bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal order judgement for auditory and visual stimuli
Authors: Kanabus Magdalena , Szelag Elzbieta , Rojek Ewa , Pöppel Ernst
Published: December 2023

The ability to perceive temporal order for pairs of auditory and visual stimuli was investigated in 12 volunteers. They were asked to make judgements about the order of presented stimuli by pressing two response buttons in a certain order. The performance on auditory and visual tests was studied in relation to the Inter-Stimulus-Interval (ISI), which varied from 5 to 500 ms. In general, the level of performance was similar for the two modalities and the criterion of 75% of correct responses was reached at ISI longer than 40 ms, independently of the modality. These findings are consistent with previous research. However, at ISI of 5 ms, a significantly higher level of correctness was observed for the auditory than visual task. Such a tendency was also observed for ISIs of 10, 20 and 40 ms. Better processing in the auditory compared to the visual task at shorter ISIs may result from a different kind of transduction mechanism at the level of receptive cells in each modality. Alternatively, subjects may use two different kinds of response strategies in the auditory modality, only one being comparable to the response strategy in the visual modality.
Central control of heart rate changes during visual affective processing as revealed by fMRI
Authors: Kuniecki Michał , Urbanik Andrzej , Sobiecka Barbara , Kozub Justyna , Binder Marek
Published: December 2023

In the present study we addressed the question of central control of heart rate (HR) in emotions. Parallel measurement of HR changes and changes of local intensity of blood flow as indexed by fMRI in a procedure eliciting emotions allowed us to pinpoint areas of the brain responsible for HR variations during emotional arousal. In condition eliciting positive emotions we detected activation of occipito-temporal regions, anterior insula, and hypothalamus. In condition eliciting negative emotions we also detected activation of occipito-temporal regions and additionally activation of bilateral anterior insulae, right amygdala and right superior temporal gyrus. The results show that structures constituting neural network involved in HR control during emotional arousal are affect specific. Particularly the central circuit controlling HR in negative affect includes the amygdala, while central circuit controlling HR in positive affect includes the hypothalamus. Additionally activation of bilateral occipito-temporal cortex proves enhancement of visual processing of emotional material as compared to neutral material in both positive and negative affect. This might be attributed to top-down processes originating in the frontal lobe and related to shifting attention to the emotionally relevant stimuli. Activation of insular cortex is probably related to autonomic arousal accompanying watching emotional content (e.g. sweating, heart-rate changes etc.). Activation of the amygdala in the negative condition supports the well documented engagement of this structure in processing of fear and disgust.
New vessel formation after surgical brain injury in the rat's cerebral cortex. I. Formation of the blood vessels proximally to the surgical injury
Authors: Frontczak-Baniewicz Małgorzata , Walski Michał
Published: December 2023

Postnatal neovascularization has been previously considered synonymous with angiogenesis but it was found that circulating endothelial progenitor cells may home into sites of neovascularization and their differentiation into endothelial cells is consistent with vasculogenesis. In this study, we investigated neovascularization of the adult rat's cerebral cortex after surgical brain injury by electron microscopic ultrastructural and immunocytochemical studies. We found places with disrupted brain parenchyma. The blood vessels showed an incomplete endothelial lining. In the brain parenchyma we observed fibrin, likely derived from disrupted blood vessels. In the plasma there were cell aggregates characterized by endothelial-like features with fibrils in the cytoplasm, untypical for endothelial cells. These endothelial-like cells participated in the process of new vessel formation. We used the anti-αV β3 integrin antibody to visualize the different morphogenic stages of newly formed blood vessels. We demonstrated the relationship between αV β3 integrin localization and different stages of new vessel formation. Our data suggest that growth and development of new blood vessels due to neovascularization following trauma of the adult rat brain are not restricted to angiogenesis but encompass vasculogenesis as well.
The role of lines and corners of geometric figures in recognition performance
Authors: Shevelev Igor , Kamenkovich Viktorina , Sharaev George
Published: December 2023

A relative role of lines and corners of images of outline geometric figures in recognition performance was studied psychophysically. Probability of correct response to the shape of the whole figure (control) and figures with lines or corners masked to a different extent was compared. Increase in the extent of masking resulted in a drop of recognition performance that was significantly lower for figures without corners, than for figures without part of their lines. The whole 3D figures were recognized better than 2D ones, whereas the opposite relations were observed under conditions of masking. Significant gender difference in a recognition performance was found: men recognize entire and partly masked figures better than women. Possible mechanisms of relatively better recognition of figures with corners than with lines are discussed in connection with finding of high sensitivity of many neurons in the primary visual cortex to line crossing and branching.
Therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease based on new molecular mechanisms
Authors: Religa Dorota , Winblad Bengt
Published: December 2023

