A spatiotemporal study of gliosis in relation to depth electrode tracks in drug-resistant epilepsy

Key questions remain regarding the processes governing gliogenesis following central nervous system injury that are critical to understanding both beneficial brain repair mechanisms and any long-term detrimental effects, including increased risk of seizures. We have used cortical injury produced by intracranial electrodes (ICEs) to study the time-course and localization of gliosis and gliogenesis in surgically resected human brain tissue. Seventeen cases with ICE injuries of 4–301 days age were selected. Double-labelled immunolabelling using a proliferative cell marker (MCM2), markers of fate-specific transcriptional factors (PAX6, SOX2), a microglial marker (IBA1) and glial markers (nestin, GFAP) was quantified in three regions: zone 1 (immediate vicinity: 0–350 μm), zone 2 (350–700 μm) and zone 3 (remote ≥2000 μm) in relation to the ICE injury site. Microglial/macrophage cell densities peaked at 28–30 days post-injury (dpi) with a significant decline in proliferating microglia with dpi in all zones. Nestin-expressing cells (NECs) were concentrated in zones 1 and 2, showed the highest regenerative capacity (MCM2 and PAX6 co-expression) and were intimately associated with capillaries within the organizing injury cavity. There was a significant decline in nestin/MCM2 co-expressing cells with dpi in zones 1 and 2. Nestin-positive fibres remained in the chronic scar, and NECs with neuronal morphology were noted in older injuries. GFAP-expressing glia were more evenly distributed between zones, with no significant decline in density or proliferative capacity with dpi. Colocalization between nestin and GFAP in zone 1 glial cells decreased with increasing dpi. In conclusion, NECs at acute injury sites are a proliferative, transient cell population with capacity for maturation into astrocytes with possible neuronal differentiation observed in older injuries

Dynamic Composite Data Physicalization Using Wheeled Micro-Robots

This paper introduces dynamic composite physicalizations, a new class of physical visualizations that use collections of self-propelled objects to represent data. Dynamic composite physicalizations can be used both to give physical form to well-known interactive visualization techniques, and to explore new visualizations and interaction paradigms. We first propose a design space characterizing composite physicalizations based on previous work in the fields of Information Visualization and Human Computer Interaction. We illustrate dynamic composite physicalizations in two scenarios demonstrating potential benefits for collaboration and decision making, as well as new opportunities for physical interaction. We then describe our implementation using wheeled micro-robots capable of locating themselves and sensing user input, before discussing limitations and opportunities for future work

Solvent contribution to the stability of a physical gel characterized by quasi-elastic neutron scattering

The dynamics of a physical gel, namely the Low Molecular Mass Organic Gelator {\textit Methyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-$\alpha$ -D-mannopyranoside ($\alpha$-manno)} in water and toluene are probed by neutron scattering. Using high gelator concentrations, we were able to determine, on a timescale from a few ps to 1 ns, the number of solvent molecules that are immobilised by the rigid network formed by the gelators. We found that only few toluene molecules per gelator participate to the network which is formed by hydrogen bonding between the gelators' sugar moieties. In water, however, the interactions leading to the gel formations are weaker, involving dipolar, hydrophobic or $\pi-\pi$ interactions and hydrogen bonds are formed between the gelators and the surrounding water. Therefore, around 10 to 14 water molecules per gelator are immobilised by the presence of the network. This study shows that neutron scattering can give valuable information about the behaviour of solvent confined in a molecular gel.Comment: Langmuir (2015

Coexistent spin-triplet superconducting and ferromagnetic phases induced by the Hund's rule coupling and electronic correlations II: Effect of applied magnetic field

Recently proposed local-correlation-driven pairing mechanism, describing ferromagnetic phases (FM1 and FM2) coexisting with spin-triplet superconductivity (SC) within a single orbitally degenerate Anderson lattice model, is extended to the situation with applied Zeeman field. The model provides and rationalizes in a semiquantitative manner the principal features of the phase diagram observed for $\mathrm{UGe_2}$ in the field absence [cf. Phys. Rev. B $\mathbf{97}$, 224519 (2018)]. As spin-dependent effects play a crucial role for both the ferromagnetic and SC states, the role of the Zeeman field is to single out different stable spin-triplet SC phases. This analysis should thus be helpful in testing the proposed real-space pairing mechanism, which may be regarded as complementary to spin-fluctuation theory suitable for $\mathrm{^3He}$. Specifically, we demonstrate that the presence of the two distinct phases, FM1 and FM2, and associated field-driven metamagnetic transition between them, induce respective metasuperconducting phase transformation. At the end, we discuss briefly how the spin fluctuations might be incorporated as a next step into the considered here renormalized quasiparticle picture

Motherhood, Moral Authority and the Charismatic Matriarch in the Aftermath of Lethal Violence

Images of maternal suffering are an evocative and powerful means of communication in a world where the private grief of victims has increasingly become subject to commodification and public consumption. This article looks at the influence of bereaved mothers as symbols of respect, peace and dignity in the aftermath of violence, and as a result their persuasive presence in family activism. Drawing upon two case studies, this article explores the importance of victims’ stories in public life and, in particular, the presence of the charismatic matriarch in creating communities of solidarity, raising awareness of harms that have previously gone unheard and prompting policy change. It considers the ‘canonical’ story of the mother in public life and concludes by arguing that more attention should be paid to victims’ stories and their influence on policy-making, politics and eventually in becoming public grievances

A spatiotemporal study of gliosis in relation to depth electrode tracks in drug-resistant epilepsy.

