Friend or foe: the dichotomous impact of T cells on neuro-de/re-generation during aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Coder, Brandon; Wang, Weikan; Wang, Liefeng; Wu, Zhongdao; Zhuge, Qichuan; Su, Dong-Ming

2017-01-24

The interaction between T cells and the central nervous system (CNS) in homeostasis and injury has been recognized being both pathogenic (CD4+ T-helper 1 - Th1, Th17 and γδT) and ameliorative (Th2 and regulatory T cells - Tregs). However, in-depth studies aimed to elucidate the precise in the aged microenvironment and the dichotomous role of Tregs have just begun and many aspects remain unclear. This is due, not only to a mutual dependency and reciprocal causation of alterations and diseases between the nervous and T cell immune systems, but also to an inconsistent aging of the two systems, which dynamically changes with CNS injury/recovery and/or aging process. Cellular immune system aging, particularly immunosenescence and T cell aging initiated by thymic involution - sources of chronic inflammation in the elderly (termed inflammaging), potentially induces an acceleration of brain aging and memory loss. In turn, aging of the brain via neuro-endocrine-immune network drives total body systemic aging, including that of the immune system. Therefore, immunotherapeutics including vaccination and "protective autoimmunity" provide promising means to rejuvenate neuro-inflammatory disorders and repair CNS acute injury and chronic neuro-degeneration. We review the current understanding and recent discoveries linking the aging immune system with CNS injury and neuro-degeneration. Additionally, we discuss potential recovery and rejuvenation strategies, focusing on targeting the aging T cell immune system in an effort to alleviate acute brain injury and chronic neuro-degeneration during aging, via the "thymus-inflammaging-neurodegeneration axis".

2nd International Conference on NeuroRehabilitation

CERN Document Server

Andersen, Ole; Akay, Metin

2014-01-01

The book is the proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on NeuroRehabilitation (ICNR 2014), held 24th-26th June 2014 in Aalborg, Denmark. The conference featured the latest highlights in the emerging and interdisciplinary field of neural rehabilitation engineering and identified important healthcare challenges the scientific community will be faced with in the coming years. Edited and written by leading experts in the field, the book includes keynote papers, regular conference papers, and contributions to special and innovation sessions, covering the following main topics: neuro-rehabilitation applications and solutions for restoring impaired neurological functions; cutting-edge technologies and methods in neuro-rehabilitation; and translational challenges in neuro-rehabilitation. Thanks to its highly interdisciplinary approach, the book will not only be a  highly relevant reference guide for academic researchers, engineers, neurophysiologists, neuroscientists, physicians and physiotherapists workin...

NeuroD2 regulates the development of hippocampal mossy fiber synapses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilke Scott A

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The assembly of neural circuits requires the concerted action of both genetically determined and activity-dependent mechanisms. Calcium-regulated transcription may link these processes, but the influence of specific transcription factors on the differentiation of synapse-specific properties is poorly understood. Here we characterize the influence of NeuroD2, a calcium-dependent transcription factor, in regulating the structural and functional maturation of the hippocampal mossy fiber (MF synapse. Results Using NeuroD2 null mice and in vivo lentivirus-mediated gene knockdown, we demonstrate a critical role for NeuroD2 in the formation of CA3 dendritic spines receiving MF inputs. We also use electrophysiological recordings from CA3 neurons while stimulating MF axons to show that NeuroD2 regulates the differentiation of functional properties at the MF synapse. Finally, we find that NeuroD2 regulates PSD95 expression in hippocampal neurons and that PSD95 loss of function in vivo reproduces CA3 neuron spine defects observed in NeuroD2 null mice. Conclusion These experiments identify NeuroD2 as a key transcription factor that regulates the structural and functional differentiation of MF synapses in vivo.

Rosiglitazone stimulates the release and synthesis of insulin by enhancing GLUT-2, glucokinase and BETA2/NeuroD expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyo-Sup; Noh, Jung-Hyun; Hong, Seung-Hyun; Hwang, You-Cheol; Yang, Tae-Young; Lee, Myung-Shik; Kim, Kwang-Won; Lee, Moon-Kyu

2008-01-01

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, and its ligands, the thiazolidinediones, might directly stimulate insulin release and insulin synthesis in pancreatic β-cells. In the present study, we examined the effects of rosiglitazone (RGZ) on insulin release and synthesis in pancreatic β-cell (INS-1). Insulin release and synthesis were stimulated by treatment with RGZ for 24 h. RGZ upregulated the expressions of GLUT-2 and glucokinase (GCK). Moreover, it was found that RGZ increased the expression of BETA2/NeuroD gene which could regulate insulin gene expression. These results suggest that RGZ could stimulate the release and synthesis of insulin through the upregulation of GLUT-2, GCK, and BETA2/NeuroD gene expression

Induction of CML28-specific cytotoxic T cell responses using co-transfected dendritic cells with CML28 DNA vaccine and SOCS1 small interfering RNA expression vector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Hongsheng; Zhang Donghua; Wang Yaya; Dai Ming; Zhang Lu; Liu Wenli; Liu Dan; Tan Huo; Huang Zhenqian

2006-01-01

CML28 is an attractive target for antigen-specific immunotherapy. SOCS1 represents an inhibitory control mechanism for DC antigen presentation and the magnitude of adaptive immunity. In this study, we evaluated the potential for inducing CML28-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) responses by dendritic cells (DCs)-based vaccination. We constructed a CML28 DNA vaccine and a SOCS1 siRNA vector and then cotransfect monocyte-derived DCs. Flow cytometry analysis showed gene silencing of SOCS1 resulted in higher expressions of costimulative moleculars in DCs. Mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) indicated downregulation of SOCS1 stronger capability to stimulate proliferation of responder cell in DCs. The CTL assay revealed transfected DCs effectively induced autologous CML28-specific CTL responses and the lytic activities induced by SOCS1-silenced DCs were significantly higher compared with those induced by SOCS1-expressing DCs. These results in our study indicates gene silencing of SOCS1 remarkably enhanced the cytotoxicity efficiency of CML28 DNA vaccine in DCs

Inhibition of TC-1 tumor progression by cotransfection of Saxatilin and IL-12 genes mediated by lipofection or electroporation.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Y S; Kim, K S; Lee, Y K; Kim, J S; Baek, J Y; Huang, L

2009-01-01

Recently, a number of reports have demonstrated that coexpression of therapeutic genes having different anticancer mechanisms is a more effective strategy for anticancer gene therapy than single gene expression. Saxatilin, a novel disintegrin from snake venom, has recently been shown to have potent antiangiogenic functions, such as inhibition of platelet aggregation, bFGF-induced proliferation of HUVEC, and vitronectin-induced smooth muscle cell migration. IL-12 is a well-known immune modulator that promotes Thl-type antitumor immune responses and inhibits angiogenesis as well. The saxatilin and/or IL-12 genes were transfected intratumorally into C57BL/6 mice carrying TC-1 transformed mouse lung endothelial cells by either lipofection or electroporation. The plasmids encoding saxatilin and IL-12 were administered to tumor tissues via novel cationic liposomes consisting of dimyristyl-glutamyl-lysine (DMKE). On the other hand, expression of the genes was also induced by electroporation after naked pDNA injection to the tumor tissues. Lipofection of saxatilin and/or IL-12 genes appeared to be slightly more effective in inhibition of tumor growth than electroporation of the same genes. Cotransfection of saxatilin and IL-12 genes was clearly more effective than individual administration of either gene. This result implies that cotransfection of saxatilin and IL-12 genes represents an innovative modality for anticancer gene therapy.

Development of PET tracers for neuro inflammation imaging in neuro degenerative diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chauveau, F.

2007-10-01

Inflammatory processes such as micro-glial or endothelial activation are involved in many neuro-degenerative conditions. Neuro-inflammation imaging is considered an attractive tool for fundamental research, diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation in neuro-pathologies. First, an aptamer was selected against a recombinant fragment of the endothelial target VCAM-1, but proved unable to bind the target protein in native conformation, as expressed by a cell line. Second, five radioligands of the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), a marker of micro-glial activation, were evaluated in vivo using PET (Positron Emission Tomography) imaging in a rat model of neuro-inflammation, and were compared to [11C]PK11195. Four radiotracers displayed a better contrast than [11C]PK11195. In a competitive field of research, this work demonstrates the efficiency of in vivo screening of radiotracers for fast selection of clinically relevant molecules. (author)

Novel of core-shell AlOOH/Cu nanostructures: Synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial activity and in vitro toxicity in Neuro-2a cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bakina, O. V., E-mail: ovbakina@ispms.tsc.ru; Fomenko, A. N., E-mail: alserova@ispms.tsc.ru; Korovin, M. S., E-mail: msk@ispms.tsc.ru; Glazkova, E. A., E-mail: eagl@ispms.tsc.ru; Svarovskaya, N. V., E-mail: nvsv@ispms.tsc.ru [Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Sciences SB RAS, Akademicheskii Pr. 2/4, Tomsk, 634055 (Russian Federation); National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Lenin Avenue 30, Tomsk, 634050 (Russian Federation)

2016-08-02

Core-shell micro/nanostructures were fabricated by the reaction of Al/Cu bimetallic nanoparticles with water. Al/Cu nanoparticles have been obtained using the method of simultaneous electrical explosion of a pair of the corresponding metal wires in an argon atmosphere. The nanoparticles are chemically active and interact with water at 60°C to form core-shell micro/nanostructures. The obtained products were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering and the nitrogen adsorption method. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized structures was investigated against E. coli and St. aureus. The toxic effect of these nanostructures against the Neuro-2a neuroblastoma cell line was investigated. AlOOH/Cu nanostructures are shown to inhibit cell proliferation. The AlOOH/Cu nanostructures are good candidates for medical applications.

Structure of neuro-endocrine and neuro-epithelial interactions in human foetal pancreas.

Science.gov (United States)

Krivova, Yuliya; Proshchina, Alexandra; Barabanov, Valeriy; Leonova, Olga; Saveliev, Sergey

2016-12-01

In the pancreas of many mammals including humans, endocrine islet cells can be integrated with the nervous system components into neuro-insular complexes. The mechanism of the formation of such complexes is not clearly understood. The present study evaluated the interactions between the nervous system components, epithelial cells and endocrine cells in the human pancreas. Foetal pancreas, gestational age 19-23 weeks (13 cases) and 30-34 weeks (7 cases), were studied using double immunohistochemical labeling with neural markers (S100 protein and beta III tubulin), epithelial marker (cytokeratin 19 (CK19)) and antibodies to insulin and glucagon. We first analyse the structure of neuro-insular complexes using confocal microscopy and provide immunohistochemical evidences of the presence of endocrine cells within the ganglia or inside the nerve bundles. We showed that the nervous system components contact with the epithelial cells located in ducts or in clusters outside the ductal epithelium and form complexes with separate epithelial cells. We observed CK19-positive cells inside the ganglia and nerve bundles which were located separately or were integrated with the islets. Therefore, we conclude that neuro-insular complexes may forms as a result of integration between epithelial cells and nervous system components at the initial stages of islets formation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Terminal Differentiation of Adult Hippocampal Progenitor Cells Is a Step Functionally Dissociable from Proliferation and Is Controlled by Tis21, Id3 and NeuroD2

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Laura Micheli

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Cell proliferation and differentiation are interdependent processes. Here, we have asked to what extent the two processes of neural progenitor cell amplification and differentiation are functionally separated. Thus, we analyzed whether it is possible to rescue a defect of terminal differentiation in progenitor cells of the dentate gyrus, where new neurons are generated throughout life, by inducing their proliferation and/or their differentiation with different stimuli appropriately timed. As a model we used the Tis21 knockout mouse, whose dentate gyrus neurons, as demonstrated by us and others, have an intrinsic defect of terminal differentiation. We first tested the effect of two proliferative as well as differentiative neurogenic stimuli, one pharmacological (fluoxetine, the other cognitive (the Morris water maze (MWM training. Both effectively enhanced the number of new dentate gyrus neurons produced, and fluoxetine also reduced the S-phase length of Tis21 knockout dentate gyrus progenitor cells and increased the rate of differentiation of control cells, but neither factor enhanced the defective rate of differentiation. In contrast, the defect of terminal differentiation was fully rescued by in vivo infection of proliferating dentate gyrus progenitor cells with retroviruses either silencing Id3, an inhibitor of neural differentiation, or expressing NeuroD2, a proneural gene expressed in terminally differentiated dentate gyrus neurons. This is the first demonstration that NeuroD2 or the silencing of Id3 can activate the differentiation of dentate gyrus neurons, complementing a defect of differentiation. It also highlights how the rate of differentiation of dentate gyrus neurons is regulated genetically at several levels and that a neurogenic stimulus for amplification of neural stem/progenitor cells may not be sufficient in itself to modify this rate.

Receptor-interacting Protein 140 Overexpression Promotes Neuro-2a Neuronal Differentiation by ERK1/2 Signaling

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Xiao Feng

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Abnormal neuronal differentiation plays an important role in central nervous system (CNS development abnormalities such as Down syndrome (DS, a disorder that results directly from overexpression of genes in trisomic cells. Receptor-interacting protein 140 (RIP140 is significantly upregulated in DS brains, suggesting its involvement in DS CNS development abnormalities. However, the role of RIP140 in neuronal differentiation is still not clear. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of RIP140 overexpression on the differentiation of neuro-2a (N2a neuroblastoma cells, in vitro. Methods: Stably RIP140-overexpressing N2a (N2a-RIP140 cells were used as a neurodevelopmental model, and were constructed by lipofection and overexpression validated by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Retinoic acid (RA was used to stimulate N2a differentiation. Combining the expression of Tuj1 at the mRNA and protein levels, the percentage of cells baring neurites, and the number of neurites per cell body was semi-quantified to determine the effect of RIP140 on differentiation of N2a cells. Furthermore, western blot and the ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126 were used to identify the specific signaling pathway by which RIP140 induces differentiation of N2a cells. Statistical significance of the differences between groups was determined by one-way analysis of variance followed by the Dunnett test. Results: Compared to untransfected N2a cells RIPl40 expression in N2a-RIP140 cells was remarkably upregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels. N2a-RIP140 cells had a significantly increased percentage of cells baring neurites, and numbers of neurites per cell, as compared to N2a cells, in the absence and presence of RA (P < 0.05. In addition, Tuj1, a neuronal biomarker, was strongly upregulated in N2a-RIP140 cells (P < 0.05 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2 levels in N2a-RIP140 cells were dramatically increased, while differentiation was

The dosage of the neuroD2 transcription factor regulates amygdala development and emotional learning

OpenAIRE

Lin, Chin-Hsing; Hansen, Stacey; Wang, Zhenshan; Storm, Daniel R.; Tapscott, Stephen J.; Olson, James M.

2005-01-01

The amygdala is centrally involved in formation of emotional memory and response to fear or risk. We have demonstrated that the lateral and basolateral amygdala nuclei fail to form in neuroD2 null mice and neuroD2 heterozygotes have fewer neurons in this region. NeuroD2 heterozygous mice show profound deficits in emotional learning as assessed by fear conditioning. Unconditioned fear was also diminished in neuroD2 heterozygotes compared to wild-type controls. Several key molecular regulators ...

Wnt3a upregulates brain-derived insulin by increasing NeuroD1 via Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the hypothalamus.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jaemeun; Kim, Kyungchan; Yu, Seong-Woon; Kim, Eun-Kyoung

2016-03-08

Insulin plays diverse roles in the brain. Although insulin produced by pancreatic β-cells that crosses the blood-brain barrier is a major source of brain insulin, recent studies suggest that insulin is also produced locally within the brain. However, the mechanisms underlying the production of brain-derived insulin (BDI) are not yet known. Here, we examined the effect of Wnt3a on BDI production in a hypothalamic cell line and hypothalamic tissue. In N39 hypothalamic cells, Wnt3a treatment significantly increased the expression of the Ins2 gene, which encodes the insulin isoform predominant in the mouse brain, by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The concentration of insulin was higher in culture medium of Wnt3a-treated cells than in that of untreated cells. Interestingly, neurogenic differentiation 1 (NeuroD1), a target of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and one of transcription factors for insulin, was also induced by Wnt3a treatment in a time- and dose-dependent manner. In addition, the treatment of BIO, a GSK3 inhibitor, also increased the expression of Ins2 and NeuroD1. Knockdown of NeuroD1 by lentiviral shRNAs reduced the basal expression of Ins2 and suppressed Wnt3a-induced Ins2 expression. To confirm the Wnt3a-induced increase in Ins2 expression in vivo, Wnt3a was injected into the hypothalamus of mice. Wnt3a increased the expression of NeuroD1 and Ins2 in the hypothalamus in a manner similar to that observed in vitro. Taken together, these results suggest that BDI production is regulated by the Wnt/β-catenin/NeuroD1 pathway in the hypothalamus. Our findings will help to unravel the regulation of BDI production in the hypothalamus.

PET-based molecular nuclear neuro-imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jong Ho

2004-01-01

Molecular nuclear neuro-imaging in CNS drug discovery and development can be divided into four categories that are clearly inter-related. (1) Neuroreceptor mapping to examine the involvement of specific neurotransmitter system in CNS diseases, drug occupancy characteristics and perhaps examine mechanisms of action;(2) Structural and spectroscopic imaging to examine morphological changes and their consequences;(3) Metabolic mapping to provide evidence of central activity and CNS fingerprinting the neuroanatomy of drug effects;(4) Functional mapping to examine disease-drug interactions. In addition, targeted delivery of therapeutic agents could be achieved by modifying stem cells to release specific drugs at the site of transplantation('stem cell pharmacology'). Future exploitation of stem cell biology, including enhanced release of therapeutic factors through genetic stem cell engineering might thus constitute promising pharmaceutical approaches to treating diseases of the nervous system. With continued improvements in instrumentation, identification of better imaging probes by innovative chemistry, molecular nuclear neuro-imaging promise to play increasingly important roles in disease diagnosis and therapy

PET-based molecular nuclear neuro-imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jong Ho [Gil Medical Center, Gachon (Korea, Republic of)

2004-04-01

Molecular nuclear neuro-imaging in CNS drug discovery and development can be divided into four categories that are clearly inter-related. (1) Neuroreceptor mapping to examine the involvement of specific neurotransmitter system in CNS diseases, drug occupancy characteristics and perhaps examine mechanisms of action;(2) Structural and spectroscopic imaging to examine morphological changes and their consequences;(3) Metabolic mapping to provide evidence of central activity and CNS fingerprinting the neuroanatomy of drug effects;(4) Functional mapping to examine disease-drug interactions. In addition, targeted delivery of therapeutic agents could be achieved by modifying stem cells to release specific drugs at the site of transplantation('stem cell pharmacology'). Future exploitation of stem cell biology, including enhanced release of therapeutic factors through genetic stem cell engineering might thus constitute promising pharmaceutical approaches to treating diseases of the nervous system. With continued improvements in instrumentation, identification of better imaging probes by innovative chemistry, molecular nuclear neuro-imaging promise to play increasingly important roles in disease diagnosis and therapy.

Neural stem cells and neuro/gliogenesis in the central nervous system: understanding the structural and functional plasticity of the developing, mature, and diseased brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, Masahiro; Seki, Tatsunori; Imayoshi, Itaru; Tamamaki, Nobuaki; Hayashi, Yoshitaka; Tatebayashi, Yoshitaka; Hitoshi, Seiji

2016-05-01

Neurons and glia in the central nervous system (CNS) originate from neural stem cells (NSCs). Knowledge of the mechanisms of neuro/gliogenesis from NSCs is fundamental to our understanding of how complex brain architecture and function develop. NSCs are present not only in the developing brain but also in the mature brain in adults. Adult neurogenesis likely provides remarkable plasticity to the mature brain. In addition, recent progress in basic research in mental disorders suggests an etiological link with impaired neuro/gliogenesis in particular brain regions. Here, we review the recent progress and discuss future directions in stem cell and neuro/gliogenesis biology by introducing several topics presented at a joint meeting of the Japanese Association of Anatomists and the Physiological Society of Japan in 2015. Collectively, these topics indicated that neuro/gliogenesis from NSCs is a common event occurring in many brain regions at various ages in animals. Given that significant structural and functional changes in cells and neural networks are accompanied by neuro/gliogenesis from NSCs and the integration of newly generated cells into the network, stem cell and neuro/gliogenesis biology provides a good platform from which to develop an integrated understanding of the structural and functional plasticity that underlies the development of the CNS, its remodeling in adulthood, and the recovery from diseases that affect it.

Zebrafish diras1 Promoted Neurite Outgrowth in Neuro-2a Cells and Maintained Trigeminal Ganglion Neurons In Vivo via Rac1-Dependent Pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Chi-Wei; Hsu, Li-Sung

2016-12-01

The small GTPase Ras superfamily regulates several neuronal functions including neurite outgrowth and neuron proliferation. In this study, zebrafish diras1a and diras1b were identified and were found to be mainly expressed in the central nervous system and dorsal neuron ganglion. Overexpression of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-diras1a or GFP-diras1b triggered neurite outgrowth of Neuro-2a cells. The wild types, but not the C terminus truncated forms, of diras1a and diras1b elevated the protein level of Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1) and downregulated Ras homologous member A (RhoA) expression. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay also revealed that diras1a and diras1b enhanced Rac1 activity. Interfering with Rac1, Pak1, or cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) activity or with the Arp2/3 inhibitor prevented diras1a and diras1b from mediating the neurite outgrowth effects. In the zebrafish model, knockdown of diras1a and/or diras1b by morpholino antisense oligonucleotides not only reduced axon guidance but also caused the loss of trigeminal ganglion without affecting the precursor markers, such as ngn1 and neuroD. Co-injection with messenger RNA (mRNA) derived from mouse diras1 or constitutively active human Rac1 restored the population of trigeminal ganglion. In conclusion, we provided preliminary evidence that diras1 is involved in neurite outgrowth and maintains the number of trigeminal ganglions through the Rac1-dependent pathway.

Three Dimensional Human Neuro-Spheroid Model of Alzheimer’s Disease Based on Differentiated Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Han-Kyu; Velazquez Sanchez, Clara; Chen, Mei; Morin, Peter J.; Wells, John M.; Hanlon, Eugene B.

2016-01-01

The testing of candidate drugs to slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) requires clinical trials that are lengthy and expensive. Efforts to model the biochemical milieu of the AD brain may be greatly facilitated by combining two cutting edge technologies to generate three-dimensional (3D) human neuro-spheroid from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived from AD subjects. We created iPSC from blood cells of five AD patients and differentiated them into 3D human neuronal culture. We characterized neuronal markers of our 3D neurons by immunocytochemical staining to validate the differentiation status. To block the generation of pathologic amyloid β peptides (Aβ), the 3D-differentiated AD neurons were treated with inhibitors targeting β-secretase (BACE1) and γ-secretases. As predicted, both BACE1 and γ-secretase inhibitors dramatically decreased Aβ generation in iPSC-derived neural cells derived from all five AD patients, under standard two-dimensional (2D) differentiation conditions. However, BACE1 and γ-secretase inhibitors showed less potency in decreasing Aβ levels in neural cells differentiated under 3D culture conditions. Interestingly, in a single subject AD1, we found that BACE1 inhibitor treatment was not able to significantly reduce Aβ42 levels. To investigate underlying molecular mechanisms, we performed proteomic analysis of 3D AD human neuronal cultures including AD1. Proteomic analysis revealed specific reduction of several proteins that might contribute to a poor inhibition of BACE1 in subject AD1. To our knowledge, this is the first iPSC-differentiated 3D neuro-spheroid model derived from AD patients’ blood. Our results demonstrate that our 3D human neuro-spheroid model can be a physiologically relevant and valid model for testing efficacy of AD drug. PMID:27684569

Role of NeuroD1 on the negative regulation of Pomc expression by glucocorticoid.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rehana Parvin

Full Text Available The mechanism of the negative regulation of proopiomelanocortin gene (Pomc by glucocorticoids (Gcs is still unclear in many points. Here, we demonstrated the involvement of neurogenic differentiation factor 1 (NeuroD1 in the Gc-mediated negative regulation of Pomc. Murine pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH producing corticotroph tumor-derived AtT20 cells were treated with dexamethasone (DEX (1-100 nM and cultured for 24 hrs. Thereafter, Pomc mRNA expression was studied by quantitative real-time PCR and rat Pomc promoter (-703/+58 activity was examined by luciferase assay. Both Pomc mRNA expression and Pomc promoter activity were inhibited by DEX in a dose-dependent manner. Deletion and point mutant analyses of Pomc promoter suggested that the DEX-mediated transcriptional repression was mediated via E-box that exists at -376/-371 in the promoter. Since NeuroD1 is known to bind to and activate E-box of the Pomc promoter, we next examined the effect of DEX on NeuroD1 expression. Interestingly, DEX dose-dependently inhibited NeuroD1 mRNA expression, mouse NeuroD1 promoter (-2.2-kb activity, and NeuroD1 protein expression in AtT20 cells. In addition, we confirmed the inhibitory effect of DEX on the interaction of NeuroD1 and E-box on Pomc promoter by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP assay. Finally, overexpression of mouse NeuroD1 could rescue the DEX-mediated inhibition of Pomc mRNA expression and Pomc promoter activity. Taken together, it is suggested that the suppression of NeuroD1 expression and the inhibition of NeuroD1/E-box interaction may play an important role in the Gc-mediated negative regulation of Pomc.

HNF1 alpha activates the aminopeptidase N promoter in intestinal (Caco-2) cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Jørgen; Laustsen, Lotte; Troelsen, J

1994-01-01

The importance of HNF1 binding proteins for intestinal aminopeptidase N expression was investigated using the Caco-2 cell-line. Aminopeptidase N promoter activity in Caco-2 cells depends on the HNF1 element (positions -85 to -58) and co-transfection with an HNF1 alpha expression vector demonstrates...... a direct activation of the promoter by HNF1 alpha through this element. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays using nuclear extracts from Caco-2 cells show the presence of high amounts of HNF1 binding proteins irrespective of their state of differentiation....

Nickel exposure induces oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA in Neuro2a cells: the neuroprotective roles of melatonin.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Shang-Cheng; He, Min-Di; Lu, Yong-Hui; Li, Li; Zhong, Min; Zhang, Yan-Wen; Wang, Yuan; Yu, Zheng-Ping; Zhou, Zhou

2011-11-01

Recent studies suggest that oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction play important roles in the neurotoxicity of nickel. Because mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is highly vulnerable to oxidative stress and melatonin can efficiently protect mtDNA against oxidative damage in various pathological conditions, the aims of this study were to determine whether mtDNA oxidative damage was involved in the neurotoxicity of nickel and to assay the neuroprotective effects of melatonin in mtDNA. In this study, we exposed mouse neuroblastoma cell lines (Neuro2a) to different concentrations of nickel chloride (NiCl(2), 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mm) for 24 hr. We found that nickel significantly increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and mitochondrial superoxide levels. In addition, nickel exposure increased mitochondrial 8-hydroxyguanine (8-OHdG) content and reduced mtDNA content and mtDNA transcript levels. Consistent with this finding, nickel was found to destroy mtDNA nucleoid structure and decrease protein levels of Tfam, a key protein component for nucleoid organization. However, all the oxidative damage to mtDNA induced by nickel was efficiently attenuated by melatonin pretreatment. Our results suggest that oxidative damage to mtDNA may account for the neurotoxicity of nickel. Melatonin has great pharmacological potential in protecting mtDNA against the adverse effects of nickel in the nervous system. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Neuro-rejuvenation for neuronal function

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yuan Liu; Richard K. Lee

2016-01-01

Neurodegenerative eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cause irreversible vision loss in millions of patients worldwide, creating serious medical, economic and social issues. Like other mammalian central nervous system tracts, optic nerve intrinsically lacks the capacity for axonal growth and its surrounding environment is also non-permissive to regeneration. Any axonal damage also triggers a vicious cycle of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death. Exploring methods that can enhance RGCs survival and promote axonal regeneration will not only enable vision restoration for millions of patients, but also shed light on the treatment of other neurodegenerative diseases. In this review article, we will go through three current approaches to cure neu-rodegenerative eye diseases, including cell based therapy, neuro-regeneration and neuro-rejuvenation.

Neuro-ophthalmology and neuro-otology update.

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, Daniel R; Zee, David S

2015-12-01

This review summarizes topical papers from the fields of neuro-ophthalmology and neuro-otology published from August 2013 to February 2015. The main findings are: (1) diagnostic criteria for pseudotumor cerebri have been updated, and the Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Treatment Trial evaluated the efficacy of acetazolamide in patients with mild vision loss, (2) categorization of vestibular disorders through history and ocular motor examination is particularly important in the acute vestibular syndrome, where timely distinction between a central or peripheral localization is essential, (3) the newly described "sagging eye syndrome" provides a mechanical explanation for an isolated esodeviation that increases at distance in the aging population and (4) eye movement recordings better define how cerebellar dysfunction and/or sixth nerve palsy may play a role in other patients with esodeviations that increase at distance.

A Profile of Neuro-Ophthalmic Practice Around the World.

Science.gov (United States)

Frohman, Larry P

2018-03-01

To compare contrast neuro-ophthalmic practice in various countries, an 18-question survey was sent to the international North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS) members in the spring of 2016. At least 1 NANOS member was contacted for each non-US nation in the NANOS membership roster. If there were multiple NANOS members from 1 country, multiple were contacted. If responses were received from more than 1 person from a single country, the first response received was used as the source data. The survey (in English) was emailed to 47 NANOS members from 31 countries. Twenty responses were received representing members from 15 nations. In all 15 nations, at least half of the neuro-ophthalmologists were trained as ophthalmologists. In 60% of nations, at least half of the neuro-ophthalmologists were trained internally, whereas in 33% of countries, at least half were trained in the United States. The number of physicians who practiced a significant amount of neuro-ophthalmology ranged from low (0.08/million, India) to high (3.10/million, Israel). Countries having the highest percentage of neuro-ophthalmologists exclusively practicing neuro-ophthalmology also were those with better patient access to neuro-ophthalmic care. Requirement of approval to see a neuro-ophthalmologist or for imaging studies requested by neuro-ophthalmologists was not typical. In most nations, academic neuro-ophthalmologists were paid a straight salary. In no nation were neuro-ophthalmologists paid more than another ophthalmic subspecialty. Individual national health care system designs and compensation models have had a profound influence on the rewards and challenges that face neuro-ophthalmologists. There seems to have been a connection between recognition of the discipline, financial rewards of neuro-ophthalmic practice, conditions that permit full-time neuro-ophthalmic practice, and patient access to care. A higher percentage of gross national product for health care did not seem to

NeuroD1: developmental expression and regulated genes in the rodent pineal gland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Muñoz, Estela M; Bailey, Michael J; Rath, Martin F

2007-01-01

NeuroD1/BETA2, a member of the bHLH transcription factor family, is known to influence the fate of specific neuronal, endocrine and retinal cells. We report here that NeuroD1 mRNA is highly abundant in the developing and adult rat pineal gland. Pineal expression begins in the 17-day embryo at which...... time it is also detectable in other brain regions. Expression in the pineal gland increases during the embryonic period and is maintained thereafter at levels equivalent to those found in the cerebellum and retina. In contrast, NeuroD1 mRNA decreases markedly in non-cerebellar brain regions during...... development. Pineal NeuroD1 levels are similar during the day and night, and do not appear to be influenced by sympathetic neural input. Gene expression analysis of the pineal glands from neonatal NeuroD1 knockout mice identifies 127 transcripts that are down-regulated (>twofold, p

The human resource crisis in neuro-ophthalmology.

Science.gov (United States)

Frohman, Larry P

2008-09-01

Neuro-ophthalmology is facing a serious human resource issue. Few are entering the subspecialty, which is perceived as being poorly compensated compared with other subspecialties of ophthalmology. The low compensation comes from the fact that 1) non-procedural encounters remain undervalued, 2) efforts that benefit other medical specialists are not counted, and 3) the relatively low expenses of neuro-ophthalmologists are not factored into compensation formulas. Mission-based budgeting, which forces academic departments to be financially accountable without the expectation of fiscal relief from medical schools or practice plans, has exacerbated the compensation issue. Solutions must come from within neuro-ophthalmology, academic departments, medical schools, and medical practice plans. They include 1) providing educational resources so that neuro-ophthalmologists need not spend so much time teaching the basics, 2) factoring into compensation the impact of neuro-ophthalmologists in teaching and on revenue generation by procedure-based specialists, 3) improving the efficiency of neuro-ophthalmologists in their consultative practices by providing ample clerical support and other measures, 4) providing contractual salary compensation by departments such as neurosurgery to recognize the contributions made by neuro-ophthalmologists, and 5) reorganizing the academic clinical effort as multidisciplinary rather than departmental.

Enhanced neuro-therapeutic potential of Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells in comparison with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Drela, Katarzyna; Lech, Wioletta; Figiel-Dabrowska, Anna; Zychowicz, Marzena; Mikula, Michał; Sarnowska, Anna; Domanska-Janik, Krystyna

2016-04-01

Substantial inconsistencies in mesenchymal stem (stromal) cell (MSC) therapy reported in early translational and clinical studies may indicate need for selection of the proper cell population for any particular therapeutic purpose. In the present study we have examined stromal stem cells derived either from umbilical cord Wharton's Jelly (WJ-MSC) or bone marrow (BM-MSC) of adult, healthy donors. The cells characterized in accordance with the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) indications as well as other phenotypic and functional parameters have been compared under strictly controlled culture conditions. WJ-MSC, in comparison with BM-MSC, exhibited a higher proliferation rate, a greater expansion capability being additionally stimulated under low-oxygen atmosphere, enhanced neurotrophic factors gene expression and spontaneous tendency toward a neural lineage differentiation commitment confirmed by protein and gene marker induction. Our data suggest that WJ-MSC may represent an example of immature-type "pre-MSC," where a substantial cellular component is embryonic-like, pluripotent derivatives with the default neural-like differentiation. These cells may contribute in different extents to nearly all classical MSC populations adversely correlated with the age of cell donors. Our data suggest that neuro-epithelial markers, like nestin, stage specific embryonic antigens-4 or α-smooth muscle actin expressions, may serve as useful indicators of MSC culture neuro-regeneration-associated potency. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A neuro-fuzzy inference system for sensor monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, Man Gyun

2001-01-01

A neuro-fuzzy inference system combined with the wavelet denoising, PCA (principal component analysis) and SPRT (sequential probability ratio test) methods has been developed to monitor the relevant sensor using the information of other sensors. The paramters of the neuro-fuzzy inference system which estimates the relevant sensor signal are optimized by a genetic algorithm and a least-squares algorithm. The wavelet denoising technique was applied to remove noise components in input signals into the neuro-fuzzy system. By reducing the dimension of an input space into the neuro-fuzzy system without losing a significant amount of information, the PCA was used to reduce the time necessary to train the neuro-fuzzy system, simplify the structure of the neuro-fuzzy inference system and also, make easy the selection of the input signals into the neuro-fuzzy system. By using the residual signals between the estimated signals and the measured signals, the SPRT is applied to detect whether the sensors are degraded or not. The proposed sensor-monitoring algorithm was verified through applications to the pressurizer water level, the pressurizer pressure, and the hot-leg temperature sensors in pressurized water reactors

MRI in neuro-Behcet's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tali, E.T.; Atilla, S.; Keskin, T.; Simonson, T.; Isik, S.; Yuh, W.T.C.

1997-01-01

Our purpose was to characterise specific MRI findings and to determine their value in neuro-Behcet's disease. We examined 17 patients (14 men, 3 women) with neuro-Behcet's disease using T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo images and contrast-enhanced images at 0.5 T. There were 13 patients (76.5 %) who had single or multiple lesions. Most of these were in the basal ganglia, brain stem or deep white matter region, giving high signal on T2-weighted images and isointense or low signal on T1-weighted images. In 3 cases (17.6 %) there was linear high signal along the posterior limb of the internal capsule on T2-weighted images. This was considered as a potential differentiating feature of neuro-Behcet's disease. Contrast-enhancement was seen in 17 lesions in 7 patients. (orig.). With 5 figs., 2 tabs

Development of PET tracers for neuro inflammation imaging in neuro degenerative diseases; Developpement de radiotraceurs de la neuroinflammation pour l'imagerie des pathologies neurodegeneratives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chauveau, F

2007-10-15

Inflammatory processes such as micro-glial or endothelial activation are involved in many neuro-degenerative conditions. Neuro-inflammation imaging is considered an attractive tool for fundamental research, diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation in neuro-pathologies. First, an aptamer was selected against a recombinant fragment of the endothelial target VCAM-1, but proved unable to bind the target protein in native conformation, as expressed by a cell line. Second, five radioligands of the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), a marker of micro-glial activation, were evaluated in vivo using PET (Positron Emission Tomography) imaging in a rat model of neuro-inflammation, and were compared to [11C]PK11195. Four radiotracers displayed a better contrast than [11C]PK11195. In a competitive field of research, this work demonstrates the efficiency of in vivo screening of radiotracers for fast selection of clinically relevant molecules. (author)

Neuro-Oncology Branch

Science.gov (United States)

... BTTC are experts in their respective fields. Neuro-Oncology Clinical Fellowship This is a joint program with ... can increase survival rates. Learn more... The Neuro-Oncology Branch welcomes Dr. Mark Gilbert as new Branch ...

Development of PET tracers for neuro inflammation imaging in neuro degenerative diseases; Developpement de radiotraceurs de la neuroinflammation pour l'imagerie des pathologies neurodegeneratives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chauveau, F

2007-10-15

Inflammatory processes such as micro-glial or endothelial activation are involved in many neuro-degenerative conditions. Neuro-inflammation imaging is considered an attractive tool for fundamental research, diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation in neuro-pathologies. First, an aptamer was selected against a recombinant fragment of the endothelial target VCAM-1, but proved unable to bind the target protein in native conformation, as expressed by a cell line. Second, five radioligands of the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), a marker of micro-glial activation, were evaluated in vivo using PET (Positron Emission Tomography) imaging in a rat model of neuro-inflammation, and were compared to [11C]PK11195. Four radiotracers displayed a better contrast than [11C]PK11195. In a competitive field of research, this work demonstrates the efficiency of in vivo screening of radiotracers for fast selection of clinically relevant molecules. (author)

A neuro-immune, neuro-oxidative and neuro-nitrosative model of prenatal and postpartum depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Roomruangwong, Chutima; Anderson, George; Berk, Michael; Stoyanov, Drozdstoy; Carvalho, André F; Maes, Michael

2018-02-02

A large body of evidence indicates that major affective disorders are accompanied by activated neuro-immune, neuro-oxidative and neuro-nitrosative stress (IO&NS) pathways. Postpartum depression is predicted by end of term prenatal depressive symptoms whilst a lifetime history of mood disorders appears to increase the risk for both prenatal and postpartum depression. This review provides a critical appraisal of available evidence linking IO&NS pathways to prenatal and postpartum depression. The electronic databases Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus were sources for this narrative review focusing on keywords, including perinatal depression, (auto)immune, inflammation, oxidative, nitric oxide, nitrosative, tryptophan catabolites (TRYCATs), kynurenine, leaky gut and microbiome. Prenatal depressive symptoms are associated with exaggerated pregnancy-specific changes in IO&NS pathways, including increased C-reactive protein, advanced oxidation protein products and nitric oxide metabolites, lowered antioxidant levels, such as zinc, as well as lowered regulatory IgM-mediated autoimmune responses. The latter pathways coupled with lowered levels of endogenous anti-inflammatory compounds, including ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, may also underpin the pathophysiology of postpartum depression. Although increased bacterial translocation, lipid peroxidation and TRYCAT pathway activation play a role in mood disorders, similar changes do not appear to be relevant in perinatal depression. Some IO&NS biomarker characteristics of mood disorders are found in prenatal depression indicating that these pathways partly contribute to the association of a lifetime history of mood disorders and perinatal depression. However, available evidence suggests that some IO&NS pathways differ significantly between perinatal depression and mood disorders in general. This review provides a new IO&NS model of prenatal and postpartum depression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Promoter, transgene, and cell line effects in the transfection of mammalian cells using PDMAEMA-based nano-stars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Raup

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Non-viral transfection protocols are typically optimized using standard cells and reporter proteins, potentially underestimating cellular or transgene effects. Here such effects were studied for two human (Jurkat, HEK-293 and two rodent (CHO-K1, L929 cell lines and three fluorescent reporter proteins. Expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP was studied under the control of the human elongation factor 1 alpha promoter and three viral promoters (SV40, SV40/enhancer, CMV, that of ZsYellow1 (yellow fluorescence and mCherry (red fluorescence for the CMV promoter. Results varied with the cell line, in particular for the Jurkat cells. Pair-wise co-transfection of the CMV controlled transgenes resulted in a significant fraction of monochromatic cells (EGFP for EGFP/YFP and EGFP/RFP co-transfections, YFP in case of YFP/RFP co-transfections. Only Jurkat cells were almost incapable of expressing YFP. Dilution of the plasmid DNA with a non-expressed plasmid showed cell line dependent effects on transfection efficiency and/or expression levels.

A Portable Ultrasound System for Non-Invasive Ultrasonic Neuro-Stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Weibao; Zhou, Juan; Chen, Yan; Su, Min; Li, Guofeng; Zhao, Huixia; Gu, Xianyi; Meng, De; Wang, Congzhi; Xiao, Yang; Lam, Kwok Ho; Dai, Jiyan; Zheng, Hairong

2017-12-01

Fundamental insights into the function of the neural circuits often follows from the advances in methodologies and tools for neuroscience. Electrode- and optical- based stimulation methods have been used widely for neuro-modulation with high resolution. However, they are suffering from inherent invasive surgical procedure. Ultrasound has been proved as a promising technology for neuro-stimulation in a non-invasive manner. However, no portable ultrasound system has been developed particularly for neuro-stimulation. The utilities used currently are assembled by traditional functional generator, power amplifier, and general transducer, therefore, resulting in lack of flexibility. This paper presents a portable system to achieve ultrasonic neuro-stimulation to satisfy various studies. The system incorporated a high voltage waveform generator and a matching circuit that were optimized for neuro-stimulation. A new switching mode power amplifier was designed and fabricated. The noise generated by the power amplifier was reduced (about 30 dB), and the size and weight were smaller in contrast with commercial equipment. In addition, a miniaturized ultrasound transducer was fabricated using Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) 1-3 composite single crystal for the improved ultrasonic performance. The spatial peak temporal average pressure was higher than 250 kPa in the range of 0.5-5 MHz. In vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to show the performance of the system.

OpenCL Implementation of NeuroIsing

Science.gov (United States)

Zapart, C. A.

Recent advances in graphics card hardware combined with anintroduction of the OpenCL standard promise to accelerate numerical simulations across diverse scientific disciplines. One such field benefiting from new hardware/software paradigms is econophysics. The paper describes an OpenCL implementation of a selected econophysics model: NeuroIsing, which has been designed to execute in parallel on a vendor-independent graphics card. Originally introduced in the paper [C.~A.~Zapart, ``Econophysics in Financial Time Series Prediction'', PhD thesis, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Japan (2009)], at first it was implemented on a CELL processor running inside a SONY PS3 games console. The NeuroIsing framework can be applied to predicting and trading foreign exchange as well as stock market index futures.

[beta]-hexosaminidase isozymes from cells cotransfected with [alpha] and [beta] cDNA constructs: Analysis of the [alpha]-subunit missense mutation associated with the adult form of Tay-Sachs disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, C.A.; Mahuran, D.J. (Univ. of Toronto (Canada))

1993-08-01

In vitro mutagenesis and transient expression in COS cells has been used to associate a missense mutation with a clinical or biochemical phenotype. Mutations affecting the [alpha]-subunit of [beta]-hexosaminidase A ([alpha][beta]) (E.C.3.2.1.52) result in Tay-Sachs disease. Because hexosaminidase A is heterodimeric, analysis of [alpha]-chain mutations is not straightforward. The authors examine three approaches utilizing previously identified mutations affecting [alpha]-chain folding. These involve transfection of (1) the [alpha] cDNA alone; (2) a [beta] cDNA construct encoding a [beta]-subunit substituted at a position homologous to that of the [alpha]-subunit, and (3) both [alpha] and [beta] cDNAs. The latter two procedures amplified residual activity levels over that of patient samples, an effect not previously found with mutations affecting an [open quotes]active[close quotes] [alpha]Arg residue. This effect may help to discriminate between protein-folding and active-site mutations. The authors conclude that, with proper controls, the latter method of cotransfection can be used to evaluate the effects and perhaps to predict the clinical course of some [alpha]-chain mutations. Using this technique, they demonstrate that the adult-onset Tay-Sachs mutation, [alpha]Gly[yields]Ser[sup 269], does not directly affect [alpha][beta] dimerization but exerts an indirect effect on the dimer through destabilizing the folded [alpha]-subunit at physiological temperatures. Two other [alpha] mutations linked to more severe phenotypes appear to inhibit the initial folding of the subunit. 36 refs., 2 figs., 5 tabs.

Neuro-Ophthalmology at a Tertiary Eye Care Centre in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhiman, Rebika; Singh, Digvijay; Gantayala, Shiva P; Ganesan, Vaitheeswaran L; Sharma, Pradeep; Saxena, Rohit

2017-11-09

Neuro-ophthalmology as a specialty is underdeveloped in India. The aim of our study was to determine the spectrum and profile of patients presenting to a tertiary eye care center with neuro-ophthalmic disorders. A retrospective hospital-based study was conducted, and records of all patients seen at the neuro-ophthalmology clinic of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, over a 1-year period were retrieved and evaluated. Of a total of 30,111 patients referred to various specialty clinics in a span of 1 year, 1597 (5%) were referred for neuro-ophthalmology evaluation. The mean patient age was 30.8 ± 19.5 years, with a male dominance (M:F = 2.02:1). Among these patients, optic nerve disorders were noted in 63.8% (n = 1,020), cranial nerve palsy in 7% (n = 114), cortical visual impairment in 6.5% (n = 105), and others (eye/optic nerve hypophasia, blepharospasm, and optic disc drusen) in 6% (n = 95). Among the patients with optic nerve disorders, optic neuropathy without disc edema/(traumatic optic neuropathy, hereditary, tumor-related, retrobulbar neuritis, toxic, and idiopathic) was noted in 42.8% (n = 685) and optic neuropathy with disc edema (ischemic optic neuropathy, papilledema, post-papilledema optic atrophy, papillitis, neuroretinitis, and inflammatory optic neuropathy) in 20.9% (n = 335). Sixteen percent of patients (n = 263) were incorrect referrals. The neuro-ophthalmic clinic constitutes a significant referral unit in a tertiary eye care center in India. Traumatic and ischemic optic neuropathies are the most common diagnoses. Neuro-ophthalmology requires further development as a subspecialty in India to better serve the nation's population.

[A case of Neuro-Behçet's disease with early onset of bipolar mood disorder].

Science.gov (United States)

Nakano, Yuko; Hatanaka, Yuki; Ikebuchi, Emi; Shimizu, Teruo; Nanko, Shinichiro; Utsumii, Takeshi

2004-01-01

In this report, we describe a case of Neuro-Behçet's disease with early onset of bipolar mood disorder. A 53-year-old man with neuropathy including dysphasia and dyslalia developed bipolar mood disorder with anxiety, agitation, depressive mood, talkativeness, hyperkinesias, and appetite rise, and soon exhibited severe personality deterioration. Oral aphthae, cell proliferation and elevated IL-6 levels in spinal fluid, and the patient's clinical downhill course with remission and relapse in spite of good reaction to steroid preparation indicated the possibility of Neuro-Behçet's disease. Brain MRI showed clear swelling of the brain stem area, especially in the pons, in the active phase with low signal in T1-weighted images contrasting with clear high signal in T2-weighted images and FLAIR. At the time of remission, atrophy of the brain stem was shown. These findings were consistent with the view reported in recent years concerning the brain image of Neuro-Behçet's disease, which seemed to be useful for the differential diagnosis. This case manifested two outstanding clinical features. First, it showed bipolar mood swing or mixed state distinguishable from disinhibition or euphoria in deteriorated personality, which is common in this condition. A clear bipolar mood disorder has not been described until now in Neuro-Behçet's disease. Second, subclinical dysthymia or hypomanic phase occurred before clear onset of the disease. In Neuro-Behçet's disease, it is currently considered that psychiatric symptoms may appear in the early stage, but there is controversy as to whether they can precede the other symptoms. Our case indicated very early onset of psychiatric symptoms in this condition.