Background and objective: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) – the main cause of dementia – is characterized by the presence of neuritic plaques containing the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and an intraneuronal accumulation of tubule-associated protein called tau. The current and future therapeutic strategies for AD will be discussed. Currently available treatment used in AD is based on acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, since in the course of AD there is a substantial loss in cholinergic neurons. Another registered drug used in more severe AD is NMDA antagonist – memantine. Available strategies for AD include vitamin supplementation for reducing homocysteine levels, statins and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The big hope of the last few years – vitamin E and estrogen supplementation have not been proved efficient, but more studies are needed. There are several strategies aimed at acting directly on Aβ or amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing: vaccination with Aβ peptide, Aβ passive immunization, beta and gamma secretases inhibitors. Nerve growth factors and neurotrophines could also be targeted by new therapies. Conclusions: a better understanding of the role of APP processing and folate and homocysteine in neuronal homeostasis throughout life consist revealing novel and relatively inexpensive approaches for preventing and treating AD.
Alzheimer's disease and acetylcholine receptors
Authors: Kihara Takeshi , Shimohama Shun
Published: December 2023

Cholinergic abnormalities, alongside senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and extensive neuronal loss, are the major characteristics in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Both nicotinic and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are decreased in AD, and it has been shown that the reduction in the number of acetylcholine receptors precedes other pathologic changes. Anti-cholinergic drugs induce amnesia, which can be reversed by withdrawal of the medication. Inhibition of the down-regulation of acetylcholine is, therefore, a strategy for the treatment of AD because it could augment acetylcholine levels within synaptic clefts. In this context, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which improve cognitive functions, are currently approved for the treatment of AD. Stimulation of acetylcholine receptors, nicotinic or muscarinic, is another strategy; some drugs are currently under investigation, and reported to be effective. In addition, nicotinic stimulation exerts a neuroprotective effect, and reduces the amyloid burden. Cholinergic therapy may counter the symptoms and progress of AD.
Searching for significance in spatio-temporal firing patterns
Authors: Gerstein George
Published: December 2023

We examine a specific candidate for temporal coding of information by spike trains, the occurrence of a temporal firing pattern among some number of neurons that repeats more often than expected by chance. Methods for detection of repeating patterns have long been available, but there are no analytic methods for calculating the expected numbers of repeating patterns to enable assignment of significance to the results from the experimental data. The expected numbers can be calculated by Monte-Carlo methods by repeatedly modifying the original data spike trains. Ideally the surrogates produced by such changes should destroy all patterns and cross-correlations but preserve other aspects of the trains such as rate, interval structure etc. We present here a novel variant of the "dither surrogate" (Date et al. 1998) and use surrogates generated by this algorithm to evaluate repeating pattern significance in data recorded in monkey motor cortex during behavior. Although we can demonstrate high statistical significance for the excess repetition of some spike patterns, it is not obvious that this has physiological meaning or that such patterns are used for information transfer.
Contextual impact on sensory processing at the barrel cortex of awake rat
Authors: Kublik Ewa
Published: December 2023

In order to understand the processing of sensory information in different behavioral situations we recorded evoked potentials (EP) to stimulation of a single vibrissa in the barrel cortex of non-anesthetized rat. We attributed the two principal components of the first negative wave (N1) of the cortical EP to the activation of two pyramidal cell populations (supra- and infragranular) of the central barrel-column. A positive wave of longer latency (P2) reflected the activation of the neighboring columns of the barrel cortex. The EPs recorded continuously throughout the experiment could be sorted into two classes dominated by the activity of either infra- or supragranular pyramidal cells. The introduction of an aversive contextual stimuli increased the amplitude of the second component of the N1 wave, which is built up by activation of infragranular cells, and the amplitude of the P2 wave representing excitation of neighboring columns. We hypothesize that increased activity of infragranular cells activates a cortico-thalamo-cortical loop going through the POm nucleus, which finally excites wider areas of primary somatosensory cortex. This spread of activity enables the comparison of information from neighboring vibrissae at the mystacial pad. The general cortical activation caused by the introduction of the contextual stimuli might be induced by noradrenergic and/or cholinergic systems. Prolonged contextual stimulation causes habituation processes, which return the cortical network to an idle state.
Decision processes in models of timing
Authors: Wearden John
Published: December 2023

The article discusses the role played by decision mechanisms in the leading model of timing, scalar expectancy theory. Examples of the roles played by decision mechanisms in explanations of behaviour on temporal generalization and bisection are presented. Decision mechanisms for different timing tasks often have a common form (thresholded normalized difference, TND), where differences between durations are "normalized" (i.e., divided) by another duration value, then compared with a threshold. The TND principle provides a rule for both similarity and identity judgements of duration. The role of threshold mechanisms in timing is discussed, and it is shown that some procedural manipulations appear to specifically alter threshold values. Finally, problems in modelling the decision processes involved in verbal estimation are discussed.
Aging and the time course of inhibition of return in a static environment
Authors: Bao Yan , Zhou Jianzhong , Fu Lintao
Published: December 2023

