bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-Standing Corneal Edema and Endothelial Decompensation due to Ecballium elaterium
Authors: Roditi Eduardo , Weill Yishay , Wasser Lauren M. , Zadok David , Assayag Elishai
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to report the most severe documented ocular injury caused by Ecballium elaterium, an invasive and toxic herb characterized by an explosive seed dispersal.

Methods:

A 55-year-old man presented to the emergency department several hours after direct exposure to the contents of E. elaterium to his left eye. Clinical examinations, investigations, and imaging findings are reported.

Results:

Medical and ocular histories were unremarkable. On presentation, the patient exhibited markedly decreased visual acuity, severe periorbital edema, conjunctival chemosis, and corneal edema. Although other signs gradually improved, corneal edema worsened despite rapid initiation of systemic and topical steroids and normal intraocular pressure. After 4 months of follow-up, the cornea cleared and visual acuity returned to normal; however, a significant decrease in endothelial cell count was observed.

Conclusions:

Ecballium elaterium may cause a severe corneal chemical burn, with subsequent long-standing corneal edema and endothelial decompensation. Specular microscopy is a modality of great importance in these cases.
Implementation of the Corneal Sweep Test in the Diagnosis of Recurrent Corneal Erosion: A 2-Year Retrospective Study
Authors: Kim Madeleine Eun-Ji , Kim Dooho Brian
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence and epidemiology of recurrent corneal erosion within a clinical population using standard diagnostic techniques and a new technique called the corneal sweep test (CST).

Methods:

A retrospective chart review was conducted on 58 eyes of 51 patients with the diagnosis of recurrent corneal erosion from July 2018 to June 2020. All underwent a thorough history and physical examination. The CST was performed as a confirmatory test and on any patient who lacked visible corneal pathology.

Results:

The CST was necessary on 49 of the 58 eyes to help confirm the diagnosis of a corneal erosion. Among them, 34 had an occult corneal erosion, which is defined as having a normal-appearing cornea on slitlamp examination but found to have loose corneal epithelium with the CST. Clear corneal cataract surgery (28 eyes, 48.2%) was the most common presumed mechanism of injury, with 20 (71.4%) developing symptoms only after cataract surgery. All 20 eyes had an erosion located directly over a clear corneal cataract incision.

Conclusions:

The CST is a new and effective technique to help diagnose corneal erosions in the absence of visible corneal findings. Clear corneal cataract surgery is an under-recognized but important risk factor to consider because the incision can be the source for an erosion. Using the CST could lead to a paradigm shift in the way clinicians approach RCEs and patients with a persistent ocular pain syndrome.
Possible Synergistic Role of Cryo-Alcohol Therapy in Infectious Scleritis—Scope and Rationale for Expanding Indications and Review of the Literature
Authors: Agarwal Shweta , Pandey Sunita , Srinivasan Bhaskar , Anand Appakkudal R. , Iyer Geetha
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to highlight the use of topical ethanol as an adjunct to cryotherapy, termed cryo-alcohol therapy, in the management of fungal/acanthamoeba scleritis along with a review of the literature.

Method:

Retrospective interventional case reports of fungal and acanthamoeba scleritis along with a review of the literature.

Results:

The patient with circumferential necrotic fungal scleritis resolved in 6 weeks achieving a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/20, and the patient with acanthamoeba scleritis is awaiting optical keratoplasty after complete resolution in 8 weeks. The literature review from January 1990 to December 2020 revealed BCVA >20/200 in 50% of the eyes with a mean time to resolution being 4.16 ± 2.13 months in fungal scleritis, with 27.02% and 75% of the eyes requiring evisceration in fungal and acanthamoeba scleritis, respectively.

Conclusions:

Cryotherapy is a useful adjunct in managing refractory infectious scleritis, and its efficacy can be enhanced by combining the use of topical ethanol to aid in faster recovery and reduce visual morbidity.
Updates in hypertension: new trials, targets and ways of measuring blood pressure
Authors: Abu Salman Liann , Cohen Jordana B.
Published: March 2022

Purpose of review

Several recent trials and observational studies have identified critical areas that can help to improve the management and measurement of blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

Recent findings

High-quality trial evidence supports intensive SBP lowering to 110–130 mmHg in older patients, potassium- based salt substitution in patients without chronic kidney disease, and chlorthalidone for the management of hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease. In addition, population-based studies indicate enormous underdiagnosis of primary aldosteronism as well as greater sustained intensification of antihypertensive therapy in older patients by maximizing medication dosage rather than adding new agents. The prevalence of hypertension is stable worldwide, though is generally improving in high-income countries and worsening in low-income countries. Furthermore, although cuffless blood pressure devices have the potential to improve access to blood pressure measurement, they have not yet demonstrated sufficient accuracy for clinical use.

Growing evidence supports intensive blood pressure lowering, sodium reduction, targeted antihypertensive treatment and appropriate screening for secondary hypertension to optimize blood pressure control and reduce the risk of target organ damage from hypertension. Future studies are needed to identify ways to improve our ability to implement these findings in routine clinical practice.
Small varices in chronic liver diseases
Authors: Zhu Ying , Cheng Hui , Chen Jianyong , Huang Yifei , Liu Hao , Qi Xiaolong
Published: March 2022

Purpose of review

Gastroesophageal varices are common complications of chronic liver diseases (CLDs) and portal hypertension. Small varices have the risk of progressing to larger varices, causing bleeding or even death. Thus, early detection and appropriate management of small varices are necessary. The purpose of this review is to summarize the advance in the recent 5years about diagnosing and managing the small varices in CLDs.