Randomized, multicenter, comparative study of NEURO versus CIMT in poststroke patients with upper limb hemiparesis: the NEURO-VERIFY Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Abo, Masahiro; Kakuda, Wataru; Momosaki, Ryo; Harashima, Hiroaki; Kojima, Miki; Watanabe, Shigeto; Sato, Toshihiro; Yokoi, Aki; Umemori, Takuma; Sasanuma, Jinichi

2014-07-01

Many poststroke patients suffer functional motor limitation of the affected upper limb, which is associated with diminished health-related quality of life. The aim of this study is to conduct a randomized, multicenter, comparative study of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with intensive occupational therapy, NEURO (NovEl intervention Using Repetitive TMS and intensive Occupational therapy) versus constraint-induced movement therapy in poststroke patients with upper limb hemiparesis. In this randomized controlled study of NEURO and constraint-induced movement therapy, 66 poststroke patients with upper limb hemiparesis were randomly assigned at 2:1 ratio to low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation plus occupational therapy (NEURO group) or constraint-induced movement therapy (constraint-induced movement therapy group) for 15 days. Fugl-Meyer Assessment and Wolf Motor Function Test and Functional Ability Score of Wolf Motor Function Test were used for assessment. No differences in patients' characteristics were found between the two groups at baseline. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment score was significantly higher in both groups after the 15-day treatment compared with the baseline. Changes in Fugl-Meyer Assessment scores and Functional Ability Score of Wolf Motor Function Test were significantly higher in the NEURO group than in the constraint-induced movement therapy group, whereas the decrease in the Wolf Motor Function Test log performance time was comparable between the two groups (changes in Fugl-Meyer Assessment score, NEURO: 5·39 ± 4·28, constraint-induced movement therapy: 3·09 ± 4·50 points; mean ± standard error of the mean; P < 0·05) (changes in Functional Ability Score of Wolf Motor Function Test, NEURO: 3·98 ± 2·99, constraint-induced movement therapy: 2·09 ± 2·96 points; P < 0·05). The results of the 15-day rehabilitative protocol showed the superiority of NEURO

Neuro-inspired computing using resistive synaptic devices

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

This book summarizes the recent breakthroughs in hardware implementation of neuro-inspired computing using resistive synaptic devices. The authors describe how two-terminal solid-state resistive memories can emulate synaptic weights in a neural network. Readers will benefit from state-of-the-art summaries of resistive synaptic devices, from the individual cell characteristics to the large-scale array integration. This book also discusses peripheral neuron circuits design challenges and design strategies. Finally, the authors describe the impact of device non-ideal properties (e.g. noise, variation, yield) and their impact on the learning performance at the system-level, using a device-algorithm co-design methodology. • Provides single-source reference to recent breakthroughs in resistive synaptic devices, not only at individual cell-level, but also at integrated array-level; • Includes detailed discussion of the peripheral circuits and array architecture design of the neuro-crossbar system; • Focuses on...

[Neuro-ophthalmology: the eye as a window to the brain].

Science.gov (United States)

Kesler, Anat

2013-02-01

Neuro-ophthalmology focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of visual disorders related to the neurological system rather than the globe itself. Being a subspecialty of both neurology and ophthalmology, it requires specialized training and expertise in diseases of the eye, brain, nerves and muscles. Commonly encountered pathologies in neuro-ophthalmology include: optic neuropathies (such as optic neuritis and ischemic optic neuropathy), visual field loss (transient, constant, unexplained), transient visual loss, unspecified visual disturbances, diplopia, abnormal eye movements, thyroid eye disease, myasthenia gravis, anisocoria, and eyelid abnormalities. The current issue of "Harefuah" is dedicated to contemporary knowledge in neuro-opthalmology, and spans from studies of neuromyelitis optica (NMO), ischemic optic neuropathies, and optic neuropathies induced by phosphodiesterase inhibitors, to the management of sight-threatening carotid-cavernous fistulas, and more. These studies emphasize the importance of an interdisciplinary treatment team consisting of a neuro-ophthalmologist, a neuro-radiologist, and sometimes, even a neuro-surgeon. Such an approach may prove to be beneficial to the patient, by optimizing follow-up and treatment decisions. This issue emphasizes how a correct and timely diagnosis is of paramount significance in patients with neuro-ophthalmological disorders.

Neuro-Glio-Vascular Complexes of the Brain After Acute Ischemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. S. Stepanov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study is to compare the structural and functional state of neuro-glio-vascular microstructural complexes of the somatosensory cortex (SSC, CA1 of the hippocampus and amygdala of the brain of white rats under normal conditions and after acute ischemia caused by a 20-minute occlusion of common carotid arteries.Materials and methods. In this experiment, neurons, astrocytes, endotheliocytes, pericytes, basal membrane of the microvessels were studied in the normal (n=5 and the reperfusion period (1, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 30 days, n=30 using electron and fluorescence microscopy (DAPI staining. The morphometric analysis was carried out using the ImageJ 1.46 software.Results. During the recovery period after ischemia was noted reactive (edema-swelling, tinctorial properties of cells and compensatory-restoration (hyperplasia, hypertrophy, proliferation, increased transcytosis changes in neuro-glia-vascular complexes. After ischemia, the number of neurons decreased (by 8.7%—55,3%, and the glial cell count 2—3 fold increased. Increasing neuroglial index (NGI was accompanied by: 1 the emergence of microvessels with numerous branched processes of pericytes, 2 the complication of the spatial organization of basal membranes, and 3 the structural features of activation of transcytosis processes (large number of caveolae, smooth and clathrin vesicles, large vesicles in pericytes and endothelial cells.Conclusion.These findings indicate the compensatory-restoration changes in the components of neuro-gliovascular complexes SSC, CA1 of the hippocampus and amygdala of white rat’s brain after a 20-minute occlusion of the common carotid arteries. The most complete implementation of mechanisms for the protection and repair of damaged neurons occurs in the SSC and amygdala exhibiting high NGI values.

Neuro-epistemology: a post-modernist analysis of the neuro ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper examines the theoretical framework in which we construct our terms of reference when examining patients from an integrated Meyerian biopsychosocial perspective. We coin the term iยDneuro-epistemologylo, defining the frame for scientific inquiry into the nature and status of knowledge in neuro-sciences, ...

NeuroManager: A workflow analysis based simulation management engine for computational neuroscience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Bruce Stockton

2015-10-01

Full Text Available We developed NeuroManager, an object-oriented simulation management software engine for computational neuroscience. NeuroManager automates the workflow of simulation job submissions when using heterogeneous computational resources, simulators, and simulation tasks. The object-oriented approach 1 provides flexibility to adapt to a variety of neuroscience simulators, 2 simplifies the use of heterogeneous computational resources, from desktops to super computer clusters, and 3 improves tracking of simulator/simulation evolution. We implemented NeuroManager in Matlab, a widely used engineering and scientific language, for its signal and image processing tools, prevalence in electrophysiology analysis, and increasing use in college Biology education. To design and develop NeuroManager we analyzed the workflow of simulation submission for a variety of simulators, operating systems, and computational resources, including the handling of input parameters, data, models, results, and analyses. This resulted in twenty-two stages of simulation submission workflow. The software incorporates progress notification, automatic organization, labeling, and time-stamping of data and results, and integrated access to Matlab's analysis and visualization tools. NeuroManager provides users with the tools to automate daily tasks, and assists principal investigators in tracking and recreating the evolution of research projects performed by multiple people. Overall, NeuroManager provides the infrastructure needed to improve workflow, manage multiple simultaneous simulations, and maintain provenance of the potentially large amounts of data produced during the course of a research project.

Is hair loss a reality in neuro-interventional radiology?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Gavagan, L

2012-02-01

Reports in the literature of radiation-induced hair loss are becoming increasingly common. This work describes a retrospective dose study of patients (n = 958) undergoing diagnostic (primarily cerebral angiograms) and therapeutic (primarily cerebral embolisation) procedures in a neuro-interventional suite. A comparison of patient doses as dose area product (DAP) readings from a single-plane image intensifier system (mean DAP value of 8772 cGy cm(2)) were compared with patient doses from a flat panel biplane system (mean DAP value of 7855 cGy cm(2)). Over 80 % of patients requiring neuro-interventional procedures were found to undergo two procedures or more. An estimated 7 % of therapeutic procedures were found to reach the International Commission on Radiological Protection threshold for temporary epilation.

Neuro-Behçet’s disease in childhood: A focus on the neuro-ophthalmological features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mora Paolo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Neuro-Behçet’s disease (NBD involves the central nervous system; peripheral nervous system involvement is not often reported. NBD is quite common in adult patients and occurs rarely during childhood and adolescence. Young patients may share symptoms and signs of NBD with other neuro-ophthalmological disorders (e.g. idiopathic intracranial hypertension; thus, making the differential diagnosis difficult. Neuroimaging is mandatory and necessary for a correct NBD diagnosis but in children radiological examinations are often difficult to perform without sedation. From 1971 to 2011, 130 patients aged ≤16 years have been reported with NBD, according to retrospective surveys, case series, and case reports. The origin of the reported cases met the well-known geographical distribution of Behçet’s disease (BD; the mean age at presentation of neurological findings was 11.8 years, with male gender prevalence (ratio, 2.9:1. We considered in detail the neuro-ophthalmological features of the 53 cases whose neuroimaging alterations were described with an assigned radiological pattern of the disease (parenchymal: 14 cases, non-parechymal: 35 cases, and mixed: 4 cases. In 19/53 patients (36%, neuro-ophthalmological symptoms anticipated any pathognomonic sign for a BD diagnosis, or only occasional aphtae were recalled by the patients. Family history was positive in 17% of subjects. Headache was reported in 75% of the patients; in those presenting with cerebral vascular involvement, headache was combined to other symptoms of intracranial hypertension. Papilledema was the most frequently reported ophthalmological finding, followed by posterior uveitis. Treatment consisted of systemic steroids in 93% of patients, often combined with other immunosuppressive drugs (especially colchicine and azathioprine. Clinical recovery or improvement was documented in the large majority of patients. Nine subjects had definitive alterations, and one died. Based on our

Effect of reserpine on development and its neuro-endocrine regulation in Galleria mellonella

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cymborowski, B.; Sørensen, Ilona Kryspin

1975-01-01

1. Studies were made on the effect of reserpine on development and its neuro-endocrine regulation in Galleria mellonella. It was shown that resperine greatly restricts the development of this insect. 2. Reserpine causes inhibition of the activity of the neurosecretory cells of pars intercerebralis...

An Aid to Neuro-Ophthalmology

OpenAIRE

Akram, Muhammad

2011-01-01

Muhammad Shoaib AkramDepartment of Ophthalmology, King Fahad Military Hospital, Khamis Mushyat, Saudi ArabiaNeuro-ophthalmology is a very interesting field. Localizing a lesion in various pathways can be challenging, particularly for beginners. One needs a solid foundation of the neuro-anatomy of visual pathways to enhance understanding. The author aims to provide medical students and residents with the basic concepts of neuro-ophthalmology. This text attempts to simplify the complex problems...

NeuroFlow: A General Purpose Spiking Neural Network Simulation Platform using Customizable Processors.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Kit; Schultz, Simon R; Luk, Wayne

2015-01-01

NeuroFlow is a scalable spiking neural network simulation platform for off-the-shelf high performance computing systems using customizable hardware processors such as Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Unlike multi-core processors and application-specific integrated circuits, the processor architecture of NeuroFlow can be redesigned and reconfigured to suit a particular simulation to deliver optimized performance, such as the degree of parallelism to employ. The compilation process supports using PyNN, a simulator-independent neural network description language, to configure the processor. NeuroFlow supports a number of commonly used current or conductance based neuronal models such as integrate-and-fire and Izhikevich models, and the spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) rule for learning. A 6-FPGA system can simulate a network of up to ~600,000 neurons and can achieve a real-time performance of 400,000 neurons. Using one FPGA, NeuroFlow delivers a speedup of up to 33.6 times the speed of an 8-core processor, or 2.83 times the speed of GPU-based platforms. With high flexibility and throughput, NeuroFlow provides a viable environment for large-scale neural network simulation.

Translational research in NeuroAIDS: a neuroimmune pharmacology-related course.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Amanda; Shiramizu, Bruce; Nath, Avindra; Wojna, Valerie

2011-03-01

Neuroimmune pharmacology (NIP) can be considered a multidisciplinary science where areas of neuroscience, immunology, and pharmacology intersect in neurological disorders. The R25 training program titled "Translational Research in NeuroAIDS and Mental Health (TR-NAMH): An innovative mentoring program to promote diversity in NeuroAIDS Research (R25 MH080661)" at the Johns Hopkins University is a web-based interactive course with the goal to improve the capacity of high quality research by developing mentoring programs for (1) doctoral and postdoctoral candidates and junior faculty from racial and ethnic minorities and (2) non-minority individuals at the same levels, whose research focuses on NeuroAIDS disparity issues such as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). This web-based interactive course overcomes the limitations of traditional education such as access to expert faculty and financial burden of scientists from racial and ethnic minority groups in the field of NeuroAIDS research and NIP and identifies rich nurturing environments for investigators to support their careers. The TR-NAMH program identifies a cadre of talented students and investigators eager to commit to innovative educational and training sessions in NeuroAIDS and NIP. The interplay between NIP changes precipitated by HIV infection in the brain makes the study of HAND an outstanding way to integrate important concepts from these two fields. The course includes activities besides those related to didactic learning such as research training and long-term mentoring; hence, the newly learned topics in NIP are continually reinforced and implemented in real-time experiences. We describe how NIP is integrated in the TR-NAMH program in the context of HAND.

A wearable neuro-feedback system with EEG-based mental status monitoring and transcranial electrical stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Roh, Taehwan; Song, Kiseok; Cho, Hyunwoo; Shin, Dongjoo; Yoo, Hoi-Jun

2014-12-01

A wearable neuro-feedback system is proposed with a low-power neuro-feedback SoC (NFS), which supports mental status monitoring with encephalography (EEG) and transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) for neuro-modulation. Self-configured independent component analysis (ICA) is implemented to accelerate source separation at low power. Moreover, an embedded support vector machine (SVM) enables online source classification, configuring the ICA accelerator adaptively depending on the types of the decomposed components. Owing to the hardwired accelerating functions, the NFS dissipates only 4.45 mW to yield 16 independent components. For non-invasive neuro-modulation, tES stimulation up to 2 mA is implemented on the SoC. The NFS is fabricated in 130-nm CMOS technology.

Urgences en neuro-ophtalmologie

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caignard, A.; Leruez, S.; Milea, D.

2017-01-01

Neuro-ophthalmic emergencies can cause life-threatening or sight-threatening complications. Various conditions may have acute neuro-ophthalmic manifestations, including inflammatory or ischemic processes, as well as tumoral, aneurysmal compression or metabolic and systemic diseases. Diplopia...

Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of neuro-Behcet's disease: a case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiwatashi, Akio; Moritani, Toshio; Kinoshita, Toshibumi; Westesson, Per-Lennart; Garber, Todd

2003-01-01

We present a serial study of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in a patient with neuro-Behcet's disease. Initial T2-weighted magnetic resonance images showed a hyperintense lesion in the brain stem. The lesion was slightly hyperintense on DWI and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was slightly increased. Ten months later, DWI showed an improvement in the abnormal signal intensity and the region of increased ADC had increased in size, especially on the left side. DWI is useful for differentiating an acute exacerbation of neuro-Behcet's disease from acute infarction. (orig.)

A New Method for Generating Insulin-Secreting Cells from Human Pancreatic Epithelial Cells After Islet Isolation Transformed by NeuroD1

Science.gov (United States)

Shimoda, Masayuki; Chen, Shuyuan; Noguchi, Hirofumi; Takita, Morihito; Sugimoto, Koji; Itoh, Takeshi; Chujo, Daisuke; Iwahashi, Shuichi; Naziruddin, Bashoo; Levy, Marlon F.

2014-01-01

Abstract The generation of insulin-secreting cells from nonendocrine pancreatic epithelial cells (NEPEC) has been demonstrated for potential clinical use in the treatment of diabetes. However, previous methods either had limited efficacy or required viral vectors, which hinder clinical application. In this study, we aimed to establish an efficient method of insulin-secreting cell generation from NEPEC without viral vectors. We used nonislet fractions from both research-grade human pancreata from brain-dead donors and clinical pancreata after total pancreatectomy with autologous islet transplantation to treat chronic pancreatitis. It is of note that a few islets could be mingled in the nonislet fractions, but their influence could be limited. The NeuroD1 gene was induced into NEPEC using an effective triple lipofection method without viral vectors to generate insulin-secreting cells. The differentiation was promoted by adding a growth factor cocktail into the culture medium. Using the research-grade human pancreata, the effective method showed high efficacy in the differentiation of NEPEC into insulin-positive cells that secreted insulin in response to a glucose challenge and improved diabetes after being transplanted into diabetic athymic mice. Using the clinical pancreata, similar efficacy was obtained, even though those pancreata suffered chronic pancreatitis. In conclusion, our effective differentiation protocol with triple lipofection method enabled us to achieve very efficient insulin-secreting cell generation from human NEPEC without viral vectors. This method offers the potential for supplemental insulin-secreting cell transplantation for both allogeneic and autologous islet transplantation. PMID:24845703

Clinical point of view, imaging and neuro physiology of the case with diagnosis of neuro fibrosarcomas sacrococcigeo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernandez Hernandez, Barbara Aymee; Brown Martinez, Marta

2004-01-01

It was considered a case with diagnosis of neuro fibrosarcomas sacrococcigeo, which was very well studied from the clinical point of view, imaging and neuro physiology; with the objective of showing the correlation degree among these studies. He/she was carried out study of nervous conduction of nerve later, reflective tibial H, electromiografia of dependent muscles of the plexo lumbosacro, potentials evoked somatosensoriales and wave F of nerve later tibial. With this the existence of a functional dysfunction was demonstrated in the medullary segments from L4-S2 with prevalence motor. He/she was also carried out mielografia and nuclear magnetic resonance that it evidenced the existence from an expansible process to the level sacrococcigeo. The utility of the neuro physiological studies was demonstrated in the diagnosis of affections tumorales, cocktails with the imagenological studies that define the anatomical alterations and the diagnosis morfofuncional of these pathologies is completed

NeuroQuiz

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brent, Mikkel Bo; Emmanuel, Thomas

2016-01-01

NeuroQuiz er en quiz-app udviklet til neuroanatomi. Den består af mere end 1500 spørgsmål og over 350 anatomiske billeder. Alle spørgsmål tager udgangspunkt i lærebogen Neuroanatomi af Carsten Reidies Bjarkam.......NeuroQuiz er en quiz-app udviklet til neuroanatomi. Den består af mere end 1500 spørgsmål og over 350 anatomiske billeder. Alle spørgsmål tager udgangspunkt i lærebogen Neuroanatomi af Carsten Reidies Bjarkam....

The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Steinbjørn

2016-01-01

AIM OF DATABASE: The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry (DNOR) was established by the Danish Neuro-Oncology Group as a national clinical database. It was established for the purpose of supporting research and development in adult patients with primary brain tumors in Denmark. STUDY POPULATION: DNOR has...... advantage of reporting indicators is the related multidisciplinary discussions giving a better understanding of what actually is going on, thereby facilitating the work on adjusting the national guidelines in the Danish Neuro-Oncology Group. CONCLUSION: The establishment of DNOR has optimized the quality...

The clinical neuro-ophthalmology of vision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashii, Satoshi

2008-01-01

To diagnose a patient with a failing visual system, it is necessary to localize the site of the lesion in the system, and identify the etiology that has produced it. Physicians do not see diseases but just their manifestations. Clinical neuro-ophthalmology provides the basic principles on how to progress from manifestations to the diseases they indicate. The Frank B. Walsh Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (the Walsh Society) that originated in 1969 in the United States has been the center of clinical neuro-ophthalmology case studies throughout the world. In Japan, the Ronald M. Burde Clinical Neuro-Ophthalmology Study Group (the RMB Society) was organized in 2001 to establish and promote a clinicopathologic conference in the style of the Walsh Society. On this occasion, Prof. Burde was invited to the Annual Japanese Ophthalmological Society meeting. Based on some illustrative cases presented at the annual meetings of the RMB society, this review was carried out to present the current knowledge of clinical neuro-ophthalmology. (author)

[NEURO-ONCOLOGY A NEW FIELD IN DAVIDOFF CANCER CENTER AT RABIN MEDICAL CENTER].

Science.gov (United States)

Yust-Katz, Shlomit; Limon, Dror; Abu-Shkara, Ramez; Siegal, Tali

2017-08-01

Neuro-oncology is a subspecialty attracting physicians from medical disciplines such as neurology, neurosurgery, pediatrics, oncology, and radiotherapy. It deals with diagnosis and management of primary brain tumors, as well as metastatic and non-metastatic neurological manifestations that frequently affect cancer patients including brain metastases, paraneoplastic syndromes and neurological complications of cancer treatment. A neuro-oncology unit was established in Davidoff Cancer Center at Rabin Medical Center. It provides a multidisciplinary team approach for management of brain tumors and services, such as expert outpatient clinics and inpatient consultations for the departments of oncology, hematology, bone marrow transplantation and other departments in the Rabin Medical Center. In addition, expert consultation is frequently provided to other hospitals that treat cancer patients with neurological manifestations. The medical disciplines that closely collaborate for the daily management of neuro-oncology patients include radiotherapy, hematology, oncology, neuro-surgery, neuro-radiology and neuro-pathology. The neuro-oncology center is also involved in clinical and laboratory research conducted in collaboration with researchers in Israel and abroad. The new service contributes substantially to the improved care of cancer patients and to the advance of research topics in the field of neuro-oncology.

Frosted Branch Angiitis Diagnosed as Neuro-Behçet: A Diagnostic and Etiologic Dilemma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro Portero

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To report a case of frosted branch angiitis (FBA secondary to neuro-Behçet. Methods: Description, diagnosis, angiogram imaging and follow-up of a 28-year-old female with FBA. Results: ‘Frosted branch angiitis’ is a clinical term applied to three conditions: infiltration of vessels by malignant cells, and sheathing of vessels either secondary to an active disorder or subsequently to a previous inflammatory disease. Our patient’s history of two optic neuropathies and the lack of demyelinating signs in neuroimaging made us consider FBA in the context of neuro-Behçet. Conclusion: Recognition of the category of FBA from the clinical signs is essential to establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Frequency and Pathological Phenotype of Bovine Astrovirus CH13/NeuroS1 Infection in Neurologically-Diseased Cattle: Towards Assessment of Causality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Senija Selimovic-Hamza

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Next-generation sequencing (NGS has opened up the possibility of detecting new viruses in unresolved diseases. Recently, astrovirus brain infections have been identified in neurologically diseased humans and animals by NGS, among them bovine astrovirus (BoAstV CH13/NeuroS1, which has been found in brain tissues of cattle with non-suppurative encephalitis. Only a few studies are available on neurotropic astroviruses and a causal relationship between BoAstV CH13/NeuroS1 infections and neurological disease has been postulated, but remains unproven. Aiming at making a step forward towards assessing the causality, we collected brain samples of 97 cases of cattle diagnosed with unresolved non-suppurative encephalitis, and analyzed them by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, to determine the frequency and neuropathological distribution of the BoAstV CH13/NeuroS1 and its topographical correlation to the pathology. We detected BoAstV CH13/NeuroS1 RNA or proteins in neurons throughout all parts of the central nervous system (CNS in 34% of all cases, but none were detected in cattle of the control group. In general, brain lesions had a high correlation with the presence of the virus. These findings show that a substantial proportion of cattle with non-suppurative encephalitis are infected with BoAstV CH13/NeuroS1 and further substantiate the causal relationship between neurological disease and astrovirus infections.

Expression of the major histocompatibility antigens HLA-A2 and HLA-B7 by DNA-mediated gene transfer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bernabeu, C.; Finlay, D.; van de Rijn, M.; Maziarz, R. T.; Biro, P. A.; Spits, H.; de Vries, J.; Terhorst, C. P.

1983-01-01

Genes coding for the heavy chain of the class I antigens HLA-A2 or HLA-B7 of the human major histocompatibility complex have been introduced into mouse LtK- cells by cotransfection with the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene. HAT-resistant colonies were isolated expressing either HLA-A2 or

Palliative Care Needs Assessment in the Neuro-ICU: Effect on Family.

Science.gov (United States)

Creutzfeldt, Claire J; Hanna, Marina G; Cheever, C Sherry; Lele, Abhijit V; Spiekerman, Charles; Engelberg, Ruth A; Curtis, J Randall

2017-10-01

Examine the association of a daily palliative care needs checklist on outcomes for family members of patients discharged from the neurosciences intensive care unit (neuro-ICU). We conducted a prospective, longitudinal cohort study in a single, thirty-bed neuro-ICU in a regional comprehensive stroke and level 1 trauma center. One of two neuro-ICU services that admit patients to the same ICU on alternating days used a palliative care needs checklist during morning work rounds. Between March and October, 2015, surveys were mailed to family members of patients discharged from the neuro-ICU. Nearly half of surveys (n = 91, 48.1%) were returned at a median of 4.7 months. At the time of survey completion, mean Modified rankin scale score (mRS) of neuro-ICU patients was 3.1 (SD 2). Overall ratings of quality of care were relatively high (82.2 on a 0-100 scale) with 32% of family members meeting screening criteria for depressive syndrome. The primary outcome measuring family satisfaction, consisting of eight items from the Family Satisfaction in the ICU questionnaire, did not differ significantly between families of patients from either ICU service nor did family ratings of depression (PHQ-8) and post-traumatic stress (PCL-17). Among families of patients discharged from the neuro-ICU, the daily use of a palliative care needs checklist had no measurable effect on family satisfaction scores or long-term psychological outcomes. Further research is needed to identify optimal interventions to meet the palliative care needs specific to family members of patients treated in the neuro-ICU.

NeuroBlocks – Visual Tracking of Segmentation and Proofreading for Large Connectomics Projects

KAUST Repository

Al-Awami, Ali

2015-08-12

In the field of connectomics, neuroscientists acquire electron microscopy volumes at nanometer resolution in order to reconstruct a detailed wiring diagram of the neurons in the brain. The resulting image volumes, which often are hundreds of terabytes in size, need to be segmented to identify cell boundaries, synapses, and important cell organelles. However, the segmentation process of a single volume is very complex, time-intensive, and usually performed using a diverse set of tools and many users. To tackle the associated challenges, this paper presents NeuroBlocks, which is a novel visualization system for tracking the state, progress, and evolution of very large volumetric segmentation data in neuroscience. NeuroBlocks is a multi-user web-based application that seamlessly integrates the diverse set of tools that neuroscientists currently use for manual and semi-automatic segmentation, proofreading, visualization, and analysis. NeuroBlocks is the first system that integrates this heterogeneous tool set, providing crucial support for the management, provenance, accountability, and auditing of large-scale segmentations. We describe the design of NeuroBlocks, starting with an analysis of the domain-specific tasks, their inherent challenges, and our subsequent task abstraction and visual representation. We demonstrate the utility of our design based on two case studies that focus on different user roles and their respective requirements for performing and tracking the progress of segmentation and proofreading in a large real-world connectomics project.

Comparative Evaluation of the Translocator Protein Radioligands 11C-DPA-713, 18F-DPA- 714, and 11C-PK11195 in a Rat Model of Acute Neuro-inflammation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chauveau, F.; Van Camp, N.; Dolle, F.; Kuhnast, B.; Hinnen, F.; Damont, A.; Boutin, H.; Tavitian, B.; Chauveau, F.; Van Camp, N.; Boutin, H; Tavitian, B.; Chauveau, F.; Boutin, H.; James, M.; Kassiou, M.; Kassiou, M.

2009-01-01

Overexpression of the translocator protein, TSPO (18 kDa), formerly known as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, is a hallmark of activation of cells of monocytic lineage (micro-glia and macrophages) during neuro-inflammation. Radiolabeling of TSPO ligands enables the detection of neuro-inflammatory lesions by PET. Two new radioligands, 11 C-labeled N, N-diethyl-2-[2-(4- methoxy-phenyl)-5, 7-dimethylpyrazolo[1, 5-a]pyrimidin-3-yl] acetamide (DPA-713) and 18 F-labeled N, N-diethyl-2-(2-(4-(2- fluoroethoxy)phenyl)-5, 7-dimethylpyrazolo[1, 5-a]pyrimidin-3-yl) acetamide (DPA-714), both belonging to the pyrazolopyrimidine class, were compared in vivo and in vitro using a rodent model of neuro-inflammation. Methods: 11 C-DPA-713 and 18 F-DPA-714, as well as the classic radioligand 11 C-labeled (R)-N-methyl- N-(1-methylpropyl)-1-(2-chlorophenyl)isoquinoline-3-carboxamide (PK11195), were used in the same rat model, in which intra-striatal injection of (R, S)-a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolopropionique gave rise to a strong neuro-inflammatory response. Comparative endpoints included in vitro autoradiography and in vivo imaging on a dedicated small-animal PET scanner under identical conditions. Results: 11 C-DPA-713 and 18 F-DPA-714 could specifically localize the neuro-inflammatory site with a similar signal-to-noise ratio in vitro. In vivo, 18 F-DPA-714 performed better than 11 C-DPA-713 and 11 C-PK11195, with the highest ratio of ipsilateral to contralateral uptake and the highest binding potential. Conclusion: 18 F-DPA-714 appears to be an attractive alternative to 11 C-PK11195 because of its increased bioavailability in brain tissue and its reduced nonspecific binding. Moreover, its labeling with 18 F, the preferred PET isotope for radiopharmaceutical chemistry, favors its dissemination and wide clinical use. 18 F-DPA-714 will be further evaluated in longitudinal studies of neuro-inflammatory conditions such as are encountered in stroke or neuro

NeuroMorpho

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — NeuroMorpho.Org is a centrally curated inventory of digitally reconstructed neurons associated with peer-reviewed publications. It contains contributions from over...

Probing neural cell behaviors through micro-/nano-patterned chitosan substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sung, Chun-Yen; Yang, Chung-Yao; Yeh, J Andrew; Chen, Wen-Shiang; Wang, Yang-Kao; Cheng, Chao-Min

2015-01-01

In this study, we describe the development of surface-modified chitosan substrates to examine topographically related Neuro-2a cell behaviors. Different functional groups can be modified on chitosan surfaces to probe Neuro-2a cell morphology. To prepare chitosan substrates with micro/nano-scaled features, we demonstrated an easy-to-handle method that combined photolithography, inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching, Ag nanoparticle-assisted etching, and solution casting. The results show that Neuro-2a cells preferred to adhere to a flat chitosan surface rather than a nanotextured chitosan surface as evidenced by greater immobilization and differentiation, suggesting that surface topography is crucial for neural patterning. In addition, we developed chitosan substrates with different geometric patterns and flat region depth; this allowed us to re-arrange or re-pattern Neuro-2a cell colonies at desired locations. We found that a polarity-induced micropattern provided the most suitable surface pattern for promoting neural network formation on a chitosan substrate. The cellular polarity of single Neuro-2a cell spreading correlated to a diamond-like geometry and neurite outgrowth was induced from the corners toward the grooves of the structures. This study provide greater insight into neurobiology, including neurotransmitter screening, electrophysiological stimulation platforms, and biomedical engineering. (paper)

Neuro-ophthalmic and clinical characteristics of brain tumours in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Anecdotally, increasing number of patients are seen at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) with brain tumour. Neuro-ophthalmic symptoms and signs may help in timely diagnosis and intervention. Objective: To evaluate the neuro-ophthalmic and clinical characteristics of brain tumour in patients presenting at a ...

Neurite outgrowth stimulatory effects of culinary-medicinal mushrooms and their toxicity assessment using differentiating Neuro-2a and embryonic fibroblast BALB/3T3.

Science.gov (United States)

Phan, Chia-Wei; David, Pamela; Naidu, Murali; Wong, Kah-Hui; Sabaratnam, Vikineswary

2013-10-11

Mushrooms are not only regarded as gourmet cuisine but also as therapeutic agent to promote cognition health. However, little toxicological information is available regarding their safety. Therefore, the aim of this study was to screen selected ethno-pharmacologically important mushrooms for stimulatory effects on neurite outgrowth and to test for any cytotoxicity. The stimulatory effect of mushrooms on neurite outgrowth was assessed in differentiating mouse neuroblastoma (N2a) cells. Neurite length was measured using Image-Pro Insight processor system. Neuritogenesis activity was further validated by fluorescence immunocytochemical staining of neurofilaments. In vitro cytotoxicity was investigated by using mouse embryonic fibroblast (BALB/3T3) and N2a cells for any embryo- and neuro-toxic effects; respectively. Aqueous extracts of Ganoderma lucidum, Lignosus rhinocerotis, Pleurotus giganteus and Grifola frondosa; as well as an ethanol extract of Cordyceps militaris significantly (p effects following 24 h exposure of N2a and 3T3 cells to mushroom extracts. Our results indicate that G. lucidum, L. rhinocerotis, P. giganteus, G. frondosa and C. militaris may be developed as safe and healthy dietary supplements for brain and cognitive health.

Implication of neuro-genesis during brain development in behavior disorders caused by depleted uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Legrand, Marie

2016-01-01

Humans are continuously exposed to neurotoxic compounds in the environment. The developing brain is more susceptible to neurotoxic compounds and modifications in its growth could lead to disorders in adulthood. Uranium (U) is an environmental heavy metal and induces behavioral disorders as well as affects neurochemistry. The aim of my thesis was to investigate whether depleted uranium (DU) exposure affects neuro-genesis processes, which are implicated in brain development and in synaptic plasticity in adults. While DU increased cell proliferation in the hippocampal neuro-epithelium and decreased cell death at prenatal stages, DU lead to opposite effects in the dentate gyrus at postnatal stages. Moreover, DU had an inhibitory effect on the transition toward neuronal differentiation pathway during development. At adult stage, DU induced a decrease in neuronal differentiation but has no impact in cell proliferation. Finally, DU exposure during brain development caused depressive like behavior at late postnatal and adult stage, and decreased spatial memory at adult stage. Consequently, DU exposure during brain development caused modification in neuro-genesis processes associated to cognitive and emotional disorders at adult age. U could present a threat to human health, especially in pregnant women and children. (author)

Antibody-based investigational approaches in neuro-proteomics and neurodegenerative diseases

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gadher, S. J.; Kovářová, Hana

2015-01-01

Roč. 78, Suppl 2 (2015), s. 10-10 ISSN 1210-7859. [Conference on Animal Models for neuro degenerative Diseases /3./. 08.11.2015-10.11.2015, Liblice] R&D Projects: GA MŠk ED2.1.00/03.0124 Institutional support: RVO:67985904 Keywords : neuro degeneration * disease models * multiplexing Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology

Alginate micro-encapsulation of mesenchymal stromal cells enhances modulation of the neuro-inflammatory response.

Science.gov (United States)

Stucky, Elizabeth C; Schloss, Rene S; Yarmush, Martin L; Shreiber, David I

2015-10-01

Modulation of inflammation after brain trauma is a key therapeutic goal aimed at limiting the consequences of the subsequent injury cascade. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been demonstrated to dynamically regulate the inflammatory environment in several tissue systems, including the central nervous system. There has been limited success, however, with the use of direct implantation of cells in the brain caused by low viability and engraftment at the injury site. To circumvent this, we encapsulated MSCs in alginate microspheres and evaluated the ability of these encapsulated MSCs to attenuate inflammation in rat organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC). OHSC were administered lipopolysaccharide to induce inflammation and immediately co-cultured with encapsulated or monolayer human MSCs. After 24 h, culture media was assayed for the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) produced by OHSC, as well as MSC-produced trophic mediators. Encapsulated MSCs reduced TNF-α more effectively than did monolayer MSCs. Additionally, there was a strong correlation between increased prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and reduction of TNF-α. In contrast to monolayer MSCs, inflammatory signals were not required to stimulate PGE2 production by encapsulated MSCs. Further encapsulation-stimulated changes were revealed in a multiplex panel analyzing 27 MSC-produced cytokines and growth factors, from which additional mediators with strong correlations to TNF-α levels were identified. These results suggest that alginate encapsulation of MSCs may not only provide an improved delivery vehicle for transplantation but may also enhance MSC therapeutic benefit for treating neuro-inflammation. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Fetal ECG extraction via Type-2 adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadieh, Hajar; Asl, Babak Mohammadzadeh

2017-04-01

We proposed a noninvasive method for separating the fetal ECG (FECG) from maternal ECG (MECG) by using Type-2 adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems. The method can extract FECG components from abdominal signal by using one abdominal channel, including maternal and fetal cardiac signals and other environmental noise signals, and one chest channel. The proposed algorithm detects the nonlinear dynamics of the mother's body. So, the components of the MECG are estimated from the abdominal signal. By subtracting estimated mother cardiac signal from abdominal signal, fetal cardiac signal can be extracted. This algorithm was applied on synthetic ECG signals generated based on the models developed by McSharry et al. and Behar et al. and also on DaISy real database. In environments with high uncertainty, our method performs better than the Type-1 fuzzy method. Specifically, in evaluation of the algorithm with the synthetic data based on McSharry model, for input signals with SNR of -5dB, the SNR of the extracted FECG was improved by 38.38% in comparison with the Type-1 fuzzy method. Also, the results show that increasing the uncertainty or decreasing the input SNR leads to increasing the percentage of the improvement in SNR of the extracted FECG. For instance, when the SNR of the input signal decreases to -30dB, our proposed algorithm improves the SNR of the extracted FECG by 71.06% with respect to the Type-1 fuzzy method. The same results were obtained on synthetic data based on Behar model. Our results on real database reflect the success of the proposed method to separate the maternal and fetal heart signals even if their waves overlap in time. Moreover, the proposed algorithm was applied to the simulated fetal ECG with ectopic beats and achieved good results in separating FECG from MECG. The results show the superiority of the proposed Type-2 neuro-fuzzy inference method over the Type-1 neuro-fuzzy inference and the polynomial networks methods, which is due to its

Adaptive online state-of-charge determination based on neuro-controller and neural network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen Yanqing, E-mail: network_hawk@126.co [Department of Automation, Chongqing Industry Polytechnic College, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing 400050 (China)

2010-05-15

This paper presents a novel approach using adaptive artificial neural network based model and neuro-controller for online cell State of Charge (SOC) determination. Taking cell SOC as model's predictive control input unit, radial basis function neural network, which can adjust its structure to prediction error with recursive least square algorithm, is used to simulate battery system. Besides that, neuro-controller based on Back-Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) and modified PID controller is used to decide the control input of battery system, i.e., cell SOC. Finally this algorithm is applied for the SOC determination of lead-acid batteries, and results of lab tests on physical cells, compared with model prediction, are presented. Results show that the ANN based battery system model adaptively simulates battery system with great accuracy, and the predicted SOC simultaneously converges to the real value quickly within the error of +-1 as time goes on.

libNeuroML and PyLEMS: using Python to combine procedural and declarative modeling approaches in computational neuroscience.

Science.gov (United States)

Vella, Michael; Cannon, Robert C; Crook, Sharon; Davison, Andrew P; Ganapathy, Gautham; Robinson, Hugh P C; Silver, R Angus; Gleeson, Padraig

2014-01-01

NeuroML is an XML-based model description language, which provides a powerful common data format for defining and exchanging models of neurons and neuronal networks. In the latest version of NeuroML, the structure and behavior of ion channel, synapse, cell, and network model descriptions are based on underlying definitions provided in LEMS, a domain-independent language for expressing hierarchical mathematical models of physical entities. While declarative approaches for describing models have led to greater exchange of model elements among software tools in computational neuroscience, a frequent criticism of XML-based languages is that they are difficult to work with directly. Here we describe two Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) written in Python (http://www.python.org), which simplify the process of developing and modifying models expressed in NeuroML and LEMS. The libNeuroML API provides a Python object model with a direct mapping to all NeuroML concepts defined by the NeuroML Schema, which facilitates reading and writing the XML equivalents. In addition, it offers a memory-efficient, array-based internal representation, which is useful for handling large-scale connectomics data. The libNeuroML API also includes support for performing common operations that are required when working with NeuroML documents. Access to the LEMS data model is provided by the PyLEMS API, which provides a Python implementation of the LEMS language, including the ability to simulate most models expressed in LEMS. Together, libNeuroML and PyLEMS provide a comprehensive solution for interacting with NeuroML models in a Python environment.

libNeuroML and PyLEMS: using Python to combine imperative and declarative modelling approaches in computational neuroscience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael eVella

2014-04-01

Full Text Available NeuroML is an XML-based model description language, which provides a powerful common data format for defining and exchanging models of neurons and neuronal networks. In the latest version of NeuroML, the structure and behavior of ion channel, synapse, cell,and network model descriptions are based on underlying definitions provided in LEMS, a domain-independent language for expressing hierarchical mathematical models of physical entities. While declarative approaches for describing models have led to greater exchange of model elements among software tools in computational neuroscience, a frequent criticism of XML-based languages is that they are difficult to work with directly. Here we describe two APIs (Application Programming Interfaces written in Python (http://www.python.org, which simplify the process of developing and modifying models expressed in NeuroML and LEMS. The libNeuroML API provides a Python object model with a direct mapping to all NeuroML concepts defined by the NeuroML Schema, which facilitates reading and writing the XML equivalents. In addition, it offers a memory-efficient, array-based internal representation, which is useful for handling large-scale connectomics data. The libNeuroML API also includes support for performing common operations that are required when working with NeuroML documents. Access to the LEMS data model is provided by the PyLEMS API, which provides a Python implementation of the LEMS language, including the ability to simulate most models expressed in LEMS. Together, libNeuroML and PyLEMS provide a comprehensive solution for interacting with NeuroML models in a Python environment.

A new learning algorithm for a fully connected neuro-fuzzy inference system.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, C L Philip; Wang, Jing; Wang, Chi-Hsu; Chen, Long

2014-10-01

A traditional neuro-fuzzy system is transformed into an equivalent fully connected three layer neural network (NN), namely, the fully connected neuro-fuzzy inference systems (F-CONFIS). The F-CONFIS differs from traditional NNs by its dependent and repeated weights between input and hidden layers and can be considered as the variation of a kind of multilayer NN. Therefore, an efficient learning algorithm for the F-CONFIS to cope these repeated weights is derived. Furthermore, a dynamic learning rate is proposed for neuro-fuzzy systems via F-CONFIS where both premise (hidden) and consequent portions are considered. Several simulation results indicate that the proposed approach achieves much better accuracy and fast convergence.

NeuroMap: A spline-based interactive open-source software for spatiotemporal mapping of 2D and 3D MEA data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oussama eAbdoun

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A major characteristic of neural networks is the complexity of their organization at various spatial scales, from microscopic local circuits to macroscopic brain-scale areas. Understanding how neural information is processed thus entails the ability to study them at multiple scales simultaneously. This is made possible using microelectrodes array (MEA technology. Indeed, high-density MEAs provide large-scale covering (several mm² of whole neural structures combined with microscopic resolution (about 50µm of unit activity. Yet, current options for spatiotemporal representation of MEA-collected data remain limited. Here we present NeuroMap, a new interactive Matlab-based software for spatiotemporal mapping of MEA data. NeuroMap uses thin plate spline interpolation, which provides several assets with respect to conventional mapping methods used currently. First, any MEA design can be considered, including 2D or 3D, regular or irregular, arrangements of electrodes. Second, spline interpolation allows the estimation of activity across the tissue with local extrema not necessarily at recording sites. Finally, this interpolation approach provides a straightforward analytical estimation of the spatial Laplacian for better current sources localization. In this software, coregistration of 2D MEA data on the anatomy of the neural tissue is made possible by fine matching of anatomical data with electrode positions using rigid deformation based correction of anatomical pictures. Overall, NeuroMap provides substantial material for detailed spatiotemporal analysis of MEA data. The package is distributed under GNU General Public License (GPL and available at http://sites.google.com/site/neuromapsoftware.

NeuroMap: A Spline-Based Interactive Open-Source Software for Spatiotemporal Mapping of 2D and 3D MEA Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdoun, Oussama; Joucla, Sébastien; Mazzocco, Claire; Yvert, Blaise

2011-01-01

A major characteristic of neural networks is the complexity of their organization at various spatial scales, from microscopic local circuits to macroscopic brain-scale areas. Understanding how neural information is processed thus entails the ability to study them at multiple scales simultaneously. This is made possible using microelectrodes array (MEA) technology. Indeed, high-density MEAs provide large-scale coverage (several square millimeters) of whole neural structures combined with microscopic resolution (about 50 μm) of unit activity. Yet, current options for spatiotemporal representation of MEA-collected data remain limited. Here we present NeuroMap, a new interactive Matlab-based software for spatiotemporal mapping of MEA data. NeuroMap uses thin plate spline interpolation, which provides several assets with respect to conventional mapping methods used currently. First, any MEA design can be considered, including 2D or 3D, regular or irregular, arrangements of electrodes. Second, spline interpolation allows the estimation of activity across the tissue with local extrema not necessarily at recording sites. Finally, this interpolation approach provides a straightforward analytical estimation of the spatial Laplacian for better current sources localization. In this software, coregistration of 2D MEA data on the anatomy of the neural tissue is made possible by fine matching of anatomical data with electrode positions using rigid-deformation-based correction of anatomical pictures. Overall, NeuroMap provides substantial material for detailed spatiotemporal analysis of MEA data. The package is distributed under GNU General Public License and available at http://sites.google.com/site/neuromapsoftware.

Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Modeling of UH-60A Pilot Vibration

Science.gov (United States)

Kottapalli, Sesi; Malki, Heidar A.; Langari, Reza

2003-01-01

Adaptive neuro-fuzzy relationships have been developed to model the UH-60A Black Hawk pilot floor vertical vibration. A 200 point database that approximates the entire UH-60A helicopter flight envelope is used for training and testing purposes. The NASA/Army Airloads Program flight test database was the source of the 200 point database. The present study is conducted in two parts. The first part involves level flight conditions and the second part involves the entire (200 point) database including maneuver conditions. The results show that a neuro-fuzzy model can successfully predict the pilot vibration. Also, it is found that the training phase of this neuro-fuzzy model takes only two or three iterations to converge for most cases. Thus, the proposed approach produces a potentially viable model for real-time implementation.

