional and long-short memory networks for in-firm planning tasks such as income prediction, procurements, and order demand analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Determine whether unilateral low-intensity blood-flow restricted (LIBFR) exercise is as effective as high-intensity (HI) resistance training for improving contralateral muscle strength. Methods: Thirty healthy adults (20–30 years) were randomly allocated to the following dynamic plantar-flexion training interventions: HI [75% of one-repetition maximum (1RM), 4 sets, 10 reps] and LIBFR [20% of 1RM, 4 sets, 30 + 15 + 15 + 15 reps]. Evoked V-wave and H-reflex recruitment curves, as well as maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and panoramic ultrasound assessments of the trained and untrained soleus muscles were obtained pre-training, post-4 weeks of training and post-4 weeks of detraining. Results: Both interventions failed to increase contralateral MVC and muscle cross-sectional area (CSA). Yet, contralateral rate of torque development (RTD) was enhanced by both regimens (12–26%) and this was accompanied by heightened soleus EMG within the first milliseconds of the rising torque-time curve (14–22%; p < 0.05). These improvements were dissipated after detraining. Contralateral adaptations were not accompanied by changes in V-wave or H-reflex excitability. Conversely, LIBFR and HI elicited a similar magnitude of ipsilateral increase in MVC, RTD and CSA post-training (10–18%). Improvements in V-wave amplitude and soleus EMG were limited to the trained leg assigned to LIBFR training (p < 0.05). While gains in strength and CSA remained preserved post-4 weeks of detraining, this did not occur with RTD. Conclusion: Since gains in RTD were similar between interventions, our findings indicate that both training regimens can be used interchangeably for improving contralateral rapid torque production. Ultimately, this may be beneficial in circumstances of limb immobilization after injury or surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mood disorders are often associated with persistent cognitive impairments. However, pro-cognitive treatments are essentially lacking. This is partially because of poor insight into the neurocircuitry abnormalities underlying these deficits and their change with illness progression. Aims: This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigates the neuronal underpinnings of cognitive impairments and neuronal change after mood episodes in remitted patients with bipolar disorder (BD) using a hippocampus-based picture encoding paradigm. Methods: Remitted patients with BD (n =153) and healthy controls (n =52) were assessed with neuropsychological tests and underwent fMRI while performing a strategic picture encoding task. A subgroup of patients (n =43) were rescanned after 16 months. We conducted data-driven hierarchical cluster analysis of patients' neuropsychological data and compared encoding-related neuronal activity between the resulting neurocognitive subgroups. For patients with follow-up data, effects of mood episodes were assessed by comparing encoding-related neuronal activity change in BD patients with and without episode(s). Results: Two neurocognitive subgroups were revealed: 91 patients displayed cognitive impairments while 62 patients were cognitively normal. No neuronal activity differences were observed between neurocognitive subgroups within the dorsal cognitive control network or hippocampus. However, exploratory whole-brain analysis revealed lower activity within a small region of middle temporal gyrus in impaired patients, which significantly correlated with poorer neuropsychological performance. No changes were observed in encoding-related neuronal activity or picture recall accuracy with the occurrence of mood episode(s) during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Memory encoding fMRI paradigms may not capture the neuronal underpinnings of cognitive impairment or effects of mood episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) with social deficits is conspicuously rising, particularly in boys. Flame retardants (FRs) have long been associated with increased risk, and prior work by us and others in multiple species has shown that developmental exposure to the common FR mixture Firemaster 550 (FM 550) sex-specifically alters socioemotional behaviors including anxiety and pair bond formation. In rats, FRs have also been shown to impair aspects of osmoregulation. Because vasopressin (AVP) plays a role in both socioemotional behavior and osmotic balance we hypothesized that AVP and its related nonapeptide oxytocin (OT) would be vulnerable to developmental FM 550 exposure. We used the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaste) to test this because it is spontaneously prosocial. Using siblings of prairie voles used in a prior study that assessed behavioral deficits resulting from developmental FM 550 exposure across 3 doses, here we tested the hypothesis that FM 550 sex-specifically alters AVP and OT neuronal populations in critical nuclei, such as the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), that coordinate those behaviors, as well as related dopaminergic (determined by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunolabeling) populations. Exposed females had fewer AVP neurons in the anterior PVN and more A13 TH neurons in the zona incerta than controls. By contrast, in FM 550 males, A13 TH neuron numbers in the zona incerta were decreased but only in 1 dose group. These results expand on previous work showing evidence of endocrine disruption of OT/AVP pathways, including to subpopulations of PVN AVP neurons that coordinate osmoregulatory functions in the periphery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose NeuMIP, a neural method for representing and rendering a variety of material appearances at different scales. Classical prefiltering (mipmapping) methods work well on simple material properties such as diffuse color, but fail to generalize to normals, self-shadowing, fibers or more complex microstructures and reflectances. In this work, we generalize traditional mipmap pyramids to pyramids of neural textures, combined with a fully connected network. We also introduce neural offsets, a novel method which enables rendering materials with intricate parallax effects without any tessellation. This generalizes classical parallax mapping, but is trained without supervision by any explicit heightfield. Neural materials within our system support a 7-dimensional query, including position, incoming and outgoing direction, and the desired filter kernel size. The materials have small storage (on the order of standard mipmapping except with more texture channels), and can be integrated within common Monte-Carlo path tracing systems. We demonstrate our method on a variety of materials, resulting in complex appearance across levels of detail, with accurate