Recent findings

The diagnosing methods of small varices in recent studies include improved endoscopic examinations, such as capsule endoscopy, and many noninvasive methods, including blood tests, ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance. For the management of small varices, though it is controversial, prevention using nonselective beta-blockers is still an essential part.

In this review, we summarize the classification of varices, the invasive and noninvasive diagnostic methods, their performances, and the emerging progression in the management of small varices in the recent 5 years. We hope that this review provides relevant information to understand better and appropriately manage small varices.
Reimbursement of surgical procedures for benign prostatic hyperplasia: are we disincentivizing complex care?
Authors: Narang Gopal , Kellner Daniel , Krambeck Amy , Humphreys Mitchell
Published: March 2022

Purpose of review

To provide an overview of how surgical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) procedures are compensated in the United States and the implications of the current reimbursement system on the care of patients.

Recent findings

The resource-based relative value care system is Medicare's current reimbursement model. There is strong evidence that the current system does not adequately account for complex care. Consequently, for BPH surgical procedures, treatment options best suited for complex patients are not adequately reimbursed which may have implications on healthcare delivery and outcomes.

Inadequate reimbursement for certain BPH procedures may disincentivize the care of complex patients. Procedures such a holmium laser enucleation of the prostate are well suited for complex patients but have a steep learning curve. The incentive to learn and offer such procedures to complex patients may be unfairly influenced by reimbursement levels, which in the end penalizes patients and the treatments available to them.
Robotic Harvest of the Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap for Breast Reconstruction: A Case Series
Authors: Bishop Sarah N. , Asaad Malke , Liu Jun , Chu Carrie K. , Clemens Mark W. , Kapur Sahil S. , Largo Rene D. , Selber Jesse C.
Published: March 2022

Background:

Robotic surgery is emerging as a viable tool in reconstructive surgery. Harvesting of the deep inferior epigastric perforator flap is typically performed through an anterior approach, which involves a long fascial incision. A robotic approach allows the deep inferior epigastric pedicle to be harvested from the posterior surface. This approach reduces the length of the fascial incision and should decrease the abdominal morbidity associated with large fascial dissections.

Methods:

A case series study of 21 patients who underwent a robotic deep inferior epigastric perforator or during a 12-month period for breast reconstruction was performed. Patient demographics, surgical characteristics, and complications were assessed.

Results:

Mean patient age was 54.6 ± 7.6 years, and mean body mass index was 30.4 ± 3.9 kg/m2. Mean fascial incision and pedicle length were 3.6 ± 1.6 cm and 13.3 ± 1 cm, respectively. None of the patients required conversion to open harvest. Mean length of hospital stay was 3.8 ± 0.9 days. Surgical site occurrences were identified in five patients (31.3 percent). One patient had delayed wound healing at the donor site. None of the patients developed hernia or bulge. The mean benefit (B = C − A), defined as length of fascial incision spared and measured as the difference between pedicle length and intramuscular course, was 9.83 ± 2.28 cm. The precision of computed tomography angiography in identifying the intraoperative fascial incision was 86 percent.

Conclusion:

The robotic deep inferior epigastric perforator flap is a safe and reliable technique that decreases the length of fascial incision and short-term complications associated with the open approach.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, IV.
Assessment of acute postoperative pain management and associated factors after elective surgery among adult surgical patients: a prospective cross-sectional study
Authors: Kasahun Habtamu G. , Agizew Tesfaye B. , Temesgen Mamaru M. , Ashagrie Henos E.
Published: March 2022

Background:

Appropriate and effective management of acute postoperative pain has been one of the major challenges worldwide and the majority of patients admitted to hospitals still suffer from uncontrolled postoperative pain.

Objective:

To assess acute postoperative pain management and associated factors after elective surgery among adult patients.

Methods:

A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 198 adult surgical patients from February 25/2020 to May 25/2020 with response rate of 96%. Descriptive statistics performed to determine incidence of postoperative pain. Multivariable binary logistics regression was held to identify the associated factors and a P-value <0.05 was considered as significant.

Result:

Among 190 patients, 100 (52.6%) of patients were inadequately treated at 24 hours of postsurgery. The overall incidence of moderate to severe postoperative pain after elective surgery with in the first 24 postoperative hours was 69.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 63%–76%]. History of previous surgery [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 3.46, CI: 1.19–10.05], length of incision ≥10 cm (AOR: 5.46, CI: 2.01–14.80), use of nerve block (AOR: 3.00, CI: 1.206–7.46), duration of surgery ≥3 hours (AOR: 3.39, CI: 1.26–9.09), type of surgery (AOR: 3.55, CI: 1.09–11.53) and preoperative anxiety (AOR: 5.40, CI: 2.241–13.05) were significantly associated with moderate to severe postoperative pain. Therefore, the surgical team need to prepare and distribute a standard pain assessment scale as other vital sign sheets and need to take a plan of action to reduce the magnitude of the problem by addressing the risk factors.
In situ-produced10Be and26Al indirect dating of Elarmékora Earlier Stone Age artefacts: first attempt in a savannah forest mosaic in the middle Ogooué valley, Gabon
Authors: Braucher R. , Oslisly R. , Mesfin I. , Ntoutoume P. P. ,   ASTER Team
Published: March 2022