Neuro-QoL health-related quality of life measurement system: Validation in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Nowinski, Cindy J; Siderowf, Andrew; Simuni, Tanya; Wortman, Catherine; Moy, Claudia; Cella, David

2016-05-01

Neuro-QoL is a multidimensional patient-reported outcome measurement system assessing aspects of physical, mental, and social health identified by neurology patients and caregivers as important. One of the first neurology-specific patient-reported outcome measure systems created using modern test development methods, Neuro-Qol enables brief, yet precise, assessment and the ability to conduct both PD-specific and cross-disease comparisons. We present results of Neuro-QoL clinical validation using a sample of PD patients. A total of 120 PD patients recruited from academic medical centers were assessed at baseline, 1 week, and 6 months. Assessments included Neuro-QoL and general and PD-specific validity measures. Participants were 62% male and 95% white (average age = 66); H & Y stages were 1 (16%), 2 (61%), 3 (18%), and 4 (5%). Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of Neuro-QoL ranged from Cronbach's alphas = 0.81 to 0.94 with intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.66 to 0.80. Pearson's correlations between Neuro-QoL and legacy measures were generally moderate and in expected directions. UPDRS Part 2 was moderately correlated with Neuro-QoL Upper Extremity and Mobility, respectively (r's = -0.44; -0.59). Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 and Neuro-QoL measures of similar constructs showed strong-to-moderate correlations (r's = 0.70-0.44). Neuro-QoL measures of fatigue, mobility, positive emotion, and emotional/behavioral control showed responsiveness to self-reported change. Neuro-QoL is valid for use in PD clinical research. Reliability for all but two measures is sufficient for group comparisons, with some evidence supporting responsiveness to change. Neuro-QoL possesses characteristics, such as brevity, flexibility in administration, and suitability, for cross-disease comparisons that may be advantageous to users in a variety of settings. © 2016 Movement Disorder Society. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder

Lin4Neuro: a customized Linux distribution ready for neuroimaging analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nemoto, Kiyotaka; Dan, Ippeita; Rorden, Christopher; Ohnishi, Takashi; Tsuzuki, Daisuke; Okamoto, Masako; Yamashita, Fumio; Asada, Takashi

2011-01-25

A variety of neuroimaging software packages have been released from various laboratories worldwide, and many researchers use these packages in combination. Though most of these software packages are freely available, some people find them difficult to install and configure because they are mostly based on UNIX-like operating systems. We developed a live USB-bootable Linux package named "Lin4Neuro." This system includes popular neuroimaging analysis tools. The user interface is customized so that even Windows users can use it intuitively. The boot time of this system was only around 40 seconds. We performed a benchmark test of inhomogeneity correction on 10 subjects of three-dimensional T1-weighted MRI scans. The processing speed of USB-booted Lin4Neuro was as fast as that of the package installed on the hard disk drive. We also installed Lin4Neuro on a virtualization software package that emulates the Linux environment on a Windows-based operation system. Although the processing speed was slower than that under other conditions, it remained comparable. With Lin4Neuro in one's hand, one can access neuroimaging software packages easily, and immediately focus on analyzing data. Lin4Neuro can be a good primer for beginners of neuroimaging analysis or students who are interested in neuroimaging analysis. It also provides a practical means of sharing analysis environments across sites.

Synergistic nuclear import of NeuroD1 and its partner transcription factor, E47, via heterodimerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehmood, Rashid; Yasuhara, Noriko; Oe, Souichi; Nagai, Masahiro; Yoneda, Yoshihiro

2009-01-01

The transition from undifferentiated pluripotent cells to terminally differentiated neurons is coordinated by a repertoire of transcription factors. NeuroD1 is a type II basic helix loop helix (bHLH) transcription factor that plays critical roles in neuronal differentiation and maintenance in the central nervous system. Its dimerization with E47, a type I bHLH transcription factor, leads to the transcriptional regulation of target genes. Mounting evidence suggests that regulating the localization of transcription factors contributes to the regulation of their activity during development as defects in their localization underlie a variety of developmental disorders. In this study, we attempted to understand the nuclear import mannerisms of NeuroD1 and E47. We found that the nuclear import of NeuroD1 and E47 is energy-dependent and involves the Ran-mediated pathway. Herein, we demonstrate that NeuroD1 and E47 can dimerize inside the cytoplasm before their nuclear import. Moreover, this dimerization promotes nuclear import as the nuclear accumulation of NeuroD1 was enhanced in the presence of E47 in an in vitro nuclear import assay, and NLS-deficient NeuroD1 was successfully imported into the nucleus upon E47 overexpression. NeuroD1 also had a similar effect on the nuclear accumulation of NLS-deficient E47. These findings suggest a novel role for dimerization that may promote, at least partially, the nuclear import of transcription factors allowing them to function efficiently in the nucleus.

In-stream attenuation of neuro-active pharmaceuticals and their metabolites

Science.gov (United States)

Writer, Jeffrey; Antweiler, Ronald C.; Ferrar, Imma; Ryan, Joseph N.; Thurman, Michael

2013-01-01

In-stream attenuation was determined for 14 neuro-active pharmaceuticals and associated metabolites. Lagrangian sampling, which follows a parcel of water as it moves downstream, was used to link hydrological and chemical transformation processes. Wastewater loading of neuro-active compounds varied considerably over a span of several hours, and thus a sampling regime was used to verify that the Lagrangian parcel was being sampled and a mechanism was developed to correct measured concentrations if it was not. In-stream attenuation over the 5.4-km evaluated reach could be modeled as pseudo-first-order decay for 11 of the 14 evaluated neuro-active pharmaceutical compounds, illustrating the capacity of streams to reduce conveyance of neuro-active compounds downstream. Fluoxetine and N-desmethyl citalopram were the most rapidly attenuated compounds (t1/2 = 3.6 ± 0.3 h, 4.0 ± 0.2 h, respectively). Lamotrigine, 10,11,-dihydro-10,11,-dihydroxy-carbamazepine, and carbamazepine were the most persistent (t1/2 = 12 ± 2.0 h, 12 ± 2.6 h, 21 ± 4.5 h, respectively). Parent compounds (e.g., buproprion, carbamazepine, lamotrigine) generally were more persistent relative to their metabolites. Several compounds (citalopram, venlafaxine, O-desmethyl-venlafaxine) were not attenuated. It was postulated that the primary mechanism of removal for these compounds was interaction with bed sediments and stream biofilms, based on measured concentrations in stream biofilms and a column experiment using stream sediments.

Evidence-based Neuro Linguistic Psychotherapy: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaharia, Cătălin; Reiner, Melita; Schütz, Peter

2015-12-01

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Framework has enjoyed enormous popularity in the field of applied psychology. NLP has been used in business, education, law, medicine and psychotherapy to identify people's patterns and alter their responses to stimuli, so they are better able to regulate their environment and themselves. NLP looks at achieving goals, creating stable relationships, eliminating barriers such as fears and phobias, building self-confidence, and self-esteem, and achieving peak performance. Neuro Linguistic Psychotherapy (NLPt) encompasses NLP as framework and set of interventions in the treatment of individuals with different psychological and/or social problems. We aimed systematically to analyse the available data regarding the effectiveness of Neuro Linguistic Psychotherapy (NLPt). The present work is a meta-analysis of studies, observational or randomized controlled trials, for evaluating the efficacy of Neuro Linguistic Programming in individuals with different psychological and/or social problems. The databases searched to identify studies in English and German language: CENTRAL in the Cochrane Library; PubMed; ISI Web of Knowledge (include results also from Medline and the Web of Science); PsycINFO (including PsycARTICLES); Psyndex; Deutschsprachige Diplomarbeiten der Psychologie (database of theses in Psychology in German language), Social SciSearch; National library of health and two NLP-specific research databases: one from the NLP Community (http://www.nlp.de/cgi-bin/research/nlprdb.cgi?action=res_entries) and one from the NLP Group (http://www.nlpgrup.com/bilimselarastirmalar/bilimsel-arastirmalar-4.html#Zweig154). From a total number of 425 studies, 350 were removed and considered not relevant based on the title and abstract. Included, in the final analysis, are 12 studies with numbers of participants ranging between 12 and 115 subjects. The vast majority of studies were prospective observational. The actual paper represents the first

Ontogeny of neuro-insular complexes and islets innervation in the human pancreas.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra E. Proshchina

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The ontogeny of the neuro-insular complexes (NIC and the islets innervation in human pancreas has not been studied in detail. Our aim was to describe the developmental dynamics and distribution of the nervous system structures in the endocrine part of human pancreas. We used doublestaining with antibodies specific to pan-neural markers (neuron-specific enolase (NSE and S100 protein and to hormones of pancreatic endocrine cells. NSE and S100-positive nerves and ganglia were identified in the human fetal pancreas from gestation week (gw 10 onwards. Later the density of S100 and NSE-positive fibers increased. In adults this network was sparse. The islets innervation started to form from gw 14. NSE-containing endocrine cells were identified from gw 12 onwards. Additionally, S100-positive cells were detected both in the periphery and within some of the islets starting at gw 14. The analysis of islets innervation has shown that the fetal pancreas contained neuro-insular complexes and the number of these complexes was reduced in adults. The highest density of neuro-insular complexes is detected during middle and late fetal periods, when the mosaic islets, typical for adults, form. The close integration between the developing pancreatic islets and the nervous system structures may play an important role not only in the hormone secretion, but also in the islets morphogenesis.

Religious Experience from a Neuro-Psychological View

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hadi Vakili

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The search for the basis of religious experience among neurological processes in the brain has resulted in a widespread debate within, as well as outside the academic world. The aim of this paper is to analyze to what extent a neuro-psychological theory could explain the phenomenon of  religious experience. To clarify what the neuro-psychological studies of  the present paper mean by the concept of  religious experience, the concept has been divided into three different types: The Erlebnis or RErl type, the Erfahrung or RErf type and the ideological type of religious experience or RIT type. Furthermore, the present paper is focused on the work of neuro-psychologist M. A. Persinger [1997, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1987, 1985, and 1984]. In his studies, Persinger indicates that mystical experience (RErl has its seat in the right hemisphere of the human brain, whereas (religious ideology (RIT is related to the left hemisphere. Consequently, the hemisphere in which the (religious experience is taking place seems to label the type of experience. Persinger, interested in the powerful effects of religious experience (of the RErf type on human beings, asserts that if we could understand the neuro-cognitive processes involved in experiencing religiously, such processes might be copied for clinical use in order to improve psychiatric therapy for curing depression. Thus, Persinger studied and compared people practicing religious meditation with people who did not, and also studied the results of PET scanning on the experiences of schizophrenic and epileptic patients. PET scanning measures the metabolic activity in the hemispheres, ranging it on a scale from under normal to over normal activity. This paper will account for the relevance of comparing these two apparently different studies and for the problem arising the experience of pain because, neurologically, pain, like religious experience,is said to be caused by processes in the human brain.

Synaptic communication between neurons and NG2+ cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Paukert, Martin; Bergles, Dwight E

2006-10-01

Chemical synaptic transmission provides the basis for much of the rapid signaling that occurs within neuronal networks. However, recent studies have provided compelling evidence that synapses are not used exclusively for communication between neurons. Physiological and anatomical studies indicate that a distinct class of glia known as NG2(+) cells also forms direct synaptic junctions with both glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons. Glutamatergic signaling can influence intracellular Ca(2+) levels in NG2(+) cells by activating Ca(2+) permeable AMPA receptors, and these inputs can be potentiated through high frequency stimulation. Although the significance of this highly differentiated form of communication remains to be established, these neuro-glia synapses might enable neurons to influence rapidly the behavior of this ubiquitous class of glial progenitors.

Functional coupling between heterologously expressed dopamine D(2) receptors and KCNQ channels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ljungstrom, Trine; Grunnet, Morten; Jensen, Bo Skaaning

2003-01-01

protein of the G(alphai/o) subtype. Cells of the human neuroblastoma line SH-SY5Y were co-transfected transiently with KCNQ4 and D(2L) receptors. Stimulation of D(2L) receptors increased the KCNQ4 current ( n=6) as determined in whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. The specificity of the dopaminergic...

A Genetic Based Neuro-Fuzzy Controller System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamed, A.H.

2014-01-01

Recently, the mobile robots have great importance in the manufacturing processes. They are widely used for assembling processes, handling the dangerous components, moving the weighted things, etc. Designing the controller of the mobile robot is a very complex task. Many simple control systems used the neuro-fuzzy controller in the mobile robots. But, they faced with great complexity when moving in unstructured and dynamic environments. The proposed system introduces the uses of the genetic algorithm for optimizing the parameters of the neuro-fuzzy controller. So, the proposed system can improve the performance of the mobile robots. It has applied for a mobile robot used for moving the dangerous and critical materials in unstructured environment. Its results are compared with other traditional controller systems. The suggested system has proved its success for the real-time applications

A Neuro-psychological Explanation of Religious Experience?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Runehov, Anne Leona Cesarine

2004-01-01

and for the problem arising when drawing inadequately reasoned conclusions. Key Words Religious experiences, religious Erlebnis, religious Erfahrung, (religious) ideology, neuroscience, neuropsychology, pain, PET, reductionism, partial reductionism, Transcendental Meditation, epilepsy, schizophrenia.......The search for the basis of religious experience among neurological processes in the brain has resulted in a widespread debate within, as well as outside the academic world. The aim of this paper is to analyse to what extent a neuro-psychological theory could explain the phenomenon of religious...... experience. To clarify what the neuro-psychological studies of the present paper mean by the concept of religious experience, the concept has been divided into three different types: the Erlebnis or RErl type, the Erfahrung or RErf type and the ideological or RIT type of religious experience. In his studies...

Neuro-otological and peripheral nerve involvement in Fabry disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Carmona

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Fabry disease (FD is an X-linked lysosomal storage disease, with multisystemic glycosphingolipids deposits. Neuro-otological involvement leading to hearing loss and vestibular dysfunctions has been described, but there is limited information about the frequency, site of lesion, or the relationship with peripheral neuropathy. The aim was to evaluate the presence of auditory and vestibular symptoms, and assess neurophysiological involvement of the VIII cranial nerve, correlating these findings with clinical and neurophysiological features of peripheral neuropathy. We studied 36 patients with FD with a complete neurological and neuro-otological evaluation including nerve conduction studies, quantitative sensory testing (to evaluate small fiber by warm and cold threshold detection and cold and heat pain, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, videonistagmography, audiometry and brainstem auditory evoked potentials. Neuro-otologic symptoms included hearing loss (22.2%, vertigo (27.8% or both (25%. An involvement of either cochlear or vestibular function was identified in most patients (75%. In 70% of our patients the involvement of both cochlear and vestibular function could not be explained by a neural or vascular mechanism. Small fiber neuropathy was identified in 77.7%. There were no significant associations between neurootological and QST abnormalities. Neuro-otologic involvement is frequent and most likely under-recognized in patients with FD. It lacks a specific neural or vascular pattern, suggesting multi-systemic, end organ damage. Small fiber neuropathy is an earlier manifestation of FD, but there is no correlation between the development of neuropathy and neuro-otological abnormalities.

Updates from the 2013 Society for Neuro-Oncology annual and World Federation for Neuro-Oncology quadrennial meeting.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukas, Rimas V; Amidei, Christina

2014-01-01

We present an overview of a number of key clinical studies in infiltrating gliomas presented at the 2013 Society for Neuro-Oncology and World Federation of Neuro-Oncology joint meeting. This review focuses on efficacy results, including quality of life studies, from larger clinical trials in both high- and low-grade infiltrating gliomas.

A novel Neuro-fuzzy classification technique for data mining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soumadip Ghosh

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In our study, we proposed a novel Neuro-fuzzy classification technique for data mining. The inputs to the Neuro-fuzzy classification system were fuzzified by applying generalized bell-shaped membership function. The proposed method utilized a fuzzification matrix in which the input patterns were associated with a degree of membership to different classes. Based on the value of degree of membership a pattern would be attributed to a specific category or class. We applied our method to ten benchmark data sets from the UCI machine learning repository for classification. Our objective was to analyze the proposed method and, therefore compare its performance with two powerful supervised classification algorithms Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN and Adaptive Neuro-fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS. We assessed the performance of these classification methods in terms of different performance measures such as accuracy, root-mean-square error, kappa statistic, true positive rate, false positive rate, precision, recall, and f-measure. In every aspect the proposed method proved to be superior to RBFNN and ANFIS algorithms.

From ‘Hard’ Neuro-Tools to ‘Soft’ Neuro-Toys? : Refocussing the Neuro-Enhancement Debate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brenninkmeijer, Jonna; Zwart, Hub

2016-01-01

Since the 1990’s, the debate concerning the ethical, legal and societal aspects of ‘neuro-enhancement’ has evolved into a massive discourse, both in the public realm and in the academic arena. This ethical debate, however, tends to repeat the same sets of arguments over and over again. Normative

Hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonists LSD and DOI enhance dopamine D2R protomer recognition and signaling of D2-5-HT2A heteroreceptor complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Borroto-Escuela, Dasiel O; Romero-Fernandez, Wilber; Narvaez, Manuel; Oflijan, Julia; Agnati, Luigi F; Fuxe, Kjell

2014-01-03

Dopamine D2LR-serotonin 5-HT2AR heteromers were demonstrated in HEK293 cells after cotransfection of the two receptors and shown to have bidirectional receptor-receptor interactions. In the current study the existence of D2L-5-HT2A heteroreceptor complexes was demonstrated also in discrete regions of the ventral and dorsal striatum with in situ proximity ligation assays (PLA). The hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonists LSD and DOI but not the standard 5-HT2AR agonist TCB2 and 5-HT significantly increased the density of D2like antagonist (3)H-raclopride binding sites and significantly reduced the pKiH values of the high affinity D2R agonist binding sites in (3)H-raclopride/DA competition experiments. Similar results were obtained in HEK293 cells and in ventral striatum. The effects of the hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonists on D2R density and affinity were blocked by the 5-HT2A antagonist ketanserin. In a forskolin-induced CRE-luciferase reporter gene assay using cotransfected but not D2R singly transfected HEK293 cells DOI and LSD but not TCB2 significantly enhanced the D2LR agonist quinpirole induced inhibition of CRE-luciferase activity. Haloperidol blocked the effects of both quinpirole alone and the enhancing actions of DOI and LSD while ketanserin only blocked the enhancing actions of DOI and LSD. The mechanism for the allosteric enhancement of the D2R protomer recognition and signalling observed is likely mediated by a biased agonist action of the hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonists at the orthosteric site of the 5-HT2AR protomer. This mechanism may contribute to the psychotic actions of LSD and DOI and the D2-5-HT2A heteroreceptor complex may thus be a target for the psychotic actions of hallunicogenic 5-HT2A agonists. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neurite outgrowth stimulatory effects of culinary-medicinal mushrooms and their toxicity assessment using differentiating Neuro-2a and embryonic fibroblast BALB/3T3

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Mushrooms are not only regarded as gourmet cuisine but also as therapeutic agent to promote cognition health. However, little toxicological information is available regarding their safety. Therefore, the aim of this study was to screen selected ethno-pharmacologically important mushrooms for stimulatory effects on neurite outgrowth and to test for any cytotoxicity. Methods The stimulatory effect of mushrooms on neurite outgrowth was assessed in differentiating mouse neuroblastoma (N2a) cells. Neurite length was measured using Image-Pro Insight processor system. Neuritogenesis activity was further validated by fluorescence immunocytochemical staining of neurofilaments. In vitro cytotoxicity was investigated by using mouse embryonic fibroblast (BALB/3T3) and N2a cells for any embryo- and neuro-toxic effects; respectively. Results Aqueous extracts of Ganoderma lucidum, Lignosus rhinocerotis, Pleurotus giganteus and Grifola frondosa; as well as an ethanol extract of Cordyceps militaris significantly (p < 0.05) promoted the neurite outgrowth in N2a cells by 38.4 ± 4.2%, 38.1 ± 2.6%, 33.4 ± 4.6%, 33.7 ± 1.5%, and 35.8 ± 3.4%; respectively. The IC50 values obtained from tetrazolium (MTT), neutral red uptake (NRU) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays showed no toxic effects following 24 h exposure of N2a and 3T3 cells to mushroom extracts. Conclusion Our results indicate that G. lucidum, L. rhinocerotis, P. giganteus, G. frondosa and C. militaris may be developed as safe and healthy dietary supplements for brain and cognitive health. PMID:24119256

Translational Research in NeuroAIDS: A Neuroimmune Pharmacology-Related Course

OpenAIRE

Brown, Amanda; Shiramizu, Bruce; Nath, Avindra; Wojna, Valerie

2010-01-01

Neuroimmune pharmacology (NIP) can be considered a multidisciplinary science where areas of neuroscience, immunology, and pharmacology intersect in neurological disorders. The R25 training program titled “Translational Research in NeuroAIDS and Mental Health (TR-NAMH): An innovative mentoring program to promote diversity in NeuroAIDS Research (R25 MH080661)” at the Johns Hopkins University is a web-based interactive course with the goal to improve the capacity of high quality research by deve...

A Hybrid Neuro-Fuzzy Model For Integrating Large Earth-Science Datasets

Science.gov (United States)

Porwal, A.; Carranza, J.; Hale, M.

2004-12-01

A GIS-based hybrid neuro-fuzzy approach to integration of large earth-science datasets for mineral prospectivity mapping is described. It implements a Takagi-Sugeno type fuzzy inference system in the framework of a four-layered feed-forward adaptive neural network. Each unique combination of the datasets is considered a feature vector whose components are derived by knowledge-based ordinal encoding of the constituent datasets. A subset of feature vectors with a known output target vector (i.e., unique conditions known to be associated with either a mineralized or a barren location) is used for the training of an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system. Training involves iterative adjustment of parameters of the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system using a hybrid learning procedure for mapping each training vector to its output target vector with minimum sum of squared error. The trained adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system is used to process all feature vectors. The output for each feature vector is a value that indicates the extent to which a feature vector belongs to the mineralized class or the barren class. These values are used to generate a prospectivity map. The procedure is demonstrated by an application to regional-scale base metal prospectivity mapping in a study area located in the Aravalli metallogenic province (western India). A comparison of the hybrid neuro-fuzzy approach with pure knowledge-driven fuzzy and pure data-driven neural network approaches indicates that the former offers a superior method for integrating large earth-science datasets for predictive spatial mathematical modelling.

Neuro-immune modulation of the thymus microenvironment (review).

Science.gov (United States)

Mignini, Fiorenzo; Sabbatini, Maurizio; Mattioli, Laura; Cosenza, Monica; Artico, Marco; Cavallotti, Carlo

2014-06-01

The thymus is the primary site for T-cell lympho-poiesis. Its function includes the maturation and selection of antigen specific T cells and selective release of these cells to the periphery. These highly complex processes require precise parenchymal organization and compartmentation where a plethora of signalling pathways occur, performing strict control on the maturation and selection processes of T lymphocytes. In this review, the main morphological characteristics of the thymus microenvironment, with particular emphasis on nerve fibers and neuropeptides were assessed, as both are responsible for neuro-immune‑modulation functions. Among several neurotransmitters that affect thymus function, we highlight the dopaminergic system as only recently has its importance on thymus function and lymphocyte physiology come to light.

Radioisotopic Imaging of Neuro-inflammation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkeler, A.; Boisgard, R.; Martin, M.; Tavitian, B.

2010-01-01

Inflammatory responses are closely associated with many neurologic disorders and influence their outcome. In vivo imaging can document events accompanying neuro-inflammation, such as changes in blood flow, vascular permeability, tightness of the blood-to-brain barrier, local metabolic activity, and expression of specific molecular targets. Here, we briefly review current methods for imaging neuro-inflammation, with special emphasis on nuclear imaging techniques. (authors)

Accelerating Translational Research through Open Science: The Neuro Experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, E Richard

2016-12-01

Translational research is often afflicted by a fundamental problem: a limited understanding of disease mechanisms prevents effective targeting of new treatments. Seeking to accelerate research advances and reimagine its role in the community, the Montreal Neurological Institute (Neuro) announced in the spring of 2016 that it is launching a five-year experiment during which it will adopt Open Science-open data, open materials, and no patenting-across the institution. The experiment seeks to examine two hypotheses. The first is whether the Neuro's Open Science initiative will attract new private partners. The second hypothesis is that the Neuro's institution-based approach will draw companies to the Montreal region, where the Neuro is based, leading to the creation of a local knowledge hub. This article explores why these hypotheses are likely to be true and describes the Neuro's approach to exploring them.

Accelerating Translational Research through Open Science: The Neuro Experiment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E Richard Gold

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Translational research is often afflicted by a fundamental problem: a limited understanding of disease mechanisms prevents effective targeting of new treatments. Seeking to accelerate research advances and reimagine its role in the community, the Montreal Neurological Institute (Neuro announced in the spring of 2016 that it is launching a five-year experiment during which it will adopt Open Science-open data, open materials, and no patenting-across the institution. The experiment seeks to examine two hypotheses. The first is whether the Neuro's Open Science initiative will attract new private partners. The second hypothesis is that the Neuro's institution-based approach will draw companies to the Montreal region, where the Neuro is based, leading to the creation of a local knowledge hub. This article explores why these hypotheses are likely to be true and describes the Neuro's approach to exploring them.

The C-terminal domain of the nuclear factor I-B2 isoform is glycosylated and transactivates the WAP gene in the JEG-3 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhopadhyay, Sudit S.; Rosen, Jeffrey M.

2007-01-01

The transcription factor nuclear factor I (NFI) has been shown previously both in vivo and in vitro to be involved in the cooperative regulation of whey acidic protein (WAP) gene transcription along with the glucocorticoid receptor and STAT5. In addition, one of the specific NFI isoforms, NFI-B2, was demonstrated in transient co-transfection experiments in JEG cells, which lack endogenous NFI, to be preferentially involved in the cooperative regulation of WAP gene expression. A comparison of the DNA-binding specificities of the different NFI isoforms only partially explained their differential ability to activate the WAP gene transcription. Here, we analyzed the transactivation regions of two NFI isoforms by making chimeric proteins between the NFI-A and B isoforms. Though, their DNA-binding specificities were not altered as compared to the corresponding wild-type transcription factors, the C-terminal region of the NFI-B isoform was shown to preferentially activate WAP gene transcription in cooperation with GR and STAT5 in transient co-transfection assays in JEG-3 cells. Furthermore, determination of serine and threonine-specific glycosylation (O-linked N-acetylglucosamine) of the C-terminus of the NFI-B isoform suggested that the secondary modification by O-GlcNAc might play a role in the cooperative regulation of WAP gene transcription by NFI-B2 and STAT5

Neuro-oncology Thallium 201 interest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guyot, M.; Latry, C.; Basse-Cathalinat, B.; Ducassou, D.; Guerin, J.; Maire, J.P.

1994-01-01

So and in spite of its histologic specificity absence, Tl 201 has an evident interest in neuro-oncology: for the low grade astrocytoma transformation diagnosis toward one higher grad; for the neoplasm residue and recidive diagnosis; and more generally as forecasted evolution element during the therapy. 2 figs., 4 tabs., 4 graphs

Neuro-ophthalmic and clinical characteristics of brain tumours in a tertiary hospital in Ghana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tagoe, N. N.; Essuman, V. A.; Fordjuor, G.; Akpalu, J.; Bankah, P.; Ndanu, T.

2015-01-01

Anecdotally, increasing number of patients are seen at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) with brain tumour. Neuro-ophthalmic symptoms and signs may help in timely diagnosis and intervention. The objective of this study is to evaluate the neuro-ophthalmic and clinical characteristics of brain tumour in patients presenting at a tertiary hospital in Ghana. The study design involved a prospective case series involving 36 consecutive patients newly diagnosed with brain tumour from November 2010 to October 2011, at the Ophthalmology, Neurosurgery and Endocrine units of KBTH, Ghana. All patients had clinical diagnosis of brain tumour with confirmation by computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Thirteen patients had histological confirmation of diagnosis. The outcome measures of the study include presenting visual acuity, colour vision, visual fields and cranial nerve deficits. Data of 36 patients were analysed. The results of the study showed that ages ranged from 3 to 69 years, mean (SD) 42.56(±16.6 years). Twenty-six (72%) were females. Tumours included pituitary adenoma (20, 55.5%), meningioma (10, 27.8%), choroid plexus tumour (1, 2.8%), medulloblastom (1, 2.8%), craniopharyngioma (1, 2.8%), haemangioblastoma (1, 2.8%), thalamic tumour (1, 2.8%) and haemangioma (1, 2.8%). Histologically confirmed tumours included pituitary adenoma (9, 69.2%), meningioma (3, 23.1%), craniopharyngioma (1, 7.7%). One patient had both a pituitary adenoma and meningioma. Blurred vision (30, 83.3%), headache (28, 77.8%) and photophobia (13, 36.1%) were predominant symptoms. Commonest neuro-ophthalmic signs were impaired colour vision (62 eyes, 88.6%), optic atrophy (26, 74.3%), unilateral or bitemporal hemianopia (15, 41.5%) and relative afferent pupillary defect (12, 34.3%). Seven (19.4%) patients were visually impaired and nine (25%) blind. Thirty-three of 72(45.8%) eyes had monocular blindness. Common neuro-ophthalmic characteristics were blurred vision

Sturge-Weber syndrome. The current neuro-imaging data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boukobza, M.; Cambra, M.R.; Merland, J.J.; Enjolras, O.

2000-01-01

Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) is a rare congenital sporadic disease with neuro-ocular and cutaneous vascular findings. Clinically, the full-blown condition consists of a facial port-wine stain (PWS) the V1 facial trigeminal skin area, alone or in combination with V2 and V3 PWS, seizures and ocular abnormalities (glaucoma and choroidal angioma). Radiologically, a leptomeningeal (pial) capillary and venous malformation, mostly located in the parieto-occipital area, cerebral atrophy and calcifications are demonstrated. An ipsilateral enlarged choroid plexus may be an early anatomic symptom. Development neuro-diagnostic technique for the screening of infants with an at-risk V1 PWS, as well as for the follow-up of patients with evidence SWS. Accelerated myelination in the involved hemisphere may be early diagnostic feature before 6 months of age. Later, hyperintensity of white matter on T2 is considered a symptom of gliosis. Clinically, progression of the diseases is associated with anatomic changes and correlates with the extent of the pial vascular anomaly, extent and severity of cerebral atrophy, and white matter abnormalities. A neonatal neuro-imaging work-up, using CT or MRI, may not demonstrate the pial anomaly and should be repeated after 6 to 12 months in an at-risk infant with V1 PWS. (authors)

Significance of head CT in neuro-ophthalmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishimoto, Yuichiro; Masuyama, Yoshimasa; Nakamura, Yasuko; Fujimoto, Toshiro.

1979-01-01

It is important to perform CT purposefully in patients with some neuro-ophthalmological disorders. Using Hitachi CT-H250 with the finer matrix of 256 x 256 and a section thickness of 5 mm and 10 mm, we performed head CT in 98 patients with various kinds of neuro-ophthalmological disorders in these 30 months. Neuro-ophthalmological findings in these patients were visual disturbance, visual field defects (hemianopsia, quandrantanopsia, enlargement of the blind spot, central scotoma), papilledema, optic nerve atrophy, difficulties in ocular movements, and others. In 44 (44.9%) of these 98 patients, abnormal findings were displayed in the head CT, characterizing intracranial tumors, intracranial infarction, aneurysms in intracranial vessels, arterio-venous malformation, enlargement of the ventricle or the cistern. In some cases the head CT was the decisive procedure in ensuring a correct diagnosis. We presented findings in the head CT in several interesting cases. We recognized the necessity of the head CT in patients with neuro-ophthalmological disorders. (author)

[To strengthen the education on basic knowledge and skills of neuro-ophthalmology].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-jun; Wang, Ning-li

2011-12-01

Basic knowledge and skills are cornerstone of the diagnosis and treatment of neuro-ophthalmology diseases in ophthalmology practice. Due to the interdisciplinary features of neuro-ophthalmology, neuro-anatomy, neuro-physiology related to eyes, neuro-image and neuro-electrodiagnosis, these should be included in the education for the ophthalmologist. Special attention should be paid to training on capability of logically thinking in neuro-ophthalmology. Multiple ways can be used for the education of ophthalmologists and neurologists for the enhancement of basic knowledge and skills of neuro-ophthalmology in China.

Using adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rezazadeh, S.; Mirzaee, I.; Mehrabi, M.

2012-01-01

In this paper, an adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is used for modeling proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance using some numerically investigated and compared with those to experimental results for training and test data. In this way, current density I (A/cm 2 ) is modeled to the variation of pressure at the cathode side P C (atm), voltage V (V), membrane thickness (mm), Anode transfer coefficient α an , relative humidity of inlet fuel RH a and relative humidity of inlet air RH c which are defined as input (design) variables. Then, we divided these data into train and test sections to do modeling. We instructed ANFIS network by 80% of numerical validated data. 20% of primary data which had been considered for testing the appropriateness of the models was entered ANFIS network models and results were compared by three statistical criterions. Considering the results, it is obvious that our proposed modeling by ANFIS is efficient and valid and it can be expanded for more general states

Using adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rezazadeh, S.; Mirzaee, I. [Urmia Univ., Urmia (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mehrabi, M. [University of Pretoria, Pretoria (South Africa)

2012-11-15

In this paper, an adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is used for modeling proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance using some numerically investigated and compared with those to experimental results for training and test data. In this way, current density I (A/cm{sup 2}) is modeled to the variation of pressure at the cathode side P{sup C} (atm), voltage V (V), membrane thickness (mm), Anode transfer coefficient {alpha}{sup an}, relative humidity of inlet fuel RH{sup a} and relative humidity of inlet air RH{sup c} which are defined as input (design) variables. Then, we divided these data into train and test sections to do modeling. We instructed ANFIS network by 80% of numerical validated data. 20% of primary data which had been considered for testing the appropriateness of the models was entered ANFIS network models and results were compared by three statistical criterions. Considering the results, it is obvious that our proposed modeling by ANFIS is efficient and valid and it can be expanded for more general states.

The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Steinbjørn; Nielsen, Jan; Laursen, René J

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry (DNOR) is a nationwide clinical cancer database that has prospectively registered data on patients with gliomas since January 2009. The purpose of this study was to describe the establishment of the DNOR and further to evaluate the database completen......BACKGROUND: The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry (DNOR) is a nationwide clinical cancer database that has prospectively registered data on patients with gliomas since January 2009. The purpose of this study was to describe the establishment of the DNOR and further to evaluate the database...

Mitochondrial dysfunction in the neuro-degenerative and cardio-degenerative disease, Friedreich's ataxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Shannon; Kalinowski, Danuta S; Jansson, Patric J; Richardson, Des R; Huang, Michael L-H

2017-08-04

Mitochondrial homeostasis is essential for maintaining healthy cellular function and survival. The detrimental involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction in neuro-degenerative diseases has recently been highlighted in human conditions, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease. Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is another neuro-degenerative, but also cardio-degenerative condition, where mitochondrial dysfunction plays a crucial role in disease progression. Deficient expression of the mitochondrial protein, frataxin, is the primary cause of FA, which leads to adverse alterations in whole cell and mitochondrial iron metabolism. Dys-regulation of iron metabolism in these compartments, results in the accumulation of inorganic iron deposits in the mitochondrial matrix that is thought to potentiate oxidative damage observed in FA. Therefore, the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis is crucial in the progression of neuro-degenerative conditions, particularly in FA. In this review, vital mitochondrial homeostatic processes and their roles in FA pathogenesis will be discussed. These include mitochondrial iron processing, mitochondrial dynamics (fusion and fission processes), mitophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial energy production and calcium metabolism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Micro-angiography for neuro-vascular imaging. I. Experimental evaluation and feasibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganguly, Arundhuti; Rudin, Stephen; Bednarek, Daniel R.; Hoffmann, Kenneth R.; Kyprianou, Iacovos S.

2003-01-01

Minimally invasive image-guided neuro-vascular interventions require very high image-resolution and quality, specifically over regions-of-interest (ROI) crucial to the procedure. ROI imaging or micro-angiography, allows limited patient integral radiation dose while permitting rapid frame transfer of high-resolution images. The design and performance of a charge coupled device (CCD) based x-ray detector or micro-angiographic camera was assessed for neuro-vascular procedures. The detector consists of a 250-μm-thick CsI(Tl) phosphor fiber-optically coupled through a 1.8:1 taper to a CCD chip, with an effective image pixel size of 50 μm and a frame rate of 5 fps in the 2:1 pixel-binned mode. The characteristics of the camera including the modulation transfer function (MTF), the noise equivalent quanta, the detective quantum efficiency, observer studies, and the effect of geometric magnification were evaluated. The MTF was found to have nonzero (1.7%) value at the Nyquist frequency of 10 cycles/mm, while the DQE(0) had a value of ∼55%. All values were measured using head equivalent attenuating material in the beam at 80 kVp. Human observer studies performed using the 2 Alternative Forced Choice method revealed that iodinated vessels with inner diameter of 100 μm and 2 cm in length can be seen with a confidence level greater than 75%. The observer studies included a comparison with ideal observer performance calculations based on the integral signal to noise ratio in the image. Probabilities of visualization of various objects of interest in a neuro-intervention, such as stents, were assessed. A geometric magnification of 1 was found to be best for imaging under neuro-angiographic conditions. The detector appeared to satisfy all the demands of neuro-angiography and showed promise as an improvement over existing angiographic detectors

NEURO-EPISTEMOLOGY: A POST-MODERNIST ANALYSIS OF ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

support

ontwikkel die term “neuro-epistemologie” wat die raamwerk vir wetenskaplike studies na die ... In short, this .... This means we run ..... sensory material provided by an external world. .... between short-, intermediate-, and long-term memory.

A novel neuron-enriched protein SDIM1 is down regulated in Alzheimer's brains and attenuates cell death induced by DNAJB4 over-expression in neuro-progenitor cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Joy X

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Molecular changes in multiple biological processes contribute to the development of chronic neurodegeneration such as late onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD. To discover how these changes are reflected at the level of gene expression, we used a subtractive transcription-based amplification of mRNA procedure to identify novel genes that have altered expression levels in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD patients. Among the genes altered in expression level in AD brains was a transcript encoding a novel protein, SDIM1, that contains 146 amino acids, including a typical signal peptide and two transmembrane domains. Here we examined its biochemical properties and putative roles in neuroprotection/neurodegeneration. Results QRT-PCR analysis of additional AD and control post-mortem human brains showed that the SDIM1 transcript was indeed significantly down regulated in all AD brains. SDIM1 is more abundant in NT2 neurons than astrocytes and present throughout the cytoplasm and neural processes, but not in the nuclei. In NT2 neurons, it is highly responsive to stress conditions mimicking insults that may cause neurodegeneration in AD brains. For example, SDIM1 was significantly down regulated 2 h after oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD, though had recovered 16 h later, and also appeared significantly up regulated compared to untreated NT2 neurons. Overexpression of SDIM1 in neuro-progenitor cells improved cells' ability to survive after injurious insults and its downregulation accelerated cell death induced by OGD. Yeast two-hybrid screening and co-immunoprecipitation approaches revealed, both in vitro and in vivo, an interaction between SDIM1 and DNAJB4, a heat shock protein hsp40 homolog, recently known as an enhancer of apoptosis that also interacts with the mu opioid receptor in human brain. Overexpression of DNAJB4 alone significantly reduced cell viability and SDIM1 co-overexpression was capable of attenuating the cell death

Magnetic resonance imaging in neuro-Behcet's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kojima, Shigeyuki; Fukutake, Toshio; Hirayama, Keizo; Iwamoto, Itsuo

1987-01-01

In four patients with neuro-Behcet's disease, the findings of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were evaluated in comparison with the results of X-ray computed tomography (CT), especially for brainstem lesions. MRI was able to reveal brainstem lesions in three patients, in addition to lesions of basal ganglia, internal capsule and thalamus in the same patients. In contrast, X-ray CT demonstrated lesions of basal ganglia and internal capsule in only one patient, and it did not detect any brainstem lesions. Non-specific findings, including cerebral and brainstem atrophy, were revealed more clearly in inversion recovery images than in X-ray CT. Spin echo images were superior to inversion recovery images for detecting the lesions of demyelination, necrosis, gliosis and so on in neuro-Behcet's disease. The brainstem lesions visualized by MRI were situated in the regions of the basis pontis, cerebral peduncle and tectum of the midbrain. In neuro-Behcet's disease, the main pathological lesions are known occur in the ventral parts of the brainstem, but X-ray CT cannot always reveale these brainstem lesions because it produces bone artifacts. For this reason, the X-ray CT findings of neuro-Behcet's disease reported previously have been nonspecific cerebral or brainstem atrophy and decreased attenuations in the basal ganglia or subcortical white matter. Thus it is generally difficult to differentiate neuro-Behcet's disease from other intracranial lesions on the basis of the supratentorial X-ray CT findings. However, the above mentioned brainstem lesions visualized by MRI are consistent with the pathologically preferential site in neuro-Behcet's disease, and MRI can assist in the clinical diagnosis of neuro-Behcet's disease by demonstrating the brainstem lesions clearly, even when neurological involvement precedes the typical dermatologic and ophthalmologic manifestations. (author)

Control of extracellular matrix assembly by syndecan-2 proteoglycan

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klass, C M; Couchman, J R; Woods, A

2000-01-01

Extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and organization is maintained by transmembrane signaling and integrins play major roles. We now show that a second transmembrane component, syndecan-2 heparan sulfate proteoglycan, is pivotal in matrix assembly. Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells were stably...... to rearrange laminin or fibronectin substrates into fibrils and to bind exogenous fibronectin. Transfection of activated alphaIIbalphaLdeltabeta3 integrin into alpha(5)-deficient CHO B2 cells resulted in reestablishment of the previously lost fibronectin matrix. However, cotransfection of this cell line with S...

A Neuro-Fuzzy Approach in the Classification of Students’ Academic Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Quang Hung Do

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Classifying the student academic performance with high accuracy facilitates admission decisions and enhances educational services at educational institutions. The purpose of this paper is to present a neuro-fuzzy approach for classifying students into different groups. The neuro-fuzzy classifier used previous exam results and other related factors as input variables and labeled students based on their expected academic performance. The results showed that the proposed approach achieved a high accuracy. The results were also compared with those obtained from other well-known classification approaches, including support vector machine, Naive Bayes, neural network, and decision tree approaches. The comparative analysis indicated that the neuro-fuzzy approach performed better than the others. It is expected that this work may be used to support student admission procedures and to strengthen the services of educational institutions.

A groundwork for allostatic neuro-education

OpenAIRE

Gerdes, Lee; Tegeler, Charles H.; Lee, Sung W.

2015-01-01

We propose to enliven educational practice by marrying a conception of education as guided human development, to an advanced scientific understanding of the brain known as allostasis (stability through change). The result is a groundwork for allostatic neuro-education (GANE). Education as development encompasses practices including the organic (homeschooling and related traditions), cognitive acquisition (emphasis on standards and testing), and the constructivist (aimed to support adaptive cr...

Neuro-fuzzy models for systems identification applied to the operation of nuclear power plants; Sistemas neuro-fuzzy para identificacao de sistemas aplicados a operacao de centrais nucleares

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alves, Antonio Carlos Pinto Dias

2000-09-01

A nuclear power plant has a myriad of complex system and sub-systems that, working cooperatively, make the control of the whole plant. Nevertheless their operation be automatic most of the time, the integral understanding of their internal- logic can be away of the comprehension of even experienced operators because of the poor interpretability those controls offer. This difficulty does not happens only in nuclear power plants but in almost every a little more complex control system. Neuro-fuzzy models have been used for the last years in a attempt of suppress these difficulties because of their ability of modelling in linguist form even a system which behavior is extremely complex. This is a very intuitive human form of interpretation and neuro-fuzzy model are gathering increasing acceptance. Unfortunately, neuro-fuzzy models can grow up to become of hard interpretation because of the complexity of the systems under modelling. In general, that growing occurs in function of redundant rules or rules that cover a very little domain of the problem. This work presents an identification method for neuro-fuzzy models that not only allows models grow in function of the existent complexity but that beforehand they try to self-adapt to avoid the inclusion of new rules. This form of construction allowed to arrive to highly interpretative neuro-fuzzy models even of very complex systems. The use of this kind of technique in modelling the control of the pressurizer of a PWR nuclear power plant allowed verify its validity and how neuro-fuzzy models so built can be useful in understanding the automatic operation of a nuclear power plant. (author)

Intracranial Aneurysms of Neuro-Ophthalmologic Relevance.

Science.gov (United States)

Micieli, Jonathan A; Newman, Nancy J; Barrow, Daniel L; Biousse, Valérie

2017-12-01

Intracranial saccular aneurysms are acquired lesions that often present with neuro-ophthalmologic symptoms and signs. Recent advances in neurosurgical techniques, endovascular treatments, and neurocritical care have improved the optimal management of symptomatic unruptured aneurysms, but whether the chosen treatment has an impact on neuro-ophthalmologic outcomes remains debated. A review of the literature focused on neuro-ophthalmic manifestations and treatment of intracranial aneurysms with specific relevance to neuro-ophthalmologic outcomes was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. Cavernous sinus aneurysms were not included in this review. Surgical clipping vs endovascular coiling for aneurysms causing third nerve palsies was compared in 13 retrospective studies representing 447 patients. Complete recovery was achieved in 78% of surgical patients compared with 44% of patients treated with endovascular coiling. However, the complication rate, hospital costs, and days spent in intensive care were reported as higher in surgically treated patients. Retrospective reviews of surgical clipping and endovascular coiling for all ocular motor nerve palsies (third, fourth, or sixth cranial nerves) revealed similar results of complete resolution in 76% and 49%, respectively. Improvement in visual deficits related to aneurysmal compression of the anterior visual pathways was also better among patients treated with clipping than with coiling. The time to treatment from onset of visual symptoms was a predictive factor of visual recovery in several studies. Few reports have specifically assessed the improvement of visual deficits after treatment with flow diverters. Decisions regarding the choice of therapy for intracranial aneurysms causing neuro-ophthalmologic signs ideally should be made at high-volume centers with access to both surgical and endovascular treatments. The status of the patient, location of the aneurysm, and experience of the treating physicians

GPCR Interaction: 25 [GRIPDB[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available e of A1R and P2Y1R colocalization was observed in cotransfected cells by double immunofluorescence experiments with confocal laser...2) and Myc-P2Y1R-Rluc was also observed in the co-transfected HEK293T cells by confocal laser microscopy. Th..., 12417330 Double immunofluorescence experiments, confocal laser microscopy Modified BRET NP_001041695.1 ...

GPCR Interaction: 26 [GRIPDB[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ree of A1R and P2Y1R colocalization was observed in cotransfected cells by double immunofluorescence experiments with confocal laser...P(2) and Myc-P2Y1R-Rluc was also observed in the co-transfected HEK293T cells by confocal laser microscopy. ...75, 12417330 Double immunofluorescence experiments, confocal laser microscopy Modified BRET NP_002554.1 ...

Parent perceptions of the quality of life of pet dogs living with neuro-typically developing and neuro-atypically developing children: An exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Sophie S; Wright, Hannah F; Mills, Daniel S

2017-01-01

There is growing scientific and societal recognition of the role that pet dogs can play in healthy development of children; both those who are neuro-typically developing and those who live with a neuro-developmental disorder, such as autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, little attention has been paid to how living with children positively and negatively affects quality of life of a pet dog. In this exploratory study we conducted semi-structured interviews with parents of neuro-typically developing children (n = 18) and those with a neuro-developmental disorder (n = 18) who owned a pet dog, until no new factors were identified. Living with children brought potentially positive benefits to the dog's life including: imposition of a routine, participation in recreational activities and the development of a strong bond between the child and the dog. The importance of maintaining a routine was particularly prevalent in families with children with neuro-developmental disorders. Potential negative factors included having to cope with child meltdowns and tantrums, over stimulation from child visitors, harsh contact and rough and tumble play with the child. The regularity and intensity of meltdowns and tantrums was particularly evident in responses from parents with children with a neuro-developmental disorder. However, child visitors and rough play and contact were mentioned similarly across the groups. Protective factors included having a safe haven for the dog to escape to, parent's awareness of stress signs and child education in dog-interaction. Parents were also asked to complete a stress response scale to provide an initial quantitative comparison of stress responses between dogs living with the two family-types. Parents with neuro-typically developing children more frequently observed their dog rapidly running away from a situation and less frequently observed their dog widening their eyes, than parents with children with a neuro

Pattern of neuro-opthalmic disorders in a tertiary eye centre in Nigeria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pattern of neuro-opthalmic disorders in a tertiary eye centre in Nigeria. AE Omoti, MJM Waziri-Erameh. Abstract. No Abstract. Nigrian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol. 10 (2) 2007: pp. 147-151. Full Text: EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT. Article Metrics.