Age-related differences on the time course of inhibition of return (IOR), a phenomenon that refers to a slowed response time for targets appearing at a previously attended location, were examined in 30 young and 30 elderly adults. Stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) between peripheral cues and targets were systematically manipulated on a detection task with a double-cue procedure to capture the onset and offset of IOR. Results show that IOR in elderly people developed 50 ms later as compared to young adults, at an approximately 200 ms cue-target interval. The magnitude of IOR for elderly people was also weaker than that for young adults during short SOAs. Similar magnitude and dissipation of IOR at an approximately 3.5 s cue-target interval during long SOAs were observed for both young and elderly people. Possible reasons underlying the age effects on the time course of IOR and the involvement of temporal processing mechanisms are discussed.
MgSO4 and lazaroid (U-83836E) partially protects glioma cells against glutamate toxicity in vitro
Authors: Kabadere Selda , Öztopçu Pınar , Korkmaz Seval , Erol Kevser , Uyar Ruhi
Published: December 2023

In this study, the possible effects of MgSO4 and lazaroid (U-83836E) on glutamate toxicity on glial cells were investigated. C6 and human glioblastoma multiforme cells derived from two patients were grown in an incubator. First, determined IC50 dose of L-glutamate (L-glu) was given for 24 hours and removed, and then respective MgSO4 or U-83836E doses were added to the culture medium. After 24 hours 3-(4,5-Dimethylthyazol- -2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, thiazolyl blue (MTT) test was applied. When compared to the L-glu-treated group, MgSO4 at the dose of 0.01 mM induced C6 and human glioma cell growth by 17%, 15% and 5%, respectively. At the dose of 1 µM U-83836E also increased C6 and human glioma cell growth by 12%, 13% and 5%, respectively. In conclusion, although MgSO4 and U-83836E do not strongly block glutamate-induced cell death, it is suggested that reduction of Mg2+ ions and free radical production may have a role in glutamate toxicity on glial cells.
Increased prefrontal event-related current density after sleep deprivation
Authors: Szelenberger Waldemar , Piotrowski Tadeusz , D¹browska Anna
Published: December 2023

To investigate how partial sleep loss affects temporal and spatial pattern of information flow, we analyzed sources of brain electrical activity during continuous attention test. Sixteen physicians recruited from the university hospitals participated in the study. Each participant served as his own control. All participants underwent two test sessions including the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Selective Reminding Test (SRT), and the Continuous Attention Test (CAT). The CAT items were used as stimuli in event-related potential (ERP) recordings. EEG was recorded from 21 electrodes, according to the international 10-20 system. The sources of bioelectrical activity were computed with low resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA). Estimated sleep time was significantly shorter on nights spent on duty than on nights of normal sleep at home. Sleep loss resulted in significant increase in SSS and BDI scoring, and impairment of immediate recall. Performance on the CAT remained relatively intact. Under the sleep loss condition compared to baseline, significant differences in brain activity occurred only for targets. Within the P1 time frame, sleep loss led to greater activation in the right Brodmann’s area 9/10. For the N1 component, significant differences were localized on the lateral surface of the right frontal lobe, in Brodmann’s areas 8 and 9. No significant effects of sleep deprivation on the P3 component were found. Our results are consistent with earlier data indicating that increased activation of the prefrontal cortex allows the maintainance of performance during periods of sleep loss.
Posterior parietal cortex and developmental dyslexia
Authors: Jaœkowski Piotr , Rusiak Patrycja
Published: December 2023

Dyslexia is defined as a specific reading disorder despite normal intelligence and conventional teaching. One of the most influential theories attempting to explain problems suffered by dyslexics assumes that dyslexia is caused by deficits of the magnocellular system. This system, generally responsible for processing fast sensory information, projects mostly to the parietal cortex. Consistent with this theory, dyslexics should have problems with tasks which specifically involve parietal cortex. In the article, we review data and show that, indeed, dyslexics have problems with fast attention shifts, show some symptoms of mild unilateral neglect syndrome and have abnormal saccadic and pursuit eye movements. Little is known about visuo-motor coordination and mental rotation, the tasks in which the parietal cortex is thought to play important roles.
Distracting effects in length matching
Authors: Bulatov Aleksandr , Bertuli Algis
Published: December 2023

In psychophysical experiments, subjects matched two spatial intervals of a three-spot stimulus into what appeared to them to be equal. The stimulus was flanked by stripes. The length matching errors increased in proportion to the referent interval of the stimulus and approached 612 percent of its length. Also, the error increased with an increase of the width of the gaps between the spots and the distracting stripes. Error reached a maximum at gaps equal to 1015 percent of the length of the referent interval of the stimulus. When the luminance of the stripes increased or decreased, in comparison to the luminance of the background, length matching errors grew symmetrically and became approximately constant at higher contrasts. The experimental findings show the presence of local positional averaging which may be described quantitatively by means of spatial filtering procedures.
Effects of maternal thiamine deficiencies on the pyramidal and granule cells of the hippocampus of rat pups
Authors: Ba Abdoulaye , N'Douba Valentin , D'Almeida Marie-Anne , Seri Bialli Victor
Published: December 2023