parallax, self-shadowing, and other effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many regions of human movement capturing are commonly used. Still, it includes a complicated capturing method, and the obtained information contains missing information invariably due to the human's body or clothing structure. Recovery of motion that aims to recover from degraded observation and the underlying complete sequence of motion is still a difficult task, because the nonlinear structure and the filming property is integrated into the movements. Machine learning model based two-dimensional matrix computation (MM-TDMC) approach demonstrates promising performance in short-term motion recovery problems. However, the theoretical guarantee for the recovery of nonlinear movement information lacks in the two-dimensional matrix computation model developed for linear information. To overcome this drawback, this study proposes MM-TDMC for human motion and dance recovery. The advantages of the machine learning-based Two-dimensional matrix computation model for human motion and dance recovery shows extensive experimental results and comparisons with auto-conditioned recurrent neural network, multimodal corpus, low-rank matrix completion, and kinect sensors methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine mammals are exposed to O2-limitation and increased N2 gas concentrations as they dive to exploit habitat and food resources. The lipid-rich tissues (blubber, acoustic, neural) are of particular concern as N2 is five times more soluble in lipid than in blood or muscle, creating body compartments that can become N2 saturated, possibly leading to gas emboli upon surfacing. We characterized lipids in the neural tissues of marine mammals to determine whether they have similar lipid profiles compared to terrestrial mammals. Lipid profiles (lipid content, lipid class composition, and fatty acid signatures) were determined in the neural tissues of 12 cetacean species with varying diving regimes, and compared to two species of terrestrial mammals. Neural tissue lipid profile was not significantly different in marine versus terrestrial mammals across tissue types. Within the marine species, average dive depth was not significantly associated with the lipid profile of cervical spinal cord. Across species, tissue type (brain, spinal cord, and spinal nerve) was a significant factor in lipid profile, largely due to the presence of storage lipids (triacylglycerol and wax ester/sterol ester) in spinal nerve tissue only. The stability of lipid signatures within the neural tissue types of terrestrial and marine species, which display markedly different dive behaviors, points to the consistent role of lipids in these tissues. These findings indicate that despite large differences in the level of N2 gas exposure by dive type in the species examined, the lipids of neural tissues likely do not have a neuroprotective role in marine mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Cleveland Neural Engineering Workshop (NEW) was established as a biennial meeting in 2011, with subsequent meetings taking place in 2013, 2015, and most recently, June 2017. This fourth biennial NEW was hosted by the Cleveland Advanced Platform for Technology National Veterans Affairs Center, the Functional Electrical Stimulation National Veterans Affairs Center, the Biomedical Engineering Department at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institute for Medical Research of New York. The workshop connects leaders and stakeholders in the neural engineering community who are devoted to developing and deploying technological solutions to those with neurological disorders. The meeting in 2017 continued strategic conversations initiated at the third Cleveland NEW conference in 2015. The goal of the 2017 workshop was to was to determine specific actions by which the neural engineering community might advance the goals outlined in 2015, assess progress towards that plan, adjust as necessary, and establish continued strategic direction. This meeting report summarizes the outcomes.

The establishment of anterior–posterior (AP) regional identity is an essential step in the appropriate development of the vertebrate central nervous system. An important aspect of AP neural axis formation is the inherent plasticity that allows developing cells to respond to and recover from the various perturbations that embryos continually face during the course of development. While the mechanisms governing the regionalization of the nervous system have been extensively studied, relatively less is known about the nature and limits of early neural plasticity of the anterior–posterior neural axis. This study aims to characterize the degree of neural axis plasticity in Xenopus laevis by investigating the response of embryos to a 180-degree rotation of their AP neural axis during gastrula stages by assessing the expression of regional marker genes using in situ hybridization. Our results reveal the presence of a narrow window of time between the mid- and late gastrula stage, during which embryos are able undergo significant recovery following a 180-degree rotation of their neural axis and eventually express appropriate regional marker genes including Otx, Engrailed, and Krox. By the late gastrula stage, embryos show misregulation of regional marker genes following neural axis rotation, suggesting that this profound axial plasticity is a transient phenomenon that is lost by late gastrula stages.

Cell and tissue nanomechanics has been intriguingly introduced into biomedical research, not only complementing traditional immunophenotyping and molecular analysis, but also bringing unexpected new insights for clinical diagnostics and bioengineering. However, despite the progress in the study of individual cells in culture by atomic force microscopy (AFM), its application for mapping live tissues has a number of technical limitations. Here, we elaborate a new technique to study live slices of normal brain tissue and tumors by combining morphological and nanomechanical AFM mapping in high throughput scanning mode, in contrast to the typically utilized force spectroscopy mode based on single-point probe application. This became possible due to the combined use of an appropriate embedding matrix for vibratomy and originally modified AFM probes. The embedding matrix composition was carefully developed by regulating the amounts of agar and collagen I to reach optimal viscoelastic properties for obtaining high-quality live slices that meet AFM requirements. AFM tips were rounded by irradiating them with focused nanosecond laser pulses, while the resulting tip morphology was verified by scanning electron microscopy. Live slices preparation and AFM investigation take only 55 min and could be combined with a vital cell tracer analysis or immunostaining, thus making it promising for biomedical research and clinical diagnostics.