Ophthalmologic Findings in Patients with Neuro-metabolic Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafari, Narjes; Golnik, Karl; Shahriari, Mansoor; Karimzadeh, Parvaneh; Jabbehdari, Sayena

2018-01-01

We aimed to present the ophthalmic manifestations of neuro-metabolic disorders. Patients who were diagnosed with neuro-metabolic disorders in the Neurology Department of Mofid Pediatric Hospital in Tehran, Iran, between 2004 and 2014 were included in this study. Disorders were confirmed using clinical findings, neuroimaging, laboratory data, and genomic analyses. All enrolled patients were assessed for ophthalmological abnormalities. A total of 213 patients with 34 different neuro-metabolic disorders were included. Ophthalmological abnormalities were observed in 33.5% of patients. Abnormal findings in the anterior segment included Kayser-Fleischer rings, congenital or secondary cataracts, and lens dislocation into the anterior chamber. Posterior segment (i.e., retina, vitreous body, and optic nerve) evaluation revealed retinitis pigmentosa, cherry-red spots, and optic atrophy. In addition, strabismus, nystagmus, and lack of fixation were noted during external examination. Ophthalmological examination and assessment is essential in patients that may exhibit neuro-metabolic disorders.

Immunotherapy Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (iRANO): A Report of the RANO Working Group

Science.gov (United States)

Okada, Hideho; Weller, Michael; Huang, Raymond; Finocchiaro, Gaetano; Gilbert, Mark R.; Wick, Wolfgang; Ellingson, Benjamin M.; Hashimoto, Naoya; Pollack, Ian F.; Brandes, Alba A.; Franceschi, Enrico; Herold-Mende, Christel; Nayak, Lakshmi; Panigrahy, Ashok; Pope, Whitney B.; Prins, Robert; Sampson, John H.; Wen, Patrick Y.; Reardon, David A.

2015-01-01

Immunotherapy represents a promising area of therapy among neuro-oncology patients. However, early phase studies reveal unique challenges associated with assessment of radiological changes reflecting delayed responses or therapy-induced inflammation. Clinical benefit, including long-term survival and tumor regression, can still occur following initial apparent progression or appearance of new lesions. Refinement of response assessment criteria for neuro-oncology patients undergoing immunotherapy is therefore warranted. A multinational and multidisciplinary panel of neuro-oncology immunotherapy experts describes immunotherapy response assessment for neuro-oncology (iRANO) criteria that are based on guidance for determination of tumor progression outlined by the immune-related response criteria (irRC) and the response assessment in neuro-oncology (RANO) working group. Among patients who demonstrate imaging findings meeting RANO criteria for progressive disease (PD) within six months of initiating immunotherapy including the development of new lesions, confirmation of radiographic progression on follow-up imaging is recommended provided that the patient is not significantly worse clinically. The proposed criteria also include guidelines for use of corticosteroids. The role of advanced imaging techniques and measurement of clinical benefit endpoints including neurologic and immunologic functions are reviewed. The iRANO guidelines put forth herein will evolve successively to improve their utility as further experience from immunotherapy trials in neuro-oncology accumulate. PMID:26545842

Pattern of neuro-opthalmic disorders in a tertiary eye centre in Nigeria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pattern of neuro-opthalmic disorders in a tertiary eye centre in Nigeria. AE Omoti, MJM Waziri-Erameh. Abstract. No Abstract. Nigrian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol. 10 (2) 2007: pp. 147-151. Full Text: EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT · AJOL African ...

Neuro-oncology of CNS tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tonn, J.C.

2006-01-01

Diagnosis and treatment modalities for neuro-oncologic diseases have made considerable advances in recent years. There is hardly a segment of the field of solid tumours that is experiencing such dynamic development with regard to basic scientific findings and clinical results. In the present book the world's leading experts have compiled the current practice-relevant knowledge of neuro-oncologic diseases. The book's clear structure and the uniform presentation of all chapters make this volume a valuable reference, especially for practice-oriented activities, allowing swift access to information about current treatment standards. Hence it will be of great value to both clinicians and researchers. (orig.)

Productive homologous and non-homologous recombination of hepatitis C virus in cell culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheel, Troels K H; Galli, Andrea; Li, Yi-Ping

2013-01-01

. In addition, recombination is an important regulatory mechanism of cytopathogenicity for the related pestiviruses. Here we describe recombination of HCV RNA in cell culture leading to production of infectious virus. Initially, hepatoma cells were co-transfected with a replicating JFH1ΔE1E2 genome (genotype 2a......) lacking functional envelope genes and strain J6 (2a), which has functional envelope genes but does not replicate in culture. After an initial decrease in the number of HCV positive cells, infection spread after 13-36 days. Sequencing of recovered viruses revealed non-homologous recombinants with J6...

Improving English Instruction through Neuro-Linguistic Programming

Science.gov (United States)

Helm, David Jay

2009-01-01

This study examines the background information and numerous applications of neuro-linguistic programming as it applies to improving English instruction. In addition, the N.L.P. modalities of eye movement, the use of predicates, and posturing are discussed. Neuro-linguistic programming presents all students of English an opportunity to reach their…

The Neuro-Complex: Some Comments and Convergences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Martin

2011-10-01

Full Text Available In this short think-piece we trace the newly emerging and rapidly expanding dimensions and dynamics of the “neuro-complex.” What this amounts to, we suggest, are a series of bio or neuro “convergences” of sorts regarding the brain and mental worlds, which in turn are traceable through what we term the bio-psych, pharma-psych, subjectivity-selves, wellness-enhancement, and the neuroculture-neurofutures relational nexuses. These issues are then illustrated through two brief case studies regarding brain scanning technologies and the problems and prospects of cognitive enhancement. The paper concludes with some final reflections on these matters and a call for further research in this rich and challenging domain as the neuro-complex continues to expand in expected and unexpected, yet equally rich and fascinating, ways.

Neuro-pharmacological functional MRI of epilepsy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiriyama, Hideki; Makabe, Tetsuo; Tomita, Susumu; Omoto, Takashi; Asari, Shoji [Okayama Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine; Aihara, Hiroshi; Kinugasa, Kazushi; Nishimoto, Akira; Ito, Takahiko

2000-03-01

We studied patients with epilepsy by neuro-pharmacological functional MRI technique using diazepam. Five normal volunteers and 7 patients with epilepsy were investigated. MRI was performed by a 1.5 T unit (SIGNA Horizon, GE) using the following parameters: TR/TE 5000 msec/80 msec, FA 90 deg, FOV 200 mm, matrix 128 x 128, slice thickness 7 mm. We performed MRI scanning over 5 minutes (2 minutes before and 3 minutes after injection of diazepam) for each 1 session; we scanned 3 sessions for each patient at intervals of 5 minutes. The diazepam was injected rapidly from the antecubital vein. The dose of diazepam was 0.05 mg/kg/injection (total dose was 0.15 mg/kg). The data were analyzed statistically using t-test. Signal change after administration of diazepam was less than 1 to 2% in healthy volunteers. By contrast, in patient with epilepsy, the signal change was almost 3%, which was significantly greater than that of the normal area (p=0.01). The neuro-pharmacological functional MRI technique using diazepam might be a useful method to identify epileptic foci. (author)

Neuro-pharmacological functional MRI of epilepsy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiriyama, Hideki; Makabe, Tetsuo; Tomita, Susumu; Omoto, Takashi; Asari, Shoji; Aihara, Hiroshi; Kinugasa, Kazushi; Nishimoto, Akira; Ito, Takahiko

2000-01-01

We studied patients with epilepsy by neuro-pharmacological functional MRI technique using diazepam. Five normal volunteers and 7 patients with epilepsy were investigated. MRI was performed by a 1.5 T unit (SIGNA Horizon, GE) using the following parameters: TR/TE 5000 msec/80 msec, FA 90 deg, FOV 200 mm, matrix 128 x 128, slice thickness 7 mm. We performed MRI scanning over 5 minutes (2 minutes before and 3 minutes after injection of diazepam) for each 1 session; we scanned 3 sessions for each patient at intervals of 5 minutes. The diazepam was injected rapidly from the antecubital vein. The dose of diazepam was 0.05 mg/kg/injection (total dose was 0.15 mg/kg). The data were analyzed statistically using t-test. Signal change after administration of diazepam was less than 1 to 2% in healthy volunteers. By contrast, in patient with epilepsy, the signal change was almost 3%, which was significantly greater than that of the normal area (p=0.01). The neuro-pharmacological functional MRI technique using diazepam might be a useful method to identify epileptic foci. (author)

NeuroElectro: A Window to the World's Neuron Electrophysiology Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shreejoy J Tripathy

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The behavior of neural circuits is determined largely by the electrophysiological properties of the neurons they contain. Understanding the relationships of these properties requires the ability to first identify and catalog each property. However, information about such properties is largely locked away in decades of closed-access journal articles with heterogeneous conventions for reporting results, making it difficult to utilize the underlying data. We solve this problem through the NeuroElectro project: a Python library, RESTful API, and web application (at http://neuroelectro.org for the extraction, visualization, and summarization of published data on neurons' electrophysiological properties. Information is organized both by neuron type (using neuron definitions provided by NeuroLex and by electrophysiological property (using a newly developed ontology. We describe the techniques and challenges associated with the automated extraction of tabular electrophysiological data and methodological metadata from journal articles. We further discuss strategies for how to best combine, normalize and organize data across these heterogeneous sources. NeuroElectro is a valuable resource for experimental physiologists looking to supplement their own data, for computational modelers looking to constrain their model parameters, and for theoreticians searching for undiscovered relationships among neurons and their properties.

In vivo imaging of neuro-inflammation in the rodent brain with [11C]SSR180575, a novel indoleacetamide radioligand of the translocator protein (18 kDa)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chauveau, F.; Boutin, H.; Van Camp, N.; Thominiaux, C.; Dolle, F.; Tavitian, B.; Chauveau, F.; Boutin, H.; Van Camp, N.; Tavitian, B.; Hantraye, P.; Rivron, L.; Marguet, F.; Castel, M.N.; Rooney, T.; Benavides, J.; Chauveau, F.; Boutin, H.

2011-01-01

Purpose Neuro-inflammation is involved in neurological disorders through the activation of micro-glial cells. Imaging of neuro-inflammation with radioligands for the translocator protein (18 kDa) (TSPO) could prove to be an attractive bio-marker for disease diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation. The indoleacetamide-derived 7-chloro-N, N, 5- trimethyl-4-oxo-3-phenyl-3, 5-dihydro-4H-pyridazino[4, 5-b] indole-1-acetamide, SSR180575, is a selective high-affinity TSPO ligand in human and rodents with neuro-protective effects. Methods Here we report the radiolabelling of SSR180575 with 11 C and in vitro and in vivo imaging in an acute model of neuro-inflammation in rats. Results The image contrast and the binding of [ 11 C] SSR180575 are higher than that obtained with the isoquinoline- based TSPO radioligand, [ 11 C]PK11195. Competition studies demonstrate that [ 11 C]SSR180575 has high specific binding for the TSPO. Conclusion [ 11 C]SSR180575 is the first PET radioligand for the TSPO based on an indoleacetamide scaffold designed for imaging neuro-inflammation in animal models and in the clinic. (authors)

From 'Hard' Neuro-Tools to 'Soft' Neuro-Toys? Refocussing the Neuro-Enhancement Debate.

Science.gov (United States)

Brenninkmeijer, Jonna; Zwart, Hub

2017-01-01

Since the 1990's, the debate concerning the ethical, legal and societal aspects of 'neuro-enhancement' has evolved into a massive discourse, both in the public realm and in the academic arena. This ethical debate, however, tends to repeat the same sets of arguments over and over again. Normative disagreements between transhumanists and bioconservatives on invasive or radical brain stimulators, and uncertainties regarding the use and effectivity of nootropic pharmaceuticals dominate the field. Building on the results of an extensive European project on responsible research and innovation in neuro-enhancement (NERRI), we observe and encourage that the debate is now entering a new and, as we will argue, more realistic and societally relevant stage. This new stage concerns those technologies that enter the market as ostensibly harmless contrivances that consumers may use for self-care or entertainment. We use the examples and arguments of participants in NERRI debates to describe three case studies of such purportedly innocent 'toys'. Based upon this empirical material, we argue that these 'soft' enhancement gadgets are situated somewhere in the boundary zone between the internal and the external, between the intimate and the intrusive, between the familiar and the unfamiliar, between the friendly and the scary and, in Foucauldian terms, between technologies of the self and technologies of control. Therefore, we describe their physiognomy with the help of a term borrowed from Jacques Lacan, namely as "extimate" technologies.

Adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller of switched reluctance motor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tahour Ahmed

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an application of adaptive neuro-fuzzy (ANFIS control for switched reluctance motor (SRM speed. The ANFIS has the advantages of expert knowledge of the fuzzy inference system and the learning capability of neural networks. An adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller of the motor speed is then designed and simulated. Digital simulation results show that the designed ANFIS speed controller realizes a good dynamic behaviour of the motor, a perfect speed tracking with no overshoot and a good rejection of impact loads disturbance. The results of applying the adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller to a SRM give better performance and high robustness than those obtained by the application of a conventional controller (PI.

Treatment of neuro-ophthalmic sarcoidosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Frohman, Larry P

2015-03-01

Because of the rarity of neuro-ophthalmic sarcoidosis, there are no therapeutic guidelines based on evidence-based medicine for this disorder. Review of literature combined with personal experience. Corticosteroids are the preferred initial therapy for neuro-ophthalmic sarcoidosis. If patients cannot tolerate the requisite dose of corticosteroid needed to control their disease, or if corticosteroids fail to adequately control the disease process, the choices of a second agent are based on the consideration of rapidity of clinical response and the safety profile. Although methotrexate and mycophenolate mofetil are the medications that are often selected after corticosteroid failure, more rapidly acting agents that have been used are infliximab and intravenous cyclophosphamide.

Overexpression of octamer transcription factors 1 or 2 alone has no effect on HIV-1 transcription in primary human CD4 T cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Mingce; Genin, Anna; Cron, Randy Q.

2004-01-01

We explored the binding of octamer (Oct) transcription factors to the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) by gel shift assays and showed none of the previously identified four potential Oct binding sites bound Oct-1 or Oct-2. Overexpression of Oct-1 or Oct-2 had no effect on HIV-1 LTR activity in transiently transfected primary human CD4 T cells. Next, primary human CD4 T cells were co-transfected with a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expression vector and an Oct-1 or Oct-2 expression plasmid. The transfected cells were stimulated for 2 days and then infected with the NL4-3 strain of HIV-1. After 3 days of infection, there were no differences in HIV-1 p24 supernatant levels. Apoptosis of infected or bystander cells overexpressing Oct-1 or Oct-2 compared to control was also unaffected. Our studies demonstrate that Oct-1 and Oct-2 fail to bind to the HIV-1 LTR and have no effect on HIV-1 transcription in primary human CD4 T cells

A Neuro-Control Design Based on Fuzzy Reinforcement Learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Katebi, S.D.; Blanke, M.

This paper describes a neuro-control fuzzy critic design procedure based on reinforcement learning. An important component of the proposed intelligent control configuration is the fuzzy credit assignment unit which acts as a critic, and through fuzzy implications provides adjustment mechanisms....... The fuzzy credit assignment unit comprises a fuzzy system with the appropriate fuzzification, knowledge base and defuzzification components. When an external reinforcement signal (a failure signal) is received, sequences of control actions are evaluated and modified by the action applier unit. The desirable...... ones instruct the neuro-control unit to adjust its weights and are simultaneously stored in the memory unit during the training phase. In response to the internal reinforcement signal (set point threshold deviation), the stored information is retrieved by the action applier unit and utilized for re...

Polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant potential and neuro-protective effect from Cimicifuga dahurica (Turcz.) Maxim.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Rulan; Zhao, Ying; Zhao, Yudan; Zhou, Wanrong; Lv, Chongning; Lu, Jincai

2016-12-01

Three new phenolic compounds (1-3), along with five known compounds (4-8) were isolated from the rhizome of Cimicifuga dahurica (Turcz.) Maxim. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including 1D-NMR, 2D-NMR and HR-MS techniques. DPPH method and protective effect on PC12 cells against H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative damage model were carried to evaluate the antioxidant capability of these compounds. Compound 5 showed significant antioxidant activity with IC 50 values 9.33μM in DPPH assay and compound 2 displayed marked neuro-protective effect with 87.65% cell viability at the concentration of 10μM. Additionally, the possible structure-activity relationships of these phenolic compounds were tentatively discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using Routine Data for Quality Assessment in NeuroNet Telestroke Care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Theiss, Stephan; Günzel, Franziska; Storm, Anna

2013-01-01

: Routine clinical data from the HELIOS hospital information system were compared before and after implementation of the NeuroNet concept, including neurologic acute stroke teleconsultations, standard operating procedures, and peer review quality management in 3 hospital cohorts: 5 comprehensive stroke...... centers, 5 NeuroNet hospitals, and 5 matched control hospitals. RESULTS: During the study period, the rate of thrombolytic therapy increased by 4.8% in NeuroNet hospitals, while ischemic stroke in-hospital mortality decreased (relative risk reduction ∼29% in NeuroNet and control hospitals). The odds ratio...... for thrombolytic therapy in comprehensive stroke centers compared to NeuroNet hospitals was reduced from 3.7 to 1.3 between 2006 and 2009. Comprehensive stroke care coding according to German Diagnosis Related Groups definitions increased by 45% in NeuroNet (P

Parent perceptions of the quality of life of pet dogs living with neuro-typically developing and neuro-atypically developing children: An exploratory study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sophie S Hall

Full Text Available There is growing scientific and societal recognition of the role that pet dogs can play in healthy development of children; both those who are neuro-typically developing and those who live with a neuro-developmental disorder, such as autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, little attention has been paid to how living with children positively and negatively affects quality of life of a pet dog. In this exploratory study we conducted semi-structured interviews with parents of neuro-typically developing children (n = 18 and those with a neuro-developmental disorder (n = 18 who owned a pet dog, until no new factors were identified. Living with children brought potentially positive benefits to the dog's life including: imposition of a routine, participation in recreational activities and the development of a strong bond between the child and the dog. The importance of maintaining a routine was particularly prevalent in families with children with neuro-developmental disorders. Potential negative factors included having to cope with child meltdowns and tantrums, over stimulation from child visitors, harsh contact and rough and tumble play with the child. The regularity and intensity of meltdowns and tantrums was particularly evident in responses from parents with children with a neuro-developmental disorder. However, child visitors and rough play and contact were mentioned similarly across the groups. Protective factors included having a safe haven for the dog to escape to, parent's awareness of stress signs and child education in dog-interaction. Parents were also asked to complete a stress response scale to provide an initial quantitative comparison of stress responses between dogs living with the two family-types. Parents with neuro-typically developing children more frequently observed their dog rapidly running away from a situation and less frequently observed their dog widening their eyes, than parents with children with a

A neuro-fuzzy inference system for sensor failure detection using wavelet denoising, PCA and SPRT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, Man Gyun

2001-01-01

In this work, a neuro-fuzzy inference system combined with the wavelet denoising, PCA(principal component analysis) and SPRT (sequential probability ratio test) methods is developed to detect the relevant sensor failure using other sensor signals. The wavelet denoising technique is applied to remove noise components in input signals into the neuro-fuzzy system. The PCA is used to reduce the dimension of an input space without losing a significant amount of information, The PCA makes easy the selection of the input signals into the neuro-fuzzy system. Also, a lower dimensional input space usually reduces the time necessary to train a neuro-fuzzy system. The parameters of the neuro-fuzzy inference system which estimates the relevant sensor signal are optimized by a genetic algorithm and a least-squares algorithm. The residuals between the estimated signals and the measured signals are used to detect whether the sensors are failed or not. The SPRT is used in this failure detection algorithm. The proposed sensor-monitoring algorithm was verified through applications to the pressurizer water level and the hot-leg flowrate sensors in pressurized water reactors

Brain stem type neuro-Behcet's syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kataoka, Satoshi; Hirose, Genjiro; Kosoegawa, Hiroshi; Oda, Rokuhei; Yoshioka, Akira

1987-01-01

Two cases of brain stem type Neuro-Behcet's syndrome were evaluated by brain CT and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Super-conducting type, 0.5 tesla) to correlate with the neurological findings. In the acute phase, low density area with peripheral enhancement effect and mass effect were seen at the brain stem in brain CT. MRI revealed a extensive high intensity signal area mainly involving the corticospinal tract in the meso-diencephalon as well as pons by T 2 weighted images (spin echo, TR = 1, 600 msec, TE = 90 msec) and the value of T 1 , T 2 , at the brain stem lesion were prolonged moderately. After high dose steroid treatment, the low density area in brain CT and high signal area in MRI were gradually reduced in its size. Peripheral enhancement effect in brain CT disappeared within 10 months in case 1, one month in the other case. In the chronic stage, the reduction of low density area and atrophy of brain stem were noted in brain CT. The lesion in chronic stage had low intensity in T 1 , T 2 weighted images and the T 1 , T 2 values at the lesion were mildly prolonged in MRI. Sequentially CT with enhancement and MRI examinations with T 1 , T 2 weighted images were useful to detect the lesion and to evaluate the activity, evolution of brain stem type Neuro-Behcet's syndrome. (author)

Analysis and prediction of flow from local source in a river basin using a Neuro-fuzzy modeling tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Aqil, Muhammad; Kita, Ichiro; Yano, Akira; Nishiyama, Soichi

2007-10-01

Traditionally, the multiple linear regression technique has been one of the most widely used models in simulating hydrological time series. However, when the nonlinear phenomenon is significant, the multiple linear will fail to develop an appropriate predictive model. Recently, neuro-fuzzy systems have gained much popularity for calibrating the nonlinear relationships. This study evaluated the potential of a neuro-fuzzy system as an alternative to the traditional statistical regression technique for the purpose of predicting flow from a local source in a river basin. The effectiveness of the proposed identification technique was demonstrated through a simulation study of the river flow time series of the Citarum River in Indonesia. Furthermore, in order to provide the uncertainty associated with the estimation of river flow, a Monte Carlo simulation was performed. As a comparison, a multiple linear regression analysis that was being used by the Citarum River Authority was also examined using various statistical indices. The simulation results using 95% confidence intervals indicated that the neuro-fuzzy model consistently underestimated the magnitude of high flow while the low and medium flow magnitudes were estimated closer to the observed data. The comparison of the prediction accuracy of the neuro-fuzzy and linear regression methods indicated that the neuro-fuzzy approach was more accurate in predicting river flow dynamics. The neuro-fuzzy model was able to improve the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values of the multiple linear regression forecasts by about 13.52% and 10.73%, respectively. Considering its simplicity and efficiency, the neuro-fuzzy model is recommended as an alternative tool for modeling of flow dynamics in the study area.

NIH NeuroBioBank

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The NIH NeuroBioBank (NBB), supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the Eunice Kennedy...

NeuroLines: A Subway Map Metaphor for Visualizing Nanoscale Neuronal Connectivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Awami, Ali K; Beyer, Johanna; Strobelt, Hendrik; Kasthuri, Narayanan; Lichtman, Jeff W; Pfister, Hanspeter; Hadwiger, Markus

2014-12-01

We present NeuroLines, a novel visualization technique designed for scalable detailed analysis of neuronal connectivity at the nanoscale level. The topology of 3D brain tissue data is abstracted into a multi-scale, relative distance-preserving subway map visualization that allows domain scientists to conduct an interactive analysis of neurons and their connectivity. Nanoscale connectomics aims at reverse-engineering the wiring of the brain. Reconstructing and analyzing the detailed connectivity of neurons and neurites (axons, dendrites) will be crucial for understanding the brain and its development and diseases. However, the enormous scale and complexity of nanoscale neuronal connectivity pose big challenges to existing visualization techniques in terms of scalability. NeuroLines offers a scalable visualization framework that can interactively render thousands of neurites, and that supports the detailed analysis of neuronal structures and their connectivity. We describe and analyze the design of NeuroLines based on two real-world use-cases of our collaborators in developmental neuroscience, and investigate its scalability to large-scale neuronal connectivity data.

NeuroLines: A Subway Map Metaphor for Visualizing Nanoscale Neuronal Connectivity

KAUST Repository

Al-Awami, Ali K.; Beyer, Johanna; Strobelt, Hendrik; Kasthuri, Narayanan; Lichtman, Jeff W.; Pfister, Hanspeter; Hadwiger, Markus

2014-01-01

We present NeuroLines, a novel visualization technique designed for scalable detailed analysis of neuronal connectivity at the nanoscale level. The topology of 3D brain tissue data is abstracted into a multi-scale, relative distance-preserving subway map visualization that allows domain scientists to conduct an interactive analysis of neurons and their connectivity. Nanoscale connectomics aims at reverse-engineering the wiring of the brain. Reconstructing and analyzing the detailed connectivity of neurons and neurites (axons, dendrites) will be crucial for understanding the brain and its development and diseases. However, the enormous scale and complexity of nanoscale neuronal connectivity pose big challenges to existing visualization techniques in terms of scalability. NeuroLines offers a scalable visualization framework that can interactively render thousands of neurites, and that supports the detailed analysis of neuronal structures and their connectivity. We describe and analyze the design of NeuroLines based on two real-world use-cases of our collaborators in developmental neuroscience, and investigate its scalability to large-scale neuronal connectivity data.

NeuroLines: A Subway Map Metaphor for Visualizing Nanoscale Neuronal Connectivity

KAUST Repository

Al-Awami, Ali K.

2014-12-31

We present NeuroLines, a novel visualization technique designed for scalable detailed analysis of neuronal connectivity at the nanoscale level. The topology of 3D brain tissue data is abstracted into a multi-scale, relative distance-preserving subway map visualization that allows domain scientists to conduct an interactive analysis of neurons and their connectivity. Nanoscale connectomics aims at reverse-engineering the wiring of the brain. Reconstructing and analyzing the detailed connectivity of neurons and neurites (axons, dendrites) will be crucial for understanding the brain and its development and diseases. However, the enormous scale and complexity of nanoscale neuronal connectivity pose big challenges to existing visualization techniques in terms of scalability. NeuroLines offers a scalable visualization framework that can interactively render thousands of neurites, and that supports the detailed analysis of neuronal structures and their connectivity. We describe and analyze the design of NeuroLines based on two real-world use-cases of our collaborators in developmental neuroscience, and investigate its scalability to large-scale neuronal connectivity data.

Indirect application of near infrared light induces neuro-protection in a mouse model of parkinsonism - an abscopal neuro-protective effective evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnstone, D.M.; Spana, S.; Purushothuman, S.; Stone, J.; Mitrofanis, J.; Johnstone, D.M.; Spana, S.; Purushothuman, S.; Stone, J.; El Massri, N.; Mitrofanis, J.; Moro, C.; Torres, N.; Chabrol, C.; De Jaeger, X.; Reinhart, F.; Benabid, A.L.; Wang, X.S.

2014-01-01

We have previously shown near infrared light (NIr), directed transcranially, mitigates the loss of dopaminergic cells in MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine)-treated mice, a model of parkinsonism. These findings complement others suggesting NIr treatment protects against damage from various insults. However one puzzling feature of NIr treatment is that unilateral exposure can lead to a bilateral healing response, suggesting NIr may have 'indirect' protective effects. We investigated whether remote NIr treatment is neuro-protective by administering different MPTP doses (50-, 75-, 100-mg/kg) to mice and treating with 670-nm light directed specifically at either the head or body. Our results show that, despite no direct irradiation of the damaged tissue, remote NIr treatment produces a significant rescue of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta at the milder MPTP dose of 50-mg/kg (30% increase vs sham-treated MPTP mice, p≤ 0.05). However this protection did not appear as robust as that achieved by direct irradiation of the head (50% increase vs sham-treated MPTP mice, p ≤0.001). There was no quantifiable protective effect of NIr at higher MPTP doses, irrespective of the delivery mode. Astrocyte and microglia cell numbers in substantia nigra pars compacta were not influenced by either mode of NIr treatment. In summary, the findings suggest that treatment of a remote tissue with NIr is sufficient to induce protection of the brain, reminiscent of the 'abscopal effect' sometimes observed in radiation treatment of metastatic cancer. This discovery has implications for the clinical translation of light-based therapies, providing an improved mode of delivery over trans-cranial irradiation. (authors)

Magel2, a Prader-Willi syndrome candidate gene, modulates the activities of circadian rhythm proteins in cultured cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devos Julia

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Magel2 gene is most highly expressed in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, where its expression cycles in a circadian pattern comparable to that of clock-controlled genes. Mice lacking the Magel2 gene have hypothalamic dysfunction, including circadian defects that include reduced and fragmented total activity, excessive activity during the subjective day, but they have a normal circadian period. Magel2 is a member of the MAGE family of proteins that have various roles in cellular function, but the specific function of Magel2 is unknown. Methods We used a variety of cell-based assays to determine whether Magel2 modifies the properties of core circadian rhythm proteins. Results Magel2 represses the activity of the Clock:Bmal1 heterodimer in a Per2-luciferase assay. Magel2 interacts with Bmal1 and with Per2 as measured by co-immunoprecipitation in co-transfected cells, and exhibits a subcellular distribution consistent with these interactions when visualized by immunofluorescence. As well, Magel2 induces the redistribution of the subcellular localization of Clock towards the cytoplasm, in contrast to the nucleus-directed effect of Bmal1 on Clock subcellular localization. Conclusion Consistent with the blunted circadian rhythm observed in Magel2-null mice, these data suggest that Magel2 normally promotes negative feedback regulation of the cellular circadian cycle, through interactions with key core circadian rhythm proteins.

Targeting Sulfotransferase (SULT) 2B1b as a Regulator of Cholesterol Metabolism in Prostate Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

2015-10-01

next  subtask.       Subtask 2: Production of infective Lentivirus using co-transfection of HEK293 (pCa cells LNCaP, PC3, DU145, and VCaP...PCa lines. We determined that the level of shRNA expression from a stably intergrated transgene gene delivered by lentivirus was too low...effects  on  SULT2B1b  enzyme  activity  of   cholesterol  sulfate   production  in  vitro.     We  developed  a

Neuro degenerative diseases: clinical concerns; Les maladies neuro-degeneratives: problemes cliniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ibanez, V. [Hopitaux Universitaires de Geneve (HUG), Unite de Neuroimagerie, Dept. de Psychiatrie (Switzerland)

2005-04-15

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are the main neuro-degenerative diseases (NDDs) seen clinically. They share some common clinical symptoms and neuro-pathological findings. The increase of life expectancy in the developed countries will inevitably contribute to enhance the prevalence of these diseases. Behavioral disorders, common in NDDs, will produce major care management challenges. Idiopathic Parkinson's disease corresponds to a histopathological diagnosis, based on the observation of a de-pigmentation and a neuronal loss in the substantia nigra, as well as on the presence of intra-neuronal inclusion bodies. AD is insidious with slowly progressive dementia in which the decline in memory constitutes the main complaint. The diagnosis of definite AD requires the presence of clinical criteria as well as the histopathological confirmation of brain lesions. The two main lesions are the presence of senile plaques and neuro-fibrillary tangles. Positron emission tomography (PET) explores cerebral metabolism and neurotransmitter kinetics in NDDs using principally [{sup 18}F]-deoxyglucose and [{sup 18}F]-dopa. Nigrostriatal dopaminergic function is altered in PD, as evidenced by the low uptake of [{sup 18}F]-dopa in the posterior putamen as compared to anterior putamen and caudate nucleus. In contrast, [{sup 18}F]-dopa uptake is equally depressed in all striatal structures in progressive supra-nuclear palsy. Regional glucose metabolism at rest is preserved in elderly once cerebral atrophy is taken into account. On the contrary, glucose metabolism is globally reduced in AD, with marked decrease in the parietal and temporal regions. PET has proved to be useful to study in vivo neurochemical processes in patients suffering from NDDs. The potential of this approach is still largely unexploited, and depends on new ligand production to establish early diagnosis and treatment follow-up. (author)

Quality of life research in neuro-oncology: a quantitative comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Elizabeth; Altshuler, David; Hallock, Abhirami; Szerlip, Nicholas

2014-01-01

Our understanding of the biology of neuro-oncologic disease has improved vastly over time, however overall patient survival remains relatively poor. Our goal as clinicians, therefore, should be to ensure that the quality of life (QOL) in that survival time is optimized. Here we review neuro-oncology QOL abstracts presented at major oncology conferences and the published literature to make a quantitative comparison to other common cancer subtypes. First, all abstracts presented at major oncology meetings from 2008 to 2012 were reviewed and filtered to find those related to QOL in CNS, breast, lung, and prostate cancer. Next, a Medline search was performed to identify all QOL papers published from 2003 to 2012 for the same cancer subtypes. The results were compared as absolute values and percentages. The average percentage of CNS QOL-related abstracts presented at ASCO and ASTRO over the last 5 years was 4.9 %, compared to 6.4 % for breast, 4.4 % for lung, and 6.1 % for prostate. There is a significant difference in total percentage of QOL abstracts over the time period when comparing CNS to breast and prostate, but not lung (p neuro-oncology research. We need to improve this by standardizing QOL measures and including them in every outcome study.

Prediction of specific depressive symptom clusters in youth with epilepsy: The NDDI-E-Y versus Neuro-QOL SF.

Science.gov (United States)

Kellermann, Tanja S; Mueller, Martina; Carter, Emma G; Brooks, Byron; Smith, Gigi; Kopp, Olivia J; Wagner, Janelle L

2017-08-01

Proper assessment and early identification of depressive symptoms are essential to initiate treatment and minimize the risk for poor outcomes in youth with epilepsy (YWE). The current study examined the predictive utility of the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory-Epilepsy for Youth (NDDI-E-Y) and the Neuro-QOL Depression Short Form (Neuro-QOL SF) in explaining variance in overall depressive symptoms and specific symptom clusters on the gold standard Children's Depression Inventory-2 (CDI-2). Cross-sectional study examining 99 YWE (female 68, mean age 14.7 years) during a routine epilepsy visit, who completed self-report measures of depressive symptoms, including the NDDI-E-Y, CDI-2, and the Neuro-QOL SF. Caregivers completed a measure of seizure severity. All sociodemographic and medical information was evaluated through electronic medical record review. After accounting for seizure and demographic variables, the NDDI-E-Y accounted for 45% of the variance in the CDI-2 Total score and the CDI-2 Ineffectiveness subscale. Furthermore, the NDDI-E-Y predicted CDI-2 Total scores and subscales similarly, with the exception of explaining significantly more variance in the CDI-2 Ineffectiveness subscale compared to the Negative Mood subscale. The NDDI-E-Y explained greater variance compared to Neuro-QOL SF across the Total (48% vs. 37%) and all CDI-2 subscale scores; however, the NDDI-E-Y emerged as a stronger predictor of only CDI-2 Ineffectiveness. Both the NDDI-E-Y and Neuro-QOL SF accounted for the lowest amount of variance in CDI-2 Negative Mood. Sensitivity was poor for the Neuro-QOL SF in predicting high versus low CDI-2 scores. The NDDI-E-Y has strong psychometrics and can be easily integrated into routine epilepsy care for quick, brief screening of depressive symptoms in YWE. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League Against Epilepsy.

Validation of the Neuro-QoL measurement system in children with epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Jin-Shei; Nowinski, Cindy J; Zelko, Frank; Wortman, Katy; Burns, James; Nordli, Douglas R; Cella, David

2015-05-01

Children with epilepsy often face complex psychosocial consequences that are not fully captured by existing patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures. The Neurology Quality of Life Measurement System "Neuro-QoL" was developed to provide a set of common PRO measures that address issues important to people with neurologic disorders. This paper reports Neuro-QoL (anxiety, depression, interaction with peers, fatigue, pain, cognitive function, stigma, and upper and lower extremity functions) validation in children with epilepsy. Patients (aged 10-18years) diagnosed with epilepsy completed Neuro-QoL and legacy measures at time 1 (initial study visit) and 6-month follow-up. Internal consistency reliability was also evaluated. Concurrent validity was assessed by comparing Neuro-QoL measures with more established "legacy" measures of the same concepts. Clinical validity was evaluated by comparing mean Neuro-QoL scores of patients grouped by clinical anchors such as disease severity. Responsiveness of the Neuro-QoL from time 1 (initial study visit) to 6months was evaluated using self-reported change as the primary anchor. Sixty-one patients (mean age=13.4years; 62.3% male, 75.9% white) participated. Most patients (64.2%) had been seizure-free in the 3months prior to participation, and seizure frequency was otherwise described as follows: 17.8% daily, 13.3% weekly, 35.6% monthly, and 33.3% yearly. All patients were taking antiepileptic drugs. Patients reported better function/less symptoms compared to the reference groups. Internal consistency (alpha) coefficients ranged from 0.76 to 0.87. Patients with different seizure frequencies differed on anxiety (pNeuro-QoL measures were significantly correlated with other measures assessing similar domains. Stigma was related to self-reported change in several areas of functioning but in sometimes unexpected directions. The Neurology Quality of Life Measurement System is a valid and reliable assessment tool for children with epilepsy

The influence of rAAV2-mediated SOX2 delivery into neonatal and adult human RPE cells; a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ezati, Razie; Etemadzadeh, Azadeh; Soheili, Zahra-Soheila; Samiei, Shahram; Ranaei Pirmardan, Ehsan; Davari, Malihe; Najafabadi, Hoda Shams

2018-02-01

Cell replacement is a promising therapy for degenerative diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Since the human retina lacks regeneration capacity, much attention has been directed toward persuading for cells that can differentiate into retinal neurons. In this report, we have investigated reprogramming of the human RPE cells and concerned the effect of donor age on the cellular fate as a critical determinant in reprogramming competence. We evaluated the effect of SOX2 over-expression in human neonatal and adult RPE cells in cultures. The coding region of human SOX2 gene was cloned into adeno-associated virus (AAV2) and primary culture of human neonatal/adult RPE cells were infected by recombinant virus. De-differentiation of RPE to neural/retinal progenitor cells was investigated by quantitative real-time PCR and ICC for neural/retinal progenitor cells' markers. Gene expression analysis showed 80-fold and 12-fold over-expression for SOX2 gene in infected neonatal and adult hRPE cells, respectively. The fold of increase for Nestin in neonatal and adult hRPE cells was 3.8-fold and 2.5-fold, respectively. PAX6 expression was increased threefold and 2.5-fold in neonatal/adult treated cultures. Howbeit, we could not detect rhodopsin, and CHX10 expression in neonatal hRPE cultures and expression of rhodopsin in adult hRPE cells. Results showed SOX2 induced human neonatal/adult RPE cells to de-differentiate toward retinal progenitor cells. However, the increased number of PAX6, CHX10, Thy1, and rhodopsin positive cells in adult hRPE treated cultures clearly indicated the considerable generation of neuro-retinal terminally differentiated cells. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

NEURO ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY TO ACCELERATE THE HUMAN ADAPTATION TO HIGH ALTITUDE HYPOXIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukhamed T. Shaov

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract. The aim is to study the influence of neuro-information signals modulated by pulse hypoxia on the rhythm of cardiac contractions in low-mountain and high-mountain conditions. Methods. Heart rate was measured using the pulse oxymetry device ELOX-01M2. The impact analysis of information-wave signals was carried out with the help of the neuro-protector "Anthropotherapist", non-invasively (remotely at a distance of up to 5 meters for 5 min. /day during 10 days. The investigations were carried out in lowmountain conditions (city of Nalchik, 550 m above sea level and highlands, Mount Elbrus (site of "Garabashi", 3780 m. above sea level. Participants in the study were divided into groups: control group – 18 participants; experimental group - 18 participants. In the low-mountain and high-mountain conditions, the control group was not affected by the neuro-protector. In high-mountain conditions, the participants in the control group experienced only the effects of high-altitude hypoxia sessions. The experimental group was exposed to the neuro-information signals from the neuro-protector. High-altitude studies were carried out in the following mode: heart rate was recorded at the altitudes of Nalchik - exit to Elbrus – on the way to the site of "Garabashi" - return route to Nalchik. Results. It was found that with frequency exposure, there is a significant decrease and fluctuations in heart rate in low-mountain inhabitants. The stability of these changes in the rhythm of cardiac activity can also be seen in conditions of high-altitude hypoxia. Conclusion. Consequently, the proposed mode of frequency impact, implemented using the "Anthropotherapist" neuro-protector technology, can form a stage of adaptation to hypoxia and unfavorable climatic and environmental factors.

A NEURO FUZZY MODEL FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Several factors may contribute directly or indirectly to the structural failure of metallic pipes. The most important of which is corrosion. Corrosivity of pipes is not a directly measurable parameter as pipe corrosion is a very random phenomenon. The main aim of the present study is to develop a neuro-fuzzy model capable of ...

Pox neuro control of cell lineages that give rise to larval poly-innervated external sensory organs in Drosophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yanrui; Boll, Werner; Noll, Markus

2015-01-15

The Pox neuro (Poxn) gene of Drosophila plays a crucial role in the development of poly-innervated external sensory (p-es) organs. However, how Poxn exerts this role has remained elusive. In this study, we have analyzed the cell lineages of all larval p-es organs, namely of the kölbchen, papilla 6, and hair 3. Surprisingly, these lineages are distinct from any previously reported cell lineages of sensory organs. Unlike the well-established lineage of mono-innervated external sensory (m-es) organs and a previously proposed model of the p-es lineage, we demonstrate that all wild-type p-es lineages exhibit the following features: the secondary precursor, pIIa, gives rise to all three support cells-socket, shaft, and sheath, whereas the other secondary precursor, pIIb, is neuronal and gives rise to all neurons. We further show that in one of the p-es lineages, that of papilla 6, one cell undergoes apoptosis. By contrast in Poxn null mutants, all p-es lineages have a reduced number of cells and their pattern of cell divisions is changed to that of an m-es organ, with the exception of a lineage in a minority of mutant kölbchen that retains a second bipolar neuron. Indeed, the role of Poxn in p-es lineages is consistent with the specification of the developmental potential of secondary precursors and the regulation of cell division but not apoptosis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Statins Activate Human PPAR Promoter and Increase PPAR mRNA Expression and Activation in HepG2 Cells

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Makoto Seo

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Statins increase peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR mRNA expression, but the mechanism of this increased PPAR production remains elusive. To examine the regulation of PPAR production, we examined the effect of 7 statins (atorvastatin, cerivastatin, fluvastatin, pitavastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin on human PPAR promoter activity, mRNA expression, nuclear protein levels, and transcriptional activity. The main results are as follows. (1 Majority of statins enhanced PPAR promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner in HepG2 cells transfected with the human PPAR promoter. This enhancement may be mediated by statin-induced HNF-4. (2 PPAR mRNA expression was increased by statin treatment. (3 The PPAR levels in nuclear fractions were increased by statin treatment. (4 Simvastatin, pravastatin, and cerivastatin markedly enhanced transcriptional activity in 293T cells cotransfected with acyl-coenzyme A oxidase promoter and PPAR/RXR expression vectors. In summary, these data demonstrate that PPAR production and activation are upregulated through the PPAR promoter activity by statin treatment.

Authenticity anyone? : the enhancement of emotions via neuro-psychopharmacology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kraemer, U.A.F.

2011-01-01

This article will examine how the notion of emotional authenticity is intertwined with the notions of naturalness and artificiality in the context of the recent debates about ‘neuro-enhancement’ and ‘neuro-psychopharmacology.’ In the philosophy of mind, the concept of authenticity plays a key role

Nanoparticle-Based Strategies to Treat Neuro-Inflammation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rémy Poupot

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Neuro-inflammation is a pivotal physio-pathological feature of brain disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases. As such, it is a relevant therapeutic target against which drugs have to be proposed. Targeting neuro-inflammation implies crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB to reach the Central Nervous System (CNS. Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs are promising candidates to carry and deliver drugs to the CNS by crossing the BBB. There are several strategies to design ENPs intended for crossing through the BBB. Herein, we first put nanotechnologies back in their historical context and introduce neuro-inflammation and its consequences in terms of public health. In a second part, we explain how ENPs can get access to the brain and review this area by highlighting recent papers in the field. Finally, after pointing out potential guidelines for preclinical studies involving ENPs, we conclude by opening the debate on the questions of nanosafety and toxicity of these ENPs and in particular on ecotoxicity related to regulatory issues and public concerns.

dSPACE based adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller of grid interactive inverter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altin, Necmi; Sefa, İbrahim

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We propose a dSPACE based neuro-fuzzy controlled grid interactive inverter. ► The membership functions and rule base of fuzzy logic controller by using ANFIS. ► A LCL output filter is designed. ► A high performance controller is designed. - Abstract: In this study, design, simulation and implementation of a dSPACE based grid interactive voltage source inverter are proposed. This inverter has adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller and capable of importing electrical energy, generated from renewable energy sources such as the wind, the solar and the fuel cells to the grid. A line frequency transformer and a LCL filter are used at the output of the grid interactive inverter which is designed as current controlled to decrease the susceptibility to phase errors. Membership functions and rule base of the fuzzy logic controller, which control the inverter output current, are determined by using artificial neural networks. Both simulation and experimental results show that, the grid interactive inverter operates synchronously with the grid. The inverter output current which is imported to the grid is in sinusoidal waveform and the harmonic level of it meets the international standards (4.3 < 5.0%). In addition, simulation and experimental results of the neuro-fuzzy and the PI controlled inverter are given together and compared in detail. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed inverter has faster response to the reference variations and lower steady state error than PI controller.

5′UTR of the Neurogenic bHLH Nex1/MATH-2/NeuroD6 Gene Is Regulated by Two Distinct Promoters Through CRE and C/EBP Binding Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Uittenbogaard, Martine; Martinka, Debra L.; Johnson, Peter F.; Vinson, Charles; Chiaramello, Anne

2009-01-01

Expression of the bHLH transcription factor Nex1/MATH-2/NeuroD6, a member of the NeuroD subfamily, parallels overt neuronal differentiation and synaptogenesis during brain development. Our previous studies have shown that Nex1 is a critical effector of the NGF pathway and promotes neuronal differentiation and survival of PC12 cells in the absence of growth factors. In this study, we investigated the transcriptional regulation of the Nex1 gene during NGF-induced neuronal differentiation. We found that Nex1 expression is under the control of two conserved promoters, Nex1-P1 and Nex1-P2, located in two distinct non-coding exons. Both promoters are TATA-less with multiple transcription start sites, and are activated on NGF or cAMP exposure. Luciferase-reporter assays showed that the Nex1-P2 promoter activity is stronger than the Nex1-P1 promoter activity, which supports the previously reported differential expression levels of Nex1 transcripts throughout brain development. Using a combination of DNaseI footprinting, EMSA assays, and site-directed mutagenesis, we identified the essential regulatory elements within the first 2 kb of the Nex1 5′UTR. The Nex1-P1 promoter is mainly regulated by a conserved CRE element, whereas the Nex1-P2 promoter is under the control of a conserved C/EBP binding site. Overexpression of wild-type C/EBPβ resulted in increased Nex1-P2 promoter activity in NGF-differentiated PC12 cells. The fact that Nex1 is a target gene of C/EBPβ provides new insight into the C/EBP transcriptional cascade known to promote neurogenesis, while repressing gliogenesis. PMID:17075921

Statistically qualified neuro-analytic failure detection method and system

Science.gov (United States)

Vilim, Richard B.; Garcia, Humberto E.; Chen, Frederick W.