To understand the implication of thiamine deficiency in the neuronal atrophy and cell death we undertook to induce thiamine (B1 vitamine) deficiency during three essential periods of the ontogenesis of rat central nervous system (CNS). Female rats were fed with a thiamine deprived diet during the gestation and lactation, and the fetuses and pups were alternately exposed to prenatal, perinatal or postnatal thiamine deficiencies. On the 45th postnatal day, histological studies were done on the brains of the pups and the structure of the hippocampus was analyzed. The effects of each treatment were assessed by measuring the size and the density of cell nuclei throughout the dentate gyrus and fields CA4, CA3 and CA1 of the hippocampal formation. The hippocampus showed a regional vulnerability in the pups exposed to maternal thiamine deficiencies. It appears that the thiamine deficiency decreased nuclear density (27.20%) more severely than nuclear size (10.56%) in the fetal hippocampus. Consequently, the major part of the teratogenic effects of thiamine deficiency was cellular death, rather than cellular atrophy.
Analysis of multichannel biomedical data
Authors: Kaminski Maciej , Zygierewicz Jaroslaw , Kus Rafal , Crone Nathan
Published: December 2023

Nowadays, there is a common practice in biomedical research to perform multiple time series recordings. In the first part of this paper, basic information about analysis of such multichannel biomedical data is given. A short overview of important differences between single-channel, two-channel and multichannel data sets is presented and various coherence functions are reported. Causal relations between channels are investigated by means of the Directed Transfer Function (DTF) and its dynamic version, the Short-Time Directed Transfer Function (SDTF). The introduced formalism was used to analyze 12-channel human electrocorticogram (ECoG) records. Preliminary results of a study of causal dependence in beta and gamma frequency bands in two patients performing a motor task are reported. Specific characteristics in activity propagation consistent for both subjects for different rhythms were found.
Anticonvulsive effects of nimodipine on penicillin-induced epileptiform activity
Authors: Bagirici Faruk , Bostanci M.
Published: December 2023

The common features of all types of epilepsy are synchronized and uncontrolled discharges of nerve cell assemblies. It is believed that calcium ions play an important role in the generation of epileptic activity. Excessive calcium influx into neurons is the first step toward a seizure. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether the calcium channel blocker nimodipine has anticonvulsive effects. The left cerebral cortex was exposed by craniotomy in anaesthetized rats. An epileptic focus was produced by injection of penicillin G potassium (500 units) into the somatomotor cortex. After the epileptiform activity reached maximum frequency and amplitude; nimodipine was injected into the same area. Application of nimodipine caused an inhibition in the electrocorticograms (ECoG). Solvent alone did not affect the epileptiform activity. The results of this study indicate that nimodipine may have anticonvulsant effects. The correspondence should be addressed to M.Ö. Bostanci, E-mail: mehmetob@omu.edu.tr
Are there different mechanisms of synchronization in the course of spike-wave discharges (SWDs) burst development in WAG/Rij rats?
Authors: Godlevsky Leonid , Vostrov Georgy , Kobolev Evgeny , Luijtelaar E.L.J.M. , Coenen A.M.L. , Iorhachova Mariana , Pereverzev Vladimir , Smirnov And
Published: December 2023

In WAG/Rij rats the pair linear correlation r was calculated for bipolar recordings in fronto-temporal, fronto-occipital and occipito-temporal zones of both hemispheres as well as in paleocerebellar cortex (culmen). It was shown that development of SWD bursts resulted in interhemispheric decreases of correlation between the right occipito-temporal cortical region on one side, and left fronto-temporal on the contralateral side. Towards the end of SWD, we found an increased interhemispheric correlation between left fronto-temporal and right fronto-occipital cortical zones, as well as, between both fronto-temporal zones. Paleocerebellum correlates at a weak to moderate level during different periods of SWD burst generation.
Influence of dizocilpine (MK-801) on neurotoxic effect of dexamethasone: Behavioral and histological studies
Authors: Danilczuk Zofia , Sekita-Krzak Joanna , Lupina Tomasz , Danilczuk Marcin , Czerny And
Published: December 2023

Elevated levels of endogenous glucocorticoids (GCs) or prolonged treatment with high doses of dexamethasone (DEX) or other GCs preparations are frequently associated with psychosis as well as cognitive deficits, such as the impairment of memory and learning. GCs potentiate stress or ischemia-induced accumulation of excitatory amino acids in the extracellular space of hippocampus. The antagonism of glutamate receptors may potentially improve safety profile of therapy with GCs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of dizocilpine maleate (MK801), non-competitive NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, on neurotoxic effect of the prolonged treatment with the high dose of DEX. The results showed that DEX (120 mg/kg/day for 7 days) impaired the long-term memory and the motor coordination, reduced the body weight and induced the lethality of mice. The morphological and ultrastructural study have confirmed damage to hippocampal neurons especially in the CA3 region after the prolonged treatment with DEX alone. Damaged pyramidal neurons showed robust changes in the shape of the nucleus and cytoplasm condensation. MK-801 alone (at non-toxic dose of 0.3 mg/kg/day), changed neither the behavior of mice nor morphology of the hippocampal neurons. However, it did not prevent the neurotoxic effects of DEX. On the contrary, it intensified DEX-induced neurotoxicity.
Inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER) isoforms and neuronal apoptosis in cortical in vitro culture
Authors: Klejman Agata , Kaczmarek Leszek
Published: December 2023

