245 research outputs found
Spatiotemporal dynamics of attentional orienting and reorienting revealed by fast optical imaging in occipital and parietal cortices
The mechanisms of visuospatial attention are mediated by two distinct fronto-parietal networks: a bilateral dorsal network (DAN), involved in the voluntary orientation of visuospatial attention, and a ventral network (VAN), lateralized to the right hemisphere, involved in the reorienting of attention to unexpected, but relevant, stimuli. The present study consisted of two aims: 1) characterize the spatio-temporal dynamics of attention and 2) examine the predictive interactions between and within the two attention systems along with visual areas, by using fast optical imaging combined with Granger causality. Data were collected from young healthy participants performing a discrimination task in a Posner-like paradigm. Functional analyses revealed bilateral dorsal parietal (i.e. dorsal regions included in the DAN) and visual recruitment during orienting, highlighting a recursive predictive interplay between specific dorsal parietal regions and visual cortex. Moreover, we found that both attention networks are active during reorienting, together with visual cortex, highlighting a mutual interaction among dorsal and visual areas, which, in turn, predicts subsequent ventral activity. For attentional reorienting our findings indicate that dorsal and visual areas encode disengagement of attention from the attended location and trigger reorientation to the unexpected location. Ventral network activity could instead reflect post-perceptual maintenance of the internal model to generate and keep updated task-related expectations
High frequency poroelastic waves in hydrogels
In this work a continuum model for high frequency poroelastic longitudinal
waves in hydrogels is presented. A viscoelastic force describing the
interaction between the polymer network and the bounded water present in such
materials is introduced. The model is tested by means of ultrasound wave speed
and attenuation measurements in polyvinylalcohol hydrogel samples. The theory
and experiments show that ultrasound attenuation decreases linearly with the
increase of the water volume fraction "{\beta}" of the hydrogel. The
introduction of the viscoelastic force between the bounded water and the
polymer network leads to a bi-phasic theory showing an ultrasonic fast wave
attenuation that can vary as a function of the frequency with a non-integer
exponent in agreement with the experimental data in literature. When {\beta}
tends to 1 (100% of interstitial water) due to the presence of bounded water in
the hydrogel, the ultrasound phase velocity acquires higher value than that of
pure water. The ultrasound speed gap at {\beta} = 1 is confirmed by the
experimental results that show that it increases in less cross-linked gel
samples that own a higher concentration of bounded water
Recommended from our members
Wireless, battery-free optoelectronic systems as subdermal implants for local tissue oximetry
Monitoring regional tissue oxygenation in animal models and potentially in human subjects can yield insights into the underlying mechanisms of local O2-mediated physiological processes and provide diagnostic and therapeutic guidance for relevant disease states. Existing technologies for tissue oxygenation assessments involve some combination of disadvantages in requirements for physical tethers, anesthetics, and special apparatus, often with confounding effects on the natural behaviors of test subjects. This work introduces an entirely wireless and fully implantable platform incorporating (i) microscale optoelectronics for continuous sensing of local hemoglobin dynamics and (ii) advanced designs in continuous, wireless power delivery and data output for tether-free operation. These features support in vivo, highly localized tissue oximetry at sites of interest, including deep brain regions of mice, on untethered, awake animal models. The results create many opportunities for studying various O2-mediated processes in naturally behaving subjects, with implications in biomedical research and clinical practice.Center for Bio-Integrated Electronics at Northwestern University; Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF) [ECCS-1542205]; Materials Research Science and Engineering Center [DMR-1720139]; State of Illinois; Northwestern University; Developmental Therapeutics Core at Northwestern University; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center [NCI CA060553]Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]
Reduced brain oxygen metabolism in patients with multiple sclerosis: Evidence from dual-calibrated functional MRI
Cerebral energy deficiency is increasingly recognised as an important feature of multiple sclerosis (MS). Until now, we have lacked non-invasive imaging methods to quantify energy utilisation and mitochondrial function in the human brain. Here, we used novel dual-calibrated functional magnetic resonance imaging (dc-fMRI) to map grey-matter (GM) deoxy-haemoglobin sensitive cerebral blood volume (CBVdHb), cerebral blood flow (CBF), oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption (CMRO2) in patients with MS (PwMS) and age/sex matched controls. By integrating a flow-diffusion model of oxygen transport, we evaluated the effective oxygen diffusivity of the capillary network (DC) and the partial pressure of oxygen at the mitochondria (PmO2). Significant between-group differences were observed as decreased CBF (pâ=â0.010), CMRO2 (pâ<â0.001) and DC (pâ=â0.002), and increased PmO2 (pâ=â0.043) in patients compared to controls. No significant differences were observed for CBVdHb (pâ=â0.389), OEF (pâ=â0.358), or GM volume (pâ=â0.302). Regional analysis showed widespread reductions in CMRO2 and DC for PwMS. Our findings may be indicative of reduced oxygen demand or utilisation in the MS brain and mitochondrial dysfunction. Our results suggest changes in brain physiology may precede MRI-detectable GM loss and may contribute to disease progression and neurodegeneration
Measurement of the Lifetime Difference Between B_s Mass Eigenstates
We present measurements of the lifetimes and polarization amplitudes for B_s
--> J/psi phi and B_d --> J/psi K*0 decays. Lifetimes of the heavy (H) and
light (L) mass eigenstates in the B_s system are separately measured for the
first time by determining the relative contributions of amplitudes with
definite CP as a function of the decay time. Using 203 +/- 15 B_s decays, we
obtain tau_L = (1.05 +{0.16}/-{0.13} +/- 0.02) ps and tau_H = (2.07