2002-03-02

An apparatus and method for monitoring a process involve development and application of a statistically qualified neuro-analytic (SQNA) model to accurately and reliably identify process change. The development of the SQNA model is accomplished in two stages: deterministic model adaption and stochastic model modification of the deterministic model adaptation. Deterministic model adaption involves formulating an analytic model of the process representing known process characteristics, augmenting the analytic model with a neural network that captures unknown process characteristics, and training the resulting neuro-analytic model by adjusting the neural network weights according to a unique scaled equation error minimization technique. Stochastic model modification involves qualifying any remaining uncertainty in the trained neuro-analytic model by formulating a likelihood function, given an error propagation equation, for computing the probability that the neuro-analytic model generates measured process output. Preferably, the developed SQNA model is validated using known sequential probability ratio tests and applied to the process as an on-line monitoring system. Illustrative of the method and apparatus, the method is applied to a peristaltic pump system.

A Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System Combining Wavelet Denoising, Principal Component Analysis, and Sequential Probability Ratio Test for Sensor Monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, Man Gyun; Oh, Seungrohk

2002-01-01

A neuro-fuzzy inference system combined with the wavelet denoising, principal component analysis (PCA), and sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) methods has been developed to monitor the relevant sensor using the information of other sensors. The parameters of the neuro-fuzzy inference system that estimates the relevant sensor signal are optimized by a genetic algorithm and a least-squares algorithm. The wavelet denoising technique was applied to remove noise components in input signals into the neuro-fuzzy system. By reducing the dimension of an input space into the neuro-fuzzy system without losing a significant amount of information, the PCA was used to reduce the time necessary to train the neuro-fuzzy system, simplify the structure of the neuro-fuzzy inference system, and also, make easy the selection of the input signals into the neuro-fuzzy system. By using the residual signals between the estimated signals and the measured signals, the SPRT is applied to detect whether the sensors are degraded or not. The proposed sensor-monitoring algorithm was verified through applications to the pressurizer water level, the pressurizer pressure, and the hot-leg temperature sensors in pressurized water reactors

A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) in red: live cell imaging of the kappa opioid receptor-tdTomato fusion protein (KOPR-tdT) in neuronal cells

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Peng; Chiu, Yi-Ting; Chen, Chongguang; Wang, Yujun; Liu-Chen, Lee-Yuan

2013-01-01

Introduction In contrast to green fluorescent protein and variants (GFPs), red fluorescent proteins (RFPs) have rarely been employed for generation of GPCR fusion proteins, likely because of formation of aggregates and cell toxicity of some RFPs. Among all the RFPs available, tdTomato (tdT), one of the non-aggregating RFP, has the highest brightness score (about 3 times that of eGFP) and unsurpassed photostability. Methods We fused tdT to the KOPR C-terminus. The KOPR-tdT cDNA construct was transfected into Neuro2A mouse neuroblastoma cell line (Neuro2A cells) and rat cortical primary neurons for characterization of pharmacological properties and imaging studies on KOPR trafficking. Results KOPR-tdT retained KOPR properties (cell surface expression, ligand binding, agonist-induced signaling and internalization) when expressed in Neuro2A cells and rat primary cortical neurons. Live cell imaging of KOPR-tdT enables visualization of time course of agonist-induced internalization of KOPR in real time for 60 min, without photobleaching and apparent cell toxicity. U50,488H-induced KOPR internalization occurred as early as 4 min and plateaued at about 30 min. A unique pattern of internalized KOPR in processes of primary neurons was induced by U50,488H. Discussion tdT is an alternative to, or even a better tool than, GFPs for fusing to GPCR for trafficking studies, because tdT has higher brightness and thus better resolution and less photobleaching problems due to reduced laser power used. It also has advantages associated with its longer-wavelength emission including spectral separation from autofluorescence and GFPs, reduced cell toxicity the laser may impose, and greater tissue penetration. These advantages of tdT over GPFs may be critical for live cell imaging studies of GPCRs in vitro and for studying GPCRs in vivo because of their low abundance. PMID:23856011

NeuroVR: an open source virtual reality platform for clinical psychology and behavioral neurosciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Riva, Giuseppe; Gaggioli, Andrea; Villani, Daniela; Preziosa, Alessandra; Morganti, Francesca; Corsi, Riccardo; Faletti, Gianluca; Vezzadini, Luca

2007-01-01

In the past decade, the use of virtual reality for clinical and research applications has become more widespread. However, the diffusion of this approach is still limited by three main issues: poor usability, lack of technical expertise among clinical professionals, and high costs. To address these challenges, we introduce NeuroVR (http://www.neurovr.org--http://www.neurotiv.org), a cost-free virtual reality platform based on open-source software, that allows non-expert users to adapt the content of a pre-designed virtual environment to meet the specific needs of the clinical or experimental setting. Using the NeuroVR Editor, the user can choose the appropriate psychological stimuli/stressors from a database of objects (both 2D and 3D) and videos, and easily place them into the virtual environment. The edited scene can then be visualized in the NeuroVR Player using either immersive or non-immersive displays. Currently, the NeuroVR library includes different virtual scenes (apartment, office, square, supermarket, park, classroom, etc.), covering two of the most studied clinical applications of VR: specific phobias and eating disorders. The NeuroVR Editor is based on Blender (http://www.blender.org), the open source, cross-platform suite of tools for 3D creation, and is available as a completely free resource. An interesting feature of the NeuroVR Editor is the possibility to add new objects to the database. This feature allows the therapist to enhance the patient's feeling of familiarity and intimacy with the virtual scene, i.e., by using photos or movies of objects/people that are part of the patient's daily life, thereby improving the efficacy of the exposure. The NeuroVR platform runs on standard personal computers with Microsoft Windows; the only requirement for the hardware is related to the graphics card, which must support OpenGL.

Clinical PET/MR Imaging in Dementia and Neuro-Oncology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Otto M.; Marner, Lisbeth; Law, Ian

2016-01-01

The introduction of hybrid PET/MRI systems allows simultaneous multimodality image acquisition of high technical quality. This technique is well suited for the brain, and particularly in dementia and neuro-oncology. In routine use combinations of well-established MRI sequences and PET tracers....../MRI using [18F]-fluoro-ethyl-tyrosine (FET) also abide to the expectations of the adaptive and versatile diagnostic tool necessary in neuro-oncology covering both simple 20 min protocols for routine treatment surveillance and complicated 90 min brain and spinal cord protocols in pediatric neuro...

Neuro-models for discharge air temperature system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaheer-uddin, M.; Tudoroiu, N.

2004-01-01

Nonlinear neuro-models for a discharge air temperature (DAT) system are developed. Experimental data gathered in a heating ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) test facility is used to develop multi-input multi-output (MIMO) and single-input single-output (SISO) neuro-models. Several different network architectures were explored to build the models. Results show that a three layer second order neural network structure is necessary to achieve good accuracy of the predictions. Results from the developed models are compared, and some observations on sensitivity and standard deviation errors are presented

Angiographic assessment of atherosclerotic load at the lower extremity in patients with diabetic foot and charcot neuro-arthropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Çildağ, Mehmet B; Ertuğrul, Bülent M; Köseoğlu, Ömer Fk; Çildağ, Songül; Armstrong, David G

2018-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate atherosclerotic load at the lower extremity in patients with diabetic foot and charcot neuro-arthropathy and compare them with patients with diabetic foot without charcot neuro-arthropathy. This retrospective study consists of 78 patients with diabetic foot who had lower extremity angiography with antegrade approach. All patients were classified into two groups; neuro ischemic wounds with charcot neuro-arthropathy (30/78) and without charcot neuro-arthropathy (48/78).Atherosclerotic load at the side of diabetic foot was determined by using the Bollinger angiogram scoring method. Comparison of atherosclerotic load between the two groups was performed. The mean of total and infrapopliteal level angiogram scoring of all patients was 33.3 (standard deviation, sd:±17.2) and 29.3 (sd:±15.6), respectively. The mean of total and infrapopliteal level angiogram scoring of neuroischemic wounds with charcot neuro-arthropathy group was 18.1 (sd:±11.6) and 15.7 (sd:±10.4), respectively. The mean of total and infrapopliteal level angiogram scoring of neuroischemic wounds without charcot neuro-arthropathy group was 42.8 (sd:±12.7) and 37.7 (sd:±12.0), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups of mean total and infrapopliteal angiogram scoring (p diabetic foot and chronic charcot neuro-arthropathy is significantly less than in patients with neuroischemic diabetic foot wounds without chronic charcot neuro-arthropathy. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.

NeuroTessMesh: A Tool for the Generation and Visualization of Neuron Meshes and Adaptive On-the-Fly Refinement

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Juan J. Garcia-Cantero

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Gaining a better understanding of the human brain continues to be one of the greatest challenges for science, largely because of the overwhelming complexity of the brain and the difficulty of analyzing the features and behavior of dense neural networks. Regarding analysis, 3D visualization has proven to be a useful tool for the evaluation of complex systems. However, the large number of neurons in non-trivial circuits, together with their intricate geometry, makes the visualization of a neuronal scenario an extremely challenging computational problem. Previous work in this area dealt with the generation of 3D polygonal meshes that approximated the cells’ overall anatomy but did not attempt to deal with the extremely high storage and computational cost required to manage a complex scene. This paper presents NeuroTessMesh, a tool specifically designed to cope with many of the problems associated with the visualization of neural circuits that are comprised of large numbers of cells. In addition, this method facilitates the recovery and visualization of the 3D geometry of cells included in databases, such as NeuroMorpho, and provides the tools needed to approximate missing information such as the soma’s morphology. This method takes as its only input the available compact, yet incomplete, morphological tracings of the cells as acquired by neuroscientists. It uses a multiresolution approach that combines an initial, coarse mesh generation with subsequent on-the-fly adaptive mesh refinement stages using tessellation shaders. For the coarse mesh generation, a novel approach, based on the Finite Element Method, allows approximation of the 3D shape of the soma from its incomplete description. Subsequently, the adaptive refinement process performed in the graphic card generates meshes that provide good visual quality geometries at a reasonable computational cost, both in terms of memory and rendering time. All the described techniques have been

NeuroD modulates opioid agonist-selective regulation of adult neurogenesis and contextual memory extinction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Hui; Zhang, Yue; Li, Wen; Loh, Horace H; Law, Ping-Yee

2013-04-01

Addictive drugs, including opioids, modulate adult neurogenesis. In order to delineate the probable implications of neurogenesis on contextual memory associated with addiction, we investigated opioid agonist-selective regulation of neurogenic differentiation 1 (NeuroD) activities under the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Training mice with equivalent doses of morphine and fentanyl produced different CPP extinction rates without measurable differences in the CPP acquisition rate or magnitude. Fentanyl-induced CPP required much longer time for extinction than morphine-induced CPP. We observed a parallel decrease in NeuroD activities and neurogenesis after morphine-induced CPP, but not after fentanyl-induced CPP. Increasing NeuroD activities with NeuroD-lentivirus (nd-vir) injection at the dentate gyrus before CPP training reversed morphine-induced decreases in NeuroD activities and neurogenesis, and prolonged the time required for extinction of morphine-induced CPP. On the other hand, decreasing NeuroD activities via injection of miRNA-190-virus (190-vir) reversed the fentanyl effect on NeuroD and neurogenesis and shortened the time required for extinction of fentanyl-induced CPP. Another contextual memory task, the Morris Water Maze (MWM), was affected similarly by alteration of NeuroD activities. The reduction in NeuroD activities either by morphine treatment or 190-vir injection decreased MWM task retention, while the increase in NeuroD activities by nd-vir prolonged MWM task retention. Thus, by controlling NeuroD activities, opioid agonists differentially regulate adult neurogenesis and subsequent contextual memory retention. Such drug-related memory regulation could have implications in eventual context-associated relapse.

NeuroLex.org: An online framework for neuroscience knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen D Larson

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The ability to transmit, organize, and query information digitally has brought with it the challenge of how to best use this power to facilitate scientific inquiry. Today, few information systems are able to provide detailed answers to complex questions about neuroscience that account for multiple spatial scales, and which cross the boundaries of diverse parts of the nervous system such as molecules, cellular parts, cells, circuits, systems and tissues. As a result, investigators still primarily seek answers to their questions in an increasingly densely populated collection of articles in the literature, each of which must be digested individually. If it were easier to search a knowledge base that was structured to answer neuroscience questions, such a system would enable questions to be answered in seconds that would otherwise require hours of literature review.In this article, we describe NeuroLex.org, a wiki-based website and knowledge management system. Its goal is to bring neurobiological knowledge into a framework that allows neuroscientists to review the concepts of neuroscience, with an emphasis on multiscale descriptions of the parts of nervous systems, aggregate their understanding with that of other scientists, link them to data sources and descriptions of important concepts in neuroscience, and expose parts that are still controversial or missing. To date, the site is tracking ~25,000 unique neuroanatomical parts and concepts in neurobiology spanning experimental techniques, behavioral paradigms, anatomical nomenclature, genes, proteins and molecules. Here we show how the structuring of information about these anatomical parts in the nervous system can be reused to answer multiple neuroscience questions, such as displaying all known GABAergic neurons aggregated in NeuroLex or displaying all brain regions that are known within NeuroLex to send axons into the cerebellar cortex.

NeuroLex.org: an online framework for neuroscience knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Stephen D.; Martone, Maryann E.

2013-01-01

The ability to transmit, organize, and query information digitally has brought with it the challenge of how to best use this power to facilitate scientific inquiry. Today, few information systems are able to provide detailed answers to complex questions about neuroscience that account for multiple spatial scales, and which cross the boundaries of diverse parts of the nervous system such as molecules, cellular parts, cells, circuits, systems and tissues. As a result, investigators still primarily seek answers to their questions in an increasingly densely populated collection of articles in the literature, each of which must be digested individually. If it were easier to search a knowledge base that was structured to answer neuroscience questions, such a system would enable questions to be answered in seconds that would otherwise require hours of literature review. In this article, we describe NeuroLex.org, a wiki-based website and knowledge management system. Its goal is to bring neurobiological knowledge into a framework that allows neuroscientists to review the concepts of neuroscience, with an emphasis on multiscale descriptions of the parts of nervous systems, aggregate their understanding with that of other scientists, link them to data sources and descriptions of important concepts in neuroscience, and expose parts that are still controversial or missing. To date, the site is tracking ~25,000 unique neuroanatomical parts and concepts in neurobiology spanning experimental techniques, behavioral paradigms, anatomical nomenclature, genes, proteins and molecules. Here we show how the structuring of information about these anatomical parts in the nervous system can be reused to answer multiple neuroscience questions, such as displaying all known GABAergic neurons aggregated in NeuroLex or displaying all brain regions that are known within NeuroLex to send axons into the cerebellar cortex. PMID:24009581

Up-Regulation of CYP2C19 Expression by BuChang NaoXinTong via PXR Activation in HepG2 Cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Sun

Full Text Available Cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19 is an important drug-metabolizing enzyme (DME, which is responsible for the biotransformation of several kinds of drugs such as proton pump inhibitors, platelet aggregation inhibitors and antidepressants. Previous studies showed that Buchang NaoXinTong capsules (NXT increased the CYP2C19 metabolic activity in vitro and enhanced the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel in vivo. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remained unclear. In the present study, we examined whether Pregnane X receptor (PXR plays a role in NXT-mediated regulation of CYP2C19 expression.We applied luciferase assays, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR, Western blotting and cell-based analysis of metabolic activity experiments to investigate the NXT regulatory effects on the CYP2C19 promoter activity, the mRNA/ protein expression and the metabolic activity.Our results demonstrated that NXT significantly increased the CYP2C19 promoter activity when co-transfected with PXR in HepG2 cells. Mutations in PXR responsive element abolished the NXT inductive effects on the CYP2C19 promoter transcription. Additionally, NXT incubation (150 and 250μg/mL also markedly up-regulated endogenous CYP2C19 mRNA and protein levels in PXR-transfected HepG2 cells. Correspondingly, NXT leaded to a significant enhancement of the CYP2C19 catalytic activity in PXR-transfected HepG2 cells.In summary, this is the first study to suggest that NXT could induce CYP2C19 expression via PXR activation.

Neuro-pharmacological potentials of Buchholzia coriacea (Engl.) seeds in laboratory rodents.

Science.gov (United States)

Onasanwo, S A; Obembe, O O; Faborode, S O; Elufioye, T O; Adisa, R A

2013-06-01

Buchholzia coriacea, taken by elderly, has phytochemicals that have neuro-active metabolites, and the folklore documented its use in neuro-behavioural despairs. This study was conducted to investigate the neuro-pharmacological potentials of Buchholzia coriacea (MEBC) seed extract in the laboratory rodents. Methanol extract of the seeds on B. coriacea (MEBC) was evaluated for its antidepressant (Forced Swimming Test and Tail Suspension Test), anxiolytic (Light-Dark Test, Hole Board Test and Elevated Plus Maze), antinociceptive (Hot-Plate and Tail Flick test) and motor coordination (Rota Rod) functions in mice. Our findings showed antidepressant activity (P neuro-physiological disorders like depression, anxiety and pain.

Crosstalk between cancer and the neuro-immune system.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuol, Nyanbol; Stojanovska, Lily; Apostolopoulos, Vasso; Nurgali, Kulmira

2018-02-15

In the last decade, understanding of cancer initiation and progression has been given much attention with studies mainly focusing on genetic abnormalities. Importantly, cancer cells can influence their microenvironment and bi-directionally communicate with other systems such as the immune system. The nervous system plays a fundamental role in regulating immune responses to a range of disease states including cancer. Its dysfunction influences the progression of cancer. The role of the immune system in tumor progression is of relevance to the nervous system since they can bi-directionally communicate via neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, common receptors, and, cytokines. However, cross-talk between these cells is highly complex in nature, and numerous variations are possible according to the type of cancer involved. The neuro-immune interaction is essential in influencing cancer development and progression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A POST-MODERNIST ANALYSIS OF THE NEURO-SCIENCES ...

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Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology, Rand Afrikaans University. Anita Stuart. D Litt et Phil ... of neuro-science, including the assumptive framework upon which the dominant discourse in this field is based, which ultimately serves to maintain .... 1978:52; 1979:67). Each narrative or text, once embraced, “invites certain.

A neuro-immune model of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Gerwyn; Maes, Michael

2013-12-01

This paper proposes a neuro-immune model for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). A wide range of immunological and neurological abnormalities have been reported in people suffering from ME/CFS. They include abnormalities in proinflammatory cytokines, raised production of nuclear factor-κB, mitochondrial dysfunctions, autoimmune responses, autonomic disturbances and brain pathology. Raised levels of oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS), together with reduced levels of antioxidants are indicative of an immuno-inflammatory pathology. A number of different pathogens have been reported either as triggering or maintaining factors. Our model proposes that initial infection and immune activation caused by a number of possible pathogens leads to a state of chronic peripheral immune activation driven by activated O&NS pathways that lead to progressive damage of self epitopes even when the initial infection has been cleared. Subsequent activation of autoreactive T cells conspiring with O&NS pathways cause further damage and provoke chronic activation of immuno-inflammatory pathways. The subsequent upregulation of proinflammatory compounds may activate microglia via the vagus nerve. Elevated proinflammatory cytokines together with raised O&NS conspire to produce mitochondrial damage. The subsequent ATP deficit together with inflammation and O&NS are responsible for the landmark symptoms of ME/CFS, including post-exertional malaise. Raised levels of O&NS subsequently cause progressive elevation of autoimmune activity facilitated by molecular mimicry, bystander activation or epitope spreading. These processes provoke central nervous system (CNS) activation in an attempt to restore immune homeostatsis. This model proposes that the antagonistic activities of the CNS response to peripheral inflammation, O&NS and chronic immune activation are responsible for the remitting-relapsing nature of ME/CFS. Leads for future research are suggested based on this

NeuroPigPen: A Scalable Toolkit for Processing Electrophysiological Signal Data in Neuroscience Applications Using Apache Pig.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahoo, Satya S; Wei, Annan; Valdez, Joshua; Wang, Li; Zonjy, Bilal; Tatsuoka, Curtis; Loparo, Kenneth A; Lhatoo, Samden D

2016-01-01

The recent advances in neurological imaging and sensing technologies have led to rapid increase in the volume, rate of data generation, and variety of neuroscience data. This "neuroscience Big data" represents a significant opportunity for the biomedical research community to design experiments using data with greater timescale, large number of attributes, and statistically significant data size. The results from these new data-driven research techniques can advance our understanding of complex neurological disorders, help model long-term effects of brain injuries, and provide new insights into dynamics of brain networks. However, many existing neuroinformatics data processing and analysis tools were not built to manage large volume of data, which makes it difficult for researchers to effectively leverage this available data to advance their research. We introduce a new toolkit called NeuroPigPen that was developed using Apache Hadoop and Pig data flow language to address the challenges posed by large-scale electrophysiological signal data. NeuroPigPen is a modular toolkit that can process large volumes of electrophysiological signal data, such as Electroencephalogram (EEG), Electrocardiogram (ECG), and blood oxygen levels (SpO2), using a new distributed storage model called Cloudwave Signal Format (CSF) that supports easy partitioning and storage of signal data on commodity hardware. NeuroPigPen was developed with three design principles: (a) Scalability-the ability to efficiently process increasing volumes of data; (b) Adaptability-the toolkit can be deployed across different computing configurations; and (c) Ease of programming-the toolkit can be easily used to compose multi-step data processing pipelines using high-level programming constructs. The NeuroPigPen toolkit was evaluated using 750 GB of electrophysiological signal data over a variety of Hadoop cluster configurations ranging from 3 to 30 Data nodes. The evaluation results demonstrate that the toolkit

The EPTN consensus-based atlas for CT- and MR-based contouring in neuro-oncology.

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Eekers, Daniëlle Bp; In 't Ven, Lieke; Roelofs, Erik; Postma, Alida; Alapetite, Claire; Burnet, Neil G; Calugaru, Valentin; Compter, Inge; Coremans, Ida E M; Høyer, Morton; Lambrecht, Maarten; Nyström, Petra Witt; Romero, Alejandra Méndez; Paulsen, Frank; Perpar, Ana; de Ruysscher, Dirk; Renard, Laurette; Timmermann, Beate; Vitek, Pavel; Weber, Damien C; van der Weide, Hiske L; Whitfield, Gillian A; Wiggenraad, Ruud; Troost, Esther G C

2018-03-13

To create a digital, online atlas for organs at risk (OAR) delineation in neuro-oncology based on high-quality computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. CT and 3 Tesla (3T) MR images (slice thickness 1 mm with intravenous contrast agent) were obtained from the same patient and subsequently fused. In addition, a 7T MR without intravenous contrast agent was obtained from a healthy volunteer. Based on discussion between experienced radiation oncologists, the clinically relevant organs at risk (OARs) to be included in the atlas for neuro-oncology were determined, excluding typical head and neck OARs previously published. The draft atlas was delineated by a senior radiation oncologist, 2 residents in radiation oncology, and a senior neuro-radiologist incorporating relevant available literature. The proposed atlas was then critically reviewed and discussed by European radiation oncologists until consensus was reached. The online atlas includes one CT-scan at two different window settings and one MR scan (3T) showing the OARs in axial, coronal and sagittal view. This manuscript presents the three-dimensional descriptions of the fifteen consensus OARs for neuro-oncology. Among these is a new OAR relevant for neuro-cognition, the posterior cerebellum (illustrated on 7T MR images). In order to decrease inter- and intra-observer variability in delineating OARs relevant for neuro-oncology and thus derive consistent dosimetric data, we propose this atlas to be used in photon and particle therapy. The atlas is available online at www.cancerdata.org and will be updated whenever required. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neuroæstetik eller kunst på hjernen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clasen, Mathias

2009-01-01

Neuroæstetikken kombinerer hjerneforskning, æstetikforskning og eksperimentel psykologi -- alt sammen for at forstå en af Homo sapiens' mest bizarre hobbyer: kunst. Forskning i kunstens neurobiologi griber om sig.......Neuroæstetikken kombinerer hjerneforskning, æstetikforskning og eksperimentel psykologi -- alt sammen for at forstå en af Homo sapiens' mest bizarre hobbyer: kunst. Forskning i kunstens neurobiologi griber om sig....

Prediction of flood abnormalities for improved public safety using a modified adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system.

Science.gov (United States)

Aqil, M; Kita, I; Yano, A; Nishiyama, S

2006-01-01

purposes. This program may also serve as a tool for real-time flood monitoring and process control. The results indicate that the modified neuro-fuzzy model applied to the flood prediction seems to have reached encouraging results for the river basin under examination. The comparison of the modified neuro-fuzzy predictions with the observed data was satisfactory, where the error resulted from the testing period was varied between 2.632% and 5.560%. Thus, this program may also serve as a tool for real-time flood monitoring and process control.

A neuro-fuzzy computing technique for modeling hydrological time series

Science.gov (United States)

Nayak, P. C.; Sudheer, K. P.; Rangan, D. M.; Ramasastri, K. S.

2004-05-01

Intelligent computing tools such as artificial neural network (ANN) and fuzzy logic approaches are proven to be efficient when applied individually to a variety of problems. Recently there has been a growing interest in combining both these approaches, and as a result, neuro-fuzzy computing techniques have evolved. This approach has been tested and evaluated in the field of signal processing and related areas, but researchers have only begun evaluating the potential of this neuro-fuzzy hybrid approach in hydrologic modeling studies. This paper presents the application of an adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) to hydrologic time series modeling, and is illustrated by an application to model the river flow of Baitarani River in Orissa state, India. An introduction to the ANFIS modeling approach is also presented. The advantage of the method is that it does not require the model structure to be known a priori, in contrast to most of the time series modeling techniques. The results showed that the ANFIS forecasted flow series preserves the statistical properties of the original flow series. The model showed good performance in terms of various statistical indices. The results are highly promising, and a comparative analysis suggests that the proposed modeling approach outperforms ANNs and other traditional time series models in terms of computational speed, forecast errors, efficiency, peak flow estimation etc. It was observed that the ANFIS model preserves the potential of the ANN approach fully, and eases the model building process.

Roles of neuro-exocytotic proteins at the neuromuscular junction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sons-Michel, Michèle S.

2011-01-01

The aim of the studies described in the thesis was to elucidate the roles of several neuro-exocytotic proteins at the motor nerve terminal in neuromuscular synaptic transmission, making use of genetic knockout (KO) mice, each missing one (or more) neuro-exocytotic proteins. In addition, it was

Neuro-Music Therapy for Recent-Onset Tinnitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miriam Grapp

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this pilot study was the evaluation of the neuro-music therapy approach as a new treatment option for patients with recent-onset tinnitus whose tinnitus symptoms were enduring after initial pharmacological treatment. In all, 15 patients with recent-onset tinnitus took part in our manualized short-term music-therapeutic treatment. Tinnitus severity and individual tinnitus distress were assessed by the German version of the tinnitus questionnaire (TQ and the Attention and Performance Self-Assessment Scale (APSA at three different measurement times: baseline (T0, start of treatment (T1, and end of treatment (T2. Score changes in TQ and APSA from start to end of treatment indicated significant improvements in tinnitus-related distress. According to the Jacobson and Truax reliable change index (RC, 73.3% of the patients showed a reliable reduction in individual TQ-score. The neuro-music therapy for recent-onset tinnitus according to the “Heidelberg Model” introduced in this pilot study seems to provide an effective treatment option for patients with recent-onset tinnitus.

Altered blood-brain barrier transport in neuro-inflammatory disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Schenk, Geert J; de Vries, Helga E

2016-06-01

During neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and multiple sclerosis (MS), the protective function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) may be severely impaired. The general neuro-inflammatory response, ranging from activation of glial cells to immune cell infiltration that is frequently associated with such brain diseases may underlie the loss of the integrity and function of the BBB. Consequentially, the delivery and disposition of drugs to the brain will be altered and may influence the treatment efficiency of such diseases. Altered BBB transport of drugs into the CNS during diseases may be the result of changes in both specific transport and non-specific transport pathways. Potential alterations in transport routes like adsorptive mediated endocytosis and receptor-mediated endocytosis may affect drug delivery to the brain. As such, drugs that normally are unable to traverse the BBB may reach their target in the diseased brain due to increased permeability. In contrast, the delivery of (targeted) drugs could be hampered during inflammatory conditions due to disturbed transport mechanisms. Therefore, the inventory of the neuro-inflammatory status of the neurovasculature (or recovery thereof) is of utmost importance in choosing and designing an adequate drug targeting strategy under disease conditions. Within this review we will briefly discuss how the function of the BBB can be affected during disease and how this may influence the delivery of drugs into the diseased CNS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teacher Perceptions of NeuroEducation: A Mixed Methods Survey of Teachers in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Serpati, Lauren; Loughan, Ashlee R.

2012-01-01

Pickering and Howard-Jones (2007) reported educators' enthusiasm for NeuroEducation from a sample of teachers attending neuroscience professional development courses. Their results revealed teachers: (1) are enthusiastic about the role of neuroscience in education; (2) believe an understanding of the brain for educational program development is…

Vitamin-C protect ethanol induced apoptotic neuro degeneration in postnatal rat brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naseer, M.I.; Najeebullah; Ikramullah; Zubair, H.; Hassan, M.; Yang, B.C.

2010-01-01

Objective: To evaluate ethanol effects to induced activation of caspsae-3, and to observe the protective effects of Vitamin C (vit-C) on ethanol-induced apoptotic neuro degeneration in rat cortical area of brain. Methodology: Administration of a single dose of ethanol in 7-d postnatal (P7) rats triggers activation of caspase-3 and widespread apoptotic neuronal death. Western blot analysis, cells counting and Nissl staining were used to elucidate possible protective effect of vit-C against ethanol-induced apoptotic neuro degeneration in brain. Results: The results showed that ethanol significantly increased caspase-3 expression and neuronal apoptosis. Furthermore, the co-treatment of vit-C along with ethanol showed significantly decreased expression of caspase-3 as compare to control group. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that vit-C can prevent some of the deleterious effect of ethanol on developing rat brain when given after ethanol exposure and can be used as an effective protective agent for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). (author)

Clinical Nihilism in Neuro-Emergencies

Science.gov (United States)

Hemphill, J. Claude; White, Douglas B.

2009-01-01

Mortality and morbidity remain high from neurological emergencies such as acute stroke, traumatic brain injury, and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy after cardiac arrest. Decisions regarding initial aggressiveness of care must be made at the time of presentation and perceived prognosis is often used as part of this decision-making process. However, these decisions are predicated on the accuracy of early outcome prediction. Decisions to limit treatment early after neuro-emergencies must be balanced with avoidance of self-fulfilling prophecies of poor outcome due to clinical nihilism. This article examines the role of prognostication early after neuro-emergencies, the potential impact of early treatment limitations, and how these may relate to communication with patients and surrogate decision makers in the context of these acute neurological events. PMID:19218017

Neuro-oncology: a selected review of ASCO 2016 abstracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Chamberlain, Marc C

2016-10-01

ASCO 2016, 29 May-2 June 2016, Chicago, IL, USA The largest annual clinical oncology conference the American Society of Clinical Oncology is held in the USA and gives researchers and other key opinion leaders the opportunity to present new cancer clinical trials and research data. The CNS tumors section of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2016 covered various aspects of neuro-oncology including metastatic CNS diseases and primary brain tumors, presented via posters, oral talks and over 100 abstracts. This brief review selectively highlights presentations from this meeting in an organizational manner that reflects clinically relevant aspects of a large and multifaceted meeting.

Sequential gadolinium-DTPA enhanced MRI studies in neuro-Behcet's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazui, S.; Naritomi, H.; Ogawa, M.; Sawada, T.; Imakita, S.; Yamada, N.

1991-01-01

Sequential gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA) enhanced MR images were obtained before and after steroid therapy in a case of neuro-Behcet's disease. Multiple scattered lesions, which could not be detected on pre- and post-contrast CT, were demonstrated mainly in the white matter of the pons and/or the cerebrum with both T1- and T2-weighted images. Some of these lesions, however, were not enhanced at all by infusion of Gd-DTPA. The Gd-DTPA infusion study demonstrated marked enhancement in the white matter of the pons and cerebrum. Some lesions not seen with T2-weighted images were also strongly enhanced by Gd-DTPA infusion at the acute stage. After steroid therapy, the symptoms and abnormal laboratory findings were resolved. The pontine and cerebral lesions on plain MR images remained unchanged even after resolution of the symptoms, suggesting that they were inactive old foci. On the other hand, the lesions detected in the enhancement study before steroid therapy disappeared with the repeat Gd-DTPA enhanced MR images which were performed after resolution of the symptoms. Some active inflammatory lesions in neuro-Behcet's disease may be demonstrated only on Gd-DTPA enhanced MR images. Gd-DTPA enhanced MR imaging appears to be potentially useful for detecting active inflammatory lesions in neuro-Behcet's disease and for evaluating the efficacy of treatment. (orig.)

MRG15 activates the cdc2 promoter via histone acetylation in human cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pena, AndreAna N.; Tominaga, Kaoru; Pereira-Smith, Olivia M.

2011-01-01

Chromatin remodeling is required for transcriptional activation and repression. MRG15 (MORF4L1), a chromatin modulator, is a highly conserved protein and is present in complexes containing histone acetyltransferases (HATs) as well as histone deacetylases (HDACs). Loss of expression of MRG15 in mice and Drosophila results in embryonic lethality and fibroblast and neural stem/progenitor cells cultured from Mrg15 null mouse embryos exhibit marked proliferative defects when compared with wild type cells. To determine the role of MRG15 in cell cycle progression we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation with an antibody to MRG15 on normal human fibroblasts as they entered the cell cycle from a quiescent state, and analyzed various cell cycle gene promoters. The results demonstrated a 3-fold increase in MRG15 occupancy at the cdc2 promoter during S phase of the cell cycle and a concomitant increase in acetylated histone H4. H4 lysine 12 was acetylated at 24 h post-serum stimulation while there was no change in acetylation of lysine 16. HDAC1 and 2 were decreased at this promoter during cell cycle progression. Over-expression of MRG15 in HeLa cells activated a cdc2 promoter-reporter construct in a dose-dependent manner, whereas knockdown of MRG15 resulted in decreased promoter activity. In order to implicate HAT activity, we treated cells with the HAT inhibitor anacardic acid and determined that HAT inhibition results in loss of expression of cdc2 mRNA. Further, chromatin immunoprecipitation with Tip60 localizes the protein to the same 110 bp stretch of the cdc2 promoter pulled down by MRG15. Additionally, we determined that cotransfection of MRG15 with the known associated HAT Tip60 had a cooperative effect in activating the cdc2 promoter. These results suggest that MRG15 is acting in a HAT complex involving Tip60 to modify chromatin via acetylation of histone H4 at the cdc2 promoter to activate transcription.

MRG15 activates the cdc2 promoter via histone acetylation in human cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pena, AndreAna N., E-mail: andreana.pena@gmail.com [Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX (United States); Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX (United States); Tominaga, Kaoru; Pereira-Smith, Olivia M. [Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX (United States); Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX (United States)

2011-07-01

Chromatin remodeling is required for transcriptional activation and repression. MRG15 (MORF4L1), a chromatin modulator, is a highly conserved protein and is present in complexes containing histone acetyltransferases (HATs) as well as histone deacetylases (HDACs). Loss of expression of MRG15 in mice and Drosophila results in embryonic lethality and fibroblast and neural stem/progenitor cells cultured from Mrg15 null mouse embryos exhibit marked proliferative defects when compared with wild type cells. To determine the role of MRG15 in cell cycle progression we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation with an antibody to MRG15 on normal human fibroblasts as they entered the cell cycle from a quiescent state, and analyzed various cell cycle gene promoters. The results demonstrated a 3-fold increase in MRG15 occupancy at the cdc2 promoter during S phase of the cell cycle and a concomitant increase in acetylated histone H4. H4 lysine 12 was acetylated at 24 h post-serum stimulation while there was no change in acetylation of lysine 16. HDAC1 and 2 were decreased at this promoter during cell cycle progression. Over-expression of MRG15 in HeLa cells activated a cdc2 promoter-reporter construct in a dose-dependent manner, whereas knockdown of MRG15 resulted in decreased promoter activity. In order to implicate HAT activity, we treated cells with the HAT inhibitor anacardic acid and determined that HAT inhibition results in loss of expression of cdc2 mRNA. Further, chromatin immunoprecipitation with Tip60 localizes the protein to the same 110 bp stretch of the cdc2 promoter pulled down by MRG15. Additionally, we determined that cotransfection of MRG15 with the known associated HAT Tip60 had a cooperative effect in activating the cdc2 promoter. These results suggest that MRG15 is acting in a HAT complex involving Tip60 to modify chromatin via acetylation of histone H4 at the cdc2 promoter to activate transcription.

The Neuro-Image: Alain Resnais's Digital Cinema without the Digits

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pisters, P.

2011-01-01

This paper proposes to read cinema in the digital age as a new type of image, the neuroimage. Going back to Gilles Deleuze's cinema books and it is argued that the neuro-image is based in the future. The cinema of Alain Resnais is analyzed as a neuro-image and digital cinema .

Cascade control of superheated steam temperature with neuro-PID controller.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jianhua; Zhang, Fenfang; Ren, Mifeng; Hou, Guolian; Fang, Fang

2012-11-01

In this paper, an improved cascade control methodology for superheated processes is developed, in which the primary PID controller is implemented by neural networks trained by minimizing error entropy criterion. The entropy of the tracking error can be estimated recursively by utilizing receding horizon window technique. The measurable disturbances in superheated processes are input to the neuro-PID controller besides the sequences of tracking error in outer loop control system, hence, feedback control is combined with feedforward control in the proposed neuro-PID controller. The convergent condition of the neural networks is analyzed. The implementation procedures of the proposed cascade control approach are summarized. Compared with the neuro-PID controller using minimizing squared error criterion, the proposed neuro-PID controller using minimizing error entropy criterion may decrease fluctuations of the superheated steam temperature. A simulation example shows the advantages of the proposed method. Copyright © 2012 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two cases of possible neuro-Sweet disease with meningoencephalitis as the initial manifestation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Go Makimoto

2012-02-01

Full Text Available We report 2 cases that were considered to be neuro-Sweet disease. They initially manifested with meningoencephalitis and no skin lesions, and rapidly improved with corticosteroid therapy. In both cases, patients complained of meningitic symptoms such as fever and headache, and HLA-B54 and -Cw1 turned out to be positive over the clinical course. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed increased levels of lymphocytes and protein. In case #1, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and diffusion-weighted images (DWI showed high-intensity signals in the right dorsal medulla oblongata, bilateral dorsal midbrain, and left thalamus. In case #2, FLAIR and DWI showed high-intensity signals in the bilateral cerebellar cortex and left caudate nucleus. Symptoms and MRI images were markedly improved in both cases after corticosteroid pulse therapy. According to published diagnostic criteria, these 2 cases were considered possible neuro-Sweet disease. These cases suggest that the combination of meningoencephalitis and HLA specificity is important to consider the possibility of neuro-Sweet disease, even without skin lesions.

Optimization of Neuro-Fuzzy System Using Genetic Algorithm for Chromosome Classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Sarosa

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Neuro-fuzzy system has been shown to provide a good performance on chromosome classification but does not offer a simple method to obtain the accurate parameter values required to yield the best recognition rate. This paper presents a neuro-fuzzy system where its parameters can be automatically adjusted using genetic algorithms. The approach combines the advantages of fuzzy logic theory, neural networks, and genetic algorithms. The structure consists of a four layer feed-forward neural network that uses a GBell membership function as the output function. The proposed methodology has been applied and tested on banded chromosome classification from the Copenhagen Chromosome Database. Simulation result showed that the proposed neuro-fuzzy system optimized by genetic algorithms offers advantages in setting the parameter values, improves the recognition rate significantly and decreases the training/testing time which makes genetic neuro-fuzzy system suitable for chromosome classification.

Sensitivity Verification of PWR Monitoring System Using Neuro-Expert For LOCA Detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muhammad Subekti

2009-01-01

Sensitivity Verification of PWR Monitoring System Using Neuro-Expert For LOCA Detection. The present research was done for verification of previous developed method on Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) detection and perform simulations for knowing the sensitivity of the PWR monitoring system that applied neuro-expert method. The previous research continuing on present research, has developed and has tested the neuro-expert method for several anomaly detections in Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) typed Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR). Neuro-expert can detect the LOCA anomaly with sensitivity of primary coolant leakage of 7 gallon/min and the conventional method could not detect the primary coolant leakage of 30 gallon/min. Neuro expert method detects significantly LOCA anomaly faster than conventional system in Surry-1 NPP as well so that the impact risk is reducible. (author)

ERE environment- and cell type-specific transcriptional effects of estrogen in normal endometrial cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lascombe, I; Sallot, M; Vuillermoz, C; Weisz, A; Adessi, G L; Jouvenot, M

1998-04-30

Our previous results have suggested a repression of E2 (17beta-estradiol) effect on the c-fos gene of cultured guinea-pig endometrial cells. To investigate this repression, the expression of three human c-fos gene recombinants, pFC1-BL (-2250/+41), pFC2-BL (-1400/+41) and pFC2E (-1300/-1050 and -230/+41), known to be E2-responsive in Hela cells, was studied in stromal (SC) and glandular epithelial cells (GEC). In both cellular types, pFC1-BL was not induced by E2, even in the presence of growth factors or co-transfected estrogen receptor. The pattern of pFC2-BL and pFC2E expression was strikingly different and depended on the cellular type: pFC2-BL and pFC2E induction was restricted to the glandular epithelial cells and did not occur in the SCs. We argue for a repression of E2 action which is dependent on the estrogen-responsive cis-acting element (ERE) environment and also cell type-specific involving DNA/protein and/or protein/protein interactions with cellular type-specific factors.

Classification of EEG Signals by Radial Neuro-Fuzzy Systems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Coufal, David

2006-01-01

Roč. 5, č. 2 (2006), s. 415-423 ISSN 1109-2777 R&D Projects: GA MŠk ME 701 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : neuro-fuzzy systems * radial fuzzy systems * data mining * hybrid systems Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics

The role of ethics in data governance of large neuro-ICT projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Stahl, Bernd Carsten; Rainey, Stephen; Harris, Emma; Fothergill, B Tyr

2018-05-14

We describe current practices of ethics-related data governance in large neuro-ICT projects, identify gaps in current practice, and put forward recommendations on how to collaborate ethically in complex regulatory and normative contexts. We undertake a survey of published principles of data governance of large neuro-ICT projects. This grounds an approach to a normative analysis of current data governance approaches. Several ethical issues are well covered in the data governance policies of neuro-ICT projects, notably data protection and attribution of work. Projects use a set of similar policies to ensure users behave appropriately. However, many ethical issues are not covered at all. Implementation and enforcement of policies remain vague. The data governance policies we investigated indicate that the neuro-ICT research community is currently close-knit and that shared assumptions are reflected in infrastructural aspects. This explains why many ethical issues are not explicitly included in data governance policies at present. With neuro-ICT research growing in scale, scope, and international involvement, these shared assumptions should be made explicit and reflected in data governance.

Uncommon presentation of neuro- cysticercosis

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Uncommon presentation of neuro- cysticercosis. Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a common parasitic infection of the central nervous system caused by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium. The clinical presentation of NCC in children includes generalised and partial seizures with or without features of raised intracranial pressure.

Imaging and translational research: neuro degenerative diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hantraye, P.

2009-01-01

Advances in neuroimaging of neuro-degenerative diseases over the past two decades are the product of breakthroughs in imaging technology, more powerful computers, image-processing software, and expanding knowledge in basic and clinical neuro-science. In addition to the insights into normal brain structure and function that such methods provide, and the information that can be gained from disease-related changes in structure and function, functional imaging offers the promise of monitoring brain lesions and quantifying the therapeutic efficacy of innovative treatments for these largely incurable disorders. (author)

Neuro-fuzzy modelling of hydro unit efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iliev, Atanas; Fushtikj, Vangel

2003-01-01

This paper presents neuro-fuzzy method for modeling of the hydro unit efficiency. The proposed method uses the characteristics of the fuzzy systems as universal function approximates, as well the abilities of the neural networks to adopt the parameters of the membership's functions and rules in the consequent part of the developed fuzzy system. Developed method is practically applied for modeling of the efficiency of unit which will be installed in the hydro power plant Kozjak. Comparison of the performance of the derived neuro-fuzzy method with several classical polynomials models is also performed. (Author)

Neuro-fuzzy system modeling based on automatic fuzzy clustering

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yuangang TANG; Fuchun SUN; Zengqi SUN

2005-01-01

A neuro-fuzzy system model based on automatic fuzzy clustering is proposed.A hybrid model identification algorithm is also developed to decide the model structure and model parameters.The algorithm mainly includes three parts:1) Automatic fuzzy C-means (AFCM),which is applied to generate fuzzy rules automatically,and then fix on the size of the neuro-fuzzy network,by which the complexity of system design is reducesd greatly at the price of the fitting capability;2) Recursive least square estimation (RLSE).It is used to update the parameters of Takagi-Sugeno model,which is employed to describe the behavior of the system;3) Gradient descent algorithm is also proposed for the fuzzy values according to the back propagation algorithm of neural network.Finally,modeling the dynamical equation of the two-link manipulator with the proposed approach is illustrated to validate the feasibility of the method.

Neuro-Behçet hos en kaukasid dansk patient

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karshena, Ali; Koch-Henriksen, Nils

2010-01-01

. The diagnosis of neuro-Behçet can be difficult to establish if the mucocutaneous involvement is incomplete, absent, or unattended. We present an exceptional case of neuro-Behçet in a 38-year-old Caucasian Danish woman. On account of the risk of serious complication, it is important to make the diagnosis as soon...

Neuro-Behcet's disease: initial and follow-up MR imaging findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Chan Sung; Choi, Sun Seob; Lee, Ha Jong; Ha, Dong Ho; Lee, Yong Il

1998-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate initial and follow-up MR imaging(MRI) findings of neuro-Behcet's disease. MRI of seven clinically diagnosed cases of neuro-Behcet's disease were retrospectively analysed in terms of involved site, pattern, signal intensity, contrast enhancement pattern and changes seen on follow-up. Using a 0.35T or 1.0T unit T2-and T1-weighted spin-echocontrast-enhanced images were obtained in six patients. Follow-up MRI after steroid therapy lastion between two weeks and 16 months was performed in six patients. Lesions involved the midbrain(6/7), pons(5/7), thalamus(4/7), medulla oblongata(3/7), tegmentum(3/7), internal capsule(3/7), middle cerebellar peduncle(2/7), dentate nucleus(1/7), basal ganglia(1/7) and temporal lobe(1/7). They were 1-3cm in size, and their shape was ill-defined and patchy. Inhomogeneous high and low signal-intensity was seen on T2-weighted and T1-weighted images, respectively. In two of six cases there was focal mild patchy enhancement. Euring follow-up lasting for between two weeks and 16 months after steroid therapy, the lesions decreased in extent(n=3D5) or disappeared(n=3D1), and in the brainstem, focal brain atrophy occurred in three cases. Although MRI findings of neuro-Behcet's disease are nonspecific, common involvement of the brainstem, tegmentum and internal capsule, as well as improvement on follow-up MRI, may be helpful diagnostic indicators of this condition.=20

Contextualizing Neuro-Collaborations: Reflections on a Transdisciplinary fMRI Lie Detection Experiment

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Melissa M. Littlefield

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Recent neuroscience initiatives (including the E.U.’s Human Brain Project and the U.S.’s BRAIN Initiative have reinvigorated discussions about the possibilities for transdisciplinary collaboration between the neurosciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. As STS scholars have argued for decades, however, such inter- and transdisciplinary collaborations are potentially fraught with tensions between researchers. This essay build on such claims by arguing that the tensions of transdisciplinary research also exist within researchers’ own experiences of working between disciplines – a phenomenon that we call ‘Disciplinary Double Consciousness’ (DDC. Building on previous work that has characterized similar spaces (and especially on the Critical Neuroscience literature, we argue that ‘neuro-collaborations’ inevitably engage researchers in DDC – a phenomenon that allows us to explore the useful dissonance that researchers can experience when working between a home discipline and a secondary discipline. Our case study is a five-year case study in fMRI lie detection involving a transdisciplinary research team made up of social scientists, a neuroscientist, and a humanist. In addition to theorizing neuro-collaborations from the inside-out, this essay presents practical suggestions for developing transdisciplinary infrastructures that could support future neuro-collaborations.

