Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in the interaction of resting‐state neural networks from adolescence to adulthood

This study examined how the mutual interactions of functionally integrated neural networks during resting‐state fMRI differed between adolescence and adulthood. Independent component analysis (ICA) was used to identify functionally connected neural networks in 100 healthy participants aged 12–30 years. Hemodynamic timecourses that represented integrated neural network activity were analyzed with tools that quantified system “causal density” estimates, which indexed the proportion of significant Granger causality relationships among system nodes. Mutual influences among networks decreased with age, likely reflecting stronger within‐network connectivity and more efficient between‐network influences with greater development. Supplemental tests showed that this normative age‐related reduction in causal density was accompanied by fewer significant connections to and from each network, regional increases in the strength of functional integration within networks, and age‐related reductions in the strength of numerous specific system interactions. The latter included paths between lateral prefrontal‐parietal circuits and “default mode” networks. These results contribute to an emerging understanding that activity in widely distributed networks thought to underlie complex cognition influences activity in other networks. Hum Brain Mapp 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Oscillatory activity in parietal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during retention in visual short‐term memory: Additive effects of spatial attention and memory load

We used whole‐head magnetoencephalography to study the representation of objects in visual short‐term memory (VSTM) in the human brain. Subjects remembered the location and color of either two or four colored disks that were encoded from the left or right visual field (equal number of distractors in the other visual hemifield). The data were analyzed using time‐frequency methods, which enabled us to discover a strong oscillatory activity in the 8–15 Hz band during the retention interval. The study of the alpha power variation revealed two types of responses, in different brain regions. The first was a decrease in alpha power in parietal cortex, contralateral to the stimuli, with no load effect. The second was an increase of alpha power in parietal and lateral prefrontal cortex, as memory load increased, but without interaction with the hemifield of the encoded stimuli. The absence of interaction between side of encoded stimuli and memory load suggests that these effects reflect distinct underlying mechanisms. A novel method to localize the neural generators of load‐related oscillatory activity was devised, using cortically‐constrained distributed source‐localization methods. Some activations were found in the inferior intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and intraoccipital sulcus (IOS). Importantly, strong oscillatory activity was also found in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Alpha oscillatory activity in DLPFC was synchronized with the activity in parietal regions, suggesting that VSTM functions in the human brain may be implemented via a network that includes bilateral DLPFC and bilateral IOS/IPS as key nodes. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Facial expressions of pain modulate observer's long‐latency responses in superior temporal sulcus

The strength of brain responses to others' pain has been shown to depend on the intensity of the observed pain. To investigate the temporal profile of such modulation, we recorded neuromagnetic brain responses of healthy subjects to facial expressions of pain. The subjects observed grayscale photos of the faces of genuine chronic pain patients when the patients were suffering from their ordinary pain (Chronic) and when the patients' pain was transiently intensified (Provoked). The cortical activation sequence during observation of the facial expressions of pain advanced from occipital to temporo‐occipital areas, and it differed between Provoked and Chronic pain expressions in the right middle superior temporal sulcus (STS) at 300–500 ms: the responses were about a third stronger for Provoked than Chronic pain faces. Furthermore, the responses to Provoked pain faces were about 40% stronger in the right than the left STS, and they decreased from the first to the second measurement session by one‐fourth, whereas no similar decrease in responses was found for Chronic pain faces. Thus, the STS responses to the pain expressions were modulated by the intensity of the observed pain and by stimulus repetition; the location and latency of the responses suggest close similarities between processing of pain and other affective facial expressions. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Functional and structural changes in the memory network associated with left temporal lobe epilepsy

Understanding functional plasticity in memory networks associated with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is central to predicting memory decline following surgery. However, the extent of functional reorganization within memory networks remains unclear. In this preliminary study, we used novel analysis methods assessing network‐level changes across the brain during memory task performance in patients with TLE to test the hypothesis that hippocampal functions may not readily shift between hemispheres, but instead may show altered intra‐hemispheric organization with unilateral damage. In addition, we wished to relate functional differences to structural changes along specific fibre pathways associated with memory function. Nine pre‐operative patients with intractable left TLE and 10 healthy controls underwent functional MRI during complex scene encoding. Diffusion tensor imaging was additionally performed in the same patients. In our study, we found no evidence of inter‐hemispheric shifts in memory‐related activity in TLE using standard general linear model analysis. However, tensor independent component analysis revealed significant reductions in functional connectivity between bilateral MTL, occipital and left orbitofrontal regions among others in left TLE. This altered orbitofrontal activity was directly related to measures of fornix tract coherence in patients (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that specific fibre pathways, potentially affected by MTL neurodegeneration, may play a central role in functional plasticity in TLE and highlight the importance of network‐based analysis approaches. Relative to standard model‐based methods, novel objective functional connectivity analyses may offer improved sensitivity to subtle changes in the distribution of memory functions relevant for surgical planning in TLE. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Contradiction in universal and particular reasoning