CREB activation and CREB-dependent signaling pathways are crucial for neuronal survival. The term ICER (inducible cAMP early repressor) refers to four protein isoforms that are all endogenous, inducible antagonists of CREB. Jaworski and others (2003) have previously shown that one of those isoforms, ICER IIg, is highly expressed in apoptotic neurons in vitro and its overexpression evokes neuronal death. In this study we investigated the role of all four ICER isoforms in cortical neuronal culture, comparing their expression level in serum-deprived/MK-801-treated neurons and their pro-apoptotic properties towards transfected cortical neurons. We have found that all four isoforms are induced upon pro-apoptotic treatment, and also that each of them separately evokes neuronal cell death following cortical culture transfection with the genes. The most efficiently induced, as well as the most effective in evoking neuronal cell death, were both ICER Ig and IIg isoforms. Correspondence should be addressed to L. Kaczmarek, Email: leszek@nencki.gov.pl
Neuroprotective effects of ginsenosides
Authors: Rausch Wolf-Dieter , Liu Shu , Gille Gabriele , Radad And
Published: December 2023

Ginseng, the root of the Panax species, is a well-known herbal medicine. Traditionally it has been used in Korea, China and Japan for thousands of years. Nowadays it has become a popular and worldwide known health drug. Current scientific studies demonstrate in vivo and in vitro its beneficial effects in a wide range of pathological conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, immune deficiency and hepatotoxicity. Ginsenosides or ginseng saponins as the active ingredients have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and immunostimulant properties, which raised speculations that these compounds could positively affect neurodegenerative disorders and delay neuronal aging. Conclusive clinical data in humans are still missing. However, results from animal studies and neuronal cell culture experiments indicate that ginsenosides can counteract and attenuate factors promoting neuronal death as environmental toxins, excitotoxic action of glutamate and rises in intracellular calcium, excessive release of free radicals and apoptotic events. Thus, neuroprotective actions of ginsenosides could come about as a valuable option to slow down neurodegenerative diseases. Correspondence should be addressed to W.D. Rausch, Email: wolf.rausch@vu-wien.ac.at
Changes of motor unit contractile output during repeated activity
Authors: Lochynski Dawid , Celichowski Jan , Korman Pawel , Raglewska And
Published: December 2023

The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in the motor unit output and to determine changes in the optimal stimulation frequency (i.e., giving the maximal output per one pulse) during prolonged contractile activity when, successively, potentiation of force and fatigue developed. The influence of these phenomena was studied on three types of motor units: fast fatigable (FF), fast resistant (FR) and slow (S) in the rat medial gastrocnemius muscle. The motor units were isolated by a method of splitting of L5 ventral root into very thin bundles of axons which were electrically stimulated 10 times with repeated series of 10 trains of stimuli at duration of 500 ms and progressively increasing (1-150 Hz) frequency. The initial (the first series of stimulating trains), potentiated (the second series), as well as fatigued (the tenths series) force recordings were compared. The motor unit output was expressed as the area under the force-time record in response to one stimulus measured at a plateau phase of the tetanic force. The stimulation frequency when the force-time area per one pulse was maximal was accepted as the optimal frequency. In fast motor units, the maximal contractile output increased with potentiation and was reduced with fatigue, and the optimal frequency decreased and increased, respectively. Nevertheless, the fusion degrees of the optimal tetanic contractions were similar in initial state, potentiation and fatigue independently of the changes in force. The applied stimulation protocol had almost no influence on the mechanical activity of slow motor units. The study highlights the physiological importance of force potentiation induced by preceding contractile activity for the economy of motor performance. The observed changes of the optimal stimulation frequency are consistent with the known changes in the motor unit firing rates during voluntary activity when the two phenomena develop.Correspondence should be addressed to D. Lochynski, Email: lochynski@awf.poznan.pl
Plasma Ab levels as predictors of response to rivastigmine treatment in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Sobow Tomasz , Flirski Marcin , Liberski Pawel , Kloszewska And
Published: December 2023

Cholinesterase inhibitors are currently the mainstream of symptomatic treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The response to treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors is clinically difficult to predict. Several demographic, clinical and biological variables have been proposed as pretreatment predictors of long-term therapy efficacy. In this paper, consistently with previous reports, we confirm that higher initial disease severity and faster progression of cognitive impairment increase the chance of a clinically meaningful response to cholinesterase inhibitor therapy in a carefully selected population of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, for the first time we demonstrate the association between the increase in the concentration of plasma Ab1-42 peptide after 2 weeks of treatment with an initial dose of rivastigmine and the likelihood of a positive response to treatment after 6 months. A change in plasma Ab1-42 level might constitute a novel biochemical predictor of rivastigmine treatment efficacy in Alzheimer's disease.
Correspondence should be addressed to T. Sobow, Email: tmsobow@csk.umed.lodz.pl
Evans Blue fluorescence permits the rapid visualization of non-intact cells in the perilesional rim of cold-injured rat brain
Authors: Rákos Gabriella , Kis Zsolt , Nagy Dávid , Lür György , Farkas Tamás , Hortobágyi Tibor , Vécsei László , Toldi And
Published: December 2023