Discovered in 1988 by R. Oslisly and B. Peyrot, Elarmékora is a high terrace that, today, is situated 175 m above the Ogooué River in the historical complex of Elarmékora, attached to the Lopé National Park in Gabon, a World Heritage site since 2007. The site yielded a small lithic assemblage, including mainly cobble artefacts embedded within the 1 m thick alluvial material. Based on geomorphological and palaeoclimatological criteria, the preliminary dating suggested an age of 400 ka. However, Elarmékora could be a key site for Atlantic Central Africa if this lithic industry can be dated absolutely. In 2018 and 2019, two field trips were organized to collect surface samples as well as samples in vertical depth profiles with the aim of measuring theirin situ-produced cosmogenic nuclide (10Be and26Al) content. Results suggest a surface abandonment between 730 and 620 ka ago representing a minimum age for the cobble artefacts. Concurrently, technological reappraisal of the artefacts suggests an atypical lithic industry that should, for the moment, be considered as ‘undiagnostic’ Earlier Stone Age. This age bracketing may be compared with a similar age range obtained for prehistoric occupations in Angola using the same approach. This age will place Elarmékora among the oldest evidence for the presence of hominins in western Central Africa and raises the question of a ‘West Side Story’ to early human dispersals in Africa.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Tropical forests in the deep human past’.
The climate and vegetation backdrop to hominin evolution in Africa
Authors: Gosling William D. , Scerri Eleanor M. L. , Kaboth-Bahr Stefanie
Published: March 2022

The most profound shift in the African hydroclimate of the last 1 million years occurred around 300 thousand years (ka) ago. This change in African hydroclimate is manifest as an east-west change in moisture balance that cannot be fully explained through linkages to high latitude climate systems. The east-west shift is, instead, probably driven by a shift in the tropical Walker Circulation related to sea surface temperature change driven by orbital forcing. Comparing records of past vegetation change, and hominin evolution and development, with this breakpoint in the climate system is challenging owing to the paucity of study sites available and uncertainties regarding the dating of records. Notwithstanding these uncertainties we find that, broadly speaking, both vegetation and hominins change around 300 ka. The vegetative backdrop suggests that relative abundance of vegetative resources shifted from western to eastern Africa, although resources would have persisted across the continent. The climatic and vegetation changes probably provided challenges for hominins and are broadly coincident with the appearance of
Homo sapiens
(
ca
315 ka) and the emergence of Middle Stone Age technology. The concomitant changes in climate, vegetation and hominin evolution suggest that these factors are closely intertwined.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Tropical forests in the deep human past’.
Human behaviour and climate-linked fluctuations in the rainforests of West-Central Africa
Authors: Orijemie Emuobosa Akpo
Published: March 2022

Africa, the cradle of human evolution, has one of the largest and most diverse rainforests in the world. The African rainforests contain evidence of human occupation as well as fluctuating climate during the Pleistocene; such evidence offers archaeologists and palaeoecologists the opportunity to understand how climatic fluctuations have influenced human behaviour. However, compared to the rainforests environments in Asia and South America, the human ecological history of those in West-Central Africa is poorly understood. This is because of comparatively fewer scientific programmes which synergize palaeoecological and archaeological data and thus could enhance the knowledge and allow for an evaluation of the impact of climatic fluctuations on human behaviour in the rainforests of West-Central Africa during the Pleistocene and Holocene periods. The goals of this paper are twofold, namely: (i) to provide a synthesis of the past climatic variability in the rainforests of West-Central Africa, and (ii) to demonstrate the influence of such variability on human behaviour during the Pleistocene to Holocene periods. It is hoped that this paper will stimulate Africanists to adopt an inclusive scientific anthropological and palaeoecological approach in understanding human–climate interactions in the West-Central African rainforests.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Tropical forests in the deep human past’.
Social ties in the Congo Basin: insights into tropical forest adaptation from BaYaka and their neighbours
Authors: Boyette Adam H. , Lew-Levy Sheina , Jang Haneul , Kandza Vidrige
Published: March 2022

Investigating past and present human adaptation to the Congo Basin tropical forest can shed light on how climate and ecosystem variability have shaped human evolution. Here, we first review and synthesize genetic, palaeoclimatological, linguistic and historical data on the peopling of the Congo Basin. While forest fragmentation led to the increased genetic and geographical divergence of forest foragers, these groups maintained long-distance connectivity. The eventual expansion of Bantu speakers into the Congo Basin provided new opportunities for forging inter-group links, as evidenced by linguistic shifts and historical accounts. Building from our ethnographic work in the northern Republic of the Congo, we show how these inter-group links between forest forager communities as well as trade relationships with neighbouring farmers facilitate adaptation to ecoregions through knowledge exchange. While researchers tend to emphasize forager–farmer interactions that began in the Iron Age, we argue that foragers' cultivation of relational wealth with groups across the region played a major role in the initial occupation of the Congo Basin and, consequently, in cultural evolution among the ancestors of contemporary peoples.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Tropical forests in the deep human past’.
Fossils, fish and tropical forests: prehistoric human adaptations on the island frontiers of Oceania
Authors: Roberts Patrick , Douka Katerina , Tromp Monica , Bedford Stuart , Hawkins Stuart , Bouffandeau Laurie , Ilgner Jana , Lucas Mary , Marzo Sara , Hamilton Rebecca , Ambrose Wallace , Bulbeck David , Luu Sindy , Shing Richard , Gosden Chris , Summerhayes Glenn , Spriggs Matthew
Published: March 2022