+{0.58}/-{0.46} +/- 0.03) ps. Expressed in terms of the difference DeltaGamma_s
and average Gamma_s, of the decay rates of the two eigenstates, the results are
DeltaGamma_s/Gamma_s = (65 +{25}/-{33} +/- 1)%, and DeltaGamma_s = (0.47
+{0.19}/-{0.24} +/- 0.01) inverse ps.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables; as published in Physical Review Letters
on 16 March 2005; revisions are for length and typesetting only, no changes
in results or conclusion
Pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis damage and repair: Linking cerebral hypoperfusion to the development of irreversible tissue loss in multiple sclerosis using magnetic resonance imaging
Background and purpose: Reduced cerebral perfusion has been observed in multiple sclerosis (MS) and may contribute to tissue loss both acutely and chronically. Here, we test the hypothesis that hypoperfusion occurs in MS and relates to the presence of irreversible tissue damage. Methods: In 91 patients with relapsing MS and 26 healthy controls (HC), gray matter (GM) cerebral blood flow (CBF) was assessed using pulsed arterial spin labeling. GM volume, T1 hypointense and T2 hyperintense lesion volumes (T1LV and T2LV, respectively), and the proportion of T2âhyperintense lesion volume that appears hypointense on T1âweighted magnetic resonance imaging (T1LV/T2LV) were quantified. GM CBF and GM volume were evaluated globally, as well as regionally, using an atlasâbased approach. Results: Global GM CBF was lower in patients (56.9 ± 12.3 mL/100 g/min) than in HC (67.7 ± 10.0 mL/100 g/min; p < 0.001), a difference that was widespread across brain regions. Although total GM volume was comparable between groups, significant reductions were observed in a subset of subcortical structures. GM CBF negatively correlated with T1LV (r = â0.43, p = 0.0002) and T1LV/T2LV (r = â0.37, p = 0.0004), but not with T2LV. Conclusions: GM hypoperfusion occurs in MS and is associated with irreversible white matter damage, thus suggesting that cerebral hypoperfusion may actively contribute and possibly precede neurodegeneration by hampering tissue repair abilities in MS
Spectrum of phenotypic anomalies in four families with deletion of the SHOX enhancer region
Impaired Growth and Force Production in Skeletal Muscles of Young Partially Pancreatectomized Rats: A Model of Adolescent Type 1 Diabetic Myopathy?
This present study investigated the temporal effects of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) on adolescent skeletal muscle growth, morphology and contractile properties using a 90% partial pancreatecomy (Px) model of the disease. Four week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to Px (nâ=â25) or Sham (nâ=â24) surgery groups and euthanized at 4 or 8 weeks following an in situ assessment of muscle force production. Compared to Shams, Px were hyperglycemic (>15 mM) and displayed attenuated body mass gains by days 2 and 4, respectively (both P<0.05). Absolute maximal force production of the gastrocnemius plantaris soleus complex (GPS) was 30% and 50% lower in Px vs. Shams at 4 and 8 weeks, respectively (P<0.01). GP mass was 35% lower in Px vs Shams at 4 weeks (1.24±0.06 g vs. 1.93±0.03 g, P<0.05) and 45% lower at 8 weeks (1.57±0.12 vs. 2.80±0.06, P<0.05). GP fiber area was 15â20% lower in Px vs. Shams at 4 weeks in all fiber types. At 8 weeks, GP type I and II fiber areas were âŒ25% and 40% less, respectively, in Px vs. Shams (group by fiber type interactions, P<0.05). Phosphorylation states of 4E-BP1 and S6K1 following leucine gavage increased 2.0- and 3.5-fold, respectively, in Shams but not in Px. Px rats also had impaired rates of muscle protein synthesis in the basal state and in response to gavage. Taken together, these data indicate that exposure of growing skeletal muscle to uncontrolled T1DM significantly impairs muscle growth and function largely as a result of impaired protein synthesis in type II fibers
Measurement of the dependence of transverse energy production at large pseudorapidity on the hard-scattering kinematics of proton-proton collisions at âs=2.76 TeV with ATLAS
The relationship between jet production in the central region and the underlying-event activity in a pseudorapidity-separated region is studied in 4.0 pb-1 of s=2.76 TeV pp collision data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The underlying event is characterised through measurements of the average value of the sum of the transverse energy at large pseudorapidity downstream of one of the protons, which are reported here as a function of hard-scattering kinematic variables. The hard scattering is characterised by the average transverse momentum and pseudorapidity of the two highest transverse momentum jets in the event. The dijet kinematics are used to estimate, on an event-by-event basis, the scaled longitudinal momenta of the hard-scattered partons in the target and projectile beam-protons moving toward and away from the region measuring transverse energy, respectively. Transverse energy production at large pseudorapidity is observed to decrease with a linear dependence on the longitudinal momentum fraction in the target proton and to depend only weakly on that in the projectile proton. The results are compared to the predictions of various Monte Carlo event generators, which qualitatively reproduce the trends observed in data but generally underpredict the overall level of transverse energy at forward pseudorapidity
Measurements of the charge asymmetry in top-quark pair production in the dilepton final state at s â =8ââTeV with the ATLAS detector
Measurements of the top-antitop quark pair production charge asymmetry in the dilepton channel, characterized by two high-pT leptons (electrons or muons), are presented using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3ââfbâ1 from pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy sâ=8ââTeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Inclusive and differential measurements as a function of the invariant mass, transverse momentum, and longitudinal boost of the ttÂŻ system are performed both in the full phase space and in a fiducial phase space closely matching the detector acceptance. Two observables are studied: AââC based on the selected leptons and AttÂŻC based on the reconstructed ttÂŻ final state. The inclusive asymmetries are measured in the full phase space to be AââC=0.008±0.006 and AttÂŻC=0.021±0.016, which are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions of AââC=0.0064±0.0003 and AttÂŻC=0.0111±0.0004
- âŠ