A focal cold lesion-induced injury, i.e., a model of focal vasogenic brain edema, enhances the permeability of the blood-brain barrier and cell membrane in the perilesional rim. However, non-intact cells can be detected, e.g. by markers of apoptosis, only hours or even days after the injury. The early membrane dysfunction allows extravasated serum proteins to enter the injured cells, which can be readily visualized if the plasma albumin was previously bound to fluorescent tracers, such as Evans Blue (EB). The aim of this study was to demonstrate injured cells that take up the EB/albumin conjugate in the perilesional rim. This tracer was administered 3.5 h after the induction of the injury and the animals were sacrificed 30 min later. With an excitation wavelength of 530–550 nm, the EB-positive cells emitted bright-red fluorescence at >590 nm and were easy to count. No positive cells were observed in the controls. This method provides more information than the classical 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride reaction, because it permits an assessment of the density and distribution of cells with non-intact cell membranes in the perilesional area following cerebrocortical injury.
Correspondence should be addressed to J. Toldi, Email: toldi@bio.u-szeged.hu
Bone marrow stromal cells in traumatic brain injury (TBI) therapy: True perspective or false hope?
Authors: Opydo-Chanek Malgorzata
Published: December 2023

Recent studies regard bone marrow stromal cells as a potential candidate for cellular therapy of traumatic brain injury and thus as an attractive alternative for embryonic and fetal stem cells. Numerous experiments indicate that bone marrow stromal cells play an important role in the repair of injured brain tissue and also support healing processes. Findings of in vitro and in vivo studies show that these cells have an ability to differentiate into cells of multiple tissues, including neurons and glial cells and to secrete an array of growth factors and cytokines, which have an influence on repair of damaged tissue. In addition, treatment of traumatic brain injury with bone marrow stromal cells promotes functional recovery of injured animals. Taking this into consideration, there is hope for using bone marrow stromal cells in brain injury therapy, which is very difficult because of specific events that occur in the pathological conditions. However, mechanisms responsible for the observed therapeutic potential of bone marrow stromal cells still remain unclear. The review presents achievements in studies on bone marrow stromal cells as a source of therapeutic benefits in treatment of traumatic brain injury and addresses the question of their possible future use in clinical trials.
Effects of neonatal maternal deprivation and postweaning environmental complexity on dendritic morphology of prefrontal pyramidal neurons in the rat
Authors: Pascual Rodrigo , Zamora-León S.
Published: December 2023

It has been reported that periodic maternal separation in rats leads to a variety of endure behavioral, neurochemical and microstructural sequelae associated with the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders. Since it has been proposed that these changes might be permanent, we examined whether environmental complexity aid to recover the structural dendritic impairment induced by neonatal maternal deprivation in the medial prefrontal cortex of the rat. In addition, the anxiety-like behavior was assessed in the elevated plus-maze. Repeated maternal separation between postnatal days 6–21 (3 hours daily) significantly reduced the dendritic material in layer II/III pyramidal neurons and induced anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated plus maze. Furthermore, environmental stimulation (twice a day, 1 h each) during 12 consecutive days (postnatal days 23–35) failed to recover the neuronal and behavioral disorders induced by neonatal maternal separation. The results demonstrated that (i) neonatal maternal separation severely altered pyramidal dendritic outgrowth in close association with anxiety-like behavior assessed in the elevated plus maze, and (ii) postweaning environmental complexity was unable to recover neither the prefrontocortical neuronal impairment nor the novelty-induced anxiety-like behavior triggered by early maternal deprivation.
Care-seeking pathways and diagnostic delays in extrapulmonary TB patients
Authors: Wali A. , Safdar N. , Ambreen A. , Tahseen S. , Mustafa T.
Published: December 2023

SETTING: This study was conducted at a private tertiary hospital engaged with the TB control programme in the city of Lahore, Pakistan.OBJECTIVE: To assess the healthcare-seeking pathways, different delays and factors associated with delays among the patients who presented
in the outpatient department with tuberculous lymphadenitis and pleuritis, the most common manifestations of extrapulmonary TB.DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted prospectively from April 2016 to August 2017.RESULTS: The median age of the 339 patients analysed
was 22 years (IQR 17–30); tuberculous lymphadenitis was predominant in females (63%), while pleuritis affected more males (64%). Overall, 62% reported seeking care from healthcare providers before diagnosis, of whom 62% sought care from private facilities, 32% visited facilities >2
times and 8% visited traditional healers. Diagnostic delay was associated with tuberculous lymphadenitis, age 15–44 years, poor socio-economic status and poor TB knowledge.CONCLUSION: There was considerable delay in the management of extrapulmonary TB patients, and the health-system
delay was the major contributor, leading to increased patient suffering. Efforts towards minimising health-system delay need to be prioritised for patient screening and diagnosis, with a feasible algorithm that is workable in resource-limited settings.
A single synthetic lipid antigen for improved serological diagnosis of Buruli ulcer
Authors: Hacking J. , Gwenin V. V. , Dacombe R. J. , Baird M. S. , Frimpong M. , Phillips R. O. , Gwenin C. D.
Published: December 2023