Key questions remain regarding the processes governing gliogenesis following central nervous system injury that are critical to understanding both beneficial brain repair mechanisms and any long-term detrimental effects, including increased risk of seizures. We have used cortical injury produced by intracranial electrodes (ICEs) to study the time-course and localization of gliosis and gliogenesis in surgically resected human brain tissue. Seventeen cases with ICE injuries of 4-301 days age were selected. Double-labelled immunolabelling using a proliferative cell marker (MCM2), markers of fate-specific transcriptional factors (PAX6, SOX2), a microglial marker (IBA1) and glial markers (nestin, GFAP) was quantified in three regions: zone 1 (immediate vicinity: 0-350 μm), zone 2 (350-700 μm) and zone 3 (remote ≥2000 μm) in relation to the ICE injury site. Microglial/macrophage cell densities peaked at 28-30 days post-injury (dpi) with a significant decline in proliferating microglia with dpi in all zones. Nestin-expressing cells (NECs) were concentrated in zones 1 and 2, showed the highest regenerative capacity (MCM2 and PAX6 co-expression) and were intimately associated with capillaries within the organizing injury cavity. There was a significant decline in nestin/MCM2 co-expressing cells with dpi in zones 1 and 2. Nestin-positive fibres remained in the chronic scar, and NECs with neuronal morphology were noted in older injuries. GFAP-expressing glia were more evenly distributed between zones, with no significant decline in density or proliferative capacity with dpi. Colocalization between nestin and GFAP in zone 1 glial cells decreased with increasing dpi. In conclusion, NECs at acute injury sites are a proliferative, transient cell population with capacity for maturation into astrocytes with possible neuronal differentiation observed in older injuries

Flunitrazepam Excretion Patterns using the Abuscreen OnTrak and OnLine Immunoassays: Comparison with GC-MS

A study was conducted to compare the performance of the OnLine and OnTrak immunoassays for benzodiazepines with gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis in detecting flunitrazepam (FNP) and its metabolites in human urine. Urine was collected over a 72-h period from six individuals (four male and two female) who had taken a single oral dose of either 1 or 4 mg of FNP. The OnTrak assay was run at a 100-ng/mL cutoff of nordiazepam (NDP), and the OnLine assay was run with a standard curve from zero to 200 ng/mL of NDP with and without β-glucuronidase treatment. Each sample was analyzed by GC-MS using FNP, 7-amino-FNP, 3-hydroxy-FNP, desmethyl-FNP, 7-amino-3-hydroxy-FNP, and desmethyl-3-hydroxy-FNP as standards with β-glucuronidase treatment. The specimens from the 1-mg dose did not yield a positive result by immunoassay over the 72-h collection period. Specimens from the 4-mg dose did yield positive results in both immunoassays. The time of the first positive result ranged from 4 to 12 h, and the time to the last positive result ranged from 18 to 60 h. Treatment of the samples with β-glucuronidase increased the OnLine values between 20 and 60%, but it did not appreciably increase the detection time. GC-MS analysis showed no detectable levels of FNP, 3-hydroxy-FNP, desmethyl-FNP, 7-amino-3-hydroxy-FNP, and desmethyl-3-hydroxy-FNP. However, all samples collected past time zero showed detectable levels of 7-amino-FNP (> 2 ng/mL) with peak concentrations at 12-36 h. The peak levels of 7-amino-FNP by GC-MS paralleled the peak levels of the immunoassay response. The amount of 7-amino-FNP metabolite quantitated by GC-MS, however, accounted for only 15-20% of the total immunoassay crossreactive FNP metabolite

High-fidelity phase and amplitude control of phase-only computer generated holograms using conjugate gradient minimisation

Funding: Leverhulme Trust (RPG-2013-074); EPSRC (EP/G03673X/1; EP/L015110/1).We demonstrate simultaneous control of both the phase and amplitude of light using a conjugate gradient minimisation-based hologram calculation technique and a single phase-only spatial light modulator (SLM). A cost function, which incorporates the inner product of the light field with a chosen target field within a defined measure region, is efficiently minimised to create high fidelity patterns in the Fourier plane of the SLM. A fidelity of F = 0.999997 is achieved for a pattern resembling an LG01 mode with a calculated light-usage efficiency of 41.5%. Possible applications of our method in optical trapping and ultracold atoms are presented and we show uncorrected experimental realisation of our patterns with F = 0.97 and 7.8% light efficiency.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

A quantitative study of white matter hypomyelination and oligodendroglial maturation in focal cortical dysplasia type II.

A diagnostic feature of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type II on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increased subcortical white matter (WM) signal on T2 sequences corresponding to hypomyelination, the cause of which is unknown. We aimed to quantify WM pathology in FCD type II and any deficiency in the numbers and differentiation of oligodendroglial (OL) cell types within the dysplasia