Multiple Networks for Interhemispheric Integration in the Visual Brain: fMRI BOLD Response Increases with EEG Synchronization

2006.05.6-12, ISMRM 2006, International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 14th Scientific Meeting, Seattle, Washington, USA. Book of abstracts ELECTRONIC POSTER DISCUSSION: The Future of BOLD? Resting State Signals and Multiple Modalities: Electronic Poste

fMRI responses in medial frontal cortex that depend on the temporal frequency of visual input.

Functional networks in the human brain have been investigated using electrophysiological methods (EEG/MEG, LFP, and MUA) and steady-state paradigms that apply periodic luminance or contrast modulation to drive cortical networks. We have used this approach with fMRI to characterize a cortical network driven by a checkerboard reversing at a fixed frequency. We found that the fMRI signals in voxels located in occipital cortex were increased by checkerboard reversal at frequencies ranging from 3 to 14 Hz. In contrast, the response of a cluster of voxels centered on basal medial frontal cortex depended strongly on the reversal frequency, consistently exhibiting a peak in the response for specific reversal frequencies between 3 and 5 Hz in each subject. The fMRI signals at the frontal voxels were positively correlated indicating a homogeneous cluster. Some of the occipital voxels were positively correlated to the frontal voxels apparently forming a large-scale functional network. Other occipital voxels were negatively correlated to the frontal voxels, suggesting a functionally distinct network. The results provide preliminary fMRI evidence that during visual stimulation, input frequency can be varied to engage different functional networks

Incorporation of an Interprofessional Palliative Care-Ethics Experience Into a Required Critical Care Acting Internship.

Introduction: The literature documents inadequate palliative medicine training in undergraduate and graduate medical education. As the population lives longer, many people will experience multiple chronic illnesses and the associated symptom burden. All physicians involved in clinical care of patients need to be equipped with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to provide palliative care, yet most physicians do not feel adequately prepared. We designed a curriculum to provide a meaningful palliative care-ethics (PCE) clinical experience to prepare senior medical students for future practice regardless of specialty choice. Methods: The Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell integrated a PCE experience into the required 4-week acting internship in critical care (AICC). Students met weekly with an interprofessional faculty member and presented clinical cases focusing on communication and/or bioethical challenges. Faculty facilitators ensured that the presentations integrated discussion of communication skills. During the final session, students shared written reflections. Students were invited to complete a satisfaction survey postrotation and 1 year after graduation. Results: The curriculum was evaluated positively by the graduating classes of 2015 ( Discussion: It is feasible to incorporate an interprofessional PCE experience into a required AICC. Students indicated a better understanding of palliative care and, at 1 year postgraduation, reported feeling comfortable caring for patients with serious illness

Animal models of hepatocellular carcinoma prevention

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a deadly disease and therapeutic efficacy in advanced HCC is limited. Since progression of chronic liver disease to HCC involves a long latency period of a few decades, a significant window of therapeutic opportunities exists for prevention of HCC and improve patient prognosis. Nonetheless, there has been no clinical advancement in instituting HCC chemopreventive strategies. Some of the major challenges are heterogenous genetic aberrations of HCC, significant modulation of tumor microenvironment and incomplete understanding of HCC tumorigenesis. To this end, animal models of HCC are valuable tools to evaluate biology of tumor initiation and progression with specific insight into molecular and genetic mechanisms involved. In this review, we describe various animal models of HCC that facilitate effective ways to study therapeutic prevention strategies that have translational potential to be evaluated in a clinical context © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Supercritical antisolvent particle precipitation and fractionation of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extracts

The simultaneous fractionation and precipitation of an ethanolic extract of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) using supercritical carbon dioxide anti-solvent technique was studied, with the target of separate in two different fractions the key antioxidants of rosemary (i.e. rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid and carnosol). The effect of pressure and temperature on the fractionation process was investigated, together with the morphology and particle size distribution of the precipitates. Additionally, the chemical composition of the oleoresins were analyzed and reported. In the range of pressures (9-20 MPa) and temperatures (313-333 K) used in this work, the precipitates presented a 2-3 fold enrichment of rosmarinic acid, while carnosic acid and carnosol were concentrated (2-3 fold enrichment) in the oleoresin fractions. Furthermore, in general, oleoresins presented higher antioxidant activity than precipitates. Particles produced with a nozzle of diameter 101.6 μm were smaller and more spherical with increasing pressure (mean value 4-10 μm at 20 MPa) and decreasing temperatureThe authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (Proyect AGL2016- 76736-C3-1-R). Somaris E. Quintana is grateful for the funding provided by Gobernación de Bolivar and Fundación Ceiba, Colombia, in the project “Bolívar Gana con Cienci

Preparation and characterization of licorice‐chitosan coatings for postharvest treatment of fresh strawberries

Several plant extracts are being investigated to produce edible coatings, mainly due to their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. In this study, licorice root extracts were produced by ultrasound‐assisted extraction and were combined with chitosan to elaborate edible coatings. Different solvents and temperatures were used in the extraction process, and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extracts were assessed. The most bioactive extracts were selected for the development of the edible coatings. The rheological properties of the coatings were studied, and they were applied on strawberry to evaluate their physicochemical and microbiological properties. The addition of licorice extract to chitosan resulted in positive effects on the rheological properties of the coatings: the incorporation of phytochemicals to chitosan decreased the shear stress and improved the restructuring ability of the coating solutions. The films presented a reduction of the Burger model parameter, indicating a reduction of rigidity. Furthermore, the strawberry coated with chitosan and licorice extract maintained good quality parameters during storage and showed the best microbiological preservation in comparison with controls. Hence, the use of chitosan with licorice extract is a potential strategy to produce edible coating for improving the postharvest quality of fruitsThis research was funded by Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid, grant number P2013/ABI27, project Bolívar Gana con Ciencia, MinCiencias Contract 368-2019 and Programa Nacional de Innovación Agraria—PNIA of Perú, Contract: No. 152-2018-INIA-PNIA-PASANTI

Fractionation and precipitation of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) phytochemicals by supercritical antisolvent (SAS) technique

Supercritical anti-solvent precipitation (SAS) using carbon dioxide is a novel technique that can be used to produce powdered ingredients in small size particles, facilitating their incorporation into food matrices. In this work, the SAS precipitation of a licorice root ethanolic extract was studied. SAS assays were carried out at 15–20 MPa, 308.15 and 313.15 K, and two different concentrations (9.6 and 14.2 mg/ml) of the ethanolic licorice extract. In the range of conditions investigated, SAS pressure and temperature did not affect significantly the precipitation yield, but phytochemicals recovery was higher with the lower licorice extract concentration. Moreover, the fractionation of licorice bioactives (liquiritin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, glabridin and glycyrrhizic acid) was assessed, together with the content of total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of the powders and oleoresin by-products obtained. In this respect, precipitates and oleoresins presented significant differences in the concentration of some licorice bioactives, and higher antioxidant activity was observed in precipitates. Additionally, significant effect of pressure, temperature and licorice extract concentration on the morphology and particle size of precipitates was observed, recovering smaller and more regular particles at 15–20 MPa, 313.15 K and 9.6 mg/ml licorice extract concentration, attaining satisfactory yield and antioxidant activityThe authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (Projects AGL2017-89055-R and AGL2016-76736-C3-1-R). Somaris E. Quintana is grateful for the funding provided by Gobernación de Bolivar and Fundación Ceiba, Colombia, in the project “Bolívar Gana con Ciencia