The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry

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Hansen S

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Steinbjørn Hansen Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark Aim of database: The Danish Neuro-Oncology Registry (DNOR was established by the Danish Neuro-Oncology Group as a national clinical database. It was established for the purpose of supporting research and development in adult patients with primary brain tumors in Denmark. Study population: DNOR has registered clinical data on diagnostics and treatment of all adult patients diagnosed with glioma since January 1, 2009, which numbers approximately 400 patients each year. Main variables: The database contains information about symptoms, presurgical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI characteristics, performance status, surgical procedures, residual tumor on postsurgical MRI, postsurgical complications, diagnostic and histology codes, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Descriptive data: DNOR publishes annual reports on descriptive data. During the period of registration, postoperative MRI is performed in a higher proportion of the patients (Indicator II, and a higher proportion of patients have no residual tumor after surgical resection of the primary tumor (Indicator IV. Further data are available in the annual reports. The indicators reflect only minor elements of handling brain tumor patients. Another advantage of reporting indicators is the related multidisciplinary discussions giving a better understanding of what actually is going on, thereby facilitating the work on adjusting the national guidelines in the Danish Neuro-Oncology Group. Conclusion: The establishment of DNOR has optimized the quality in handling primary brain tumor patients in Denmark by reporting indicators and facilitating a better multidisciplinary collaboration at a national level. DNOR provides a valuable resource for research. Keywords: brain neoplasms, brain cancer, glioma, clinical quality indicators

Chattering-Free Neuro-Sliding Mode Control of 2-DOF Planar Parallel Manipulators

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Tien Dung Le

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a novel chattering free neuro-sliding mode controller for the trajectory tracking control of two degrees of freedom (DOF parallel manipulators which have a complicated dynamic model, including modelling uncertainties, frictional uncertainties and external disturbances. A feedforward neural network (NN is combined with an error estimator to completely compensate the large nonlinear uncertainties and external disturbances of the parallel manipulators. The online weight tuning algorithms of the NN and the structure of the error estimator are derived with the strict theoretical stability proof of the Lyapunov theorem. The upper bound of uncertainties and the upper bound of the approximation errors are not required to be known in advance in order to guarantee the stability of the closed-loop system. The example simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy for the tracking control of a 2-DOF parallel manipulator. It results in its being chattering-free, very small tracking errors and its robustness against uncertainties and external disturbances.

The Importance of the Brain Neuro-Programming Technologies in National and Regional Security

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Vasyl H. Fatkhutdinov

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The authors’ understanding of neuro-programming is the result of the impact on the human brain of information and communication technology (including educational one, through which in the human brain the programs of manifestation in the ontogenesis of internal creative potentials are written. This article summarizes the history of the formation of key neuro-programming technologies of the human brain as well as proves that the changes in the society’s worldview are caused by the possibilities and quality of neuro-programming technologies that society uses. Having influence over worldview stereotypes and behaviour set by the society, neuro-programming technologies essentially ensure the national security of any state and the peaceful coexistence of states in the regions and on the planet as a whole. Using historical and philosophical methods, methods of conceptualization, systematization, modeling, etc., the authors have come to the conclusion that the modern world lies in a confrontation of security strategies, in which neuro-programming technologies play a key role.

HPRT deficiency coordinately dysregulates canonical Wnt and presenilin-1 signaling: a neuro-developmental regulatory role for a housekeeping gene?

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Tae Hyuk Kang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We have used microarray-based methods of global gene expression together with quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis to identify dysregulation of genes and aberrant cellular processes in human fibroblasts and in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells made HPRT-deficient by transduction with a retrovirus stably expressing an shRNA targeted against HPRT. Analysis of the microarray expression data by Gene ontology (GO and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA as well as significant pathway analysis by GeneSpring GX10 and Panther Classification System reveal that HPRT deficiency is accompanied by aberrations in a variety of pathways known to regulate neurogenesis or to be implicated in neurodegenerative disease, including the canonical Wnt/β-catenin and the Alzheimer's disease/presenilin signaling pathways. Dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is confirmed by Western blot demonstration of cytosolic sequestration of β-catenin during in vitro differentiation of the SH-SY5Y cells toward the neuronal phenotype. We also demonstrate that two key transcription factor genes known to be regulated by Wnt signaling and to be vital for the generation and function of dopaminergic neurons; i.e., Lmx1a and Engrailed 1, are down-regulated in the HPRT knockdown SH-SY5Y cells. In addition to the Wnt signaling aberration, we found that expression of presenilin-1 shows severely aberrant expression in HPRT-deficient SH-SY5Y cells, reflected by marked deficiency of the 23 kDa C-terminal fragment of presenilin-1 in knockdown cells. Western blot analysis of primary fibroblast cultures from two LND patients also shows dysregulated presenilin-1 expression, including aberrant proteolytic processing of presenilin-1. These demonstrations of dysregulated Wnt signaling and presenilin-1 expression together with impaired expression of dopaminergic transcription factors reveal broad pleitropic neuro-regulatory defects played by HPRT expression and suggest new directions for

From Patient-Specific Mathematical Neuro-Oncology to Precision Medicine

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Anne eBaldock

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Gliomas are notoriously aggressive, malignant brain tumors that have variable response to treatment. These patients often have poor prognosis, informed primarily by histopathology. Mathematical neuro-oncology (MNO is a young and burgeoning field that leverages mathematical models to predict and quantify response to therapies. These mathematical models can form the basis of modern precision medicine approaches to tailor therapy in a patient-specific manner. Patient specific models (PSMs can be used to overcome imaging limitations, improve prognostic predictions, stratify patients and assess treatment response in silico. The information gleaned from such models can aid in the construction and efficacy of clinical trials and treatment protocols, accelerating the pace of clinical research in the war on cancer. This review focuses on the growing translation of PSM to clinical neuro-oncology. It will also provide a forward-looking view on a new era of patient-specific mathematical neuro-oncology.

A novel bicistronic sensor vector for detecting caspase-3 activation.

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Vagner, Tatyana; Mouravlev, Alexandre; Young, Deborah

2015-01-01

Apoptosis is involved in pathological cell death of a wide range of human diseases. One of the most important biochemical markers of apoptosis is activation of caspase-3. Ability to detect caspase-3 activation early in the pathological process is important for determining the timing for interfering with apoptosis initiation and prevention of cell damage. Techniques allowing detection of caspase-3 activity at a single cell level show increased sensitivity, compared to biochemical assays; therefore, we developed a novel bicistronic caspase-3 sensor vector enabling detection of caspase-3 activity in individual cells. We employed green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter for caspase-3 activation in our constructs and assessed the functionality of the generated constructs in transiently transfected Neuro2A and HEK293 cells under basal conditions and following application of okadaic acid (OA) or staurosporine (STS) to induce apoptosis. To ensure responsiveness of the new sensor vector to active caspase-3, we co-transfected the sensor with plasmid(s) overexpressing active caspase-3 and quantified GFP fluorescence using a plate reader. We observed an increase in GFP expression in cells transfected with the new bicistronic caspase-3 sensor in response to both OA and STS. We also showed a significant increase in GFP fluorescence intensity in cells co-expressing the sensor with the plasmid(s) encoding active caspase-3. We generated a novel bicistronic caspase-3 sensor vector which relies on a transcription factor/response element system. The obtained sensor combines high sensitivity of the single cell level detection with the possibility of automated quantification. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NF-kappaB specifically activates BMP-2 gene expression in growth plate chondrocytes in vivo and in a chondrocyte cell line in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Jian Q; Xing, Lianping; Zhang, Jiang-Hong; Zhao, Ming; Horn, Diane; Chan, Jeannie; Boyce, Brendan F; Harris, Stephen E; Mundy, Gregory R; Chen, Di

2003-08-01

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) regulates growth plate chondrogenesis during development and postnatal bone growth, but the control mechanisms of BMP-2 expression in growth plate chondrocytes are unknown. Here we have used both in vitro and in vivo approaches to demonstrate that transcription factor, NF-kappaB, regulates BMP-2 gene expression in chondrocytes. Two putative NF-kappaB response elements were found in the -2712/+165 region of the BMP-2 gene. Cotransfection of mutant I-kappaBalpha expression plasmids with BMP-2 promoter-luciferase reporters into TMC-23 chondrocyte cell line suppressed BMP-2 transcription. Mutations in NF-kappaB response elements in the BMP-2 gene lead to decreases in BMP-2 promoter activity. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay using nuclear extracts from TMC-23 chondrocytic cells revealed that the NF-kappaB subunits p50 and p65 bound to the NF-kappaB response elements of the BMP-2 gene. Thus, NF-kappaB may positively regulate BMP-2 gene transcription. Consistent with these findings, expression of BMP-2 mRNA was significantly reduced in growth plate chondrocytes in NF-kappaB p50/p52 dKO mice, which associated with decreased numbers of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd)-positive cells in the proliferating zone of growth plate in these mice. Therefore, in postnatal growth plate chondrocytes, expression of BMP-2 is regulated by NF-kappaB, which may play an important role in chondrogenesis.

Imaging of neuro-cognitive performance in extreme Environments—A (p)review

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Stefan; Bubeev, Juri A.; Choukèr, Alexander; Morukov, Boris; Johannes, Bernd; Strüder, Heiko K.

2012-12-01

Living in extreme environments is accompanied by a number of stressors, which can be classified either as physiological stressors (e.g. microgravity, missing sunlight) or psychological stressors (e.g. confinement). From earth bound studies a negative impact of stress on mental health and cognitive performance is well known and both factors might impair mission success and mission safety during longer inhabitation of space. Accordingly there is the need to identify adequate countermeasures. Nevertheless causal research of neuro-cognitive impairments in space remains speculative due to missing possibilities of brain imaging. Furthermore the reliability of current psychological tests used to assess and monitor cognitive performance in extreme environments seems to be vulnerable due to a lack of compliance. With on-going plans of international space agencies to send people to moon and/or mars, this manuscript aims to summarize and review research attempts of the past two decades and to identify methodological shortcomings. Finally, following the guideline that research has no legacy for its own but must serve the self-concept and well-being of man, this manuscript presents a number of recommendations to enhance future neuro-cognitive research in extreme environments. A deeper insight into neuro-cognitive coherence is not only desirable to understand the effects of stress on mental health, which seems to be a major issue for our current society, and to develop adequate countermeasures but will also help to maintain and improve mission success and mission safety in manned space flight.

[Patient-centered care. Improvement of communication between university medical centers and general practitioners for patients in neuro-oncology].

Science.gov (United States)

Renovanz, M; Keric, N; Richter, C; Gutenberg, A; Giese, A

2015-12-01

Communication between university medical centers and general practitioners (GP) is becoming increasingly more important in supportive patient care. A survey among GPs was performed with the primary objective to assess their opinion on current workflow and communication between GPs and the university medical center. The GPs were asked to score (grades 1-6) their opinion on the current interdisciplinary workflow in the care of patients with brain tumors, thereby rating communication between a university medical center in general and the neuro-oncology outpatient center in particular. Questionnaires were sent to1000 GPs and the response rate was 15 %. The mean scored evaluation of the university medical center in general was 2.62 and of the neuro-oncological outpatient clinic 2.28 (range 1-6). The most often mentioned issues to be improved were easier/early telephone information (44 %) and a constantly available contact person (49 %). Interestingly, > 60 % of the GPs indicated they would support web-based tumor boards for interdisciplinary and palliative neuro-oncological care. As interdisciplinary care for neuro-oncology patients is an essential part of therapy, improvement of communication between GPs and university medical centers is indispensable. Integrating currently available electronic platforms under data protection aspects into neuro-oncological palliative care could be an interesting tool in order to establish healthcare networks and could find acceptance with GPs.

A Groundwork for Allostatic Neuro-Education

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Lee eGerdes

2015-08-01

Full Text Available We propose to enliven educational practice by marrying a conception of education as guided human development, to an advanced scientific understanding of the brain known as allostasis (stability through change. The result is a groundwork for allostatic neuro-education (GANE. Education as development encompasses practices including the organic (homeschooling and related traditions, cognitive acquisition (emphasis on standards and testing, and the constructivist (aimed to support adaptive creativity for both learner and society. Allostasis views change to be the norm in biology, defines success in contexts of complex natural environments rather than controlled settings, and identifies the brain as the organ of central command. Allostatic neuro-education contrasts with education focused exclusively on testing, or neuroscience based on homeostasis (stability through constancy. The GANE perspective is to view the learner in terms of their neurodevelopmental trajectories; its objective is to support authentic freedom, mediated by competent, integrated, and expansive executive functionality (concordant with the philosophy of freedom of Rudolf Steiner; and its strategy is to be attuned to rhythms in various forms (including those of autonomic arousal described in polyvagal theory so as to enable experiential excitement for learning. The GANE presents a variety of testable hypotheses, and studies that explore prevention or mitigation of the effects of early life adversity or toxic stress on learning and development may be of particular importance. Case studies are presented illustrating use of allostatic neurotechnology by an adolescent male carrying diagnoses of Asperger’s Syndrome and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and a grade school girl with reading difficulties. The GANE is intended as a re-visioning of education that may serve both learners and society to be better prepared for the accelerating changes of the twenty-first century.

A groundwork for allostatic neuro-education.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerdes, Lee; Tegeler, Charles H; Lee, Sung W

2015-01-01

We propose to enliven educational practice by marrying a conception of education as guided human development, to an advanced scientific understanding of the brain known as allostasis (stability through change). The result is a groundwork for allostatic neuro-education (GANE). Education as development encompasses practices including the organic (homeschooling and related traditions), cognitive acquisition (emphasis on standards and testing), and the constructivist (aimed to support adaptive creativity for both learner and society). Allostasis views change to be the norm in biology, defines success in contexts of complex natural environments rather than controlled settings, and identifies the brain as the organ of central command. Allostatic neuro-education contrasts with education focused dominantly on testing, or neuroscience based on homeostasis (stability through constancy). The GANE perspective is to view learners in terms of their neurodevelopmental trajectories; its objective is to support authentic freedom, mediated by competent, integrated, and expansive executive functionality (concordant with the philosophy of freedom of Rudolf Steiner); and its strategy is to be attuned to rhythms in various forms (including those of autonomic arousal described in polyvagal theory) so as to enable experiential excitement for learning. The GANE presents a variety of testable hypotheses, and studies that explore prevention or mitigation of the effects of early life adversity or toxic stress on learning and development may be of particular importance. Case studies are presented illustrating use of allostatic neurotechnology by an adolescent male carrying diagnoses of Asperger's syndrome and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and a grade school girl with reading difficulties. The GANE is intended as a re-visioning of education that may serve both learners and society to be better prepared for the accelerating changes of the 21st century.

5th International Conference on Fuzzy and Neuro Computing

CERN Document Server

Panigrahi, Bijaya; Das, Swagatam; Suganthan, Ponnuthurai

2015-01-01

This proceedings bring together contributions from researchers from academia and industry to report the latest cutting edge research made in the areas of Fuzzy Computing, Neuro Computing and hybrid Neuro-Fuzzy Computing in the paradigm of Soft Computing. The FANCCO 2015 conference explored new application areas, design novel hybrid algorithms for solving different real world application problems. After a rigorous review of the 68 submissions from all over the world, the referees panel selected 27 papers to be presented at the Conference. The accepted papers have a good, balanced mix of theory and applications. The techniques ranged from fuzzy neural networks, decision trees, spiking neural networks, self organizing feature map, support vector regression, adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system, extreme learning machine, fuzzy multi criteria decision making, machine learning, web usage mining, Takagi-Sugeno Inference system, extended Kalman filter, Goedel type logic, fuzzy formal concept analysis, biclustering e...

A TSK neuro-fuzzy approach for modeling highly dynamic systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Acampora, G.

2011-01-01

This paper introduces a new type of TSK-based neuro-fuzzy approach and its application to modeling highly dynamic systems. In details, our proposal performs an adaptive supervised learning on a collection of time series in order to create a so-called Timed Automata Based Fuzzy Controller, i.e. an

Estrogen receptor α and aryl hydrocarbon receptor cross-talk in a transfected hepatoma cell line (HepG2 exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

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Manuela Göttel

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The prototype dioxin congener 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD is known to exert anti-estrogenic effects via activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR by interfering with the regulation of oestrogen homeostasis and the estrogen receptor α (ERα signalling pathway. The AhR/ER cross-talk is considered to play a crucial role in TCDD- and E2-dependent mechanisms of carcinogenesis, though the concerted mechanism of action in the liver is not yet elucidated. The present study investigated TCDD's impact on the transcriptional cross-talk between AhR and ERα and its modulation by 17β-estradiol (E2 in the human hepatoma cell line HepG2, which is AhR-responsive but ERα-negative. Transient transfection assays with co-transfection of hERα and supplementation of receptor antagonists showed anti-estrogenic action of TCDD via down-regulation of E2-induced ERα signaling. In contrast, enhancement of AhR signaling dependent on ERα was observed providing evidence for increased cytochrome P450 (CYP induction to promote E2 metabolism. However, relative mRNA levels of major E2-metabolizing CYP1A1 and 1B1 and the main E2-detoxifying catechol-O-methyltransferase were not affected by the co-treatments. This study provides new evidence of a TCDD-activated AhR-mediated molecular AhR/ERα cross-talk mechanism at transcriptional level via indirect inhibition of ERα and enhanced transcriptional activity of AhR in HepG2 cells.

Video-Teleconferencing in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology: Ten Years of Experience

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Nisreen Amayiri

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The management of central nervous system tumors is challenging in low- and middle-income countries. Little is known about applicability of twinning initiatives with high-income countries in neuro-oncology. In 2004, a monthly neuro-oncology video-teleconference program was started between King Hussein Cancer Center (Amman, Jordan and the Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Ontario, Canada. More than 100 conferences were held and > 400 cases were discussed. The aim of this work was to assess the sustainability of such an initiative and the evolution of the impact over time. Methods: We divided the duration in to three eras according to the initial 2 to 3 years of work of three consecutive oncologists in charge of the neuro-oncology program at King Hussein Cancer Center. We retrospectively reviewed the written minutes and compared the preconference suggested plans with the postconference recommendations. Impact of changes on the patient care was recorded. Results: Thirty-three sets of written minutes (covering 161 cases in the middle era and 32 sets of written minutes (covering 122 cases in the last era were compared with the initial experience (20 meetings, 72 cases. Running costs of these conferences has dropped from $360/h to < $40/h. Important concepts were introduced, such as multidisciplinary teamwork, second-look surgery, and early referral. Suggestions for plan changes have decreased from 44% to 30% and 24% in the respective consecutive eras. Most recommendations involved alternative intervention modalities or pathology review. Most of these recommendations were followed. Conclusion: Video-teleconferencing in neuro-oncology is feasible and sustainable. With time, team experience is built while the percentage and the type of treatment modifications change. Commitment and motivation helped maintain this initiative rather than availability of financial resources. Improvement in patients’ care was achieved, in particular, with the

Encouraging Subspecialty Practice by Constructively Influencing Trainees Early in their Careers Will Improve Advocacy for Neuro-Ophthalmology among Nigerian Ophthalmologists

Science.gov (United States)

Ogun, Olufunmilola A.

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to assess the current knowledge, attitude, and perception of Nigerian ophthalmologists toward neuro-ophthalmology; identify barriers to the uptake of neuro-ophthalmology as a desired subspecialty; and make recommendations to improve interest in neuro-ophthalmology training. This was a cross-sectional survey of ophthalmology consultants and trainees from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, who were attending a national ophthalmology conference. All consenting respondents voluntarily completed a validated self-administered questionnaire. There were 107 respondents comprising 56 males and 51 females. Majority (54.2%) of respondents were aged 40 years and younger. Almost half (47.8%) worked at tertiary level, public health institutions. Only 10.3% worked in private practice. Neuro-ophthalmology exposure was short and occurred mainly during residency (65.7%), while 15% had no exposure at all. Most (80.4%) indicated only nominal interest in neuro-ophthalmology, while only 4.6% indicated a desire to specialize in the field. Financial constraint was the main obstacle to the pursuit of subspecialty training. A total of 86% of respondents admitted that full (34%) or partial (52%) Funding would motivate them to pursue the training. Among respondents desiring part sponsorship, more than half were willing to augment such sponsorship with personal funds. In conclusion, career interest in neuro-ophthalmology is very low among Nigerian ophthalmologists. Late and limited exposure to neuro-ophthalmology during medical training may be contributing factors. Early exposure to neuro-ophthalmology during medical school rotations, coupled with the provision of sponsored subspecialty training opportunities, will serve to increase enrollment in the field. PMID:29349319

Neuro-HIV: Nervous System Manifestations of HIV Infection- A Review

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Neuro-HIV: Nervous System Manifestations of HIV Infection- A Review. ... Open Access DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT Subscription or Fee Access ... The early detection of neurological disease due to HIV infection is of paramount importance to the clinician as there are implications not just for management but also for prognosis.

Gut microbiota drive the development of neuro-inflammatory response in cirrhosis

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Dae Joong; Betrapally, Naga S; Ghosh, Siddhartha A; Sartor, R Balfour; Hylemon, Phillip B; Gillevet, Patrick M; Sanyal, Arun J; Heuman, Douglas M; Carl, Daniel; Zhou, Huiping; Liu, Runping; Wang, Xiang; Yang, Jing; Jiao, Chunhua; Herzog, Jeremy; Lippmann, H Robert; Sikaroodi, Masoumeh; Brown, Robert R; Bajaj, Jasmohan S

2016-01-01

The mechanisms behind the development of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) are unclear although hyperammonemia and systemic inflammation through gut dysbiosis have been proposed. Aim Define the individual contribution of hyperammonemia and systemic inflammation on neuro-inflammation in cirrhosis using germ-free (GF) and conventional mice. Methods GF and conventional C57BL/6 mice were made cirrhotic using CCl4 gavage. These were compared to their non-cirrhotic counterparts. Intestinal microbiota, systemic and neuro-inflammation (including microglial and glial activation), serum ammonia, intestinal glutaminase activity and cecal glutamine content were compared between groups. Results GF-cirrhotic mice developed similar cirrhotic changes to the conventional mice after four extra weeks (16 vs. 12 weeks) of CCL4 gavage. GF-cirrhotic mice exhibited higher ammonia compared to the GF controls but this was not associated with systemic or neuro-inflammation. Ammonia was generated through increased small intestinal glutaminase activity with concomitantly reduced intestinal glutamine levels. However, conventional cirrhotic mice had intestinal dysbiosis as well as systemic inflammation, associated with increased serum ammonia compared to conventional controls. This was associated with neuro-inflammation and glial/microglial activation. Correlation network analysis in conventional mice showed significant linkages between systemic/neuro-inflammation, intestinal microbiota and ammonia. Specifically beneficial, autochthonous taxa were negatively linked with brain and systemic inflammation, ammonia and with Staphylococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae and Streptococcaceae. Enterobacteriaceae were positively linked with serum inflammatory cytokines Conclusions Gut microbiota changes drive the development of neuro- and systemic inflammatory responses in cirrhotic animals. PMID:27339732

Cytochrome P450 2A5 and bilirubin: Mechanisms of gene regulation and cytoprotection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Sangsoo Daniel; Antenos, Monica [Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 (Canada); Squires, E. James [Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 (Canada); Kirby, Gordon M., E-mail: gkirby@uoguelph.ca [Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 (Canada)

2013-07-15

Bilirubin (BR) has recently been identified as the first endogenous substrate for cytochrome P450 2A5 (CYP2A5) and it has been suggested that CYP2A5 plays a major role in BR clearance as an alternative mechanism to BR conjugation by uridine-diphosphate glucuronyltransferase 1A1. This study investigated the mechanisms of Cyp2a5 gene regulation by BR and the cytoprotective role of CYP2A5 in BR hepatotoxicity. BR induced CYP2A5 expression at the mRNA and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner in primary mouse hepatocytes. BR treatment also caused nuclear translocation of Nuclear factor-E2 p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in hepatocytes. In reporter assays, BR treatment of primary hepatocytes transfected with a Cyp2a5 promoter-luciferase reporter construct resulted in a 2-fold induction of Cyp2a5 reporter activity. Furthermore, cotransfection of the hepatocytes with a Nrf2 expression vector without BR treatment resulted in an increase in Cyp2a5 reporter activity of approximately 2-fold and BR treatment of Nrf2 cotransfectants further increased reporter activity by 4-fold. In addition, site-directed mutation of the ARE in the reporter construct completely abolished both the BR- and Nrf2-mediated increases in reporter activity. The cytoprotective role of CYP2A5 against BR-mediated apoptosis was also examined in Hepa 1–6 cells that lack endogenous CYP2A5. Transient overexpression of CYP2A5 partially blocked BR-induced caspase-3 cleavage in Hepa 1–6 cells. Furthermore, in vitro degradation of BR was increased by microsomes from Hepa 1–6 cells overexpressing CYP2A5 compared to control cells transfected with an empty vector. Collectively, these results suggest that Nrf2-mediated CYP2A5 transactivation in response to BR may provide an additional mechanism for adaptive cytoprotection against BR hepatotoxicity. - Highlights: • The mechanism of Cyp2a5 gene regulation by BR was investigated. • The cytoprotective role of CYP2A5 in BR hepatotoxicity was determined. • BR

Neuro-Spect and neuropsychological test in the differential diagnosis of dementia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marroni, B.M.; Louzada, A.G.; Andrea, S.A.; Raupp, A.A.; Sprinz, C.S.; Marroni, S.M.; Canani, L.C.; Zagoury, E.Z.; Borneman, C.B.

2002-01-01

Background/Aim: The role of the Neuro-Spect scintigraphy as a diagnostic tool in central nervous system diseases is well established. However, the simultaneous application of a neuro-psychological test (NPT) may be used to enhance the diagnostic accuracy of the test. The aim of this study was to test if the concomitant use of the NPT may be used to improve the differential diagnostic accuracy of the scintigraphy. Methods: A total of 144 cerebral perfusion studies (CPS) (Tc-ECD, 1110 MBq) were performed between March and October 2001. From this total 63 patients with non-specific complains of memory loss formed the study group. Patients with cancer, psychiatric disturbs or craniotomies were excluded. For analysis the patients were divided in 3 subgroups according to the major complain: a) memory deficit, b) depression and C) organic syndrome that included patients with cerebral stroke, occult hydrocephalus and head trauma. All patients submitted to the Neuro-Spect underwent a simultaneous NPT. The NPT included the following tests: Digit Span (WAIS-R), verbal fluency, clock drawing task, Minimental State Examination (MMSE) and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Well-established criteria, such as symmetry and concentration of the Tc-ECD were used for evaluation of the CPS. Concordance of the findings in the CPS and the anatomic lesion was used to reinforce the final conclusions. A scale for Alzheimer's Like Dementia (ALD) from 1 to 8 was developed (where 1=normal and 8 suggests ALD) using as reference the study of Holmann BL. Results: The NPT showed a positive correlation with the Neuro-Spect's probability scale. The tests with the best correlation were the verbal fluency (p<0.001), RAVLT and the memory recall (p<0.01). The MMSE did not show association with the Neuro-Spect probability scale. Conclusions: There is a positive association between the NPT and the Neuro-Spect. These results suggest that the NPT added to the Neuro-Spect may the be useful in the

Propose a Model for Customer Purchase Decision in B2C Websites Using Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System

OpenAIRE

Mehrbakhsh Nilashi, Mohammad Fathian, Mohammad Reza Gholamian, Othman bin Ibrahim

2011-01-01

If companies are to enjoy long-term success in the Internet marketplace, they must effectivelymanage the complex, multidimensional process of building online consumer trust. The onlineenvironment and the quality and usability of websites help the browser and consumer to beattracted and accessible to the information and the product and services available online. In thisPaper a new model would be suggested based on neuro-fuzzy System which depicts some of thehidden relationships between the cri...

Monitoring the Performance of a Neuro-Adaptive Controller

Science.gov (United States)

Schumann, Johann; Gupta, Pramod

2004-01-01

Traditional control has proven to be ineffective to deal with catastrophic changes or slow degradation of complex, highly nonlinear systems like aircraft or spacecraft, robotics, or flexible manufacturing systems. Control systems which can adapt toward changes in the plant have been proposed as they offer many advantages (e.g., better performance, controllability of aircraft despite of a damaged wing). In the last few years, use of neural networks in adaptive controllers (neuro-adaptive control) has been studied actively. Neural networks of various architectures have been used successfully for online learning adaptive controllers. In such a typical control architecture, the neural network receives as an input the current deviation between desired and actual plant behavior and, by on-line training, tries to minimize this discrepancy (e.g.; by producing a control augmentation signal). Even though neuro-adaptive controllers offer many advantages, they have not been used in mission- or safety-critical applications, because performance and safety guarantees cannot b e provided at development time-a major prerequisite for safety certification (e.g., by the FAA or NASA). Verification and Validation (V&V) of an adaptive controller requires the development of new analysis techniques which can demonstrate that the control system behaves safely under all operating conditions. Because of the requirement to adapt toward unforeseen changes during operation, i.e., in real time, design-time V&V is not sufficient.

NeuroMind : Past, present, and future

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kubben, Pieter L

2017-01-01

This narrative report describes the underlying rationale and technical developments of NeuroMind, a mobile clinical decision support system for neurosurgery. From the perspective of a neurosurgeon - (app) developer it explains how technical progress has shaped the world's "most rated and highest

Neuro-fuzzy controller to navigate an unmanned vehicle.

Science.gov (United States)

Selma, Boumediene; Chouraqui, Samira

2013-12-01

A Neuro-fuzzy control method for an Unmanned Vehicle (UV) simulation is described. The objective is guiding an autonomous vehicle to a desired destination along a desired path in an environment characterized by a terrain and a set of distinct objects, such as obstacles like donkey traffic lights and cars circulating in the trajectory. The autonomous navigate ability and road following precision are mainly influenced by its control strategy and real-time control performance. Fuzzy Logic Controller can very well describe the desired system behavior with simple "if-then" relations owing the designer to derive "if-then" rules manually by trial and error. On the other hand, Neural Networks perform function approximation of a system but cannot interpret the solution obtained neither check if its solution is plausible. The two approaches are complementary. Combining them, Neural Networks will allow learning capability while Fuzzy-Logic will bring knowledge representation (Neuro-Fuzzy). In this paper, an artificial neural network fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) controller is described and implemented to navigate the autonomous vehicle. Results show several improvements in the control system adjusted by neuro-fuzzy techniques in comparison to the previous methods like Artificial Neural Network (ANN).

[Functional neuro-navigation and intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging for the resection of gliomas involving eloquent language structures].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiao-lei; Xu, Bai-nan; Wang, Fei; Meng, Xiang-hui; Zhang, Jun; Jiang, Jin-li; Yu, Xin-guang; Zhou, Ding-biao

2011-08-01

To explore the clinical value of functional neuro-navigation and high-field-strength intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) for the resection of intracerebral gliomas involving eloquent language structures. From April 2009 to April 2010, 48 patients with intracerebral gliomas involving eloquent language structures, were operated with functional neuro-navigation and iMRI. Blood oxygen level dependent functional MRI (BOLD-fMRI) was used to depict both Broca and Wernicke cortex, while diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) based fiber tracking was used to delineate arcuate fasciculus. The reconstructed language structures were integrated into a navigation system, so that intra-operative microscopic-based functional neuro-navigation could be achieved. iMRI was used to update the images for both language structures and residual tumors. All patients were evaluated for language function pre-operatively and post-operatively upon short-term and long-term follow-up. In all patients, functional neuro-navigation and iMRI were successfully achieved. In 38 cases (79.2%), gross total resection was accomplished, while in the rest 10 cases (20.8%), subtotal resection was achieved. Only 1 case (2.1%) developed long-term (more than 3 months) new language function deficits at post-operative follow-up. No peri-operative mortality was recorded. With functional neuro-navigation and iMRI, the eloquent structures for language can be precisely located, while the resection size can be accurately evaluated intra-operatively. This technique is safe and helpful for preservation of language function.

A novel recessive mutation in the gene ELOVL4 causes a neuro-ichthyotic disorder with variable expressivity

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background A rare neuro-ichthyotic disorder characterized by ichthyosis, spastic quadriplegia and intellectual disability and caused by recessive mutations in ELOVL4, encoding elongase-4 protein has recently been described. The objective of the study was to search for sequence variants in the gene ELOVL4 in three affected individuals of a consanguineous Pakistani family exhibiting features of neuro-ichthyotic disorder. Methods Linkage in the family was searched by genotyping microsatellite markers linked to the gene ELOVL4, mapped at chromosome 6p14.1. Exons and splice junction sites of the gene ELOVL4 were polymerase chain reaction amplified and sequenced in an automated DNA sequencer. Results DNA sequence analysis revealed a novel homozygous nonsense mutation (c.78C > G; p.Tyr26*). Conclusions Our report further confirms the recently described ELOVL4-related neuro-ichthyosis and shows that the neurological phenotype can be absent in some individuals. PMID:24571530

Gray Matter and Intelligence Factors: Is There a Neuro-g?

Science.gov (United States)

Haier, Richard J.; Colom, Roberto; Schroeder, David H.; Condon, Christopher A.; Tang, Cheuk; Eaves, Emily; Head, Kevin

2009-01-01

Heterogeneous results among neuro-imaging studies using psychometric intelligence measures may result from the variety of tests used. The g-factor may provide a common metric across studies. Here we derived a g-factor from a battery of eight cognitive tests completed by 6929 young adults, 40 of whom also completed structural MRI scans. Regional…

Neuro degenerative diseases: clinical concerns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibanez, V.

2005-01-01

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are the main neuro-degenerative diseases (NDDs) seen clinically. They share some common clinical symptoms and neuro-pathological findings. The increase of life expectancy in the developed countries will inevitably contribute to enhance the prevalence of these diseases. Behavioral disorders, common in NDDs, will produce major care management challenges. Idiopathic Parkinson's disease corresponds to a histopathological diagnosis, based on the observation of a de-pigmentation and a neuronal loss in the substantia nigra, as well as on the presence of intra-neuronal inclusion bodies. AD is insidious with slowly progressive dementia in which the decline in memory constitutes the main complaint. The diagnosis of definite AD requires the presence of clinical criteria as well as the histopathological confirmation of brain lesions. The two main lesions are the presence of senile plaques and neuro-fibrillary tangles. Positron emission tomography (PET) explores cerebral metabolism and neurotransmitter kinetics in NDDs using principally [ 18 F]-deoxyglucose and [ 18 F]-dopa. Nigrostriatal dopaminergic function is altered in PD, as evidenced by the low uptake of [ 18 F]-dopa in the posterior putamen as compared to anterior putamen and caudate nucleus. In contrast, [ 18 F]-dopa uptake is equally depressed in all striatal structures in progressive supra-nuclear palsy. Regional glucose metabolism at rest is preserved in elderly once cerebral atrophy is taken into account. On the contrary, glucose metabolism is globally reduced in AD, with marked decrease in the parietal and temporal regions. PET has proved to be useful to study in vivo neurochemical processes in patients suffering from NDDs. The potential of this approach is still largely unexploited, and depends on new ligand production to establish early diagnosis and treatment follow-up. (author)

Evaluating Loans Using a Combination of Data Envelopment and Neuro-Fuzzy Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rashmi Malhotra

2015-02-01

Full Text Available A business organization's objective is to make better decisions at all levels of the firm to improve performance. Typically organizations are multi-faceted and complex systems that use uncertain information. Therefore, making quality decisions to improve organizational performance is a daunting task. Organizations use decision support systems that apply different business intelligence techniques such as statistical models, scoring models, neural networks, expert systems, neuro-fuzzy systems, case-based systems, or simply rules that have been developed through experience. Managers need a decision-making approach that is robust, competent, effective, efficient, and integrative to handle the multi-dimensional organizational entities. The decision maker deals with multiple players in an organization such as products, customers, competitors, location, geographic structure, scope, internal organization, and cultural dimension [46]. Sound decisions include two important concepts: efficiency (return on invested resources and effectiveness (reaching predetermined goals. However, quite frequently, the decision maker cannot simultaneously handle data from different sources. Hence, we recommend that managers analyze different aspects of data from multiple sources separately and integrate the results of the analysis. This study proposes the design of a multi-attribute-decision-support-system that combines the analytical power of two different tools: data envelopment analysis (DEA and fuzzy logic. DEA evaluates and measures the relative efficiency of decision making units that use multiple inputs and outputs to provide non-objective measures without making any specific assumptions about data. On the other hand fuzzy logic's main strength lies in handling imprecise data. This study proposes a modeling technique that jointly uses the two techniques to benefit from the two methodologies. A major advantage of the DEA approach is that it clearly identifies the

Neuro-immune relationships at patients with chronic pyelonephrite and cholecystite. Communication 2. Correlations between parameters EEG, HRV and Phagocytosis

OpenAIRE

Kul’chyns’kyi, Andriy B; Kovbasnyuk, Marta M; Korolyshyn, Tetyana A; Kyjenko, Valeriy M; Zukow, Walery; Popovych, Igor L

2016-01-01

Kul’chyns’kyi Andriy B, Kovbasnyuk Marta M, Korolyshyn Tetyana A, Kyjenko Valeriy M, Zukow Walery, Popovych Igor L. Neuro-immune relationships at patients with chronic pyelonephrite and cholecystite. Communication 2. Correlations between parameters EEG, HRV and Phagocytosis. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2016;6(10):377-401. eISSN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.163221 http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/3957 The journal h...

Activation of cAMP-dependent signaling pathway induces mouse organic anion transporting polypeptide 2 expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chuan; Cheng, Xingguo; Dieter, Matthew Z; Tanaka, Yuji; Klaassen, Curtis D

2007-04-01

Rodent Oatp2 is a hepatic uptake transporter for such compounds as cardiac glycosides. In the present study, we found that fasting resulted in a 2-fold induction of Oatp2 expression in liver of mice. Because the cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway is activated during fasting, the role of this pathway in Oatp2 induction during fasting was examined. In Hepa-1c1c7 cells, adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin as well as two cellular membrane-permeable cAMP analogs, dibutyryl cAMP and 8-bromo-cAMP, induced Oatp2 mRNA expression in a time- and dose-dependent manner. These three chemicals induced reporter gene activity in cells transfected with a luciferase reporter gene construct containing a 7.6-kilobase (kb) 5'-flanking region of mouse Oatp2. Transient transfection of cells with 5'-deletion constructs derived from the 7.6-kb Oatp2 promoter reporter gene construct, as well as 7.6-kb constructs in which a consensus cAMP response element (CRE) half-site CGTCA (-1808/-1804 bp) was mutated or deleted, confirms that this CRE site was required for the induction of luciferase activity by forskolin. Luciferase activity driven by the Oatp2 promoter containing this CRE site was induced in cells cotransfected with a plasmid encoding the protein kinase A catalytic subunit. Cotransfection of cells with a plasmid encoding the dominant-negative CRE binding protein (CREB) completely abolished the inducibility of the reporter gene activity by forskolin. In conclusion, induction of Oatp2 expression in liver of fasted mice may be caused by activation of the cAMP-dependent signaling pathway, with the CRE site (-1808/-1804) and CREB being the cis- and trans-acting factors mediating the induction, respectively.

Preliminary Thermal Characterization of a Fully-Passive Wireless Backscattering Neuro-Recording Microsystem

Science.gov (United States)

Schwerdt, H. N.; Xu, W.; Shekhar, S.; Chae, J.; Miranda, F. A.

2011-01-01

We present analytical and experimental thermal characteristics of a battery-less, fully-passive wireless backscattering microsystem for recording of neuropotentials. A major challenge for cortically implantable microsystems involves minimizing the heat dissipated by on-chip circuitry, which can lead to permanent brain damage. Therefore, knowledge of temperature changes induced by implantable microsystems while in operation is of utmost importance. In this work, a discrete diode appended to the neuro-recording microsystem has been used to indirectly monitor the aforesaid temperature changes. Using this technique, the maximum temperature rise measured for the microsystem while in operation was 0.15 +/- 0.1 C, which is significantly less than current safety guidelines. Specific absorption ratio (SAR) due to the microsystem was also computed to further demonstrate fully-passive functionality of the neuro-recording microsystem.

[Establishment of diagnosis and treatment patterns of holistic integrated medicine for neuro-ophthalmology].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yanling

2014-12-01

Neuro-ophthalmology, as an interdisciplinary, covers at least three disciplines- ophthalmology, neurology and neurosurgery. With limited knowledge in each discipline, doctors often make misdiagnoses for neuro-ophthalmology diseases. Therefore, it is imperative to abandon the distinction between disciplines and combine all the knowledge to diagnose and treat patients in patterns of holistic integrated medicine in order to effectively improve the diagnosis and treatment of neuro-ophthalmology.

DNA from radiation resistant human tumor cells transfers resistance to NIH/3T3 cells with varying degrees of penetrance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasid, U.; Dritschilo, A.; Weichselbaum, R.

1987-01-01

Experimental evidence suggests that clinical radiation resistance may correlate with in vitro radiation survival parameters. Specifically, they isolated several cell lines from radioresistant head and neck carcinomas with D/sub 0/ values greater than 2 Gy. The authors co-transfected DNA from cell line SQ2OB (D/sub 0/ = 2.4 Gy) with the rhoSVNeO plasmid into NIH/3T3 cells (D/sub 0/ = 1.7 Gy). Antibiotic G418 resistant, transformed clones were isolated and confirmed by Southern blotting to contain human alu, as well as rhoSVNeO sequences. Screening for radiation resistance with 8Gy (Cs-137) revealed that 3 of 4 tested hybrid clones show a radiation survival intermediate between NIH/3T3 and SQ2OB. This suggests that radiation resistance is a dominant, transfectable phenotype of mammalian cells and can be expressed in more sensitive cells. Karyotyping of resistant hybrid clones shows the presence of double minute chromosomes. Secondary transfection results and experiments to clone the genetic factors responsible for radiation resistance are in progress and results will be reported

Closed-loop, multichannel experimentation using the open-source NeuroRighter electrophysiology platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Paul Newman

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Single neuron feedback control techniques, such as voltage clamp and dynamic clamp, have enabled numerous advances in our understanding of ion channels, electrochemical signaling, and neural dynamics. Although commercially available multichannel recording and stimulation systems are commonly used for studying neural processing at the network level, they provide little native support for real-time feedback. We developed the open-source NeuroRighter multichannel electrophysiology hardware and software platform for closed-loop multichannel control with a focus on accessibility and low cost. NeuroRighter allows 64 channels of stimulation and recording for around US $10,000, along with the ability to integrate with other software and hardware. Here, we present substantial enhancements to the NeuroRighter platform, including a redesigned desktop application, a new stimulation subsystem allowing arbitrary stimulation patterns, low-latency data servers for accessing data streams, and a new application programming interface (API for creating closed-loop protocols that can be inserted into NeuroRighter as plugin programs. This greatly simplifies the design of sophisticated real-time experiments without sacrificing the power and speed of a compiled programming language. Here we present a detailed description of NeuroRighter as a stand alone application, its plugin API, and an extensive set of case studies that highlight the system's abilities for conducting closed-loop, multichannel interfacing experiments.

Generation of anti-TLR2 intrabody mediating inhibition of macrophage surface TLR2 expression and TLR2-driven cell activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirschning, Carsten J; Dreher, Stefan; Maass, Björn; Fichte, Sylvia; Schade, Jutta; Köster, Mario; Noack, Andreas; Lindenmaier, Werner; Wagner, Hermann; Böldicke, Thomas

2010-04-13

Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 is a component of the innate immune system and senses specific pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) of both microbial and viral origin. Cell activation via TLR2 and other pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) contributes to sepsis pathology and chronic inflammation both relying on overamplification of an immune response. Intracellular antibodies expressed and retained inside the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER-intrabodies) are applied to block translocation of secreted and cell surface molecules from the ER to the cell surface resulting in functional inhibition of the target protein. Here we describe generation and application of a functional anti-TLR2 ER intrabody (alphaT2ib) which was generated from an antagonistic monoclonal antibody (mAb) towards human and murine TLR2 (T2.5) to inhibit the function of TLR2. alphaT2ib is a scFv fragment comprising the variable domain of the heavy chain and the variable domain of the light chain of mAb T2.5 linked together by a synthetic (Gly4Ser)3 amino acid sequence. Coexpression of alphaT2ib and mouse TLR2 in HEK293 cells led to efficient retention and accumulation of TLR2 inside the ER compartment. Co-immunoprecipitation of human TLR2 with alphaT2ib indicated interaction of alphaT2ib with its cognate antigen within cells. alphaT2ib inhibited NF-kappaB driven reporter gene activation via TLR2 but not through TLR3, TLR4, or TLR9 if coexpressed in HEK293 cells. Co-transfection of human TLR2 with increasing amounts of the expression plasmid encoding alphaT2ib into HEK293 cells demonstrated high efficiency of the TLR2-alphaT2ib interaction. The alphaT2ib open reading frame was integrated into an adenoviral cosmid vector for production of recombinant adenovirus (AdV)-alphaT2ib. Transduction with AdValphaT2ib specifically inhibited TLR2 surface expression of murine RAW264.7 and primary macrophages derived from bone marrow (BMM). Furthermore, TLR2 activation dependent TNFalpha mRNA accumulation, as

Assessment of personality disorder by means of NeuroSPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mena G, Ismael; Nader N, Armando; Valdes M, Cecilia; Riquelme V, Raul

2012-01-01

We report on functional imaging results in 24 patients of Personality Disorder (P.D.) performed with NeuroSPECT by means of Tc99m HMPAO, in Basal state and during frontal cortical activation by means of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Results demonstrate that we can make the diagnosis of P.D. when we detect significant hypoperfusion (- 2 Stand/ Deviations below the normal mean for the same age group) in the subgenual area (Area 25 of Brodmann) and in Area 24 of Brodmann, the anterior cingulated gyrus. Both areas are paradoxically more hypoperfused during the Wisconsin Test. Among patients diagnosed with P.D. NeuroSPECT can distinguish between patients of Cluster B from the ones from Cluster C in both Basal and Activation State, while Cluster A from B could be differentiated only in Basal State. On the other hand Motor Impulsivity patients could be differentiated from the Cognitive group due to paradoxical hypoperfusion in motor areas 1,2,3, and 4 of Brodmann. While the number of patients studied appears reduced these results demonstrate the capability of diagnosing Personality Disorder and also the capability to improved understanding of the subgroups of this Disorder

The human T-lymphotropic virus type I tax gene can cooperate with the ras oncogene to induce neoplastic transformation of cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Pozzatti, R; Vogel, J; Jay, G

1990-01-01

Epidemiologic studies have linked infection by the human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) with the development of adult T-cell leukemia. The low penetrance of the virus and the long latency for disease manifestation are factors that obscure the role of HTLV-I infection in oncogenesis. We have used an in vitro transformation assay system to determine directly whether the HTLV-I tax gene has transformation potential. Transfection of the tax gene alone into early-passage rat embryo fibroblasts did not induce morphological alterations. However, cotransfection of tax with the selectable marker plasmid pRSVneo gave rise to G418-resistant colonies that could be established as immortalized cell lines. Cotransfection of tax with the ras oncogene into rat embryo fibroblasts gave rise to foci of transformed cells that were highly tumorigenic in nude mice. These data represent a direct demonstration of the oncogenic potential of the tax gene in nonlymphoid cells and establish HTLV-I as a transforming virus.