A wide range of essential reasoning tasks rely on contradiction identification, a cornerstone of human rationality, communication and debate founded on the inversion of the logical operators “Every” and “Some. ” A high‐density electroencephalographic (EEG) study was performed in 11 normal young adults. The cerebral network involved in the identification of contradiction included the orbito‐frontal and anterior‐cingulate cortices and the temporo‐polar cortices. The event‐related dynamic of this network showed an early negative deflection lasting 500 ms after sentence presentation. This was followed by a positive deflection lasting 1.5 s, which was different for the two logical operators. A lesser degree of network activation (either in neuron number or their level of phase locking or both) occurred while processing statements with “Some,” suggesting that this was a relatively simpler scenario with one example to be figured out, instead of the many examples or the absence of a counterexample searched for while processing statements with “Every. ” A self‐generated reward system seemed to resonate the recruited circuitry when the contradictory task is successfully completed. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Working memory for vibrotactile frequencies: Comparison of cortical activity in blind and sighted individuals

In blind, occipital cortex showed robust activation to nonvisual stimuli in many prior functional neuroimaging studies. The cognitive processes represented by these activations are not fully determined, although a verbal recognition memory role has been demonstrated. In congenitally blind and sighted (10 per group), we contrasted responses to a vibrotactile one‐back frequency retention task with 5‐s delays and a vibrotactile amplitude‐change task; both tasks involved the same vibration parameters. The one‐back paradigm required continuous updating for working memory (WM). Findings in both groups confirmed roles in WM for right hemisphere dorsolateral prefrontal (DLPFC) and dorsal/ventral attention components of posterior parietal cortex. Negative findings in bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortex suggested task performance without subvocalization. In bilateral occipital cortex, blind showed comparable positive responses to both tasks, whereas WM evoked large negative responses in sighted. Greater utilization of attention resources in blind were suggested as causing larger responses in dorsal and ventral attention systems, right DLPFC, and persistent responses across delays between trials in somatosensory and premotor cortex. In sighted, responses in somatosensory and premotor areas showed iterated peaks matched to stimulation trial intervals. The findings in occipital cortex of blind suggest that tactile activations do not represent cognitive operations for nonverbal WM task. However, these data suggest a role in sensory processing for tactile information in blind that parallels a similar contribution for visual stimuli in occipital cortex of sighted. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sequential fatigue progressively alters lower extremity biomechanics

Background Non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury has been reported to occur during the later stages of a game, when fatigue is most likely present. Few studies have focused on progressive changes that occur throughout fatiguing. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a sequential fatigue protocol on lower extremity biomechanics while performing a sidestep cutting task (SS). Design Quasi-experimental. Setting Laboratory. Participants 18 female collegiate soccer players (age=19.2±0.9 years, mass=61.6±5.1 kg, height=1.66±0.5 m) free of injury volunteered for participation. Interventions Lower extremity biomechanics was assessed during the SS task using 3-D motion capture. Participants alternated between a fatigue set of; three squats, agility (5–10–5), three vertical jumps, step-ups, and two unanticipated SS trials. The cycle was repeated until fatigue was attained. Main outcome measurements Dependent variables included: hip and knee flexion and abduction angles and moments, measured at initial contact and peak stance (PS). Repeated measure ANOVA's with three levels were conducted to assess differences between pre-fatigue, 50% and 100% of fatigue. Alpha level was set at 0.05. Results There was a significant decrease in knee flexion between pre (−17±5°), 50% (−16±6°), and 100% of fatigue (−14±4°),p=0.004; and hip flexion at pre (45.4±10.9°), 50% (46.2±11.2°), and 100% of fatigue (40.9±11.3°),p=0.004. A noticeable decreased was also observed for hip abduction at initial contact between pre (−13.8±6.6°), 50% (−9.1±6.5°), and 100% of fatigue (−7.8±6.5°), as well as for hip adduction moment (Pre:0.14±0.13 Nm/kgm, 50%:0.08±0.13 Nm/kgm, and 100%:0.08±0.13 Nm/kg, p=0.007). Further, similar decreases were observed at PS for knee flexion (Pre: 52.9±5.6°, 50%:−56.1±7.2°, and 100%:−50.5±7.1°,p=0.001), and hip adduction moment (Pre:0.72±0.31 Nm/kgm, 50%:0.59±0.33 Nm/kgm, and 100%:0.39±0.29 Nm/kgm, p=0.003). Conclusion The detrimental effects of fatigue on lower extremity biomechanics are visible at 50% of the participants' maximum fatigue, and become more marked when attaining 100%, with a decrease in hip and knee sagittal and frontal mechanics. ACL injury prevention programs should emphasise feedback throughout an entire practice, not only during warm-up.
Dynamic upper and lower visual field preferences within the human dorsal frontoparietal attention network

