High-density diffuse optical tomography for imaging human brain function

This review describes the unique opportunities and challenges for noninvasive optical mapping of human brain function. Diffuse optical methods offer safe, portable, and radiation free alternatives to traditional technologies like positron emission tomography or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Recent developments in high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) have demonstrated capabilities for mapping human cortical brain function over an extended field of view with image quality approaching that of fMRI. In this review, we cover fundamental principles of the diffusion of near infrared light in biological tissue. We discuss the challenges involved in the HD-DOT system design and implementation that must be overcome to acquire the signal-to-noise necessary to measure and locate brain function at the depth of the cortex. We discuss strategies for validation of the sensitivity, specificity, and reliability of HD-DOT acquired maps of cortical brain function. We then provide a brief overview of some clinical applications of HD-DOT. Though diffuse optical measurements of neurophysiology have existed for several decades, tremendous opportunity remains to advance optical imaging of brain function to address a crucial niche in basic and clinical neuroscience: that of bedside and minimally constrained high fidelity imaging of brain function

Identifying phenotypic effects in Sporisorium reilianum and Ustilago maydis lacking the alternative oxidase gene.

Ustilago maydis and Sporisorium reilianum are both dimorphic fungi that cause infection in the host plant, corn (Zea mays). In order for infection to be successful, compatible haploid mating types must form a dikaryon that later leads to the development and dispersal of teliospores. In order to sustain growth, energy is produced via the electron transport chain within the mitochondrion. Host plants often produce harsh reactive oxygen species, resulting in the need to use an alternative respiration pathway such as employing an alternative oxidase. Therefore, this study attempted to investigate the role of the aox gene in pathogenicity for these fungi. This was achieved by disrupting the gene of interest and assessing mating, response to stress, and virulence. Virulence was found to be lower in seedlings infected with U. maydis deletion strains, suggesting aox could play a role in pathogenicity. Mating assays and stress tests did not show any differences in growth. Unfortunately, data could not be collected from S. reilianum infections, whose assessment requires full development of infected plants, but further study will investigate virulence and teliospore germination rates. There was a slight difference in mating, but this could not be quantified and should be compared to mating during infection as a future point of investigation. Additionally, there were no differences in morphology or growth ability of deletion strains when compared to wild type during stress tests

On the K(1)-local homotopy of tmf boolean AND tmf

As a step towards understanding the $\mathrm{tmf}$-based Adams spectral sequence, we compute the $K(1)$-local homotopy of $\mathrm{tmf} \wedge \mathrm{tmf}$, using a small presentation of $L_{K(1)}\mathrm{tmf}$ due to Hopkins. We also describe the $K(1)$-local $\mathrm{tmf}$-based Adams spectral sequence

Apportionment of Governing Boards of Professional Associations: New Techniques for Apportioning Based on Deviation from the Median

The Florida Bar, historically, has been open-minded about changing the composition of its Board of Governors and the manner in which representatives of Its Board are apportioned to and elected from the twenty judicial circuits

Maternal fluoxetine exposure alters cortical hemodynamic and calcium response of offspring to somatosensory stimuli

Epidemiological studies have found an increased incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders in populations prenatally exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Optical imaging provides a minimally invasive way to determine if perinatal SSRI exposure has long-term effects on cortical function. Herein we probed the functional neuroimaging effects of perinatal SSRI exposure in a fluoxetine (FLX)-exposed mouse model. While resting-state homotopic contralateral functional connectivity was unperturbed, the evoked cortical response to forepaw stimulation was altered in FLX mice. The stimulated cortex showed decreased activity for FLX versus controls, by both hemodynamic responses [oxyhemoglobin (Hb

Can Nanotechnology be the Leading Method in Detecting and Treating Cerebral Tumors?

Nanotechnology refers to the manipulation or design of materials and structures with desired features in the 1nm–1000 nm size range. The blood brain barrier (BBB) is a major obstacle that drugs must overcome in order to reach tumor cells. The role of this barrier is to transport essential nutrients while protecting and regulating the internal environment. Nanoparticles have been shown to transport drugs through this barrier and accumulate in tumor cells. This is significant since nanoparticles are drug carriers allowing chemotherapeutic drugs to accumulate in target areas (Sun et al., 2017). This is possible because they are able to be modified to overexpress specific peptides or membrane markers that are found in these target areas. Once the nanoparticle reaches these anatomical barriers they bind to the correct receptor and move into the area. They can then accumulate and drop their payload which may include a chemotherapeutic drug or contrast agent. This release is sensed by specific pH or temperature changes (Cheng, Morshed, Auffinger, Tobias, & Lesniak, 2014). Nanoparticles can contain different types of elements with unique properties. These properties can be optical, magnetic, or thermal resonating (Savale, 2015). They can be used in both imaging and treating tumors such as glioblastomas. However, there may be potential side effects that are currently not well understood (Wikipedia, 2019b). Nanoparticles are known to have a low toxicity when compared to other drugs (Wikipedia, 2019b). However, high toxicity levels can lead to alarming effects such as affecting other organs and their function (Savale, 2015). Cancer in the brain such as a glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most active and lethal cancers. Unfortunately, there is no known effective treatment; however, the use of nanoparticles has opened a new door into fighting this disease. This paper will discuss the relationships that nanoparticles have in treating cerebral tumors as well as imaging of cerebral tumors

Algebraic slice spectral sequences

For certain motivic spectra, we construct a square of spectral sequences relating the effective slice spectral sequence and the motivic Adams spectral sequence. We show the square can be constructed for connective algebraic K-theory, motivic Morava K-theory, and truncated motivic Brown-Peterson spectra. In these cases, we show that the $\mathbb{R}$-motivic effective slice spectral sequence is completely determined by the $\rho$-Bockstein spectral sequence. Using results of Heard, we also obtain applications to the Hill-Hopkins-Ravenel slice spectral sequences for connective Real K-theory, Real Morava K-theory, and truncated Real Brown-Peterson spectra. <br

The motivic lambda algebra and motivic Hopf invariant one problem

We investigate forms of the Hopf invariant one problem in motivic homotopy theory over arbitrary base fields of characteristic not equal to $2$. Maps of Hopf invariant one classically arise from unital products on spheres, and one consequence of our work is a classification of motivic spheres represented by smooth schemes admitting a unital product. The classical Hopf invariant one problem was resolved by Adams, following his introduction of the Adams spectral sequence. We introduce the motivic lambda algebra as a tool to carry out systematic computations in the motivic Adams spectral sequence. Using this, we compute the $E_2$-page of the $\mathbb{R}$-motivic Adams spectral sequence in filtrations $f \leq 3$. This universal case gives information over arbitrary base fields. We then study the $1$-line of the motivic Adams spectral sequence. We produce differentials $d_2(h_{a+1}) = (h_0+\rho h_1)h_a^2$ over arbitrary base fields, which are motivic analogues of Adams' classical differentials. Unlike the classical case, the story does not end here, as the motivic $1$-line is significantly richer than the classical $1$-line. We determine all permanent cycles on the $\mathbb{R}$-motivic $1$-line, and explicitly compute differentials in the universal cases of the prime fields $\mathbb{F}_q$ and $\mathbb{Q}$, as well as $\mathbb{Q}_p$ and $\mathbb{R}$.Comment: 63 pages. Calculator available as ancillary file. v4: some new relations, other minor change