Oceania is a key region for studying human dispersals, adaptations and interactions with other hominin populations. Although archaeological evidence now reveals occupation of the region by approximately 65–45 000 years ago, its human fossil record, which has the best potential to provide direct insights into ecological adaptations and population relationships, has remained much more elusive. Here, we apply radiocarbon dating and stable isotope approaches to the earliest human remains so far excavated on the islands of Near and Remote Oceania to explore the chronology and diets of the first preserved human individuals to step across these Pacific frontiers. We demonstrate that the oldest human (or indeed hominin) fossil outside of the mainland New Guinea-Aru area dates to approximately 11 800 years ago. Furthermore, although these early sea-faring populations have been associated with a specialized coastal adaptation, we show that Late Pleistocene–Holocene humans living on islands in the Bismarck Archipelago and in Vanuatu display a persistent reliance on interior tropical forest resources. We argue that local tropical habitats, rather than purely coasts or, later, arriving domesticates, should be emphasized in discussions of human diets and cultural practices from the onset of our species' arrival in this part of the world.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Tropical forests in the deep human past’.
Early to mid-Holocene human activity exerted gradual influences on Amazonian forest vegetation
Authors: Nascimento Majoi N. , Heijink Britte M. , Bush Mark B. , Gosling William D. , McMichael Crystal N. H.
Published: March 2022

Humans have been present in Amazonia throughout the Holocene, with the earliest archaeological sites dating to 12 000 years ago. The earliest inhabitants began managing landscapes through fire and plant domestication, but the total extent of vegetation modification remains relatively unknown. Here, we compile palaeoecological records from lake sediments containing charcoal and from pollen analyses to understand how human land-use affected vegetation during the early to mid-Holocene, and place our results in the context of previous archaeological work. We identified gradual, rather than abrupt changes in forest openness, disturbance and enrichment, with useful species at almost all sites. Early human occupations occurred in peripheral sites of Amazonia, where natural fires are part of the vegetation dynamics, so human-made fires did not exert a novel form of disturbance. Synchronicity between evidence of the onset of human occupation in lake records and archaeological sites was found for eastern Amazonia. For southwestern and western Amazonia and the Guiana Shield, the timing of the onset of human occupation differed by thousands of years between lake records and archaeological sites. Plant cultivation showed a different spatio-temporal pattern, appearingca2000 years earlier in western Amazonia than in other regions. Our findings highlight the spatial–temporal heterogeneity of Amazonia and indicate that the region cannot be treated as one entity when assessing ecological or cultural history.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Tropical forests in the deep human past’.
Legacies of Indigenous land use and cultural burning in the Bolivian Amazon rainforest ecotone
Authors: Maezumi S. Yoshi , Elliott Sarah , Robinson Mark , Betancourt Carla Jaimes , Gregorio de Souza Jonas , Alves Daiana , Grosvenor Mark , Hilbert Lautaro , Urrego Dunia H. , Gosling William D. , Iriarte José
Published: March 2022

The southwestern Amazon Rainforest Ecotone (ARE) is the transitional landscape between the tropical forest and seasonally flooded savannahs of the Bolivian Llanos de Moxos. These heterogeneous landscapes harbour high levels of biodiversity and some of the earliest records of human occupation and plant domestication in Amazonia. While persistent Indigenous legacies have been demonstrated elsewhere in the Amazon, it is unclear how past human–environment interactions may have shaped vegetation composition and structure in the ARE. Here, we examine 6000 years of archaeological and palaeoecological data from Laguna Versalles (LV), Bolivia. LV was dominated by stable rainforest vegetation throughout the Holocene. Maize cultivation and cultural burning are present afterca5700 cal yr BP. Polyculture cultivation of maize, manioc and leren afterca3400 cal yr BP predates the formation of Amazonian Dark/Brown Earth (ADE/ABE) soils (approx. 2400 cal yr BP). ADE/ABE formation is associated with agroforestry indicated by increased edible palms, includingMauritia flexuosaandAttaleasp., and record levels of burning, suggesting that fire played an important role in agroforestry practices. The frequent use of fire altered ADE/ABD forest composition and structure by controlling ignitions, decreasing fuel loads and increasing the abundance of plants preferred by humans. Cultural burning and polyculture agroforestry provided a stable subsistence strategy that persisted despite pronounced climate change and cultural transformations and has an enduring legacy in ADE/ABE forests in the ARE.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Tropical forests in the deep human past’.
Potential distributions of pre-Columbian people in Tropical Andean landscapes
Authors: Sales Rachel K. , McMichael Crystal N. H. , Flantua Suzette G. A. , Hagemans Kimberley , Zondervan Jesse R. , González-Arango Catalina , Church Warren B. , Bush Mark B.
Published: March 2022