Both in nonhuman primates and in humans, behavioral differences between the upper and lower visual field have been identified in distinct subprocesses of attention. Advantages of the lower field have been explained by its higher spatial resolution; those of the upper field by its higher efficiency in attentional shifting. The physiological basis of visual field asymmetries within in the frontoparietal attention network (FPN) remains unclear. This study investigates the physiological correlates of upper and lower field preferences within the FPN using event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging. The paradigm separated two attentional subprocesses during a visual search task. Whether in the upper or lower field, the attention of subjects was first directed at stationary locations (spatial orienting) and then shifted between locations to search for a target (visual search) in easy or difficult search displays. Depending on the task phase (spatial orienting vs. easy visual search), upper and lower visual field preferences in the FPN changed. The analysis revealed a lower field preference during stationary spatial orienting and an upper field preference during visual search. We conclude that also higher areas represent upper and lower visual field asymmetries depending on distinct subcomponents of visuospatial attentional processing. Hum Brain Mapp, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Visual phonetic processing localized using speech and nonspeech face gestures in video and point‐light displays

The talking face affords multiple types of information. To isolate cortical sites with responsibility for integrating linguistically relevant visual speech cues, speech and nonspeech face gestures were presented in natural video and point‐light displays during fMRI scanning at 3.0T. Participants with normal hearing viewed the stimuli and also viewed localizers for the fusiform face area (FFA), the lateral occipital complex (LOC), and the visual motion (V5/MT) regions of interest (ROIs). The FFA, the LOC, and V5/MT were significantly less activated for speech relative to nonspeech and control stimuli. Distinct activation of the posterior superior temporal sulcus and the adjacent middle temporal gyrus to speech, independent of media, was obtained in group analyses. Individual analyses showed that speech and nonspeech stimuli were associated with adjacent but different activations, with the speech activations more anterior. We suggest that the speech activation area is the temporal visual speech area (TVSA), and that it can be localized with the combination of stimuli used in this study. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Altered motor network activation and functional connectivity in adult tourette's syndrome

Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a developmental neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics as well as psychiatric comorbidities. Disturbances of the fronto‐striatal‐thalamic pathways responsible for motor control and impulse inhibition have been previously described in other studies. Although differences in motor performance are well recognized, imaging data elucidating the neuronal correlates are scarce. Here, we examined 19 adult TS patients (13 men, aged 22–52 years, mean = 34.3 years) and 18 age‐ and sex‐matched controls (13 men, aged 24–57 years, mean = 37.6 years) in a functional magnetic resonance imaging study at 1.5 T. We corrected for possible confounds introduced by tics, motion, and brain‐structural differences as well as age, sex, comorbidities, and medication. Patients and controls were asked to perform a sequential finger‐tapping task using their right, left, and both hands, respectively. Task performance was monitored by simultaneous MR‐compatible video recording. Although behavioral data obtained during scanning did not show significant differences across groups, we observed differential neuronal activation patterns depending on both handedness (dominant vs. nondominant) and tapping frequency in frontal, parietal, and subcortical areas. When controlling for open motor performance, a failure of deactivation in easier task conditions was found in the subgenual cingulate cortex in the TS patients. In addition, performance‐related functional connectivity of lower‐ and higher‐order motor networks differed between patients and controls. In summary, although open performance was comparable, patients showed different neuronal networks and connectivity patterns when performing increasingly demanding tasks, further illustrating the impact of the disease on the motor system. Hum Brain Mapp, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hydroxyethyl Starch Resuscitation Reduces the Risk of Intra-Abdominal Hypertension in Severe Acute Pancreatitis

Objectives: This study aimed to address whether hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is beneficial for intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in early stages. Methods: Forty-one patients with SAP were randomized to HES group (n = 20) and the Ringer's lactate (RL) group (n = 21). The groups received 6% HES 130/0.4 for 8 days and RL solution without colloid, respectively. The primary end point was the IAP. The secondary end points were fluid balance, major organ complications, the Acute Physiology and Chronic Heath Evaluation II score, and the serum levels of C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and interleukin-8. Results: The characteristics of baseline data were similar in the 2 groups. In the HES group, the IAP was significantly lower in 2 to 7 days, and fewer patients received mechanical ventilation (15.0% vs 47.6%). A negative fluid balance was observed earlier in the HES group than in the RL group (2.5 ± 2.2 vs 4.0 ± 2.5 days). Conclusions: Fluid resuscitation with HES in the early stages of SAP can decrease the risk of intra-abdominal hypertension and reduce the use of mechanical ventilation.
Thalamic‐insular dysconnectivity in schizophrenia: Evidence from structural equation modeling