NeuroChip: a microfluidic electrophysiological device for genetic and chemical biology screening of Caenorhabditis elegans adult and larvae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunxiao Hu

Full Text Available Genetic and chemical biology screens of C. elegans have been of enormous benefit in providing fundamental insight into neural function and neuroactive drugs. Recently the exploitation of microfluidic devices has added greater power to this experimental approach providing more discrete and higher throughput phenotypic analysis of neural systems. Here we make a significant addition to this repertoire through the design of a semi-automated microfluidic device, NeuroChip, which has been optimised for selecting worms based on the electrophysiological features of the pharyngeal neural network. We demonstrate this device has the capability to sort mutant from wild-type worms based on high definition extracellular electrophysiological recordings. NeuroChip resolves discrete differences in excitatory, inhibitory and neuromodulatory components of the neural network from individual animals. Worms may be fed into the device consecutively from a reservoir and recovered unharmed. It combines microfluidics with integrated electrode recording for sequential trapping, restraining, recording, releasing and recovering of C. elegans. Thus mutant worms may be selected, recovered and propagated enabling mutagenesis screens based on an electrophysiological phenotype. Drugs may be rapidly applied during the recording thus permitting compound screening. For toxicology, this analysis can provide a precise description of sub-lethal effects on neural function. The chamber has been modified to accommodate L2 larval stages showing applicability for small size nematodes including parasitic species which otherwise are not tractable to this experimental approach. We also combine NeuroChip with optogenetics for targeted interrogation of the function of the neural circuit. NeuroChip thus adds a new tool for exploitation of C. elegans and has applications in neurogenetics, drug discovery and neurotoxicology.

An investigation into the spiritual needs of neuro-oncology patients from a nurse perspective

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Nixon Aline Victoria

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Spiritual needs of cancer patients should be assessed and discussed by healthcare professionals. Neurosurgical nurses need to be able to assess and support neuro-oncology patients with their spiritual needs from diagnosis and throughout their hospital stay. Methods Data were collected through questionnaires using a Critical Incident Technique (CIT from neurosurgical nurses, findings were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Nurses reported some awareness of their patients’ spiritual needs during their stay on neurosurgical units although some used expressions approximating what could be described as spiritual needs. Patients’ spiritual needs were identified as: need to talk about spiritual concerns, showing sensitivity to patients’ emotions, responding to religious needs; and relatives’ spiritual needs included: supporting them with end of life decisions, supporting them when feeling being lost and unbalanced, encouraging exploration of meaning of life, and providing space, time and privacy to talk. Participants appeared largely to be in tune with their patients’ spiritual needs and reported that they recognised effective strategies to meet their patients’ and relatives’ spiritual needs. However, the findings also suggest that they don’t always feel prepared to offer spiritual support for neuro-oncology patients. Conclusions There is a need for healthcare professionals to provide spiritual care for neuro-oncology patients and their relatives. Although strategies were identified that nurses can use to support patients with spiritual needs further research is required to explore how effective nurses are at delivering spiritual care and if nurses are the most appropriate professionals to support neuro-oncology patients with spiritual care.

Randomized Controlled Study of a Remote Flipped Classroom Neuro-otology Curriculum

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Frederick Robert Carrick

2017-07-01

Full Text Available ContextMedical Education can be delivered in the traditional classroom or via novel technology including an online classroom.ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that learning in an online classroom would result in similar outcomes as learning in the traditional classroom when using a flipped classroom pedagogy.DesignRandomized controlled trial. A total of 274 subjects enrolled in a Neuro-otology training program for non-Neuro-otologists of 25 h held over a 3-day period. Subjects were randomized into a “control” group attending a traditional classroom and a “trial” group of equal numbers participating in an online synchronous Internet streaming classroom using the Adobe Connect e-learning platform.InterventionsSubjects were randomized into a “control” group attending a traditional classroom and a “treatment” group of equal numbers participating in an online synchronous Internet streaming classroom.Main outcome measuresPre- and post-multiple choice examinations of VOR, Movement, Head Turns, Head Tremor, Neurodegeneration, Inferior Olivary Complex, Collateral Projections, Eye Movement Training, Visual Saccades, Head Saccades, Visual Impairment, Walking Speed, Neuroprotection, Autophagy, Hyperkinetic Movement, Eye and Head Stability, Oscilllatory Head Movements, Gaze Stability, Leaky Neural Integrator, Cervical Dystonia, INC and Head Tilts, Visual Pursuits, Optokinetic Stimulation, and Vestibular Rehabilitation.MethodsAll candidates took a pretest examination of the subject material. The 2–9 h and 1–8 h sessions over three consecutive days were given live in the classroom and synchronously in the online classroom using the Adobe Connect e-learning platform. Subjects randomized to the online classroom attended the lectures in a location of their choice and viewed the sessions live on the Internet. A posttest examination was given to all candidates after completion of the course. Two sample unpaired t tests with equal variances

Randomized Controlled Study of a Remote Flipped Classroom Neuro-otology Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrick, Frederick Robert; Abdulrahman, Mahera; Hankir, Ahmed; Zayaruzny, Maksim; Najem, Kinda; Lungchukiet, Palita; Edwards, Roger A

2017-01-01

Medical Education can be delivered in the traditional classroom or via novel technology including an online classroom. To test the hypothesis that learning in an online classroom would result in similar outcomes as learning in the traditional classroom when using a flipped classroom pedagogy. Randomized controlled trial. A total of 274 subjects enrolled in a Neuro-otology training program for non-Neuro-otologists of 25 h held over a 3-day period. Subjects were randomized into a "control" group attending a traditional classroom and a "trial" group of equal numbers participating in an online synchronous Internet streaming classroom using the Adobe Connect e-learning platform. Subjects were randomized into a "control" group attending a traditional classroom and a "treatment" group of equal numbers participating in an online synchronous Internet streaming classroom. Pre- and post-multiple choice examinations of VOR, Movement, Head Turns, Head Tremor, Neurodegeneration, Inferior Olivary Complex, Collateral Projections, Eye Movement Training, Visual Saccades, Head Saccades, Visual Impairment, Walking Speed, Neuroprotection, Autophagy, Hyperkinetic Movement, Eye and Head Stability, Oscilllatory Head Movements, Gaze Stability, Leaky Neural Integrator, Cervical Dystonia, INC and Head Tilts, Visual Pursuits, Optokinetic Stimulation, and Vestibular Rehabilitation. All candidates took a pretest examination of the subject material. The 2-9 h and 1-8 h sessions over three consecutive days were given live in the classroom and synchronously in the online classroom using the Adobe Connect e-learning platform. Subjects randomized to the online classroom attended the lectures in a location of their choice and viewed the sessions live on the Internet. A posttest examination was given to all candidates after completion of the course. Two sample unpaired t tests with equal variances were calculated for all pretests and posttests for all groups including gender differences. All 274

Widely scattered CT lesions in the midbrain and the pons in a case of neuro-Behcet's syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuroiwa, Yoshiyuki; Tohgi, Hideo; Kanayama, Hiroumi; Fujimori, Masaki; Aoki, Hidehiko

1985-01-01

We report on a 30-year-old man with neuro-Behcet's disease. His main neurologic symptoms and signs included headache, alternating hemiparesis, dysarthria, and truncal ataxia. Lumbar puncture demonstrated an elevated pressure, pleocytosis, and an increased protein concentration. Intravenous betamethasone produced a rapid and sustained improvement, without recurrence for two years. Widely scattered foci of small, low-density lesions were disclosed in the midbrain and the pons on a cranial CT scan with 2.5 mm thin-cut slices to enable us to focus on the brainstem. Such CT lesions are consistent with the neuropathological features of this illness, which shows a tendency for brainstem lesions to predominate; these lesions probably represent necrotic areas secondary to vasculitis. Brainstem CT studies with thin-cut slices may be an important diagnostic aid in patients suspected of having neuro-Behcet's disease. (author)

Modeling the thermal behavior of fluid flow inside channels using an artificial locally linear neuro-fuzzy approach

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Azadeh Hashemian

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Enhanced surface heat exchangers are commonly used all worldwide. If applicable, due to their complicated geometry, simulating corrugated plate heat exchangers is a time-consuming process. In the present study, first we simulate the heat transfer in a sharp V-shape corrugation cell with constant temperature walls; then, we use a Locally Linear Neuro-Fuzzy method based on a radial basis function (RBFs to model the temperature field in the whole channel. New approach is developed to deal with fast computational and low memory resources that can be used with the largest available data sets. The purpose of the research is to reveal the advantages of proposed Neuro-Fuzzy model as a powerful modeling system designed for predicting and to make a fair comparison between it and the successful FLUENT simulated approaches in its best structures.

NEURO-SYSTEM OF AIMING AND STABILIZING WITH A REGULATOR ON THE BASIS OF STANDARD MODEL MODEL REFERENCE CONTROLLER

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B.I. Kuznetsov

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is the synthesis of neural network aiming and stabilization system for the special equipment of moving objects with neuro-controller on the basis of standard model and performance comparison of the neural network system with the neural network predictive control. Build a block diagram of the neural network aiming and stabilization system, based on the subject control principle with PD-regulator in the position loop and with neuro-controller on the basis of standard model in the in the velocity loop. The neuro-controller on the basis of standard model Model Reference Controller is synthesized in the MATLAB Neural Network Toolbox and system simulation is performed. The studies show that the transient state variables of the system are oscillatory. Therefore, the neuro-controller with the prediction NN Predictive Controller should be used for aiming and stabilizing system to provide high dynamic characteristics achieved at the cost of higher complexity and computational cost.

Synthesis of novel ligands for neuro-inflammation imaging using Positron Emission Tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cacheux, Fanny

2016-01-01

Neuro-inflammation plays an important role in many neuro-degenerative diseases (Alzheimer, Parkinson, Multiple sclerosis..) and recent developments in molecular imaging provide today new insights into the diagnostic and the treatment management of these diseases. Among the existing imaging techniques, the highly sensitive and quantitative nuclear modalities SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) but especially PET (positron emission tomography) play key roles. My PhD program is devoted to the design and synthesis of novel radioligands, all dedicated to the imaging of specific targets and processes linked to neuro-inflammation. For this, PET and the short-lived positron-emitter fluorine-18 (T 1/2 : 109.8 min) remain the main focuses. The project has been divided into two sections, the first one concentrates on the development of novel ligands targeting the Translocator Protein 18 kDa (TSPO). Indeed, this target is today recognized as an early bio-marker of neuro-inflammatory processes and PK11195, an isoquinoline carboxamide labelled with carbon-11, was, in the late 80's, the first reported PET-radioligand. More recently, new compounds, all belonging to different chemical classes, have emerged and notably the pyrazolopyrimidine acetamide [ 11 C]DPA-713 and the pyridazinoindole acetamide [ 11 C]SSR180575. Within the first section of my PhD, novel derivatives of both DPA-713 and SSR180575 have been synthesized and in vitro characterized. Dedicated precursors for labelling were also developed for the most promising candidates, and radiolabelling has been performed. Some results have been presented at the 21. International Symposium on Radiopharmaceutical Sciences (Columbia, MO, USA - May 26-31, 2015).The second part of my PhD, deals with the development of ligands for alternative targets to the TSPO, like the type-2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2R) and the purinergic P2Y14/P2Y12 receptors, the latter emerging today as a hot topic for imaging opportunities

Neuro-linguistic programming as a communication tool for management

OpenAIRE

2014-01-01

M.Com. (Business Management) The outcome of the study was to explore the use of neuro linguistic programming as a communication tool that enhances communication in the workplace, and the results revealed that NLP business communications differ from the usual workplace communications. They involve communications that identify explicit and achievable outcomes, use sensory awareness to notice responses and flexibly alter behaviour to achieve outcomes. Participants were noticing and discoverin...

HIV-1 Myristoylated Nef Treatment of Murine Microglial Cells Activates Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase, NO2 Production and Neurotoxic Activity.

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Giorgio Mangino

Full Text Available The potential role of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1 accessory protein Nef in the pathogenesis of neuroAIDS is still poorly understood. Nef is a molecular adapter that influences several cellular signal transduction events and membrane trafficking. In human macrophages, Nef expression induces the production of extracellular factors (e.g. pro-inflammatory chemokines and cytokines and the recruitment of T cells, thus favoring their infection and its own transfer to uninfected cells via exosomes, cellular protrusions or cell-to-cell contacts. Murine cells are normally not permissive for HIV-1 but, in transgenic mice, Nef is a major disease determinant. Both in human and murine macrophages, myristoylated Nef (myr+Nef treatment has been shown to activate NF-κB, MAP kinases and interferon responsive factor 3 (IRF-3, thereby inducing tyrosine phosphorylation of signal transducers and activator of transcription (STAT-1, STAT-2 and STAT-3 through the production of proinflammatory factors.We report that treatment of BV-2 murine microglial cells with myr+Nef leads to STAT-1, -2 and -3 tyrosine phosphorylation and upregulates the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS with production of nitric oxide. We provide evidence that extracellular Nef regulates iNOS expression through NF-κB activation and, at least in part, interferon-β (IFNβ release that acts in concert with Nef. All of these effects require both myristoylation and a highly conserved acidic cluster in the viral protein. Finally, we report that Nef induces the release of neurotoxic factors in the supernatants of microglial cells.These results suggest a potential role of extracellular Nef in promoting neuronal injury in the murine model. They also indicate a possible interplay between Nef and host factors in the pathogenesis of neuroAIDS through the production of reactive nitrogen species in microglial cells.

Spacecraft attitude control using neuro-fuzzy approximation of the optimal controllers

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Kim, Sung-Woo; Park, Sang-Young; Park, Chandeok

2016-01-01

In this study, a neuro-fuzzy controller (NFC) was developed for spacecraft attitude control to mitigate large computational load of the state-dependent Riccati equation (SDRE) controller. The NFC was developed by training a neuro-fuzzy network to approximate the SDRE controller. The stability of the NFC was numerically verified using a Lyapunov-based method, and the performance of the controller was analyzed in terms of approximation ability, steady-state error, cost, and execution time. The simulations and test results indicate that the developed NFC efficiently approximates the SDRE controller, with asymptotic stability in a bounded region of angular velocity encompassing the operational range of rapid-attitude maneuvers. In addition, it was shown that an approximated optimal feedback controller can be designed successfully through neuro-fuzzy approximation of the optimal open-loop controller.

The inverse F-BAR domain protein srGAP2 acts through srGAP3 to modulate neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth of mouse neuroblastoma cells.

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Yue Ma

Full Text Available The inverse F-BAR (IF-BAR domain proteins srGAP1, srGAP2 and srGAP3 are implicated in neuronal development and may be linked to mental retardation, schizophrenia and seizure. A partially overlapping expression pattern and highly similar protein structures indicate a functional redundancy of srGAPs in neuronal development. Our previous study suggests that srGAP3 negatively regulates neuronal differentiation in a Rac1-dependent manner in mouse Neuro2a cells. Here we show that exogenously expressed srGAP1 and srGAP2 are sufficient to inhibit valporic acid (VPA-induced neurite initiation and growth in the mouse Neuro2a cells. While ectopic- or over-expression of RhoGAP-defective mutants, srGAP1(R542A and srGAP2(R527A exert a visible inhibitory effect on neuronal differentiation. Unexpectedly, knockdown of endogenous srGAP2 fails to facilitate the neuronal differentiation induced by VPA, but promotes neurite outgrowth of differentiated cells. All three IF-BAR domains from srGAP1-3 can induce filopodia formation in Neuro2a, but the isolated IF-BAR domain from srGAP2, not from srGAP1 and srGAP3, can promote VPA-induced neurite initiation and neuronal differentiation. We identify biochemical and functional interactions of the three srGAPs family members. We propose that srGAP3-Rac1 signaling may be required for the effect of srGAP1 and srGAP2 on attenuating neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, inhibition of Slit-Robo interaction can phenocopy a loss-of-function of srGAP3, indicating that srGAP3 may be dedicated to the Slit-Robo pathway. Our results demonstrate the interplay between srGAP1, srGAP2 and srGAP3 regulates neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth. These findings may provide us new insights into the possible roles of srGAPs in neuronal development and a potential mechanism for neurodevelopmental diseases.

[Clinical and therapeutic differences in neuro-ophthalmological involvement secondary to syphilis].

Science.gov (United States)

Crespo-Burillo, J A; Gil-Perez, D; Alarcia-Alejos, R; Hernando-Quintana, N; Garcia-Rubio, S; Martin-Martinez, J

2014-09-16

INTRODUCTION. There are many forms of neuro-ophthalmological involvement secondary to syphilis, and not all of them are well known. Our aim is to determine the clinical and therapeutic differences in these patients. CASE REPORTS. Our sample included eight patients diagnosed with an ocular and neuro-ophthalmological disorder due to syphilis over the years 2012 and 2013. Five of them presented uveitis, pan-eveitis being the most frequent, with three cases. Two cases presented papilloedema and another displayed retrobulbar optic neuropathy. A total of 62.5% were diagnosed with neurosyphilis, the presence of which was related with compromise of the optic nerve (p = 0.035). None of them gave positive for VDRL in cerebrospinal fluid and they were diagnosed by the presence of FTA antibodies together with high protein levels in cerebrospinal fluid, lymphocytic pleocytosis or intrathecal synthesis of antibodies. In the absence of uveitis, diagnosis was delayed by a mean time of 2.6 months (p = 0.047). All the patients, except one who required a vitrectomy, progressed favourably with intravenous antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS. In cases of neuro-ophthalmological compromise, whether inflammatory or non-inflammatory, the physician must bear syphilis in mind as a potential causation in order to avoid delays in the diagnosis, since early well-tailored treatment can prevent permanent loss of sight.

Neuro fuzzy control of the FES assisted freely swinging leg of paraplegic subjects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Spek, J.H.; Velthuis, W.J.R.; Veltink, Petrus H.; de Vries, Theodorus J.A.

1996-01-01

The authors designed a neuro fuzzy control strategy for control of cyclical leg movements of paraplegic subjects. The cyclical leg movements were specified by three `swing phase objectives', characteristic of natural human gait. The neuro fuzzy controller is a combination of a fuzzy logic controller

Kleptomania in Patients with Neuro-Behçet's Disease

OpenAIRE

Shugaiv, Erkingül; Kıyat-Atamer, Aslı; Tüzün, Erdem; Kürtüncü, Murat; Baral-Kulaksızoğlu, Işın; Akman Demir, Gülşen

2013-01-01

Objective This study was conducted to characterize the prevalence and clinical features of kleptomania, an impulse control disorder, in patients with Behçet's disease involving the central nervous system. Subjects and Methods Medical records of 350 patients with neuro-Behçet's disease were evaluated, and clinical and neuropsychological features of patients with kleptomania were noted. Results Of the 350 neuro-Behçet's disease patients 6 (1.7%) had presented with symptoms that fulfilled the cr...

Trans-caryophyllene inhibits amyloid β (Aβ) oligomer-induced neuroinflammation in BV-2 microglial cells.

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Hu, Yawei; Zeng, Ziling; Wang, Baojie; Guo, Shougang

2017-10-01

Amyloid β (Aβ) is the major component of senile plaques (SP) in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, and serves as an inflammatory stimulus for microglia. Trans-caryophyllene (TC), a major component in the essential oils derived from various species of medicinal plants, has displayed its neuro-protective effects in previous studies. However, whether TC has a protective role in AD remains unknown. In this study, the effects of TC on Aβ 1-42 -induced neuro-inflammation were investigated. We found that TC reduced the release of LDH in BV-2 microglial cells treated with Aβ 1-42 . In addition, pretreatment of BV2 microglia with TC at concentrations of 10, 25, and 50μM prior to Aβ stimulation led to significant inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production, expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Notably, our results indicate that TC remarkably attenuated Aβ 1-42 -activated overexpression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). We further demonstrated that TC markedly reversed Aβ 1-42 -induced phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα, nuclear translocation of p65, and NF-κB transcriptional activity. These findings suggest that TC may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of AD. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Neuro-spect: Imaginología funcional en psiqyuiatría

OpenAIRE

Ismael Mena, G.

2013-01-01

Durante los últimos años la imagenología funcional presentada por Neuro-Spect se ha ido incorporando progresivamente al diagnóstico diferencial de la patología psiquiátrica especialmente trastorno del ánimo, psicosis, esquizofrenia, trastornos cognitivos como enfermedad de Alzheimer´s, el trastorno obsesivo compulsivo, el déficit atencional y sobretodo los efectos cerebrales de neurotóxicos. En este trabajo publicaremos y comentaremos inicialmente los hallazgos en infarto cerebral hiper-agudo...

The endocannabinoid anandamide regulates the peristaltic reflex by reducing neuro-neuronal and neuro-muscular neurotransmission in ascending myenteric reflex pathways in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Sibaev, Andrei; Yuece, Birol; Allescher, Hans Dieter; Saur, Dieter; Storr, Martin; Kurjak, Manfred

2014-04-01

Endocannabinoids (EC) and the cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptor are involved in the regulation of motility in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, the underlying physiological mechanisms are not completely resolved. The purpose of this work was to study the physiological influence of the endocannabinoid anandamide, the putative endogenous CB1 active cannabinoid, and of the CB1 receptor on ascending peristaltic activity and to identify the involved neuro-neuronal, neuro-muscular and electrophysiological mechanisms. The effects of anandamide and the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A were investigated on contractions of the circular smooth muscle of rat ileum and in longitudinal rat ileum segments where the ascending myenteric part of the peristaltic reflex was studied in a newly designed organ bath. Additionally intracellular recordings were performed in ileum and colon. Anandamide significantly reduced cholinergic twitch contractions of ileum smooth muscle whereas SR141716A caused an increase. Anandamide reduced the ascending peristaltic contraction by affecting neuro-neuronal and neuro-muscular neurotransmission. SR141716A showed opposite effects and all anandamide effects were antagonized by SR141716A (1 μM). Anandamide reduced excitatory junction potentials (EJP) and inhibitory junction potentials (IJP), whereas intestinal slow waves were not affected. CB1 receptors regulate force and timing of the intestinal peristaltic reflex and these actions involve interneurons and motor-neurons. The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide mediates these effects by activation of CB1 receptors. The endogenous cannabinoid system is permanently active, suggesting the CB1 receptor being a possible target for the treatment of motility related disorders. Copyright © 2014 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

Modeling of Activated Sludge Process Using Sequential Adaptive Neuro-fuzzy Inference System

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Mahsa Vajedi

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In this study, an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS has been applied to model activated sludge wastewater treatment process of Mobin petrochemical company. The correlation coefficients between the input variables and the output variable were calculated to determine the input with the highest influence on the output (the quality of the outlet flow in order to compare three neuro-fuzzy structures with different number of parameters. The predictions of the neuro-fuzzy models were compared with those of multilayer artificial neural network models with similar structure. The comparison indicated that both methods resulted in flexible, robust and effective models for the activated sludge system. Moreover, the root mean square of the error for neuro-fuzzy and neural network models were 5.14 and 6.59, respectively, which means the former is the superior method.

NeuroSPECT assessment of ischemic penumbra in acute brain infarct: control of intra-arterial thrombolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mena, F.J.; Mena, I.; Contreras, I.; Soto, F.; Ducci, H.; Fruns, M.

2002-01-01

Introduction: Brain infarct is the most common cause of incapacity in adults, the second cause of dementia and the 2nd or 3rd cause of death. Acute brain infarct is a medical emergency potentially reversible if treated with thrombolysis in the first hours of evolution. Thrombolysis is now an approved and efficacious method of treatment for acute ischemic stroke. During the first 3 hours of evolution, intravenous administration of plasminogen activator (tPA) can be performed. The window of time of treatment is expanded to 6 hours with the intra-arterial super selective route for thrombolysis. Aim: The aim of this study was to define levels of reversible ischemia (penumbra) demonstrated by statistically evaluated HMPAO Tc99m NeuroSPECT performed before and after intra-arterial thrombolysis in the treatment of acute infarct. Materials and Methods: 21 patients were treated during the first 6 hours of evolution of an acute ischemic stroke with the following protocol. 1) Admission, and complete neurological evaluation. 2) Brain CT scan to rule hemorrhage or established infarct. 3) I.V injection of 1100MBq Tc99m HMPAO (Ceretec tm) 4) Conventional cerebral angiography and intra-arterial thrombolysis and/or angioplasty/stenting if necessary. 5) NeuroSPECT assessment of ischemic penumbra. 6) Control at 24 hrs with NeuroSPECT. NeuroSPECT image acquisition is performed immediately following arterial thrombolysis with a dual Head Camera, SHR collimators and conventional protocol. Image processing was performed using the Segami Software, as previously reported in Alasbimn Journal2 (7): April 2000. http://www.alasbimnjournal.cl. The analysis consists of 1) Tallairach brain volume normalization. 2) Voxel by voxel comparison of the individual brain cortex uptake normalized to the maximum in the cortex with a normal database of 24 age-matched controls. Results: The results are expressed in standard deviations (S.D.) below the normal mean. Normal mean is 72% + 6. Only voxels between

MicroRNA-184 inhibits neuroblastoma cell survival through targeting the serine/threonine kinase AKT2

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Murphy Derek M

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Neuroblastoma is a paediatric cancer of the sympathetic nervous system. The single most important genetic indicator of poor clinical outcome is amplification of the MYCN transcription factor. One of many down-stream MYCN targets is miR-184, which is either directly or indirectly repressed by this transcription factor, possibly due to its pro-apoptotic effects when ectopically over-expressed in neuroblastoma cells. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which miR-184 conveys pro-apoptotic effects. Results We demonstrate that the knock-down of endogenous miR-184 has the opposite effect of ectopic up-regulation, leading to enhanced neuroblastoma cell numbers. As a mechanism of how miR-184 causes apoptosis when over-expressed, and increased cell numbers when inhibited, we demonstrate direct targeting and degradation of AKT2, a major downstream effector of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K pathway, one of the most potent pro-survival pathways in cancer. The pro-apoptotic effects of miR-184 ectopic over-expression in neuroblastoma cell lines is reproduced by siRNA inhibition of AKT2, while a positive effect on cell numbers similar to that obtained by the knock-down of endogenous miR-184 can be achieved by ectopic up-regulation of AKT2. Moreover, co-transfection of miR-184 with an AKT2 expression vector lacking the miR-184 target site in the 3'UTR rescues cells from the pro-apoptotic effects of miR-184. Conclusions MYCN contributes to tumorigenesis, in part, by repressing miR-184, leading to increased levels of AKT2, a direct target of miR-184. Thus, two important genes with positive effects on cell growth and survival, MYCN and AKT2, can be linked into a common genetic pathway through the actions of miR-184. As an inhibitor of AKT2, miR-184 could be of potential benefit in miRNA mediated therapeutics of MYCN amplified neuroblastoma and other forms of cancer.

Neuro-Behcet's disease: diagnostic usefulness of MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Song Soo; Song, Chang June; Lee, Ae Young; Pak, Chung Ho

2000-01-01

To suggest the characteristic MR features and to evaluate the usefulness of MR imaging for the diagnosis of neuro-Behcet's disease. We retrospectively reviewed the MR findings of clinically confirmed neuro-Behcet's disease in eight patients (M:F =3D 7:1) ranging in age from 28 to 47 (average, 36) years. The findings were analyzed in terms of the most frequently occurring sites, signal intensities, contrast enhancement, and the changing patterns seen on follow-up MR examination. Seven of the eight patients had parenchymal brain lesions and the other had dural sinus thrombosis without brain parenchymal brain abnormality. In descending order of frequency, lesions involved the pons, midbrain, medulla oblongata, internal capsule, basal ganglia, thalamus, temporal lobe, and corpus callosum. The brain stem was involved in six patients, five of whom showed extensive involvement of the entire stem. In five patients, brain stem lesions showed supratentorial involvement, and in one, involvement of this region only was noted. Signal intensities of the lesions were poorly defined and extensive, especially in the brain stem, usually showed prolongation of both T1 and T2 relaxation time. Three patients underwent follow-up examination, and this showed that while most lesions had disappeared in time, some had become small and cavitary. Initial MR examination showed that three patients had newly developed lesions as well as cavitary foci, suggesting the recurrence of disease. Contrast enhancement was noted in five of seven patients (71%), and various types, including nodular, linear, marginal, and ring. The MR features of neuro-Behcet's disease were fairly characteristic, and in clinically unsuspicious patients might be diagnostically useful. (author)

Regulation of repp86 stability by human Siah2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szczepanowski, Monika; Adam-Klages, Sabine; Kruse, Marie-Luise; Pollmann, Marc; Klapper, Wolfram; Parwaresch, Reza; Heidebrecht, Hans-Juergen

2007-01-01

Human repp86 is a nuclear protein that is expressed in a tightly limited period of time during the cell cycle and plays an essential role in its progression. Manipulation of repp86 expression by reduction of endogenous repp86 or overexpression of exogenous repp86 results in cell cycle arrest. We found that repp86 interacts with human Siah2, which is a known mediator for proteasomal degradation. Siah2 failed to interact with repp86 lacking the first 67 N-terminal amino acids. Overexpression of Siah2 reduced endogenous and exogenous repp86 at the protein level without affecting its mRNA, as shown by cotransfection and RT-PCR experiments. Furthermore, MG-132-a specific inhibitor of the proteasome-blocked the degradation of repp86 in Siah2 overexpressing cells. Moreover, transiently transfected Siah2 abrogated the mitotic arrest in repp86 overexpressing cells. Our data show that Siah2 is an important mediator of repp86 protein degradation

The Economic and Clinical Impact of Sustained Use of a Progressive Mobility Program in a Neuro-ICU.

Science.gov (United States)

Hester, Jeannette M; Guin, Peggy R; Danek, Gale D; Thomas, Jaime R; Titsworth, William L; Reed, Richard K; Vasilopoulos, Terrie; Fahy, Brenda G

2017-06-01

To investigate a progressive mobility program in a neurocritical care population with the hypothesis that the benefits and outcomes of the program (e.g., decreased length of stay) would have a significant positive economic impact. Retrospective analysis of economic and clinical outcome data before, immediately following, and 2 years after implementation of the Progressive Upright Mobility Protocol Plus program (UF Health Shands Hospital, Gainesville, FL) involving a series of planned movements in a sequential manner with an additional six levels of rehabilitation in the neuro-ICU at UF Health Shands Hospital. Thirty-bed neuro-ICU in an academic medical center. Adult neurologic and neurosurgical patients: 1,118 patients in the pre period, 731 patients in the post period, and 796 patients in the sustained period. Implementation of Progressive Upright Mobility Protocol Plus. ICU length of stay decreased from 6.5 to 5.8 days in the immediate post period and 5.9 days in the sustained period (F(2,2641) = 3.1; p = 0.045). Hospital length of stay was reduced from 11.3 ± 14.1 days to 8.6 ± 8.8 post days and 8.8 ± 9.3 days sustained (F(2,2641) = 13.0; p mobility program in the neurocritical care population has clinical and financial benefits associated with its implementation and should be considered.

Space Flight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Andrew G; Mader, Thomas H; Gibson, C Robert; Tarver, William

2017-09-01

New and unique physiologic and pathologic systemic and neuro-ocular responses have been documented in astronauts during and after long-duration space flight. Although the precise cause remains unknown, space flight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) has been adopted as an appropriate descriptive term. The Space Medicine Operations Division of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has documented the variable occurrence of SANS in astronauts returning from long-duration space flight on the International Space Station. These clinical findings have included unilateral and bilateral optic disc edema, globe flattening, choroidal and retinal folds, hyperopic refractive error shifts, and nerve fiber layer infarcts. The clinical findings of SANS have been correlated with structural changes on intraorbital and intracranial magnetic resonance imaging and in-flight and terrestrial ultrasonographic studies and ocular optical coherence tomography. Further study of SANS is ongoing for consideration of future manned missions to space, including a return trip to the moon or Mars.

A neuro-fuzzy model for prediction of the indoor temperature in typical Australian residential buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alasha' ary, Haitham; Moghtaderi, Behdad; Page, Adrian; Sugo, Heber [Priority Research Centre for Energy, Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, the University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308 (Australia)

2009-07-15

The Masonry Research Group at The University of Newcastle, Australia has embarked on an extensive research program to study the thermal performance of common walling systems in Australian residential buildings by studying the thermal behaviour of four representative purpose-built thermal test buildings (referred to as 'test modules' or simply 'modules' hereafter). The modules are situated on the university campus and are constructed from brick veneer (BV), cavity brick (CB) and lightweight (LW) constructions. The program of study has both experimental and analytical strands, including the use of a neuro-fuzzy approach to predict the thermal behaviour. The latter approach employs an experimental adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) which is used in this study to predict the room (indoor) temperatures of the modules under a range of climatic conditions pertinent to Newcastle (NSW, Australia). The study shows that this neuro-fuzzy model is capable of accurately predicting the room temperature of such buildings; thus providing a potential computationally efficient and inexpensive predictive tool for the more effective thermal design of housing. (author)

Research progress in neuro-immune interactions in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Jin-ling CAI

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The innate immune response may be activated quickly once the organism is invaded by exotic pathogens. An excessive immune response may result in inflammation and tissue damage, whereas an insufficient immune response may result in infection. Nervous system may regulate the intensity of innate immune responses by releasing neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and hormones. Compared with the complicated neuro-immune system in mammals, it is much simpler in Caenorhabditis elegans. Besides, C. elegans is accessible to genetic, molecular biology and behavioral analyses, so it has been used in studies on neuro-immune interactions. It has been revealed recently in the studies with C. elegans that the neuronal pathways regulating innate immune responses primarily include a transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β pathway, an insulin/insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF pathway and dopaminergic neurotransmission. Since these pathways are evolutionally conservative, so it might be able to provide some new ideas for the research on neuro-immune interactions at molecular levels. The recent progress in this field has been reviewed in present paper.

Adaptive neuro-fuzzy control of ionic polymer metal composite actuators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thinh, Nguyen Truong; Yang, Young-Soo; Oh, Il-Kwon

2009-01-01

An adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller was newly designed to overcome the degradation of the actuation performance of ionic polymer metal composite actuators that show highly nonlinear responses such as a straightening-back problem under a step excitation. An adaptive control algorithm with the merits of fuzzy logic and neural networks was applied for controlling the tip displacement of the ionic polymer metal composite actuators. The reference and actual displacements and the change of the error with the electrical inputs were recorded to generate the training data. These data were used for training the adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller to find the membership functions in the fuzzy control algorithm. Software simulation and real-time experiments were conducted by using the Simulink and dSPACE environments. Present results show that the current adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller can be successfully applied to the reliable control of the ionic polymer metal composite actuator for which the performance degrades under long-time actuation

Neuro-oxidative-nitrosative stress in sepsis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Ronan M G; Møller, Kirsten; Bailey, Damian M

2011-01-01

Neuro-oxidative-nitrosative stress may prove the molecular basis underlying brain dysfunction in sepsis. In the current review, we describe how sepsis-induced reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) trigger lipid peroxidation chain reactions throughout the cerebrovasculature and surrounding...

The UC Davis/NIH NeuroMab Facility

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The mission of the UC Davis/NIH NeuroMab facility is to generate and distribute high quality, validated mouse monoclonal antibodies against molecular targets found...

Estudo das células Neuro2A sobre os biomateriais PCL e PLLA

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Luiz Gabriel Maturana

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Os biomateriais poli L-ácido lático (PLLA e o poli caprolactona (PCL são os polímeros mais estudadas na área dos materiais bioreabsorvíveis. Dentre as suas principais características que contribuem para a interação celular, temos a especificidade química da superfície, elétrica, hidrofobicidade e topografia. Ainda, observa-se o tempo de degradação, porosidade, biocompatibilidade com o tecido biológico, bem como, a confecção com as mais variadas formas e dimensões. Já a prática da cultura celular, tem como objetivo estudar a adesão, migração, diferenciação e a proliferação celular utilizando-se um determinado material ou substância. Contudo, poucos trabalhos utilizando os biomateriais ora supracitados e a aplicação em células neuro2A foram realizados. Sabe-se que este tipo celular é derivado de células embrionárias da crista neural, as quais originam em neurônios simpáticos e apresentam como característica a imortalidade, portanto, são excelentes modelos em ensaios in vitro. Nesse sentido, o presente estudo avalia a adesão e a proliferação desta linhagem celular sobre os biopolímeros poli caprolactona (PCL e poli L-ácido lático (PLLA.

Functional Neuro-Imaging and Post-Traumatic Olfactory Impairment

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Richard J.; Sheehan, William; Thurber, Steven; Roberts, Mary Ann

2010-01-01

Objective: To evaluate via a research literature survey the anterior neurological significance of decreased olfactory functioning following traumatic brain injuries. Materials and Methods: A computer literature review was performed to locate all functional neuro-imaging studies on patients with post-traumatic anosmia and other olfactory deficits. Results: A convergence of findings from nine functional neuro-imaging studies indicating evidence for reduced metabolic activity at rest or relative hypo-perfusion during olfactory activations. Hypo-activation of the prefrontal regions was apparent in all nine post-traumatic samples, with three samples yielding evidence of reduced activity in the temporal regions as well. Conclusions: The practical ramifications include the reasonable hypothesis that a total anosmic head trauma patient likely has frontal lobe involvement. PMID:21716782

Effect of Ultrasonic Vibration on Proliferation and Differentiation of Cells

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Haruka Hino

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The effect of mechanical stimulation of vibration on proliferation and differentiation of cells has been studied in vitro. To apply the vibration on the cells, a piezoelectric element was attached on the outside surface of the bottom of the culture plate of six wells. The piezoelectric element was vibrated by sinusoidally alternating voltage at 1.0 MHz generated by a function generator. Five kinds of cells were used in the experiment: C2C12 (mouse myoblast cell, L929 (fibroblast connective tissue of mouse, Hepa1-6 (mouse hepatoma cell, HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial cell, and Neuro-2a (mouse neural crest-derived cell line. After the incubation for 24 hours, cells were exposed to the ultrasonic vibration intermittently for three days: for thirty minutes per day. At the end of the experiment, the number of cells was counted by colorimetric method with a microplate photometer. In the case of Neuro-2a, the total length of the neurite was calculated at the microscopic image. The experimental study shows following results. Cells are exfoliated by the strong vibration. Proliferation and differentiation of cells are accelerated with mild vibration. The optimum intensity of vibration depends on the kind of cells.

Impact of provider level, training and gender on the utilization of palliative care and hospice in neuro-oncology: a North-American survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Walbert, Tobias; Glantz, Michael; Schultz, Lonni; Puduvalli, Vinay K

2016-01-01

Specialized palliative care (PC) services have emerged to address symptoms and provide end-of-life management for patients with brain tumors. The utilization patterns of PC in neuro-oncology are unknown. A 22-question survey was distributed to participants of the society for neuro-oncology annual meeting 2012 (n = 4487). Nonparametric methods including Wilcoxon two-sample and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess differences in responses. 239 (5.3 %) evaluable responses were received; 79 % of respondents were physicians, and 17 % were nurses or midlevel providers. Forty-seven percent were medical or neuro-oncologists, 31 % neurosurgeons and 11 % radiation oncologists. Forty percent had no formal training in PC, 57 % had some formal training and 3 % completed a PC fellowship. Seventy-nine percent practiced in an academic setting. Of the respondents, 57 % referred patients to PC when symptoms required treatment and 18 % at end of life. Only 51 % of all providers felt comfortable dealing with end-of-life issues and symptoms, while 33 % did not. Fifty-one percent preferred a service named "Supportive Care" rather than "Palliative Care" (MDs > midlevel providers, p training in neuro-oncology and PC, and medical versus surgical neuro-oncology training were significantly associated with hospice referral, comfort in dealing with end-of-life issues, and ease of access to PC services. Provider level, specialty, gender, training in PC and neuro-oncology have significant impact on the utilization of PC and hospice in neuro-oncology.

Virtual reality exposure and neuro-bio feedback to help coping with traumatic events

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neerincx, M.A.; Kallen, V.L.; Brouwer, A.-M.; Leer, L. van der; Brinke, M. ten

2010-01-01

Recent research shows that Virtual Reality (VR) exposure or bio-neuro feedback can help professionals to cope with possibly traumatic events. This paper presents a neuro-bio VR system that combines both methods in order to further improve the prevention and therapy of trauma-related disorders. This

Hsp27 regulates Akt activation and polymorphonuclear leukocyte apoptosis by scaffolding MK2 to Akt signal complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Rui; Kausar, Hina; Johnson, Paul; Montoya-Durango, Diego E; Merchant, Michael; Rane, Madhavi J

2007-07-27

We have shown previously that Akt exists in a signal complex with p38 MAPK, MAPK-activated protein kinase-2 (MK2), and heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) and MK2 phosphorylates Akt on Ser-473. Additionally, dissociation of Hsp27 from Akt, prior to Akt activation, induced polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) apoptosis. However, the role of Hsp27 in regulating Akt activation was not examined. This study tested the hypothesis that Hsp27 regulates Akt activation and promotes cell survival by scaffolding MK2 to the Akt signal complex. Here we show that loss of Akt/Hsp27 interaction by anti-Hsp27 antibody treatment resulted in loss of Akt/MK2 interaction, loss of Akt-Ser-473 phosphorylation, and induced PMN apoptosis. Transfection of myristoylated Akt (AktCA) in HK-11 cells induced Akt-Ser-473 phosphorylation, activation, and Hsp27-Ser-82 phosphorylation. Cotransfection of AktCA with Hsp27 short interfering RNA, but not scrambled short interfering RNA, silenced Hsp27 expression, without altering Akt expression in HK-11 cells. Silencing Hsp27 expression inhibited Akt/MK2 interaction, inhibited Akt phosphorylation and Akt activation, and induced HK-11 cell death. Deletion mutagenesis studies identified acidic linker region (amino acids 117-128) on Akt as an Hsp27 binding region. Deletion of amino acids 117-128 on Akt resulted in loss of its interaction with Hsp27 and MK2 but not with Hsp90 as demonstrated by immunoprecipitation and glutathione S-transferase pulldown studies. Co-transfection studies demonstrated that constitutively active MK2 (MK2EE) phosphorylated Aktwt (wild type) on Ser-473 but failed to phosphorylate Akt(Delta117-128) mutant in transfixed cells. These studies collectively define a novel role of Hsp27 in regulating Akt activation and cellular apoptosis by mediating interaction between Akt and its upstream activator MK2.

A recombinant endogenous retrovirus amplified in a mouse neuroblastoma is involved in tumor growth in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Pothlichet, Julien; Heidmann, Thierry; Mangeney, Marianne

2006-08-15

The theory of immunoediting postulates that tumor cells exhibit a reduced immunogenicity to escape eradication by the host immune system. It has been proposed that endogenous retroviruses--provided that they are active--could play a role in this process, via the immunosuppressive domain carried by their envelope protein. Here, we demonstrate that the Neuro-2a tumor cell line--originating from a spontaneous A/J mouse neuroblastoma--produces an infectious retrovirus that most probably results from a recombination event between 2 mouse endogenous retroviral elements. This Neuro-2a-associated recombinant retrovirus derives from the unique ecotropic provirus located at the Emv-1 locus, but with a gag sequence conferring B-tropism, thus allowing its high-level amplification in Neuro-2a cells. We show that knocking down -by RNA interference- this endogenous retrovirus in Neuro-2a cells has no effect on the transformed phenotype of the cells, but results in delayed tumor growth and prolonged animal survival, following engraftment of the cells into immunocompetent mice. Recombination between endogenous retroviruses, amplification of the resulting element and high-level expression of its immunosuppressive activity are therefore likely steps of an immunoediting process, leading to an invading tumor. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Clinical neuro-oncology formal education opportunities for medical students in the United States and Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Dixit, Karan S; Nicholas, Martin Kelly; Lukas, Rimas V

2014-12-01

To develop an understanding of the availability of the formal clinical neuro-oncology educational opportunities for medical students. The curriculum websites of all medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education were reviewed for the presence of clinical neuro-oncology electives as well as other relevant data. Ten (6.8%) of medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education offer formal neuro-oncology electives. Half are clustered in the Midwest. Forty percent are at institutions with neuro-oncology fellowships. All are at institutions with neurosurgery and neurology residency programs. Formal clinical neuro-oncology elective opportunities for medical students in the United States and Canada are limited. Additional such opportunities may be of value in the education of medical students. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

New concept of direct torque neuro-fuzzy control for induction motor drives. Simulation study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grabowski, P.Z. [Institute of Control and Industrial Electronics, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw (Poland)

1997-12-31

This paper presents a new control strategy in the discrete Direct Torque Control (DTC) based on neuro-fuzzy structure. Two schemes are proposed: neuro-fuzzy switching times calculator and neuro-fuzzy incremental controller with space vector modulator. These control strategies guarantee very good dynamic and steady-states characteristics, with very low sampling time and constant switching frequency. The proposed techniques are verified by simulation study of the whole drive system and results are compared with conventional discrete Direct Torque Control method. (orig.) 18 refs.

Optimization of cAMP fluorescence dataset from ACTOne cannabinoid receptor 1 cell line

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Chaela S. Presley

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The ACTOne cannabinoid receptor 1 functional system is comprised of transfected HEK cells with the parental cyclic nucleotide gated channel (CNG co-transfected with cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1. The ACTOne CB1 cell line was evaluated for cAMP driven fluorescence by optimizing experimental conditions for sensitivity to forskolin and CP 55,940, reading time point, reliability of cell passage number, and pertussis inactivation of Gi/o.

The Prenylflavonoid Xanthohumol Reduces Alzheimer-Like Changes and Modulates Multiple Pathogenic Molecular Pathways in the Neuro2a/APPswe Cell Model of AD

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Xianfeng Huang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer’s disease (AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that has proved refractory to drug treatment. Given evidence of neuroprotection in animal models of ischemic stroke, we assessed the prenylflavonoid xanthohumol from the Common Hop (Humulus lupulus L. for therapeutic potential in murine neuroblastoma N2a cells stably expressing human Swedish mutant amyloid precursor protein (N2a/APP, a well-characterized cellular model of AD. The ELISA and Western-blot analysis revealed that xanthohumol (Xn inhibited Aβ accumulation and APP processing, and that Xn ameliorated tau hyperphosphorylation via PP2A, GSK3β pathways in N2a/APP cells. The amelioration of tau hyperphosphorylation by Xn was also validated on HEK293/Tau cells, another cell line with tau hyperphosphorylation. Proteomic analysis (2D-DIGE-coupled MS revealed a total of 30 differentially expressed lysate proteins in N2a/APP vs. wild-type (WT N2a cells (N2a/WT, and a total of 21 differentially expressed proteins in lysates of N2a/APP cells in the presence or absence of Xn. Generally, these 51 differential proteins could be classified into seven main categories according to their functions, including: endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress-associated proteins; oxidative stress-associated proteins; proteasome-associated proteins; ATPase and metabolism-associated proteins; cytoskeleton-associated proteins; molecular chaperones-associated proteins, and others. We used Western-blot analysis to validate Xn-associated changes of some key proteins in several biological/pathogenic processes. Taken together, we show that Xn reduces AD-related changes in stably transfected N2a/APP cells. The underlying mechanisms involve modulation of multiple pathogenic pathways, including those involved in ER stress, oxidative stress, proteasome molecular systems, and the neuronal cytoskeleton. These results suggest Xn may have potential for the treatment of AD and/or neuropathologically related

Electroporation-mediated transfer of SOX trio genes (SOX-5, SOX-6, and SOX-9) to enhance the chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hye-Joung; Im, Gun-Il

2011-12-01

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the SOX trio genes (SOX-5, SOX-6, and SOX-9) have a lower level of expression during the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) compared with chondrocytes and that the electroporation-mediated gene transfer of SOX trio promotes chondrogenesis from human MSCs. An in vitro pellet culture was carried out using MSCs or chondrocytes at passage 3 and analyzed after 7 and 21 days. Then, MSCs were transfected with SOX trio genes and analyzed for the expression of chondrogenic markers after 21 days of in vitro culture. Without transforming growth factor-β1, the untransfected MSCs had a lower level of SOX trio gene and protein expression than chondrocytes. However, the level of SOX-9 gene expression increased in MSCs when treated with transforming growth factor-β1. GAG level significantly increased 7-fold in MSCs co-transfected with SOX trio, which was corroborated by Safranin-O staining. SOX trio co-transfection significantly increased COL2A1 gene and protein and decreased COL10A1 protein in MSCs. It is concluded that the SOX trio have a significantly lower expression in human MSCs than in chondrocytes and that the electroporation-mediated co-transfection of SOX trio enhances chondrogenesis and suppresses hypertrophy of human MSCs.