The microbiota plays important roles in host metabolism and immunity, and its disruption affects adult brain physiology and behavior. Although such findings have been attributed to altered neurodevelopment, few studies have actually examined microbiota effects on the developing brain. This review focuses on developmental effects of the earliest exposure to microbes. At birth, the mammalian fetus enters a world teeming with microbes which colonize all body sites in contact with the environment. Bacteria reach the gut within a few hours of birth and cause a measurable response in the intestinal epithelium. In adults, the gut microbiota signals to the brain via the vagus nerve, bacterial metabolites, hormones, and immune signaling, and work in perinatal rodents is beginning to elucidate which of these signaling pathways herald the very first encounter with gut microbes in the neonate. Neural effects of the microbiota during the first few days of life include changes in neuronal cell death, microglia, and brain cytokine levels. In addition to these effects of direct exposure of the newborn to microbes, accumulating evidence points to a role for the maternal microbiota in affecting brain development via bacterial molecules and metabolites while the offspring is still in utero. Hence, perturbations to microbial exposure perinatally, such as through C-section delivery or antibiotic treatment, alter microbiota colonization and may have long-term neural consequences. The perinatal period is critical for brain development and a close look at microbiota effects during this time promises to reveal the earliest, most primary effects of the microbiota on neurodevelopment.

The microbiota plays important roles in host metabolism and immunity, and its disruption affects adult brain physiology and behavior. Although such findings have been attributed to altered neurodevelopment, few studies have actually examined microbiota effects on the developing brain. This review focuses on developmental effects of the earliest exposure to microbes. At birth, the mammalian fetus enters a world teeming with microbes which colonize all body sites in contact with the environment. Bacteria reach the gut within a few hours of birth and cause a measurable response in the intestinal epithelium. In adults, the gut microbiota signals to the brain via the vagus nerve, bacterial metabolites, hormones, and immune signaling, and work in perinatal rodents is beginning to elucidate which of these signaling pathways herald the very first encounter with gut microbes in the neonate. Neural effects of the microbiota during the first few days of life include changes in neuronal cell death, microglia, and brain cytokine levels. In addition to these effects of direct exposure of the newborn to microbes, accumulating evidence points to a role for the maternal microbiota in affecting brain development via bacterial molecules and metabolites while the offspring is still in utero. Hence, perturbations to microbial exposure perinatally, such as through C-section delivery or antibiotic treatment, alter microbiota colonization and may have long-term neural consequences. The perinatal period is critical for brain development and a close look at microbiota effects during this time promises to reveal the earliest, most primary effects of the microbiota on neurodevelopment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Soft tissues of the head and neck areas are a very frequent site of occurrence of certain benign tumors of the peripheral nerve sheath, especially the neurofibromas. Hence, the present study was conducted for assessing clinical, radiographic, and treatment profile of 10 cases of neurogenic tumors and tumor-like lesions of the oral and maxillofacial region. Materials and Methods: Data records of a total of 10 patients who were diagnosed with tumors of neurogenic origin were enrolled in the present study. Data files were analyzed over a time period of 2 years, and complete clinical and radiographic details were evaluated. All the patients in which incomplete information was present in the record files were excluded from the present study. The assessment of the histopathologic reports was done, and final diagnosis was recorded separately in the master chart. Results: Neurofibroma was the diagnosis in two cases. In another set of two cases, final diagnosis of traumatic neuroma was achieved. A single case Schwannoma of mandible depicting multilocular radiolucency was present. Granular cell tumor was present in three cases. It was present clinically in the form of swelling, ulcerative nodule, and nodular growth in the three respective cases. Surgical excision was carried out in all the cases, and follow-up records did not depict any case of recurrence of complication posttreatment. Conclusion: Neurogenic tumors of oral and maxillafacial region are a rare phenomenon and mainly present in the form of benign neoplasm. However, careful recognition and diagnosis of these lesions are necessary to rule any possible malignant changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural and behavioral mechanisms during approach‐avoidance conflict decision‐making are relevant across various psychiatric disorders, particularly anxiety disorders. Studies using approach‐avoidance conflict paradigms in healthy adults have identified preliminary neural mechanisms, but findings must be replicated and demonstrated as reliable before further application. This study sought to replicate previous findings and examine test–retest reliability of behavioral (approach behavior, reaction time) and neural (regions of interest [ROIs]) responses during an approach‐avoidance conflict task conducted during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Thirty healthy adults completed an approach‐avoidance conflict task during fMRI on two occasions (mean interval: 17 days; range: 11–32). Effects of task condition during three task phases (decision‐making, affective outcome and monetary reward) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated across time points. Results replicated that approach behavior was modulated by conflict during decision‐making. ROI activations were replicated such that dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) was modulated by conflict during decision‐making, and dACC, striatum, and anterior insula were modulated by valence during affective outcomes (p's <.0083). Approach behavior during conflict demonstrated excellent reliability (ICCs ≥.77). Activation of dACC during conflict decision‐making and anterior insula during negative outcomes demonstrated fair reliability (ICCs =.51 and.54), and dACC and striatum activation demonstrated good reliability during negative outcomes (ICCs =.63 and.69). Two additional ROIs (amygdala, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) showed good reliability during negative outcomes (ICCs ≥.60). These results characterize several specific behavioral and neuroimaging responses that are replicable and sufficiently reliable during approach‐avoidance conflict decision‐making to support future utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nearly four decades our research and that of others on chemical signaling in callitrichid primates suggest a high degree of contextual complexity in both the use of signals and the response to these signals. We describe our research including observational field studies, behavioral bioassays ("playbacks"), functional imaging, and conditioning studies. Scent marking in both captivity and the wild is used for more than just territorial marking. Social contextual effects are seen in responses by subordinate females responding with ovulatory inhibition only to chemical signals from familiar dominant reproductive females. Males detect ovulation through changes in scent marks. Males responded behaviorally and hormonally to chemical signals of novel ovulating females as a function of their reproductive status (fathers, males paired with a female but not fathers, and single males). Multiple brain areas are activated in males by female chemical signals of ovulation including areas relating to memory, evaluation, and motivation. Furthermore, males can be conditioned to respond sexually to a nonsexual odor demonstrating that learning plays an important role in response to chemical signals. Male androgen and estrone levels changed significantly in response to infant chemical signals as a function of whether the males were fathers or not, whether the odors were from their own versus other infants, as well as the infant's stage of development. Chemical signals in callitrichids are providing a rich source of understanding the context and function of the chemical sensory system and its stimulation of neural, behavioral, and hormonal actions in the recipients. Highlights: We review our research for the experimental study of chemical signals in callitrichid monkeys.Chemical signals in callitrichids are contextually complex, influenced by social and reproductive contexts.Ovulatory scents activate many brain areas in male marmosets.Marmosets can be sexually conditioned to respond to arbitrary odors showing the importance of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neural retina is organized along central‐peripheral, dorsal‐ventral, and laminar planes. Cellular density and distributions vary along the central‐peripheral and dorsal‐ventral axis in species including primates, mice, fish, and birds. Differential distribution of cell types within the retina is associated with sensitivity to different types of damage that underpin major retinal diseases, including macular degeneration and glaucoma. Normal variation in retinal distribution remains unreported for multiple cell types in widely used research models, including mouse. Here we map the distribution of all known OFF bipolar cell (BC) populations and horizontal cells. We report significant variation in the distribution of OFF BC populations and horizontal cells along the dorsal‐ventral and central‐peripheral axes of the retina. Distribution patterns are much more pronounced for some populations of OFF BC cells than others and may correspond to the cell type's specialized functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), the most lethal type of stroke, often leads to poor outcomes in the clinic. Due to the complex mechanisms and cell–cell crosstalk during ICH, the neurovascular unit (NVU) was proposed to serve as a promising therapeutic target for ICH research. This review aims to summarize the development of pathophysiological shifts in the NVU and neural–glia networks after ICH. In addition, potential targets for ICH therapy are discussed in this review. Beyond cerebral blood flow, the NVU also plays an important role in protecting neurons, maintaining central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis, coordinating neuronal activity among supporting cells, forming and maintaining the blood–brain barrier (BBB), and regulating neuroimmune responses. During ICH, NVU dysfunction is induced, along with neuronal cell death, microglia and astrocyte activation, endothelial cell (EC) and tight junction (TJ) protein damage, and BBB disruption. In addition, it has been shown that certain targets and candidates can improve ICH-induced secondary brain injury based on an NVU and neural–glia framework. Moreover, therapeutic approaches and strategies for ICH are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent clinical trials involving the systemic effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have revealed beneficial outcomes pertaining to the microvascular sequelae of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) such as nephropathy, as well as macrovascular effects such as major adverse cardiovascular effects (MACE). Such findings have spurred the elevation of these agents to level A-tiers of recommendation within clinical guidelines addressing the management of complicated T2DM. While the mechanisms of SGLTi (-flozin drugs) are still being elucidated, a paucity of data exists within the literature appraising the role of neuromodulation and associated mechanisms in the aforementioned outcome studies. Given the role of the nervous system in orchestrating the pathologic processes that hamper cardio-renal status, insight into this topic offers an expanded perspective on T2DM. In this review we investigate the mechanisms by which SGLTi improve cardio-renal function in T2DM patients with emphases on neural tone and nervous system physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speech production requires working of neural, muscular, mechanical, aerodynamic, acoustic, and auditory factors in a well-organised and continuous manner. Speech is basically a well-organised learned methodical neuromuscular pattern and a refined, uncontrolled, and unconscious activity. Materials And Method: The study group consisted of twenty edentulous patients with complete dentures. All the patients were natives of Chennai district who were proficient in english. A standardized reference text in english was used for all the patients. It was presented to the patient on a sheet of paper in large visible letters to be better understood and to be read easily. Statistical analysis was done by using descriptive and inferential statistical using Mann - Whitney's U test and p<0.05 is considered as level of significance. Conclusion: This study concluded that, speech intelligibility was better in complete denture patients after denture insertion. Although the difference is not significant, it may be one of the factors affecting the quality of life of the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial titled "Perspectives on PTSD and its treatment" published in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. The editorial discusses the evolving field of trauma research and the complex nature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It highlights the importance of understanding the mediating and moderating factors that influence the manifestation of PTSD, including neural disturbances and physical health. The editorial also explores the role of early adversity and attentional deficits in PTSD, as well as the potential for individual differences in brain functioning to predict treatment success. Overall, the articles in this research topic contribute to our understanding of the neurobiology of PTSD and its treatment. [Extracted from the article]