Structural and functional studies have shown that schizophrenia is often associated with frontolimbic abnormalities in the prefrontal and mediotemporal regions. It is still unclear, however, if such dysfunctional interaction extends as well to relay regions such as the thalamus and the anterior insula. Here, we measured gray matter volumes of five right‐hemisphere regions in 68 patients with schizophrenia and 77 matched healthy subjects. The regions were amygdala, thalamus, and entorhinal cortex (identified as anomalous by prior studies on the same population) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior insula (isolated by voxel‐based morphometry analysis). We used structural equation modeling and found altered path coefficients connecting the thalamus to the anterior insula, the amygdala to the DLPFC, and the entorhinal cortex to the DLPFC. In particular, patients exhibited a stronger thalamus‐insular connection than healthy controls. Instead, controls showed positive entorhinal‐DLPFC and negative amygdalar‐DLPFC connections, both of which were absent in the clinical population. Our data provide evidence that schizophrenia is characterized by an impaired right‐hemisphere network, in which intrahemispheric communication involving relay structures may play a major role in sustaining the pathophysiology of the disease. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Islet Transplantation in Type 1 Diabetics Using an Immunosuppressive Protocol Based on the Anti‐LFA‐1 Antibody Efalizumab

The applicability of islet transplantation as treatment for type 1 diabetes is limited by renal and islet toxicities of currently available immunosuppressants. We describe a novel immunosuppressive regimen using the antileukocyte functional antigen‐1 antibody efalizumab which permits long‐term islet allograft survival while reducing the need for corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors (CNI). Eight patients with type 1 diabetes and hypoglycemic unawareness received intraportal allogeneic islet transplants. Immunosuppression consisted of antithymocyte globulin induction followed by maintenance with efalizumab and sirolimus or mycophenolate. When efalizumab was withdrawn from the market in mid 2009, all patients were transitioned to regimens consisting of mycophenolate and sirolimus or mycophenolate and tacrolimus. All patients achieved insulin independence and four out of eight patients became independent after single‐islet transplants. Insulin independent patients had no further hypoglycemic events, hemoglobin A1c levels decreased and renal function remained stable. Efalizumab was well tolerated and no serious adverse events were encountered. Although long‐term follow‐up is limited by discontinuation of efalizumab and transition to conventional imunnosuppression (including CNI in four cases), these results demonstrate that insulin independence after islet transplantation can be achieved with a CNI and steroid‐free regimen. Such an approach may minimize renal and islet toxicity and thus further improve long‐term islet allograft survival.
Targeted TGF-β chemotherapies: friend or foe in treating human malignancies?

‘Despite intense research efforts over the last decade by scientists in academic and industrial settings, complete success in targeting the TGF-β signaling system in human cancers has remained elusive. ’ William P Schiemann Department of Pharmacology, MS-8303, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, RC1 South Tower, Room L18–6110, 12801 East 17th Avenue, PO Box 6511, Aurora, CO 80045, USA Tel. : +1 303 724 1541 Fax: +1 303 724 3663 bill.schiemann@uchsc.edu Expert Rev. Anticancer Ther. 7(5), 609–611 (2007)
Regulatory T Cells Are Critical to Tolerance Induction in Presensitized Mouse Transplant Recipients Through Targeting Memory T Cells

Memory T cells are a significant barrier to induction of transplant tolerance. However, reliable means to target alloreactive memory T cells have remained elusive. In this study, presensitization of BALB/c mice with C57BL/6 skin grafts generated a large number of OX40+CD44hieffector/memory T cells and resulted in rapid rejection of donor heart allografts. Recognizing that anti‐OX40L monoclonal antibody (mAb) (α‐OX40L) monotherapy prolonged graft survival through inhibition and apoptosis of memory T cells in presensitized recipients, α‐OX40L was added to the combined treatment protocol of LF15–0195 (LF) and anti‐CD45RB (α‐CD45RB) mAb—a protocol that induced heart allograft tolerance in non‐presensitized recipients but failed to induce tolerance in presensitized recipients. Interestingly, this triple therapy restored donor‐specific heart allograft tolerance in our presensitized model that was associated with induction of tolerogenic dendritic cells and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs). Of note, CD25+ T cell depletion in triple therapy recipients prevented establishment of allograft tolerance. In addition, adoptive transfer of donor‐primed effector/memory T cells into tolerant recipients markedly reduced levels of Tregs and broke tolerance. Our findings indicated that targeting memory T cells, by blocking OX40 costimulation in presensitized recipients was very important to expansion of Tregs, which proved critical to development of tolerance.