SETTING: The diagnosis of Buruli ulcer (BU) is frequently made by experienced health workers in rural regions. This leads to long turnaround times to confirm the diagnosis as it requires specialised laboratory infrastructure to perform confirmatory testing.BACKGROUND:
Given the lack of success with protein antigens to detect BU in human sera, the aim of this study was to evaluate a range of single synthetic lipid antigens using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA system used was initially developed to detect TB using single synthetic
lipid antigens.METHODS: Thirty polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive BU samples and 30 PCR-negative healthy contact samples collected from Asante Akim North and Ahafo Ano North Districts, Ghana, that are endemic for BU between 2013 and 2016 were used to evaluate the synthetic
lipid antigen ELISA. A Quantikine ELISA was also conducted on a randomly blinded sub-set of 30 samples.RESULTS: The synthetic lipid ELISA evaluated here outperforms all other ELISA tests using protein antigens to detect BU to date and has shown potential as a fast (2 h) test for
BU which may be adapted for use at the point of care. A sensitivity of 63% and specificity of 80% was observed for 30 BU-positive and 30 BU-negative samples, with significantly reduced interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels in a subset of patients with BU.CONCLUSION: A single lipid was shown
for the first time to have the ability to distinguish between PCR-positive BU and negative sera using ELISA. The low lipid antibody load detected may be a result of immune suppression caused by the presence of mycolactone in patients with BU, given that levels of IL-8 were significantly reduced
in patients with BU compared to the control serum samples.
The TB Surge intervention: an optimized approach to TB case-finding in Nigeria
Authors: Ogoamaka C. , Bethrand O. , Lotanna U. , Chidubem O. , Sani U. , Nkiru N. , Mamman B. , Daniel E. , Chijioke O. , Oloruntobi N. , Austin I. , Debby N. , Rupert E. , Omosalewa O. , Emperor U. , Chukwuma A.
Published: December 2023

INTRODUCTION: TB remains one of the leading causes of death in Nigeria, and despite progress in treatment coverage, a 56% gap in national case notifications remains. This gap is attributable in part to underdiagnosis due to missed cases in health facilities. The TB Surge intervention
presented an opportunity to address barriers to optimal case detection in public health facilities.METHODS: KNCV Nigeria implemented the TB Surge intervention under the USAID-funded TB-LON Project in 1,041 public facilities from June 2020 to September 2022. Trained ad-hoc staff
screened hospital attendees, linked identified presumptive TB cases to diagnosis and confirmed TB cases to treatment. Data were reported using the Commcare application. Robust project monitoring was used to address gaps.RESULTS: Of a total of 12,195,874 hospital attendees screened
for TB, 729,369 identified as presumptive TB were tested and 65,029 TB cases were diagnosed; 8% of the TB cases were children. Overall TB yield was 9%. Medical ward service delivery point had the highest TB yield of 21%. The number needed to test was 11 and the number needed to screen was
188.CONCLUSION: The TB Surge intervention was of strategic importance in addressing missed cases and barriers to prompt TB diagnosis in health facilities.
Impacto da pandemia de COVID 19 na classificação do risco de transmissão de doenças imunopreveníveis
Authors: De Castro Anna Luiza Costa Monteiro , Do Nascimento Gabriela Lourença Martins , Do Nascimento Gabriela Lourença Martins , Amaral Ana Clara Morais , De Oliveira Valéria Conceição , Vimieiro Aline Mendes , Guimarães Eliete Albano de Azevedo
Published: December 2023

Este estudo analisou o impacto do risco de transmissão de doenças imunopreveníveis em menores de dois anos, no estado de Minas Gerais, em 2020. Trata-se de um estudo ecológico que considerou os registros de doses aplicadas em crianças menores de dois anos, das bases de dados dos 853 municípios mineiros, entre janeiro-dezembro de 2020. Foram analisados os indicadores de cobertura vacinal, taxa de homogeneidade e proporção de abandono para classificar o risco de doenças imunopreveníveis. Mais da metade dos municípios (62,8%; n=536) apresentaram risco alto e muito alto de transmissão de doenças imunopreveníveis, colocando algumas localidades regionais em situação de vulnerabilidade. Observou-se baixas coberturas para a maioria das vacinas, apresentando menor cobertura a vacina febre amarela (76,5%). A homogeneidade de coberturas foi baixa em 536 (62,8%) municípios e a pentavalente teve o maior percentual de municípios com alta proporção de abandono (28,1%). O risco de transmissão de doenças imunopreveníveis sofreu influências do isolamento social e da disseminação de notícias falsas que contribuíram para a hesitação vacinal no período pandêmico.
A influência da percepção de cidadania financeira na saúde financeira dos universitários do norte do Tocantins
Authors: Demito Alexandre Ramos , Da Silva Antônio Carlos Magalhães , Oliveira Giane Costa
Published: December 2023