According to the ATOM (A Theory Of Magnitude), formulated by Walsh more than fifteen years ago, there is a general system of magnitude in the brain that comprises regions, such as the parietal cortex, shared by space, time and other magnitudes.The present meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies used the Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) method in order to determine the set of regions commonly activated in space and time processing and to establish the neural activations specific to each magnitude domain. Following PRISMA guidelines, we included in the analysis a total of 112 and 114 experiments, exploring space and time processing, respectively.We clearly identified the presence of a system of brain regions commonly recruited in both space and time that includes: bilateral insula, the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA), the right frontal operculum and the intraparietal sulci. These regions might be the best candidates to form the core magnitude neural system. Surprisingly, along each of these regions but the insula, ALE values progressed in a cortical gradient from time to space. The SMA exhibited an anterior-posterior gradient, with space activating more-anterior regions (i.e., pre-SMA) and time activating more-posterior regions (i.e., SMA-proper). Frontal and parietal regions showed a dorsal-ventral gradient: space is mediated by dorsal frontal and parietal regions, and time recruits ventral frontal and parietal regions.Our study supports but also expands the ATOM theory. Therefore, we here re-named it the ‘GradiATOM’ theory (Gradient Theory of Magnitude), proposing that gradient organization can facilitate the transformations and integrations of magnitude representations by allowing space- and time-related neural populations to interact with each other over minimal distances.

Chronic cranial windows allow for longitudinal brain imaging experiments in awake, behaving mice. Different imaging technologies have their unique advantages and combining multiple imaging modalities offers measurements of a wide spectrum of neuronal, glial, vascular, and metabolic parameters needed for comprehensive investigation of physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms. Here, we detail a suite of surgical techniques for installation of different cranial windows targeted for specific imaging technologies and their combination. Following these techniques and practices will yield higher experimental success and reproducibility of results.

Keywords: neural; mechanism; perceptual; cognitive; elite; performers; expertise EN neural mechanism perceptual cognitive elite performers expertise 1 3 3 05/19/22 20220516 NES 220516 Perception of sensory information and accompanying cognitive processing are crucial for human interactions with the environment. The authors suggest that this approach may be useful in translating fundamental research and theory into methods to improve real-world sports performance. Hopefully, the authors in future research will look to move these results from the lab to on-field or on-ice sports performance; to establish an I in-vivo i benefit to the athlete. [Extracted from the article]

Chronic cranial windows allow for longitudinal brain imaging experiments in awake, behaving mice. Different imaging technologies have their unique advantages and combining multiple imaging modalities offers measurements of a wide spectrum of neuronal, glial, vascular, and metabolic parameters needed for comprehensive investigation of physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms. Here, we detail a suite of surgical techniques for installation of different cranial windows targeted for specific imaging technologies and their combination. Following these techniques and practices will yield higher experimental success and reproducibility of results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas a variety of pre-exercise activities have been incorporated as part of a "warm-up" prior to work, combat, and athletic activities for millennia, the inclusion of static stretching (SS) within a warm-up has lost favor in the last 25 years. Research emphasized the possibility of SS-induced impairments in subsequent performance following prolonged stretching without proper dynamic warm-up activities. Proposed mechanisms underlying stretch-induced deficits include both neural (i.e., decreased voluntary activation, persistent inward current effects on motoneuron excitability) and morphological (i.e., changes in the force–length relationship, decreased Ca2+ sensitivity, alterations in parallel elastic component) factors. Psychological influences such as a mental energy deficit and nocebo effects could also adversely affect performance. However, significant practical limitations exist within published studies, e.g., long-stretching durations, stretching exercises with little task specificity, lack of warm-up before/after stretching, testing performed immediately after stretch completion, and risk of investigator and participant bias. Recent research indicates that appropriate durations of static stretching performed within a full warm-up (i.e., aerobic activities before and task-specific dynamic stretching and intense physical activities after SS) have trivial effects on subsequent performance with some evidence of improved force output at longer muscle lengths. For conditions in which muscular force production is compromised by stretching, knowledge of the underlying mechanisms would aid development of mitigation strategies. However, these mechanisms are yet to be perfectly defined. More information is needed to better understand both the warm-up components and mechanisms that contribute to performance enhancements or impairments when SS is incorporated within a pre-activity warm-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ex vivo replication of the highly helical and fibril structures of load-bearing soft tissue is a challenging goal for the study of hydrogels. Inspired by nature, we prepared tissue-like physical gels based on curdlan and gelatin by self-assembly. The hybrid gels have a flexible fibril-matrix architecture, and the fibril orientation is highly tunable. The tensile strength of the gels can be tuned from ∼1.1 to ∼16.5 MPa. The coil-helix transition and nanofibril formation process in the self-assembly system was thoroughly investigated. These helical gels exhibit excellent cell compatibility, which supports adhesion and oriented growth of neural cells. Furthermore, the oriented nanofibrils in the gel are found to be associated with an upregulated expression of regeneration-related genes like N-cadherin (Cdh2) and neural growth factor (NGF). Owing to the strength and biomimetic structure, these gels have great potential in tissue engineering applications.