Marked change in microRNA expression during neuronal differentiation of human teratocarcinoma NTera2D1 and mouse embryonal carcinoma P19 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hohjoh, Hirohiko; Fukushima, Tatsunobu

2007-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs, with a length of 19-23 nucleotides, which appear to be involved in the regulation of gene expression by inhibiting the translation of messenger RNAs carrying partially or nearly complementary sequences to the miRNAs in their 3' untranslated regions. Expression analysis of miRNAs is necessary to understand their complex role in the regulation of gene expression during the development, differentiation and proliferation of cells. Here we report on the expression profile analysis of miRNAs in human teratocarcinoma NTere2D1, mouse embryonic carcinoma P19, mouse neuroblastoma Neuro2a and rat pheochromocytoma PC12D cells, which can be induced into differentiated cells with long neuritic processes, i.e., after cell differentiation, such that the resultant cells look similar to neuronal cells. The data presented here indicate marked changes in the expression of miRNAs, as well as genes related to neuronal development, occurred in the differentiation of NTera2D1 and P19 cells. Significant changes in miRNA expression were not observed in Neuro2a and PC12D cells, although they showed apparent morphologic change between undifferentiated and differentiated cells. Of the miRNAs investigated, the expression of miRNAs belonging to the miR-302 cluster, which is known to be specifically expressed in embryonic stem cells, and of miR-124a specific to the brain, appeared to be markedly changed. The miR-302 cluster was potently expressed in undifferentiated NTera2D1 and P19 cells, but hardly in differentiated cells, such that miR-124a showed an opposite expression pattern to the miR-302 cluster. Based on these observations, it is suggested that the miR-302 cluster and miR-124a may be useful molecular indicators in the assessment of degree of undifferentiation and/or differentiation in the course of neuronal differentiation

Assessing bimanual performance in brain tumor resection with NeuroTouch, a virtual reality simulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Alotaibi, Fahad E; AlZhrani, Gmaan A; Mullah, Muhammad A S; Sabbagh, Abdulrahman J; Azarnoush, Hamed; Winkler-Schwartz, Alexander; Del Maestro, Rolando F

2015-03-01

Validated procedures to objectively measure neurosurgical bimanual psychomotor skills are unavailable. The NeuroTouch simulator provides metrics to determine bimanual performance, but validation is essential before implementation of this platform into neurosurgical training, assessment, and curriculum development. To develop, evaluate, and validate neurosurgical bimanual performance metrics for resection of simulated brain tumors with NeuroTouch. Bimanual resection of 8 simulated brain tumors with differing color, stiffness, and border complexity was evaluated. Metrics assessed included blood loss, tumor percentage resected, total simulated normal brain volume removed, total tip path lengths, maximum and sum of forces used by instruments, efficiency index, ultrasonic aspirator path length index, coordination index, and ultrasonic aspirator bimanual forces ratio. Six neurosurgeons and 12 residents (6 senior and 6 junior) were evaluated. Increasing tumor complexity impaired resident bimanual performance significantly more than neurosurgeons. Operating on black vs glioma-colored tumors resulted in significantly higher blood loss and lower tumor percentage, whereas altering tactile cues from hard to soft decreased resident tumor resection. Regardless of tumor complexity, significant differences were found between neurosurgeons, senior residents, and junior residents in efficiency index and ultrasonic aspirator path length index. Ultrasonic aspirator bimanual force ratio outlined significant differences between senior and junior residents, whereas coordination index demonstrated significant differences between junior residents and neurosurgeons. The NeuroTouch platform incorporating the simulated scenarios and metrics used differentiates novice from expert neurosurgical performance, demonstrating NeuroTouch face, content, and construct validity and the possibility of developing brain tumor resection proficiency performance benchmarks.

Anti-inflammatory effects of sodium alginate/gelatine porous scaffolds merged with fucoidan in murine microglial BV2 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Van-Tinh; Ko, Seok-Chun; Oh, Gun-Woo; Heo, Seong-Yeong; Jeon, You-Jin; Park, Won Sun; Choi, Il-Whan; Choi, Sung-Wook; Jung, Won-Kyo

2016-12-01

Microglia are the immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Overexpression of inflammatory mediators by microglia can induce several neurological diseases. Thus, the underlying basic requirement for neural tissue engineering is to develop materials that exhibit little or no neuro-inflammatory effects. In this study, we have developed a method to create porous scaffolds by adding fucoidan (Fu) into porous sodium alginate (Sa)/gelatine (G) (SaGFu). For mechanical characterization, in vitro degradation, stress/strain, swelling, and pore size were measured. Furthermore, the biocompatibility was evaluated by assessing the adhesion and proliferation of BV2 microglial cells on the SaGFu porous scaffolds using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, respectively. Moreover, we studied the neuro-inflammatory effects of SaGFu on BV2 microglial cells. The effect of gelatine and fucoidan content on the various properties of the scaffold was investigated and the results showed that mechanical properties increased porosity and swelling ratio with an increase in the gelatine and fucoidan, while the in vitro biodegradability decreased. The average SaGFu diameter attained by fabrication of SaGFu ranged from 60 to 120μm with high porosity (74.44%-88.30%). Cell culture using gelatine 2.0% (SaG2Fu) and 4.0% (SaG4Fu), showed good cell proliferation; more than 60-80% that with Sa alone. Following stimulation with 0.5μg/mL LPS, microglia cultured in porous SaGFu decreased their expression of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and reactive oxygen species (ROS). SaG2Fu and SaG4Fu also inhibited the activation and translocation of p65 NF-κB protein levels, resulting in reduction of NO, ROS, and PGE2 production. These results provide insights into the diverse biological effects and opens new avenues for the applications of SaGFu in neuroscience. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neuro-developmental outcome at 18 months in premature infants with diffuse excessive high signal intensity on MR imaging of the brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hart, Anthony; Whitby, Elspeth; Paley, Martyn; Wilkinson, Stuart; Smith, Michael; Alladi, Sathya

2011-01-01

Diffuse excessive high signal intensity (DEHSI) may represent damage to the white matter in preterm infants, but may be best studied alongside quantitative markers. Limited published data exists on its neuro-developmental implications. The purpose of this study was to assess whether preterm children with DEHSI at term-corrected age have abnormal neuro-developmental outcome. This was a prospective observational study of 67 preterm infants with MRI of the brain around term-equivalent age, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Images were reported as being normal, overtly abnormal or to show DEHSI. A single observer placed six regions of interest in the periventricular white matter and calculated the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC). DEHSI was defined as (1) high signal on T2-weighted images alone, (2) high signal with raised ADC values or (3) raised ADC values independent of visual appearances. The neuro-development was assessed around 18 months' corrected age using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (3rd Edition). Standard t tests compared outcome scores between imaging groups. No statistically significant difference in neuro-developmental outcome scores was seen between participants with normal MRI and DEHSI, regardless of which definition was used. Preterm children with DEHSI have similar neuro-developmental outcome to those with normal brain MRI, even if the definition includes objective markers alongside visual appearances. (orig.)

Neuro-robotics from brain machine interfaces to rehabilitation robotics

CERN Document Server

Artemiadis

2014-01-01

Neuro-robotics is one of the most multidisciplinary fields of the last decades, fusing information and knowledge from neuroscience, engineering and computer science. This book focuses on the results from the strategic alliance between Neuroscience and Robotics that help the scientific community to better understand the brain as well as design robotic devices and algorithms for interfacing humans and robots. The first part of the book introduces the idea of neuro-robotics, by presenting state-of-the-art bio-inspired devices. The second part of the book focuses on human-machine interfaces for pe

Mathematical Modeling of Neuro-Vascular Coupling in Rat Cerebellum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Tina

Activity in the neurons called climbing fibers causes blood flow changes. But the physiological mechanisms which mediate the coupling are not well understood. This PhD thesis investigates the mechanisms of neuro-vascular coupling by means of mathematical methods. In experiments, the extracellularly...... measured field potential is used as an indicator of neuronal activity, and the cortical blood flow is measured by means of laser-Doppler flowmetry. Using system identification methods, these measurements have been used to construct and validate parametric mathematical models of the neuro-vascular system...

Generation of anti-TLR2 intrabody mediating inhibition of macrophage surface TLR2 expression and TLR2-driven cell activation

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Lindenmaier Werner

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Toll-like receptor (TLR 2 is a component of the innate immune system and senses specific pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs of both microbial and viral origin. Cell activation via TLR2 and other pattern recognition receptors (PRRs contributes to sepsis pathology and chronic inflammation both relying on overamplification of an immune response. Intracellular antibodies expressed and retained inside the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER-intrabodies are applied to block translocation of secreted and cell surface molecules from the ER to the cell surface resulting in functional inhibition of the target protein. Here we describe generation and application of a functional anti-TLR2 ER intrabody (αT2ib which was generated from an antagonistic monoclonal antibody (mAb towards human and murine TLR2 (T2.5 to inhibit the function of TLR2. αT2ib is a scFv fragment comprising the variable domain of the heavy chain and the variable domain of the light chain of mAb T2.5 linked together by a synthetic (Gly4Ser3 amino acid sequence. Results Coexpression of αT2ib and mouse TLR2 in HEK293 cells led to efficient retention and accumulation of TLR2 inside the ER compartment. Co-immunoprecipitation of human TLR2 with αT2ib indicated interaction of αT2ib with its cognate antigen within cells. αT2ib inhibited NF-κB driven reporter gene activation via TLR2 but not through TLR3, TLR4, or TLR9 if coexpressed in HEK293 cells. Co-transfection of human TLR2 with increasing amounts of the expression plasmid encoding αT2ib into HEK293 cells demonstrated high efficiency of the TLR2-αT2ib interaction. The αT2ib open reading frame was integrated into an adenoviral cosmid vector for production of recombinant adenovirus (AdV-αT2ib. Transduction with AdVαT2ib specifically inhibited TLR2 surface expression of murine RAW264.7 and primary macrophages derived from bone marrow (BMM. Furthermore, TLR2 activation dependent TNFα mRNA accumulation, as well

Fast transdifferentiation of human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells into neurospheres and nerve-like cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonilla-Porras, A R; Velez-Pardo, C; Jimenez-Del-Rio, M

2017-04-15

The human mesenchymal stem cells derived from Wharton's jelly tissue (hWJ-MSCs) represent a tool for cell-based therapies and regenerative medicine. hWJ-MSCs form neurospheres (NSs) within 3-7 days. No data is available to establish the neuro-phenotypic markers and time of formation of nerve-like (NLCs) and glial cells from NSs derived from hWJ-MSCs. NEW METHOD: hWJ-MSCs were incubated with Fast-N-Spheres medium for 24 and 72h. The new formed NSs were in turn incubated with forskolin in neurogenic NeuroForsk medium for 1-7days. hWJ-MSCs cultured with Fast-N-Spheres medium trans-differentiated into NSs in just 24h compared to 72h for hWJ-MSCs cultured with classic growth factor medium. The NSs generated from the Fast-N-Spheres medium expressed reduced levels SOX2, OCT4 and NANOG, as markers of pluripotency compared to undifferentiated hWJ-MSCs. The formed NSs exposed to NeuroForsk medium differentiated into NLCs in 4days as evidenced by high levels of protein expression of the neuronal markers, and no expression of the glial marker GFAP. Currently, the formation and harvest of NSs is expensive and time consuming. Published protocols require 3-7days to form NSs from whole human umbilical cord MSCs. We report for the first time, to our knowledge, the differentiation of NSs-derived from hWJ-MSCs into NLCs. The fastest method to obtain NSs and NLCs from hWJ-MSCs takes only five days using the two-step incubation media Fast-N-Spheres and NeuroForsk. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Genetic-Neuro-Fuzzy inferential model for diagnosis of tuberculosis

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Mumini Olatunji Omisore

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Tuberculosis is a social, re-emerging infectious disease with medical implications throughout the globe. Despite efforts, the coverage of tuberculosis disease (with HIV prevalence in Nigeria rose from 2.2% in 1991 to 22% in 2013 and the orthodox diagnosis methods available for Tuberculosis diagnosis were been faced with a number of challenges which can, if measure not taken, increase the spread rate; hence, there is a need for aid in diagnosis of the disease. This study proposes a technique for intelligent diagnosis of TB using Genetic-Neuro-Fuzzy Inferential method to provide a decision support platform that can assist medical practitioners in administering accurate, timely, and cost effective diagnosis of Tuberculosis. Performance evaluation observed, using a case study of 10 patients from St. Francis Catholic Hospital Okpara-In-Land (Delta State, Nigeria, shows sensitivity and accuracy results of 60% and 70% respectively which are within the acceptable range of predefined by domain experts.

[Effect of transcription activity regulated by VNTR-ZNF and -14C/T variants in the promoter region of ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 in HepG2 cells].

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Shenxia; Zhao, Lili; Zhang, Ying; Mao, Yongmin

2016-10-01

To explore the effect of VNTR-ZNF and -14C/T variants of the promoter region of the ABCA1 gene on the transcription activity of genes in vitro. The recombinants were constructed by ligating DNA fragment containing VNTR-ZNF ACCCC inserted/deleted allele with or without -14C/T substitution fragments with a PGL2-basic vector containing luciferase reporter gene. The recombinants were then transfected into HepG2 cells using the cationic lipid method. After 48 h, transfected cells were collected and used to detect the luciferase activity. Luciferase activity of PGL2-ZNF-ACCCCDel was greater than that of PGL2-ZNF-ACCCCIns. Luciferase activity of PGL2-ZNFDel-14C was greater than that of PGL2-ZNFDel-14T, PGL2-ZNFIns-14C, PGL2-ZNFIns-14T. Compared with the insertion type, the ACCCC-deleted type of VNTR-ZNF can significantly enhance the transcription activity of ABCA1. And co-transfection of -14 C allele can further enhance this activity.

Bioactivity-guided isolation of chemical constituents against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity on PC12 from Cimicifuga dahurica (Turcz.) Maxim.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Chongning; Yang, Fan; Qin, Rulan; Qi, Zheyuan; Zhou, Wanrong; Lu, Jincai

2017-08-01

Three new compounds (1, 6, 9), with six known compounds (2-5, 7-8) were obtained from water-soluble extract of Cimicifuga dahurica (Turcz.) Maxim. by bioactivity-guided isolation. Their structures were elucidated by chemical and spectral analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR data and HRESIMS. H 2 O 2 -induced neurotoxicity on PC12 cells model were conducted to evaluate the neuro-protective capability of these compounds. The piscidic acid derivatives compounds 4-7 showed marked neuro-protective effect at certain concentration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Normative NeuroFlexor data for detection of spasticity after stroke: a cross-sectional study

OpenAIRE

Pennati, Gaia Valentina; Plantin, Jeanette; Borg, J?rgen; Lindberg, P?vel G

2016-01-01

Background and Objective The NeuroFlexor is a novel instrument for quantification of neural, viscous and elastic components of passive movement resistance. The aim of this study was to provide normative data and cut-off values from healthy subjects and to use these to explore signs of spasticity at the wrist and fingers in patients recovering from stroke. Methods 107 healthy subjects (age range 28?68 years; 51?% females) and 39 stroke patients (age range 33?69 years; 33?% females), 2?4 weeks ...

GABA and GABA-Alanine from the Red Microalgae Rhodosorus marinus Exhibit a Significant Neuro-Soothing Activity through Inhibition of Neuro-Inflammation Mediators and Positive Regulation of TRPV1-Related Skin Sensitization

Science.gov (United States)

Scandolera, Amandine; Hubert, Jane; Humeau, Anne; Lambert, Carole; De Bizemont, Audrey; Winkel, Chris; Kaouas, Abdelmajid; Renault, Jean-Hugues; Reynaud, Romain

2018-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the neuro-soothing activity of a water-soluble hydrolysate obtained from the red microalgae Rhodosorus marinus Geitler (Stylonemataceae). Transcriptomic analysis performed on ≈100 genes related to skin biological functions firstly revealed that the crude Rhodosorus marinus extract was able to significantly negatively modulate specific genes involved in pro-inflammation (interleukin 1α encoding gene, IL1A) and pain detection related to tissue inflammation (nerve growth factor NGF and its receptor NGFR). An in vitro model of normal human keratinocytes was then used to evaluate the ability of the Rhodosorus marinus extract to control the release of neuro-inflammation mediators under phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced inflammatory conditions. The extract incorporated at 1% and 3% significantly inhibited the release of IL-1α and NGF secretion. These results were confirmed in a co-culture system of reconstructed human epithelium and normal human epidermal keratinocytes on which a cream formulated with the Rhodosorus marinus extract at 1% and 3% was topically applied after systemic induction of neuro-inflammation. Finally, an in vitro model of normal human astrocytes was developed for the evaluation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptor modulation, mimicking pain sensing related to neuro-inflammation as observed in sensitive skins. Treatment with the Rhodosorus marinus extract at 1% and 3% significantly decreased PMA-mediated TRPV1 over-expression. In parallel with these biological experiments, the crude Rhodosorus marinus extract was fractionated by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) and chemically profiled by a recently developed 13C NMR-based dereplication method. The CPC-generated fractions as well as pure metabolites were tested again in vitro in an attempt to identify the biologically active constituents involved in the neuro-soothing activity of the Rhodosorus marinus extract

GABA and GABA-Alanine from the Red Microalgae Rhodosorus marinus Exhibit a Significant Neuro-Soothing Activity through Inhibition of Neuro-Inflammation Mediators and Positive Regulation of TRPV1-Related Skin Sensitization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amandine Scandolera

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to investigate the neuro-soothing activity of a water-soluble hydrolysate obtained from the red microalgae Rhodosorus marinus Geitler (Stylonemataceae. Transcriptomic analysis performed on ≈100 genes related to skin biological functions firstly revealed that the crude Rhodosorus marinus extract was able to significantly negatively modulate specific genes involved in pro-inflammation (interleukin 1α encoding gene, IL1A and pain detection related to tissue inflammation (nerve growth factor NGF and its receptor NGFR. An in vitro model of normal human keratinocytes was then used to evaluate the ability of the Rhodosorus marinus extract to control the release of neuro-inflammation mediators under phorbol myristate acetate (PMA-induced inflammatory conditions. The extract incorporated at 1% and 3% significantly inhibited the release of IL-1α and NGF secretion. These results were confirmed in a co-culture system of reconstructed human epithelium and normal human epidermal keratinocytes on which a cream formulated with the Rhodosorus marinus extract at 1% and 3% was topically applied after systemic induction of neuro-inflammation. Finally, an in vitro model of normal human astrocytes was developed for the evaluation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1 receptor modulation, mimicking pain sensing related to neuro-inflammation as observed in sensitive skins. Treatment with the Rhodosorus marinus extract at 1% and 3% significantly decreased PMA-mediated TRPV1 over-expression. In parallel with these biological experiments, the crude Rhodosorus marinus extract was fractionated by centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC and chemically profiled by a recently developed 13C NMR-based dereplication method. The CPC-generated fractions as well as pure metabolites were tested again in vitro in an attempt to identify the biologically active constituents involved in the neuro-soothing activity of the Rhodosorus

Role of imaging in the management of neuro-ophthalmic disorders

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Gandhi Rashmin

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Advancements in physics, computers, and imaging science in the last century have seen neuro-imaging evolving from a plain X-ray to computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging scans, noninvasive angiography, and special sequences such as fat suppression, fluid attenuation recovery and diffusion-weighted imaging. A prompt prescription of an appropriate imaging modality and the most suitable sequence can increase the diagnostic yield, and in many instances, it can be a sight-saving and even a life-saving decision. This article discusses basic principles of neuro-imaging, its common indications, and the appropriate application in an ophthalmology practice.

Interaction of hepatocyte nuclear factors in transcriptional regulation of tissue specific hormonal expression of human multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (abcc2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qadri, Ishtiaq; Hu, L.-J.; Iwahashi, Mieko; Al-Zuabi, Subhi; Quattrochi, Linda C.; Simon, Francis R.

2009-01-01

Multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) (ABCC2) is an ATP-binding cassette membrane protein located primarily on apical surface of hepatocytes that mediates transport of conjugated xenobiotics and endogenous compounds into bile. MRP2 is highly expressed in hepatocytes, and at lower levels in small intestines, stomach and kidney. Previous reports have characterized mammalian MRP2 promoters, but none have established the molecular mechanism(s) involved in liver enriched expression. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of hepatic MRP2 regulation. A 2130 bp of MRP2 promoter was cloned from PAC-1 clone P108G1-7, to identify putative liver specific/hormone responsive functional DNA binding sites. Using deletion analysis, site specific mutagenesis and co-transfection studies, liver specific expression was determined. MRP2 promoter-LUC constructs were highly expressed in liver cell lines compared to non-liver cells. The region extending from - 3 to+ 458 bp of MRP2 promoter starting from AUG contained the potential binding sites for CAAATT box enhancer binding protein (C/EBP), hepatocytes nuclear factor 1, 3 and 4 (HNF1, HNF3, and HNF4. Only HNF1 and HNF4 co-transfection with MRP2 luciferase increased expression. Site specific mutational analysis of HNF1 binding site indicated an important role for HNF1α. HNF4α induction of MRP2 was independent of HNF1 binding site. C/EBP, HNF3, and HNF6 inhibited HNF1α while HNF4α induced MRP2 luciferase expression and glucocorticoids stimulated MRP2 expression. This study emphasizes the complex regulation of MRP2 with HNF1α and HNF4α playing a central role. The coordinated regulation of xenobiotic transporters and oxidative conjugation may determine the adaptive responses to cellular detoxification processes

Neuro-fuzzy models for systems identification applied to the operation of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alves, Antonio Carlos Pinto Dias

2000-09-01

A nuclear power plant has a myriad of complex system and sub-systems that, working cooperatively, make the control of the whole plant. Nevertheless their operation be automatic most of the time, the integral understanding of their internal- logic can be away of the comprehension of even experienced operators because of the poor interpretability those controls offer. This difficulty does not happens only in nuclear power plants but in almost every a little more complex control system. Neuro-fuzzy models have been used for the last years in a attempt of suppress these difficulties because of their ability of modelling in linguist form even a system which behavior is extremely complex. This is a very intuitive human form of interpretation and neuro-fuzzy model are gathering increasing acceptance. Unfortunately, neuro-fuzzy models can grow up to become of hard interpretation because of the complexity of the systems under modelling. In general, that growing occurs in function of redundant rules or rules that cover a very little domain of the problem. This work presents an identification method for neuro-fuzzy models that not only allows models grow in function of the existent complexity but that beforehand they try to self-adapt to avoid the inclusion of new rules. This form of construction allowed to arrive to highly interpretative neuro-fuzzy models even of very complex systems. The use of this kind of technique in modelling the control of the pressurizer of a PWR nuclear power plant allowed verify its validity and how neuro-fuzzy models so built can be useful in understanding the automatic operation of a nuclear power plant. (author)

Connected word recognition using a cascaded neuro-computational model

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Hoya, Tetsuya; van Leeuwen, Cees

2016-10-01

We propose a novel framework for processing a continuous speech stream that contains a varying number of words, as well as non-speech periods. Speech samples are segmented into word-tokens and non-speech periods. An augmented version of an earlier-proposed, cascaded neuro-computational model is used for recognising individual words within the stream. Simulation studies using both a multi-speaker-dependent and speaker-independent digit string database show that the proposed method yields a recognition performance comparable to that obtained by a benchmark approach using hidden Markov models with embedded training.

The Mircen project, neuro-degenerative disease: mechanisms, therapeutics and imaging research Unit URA Cea Cnrs 2210

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hantraye, Ph.

2006-01-01

During the post-genomic era, significant advances in our understanding of the molecular basis of disease have been made. The power of functional and molecular imaging in translating this knowledge into effective therapy is now being more and more recognized. Thus, molecular imaging plays a vital role in the early identification of disease-related molecular markers, in the development of molecular-targeted therapies, and in monitoring phenotypic response to therapy both in experimental animals and in human patients. In this context, MIRCen (acronym for Molecular Imaging Research Center ) provides a comprehensive resource available to empower basic, translational, and clinical research through the application of imaging and drug, cell, and gene based technologies. The MIR center will be dedicated to the development of pre-clinical trials for the treatment of various seriously debilitating diseases such as neuro-degenerative diseases, cardiac and hepatic disorders, and infectious diseases (AIDS). Despite the fact that many of these pathologies are still incurable, recent advances in drug, cell and gene therapy point to the feasibility of new therapeutic approaches. The long term goals of MIRCen are therefore to develop and validate: - pertinent animal models for neuro-degenerative, hepatic, cardiac and infectious diseases in rodents as well as non-human primates, - novel technologies for in vivo sensing and imaging of disease-related molecular events,- drug, gene and cell based palliative and or curative therapeutic strategies aiming at protecting and /or restoring damaged or lost functions. (author)

Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Computing Technique for Determining Turbulent Flow Friction Coefficient

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Mohammad Givehchi

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Estimation of the friction coefficient in pipes is very important in many water and wastewater engineering issues, such as distribution of velocity and shear stress, erosion, sediment transport and head loss. In analyzing these problems, knowing the friction coefficient, can obtain estimates that are more accurate. In this study in order to estimate the friction coefficient in pipes, using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS, grid partition method was used. For training and testing of neuro-fuzzy model, the data derived from the Colebrook’s equation was used. In the neuro-fuzzy approach, pipe relative roughness and Reynolds number are considered as input variables and friction coefficient as output variable is considered. Performance of the proposed approach was evaluated by using of the data obtained from the Colebrook’s equation and based on statistical indicators such as coefficient determination (R2, root mean squared error (RMSE and mean absolute error (MAE. The results showed that the adaptive nerou-fuzzy inference system with grid partition method and gauss model as an input membership function and linear as an output function could estimate friction coefficient more accurately than other conditions. The new proposed approach in this paper has capability of application in the practical design issues and can be combined with mathematical and numerical models of sediment transfer or real-time updating of these models.

"Too Withdrawn" or "Too Friendly": Considering Social Vulnerability in Two Neuro-Developmental Disorders

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Jawaid, A.; Riby, D. M.; Owens, J.; White, S. W.; Tarar, T.; Schulz, P. E.

2012-01-01

In some neuro-developmental disorders, the combined effect of intellectual disability and atypicalities of social cognition may put individuals at increased vulnerability in their social environment. The neuro-developmental disorders Williams syndrome, characterised by "hypersociability", and autism spectrum disorders, characterised by "social…

Using Gelatin Nanoparticle Mediated Intranasal Delivery of Neuropeptide Substance P to Enhance Neuro-Recovery in Hemiparkinsonian Rats.

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Ying-Zheng Zhao

Full Text Available Intranasal administration of phospholipid-based gelatin nanoparticles (GNP was prepared to investigate the neuro-recovery effects of neuropeptide Substance P (SP on hemiparkinsonian rats.The SP-loaded gelatin nanoparticles (SP-GNP were prepared by a water-in-water emulsion method and possessed high stability, encapsulating efficiency and loading capacity. PC-12 cells were used to examine the growth enhancement of SP-GNP in vitro by MTT assays and flow cytometry (FCM. The therapeutic effects of SP-GNP on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA induced hemiparkinsonian rats were assessed by quantifying rotational behavior and the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, phosphorylated c-Jun protein (p-c-Jun and Caspase-3 (Cas-3 expressed in substantia nigra (SN region of hemiparkinsonian rats.PC-12 cells under SP-GNP treatment showed better cell viability and lower degree of apoptosis than those under SP solution treatment. Hemiparkinsonian rats under intranasal SP-GNP administration demonstrated better behavioral improvement, higher level of TH in SN along with much lower extent of p-c-Jun and Cas-3 than those under intranasal SP solution administration and intravenous SP-GNP administration.With the advantages of GNP and nose-to-brain pathway, SP can be effectively delivered into the damaged SN region and exhibit its neuro-recovery function through the inhibition on JNK pathway and dopaminergic neuron apoptosis.

The human oxytocin gene promoter is regulated by estrogens.

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Richard, S; Zingg, H H

1990-04-15

Gonadal steroids affect brain function primarily by altering the expression of specific genes, yet the specific mechanisms by which neuronal target genes undergo such regulation are unknown. Recent evidence suggests that the expression of the neuropeptide gene for oxytocin (OT) is modulated by estrogens. We therefore examined the possibility that this regulation occurred via a direct interaction of the estrogen-receptor complex with cis-acting elements flanking the OT gene. DNA-mediated gene transfer experiments were performed using Neuro-2a neuroblastoma cells and chimeric plasmids containing portions of the human OT gene 5'-glanking region linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. We identified a 19-base pair region located at -164 to -146 upstream of the transcription start site which is capable of conferring estrogen responsiveness to the homologous as well as to a heterologous promoter. The hormonal response is strictly dependent on the presence of intracellular estrogen receptors, since estrogen induced stimulation occurred only in Neuro-2a cells co-transfected with an expression vector for the human estrogen receptor. The identified region contains a novel imperfect palindrome (GGTGACCTTGACC) with sequence similarity to other estrogen response elements (EREs). To define cis-acting elements that function in synergism with the ERE, sequences 3' to the ERE were deleted, including the CCAAT box, two additional motifs corresponding to the right half of the ERE palindrome (TGACC), as well as a CTGCTAA heptamer similar to the "elegans box" found in Caenorhabditis elegans. Interestingly, optimal function of the identified ERE was fully independent of these elements and only required a short promoter region (-49 to +36). Our studies define a molecular mechanism by which estrogens can directly modulate OT gene expression. However, only a subset of OT neurons are capable of binding estrogens, therefore, direct action of estrogens on the OT gene may be

Enhancement of cell growth on honeycomb-structured polylactide surface using atmospheric-pressure plasma jet modification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, Kuang-Yao; Chang, Chia-Hsing; Yang, Yi-Wei; Liao, Guo-Chun; Liu, Chih-Tung; Wu, Jong-Shinn, E-mail: chongsin@faculty.nctu.edu.tw

2017-02-01

Graphical abstract: Atmospheric-pressure plasma enhances cell growth on two different pore sizes of honeycomb pattern on polylactide surface. - Highlights: • Different pore sizes of honeycomb pattern on PLA film are created. • The two-step plasma treatment provided the oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups that had a major impact on cell cultivation. • The plasma treatment had a significant effect for cell proliferation. • The surface structures are the main influence on cell cultivation, while plasma treatment can indeed improve the growth environment. - Abstract: In this paper, we compare the cell growth results of NIH-3T3 and Neuro-2A cells over 72 h on flat and honeycomb structured PLA films without and with a two-step atmospheric-pressure nitrogen-based plasma jet treatment. We developed a fabrication system used for forming of a uniform honeycomb structure on PLA surface, which can produce two different pore sizes, 3–4 μm and 7–8 μm, of honeycomb pattern. We applied a previously developed nitrogen-based atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) jet system to treat the PLA film without and with honeycomb structure. NIH-3T3 and a much smaller Neuro-2A cells were cultivated on the films under various surface conditions. The results show that the two-step plasma treatment in combination with a honeycomb structure can enhance cell growth on PLA film, should the cell size be not too smaller than the pore size of honeycomb structure, e.g., NIH-3T3. Otherwise, cell growth would be better on flat PLA film, e.g., Neuro-2A.

System identification of smart structures using a wavelet neuro-fuzzy model

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Ryan; Kim, Yeesock; El-Korchi, Tahar

2012-11-01

This paper proposes a complex model of smart structures equipped with magnetorheological (MR) dampers. Nonlinear behavior of the structure-MR damper systems is represented by the use of a wavelet-based adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (WANFIS). The WANFIS is developed through the integration of wavelet transforms, artificial neural networks, and fuzzy logic theory. To evaluate the effectiveness of the WANFIS model, a three-story building employing an MR damper under a variety of natural hazards is investigated. An artificial earthquake is used for training the input-output mapping of the WANFIS model. The artificial earthquake is generated such that the characteristics of a variety of real recorded earthquakes are included. It is demonstrated that this new WANFIS approach is effective in modeling nonlinear behavior of the structure-MR damper system subjected to a variety of disturbances while resulting in shorter training times in comparison with an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model. Comparison with high fidelity data proves the viability of the proposed approach in a structural health monitoring setting, and it is validated using known earthquake signals such as El-Centro, Kobe, Northridge, and Hachinohe.

System identification of smart structures using a wavelet neuro-fuzzy model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, Ryan; Kim, Yeesock; El-Korchi, Tahar

2012-01-01

This paper proposes a complex model of smart structures equipped with magnetorheological (MR) dampers. Nonlinear behavior of the structure–MR damper systems is represented by the use of a wavelet-based adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (WANFIS). The WANFIS is developed through the integration of wavelet transforms, artificial neural networks, and fuzzy logic theory. To evaluate the effectiveness of the WANFIS model, a three-story building employing an MR damper under a variety of natural hazards is investigated. An artificial earthquake is used for training the input–output mapping of the WANFIS model. The artificial earthquake is generated such that the characteristics of a variety of real recorded earthquakes are included. It is demonstrated that this new WANFIS approach is effective in modeling nonlinear behavior of the structure–MR damper system subjected to a variety of disturbances while resulting in shorter training times in comparison with an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model. Comparison with high fidelity data proves the viability of the proposed approach in a structural health monitoring setting, and it is validated using known earthquake signals such as El-Centro, Kobe, Northridge, and Hachinohe. (paper)

Loss of retrovirus production in JB/RH melanoma cells transfected with H-2Kb and TAP-1 genes.

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Li, M; Xu, F; Muller, J; Huang, X; Hearing, V J; Gorelik, E

1999-01-20

JB/RH1 melanoma cells, as well as other melanomas of C57BL/6 mice (B16 and JB/MS), express a common melanoma-associated antigen (MAA) encoded by an ecotropic melanoma-associated retrovirus (MelARV). JB/RH1 cells do not express the H-2Kb molecules due to down-regulation of the H-2Kb and TAP-1 genes. When JB/RH1 cells were transfected with the H-2Kb and cotransfected with the TAP-1 gene, it resulted in the appearance of H-2Kb molecules and an increase in their immunogenicity, albeit they lost expression of retrovirus-encoded MAA recognized by MM2-9B6 mAb. Loss of MAA was found to result from a complete and stable elimination of ecotropic MelARV production in the H-2Kb/TAP-1-transfected JB/RH1 cells. Northern blot analysis showed no differences in ecotropic retroviral messages in MelARV-producing and -nonproducing melanoma cells, suggesting that loss of MelARV production was not due to down-regulation of MelARV transcription. Southern blot analysis revealed several rearrangements in the proviral DNA of H-2Kb-positive JB/RH1 melanoma cells. Sequence analysis of the ecotropic proviral DNA from these cells showed numerous nucleotide substitutions, some of which resulted in the appearance of a novel intraviral PstI restriction site and the loss of a HindIII restriction site in the pol region. PCR amplification of the proviral DNAs indicates that an ecotropic provirus found in the H-2Kb-positive cells is novel and does not preexist in the parental H-2Kb-negative melanoma cells. Conversely, the ecotropic provirus of the parental JB/RH1 cells was not amplifable from the H-2Kb-positive cells. Our data indicate that stable loss of retroviral production in the H-2Kb/TAP-1-transfected melanoma cells is probably due to the induction of recombination between a productive ecotropic MelARV and a defective nonecotropic provirus leading to the generation of a defective ecotropic provirus and the loss of MelARV production and expression of the retrovirus-encoded MAA. Copyright 1999

Neuro tropic Melanoma: The Management of Localised Disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Croker, J.; Burmeister, B.; Foote, M.

2012-01-01

Neuro tropic melanoma is a rare subtype of cutaneous malignant melanoma. Compared with conventional melanoma, it is more locally aggressive with an increased tendency for local recurrence but less likely for nodal or distant metastases. These tumours can be a diagnostic dilemma with a variety of morphological, histopathological, and immunophenotypical expressions. The often amelanotic, benign appearance may lead to treatment issues such as late presentation, diagnostic delay, misdiagnosis, insufficient surgical margins, and recurrence with resulting poor outcome. The neuro tropic nature of the disease and prevalence in the head and neck region can result in peri neural and neural invasion along named large nerves into the brain with resulting neuropathies. Wide local excision with adjuvant radiotherapy where indicated remains the current practice for treatment with chemotherapy predominately being reserved as a salvage treatment for patients with disseminated disease.

The QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Assay in Neuro-Ophthalmology.

Science.gov (United States)

Little, Leanne M; Rigi, Mohammed; Suleiman, Ayman; Smith, Stacy V; Graviss, Edward A; Foroozan, Rod; Lee, Andrew G

2017-09-01

Although QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) testing is regularly used to detect infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, its utility in a patient population with a low risk for tuberculosis (TB) has been questioned. The following is a cohort study analyzing the efficacy of QFT-GIT testing as a method for detection of active TB disease in low-risk individuals in a neuro-ophthalmologic setting. Ninety-nine patients from 2 neuro-ophthalmology centers were identified as having undergone QFT-GIT testing between January 2012 and February 2016. Patients were divided into groups of negative, indeterminate, and positive QFT-GIT results. Records of patients with positive QFT-GIT results were reviewed for development of latent or active TB, as determined by clinical, bacteriologic, and/or radiographic evidence. Of the 99 cases reviewed, 18 patients had positive QFT-GIT tests. Of these 18 cases, 12 had documentation of chest radiographs or computed tomography which showed no evidence for either active TB or pulmonary latent TB infection (LTBI). Four had chest imaging which was indicative of possible LTBI. None of these 18 patients had symptoms of active TB and none developed active TB within the follow-up period. Based on our results, we conclude that routine testing with QFT-GIT in a low-risk cohort did not diagnose active TB infection. We do not recommend routine QFT-GIT testing for TB low-risk individuals, as discerned through patient and exposure history, ocular examination, and clinical judgment, in neuro-ophthalmology practice.

Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy for chronic-tonal tinnitus - treatment outline and psychometric evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Argstatter, Heike; Grapp, Miriam; Plinkert, Peter K; Bolay, Hans Volker

2012-01-01

Musical training positively influences the cortical plasticity of the brain and has proven to be effective in treating chronic tinnitus. A neuro-music therapy concept, the "Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy" treatment was developed and evaluated. A prospective, cross-sectional design was used. N = 135 patients (mean age 47 years) with chronic, tonal tinnitus attended a standardized protocol for Neuro-Music Therapy (either "standard therapy" ST or "compact therapy" CT). The results were compared to a cognitive behavioral placebo music therapy procedure (PT). Tinnitus distress was assessed using the German version of the Tinnitus-Questionnaire (TQ) at admission, at discharge and six months after therapy. Changes were assessed statistically and by means of clinical significance. TQ scores significantly improved - independent of group allocation. But more than 80% of the music therapy patients (both ST and CT) revealed a reliable improvement ("responder") compared to 44% in the PT group. Therapy impact seems to be lasting since TQ scores remained stable until follow-up at six months. The "Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy" is a method with fast onset and long lasting effect for patients with "tonal" tinnitus. A number of potential working factors accounting for the treatment success are highlighted.

NeuroCharter: A Neural Networks Software to Visually Discover the Effects and Contributions between Interrelated Features

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Mohammad N. Elnesr

2017-09-01

Full Text Available NeuroCharter is an open-source software that helps in prediction problems in scientific research through artificial neural networks. The program is designed mainly for researchers who focus on details of the neural-network’s parameters, in addition to easy reuse of the trained network. The program outputs almost all the necessary graphs regarding the network and features contributions and relative outputs for both numeric and categorical features. The program was implemented in Python 2.7.11 and is open sourced for reuse and future development. The program consists of four main classes, one for the neural networks calculation, one for data manipulation, one for plotting the neural network, and the main class that manages and links the other classes. The source code and some experimental data are freely available at the GitHub code repository http://j.mp/NeuroCharter.   Funding Statement: The project was financially supported by King Saud University, Vice Deanship of Research Chairs.

A novel multi-model neuro-fuzzy-based MPPT for three-phase grid-connected photovoltaic system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaouachi, Aymen; Kamel, Rashad M.; Nagasaka, Ken [Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Nakamachi (Japan)

2010-12-15

This paper presents a novel methodology for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) of a grid-connected 20 kW photovoltaic (PV) system using neuro-fuzzy network. The proposed method predicts the reference PV voltage guarantying optimal power transfer between the PV generator and the main utility grid. The neuro-fuzzy network is composed of a fuzzy rule-based classifier and three multi-layered feed forwarded Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Inputs of the network (irradiance and temperature) are classified before they are fed into the appropriated ANN for either training or estimation process while the output is the reference voltage. The main advantage of the proposed methodology, comparing to a conventional single neural network-based approach, is the distinct generalization ability regarding to the nonlinear and dynamic behavior of a PV generator. In fact, the neuro-fuzzy network is a neural network based multi-model machine learning that defines a set of local models emulating the complex and nonlinear behavior of a PV generator under a wide range of operating conditions. Simulation results under several rapid irradiance variations proved that the proposed MPPT method fulfilled the highest efficiency comparing to a conventional single neural network and the Perturb and Observe (P and O) algorithm dispositive. (author)

Molecular cloning of a mouse DNA repair gene that complements the defect of group-A xeroderma pigmentosum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, K.; Satokata, I.; Ogita, Z.; Uchida, T.; Okada, Y.

1989-01-01

For isolation of the gene responsible for xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) complementation group A, plasmid pSV2gpt and genomic DNA from a mouse embryo were cotransfected into XP2OSSV cells, a group-A XP cell line. Two primary UV-resistant XP transfectants were isolated from about 1.6 X 10(5) pSV2gpt-transformed XP colonies. pSV2gpt and genomic DNA from the primary transfectants were again cotransfected into XP2OSSV cells and a secondary UV-resistant XP transfectant was obtained by screening about 4.8 X 10(5) pSV2gpt-transformed XP colonies. The secondary transfectant retained fewer mouse repetitive sequences. A mouse gene that complements the defect of XP2OSSV cells was cloned into an EMBL3 vector from the genome of a secondary transfectant. Transfections of the cloned DNA also conferred UV resistance on another group-A XP cell line but not on XP cell lines of group C, D, F, or G. Northern blot analysis of poly(A)+ RNA with a subfragment of cloned mouse DNA repair gene as the probe revealed that an approximately 1.0 kilobase mRNA was transcribed in the donor mouse embryo and secondary transfectant, and approximately 1.0- and approximately 1.3-kilobase mRNAs were transcribed in normal human cells, but none of these mRNAs was detected in three strains of group-A XP cells. These results suggest that the cloned DNA repair gene is specific for group-A XP and may be the mouse homologue of the group-A XP human gene

Citation classics in neuro-oncology: assessment of historical trends and scientific progress.

Science.gov (United States)

Hachem, Laureen D; Mansouri, Alireza; Juraschka, Kyle; Taslimi, Shervin; Pirouzmand, Farhad; Zadeh, Gelareh

2017-09-01

Citation classics represent the highest cited works in a field and are often regarded as the most influential literature. Analyzing thematic trends in citation classics across eras enables recognition of important historical advances within a field. We present the first analysis of the citation classics in neuro-oncology. The Web of Science database was searched using terms relevant to "neuro-oncology." Articles with >400 citations were identified and the top 100 cited articles were evaluated. The top 100 neuro-oncology citation classics consisted of 43 clinical studies (17 retrospective, 10 prospective, 16 randomized trials), 43 laboratory investigations, 8 reviews/meta-analyses, and 6 guidelines/consensus statements. Articles were classified into 4 themes: 13 pertained to tumor classification, 37 to tumor pathogenesis/clinical presentation, 6 to imaging, 44 to therapy (15 chemotherapy, 10 radiotherapy, 5 surgery, 14 new agents). Gliomas were the most common tumor type examined, with 70 articles. There was a significant increase in the number of citation classics in the late 1990s, which was paralleled by an increase in studies examining tumor pathogenesis, chemotherapy, and new agents along with laboratory and randomized studies. The majority of citation classics in neuro-oncology are related to gliomas and pertain to tumor pathogenesis and treatment. The rise in citation classics in recent years investigating tumor biology, new treatment agents, and chemotherapeutics may reflect increasing scientific interest in nonsurgical treatments for CNS tumors and the need for fundamental investigations into disease processes. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

PENERAPAN HIPNOTEACHING MELALUI NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING DALAM PEMBELAJARAN KIMIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Ismuzaroh

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Tujuan penerapan hypnoteaching melalui neuro linguistic programming (NLP dalam proses pembelajaran kimia adalah untuk menghilangkan pikiran negatif siswa terhadap pembelajaran kimia, yang selanjutnya meningkatkan minat, motivasi dan keaktifan belajar kimia siswa. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan siswa lebih terbuka, berani mengemukakan pendapat terhadap permasalahan kimia yang pelajari, siswa merasa fresh, dan nyaman. Hypnoteaching goals through the application of neuro linguistic programming (NLP is a chemical in the learning process to eliminate the negative thoughts of students towards learning chemistry, which further increase the interest, motivation and active learning chemistry students. Results showed students were more open, daring to express opinions on issues studied chemistry, students feel fresh, and comfortable.

A Neuro-genetic Based Short-term Forecasting Framework for Network Intrusion Prediction System

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Siva S. Sivatha Sindhu; S. Geetha; M. Marikannan; A. Kannan

2009-01-01

Information systems are one of the most rapidly changing and vulnerable systems, where security is a major issue. The number of security-breaking attempts originating inside organizations is increasing steadily. Attacks made in this way, usually done by "authorized" users of the system, cannot be immediately traced. Because the idea of filtering the traffic at the entrance door, by using firewalls and the like, is not completely successful, the use of intrusion detection systems should be considered to increase the defense capacity of an information system. An intrusion detection system (IDS) is usually working in a dynamically changing environment, which forces continuous tuning of the intrusion detection model, in order to maintain sufficient performance. The manual tuning process required by current IDS depends on the system operators in working out the tuning solution and in integrating it into the detection model. Furthermore, an extensive effort is required to tackle the newly evolving attacks and a deep study is necessary to categorize it into the respective classes. To reduce this dependence, an automatically evolving anomaly IDS using neuro-genetic algorithm is presented. The proposed system automatically tunes the detection model on the fly according to the feedback provided by the system operator when false predictions are encountered. The system has been evaluated using the Knowledge Discovery in Databases Conference (KDD 2009) intrusion detection dataset. Genetic paradigm is employed to choose the predominant features, which reveal the occurrence of intrusions. The neuro-genetic IDS (NGIDS) involves calculation of weightage value for each of the categorical attributes so that data of uniform representation can be processed by the neuro-genetic algorithm. In this system unauthorized invasion of a user are identified and newer types of attacks are sensed and classified respectively by the neuro-genetic algorithm. The experimental results obtained in this

Triactome: neuro-immune-adipose interactions. Implication in vascular biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)