Much has yet to be learned of the spatial patterning of pre-Columbian people across the Tropical Andes. Using compiled archaeological data and a suite of environmental variables, we generate an ensemble species distribution model (SDM) that incorporates general additive models, random forest models and Maxent models to reconstruct spatial patterns of pre-Columbian people that inhabited the Tropical Andes east of the continental divide, within the modern countries of Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Within this region, here referred to as the eastern Andean flank, elevation, mean annual cloud frequency, distance to rivers and precipitation of the driest quarter are the environmental variables most closely related to human occupancy. Our model indicates that 11.04% of our study area (65 368 km
2
) was likely occupied by pre-Columbian people. Our model shows that 30 of 351 forest inventory plots, which are used to generate ecological understanding of Andean ecosystems, were likely occupied in the pre-Columbian period. In previously occupied sites, successional trajectories may still be shaping forest dynamics, and those forests may still be recovering from the ecological legacy of pre-Columbian impacts. Our ensemble SDM links palaeo- and neo-ecology and can also be used to guide both future archaeological and ecological studies.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Tropical forests in the deep human past’.
Metabacillus bambusae sp. nov., isolated from bamboo grove soil
Authors: Jeong Ji Won , Kim Yeong Seok , Kim Seung Bum
Published: March 2022

A bacterial strain designated BG109T was isolated from bamboo grove soil, and subjected to polyphasic taxonomic characterization. BG109T is an aerobic, non-motile, Gram-stain-positive and endospore-forming bacterium. BG109T showed growth at 10–40 °C (optimum, 37 °C), at pH 4–10 (optimum, 8), and in the presence of 0–7 % NaCl concentration (optimum, 0–1 %). The predominant menaquinone of BG109T was MK-7, and the cell wall peptidoglycan contained major amounts of meso–diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The diagnostic polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol, and unidentified phospholipids and glycolipids were also present. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C14 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and C16 : 0. The chemotaxonomic properties of BG109T were generally consistent with those of members of the genus

Metabacillus

. BG109T shared highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with ‘Metabacillus elymi’ KUDC1714 (99.26 %),

Metabacillus sediminilitoris

DSL-17T (98.17 %),

Metabacillus litoralis

SW-211T (98.16 %) and

Metabacillus crassostreae

JSM 100118T (97.13 %), all of which were well below the suggested cutoff level for species distinction. The genome level relatedness also confirmed the separation of BG109T from other species of the genus

Metabacillus

. Thus, it is evident that BG109T merits recognition as representing a novel species of the genus

Metabacillus

, for which the name Metabacillus bambusae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BG109T (=KCTC 43190T=JCM 34515T).
Visual Perception of 3D Space and Shape in Time - Part III 2D Shape Recognition by Log-Scaling
Authors: Ta Brian , Silva Maria E. M. M. , Bartlett Kelly , Afifa Umaima , Agazaryan Annie , Canela Ricardo , Carmona Javier , De Leon Emmanuel John L. , Drost Alyssa , Espino Diego , Espinoza Guadalupe , Follis Kyleigh , Gan Paul , Ho Lauren , Honoré Christina , Huang Emily , Ibarra Luis , Jackson Tessa , Khosla Mira , Le Caominh , Li Victor , McCarthy Trevor , Mills Elizabeth , Mohapatra Sukanya , Morishige Yuuki , Nguyen Nancy , Peng Ziyan , Peyvan Kimya , Phipps Michael , Poschl Isabella , Rangarajan Jagannathan , Santos Charÿsa , Schummer Leonard , Shi Sky , Smale Natalie , Smith April , Sood Divya , Ta Cindy , Tran Anna , Tran Michelle , Wang Rui , Wilson Patrick , Yang Nicole L. , Yu Megan , Yu Selena , Blaisdell Aaron P. , Arisaka Katsushi
Published: March 2022

Human vision has a remarkable ability to recognize complex 3D objects such as faces that appear with any size and 3D orientations at any 3D location. If we initially memorize a face only with a normalized size and viewed from directly head on, the direct comparison between the one-sized memory and a new incoming image would demand tremendous mental frame translations in 7D. How can we perform such a demanding task so promptly and reliably as we experience the objects in the world around us?

Intriguingly, our primary visual cortex exhibits a 2D retinotopy with a log-polar coordinate system, where scaling up/down of shape is converted to linear frame translation. As a result, mental scaling can be performed by linearly translating the memory or the perceptual image until they overlap with each other. According to our new model of NHT (Neural Holography Tomography), alpha brainwaves traveling at a constant speed can conduct this linear translation. With this scheme, every scaling up/down by a factor of two should take the same amount of extra mental time to recognize a smaller/larger face.