O artigo, em tela, é um recorte de uma dissertação que tratou dos estudos sobre Cidadania Financeira, tema recente no contexto nacional e, em âmbito internacional, despertaram maior interesse das academias, instituições financeiras e governos, após a crise econômica dos subprime, em 2008. Não menos importante, a compreensão da saúde financeira dos cidadãos representa a possibilidade de definir estratégias para implantação de ações de educação financeira como forma de proporcionar melhores condições de bem-estar financeiro às pessoas. Entretanto, não há pesquisas que relacionem estes conceitos na literatura, os quais são importantes na gestão pessoal dos recursos financeiros dos indivíduos. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste estudo é mostrar os resultados mensurados sobre os níveis de Cidadania Financeira e a Saúde Financeira dos universitários do norte do Tocantins e o impacto da Percepção de Cidadania Financeira, na Saúde Financeira, destes universitários. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa de natureza quantitativa com a utilização dos questionários: EPCF - Escala de Percepção de Cidadania Financeira e o I-SFB/FEBRABAN - Índice de Saúde Financeira do Brasileiro, ambos, anteriormente, testados cientificamente, e com objetivo de mensurar a Percepção de Cidadania Financeira e Saúde Financeira, respectivamente de uma amostra de 255 alunos matriculados nos cursos de medicina veterinária e zootecnia da UFNT - Universidade Federal do Norte do Tocantins - Campus da cidade de Araguaína, estado do Tocantins. Os dados foram tratados por meio de estatística descritiva e de modelagem de equações estruturais baseada em MQO - Mínimos Quadrados Ordinários. Os principais resultados permitem concluir que os universitários experimentam baixa Percepção de Cidadania Financeira e possuem baixo nível de Saúde Financeira. Embora ambos os conceitos sejam importantes para a literatura e para a gestão pessoal dos recursos financeiros dos universitários, durante as análises estatísticas, estes conceitos não apresentaram uma relação de significância entre si. O estudo contribui, academicamente, pelo ineditismo da pesquisa que investigou a relação entre cidadania e saúde financeira e seus aspectos, em um grupo de universitários do norte do Tocantins.
Às mudanças tecnológicas na educação, com foco na transição da sala de aula tradicional para a sala de aula invertida (Flipped classroom)
Authors: Frajuca Mariana Gonçalves da Silva , Lopes Jaime Sergio Frajuca
Published: December 2023

Na virada do século XXI, o sistema biológico mundial e a globalização nos lançou o desafio do século a Pandemia, COVID19, com ela o estudo domiciliar e ou home oficce e outras variações de aprendizagem, próprias desse novo modelo de aprender e ensinar, Assim, o estudo dessa pesquisa, que já foi apresentado num evento de Iniciação Científico XVII ENFOC, PIBID, Uninter 2023, faz uma reflexão sobre a adaptação dos professores às mudanças tecnológicas na educação, com foco na transição da sala de aula tradicional para a sala de aula invertida, uma metodologia de ensino com propósito de mão na massa, ou uma metodologia ativa. Sobretudo porquê as mudanças tecnológicas têm desempenhado um papel significativo na transformação do cenário educacional, nesse contexto, representa uma mudança crucial na educação contemporânea, alinhando-se com as necessidades dos alunos na era digital e preparando-os para um mundo em constante evolução na concepção de ensino aprendizagem. Optou-se por revisão de literatura (livros, artigos) trazendo a análise e síntese de informações disponíveis. Esta pesquisa entende que, a partir de todos os avanços tecnológicos educacionais, é necessário que a educação básica e as Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) capacitem periodicamente seus docentes, através de cursos e capacitações, de forma online e/ou presencial, dando condição aos alunos de estarem envolvidos na construção do conhecimento.
Indicadores ambientais: instrumentos de gestão ambiental
Authors: Rodrigues Fernando Altino Medeiros , De Souza Marcelo Augusto Vieira , Sousa Zilacleide da Silva Barros , Lacerda Dilma dos Santos
Published: December 2023

Indicadores ambientais são essenciais para a gestão ambiental, pois fornecem dados para avaliar os impactos ambientais e tomar decisões para promover a sustentabilidade. O presente artigo, utiliza o modelo PER (Pressão-Estado-Resposta) que é uma abordagem conceitual e usa indicadores para avaliar a condição do meio ambiente. Foi observado que as indústrias estão investindo em gestão ambiental para melhorar seu desempenho e reduzir custos. Assim, a melhoria do desempenho ambiental pode trazer benefícios financeiros, como economia de energia, gerenciamento mais eficiente de resíduos e redução no consumo de água. As normas ISO 14001, que orientam e padronizam o gerenciamento ambiental, podem ajudar as empresas a alcançar esses objetivos.