Mesenchymal stem cells are a continually expanding area in research and clinical applications. Their usefulness and capacity to differentiate into various cells, particularly neural types, has driven the research area for several years. Neural differentiation has considerable usefulness. There are several successful differentiation techniques of mesenchymal stem cells that employ the use of small molecules, growth factors and commercially available kits and supplements. Phenotyping, molecular biology, genomics and proteomics investigation revealed a wealth of data about these cells during neurogenic differentiation. However, there remain large gaps in the knowledge base, particularly related to cytokines and how their role, drive mechanisms and the downstream signalling processes change with their varied expression throughout the differentiation process. In this study, adult mesenchymal stem cells were induced with neurogenic differentiation media, the cellular changes monitored by live-cell microscopy and the changes in cytokine expression in the intracellular region, secretion into the media and in the extracellular vesicle cargo were examined and analysed bioinformatically. Through this analysis, the up-regulation of key cytokines was revealed, and several neuroprotective and neurotrophic roles were displayed. Statistically significant molecules IFN-G, IL1B, IL6, TNF-A, have roles in astrocyte development. Furthermore, the cytokine bioinformatics suggests the Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway is upregulated, supporting differentiation toward an astroglial lineage.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are still a challenge for the field of modern medicine. Many treatment options such as autologous grafts and stem cells show limited promise for the treatment and the reversibility of damage caused by TBIs. Injury beyond the critical size necessitates the implementation of scaffolds that function as surrogate extracellular matrices. Two scaffolds were synthesised utilising polysaccharides, chitosan and hyaluronic acid in conjunction with gelatin. Both scaffolds were chemically crosslinked using a naturally derived crosslinker, Genipin. The polysaccharides increased the mechanical strength of each scaffold, while gelatin provided the bioactive sequence, which promoted cellular interactions. The effect of crosslinking was investigated, and the crosslinked hydrogels showed higher thermal decomposition temperatures, increased resistance to degradation, and pore sizes ranging from 72.789 ± 16.85 µm for the full interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) and 84.289 ± 7.658 μm for the semi-IPN. The scaffolds were loaded with Dexamethasone-21-phosphate to investigate their efficacy as a drug delivery vehicle, and the full IPN showed a 100% release in 10 days, while the semi-IPN showed a burst release in 6 h. Both scaffolds stimulated the proliferation of rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) and human glioblastoma multiforme (A172) cell cultures and also provided signals for A172 cell migration. Both scaffolds can be used as potential drug delivery vehicles and as artificial extracellular matrices for potential neural regeneration.

Abstract The Cleveland Neural Engineering Workshop (NEW) is a biennial meeting started in 2011 as an “unconference” to bring together leaders in the neural engineering and related fields. Since the first iteration of the meeting, NEW has evolved from “just getting together” to a more important purpose of creating, reviewing, and promoting a uniform strategic roadmap for the field. The purpose of this short report, as well as the companion 2015 and 2017 reports, is to provide a historical record of this meeting and the evolution of the roadmap. These reports more importantly establish a baseline for the next meeting to be held in June, 2019. The second Neural Engineering Workshop (NEW) was held in June 2013. The two-day workshop was hosted by the Cleveland Advanced Platform for Technology National Veterans Affairs Center, the Functional Electrical Stimulation National Veterans Affairs Center, and the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Participants identified seven areas of future focus in the field of neural engineering: active communications with users, advocacy (regulatory), network building (clinical practice), case studies (clinical and technical), early industrial feedback, value chain resources, engagement, and advocacy (funding). This proceedings document summarizes the meeting outcome.