To test this hypothesis, we designed a reaction time (RT) experiment, where participants were first asked to memorize sets of unfamiliar faces with a given specific size (4° or 8°). Following the memorization phase, similar stimuli with a wide range of sizes (from 1° to 32°) were presented, and RTs were recorded. As predicted, the increase in RT was proportional to the scaling factor in the log scale. Furthermore, we observed that RTs were fastest for 8° faces even if the memorized face was 4°. This supports our hypothesis that we always memorize faces at the exact size of ~8 °. To our surprise, the increases in RT were also consistent with the mentally-estimated depth sensation, which indicates that the apparent size of the recognized face can create a proper depth sensation.
Intracranial EEG spectral feature analysis and focal brain stimulation reveal affective specialization within dorsal anterior cingulate cortex
Authors: Metzger Brian A. , Kalva Prathik , Mocchi Madaline M. , Cui Brian , Adkinson Joshua A. , Wang Zhengjia , Mathura Raissa , Gavvala Jay , Krishnan Vaishnav , Lin Lu , Maheshwari Atul , Shofty Ben , Sheth Sameer A. , Bijanki Kelly R.
Published: March 2022

Emotion is represented in several limbic and prefrontal cortical brain areas herein referred to as the Affective Salience Network (ASN). Within this network, less is known about how valence and intensity are processed in the dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC), and how affective processes in dACC compare to activity in other nodes within the ASN. Using a novel spectral feature approach to analyze intracranial electrophysiological data, we discover hemispheric specialization in the dACC such that the right hemisphere is sensitive to intensity while the left hemisphere is sensitive to valence and negative affective bias. We further applied 130 Hz continuous stimulation to the anterior cingulum bundle while patients viewed emotional faces. Faces were rated happier in all patients, an effect modulated by baseline affective bias, suggesting a causal role for the dACC during the processing of external affective stimuli.
The Grainyhead/LSF transcription factor GRH-1 is rhythmically required for molting
Authors: Meeuse Milou W.M. , Hauser Yannick P. , Nahar Smita , Braun Kathrin , Großhans Helge
Published: March 2022

Molting, that is, the synthesis and shedding of a cuticular exoskeleton, is a defining characteristic of ecdysozoa. In nematodes such as C. elegans, molts rhythmically terminate each of four larval stages. The molting cycle is tightly coupled to the rhythmic accumulation of thousands of transcripts. Here, using chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to sequencing (ChIP-seq) and quantitative reporter assays, we show that these dynamic gene expression patterns rely on rhythmic transcription. To gain insight into the relevant gene regulatory networks (GRNs), we performed an RNAi-based screen for transcription factors required for molting to identify potential components of a molting clock. We find that depletion of GRH-1, BLMP-1, NHR-23, NHR-25, MYRF-1 or BED-3 impairs progression through the molting cycle. We characterize GRH-1, a Grainyhead/LSF transcription factor whose orthologues in other animals are key epithelial cell fate regulators. We show that GRH-1 depletion causes a dose-dependent extension of molt duration, defects in cuticle formation and shedding, and larval death. Coincident with its rhythmic accumulation, GRH-1 is required repetitively for each molt, during specific time windows preceding lethargus. These findings are consistent with a function of GRH-1 in a molting cycle GRN. As its mammalian orthologues, as well as those of BLMP-1 and NHR-23, have been implicated in rhythmic homeostatic skin regeneration in mouse, the mechanisms underlying rhythmic C. elegans molting may apply beyond nematodes.
The influence of movement-related costs when searching to act and acting to search
Authors: Moskowitz J. B. , Berger S. A. , Castelhano M. S. , Gallivan J. P. , Flanagan J. R.
Published: March 2022

Real world search behaviour often involves limb movements, either during search or following search. Here we investigated whether movement-related costs influence search behaviour in two kinds of search tasks. In our visual search tasks, participants made saccades to find a target object among distractors and then moved a cursor, controlled by the handle of a robotic manipulandum, to the target. In our manual search tasks, participants moved the cursor to perform the search, placing it onto objects to reveal their identity as either a target or a distractor. Across experiments, we manipulated either the effort or time costs associated with movement such that these costs varied across the search space. We varied effort by applying different resistive forces to the handle and we varied time costs by altering the speed of the cursor. Our analysis of cursor and eye movements during manual and visual search, respectively, showed that effort influenced manual search but did not influence visual search. In contrast, time costs influenced both visual and manual search. Our results demonstrate that, in addition to perceptual and cognitive factors, movement-related costs can also influence search behaviour.

Public Significance Statement

Many of the tasks we perform on a daily basis involve searching for targets. Numerous studies have investigated perceptual and cognitive factors that influence decisions about where to search. However, few studies have examined how search is influenced by movement-related costs associated with manual search (e.g., opening drawers to find a corkscrew) or acting on an object once it has been located (e.g., reaching for a particular bottle of wine once it has been spied in a rack). We show that movement effort and time costs associated with manual search, and time costs associated with moving after visual search, can influence decision-making about where to search over time.
NAC1 Modulates Autoimmunity by Suppressing Regulatory T Cell-Mediated Tolerance
Authors: Yang Jin-Ming , Ren Yijie , Kumar Anil , Xiong Xiaofang , Das Jugal Kishore , Peng Hao-Yun , Wang Liqing , Ren Xingcong , Zhang Yi , Ji Cheng , Cheng Yan , Zhang Li , Alaniz Robert C. , de Figueiredo Paul , Fang Deyu , Liu Xiaoqi , Wang Jianlong , Song Jianxun
Published: March 2022

FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a distinct subset of CD4+ T cells integral to the maintenance of the balance of the immune system, and their dysregulation is a trigger of autoimmunity. We report here that nucleus accumbens-associated protein-1 (NAC1), a nuclear factor of the broad complex, tramtrack, bric-a-brac / poxvirus and zinc finger (BTB/POZ) gene family, is a negative regulator of FoxP3 in Tregs and a critical determinant of immune tolerance. Phenotypically, NAC1-/- mice show substantial tolerance to the induction of autoimmunity, as evidenced by the significantly decreased occurrences of autoimmune arthritis and colitis. Analysis of T cells from the wild-type (WT) or NAC1 knockout (-/-) mice found that NAC1 is crucially involved in the early stage of T cell development. NAC1 positively affects CD8+ T cell differentiation, but negatively regulates Treg development. Compared with WT animals, NAC1-/- mice displayed defects in CD8+ T cell development but generated a larger amount of CD4+ regulatory Tregs that exhibit a higher metabolic profile and immune suppressive activity, increased acetylation, and expression of FoxP3, and slower turnover of this transcriptional factor. Furthermore, treatment of Tregs with the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β or TNF-α induced a robust upregulation of NAC1 but an evident downregulation of FoxP3 as well as the acetylated FoxP3, suggesting that the reduction of FoxP3 by the NAC1-mediated deacetylation and destabilization of this lineage-specific transcriptional factor contributes considerably to break of immune tolerance. These findings imply that the pro-inflammatory cytokines-stimulated upregulation of NAC1 acts as a trigger of the immune response through destabilization of Tregs and suppression of tolerance induction, and that therapeutic targeting of NAC1 warrants further exploration as a potential tolerogenic strategy for treatment of autoimmune disorders.
Sub-harmonic Entrainment of Cortical Gamma Oscillations to Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson’s Disease: Model Based Predictions and Validation in Three Human Subjects
Authors: Sermon James J. , Olaru Maria , Anso Juan , Cernera Stephanie , Little Simon , Shcherbakova Maria , Bogacz Rafal , Starr Philip A. , Denison Timothy , Duchet Benoit
Published: March 2022

Objectives

The exact mechanisms of deep brain stimulation (DBS) are still an active area of investigation, in spite of its clinical successes. This is due in part to the lack of understanding of the effects of stimulation on neuronal rhythms. Entrainment of brain oscillations has been hypothesised as a potential mechanism of neuromodulation. A better understanding of entrainment might further inform existing methods of continuous DBS, and help refine algorithms for adaptive methods. The purpose of this study is to develop and test a theoretical framework to predict entrainment of cortical rhythms to DBS across a wide range of stimulation parameters.

Materials and Methods

We fit a model of interacting neural populations to selected features characterising PD patients’ off-stimulation finely-tuned gamma rhythm recorded through electrocorticography. Using the fitted models, we predict basal ganglia DBS parameters that would result in 1:2 entrainment, a special case of sub-harmonic entrainment observed in patients and predicted by theory.

Results

We show that the neural circuit models fitted to patient data exhibit 1:2 entrainment when stimulation is provided across a range of stimulation parameters. Furthermore, we verify key features of the region of 1:2 entrainment in the stimulation frequency/amplitude space with follow-up recordings from the same patients, such as the loss of 1:2 entrainment above certain stimulation amplitudes.

Conclusion

Our results reveal that continuous, constant frequency DBS in patients may lead to nonlinear patterns of neuronal entrainment across stimulation parameters, and that these responses can be predicted by modelling. Should entrainment prove to be an important mechanism of therapeutic stimulation, our modelling framework may reduce the parameter space that clinicians must consider when programming devices for optimal benefit.
Global ecological and biogeochemical impacts of pelagic tunicates
Authors: Luo Jessica Y. , Stock Charles A. , Henschke Natasha , Dunne John P. , O’Brien Todd D.
Published: March 2022

The pelagic tunicates, gelatinous zooplankton that include salps, doliolids, and appendicularians, are filter feeding grazers thought to produce a significant amount of particulate organic carbon (POC) detritus. However, traditional sampling methods (i.e., nets), have historically underestimated their abundance, yielding an overall underappreciation of their global biomass and contribution to ocean biogeochemical cycles relative to crustacean zooplankton. As climate change is projected to decrease the average plankton size and POC export from traditional plankton food webs, the ecological and biogeochemical role of pelagic tunicates may increase; yet, pelagic tunicates were not resolved in the previous generation of global earth system climate projections. Here we present a global ocean study using a coupled physical-biogeochemical model to assess the impact of pelagic tunicates in the pelagic food web and biogeochemical cycling. We added two tunicate groups, a large salp/doliolid and a small appendicularian to the NOAA-GFDL Carbon, Ocean Biogeochemistry, and Lower Trophics version 2 (COBALTv2) model, which was originally formulated to represent carbon flows to crustacean zooplankton. The new GZ-COBALT simulation was able to simultaneously satisfy new pelagic tunicate biomass constraints and existing ecosystem constraints, including crustacean zooplankton observations. The model simulated a global tunicate biomass of 0.10 Pg C, annual tunicate production of 0.49 Pg C y-1in the top 100 m, and annual tunicate detritus production of 0.98 Pg C y-1in the top 100 m. Tunicate-mediated export flux was 0.71 Pg C y-1, representing 11% of the total export flux past 100 m. Overall export from the euphotic zone remained largely constant, with the GZ-COBALT pe-ratio only increasing 5.3% (from 0.112 to 0.118) compared to the COBALTv2 control. While the bulk of the tunicate-mediated export production resulted from the rerouting of phytoplankton- and mesozooplankton-mediated export, tunicates also shifted the overall balance of the upper oceans away from recycling and towards export. Our results suggest that pelagic tunicates play important trophic roles in both directly competing with microzooplankton and indirectly shunting carbon export away from the microbial loop.
Deciphering of Somatic Mutational Signatures of Cancer
Authors: Ji Xiangwen , Wang Edwin , Cui Qinghua
Published: March 2022