Background. Earlier we reported that in children with spastic forms of cerebral palsy (SFCP) after two-week course of rehabilitation by Kozyavkin© method the hand function tests changed ambiguously and such a variety of changes is due to differently directed changes in the background activity of the nerve centers. Aime: to identify the peculiarities of changes in the parameters of EEG, HRV and GDV in children with favorable and unfavorable changes in the parameters of the functions of the hands. Material and research methods. The object of observations were 14 children (6 girls and 8 boys) aged 8÷15 years with SFCP. State motor development at GMFCS was on II÷IV level. Functional status of the hand with MACS was at II÷III level. The estimation of hand function carried out by Dynamometry (D), Box and Block Test (BB) and Nine Hole Peg Test (NHP). We registered also components of muscular tone by device “NeuroFlexor” (Aggero MedTech AB, Sweden), HRV and EEG parameters simultaneosly by hardware-software complex “Cardiolab+VSR” and “NeuroCom Standard” respectively (KhAI Medica, Kharkiv, Ukraine) as well as GDV parameters by “GDV Chamber” (“Biotechprogress”, St-Pb, RF). Results. The method of cluster analysis retrospectively highlighted two distinct groups-clusters. In 9 children, rehabilitation led to favorable changes in the parameters of the function of the hands, while in 3 children they turned out to be unfavorable. The method of discriminant analysis revealed that unfavorable changes are accompanied by a decrease in the asymmetry of the θ- and δ-rhythms, the spectral power density (SPD) of β-rhythm in loci F8 and Fp1, instead, it increases in loci O1 and T3, leading to left-sided lateralization of the β-rhythm. At the same time, the SPD of the α-rhythm in locus O1 and the θ-rhythm in locus F4 rises as well as its Deviation. These changes in the EEG are accompanied by a reduction in vagalis and an increase in sympathetic tones. Among the GDVs parameters, an increase in the area of the GD Image in the frontal projection, coupled with a decrease in its Entropy in the frontal and left projections, was found. Instead, favorable changes in the parameters of the hand function are accompanied by opposite changes in the listed EEGs, HRVs and GDVs parameters or their absence. Conclusion. Among 14 observed children with spastic forms of cerebral palsy caused by Kozyavkin© method changes in functional tests of hand are favorable in 11. Adverse changes in 3 children are accompanied by characteristic changes in a number of EEGs, HRVs and GDVs parameters, which in the long run will be corrected by electrostimulation of the corresponding nervous structures.

The findings from neuroscience have shaped our understanding in the past decade regarding the way we perceive psychiatric illness. In addition to the more conventional theories that are based solely on the psychological and sociocultural factors to explain psychiatric disorders, there is growing evidence supporting a multifactorial etiology with genetic and neurological components. Anorexia nervosa, a life-threatening psychiatric disorder with relentless restrictive eating resulting in extremely low body weight, is one such illness that may be categorized as a brain disorder based on the recent findings. Although inconsistencies exist, several studies investigated the structural and the neurochemical alterations in the brain as well as the functional significance and the cognitive manifestations of these abnormalities in anorexia nervosa patient. This review aims to summarize the current literature on the neural aberrations and several treatment approaches targeting these abnormalities in anorexia nervosa.

3D cell culture models which closely resemble real human tissues are of high interest for disease modelling, drug screening as well as a deeper understanding of human developmental biology. Such structures are termed organoids. Within the last years, several human organoid models were described. These are usually stem cell derived, arise by self-organization, mimic mechanisms of normal tissue development, show typical organ morphogenesis and recapitulate at least some organ specific functions. Many tissues have been reproduced in vitro such as gut, liver, lung, kidney and brain. The resulting entities can be either derived from an adult stem cell population, or generated from pluripotent stem cells using a specific differentiation protocol. However, many organoid models only recapitulate the organs parenchyma but are devoid of stromal components such as blood vessels, connective tissue and inflammatory cells. Recent studies show that the incorporation of endothelial and mesenchymal cells into organoids improved their maturation and might be required to create fully functional micro-tissues, which will allow deeper insights into human embryogenesis as well as disease development and progression. In this review article, we will summarize and discuss recent works trying to incorporate stromal components into organoids, with a special focus on neural organoid models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling user(s) navigation sequences and predicting their preferences has been an interesting area of research. For Web Navigation Prediction (WNP) the Markov model(s) are predominantly used for analyzing and discovering user navigation patterns. One of the major issues with the Markov model is that it fails to predict for unclassified navigations. Presence of such navigations reduces the prediction power of the model. Deep machine learning models can be used to address unclassified navigations but their prediction ability deteriorates if training sessions are less in number. As Navigations have been modeled using N-Grams where the number of training sessions reduces at higher N-Grams. It might affect the performance of deep learning models. However, their prediction ability can be improvised by integrating it with the Markov model. This paper proposes three integrated models to minimize the unclassified navigations and to boost the overall prediction accuracy. Proposed hybrid models are formed by integrating All-Kth Markov Model with Deep Neural Network (DKM) and All-Kth Modified Markov Model with Shallow Neural Network and Deep Neural Network (SKMM and DKMM). The proposed models are evaluated on three standard datasets: CTI, BMS, and Wikispeedia. DKMM has obtained the best results in terms of improvement in prediction accuracy and reduction in unclassified navigations on higher N-grams. Prediction accuracy was improved up to 4.71, 6.2 and 7.67 in CTI, BMS and Wikispeedia dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a scalable two-level architecture for Hexapod locomotion through complex terrain without the use of exteroceptive sensors. Our approach assumes that the target complex terrain can be modeled by N discrete terrain distributions which capture individual difficulties of the target terrain. Expert policies (physical locomotion controllers) modeled by Artificial Neural Networks are trained independently in these individual scenarios using Deep Reinforcement Learning. These policies are then autonomously multiplexed during inference using a Recurrent Neural Network terrain classifier conditioned on the state history, giving an adaptive gait appropriate for the current terrain. We perform several tests to assess policy robustness by changing various parameters, such as contact, friction and actuator properties. We also show experiments of goal-based positional control of such a system and a way of selecting several gait criteria during deployment, giving us a complete solution for blind Hexapod locomotion in a practical setting. The Hexapod platform and all our experiments are modeled in the MuJoCo [1] physics simulator. Demonstrations are available in the supplementary video. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two goats (6 months old and 5 years old) were evaluated for neurological signs including laboured breathing, stiffness and obtundation. Solitary masses were noted in the brainstem and spinal cord, respectively. Histopathology of both cases revealed the lesions were composed of a mixture of glial and neuronal cells, consistent with glioneuronal hamartomas. The cause of death was attributed to the mass in the 6-month-old, while the cause of death in the 5-year-old was attributed to listeriosis. Hamartomas of neural origin are rarely described in veterinary species, and this report represents the first report of glioneuronal hamartomas in goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neural crest (NC) is a transitory embryonic structure of vertebrates that gives rise to an astonishing variety of derivatives, encompassing both neural and mesenchymal cell types. Neural crest cells (NCCs) are an excellent model to study how environmental factors modulate features such as cell multipotentiality and differentiation. Tests with multifunctional substrates that allow NCCs to express their full potential, while promoting cell subcloning, are needed to advance knowledge about NCC self-renewal and to foster future biotechnological approaches. Here we show that a self-assembled peptide named PuraMatrix™ is an excellent substrate that allows the differentiation of NCCs based on the identification of seven different cell types. Depending on the PuraMatrix™ concentration employed, different frequencies and quantities of a given cell type were obtained. It is noteworthy that an enormous quantity and diversity of mesenchymal phenotypes, such as chondrocytes, could be observed. The quantity of adipocytes and osteocytes also increased with the use of mesenchymal differentiation factors (MDF), but PuraMatrix™ alone can support the appearance of these mesenchymal cell types. PuraMatrix™ will promote advances in studies related to multipotentiality, self-renewal and control of NCC differentiation, since it is an extremely simple and versatile material which can be employed for both in vivo and in vitro experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial neural network (ANN) and genetic algorithm (GA) are used for designing Ti alloy and composite suitable for dental implant. Hydroxyapatite (HAp), having similarity to the human hard tissues, helps the bone growth. A bioactive surface of the implant with the presence of HAp helps to make the implant last for a longer period of time. A layered Ti alloy – HAp composite is designed in this work. A Ti alloy – HAp composite-based two-layered implant with high strength and low elastic modulus, the inner part (core) of the implant consisting only the Ti alloy, and the outer part (shell) of the implant made of the composite is designed. The objectives of achieving low elastic modulus (EM) and high yield strength (YS) are conflicting in nature, and dealt with multi-objective optimization, where cost of the alloy is included as the third objective, to make the material affordable to the common people. The designed alloy and composites are designed is developed experimentally, and a preliminary study on the microstructure and mechanical properties is conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an essential feature of development, robustness ensures that embryos attain a consistent phenotype despite genetic and environmental variation. The growing number of examples demonstrating that embryos can mount a compensatory response to germline mutations in key developmental genes has heightened interest in the phenomenon of embryonic robustness. While considerable progress has been made in elucidating genetic compensation in response to germline mutations, the diversity, mechanisms, and limitations of embryonic robustness remain unclear. In this work, we have examined whether Xenopus laevis embryos are able to compensate for perturbations of the Notch signaling pathway induced by RNA injection constructs that either upregulate or inhibit this signaling pathway. Consistent with earlier studies, we found that at neurula stages, hyperactivation of the Notch pathway inhibited neural differentiation while inhibition of Notch signaling increases premature differentiation as assayed by neural beta tubulin expression. However, surprisingly, by hatching stages, embryos begin to compensate for these perturbations, and by swimming tadpole stages most embryos exhibited normal neuronal gene expression. Using cell proliferation and TUNEL assays, we show that the compensatory response is, in part, mediated by modulating levels of cell proliferation and apoptosis. This work provides an additional model for addressing the mechanisms of embryonic robustness and of genetic compensation. • Xenopus embryos genetically compensate for perturbation to the Notch signaling pathway during development. • The compensatory response is dose dependent and has limits. • With equal amounts of injected ICD, embryos compensate more robustly when perturbed unilaterally rather than bilaterally. • Compensation is partially mediated by changes in cell proliferation and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induration in steel industries is the process of pelletizing iron ore particles. It is an important unit operation which produces raw materials for a subsequent chemical reduction in Blast Furnace. Of the enormous amount of energy consumed by Blast Furnace, a large portion is utilized in processing the raw materials. High-quality raw materials, therefore, ensure less consumption of energy in the Blast Furnace. Thus, optimization of induration process is necessary for conservation of a significant amount of energy in steelmaking industries. To realize this, a highly non-linear, industrially validated, 22 dimensional first principles based model for induration is created and a multi-objective optimization problem is designed. However, the physics-based model being computationally expensive, Multi-layered Perceptron Networks (MLPs) are trained to emulate the induration process. Novelty in this work lies with the optimal architecture design of MLPs through a multi-objective integer non-linear programming (MO-INLP) problem and with simultaneous training size estimation through four different Sobol sampling-based algorithms. Successful emulation of induration process resulted in 10-fold speed increment in optimization through surrogate models. To justify the parsimonious behavior of resultant MLPs, five different tests are performed for checking whether they are over-fitted. Comparison with Kriging adds to other highlights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]