Somatic mutational signatures (MSs) identified by genome sequencing play important roles in exploring the cause and development of cancer. Thus far, many such signatures have been identified, and some of them do imply causes of cancer. However, a major bottleneck is that we do not know the potential meanings (i.e., cancer causal or biological functions) and contributing genes for most of them. Here we presented a computational framework, Gene Somatic Genome Pattern (GSGP), which can decipher the molecular mechanisms of the MSs. More importantly, it is the first time, GSGP is able to process MSs from RNA sequencing, which greatly extended the applications of both MS analysis and RNA sequencing. As a result, GSGP analysis matches consistently with previous reports and identify the aetiologies for a number of novel signatures. Notably, we applied GSGP to RNA sequencing data and revealed an RNA-derived MS involved in deficient DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) and microsatellite instability (MSI) in colorectal cancer (CRC).
A critical contribution of a sparse neuronal ensemble in the amygdala central nucleus to extinction
Authors: Lay Belinda P. P. , Koya Eisuke , Hope Bruce T. , Esber Guillem R. , Iordanova Mihaela D.
Published: March 2022

Adaptive behaviour critically depends on the delicate and dynamic balance between acquisition and extinction memories. Disruption of this balance, particularly when the extinction memory loses control over behaviour, is the root of treatment failure of maladaptive behaviours such as substance abuse or anxiety disorders. Understanding this balance requires a better understanding of the underlying neurobiology and its contribution to behavioural regulation. Here, we used Daun02 in Fos-lacZ transgenic rats to delete extinction-recruited neuronal ensembles in BLA and CN and examine their contribution to behaviour in an appetitive Pavlovian task. Deletion of extinction-activated ensembles in CN but not BLA impaired the retrieval of extinction and increased activity in the BLA. The disruptive effect of deleting these CN ensembles was enduring as it hindered further extinction learning, and promoted greater levels of behavioural restoration across opposing levels of the response scale seen in spontaneous recovery and reinstatement. Our data indicate that the initial extinction-recruited CN ensemble is critical to the acquisition-extinction balance, and that greater behavioural restoration does not mean weaker extinction contribution. These findings provide a novel avenue for thinking about the neural mechanisms of extinction and in developing treatments for cue-triggered appetitive behaviours.
Sexual deprivation induces a CRF independent stress response and decreases resistance to stressors inDrosophilavia a subpopulation of Neuropeptide F receptor-expressing neurons
Authors: Ryvkin Julia , Shmueli Anat , Levi Mali , Jacob Avi , Shalit Tali , Bentzur Assa , Agranovich Bella , Abramovich Ifat , Gottlieb Eyal , Nässel Dick R. , Shohat-Ophir Galit
Published: March 2022

Living in a changing environment composed of other behaving animals entails both opportunities and challenges to obtain resources and mating partners. Actions that promote survival and reproduction are reinforced by the brain reward systems, whereas coping with the challenges associated with obtaining these rewards are mediated by stress response pathways. The activation of the latter can impair health and shorten lifespan. Although similar responses to social opportunity and challenge exist across the animal kingdom, little is known about the mechanisms that process reward and stress under different social conditions. Here, we studied the interplay between deprivation of sexual reward and stress response inDrosophila melanogaster anddiscovered that repeated failures to obtain sexual reward induces a frustration-like state that is characterized by increased arousal, persistent sexual motivation, and impaired ability to cope with starvation and oxidative stressors. We show that this increased arousal and sensitivity to starvation is mediated by disinhibition of neurons that express receptors for the fly homologue of neuropeptide Y (neuropeptide F, NPF). We furthermore demonstrate the existence of an anatomical overlap between stress and reward systems in the fly brain in the form of neurons that co-express receptors for NPF (NPFR) and the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-like homologue Diuretic hormone 44 (Dh44), and that deprivation of sexual reward leads to translocation of forkhead box-subgroup O (FoxO) to the cytoplasm in these neurons. Nevertheless, the activity of Dh44 neurons alone does not mediate sensitivity to starvation and aroused behavior following sexual deprivation, instead, these responses are mediated by disinhibition of ~12-16 NPFR-expressing neurons via a dynamin-independent synaptic signaling mechanism, suggesting the existence of a NPFR mediated stress pathway which is Dh44-independent. This paves the path for using simple model organisms to dissect mechanisms behind anticipation of reward, and more specifically, to determine what happens when expectations to obtain natural and drug rewards are not met.